 | The Cordewaners |  |
[Scene I,
The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.]
1.
Jesus.Beholde my discipulis þat deyne is and dere,
My flesshe dyderis & daris for doute of my dede,
Myne enemyes will newly be neghand full nere,
With all þe myght if þei may to marre my manhede.
But sen ȝe are for-wakid/And wanderede in were,
Loke ȝe sette ȝou doune rathely,/And reste ȝou I reede.
Beis noȝt heuy in ȝoure hertis/But holde yow even here,
And bidis me a stounde/Stille in þis same steede.
Beeis witty and wyse in youre wandyng,
So þat ȝe be wakand alway,
And lokis nowe prestely ȝe pray
To my fadir, þat ȝe falle in no fandyng.
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2.
Pet.Ȝis, lorde, at thy bidding/Full baynly schall we abide,
For þou arte boote of oure bale/And bidis for þe best.
Joh.
Lorde! all oure helpe and oure hele,/That is noght to hyde,
In þe, oure faythe and oure foode,/All hollye is feste.
[Jesus goes from them.]
Jac.
Qwat way is he willid/In þis worlde wyde?
Whedir is he walked,/Estewarde or weste?
Pet.
Ȝaa, sirs, I schall saye ȝou,/Sittis vs doune on euery ilka side;
And late vs nowe rathely here take oure reste;
My lymmys are heuy as any leede.
Joh.
And I muste slepe, doune muste I lye.
Jac.
In faithe, felawes, right so fare I,
I may no lenger holde vppe my hede.
[They lie down.]
3.
Pet.Oure liffe of his lyolty/His liffe schall he lose,
Vnkyndely be crucified/And naylyd to a tree.
Jesus
[coming again].
Baynly of my blissing,/Youre eghen ȝe vnclose,
So þat ȝe falle in no fandyng/For noght þat may be,
But prayes fast.
Joh.
Lorde, som prayer þou kenne vs,
That somwhat myght mirthe vs or mende vs.
Jac.
Fro all fandyng vnfaythfull þou fende vs,
Here in þis worlde of liffe whille we laste.
4.
Jesus.I schall kenne ȝou, and comforte ȝou,/And kepe ȝou from care;
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Pet.
Ȝaa, but lorde, and youre willis were,/Witte wolde we more,
Of this prayer so precious late vs noȝt mys,
We beseke þe.
Joh.
For my felows and me all in feere,
Some prayer þat is precious to lere.
Jac.
Vn-to thy Fadir þat moste is of poure
Som solace of socoure to sende þe.
[OMITTED]
5.
Jesus.
Þe nowys þat me neghed/Hase, it nedis not to neuen;
For all wate ȝe full wele/What wayes I haue wente;
In-store me and strenghe/With a stille steuen,
I pray þe interly þou take entent,
Þou menske my manhed with mode.
My flessh is full dredand for drede,
For my jorneys of my manhed,
I swete now both watir and bloode.
For all wate ȝe full wele/What wayes I haue wente;
In-store me and strenghe/With a stille steuen,
I pray þe interly þou take entent,
Þou menske my manhed with mode.
My flessh is full dredand for drede,
For my jorneys of my manhed,
I swete now both watir and bloode.
6.
Þes Jewes hase mente in þer mynde full of malice,
And pretende me to take/With-outen any trespasse,
But Fadir, as þou wate wele,/I mente neuere a-mys,
In worde nor in werk/I neuer worthy was.
Als þou arte bote of all bale and belder of blisse,
And all helpe and hele in thy hande hase,
Þou mensk thy manhede,/Þou mendar of mysse!
And if it possible be/This payne myght I ouer-passe.
And Fadir, if þou se it may noght,
Be it worthely wrought
Euen at thyne awne will,
Euermore both myldely and still,
With worschippe all way be it wroght.
And pretende me to take/With-outen any trespasse,
But Fadir, as þou wate wele,/I mente neuere a-mys,
In worde nor in werk/I neuer worthy was.
Als þou arte bote of all bale and belder of blisse,
And all helpe and hele in thy hande hase,
Þou mensk thy manhede,/Þou mendar of mysse!
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And Fadir, if þou se it may noght,
Be it worthely wrought
Euen at thyne awne will,
Euermore both myldely and still,
With worschippe all way be it wroght.
7.
Vn-to my discipillis will I go agayne,
Kyndely to comforte þam/Þat kacchid are in care.
[Goes to the disciples.
Kyndely to comforte þam/Þat kacchid are in care.
What! are ȝe fallen on-slepe/Now euer-ilkone?
And þe passioun of me in mynde hase no more?
What! wille ȝe leue me þus lightly,/And latte me allone,
In sorowe and in sighyng/Þat sattillis full sore?
To whome may I meue me/And make nowe my mone,
I wolde þat ȝe wakened, and your will wore.
Do Petir, sitte vppe, nowe late se!
Þou arte strongly stedde in þis stoure,
Might þou noght þe space of an owre
Haue wakid nowe mildely with me?
And þe passioun of me in mynde hase no more?
What! wille ȝe leue me þus lightly,/And latte me allone,
In sorowe and in sighyng/Þat sattillis full sore?
To whome may I meue me/And make nowe my mone,
I wolde þat ȝe wakened, and your will wore.
Do Petir, sitte vppe, nowe late se!
Þou arte strongly stedde in þis stoure,
Might þou noght þe space of an owre
Haue wakid nowe mildely with me?
8.
