 | The Shermen |  |
[Scene II;
The road to Calvary: John, Mary, and others waiting.]
10.
Johannes.
Allas! for my maistir þat moste is of myght,
That Ȝister-even late, with lanternes light,
Be-fore þe busshoppe was brought;
Bothe Petir and I we saugh þat sight,
And sithen we wente oure wayes full wight,
When þe Jewes wondirly wrought.
At morne þei toke to rede,
And soteltes vp soght,
And demed hym to be dede
Þat to þam trespassed noght.
That Ȝister-even late, with lanternes light,
Be-fore þe busshoppe was brought;
Bothe Petir and I we saugh þat sight,
And sithen we wente oure wayes full wight,
When þe Jewes wondirly wrought.
341
And soteltes vp soght,
And demed hym to be dede
Þat to þam trespassed noght.
11.
Allas! for syte, what schall I saie,
My worldly welthe is wente for ay,
In woo euere may I wende;
My maistir, þat neuere lakke[d] in lay,
Is demed to be dede þis day,
Ewen in hys elmys hende.
Allas! for my maistir mylde
That all mennys mysse may mende,
Shulde so falsely be filed,
And no frendis hym to fende.
My worldly welthe is wente for ay,
In woo euere may I wende;
My maistir, þat neuere lakke[d] in lay,
Is demed to be dede þis day,
Ewen in hys elmys hende.
Allas! for my maistir mylde
That all mennys mysse may mende,
Shulde so falsely be filed,
And no frendis hym to fende.
12.
Allas! for his modir and oþir moo,
Mi modir and hir sisteres alsoo,
Sittes samen with sighyngis sore;
Þai wate no-thyng of all þis woo,
For-thy to warne þam will I goo,
Sen I may mende no more.
Sen he schall dye as tyte,
And þei vnwarned wore,
I ware worthy to wite,
I will go faste ther-fore.
Mi modir and hir sisteres alsoo,
Sittes samen with sighyngis sore;
Þai wate no-thyng of all þis woo,
For-thy to warne þam will I goo,
Sen I may mende no more.
Sen he schall dye as tyte,
And þei vnwarned wore,
I ware worthy to wite,
I will go faste ther-fore.
13.
But in myn herte grete drede haue I,
Þat his modir for dole schall dye,
When she see ones þat sight;
But certis I schal not wande for-thy,
To warne þat carefull company,
Or he to dede be dight [OMITTED]
Þat his modir for dole schall dye,
When she see ones þat sight;
But certis I schal not wande for-thy,
To warne þat carefull company,
Or he to dede be dight [OMITTED]
342
14.
[i Mary?]Sen he fro vs will twynne
I schall þe neuere for-sake.
Allas! þe tyme and tyde!
I watte wele þe day is come
Þat are was specified,
Of prophete Symeoun, [OMITTED] in prophicie,
The swerde of sorowe schulde renne
Thurgh-oute þe herte, sotelly.
15.
ii Maria.Allas! þis is a sithfull sight,
He þat was euere luffely and light,
And lorde of high and lawe;
Oo! doulfully nowe is he dight,
In worlde is none so wofull a wighte,
Ne so carefull to knawe.
Þei þat he mended moste
In dede and als in sawe,
Now haue they full grete haste,
To dede hym for to drawe.
[Enter the soldiers, with Jesus bearing the cross.
16.
Jesus.
Doughteres of Jerusalem cytte,
Sees, and mournes no more for me,
But thynkes vppon this thyng;
For youre selfe mourne schall ȝee,
And for þe sonnes þat borne schal be
Of yowe, bothe olde and yonge;
For such fare schall be-falle,
That ȝe schall giffe blissyng
To barayne bodies all,
That no barnes forthe may brynge.
Sees, and mournes no more for me,
But thynkes vppon this thyng;
For youre selfe mourne schall ȝee,
And for þe sonnes þat borne schal be
Of yowe, bothe olde and yonge;
For such fare schall be-falle,
That ȝe schall giffe blissyng
To barayne bodies all,
That no barnes forthe may brynge.
17.
For certis ȝe schall see suche a day,
That with sore sighyng schall ȝe saye
Vnto þe hillis on highte,
‘Falle on vs, mountaynes, and ȝe may,
And couere vs fro þat felle affraye, affarye,
That on vs sone schall light.’
