University of Virginia Library

[Scene II,

The High Priest's palace.]
An.
Sir Cayphas, of youre counsaille/Do, sone, late vs now see!
For lely it langes vs to luke/Vn-to oure lawe.
And therfore sir, prestely I pray ȝou,
Sen þat we are of counsaille ilkone,
That Jesus þat traytoure wer tane,
Do sone, late se sir, I pray ȝou.

Cayph.

An.
Now þis was wisely saide/Als euer haue I seele,
And sir, to youre saiyng/I saddely will assente,
Therfore take vs of oure knyghtis/That is stedfast as stele,
And late Judas go lede þam be-lyffe/Wher that he last lente.

[Enter Judas.
Cay.
Full wele sir. Nowe Judas, dere neghboure, drawe nere vs,
Lo! Judas, þus in mynde haue we ment,
To take Jesus is oure entent,
For þou muste lede vs and lere vs.
[And also beis ware/Þat he wil not away].

Judas.
Sirs, I schall wisse you þe way/Euen at youre awne will;
But loke þat ȝe haue/Many myghty men,
That is both strang and sterand/And stedde hym stone stille.

An.
Ȝis, Judas, but be what knowlache/Shall we þat corse kenne?

Judas.
Sirs, a tokenyng in þis tyme/I schall telle ȝou vntill;
But lokis by youre lewty/No liffe ȝe hym lenne, ...
Qwhat man som I kys,/Þat corse schall ye kyll.

Cay.
Why, nay Judas, I schrew you all þenne,
We purpose þe page schall not passe.
Sir knyghtis, in hy!

[Calls the soldiers.
i Mil.
Lorde we are here.

Cay.
Calles fourth youre felaws in feere,
And gose justely with gentill Judas.

i Mil.
Come, felaws, by youre faith/Come forthe all faste,
And carpis with Sir Cayphas,/He comaundis me to call.

ii Mil.
I schrewe hym all his liffe,/Þat loues to be last

iii Mil.
Go we hens þan in hy,/And haste vs to þe halle.

iv Mil.
Lorde, of youre will worthely,/Wolde I witte what wast?

Cay.
To take Jesus, þat sawntrelle,/All same, þat ȝe schall.

i Mil.
Lorde, to þat purpose/I wolde þat we paste.

Anna.
Ȝa, but loke þat ȝe be armed wele all,
The moste gentill of þe jury schalle gyde ȝow.

Cay.
Ȝa, and euery ilke a knyght in degre
Both armed and harneysed ȝe be,
To belde ȝou and baynely go by[de] ȝou.

An.
Ȝa, and þerfore sir Cayphas, ȝe hye ȝou
Youre wirschippe ȝe wynne in þis cas.
As ȝe are a lorde, most lofsom of lyre,
Vndir sir Pilate þat lyfis in þis Empire,
Ȝone segger þat callis hym-selffe a sire
With tresoure and tene sall we taste hym.
Of ȝone losell his bale schall [he] brewe,
Do trottes on for þat traytoure apas.

Cay.
Nowe, sirs, sen ȝe say my poure is most beste,
And hase all þis werke/Þus to wirke at my will,
Now certayne riȝt sone I thinke not to rest,
But solempnely in hast youre will to fulfille.
Full tyte þe traytoure schall be tane.
Sirs knyghtis, ȝe hye ȝou ilkone,
For in certayne þe losell schall be slane;
Sir Anna, I praye ȝou haue done.

An.
Full redy tyte I schall be boune
Þis journay for to go till;
Als ȝe are a lorde of grete renoune,
Ȝe spare hym not to spill.
Þe devill hym spede! go we with oure knyghtis in fere.
Lo! þay are arrayed and armed clere.
Sir knyghtis, loke ȝe be of full gud chere.
Where ȝe hym see, on hym take hede.

i Judeus.
Goode tente to hym, lorde, schall we take,
He schall banne þe tyme þat he was borne,
All his kynne schall come to late,
He schall noght skape withouten scorne
fro vs in fere.

ii Jud.
We schall hym seke both even and morne,
Erly and late, with full gode chere,
Is oure entente.

iii Jud.
Stye nor strete we schall spare none,
Felde nor towne, þus haue we mente,
And boune in corde.

Mal.
[bringing a light.]
Malcus! a ay! and I schulde be rewarde
And right, als wele worthy were,
Loo! for I bere light for my lorde.

Cay.
A! sir, of youre speche lette, and late vs spede
A space, and of oure speche spare,
And Judas go fande þou be-fore,
And wisely þou wisse þam þe way,
For sothely sone schall we 'saye,
To make hym to marre vs nomore.

[Exeunt.]