The Tapiteres and Couchers XXX. The Dream of Pilate's Wife : Jesus before Pilate |
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[Scene IV
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 | The Tapiteres and Couchers |  |
[Scene IV
Pilate's judgment hall; enter Caiaphas and company.]Cay.
Hayle! prince þat is pereles in price,
Ye are leder of lawes in þis lande,
Youre helpe is full hendely at hande.
An.
Hayle! stronge in youre state for to stande,
Alle þis dome muste be dressed at youre dulye deuyse.
31.
Pil.Who is there? my prelates?/
Cay.
Yha, lorde./
Pil.
Nowe be ȝe welcome, i-wisse!
Cay.
Gramercy, my souerayne,/But we beseke you all-same,
By-cause of wakand you vnwarly/Be noght wroth with þis.
For we haue brought here a lorell,/He lokis like a lambe.
Pil.
Come byn, you bothe, and to þe benke brayde yow.
Cay.
Nay gud sir, laugher is leffull for vs.
Pil.
A! sir, Cayphas, be curtayse yhe bus.
An.
Nay goode lorde, it may not be þus.
Pil.
Sais no more, but come sitte you beside me,/In sorowe as I saide youe.
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32.
Fil.Hayle! þe semelieste seeg vndir sonne sought,
Hayle! þe derrest duke and doughtiest in dede.
Pil.
Now bene-veneuew, beuscher,/What boodworde haste þou brought?
Hase any langour my lady newe laught in þis hede?
Fil.
Sir, þat comely comaundes hir youe too,
And sais, al nakid þis nyght as sche napped,
With tene and with traye was sche trapped,
With a sweuene þat swiftely hir swapped,
Of one Jesu þe juste man, þe Iewes will vndo.
And sais, al nakid þis nyght as sche napped,
With tene and with traye was sche trapped,
With a sweuene þat swiftely hir swapped,
Of one Jesu þe juste man, þe Iewes will vndo.
33.
She beseches you as hir souerayne þat symple to saue,
Deme hym noght to deth, for drede of vengeaunce.
Deme hym noght to deth, for drede of vengeaunce.
Pil.
What! I hope þis be he þat hyder harlid ȝe haue.
Cay.
Ya, sir, þe same and þe selffe;/But þis is but a skaunce,
He with wicchecrafte þis wile has he wrought,
Some feende of his sand has he sente,
And warned youre wiffe or he wente,
Yowe! þat schalke shuld not shamely be shente.
Þis is sikir in certayne, and soth schulde be sought.
34.
An.Yha, thurgh his fantome and falshed and fendes-craft,
He has wroght many wondir/Where he walked full wyde,
Wherfore my lorde it wer leeffull/His liffe were hym rafte.
Pil.
Be ye neuere so bryme, ye boþe bus abide,
But if þe traytoure be taught for vntrewe,
And þerfore sermones you no more;
I will sikirly sende hym selffe fore,
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Bedell, go brynge hyme,/For of þat renke haue I rewþe.
35.
Bed.This forward to fulfille/Am I fayne moued in myn herte;
Say, Jesu, þe juges and þe Iewes/Hase me enioyned
To bringe þe before þam,
Even bounden as þou arte,
Yone lordyngis to lose þe/Full longe haue þei heyned.
But firste schall I wirschippe þe/With witte and with will,
This reuerence I do þe for-thy
[He bows to Jesus.
For wytes þat wer wiser þan I,
They worshipped þe full holy on hy,
And with solempnite sange Osanna till.
36.
i Mil.My lorde þat is leder of lawes in þis lande,
All bedilis to your biding schulde be boxsome and bayne,
And ȝitt þis boy here before yowe/Full boldely was bowand,
To worschippe þis warlowe./Me thynke we wirke all in vayne.
ii Mil.
Yha, and in youre presence he prayed hym of pees,
In knelyng on knes to þis knave,
He be-soughte hym his seruaunte to saue.
Caip.
Loo, lord such arrore amange þem þei haue,
It is grete sorowe to see, no seeg may it sese.
It is grete sorowe to see, no seeg may it sese.
37.
It is no menske to youre manhed þat mekill is of myght,
To for-bere such forfettis þat falsely are feyned,
Such spites in especiall wolde be eschewed in your sight.