Turnes home þe toune vntill,
Sen ȝe haue þis sight,
It is my fadirs will,
Alle þat is done and dighte.
That with sore sighyng schall ȝe saye
Vnto þe hillis on highte,
343
And couere vs fro þat felle affraye, affarye,
That on vs sone schall light.’
Turnes home þe toune vntill,
Sen ȝe haue þis sight,
It is my fadirs will,
Alle þat is done and dighte.
18.
iii Maria.Allas! þis is a cursed cas,
He þat alle hele in his hande has
Shall here be sakles slayne;
A! lorde, be leue lete clense thy face,
Behalde howe he hath schewed his grace,
Howe he is moste of mayne.
This signe schalle bere witnesse
Vnto all pepull playne,
Howe goddes sone here gilteles
Is putte to pereles payne.
19.
i Miles.Saie, wherto bide ȝe here aboute,
Thare quenys, with þer skymeryng and þer schoute,
Wille noght þer stevenis steere?
ii Miles.
Go home, casbalde with þi clowte,
Or be þat lorde we loue and loute,
Þou schall a-bye full dere.
iii Maria.
This signe schall vengeaunce calle
On yowe holly in feere.
iii Miles.
Go, hye þe hense with alle,
Or ille hayle come þou here.
20.
Joh.Lady, youre gretyng greues me sore.
Maria Sancta.
John, helpe me nowe and neuere more.
That I myght come hym tille.
Joh.
My lady, wende we forthe be-fore,
To Caluery when ȝe come thedir,
Þan schall ȝe saie what ȝe will.
344
What a deuyll is þis to saye,
How longe schall we stande stille?
Go hye you hens awaye,
In þe deuylis name, doune þe hill.
21.
ii Miles.Ther quenes vs comeres with þer clakke,
He schall be serued for þer sake,
With sorowe and with sore;
iii Miles.
And þei come more such noyse to make,
We schall garre lygge þame in þe lake,
Yf þei were halfe a skore.
[The women flee.
i Miles.
Latis nowe such bourdyng be,
Sen oure tooles are before,
Þis traitoure and þis tree,
Wolde I full fayne were þore.
22.
ii Miles.We schall no more so stille be stedde,
For nowe þer quenes are fro vs fledde
Þat falsely wolde vs feere.
iii Miles.
Me thynkith þis boy is so for-bledde,
With þis ladde may he noght be ledde,
He swounes, þat dare I swere.
i Miles.
It nedis noȝt harde to harle
Sen it dose hym slike dere.
ii Miles.
I se here comes a karle,
Shall helpe hym for to bere.
[Enter Simon the Cyrenian.
23.
iii Miles.Þat schall ȝe see sone one assaye.
Goode man, whedir is þou away?
Þou walkis as þou were wrothe.
Symon.
Sir I haue a grete jornay,
Þat bus be done þis same day,
Or ellis it may do skathe.
i Miles.
Þou may with litill payne,
Ease thy selffe and vs bathe.
345
Goode sirs, þat wolde I fayne,
But to dwelle were me lathe.
24.
ii Miles.Nay, beuscher, þou shall sone be spedde,
Loo, here a ladde þat muste be ledde
For his ille dedis to dye;
iii Miles.
And he is brosid and all for-bledde,
That makis vs here þus stille be stedde,
We pray þe, sir, for-thy,
That þou wilte take þis tree,
And bere it to Caluerye.
Symon.
Goode sirs, þat may nouȝt be,
For full grete haste haue I.
For full grete haste haue I.
25.
My wayes are lang and wyde,
And I may noght abide,
For drede I come to late;
For surete haue I hight
Muste be fulfillid þis nyght,
Or it will paire my state.
Therfore, sirs, by youre leue,
Me thynkith I dwelle full lang,
Me were loth you for to greue,
Goode sirs, ȝe late me gang.
And I may noght abide,
For drede I come to late;
For surete haue I hight
Muste be fulfillid þis nyght,
Or it will paire my state.
Therfore, sirs, by youre leue,
Me thynkith I dwelle full lang,
Me were loth you for to greue,
Goode sirs, ȝe late me gang.
