 | The Bowers and Flecchers |  |
[Scene III
the soldiers buffet Jesus.]ii Miles.
Ȝis lorde, þat warant will wee!
Itt were a full nedles note to bidde vs nappe nowe.
iii Miles.
Sertis, will ye sitte, and sone schall ye see
Howe we schall play papse for þe pages prowe.
iv Miles.
Late see, who stertis for a stole?
For I have here a hatir to hyde hym.
268
Lo, here is one full fitte for a foole,
Go gete it, and sette þe beside hym.
ii Miles.
Nay I schall sette it my-selffe and frusshe hym also.
Lo, here a shrowde for a shrewe, and of shene shappe!
iii Miles.
Playes faire in feere, and I schall fande to feste it
With a faire flappe, and þer is one and þer is ij;
And ther is iij, and there is iiij.
iii Miles.
Say nowe, with an nevill happe,
Who negheth þe nowe? not o worde, no!
iv Miles.
Dose noddil on hym with neffes/That he noght nappe.
i Miles.
Nay nowe to nappe is no nede,
Wassaille, Wassaylle!/I warande hym wakande.
ii Miles.
Ȝa, and bot he bettir bourdis can byde,
Such buffettis schall he be takande.
iii Miles.
Prophete ysaie to be oute of debate,
Iniuste percussit, man rede giffe you may.
iv Miles.
Those wordes are in waste,/What wenes þou he wate?
It semys by his wirkyng/His wittes were awaye.
i Miles.
Now late hym stande as he stode in a foles state;
For he likis noȝt þis layke, my liffe dare I laye!
ii Miles.
Sirs, vs muste presente þis page to ser Pilate,
But go we firste to oure souerayne,/And see what he saies.
[They lead him back to Caiaphas.
269
My lorde! we haue bourded with þis boy,
And holden hym full hote emelle vs.
Cayph.
Thanne herde ye some japes of joye?
iv Miles.
The devell haue þe worde, lorde, he wolde telle vs.
Anna.
Sir, bidde belyue, þei goo and bynde hym agayne,
So þat he skape noght, for þat were a skorne.
Cayph.
Do telle to sir Pilate oure pleyntes all pleyne,
And saie, þis ladde with his lesyngis has oure lawes lorne;
And saie þis same day muste he be slayne,
Be-cause of sabott day þat schalbe to-more;
And saie þat we come oure selffe for certayne,
And forto fortheren þis fare, fare yee be-forne.
i Miles.
My lorde, with youre leve, vs muste wende,
Oure message to make as we maye.
Anna.
Sir, youre faire felawschippe we be-take to þe fende.
Cayph.
Goose onne nowe, and daunce forth in þe deuyll way.
| The Bowers and Flecchers | |