To for-bere such forfettis þat falsely are feyned,
Such spites in especiall wolde be eschewed in your sight.
Pil.
Sirs, moves you noȝt in þis matere,/But bese myldely demeaned,
For yone curtasie I kenne had som cause.
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In youre sight sir, þe soth schall I saye,
As ye are prince, take hede I you praye,
Such a lourdayne vnlele, dare I laye,
Many lordis of oure landis/Might lede fro oure lawes.
38.
Pil.
[to the Beadle.]
Saye, losell, who gaue þe leve/So for to lowte to yone ladde,
And solace hym in my sight/So semely, þat I sawe?
Bed.
A! gracious lorde, greue you noght
For gude case I hadde.
Yhe comaunded me to care,/Als ye kende wele and knawe,
To Jerusalem on a journay, with seele;
And þan þis semely on an asse was sette,
And many men myldely hym mette,
Als a god in þat grounde þai hym grette,
Wele semand hym in waye with worschippe lele.
For gude case I hadde.
Yhe comaunded me to care,/Als ye kende wele and knawe,
To Jerusalem on a journay, with seele;
And þan þis semely on an asse was sette,
And many men myldely hym mette,
Als a god in þat grounde þai hym grette,
Wele semand hym in waye with worschippe lele.
39.
Osanna þei sange, þe sone of dauid,
Riche men with þare robes þei ranne to his fete,
And poure folke fecched floures of þe frith,
And made myrthe and melody þis man for to mete.
Riche men with þare robes þei ranne to his fete,
And poure folke fecched floures of þe frith,
And made myrthe and melody þis man for to mete.
Pil.
Nowe gode sir, be þi feith,/What is Osanna to saie?
Bed.
Sir, constrew it we may/Be langage of þis lande as I leue,
It is als moche to me for to meve,
(Youre prelatis in þis place can it preue),
Als, ‘oure Sauiour and souerayne,/Þou saue vs, we praye.’
40.
Pil.Loo, senioures, how semes yow/Þe soþe I you saide?
Cai.
Yha, lorde, þis ladde is full liddir, be þis light!
Yf his sawes wer serchid and sadly assaied,
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This caytiffe þus cursedly can construe vs.
Bed.
Sirs, trulye þe trouþe I haue tolde,
Of þis wighte ȝe haue wrapped in wolde.
An.
[Rising.]
I saie, harlott, thy tonge schulde þou holde,
And noght agaynste þi maistirs to meve þus.
41.
Pil.Do sese of youre seggyng, and I schall examyne full sore.
An.
Sir, demes hym to deth, or dose hym away.
Pil.
Sir, haue ye saide?/
An.
Yha. lorde./
Pil.
Nowe go sette you with sorowe and care,
For I will lose no lede þat is lele to oure law.
[To Jesus.]
But steppe furth and stonde vppe on hight,
And buske to my bidding, þou boy,
And for þe nones þat þou neven vs anoy.
Bed.
I am here at youre hande to halow a hoy,
Do move of youre maister, for I shall melle it with myȝt.
42.
Pil.Cry, Oyas!
Be.
Oyas!
Pil.
Yit efte, be þi feithe.
Bed.
Oyas! a lowde.
Pil.
Pilatus, yit lowder/That ilke lede may light,
Crye pece in this prese, vppon payne þer-vppon,
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And stynte of þer stryuyng and stande still as a stone.
Calle ‘Jes, þe gentill of Jacob, þe Jewe,
Come preste and appere,
To þe barre drawe þe nere,
To þi jugement here,’
To be demed for his dedis vndewe.
43.
i Mil.Whe! harke how þis harlott he heldis oute of harre,
This lotterelle liste noght my lorde to lowte.
ii Mil.
Say beggar, why brawlest þou? go boune þe to þe barre.
i Mil.
Steppe on thy standyng so sterne and so stoute.
ii Mil.
Steppe on thy standyng so still.
i Mil.
Sir cowarde, to courte muste yhe care,
ii Mil.
A lessoune to lerne of oure lare.
i Mil.
Flitte fourthe, foule myght þou fare!
ii Mil.
Say, warlowe, þou wantist of þi will.
44.