26.
No lenger here now may I wone.
i Miles.
Nay, certis, þou schalte noȝt go so sone,
For ought þat þou can saye;
Þis dede is moste haste to be done,
For þis boy muste be dede by none,
And nowe is nere myddaye.
Go helpe hym in þis nede,
And make no more delaye.
Symon.
I praye yowe dose youre dede,
And latis me wende my waye.
And latis me wende my waye.
346
27.
And, sirs, I schall come sone agayne,
To helpe þis man with all my mayne,
And even at youre awne will.
To helpe þis man with all my mayne,
And even at youre awne will.
ii Miles.
What! wolde þou trusse with such a trayne!
Nay, faitour, þou schalte be fayne,
Þis forwarde to full-fille.
Or, be myghty mahounde!
Þou schalte rewe it full ille.
iii Miles.
Late dyng þis dastarde doune,
But he goo tyte þer-till.
28.
Symon.Sertis, sir, þat wer nought wisely wrought,
To bete me, but I trespassid ought,
Outhir in worde or dede.
i Miles.
Vppon his bakke it schall be brought,
To bere it, whedir he wille or noght,
What! deuyll, whome schulde we drede?
Go, take it vppe be-lyve,
And bere it forthe, goode spede!
Symon.
It helpis noȝt here to striue,
Bere it be-houes me nede.
Bere it be-houes me nede.
29.
And þerfore, sirs, as ȝe haue saide,
To bere þis crosse I holde me paied,
Right as ȝe wolde it wore.
To bere þis crosse I holde me paied,
Right as ȝe wolde it wore.
ii Miles.
Ȝaa, nowe are we right arraied,
Loke þat oure gere be redy grayed,
To wirke whanne we come þore.
iii Miles.
I warand all redy,
Oure tooles bothe lesse and more,
Late hym goo hardely,
Forthe with þe crosse before.
30.
i Miles.Sen he has his lade, nowe late hym gang,
For with þis warlowe wirke we wrang,
And we þus with hym yode.
347
And nowe is noght goode to tarie lang,
What schulde we done more vs emang?
Say, sone, so motte þou spede.
iii Miles.
Neuen vs no nodir noote,
Tille we haue done þis dede.
i Miles.
We! me me-thynke we doote,
He muste be naked, nede.
He muste be naked, nede.
31.
All yf he called hym-selffe a kyng,
In his clothis he schall noȝt hyng,
But naked as a stone be stedde.
In his clothis he schall noȝt hyng,
But naked as a stone be stedde.
ii Miles.
That calle I accordand thyng,
But tille his sidis I trowe þei clyng,
For bloode þat he has bledde.
iii Miles.
Wheder þei clynge or cleue,
Naked he schalle be ledde,
And for þe more myscheue,
Buffettis hym schall be bedde.
32.
i Miles.Take of his clothis be-liffe, latte see,
[They strip Jesus.
A ha! þis garment will falle wele for mee,
And so I hope it schall.
ii Miles.
Nay, sir, so may it noght be,
Þame muste be parte amonge vs thre,
Take euen as will fall.
iii Miles.
Ȝaa, and sir Pilate medill hym,
Youre parte woll be but small.
i Miles.
Sir, and ȝe liste, go telle hym,
Ȝitt schall he noght haue all,
Ȝitt schall he noght haue all,
33.
Butte even his awne parte and nomore.
ii Miles.
Ȝaa, late þame ligge still here in stoore,
Vntill þis dede be done.
iii Miles.
Latte bynde hym as he was before,
And harle on harde þat he wer þore,
And hanged or it be none.
348
He schall be feste of fee,
And þat right sore and sone.
ii Miles.
So fallis hym for to be,
He gettis no bettir bone.
[They bind Jesus again.
34.
iii Miles.Þis werke is wele nowe, I warand,
For he is boune as beeste in bande,
That is demed for to dye.
i Miles.
Þanne rede I þat we no lenger stande,
But ilke man feste on hym a hande,
And harle hym hense in hye.
ii Miles.
Ȝaa, nowe is tyme to trusse,
To alle oure companye.
iii Miles.
If anye aske aftir vs,
Kenne þame to Caluarie.
| The Shermen | |