Pet.Ȝis, lorde, with youre leue nowe will we lere,
Full warely to were ȝou fro alle wandynge?
Jesus.
Beeis wakand and prayes faste all in fere,
To my Fadir, þat ȝe falle in no fanding,
For euelle spiritis is neghand full nere,
That will ȝou tarie at þis tyme with his tentyng;
And I will wende þer I was withouten any were,
But bidis me here baynly in my blissing.
Agayne to þe mounte I will gang
Ȝitt efte-sones where I was ere,
But loke þat ȝe cacche ȝow no care,
For lely I schall noȝt dwelle lange.
[He moves away.]
To my Fadir, þat ȝe falle in no fanding,
For euelle spiritis is neghand full nere,
That will ȝou tarie at þis tyme with his tentyng;
And I will wende þer I was withouten any were,
But bidis me here baynly in my blissing.
Agayne to þe mounte I will gang
Ȝitt efte-sones where I was ere,
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For lely I schall noȝt dwelle lange.
9.
Þou Fadir, þat all formed hase with fode for to fill,
I fele by my ferdnes my flesshe wolde full fayne
Be torned fro this turnement, and takyn þe vntill,
For mased is manhed in mode and in mayne.
But if þou se sothly þat þi sone sill
With-outen surfette of synne þus sakles be slayne,
Be it worthly wroght even at thyne awne will,
For fadir, att þi bidding am I buxum and bayne.
Now wightely agayne will I wende,
Vn-to my discipilis so dere.
[He comes again to the disciples.
I fele by my ferdnes my flesshe wolde full fayne
Be torned fro this turnement, and takyn þe vntill,
For mased is manhed in mode and in mayne.
But if þou se sothly þat þi sone sill
With-outen surfette of synne þus sakles be slayne,
Be it worthly wroght even at thyne awne will,
For fadir, att þi bidding am I buxum and bayne.
Now wightely agayne will I wende,
Vn-to my discipilis so dere.
What! slepe ȝe so faste all in fere?
I am ferde ȝe mon faile of youre frende.
I am ferde ȝe mon faile of youre frende.
10.
But ȝitt will I leue ȝou and late you allone,
And efte-sones þere I was agayne will I wende.
[He moves away again.
And efte-sones þere I was agayne will I wende.
Vn-to my fadir of myght now make I my mone,
As þou arte saluer of all sore som socoure me sende.
Þe passioun they purpose to putte me vppon,
My flesshe is full ferde and fayne wolde defende,
At þi wille be itt wrought worþely in wone,
Haue mynde of my manhed, my mode for to mende.
Some comforte me kythe in þis case,
And Fadir, I schall dede taste,
I will it noȝt deffende;
Ȝitt yf thy willis be
Spare me a space.
As þou arte saluer of all sore som socoure me sende.
Þe passioun they purpose to putte me vppon,
My flesshe is full ferde and fayne wolde defende,
At þi wille be itt wrought worþely in wone,
Haue mynde of my manhed, my mode for to mende.
Some comforte me kythe in þis case,
And Fadir, I schall dede taste,
I will it noȝt deffende;
Ȝitt yf thy willis be
Spare me a space.
[An Angel appears.
11.
Ang.Vn-to þe maker vn-made/Þat moste is of myght,
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Thy Fadir þat in heuen is moste,/He vppon highte,
Thy sorowes for to sobir/To þe he hase me sente.
For dedis þat man done has/Thy dede schall be dight,
And þou with turmentis be tulyd./But take nowe entente,
Thy bale schall be for þe beste,
Thurgh þat mannys mys schall be mende;
Þan schall þou with-outen any ende
Rengne in thy rialte full of reste.
12.
Jesus.Now if my flesshe ferde be,/Fadir, I am fayne
Þat myne angwisshe and my noyes/Are nere at an ende;
Vn-to my discipilis go will I agayne,
Kyndely to comforte þam/Þat mased is in þer mynde.
[He goes to the disciples.
Do slepe ȝe nowe sauely,/And I schall ȝou sayne,
Wakyns vppe wightely/And late vs hens wende;
For als tyte mon I be taken/With tresoune and with trayne,
My flesshe is full ferde/And fayne wolde deffende.
Full derfely my dede schall be dight,
And als sone as I am tane
Þan schall ȝe forsake me ilkone,
And saie neuere ȝe sawe me with sight.
13.
Pet.Nay, sothely, I schall neuere my souereyne forsake,
If I schulde for þe dede darfely here dye,
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Nay such mobardis schall neuere man vs make,
Erste schulde we dye all at onys.
Jac.
Nowe in faith, felows, so shulde I.
Jesus.
Ȝa, but when tyme is be-tydde,/Þanne men schalle me take,
For all ȝoure hartely hetyng/Ȝe schall hyde ȝou in hy,
Lyke schepe þat were scharid/A-way schall ȝe schake,
Þer schall none of ȝou be balde/To byde me þan by.
Pet.
Nay, sothely, whils I may vayle þe,
I schall were þe and wake þe,
And if all othir for-sake þe,
I schall neuere fayntely defayle þe.
14.
Jesus.A! Petir, of swilke bostyng/I rede þou late bee,
Fo[r] all thy kene carpyng/Full kenely I knawe,
For ferde of myne enmyse/Þou schalte sone denye me,
Thries ȝitt full thraly,/Or the Cokkes crowe:
For ferde of my fo-men/Full fayne be for to flee,
And for grete doute of þi dede/Þe to with-drawe.
| The Cordewaners | |