Junior Fil.O Jesu vngentill, þi joie is in japes,
Þou can not be curtayse, þou caytiffe I calle þe,
No ruthe were it to rug þe and ryue þe in ropes,
Why falles þou noȝt flatte here, foule falle þe,
For ferde of my fadir so free?
Þou wotte noght his wisdome i-wys,
All thyne helpe in his hande þat it is,
Howe sone he myght saue þe fro þis;
Obeye hym, brothell, I bidde þe.
45.
Pil.Now, Jesu, þou art welcome ewys, as I wene,
Be noȝt abasshed, but boldely boune þe to þe barre.
What! seyniour will sewe for þe sore, I haue sene;
To wirke on þis warlowe, his witte is in warre.
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And sir prelatis, youre pontes bes prevyng,
What cause can ye caste of accusyng?
Þis mater ye marke to be mevyng,
And hendly in haste late vs here.
46.
Cay.Sir Pilate O Pounce, and prince of grete price,
We triste ye will trowe oure tales þei be trewe,
To deth for to deme hym with dewly device,
For cursidnesse yone knave hase in case, if ye knew,
In harte wolde ye hate hym in hye.
For if it wer so
We mente not to misdo;
Triste, sir, schall ye þerto,
We hadde not hym taken to þe.
47.
Pil.Sir, youre tales wolde I trowe,/But þei touche none entente,
What cause can ye fynde/Nowe þis freke for to felle?
An.
Oure sabbotte he saues not, but sadly assente
To wirke full vnwisely, þis wote I riȝt wele;
He werkis whane he will, wele I wote,
And þerfore in herte we hym hate,
Itt sittis you to strenghe youre estate
Yone losell to louse for his lay.
48.
Pil.Ilke a lede for to louse, for his lay is not lele,
Youre lawes is leffull, but to youre lawis longis it
Þis faitoure to feese wele with flappes full fele,
And woo may ye wirke hym be lawe, for he wranges it.
Therfore takes vn-to you full tyte,
And like as youre lawes will you lede,
Ye deme hym to deth for his dede.
Cay.
Nay, nay sir, þat dome muste vs drede,
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49.
It longes noȝt till vs no lede for to lose.
Pil.
What wolde ye I did þanne?/Þe deuyll motte you drawe!
Full fewe are his frendis, but fele are his fooes.
His liff for to lose þare longes no lawe;
Nor no cause can I kyndely contryue
Þat why he schulde lose þus his liffe.
An.
A! gude sir, it raykes full ryffe
In steedis wher he has stirrid mekill striffe
Of ledis þat is lele to youre liffe.
50.
Cay.Sir, halte men and hurte he helid in haste,
The deffe and þe dome he delyuered fro doole,
By wicchecrafte, I warande, his wittis schall waste,
For þe farles þat he farith with,/Loo! how þei folowe yone fole;
Oure folke so þus he frayes in fere.
An.
The dethe he rayses anone,
Þis laȝare þat lowe lay allone
He graunte hym his gates for to gone,
And pertely þus proued he his poure.
51.
Pil.Now goode siris, I saie, what wolde yhe?
Cay.
Sir, to dede for to do hym or dose hym a-dawe.
Pil.
Yha, for he dose wele his deth for to deme?
Go, layke you, sir, lightly,/Wher lerned ye such lawe?
This touches no tresoune, I telle you.
Yhe prelatis þat proued are for price,
Yhe schulde be boþe witty and wise,
And legge oure lawe wher it lyse,
Oure materes ye meve þus emel you.
52.
An.Misplese noȝt youre persone,/Yhe prince with-outen pere!
It touches to tresoune, þis tale I schall tell;
Yone briboure, full baynly he bed to for-bere
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Oure pepill þus his poyntis to applye.
Cay.
The pepull, he saies he schall saue,
And Criste garres he calle hym, yone knave,
And sais he will þe high kyngdome haue.
Loke whethir he deserue to dye!
53.
Pil.To dye he deserues yf he do þus in-dede,
But y will se my-selffe what he sais.
Speke Jesu, and spende nowe þi space for to spede;
þeȝ lordyngis þei legge þe þou liste noȝt leve on oure lawes.
They accuse þe cruelly and kene,
And þerfore, as a chiftene y charge þe,
Iff þou be Criste þat þou telle me,
And God sone þou grughe not to graunte ye,
For þis is þe matere þat y mene.
54.
Jesus.Þou saiste so þi-selue, I am sothly þe same,
Here wonnyng in worlde to wirke al þi will,
My fadir, is faithfull to felle all þi fame;
With-outen trespas or tene am I taken þe till.
Pil.
Loo! Busshoppis, why blame ye þis boye?
Me semys þat it is soth þat he saies,
Ye meve all þe malice ye may,
With youre wrenchis and wiles to wrythe hym away,
Vn-justely to juge hym fro joie.
55.
Cay.Nought so, sir, his seggyng is full sothly soth,
It bryngis oure bernes in bale for to bynde.
An.
Sir, douteles we deme als dewe of þe deth,
Þis foole þat ye fauour, grete fautes can we fynde
This daye, for to deme hym to dye.
Pil.
Saie, losell, þou lies be þis light!
Saie! þou rebalde! þou rekens vnright.
Cay.
Avise you sir, with mayne and with myght,
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56.
Pil.Me likes noȝt [t]his langage so largely for to lye.
Cay.
A! mercy, lorde, mekely, no malice we mente.
Pil.
Noo done is it douteles, balde and be blithe,
Talke on þat traytoure and telle youre entente.
Yone segge is sotell ye saie,
Gud sirs, wher lerned he such lare?
Cay.
In faith we cannot fynde whare.
Pil.
Yhis, his fadir with some farlis gan fare,
And has lered þis ladde of his laie.
57.
An.Nay, nay, sir, we wiste þat he was but a write,
No sotelte he schewed þat any segge saw.
Pil.
Thanne mene yhe of malice to marre hym of myght,
Of cursidnesse convik no cause can yhe knawe.
Me meruellis ye malyngne o mys.
Cay.
Sir, fro Galely hidir and hoo
The gretteste agayne hym ganne goo,
Yone warlowe to waken of woo,
And of þis werke beres witnesse y-wis.
58.
Pil.Why, and hase he gone in Galely, yone gedlyng on-gayne?
An.
Yha, lorde þer was he borne, yone brethelle, and brede.
Pil.
Nowe with-outen fagyng, my frendis, in faith I am fayne,
For now schall oure striffe full sternely be stede.
Sir Herowde is kyng þer, ye kenne,
His poure is preued full preste,
To ridde hym, or reue hym of rest;
And þerfore, to go with yone gest,
Yhe marke vs out of þe manliest men.
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59.
Cay.Als witte and wisdome youre will schalbe wroght,
Here is kempis full kene to þe kyng for to care.
An.
Nowe seniours, I saie yow sen soth schall be soght,
But if he schortely be sente it may sitte vs full sare.
Pil.
Sir knyghtis þat are cruell and kene,
That warlowe ye warrok and wraste,
And loke þat he brymly be braste;
And þerfore, sir knyghtis [in haste],
Do take on þat traytoure you be-twene.
That warlowe ye warrok and wraste,
And loke þat he brymly be braste;
And þerfore, sir knyghtis [in haste],
Do take on þat traytoure you be-twene.
60.
Tille Herowde in haste with þat harlott ye hye,
Comaunde me full mekely vnto his moste myght,
Saie þe dome of þis boy, to deme hym to dye,
Is done vpponne hym dewly, to dresse or to dight,
Or liffe for to leue at his liste.
Say ought I may do hym in dede,
His awne am I worthely in wede.
Comaunde me full mekely vnto his moste myght,
Saie þe dome of þis boy, to deme hym to dye,
Is done vpponne hym dewly, to dresse or to dight,
Or liffe for to leue at his liste.
Say ought I may do hym in dede,
His awne am I worthely in wede.
i Mil.
My lorde, we schall springe on a-spede,
Come þens to me þis traitoure full tyte.
61.
Pil.Bewe sirs, I bidde you ye be not to bolde,
But takes tente for oure tribute full trulye to trete.
ii Mil.
Mi lorde, we schall hye þis be-heste for to halde,
And wirke it full wisely, in wille and in witte.
Pil.
So sirs, me semys itt is sittand.
i Mil.
Mahounde, sirs, he menske you with myght:
ii Mil.
And saue you, sir, semely in sight.
Pil.
Now in þe wilde vengeaunce ye walke with þat wight,
And fresshely ye founde to be flittand.
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