 | The Carpenteres |  |
[Scene I]
?in Pilate's Hall.
1.
Pil.
Lordingis, listenys nowe vnto me,
I comaunde ȝou in ilke degre
Als domesman chiffe in þis contre,
For counsaill kende,
Atte my bidding ȝou awe to be
And baynly bende.
I comaunde ȝou in ilke degre
Als domesman chiffe in þis contre,
For counsaill kende,
Atte my bidding ȝou awe to be
And baynly bende.
2.
And sir Cayphas, chiffe of clergye,
Of youre counsaill late here in hye,
By oure assente sen we dyd dye
Ihesus þis day;
Þat we mayntayne and stand þerby
Þat werke all-way.
Of youre counsaill late here in hye,
By oure assente sen we dyd dye
Ihesus þis day;
Þat we mayntayne and stand þerby
Þat werke all-way.
397
3.
Cayph.Ȝis, sir, þat dede schall we mayntayne,
By lawe it was done all be-dene,
Ȝe wotte youre selue, with-outen wene,
Als wele as we.
His sawes are nowe vppon hym sene,
And ay schall be.
4.
Anna.Þe pepull, sirs, in þis same steede,
Be-fore ȝou saide with a hole hede,
Þat he was worthy to be dede
And þerto sware,
Sen all was rewlid by rightis rede
Nevyn it nomore.
5.
Pil.To neuyn me thinketh it nedfull thyng,
Sen he was hadde to beriyng,
Herde we nowthir of olde ne ȝing
Thithynges be-twene.
Cayph.
Centurio, sir, will bringe thidingis
Of all be-dene.
Of all be-dene.
6.
We lefte hym þere for man moste wise,
If any rebelles wolde ought rise
Oure rightwise dome for to dispise,
Or it offende,
To sese þame till þe nexte assise,
And þan make ende.
If any rebelles wolde ought rise
Oure rightwise dome for to dispise,
Or it offende,
To sese þame till þe nexte assise,
And þan make ende.
[Enter Centurion.
7.
Cent.
[To himself.]
A! blissid lorde, Adonay,
What may þes meruayles signifie,
Þat her was schewed so oppinly
Vn-to oure sight?
Þis day whanne þat þe man gune dye
Þat Ihesus highte.
What may þes meruayles signifie,
Þat her was schewed so oppinly
Vn-to oure sight?
398
Þat Ihesus highte.
8.
Itt is a misty thyng to mene,
So selcouth a sight was neuere sene
Þat oure princes and prestis be-dene
Of þis affray;
I woll go weten, with-outen wene,
What þei can saye.
So selcouth a sight was neuere sene
Þat oure princes and prestis be-dene
Of þis affray;
I woll go weten, with-outen wene,
What þei can saye.
9.
[To Pilate, &c.]
God saue ȝou, sirs, on ilke a side,
Worschippe and welthe in worldis wide
With mekill mirthe myght Ȝe abide,
Boght day and nyght!
God saue ȝou, sirs, on ilke a side,
Worschippe and welthe in worldis wide
With mekill mirthe myght Ȝe abide,
Boght day and nyght!
Pil.
Centurio, welcome this tide,
Oure comely knyght!
Oure comely knyght!
10.
Ȝe haue bene miste vs here among.
Cent.
God giffe you grace grathely to gang.
Pil.
Centurio, oure frende full lang,
What is your will?
Cent.
I drede me þat ȝe haue done wrang
And wondir ill.
399
11.
Cayph.Wondir ill? I pray þe, why?
Declare it to þis company.
Cent.
So schall I, sirs, telle ȝou trewly;
With-owten trayne.
Þe rightwise mane þanne mene I by
Þat ȝe haue slayne.
12.
Pil.Centurio, sesse of such sawe,
Þou arte a lered man in þe lawe,
And if we schulde any witnes drawe
Vs to excuse,
To mayntayne vs euermore þe awe,
And noȝt reffuse.
13.
Cent.To mayntayne trouthe is wele worþi,
I saide ȝou, whanne I sawe hym dy,
Þat he was Goddis sone almyghty,
Þat hangeth þore;
Ȝitt saie I soo, and stande þerby
For euermore.
400
14.
Cayph.Ȝa, sir, such reasouns may ȝe rewe,
Ȝe schulde noght neueyn such note enewe,
But ȝe couthe any tokenyngis trewe
Vnto vs tell.
Cent.
Such woundirfull cas neuere ȝit ȝe knewe
As now befell.
15.
Anna.We praye þe telle vs of what thyng.
Cent.
All elementis, both olde and ȝing,
In ther maneres þai made mornyng,
In ilke a stede;
And knewe be countenaunce þat þer kyng
Was done to dede.
In ther maneres þai made mornyng,
In ilke a stede;
And knewe be countenaunce þat þer kyng
Was done to dede.
16.
Þe sonne for woo he waxed all wanne,
Þe mone and sterres of schynyng blanne,
Þe erthe tremeled, and also manne
be-gan to speke;
Þe stones þat neuer was stered or þanne
gune a-sondir breke.
Þe mone and sterres of schynyng blanne,
Þe erthe tremeled, and also manne
be-gan to speke;
Þe stones þat neuer was stered or þanne
gune a-sondir breke.
401
17.
And dede-men rose, both grete and small.
Pil.
Centurio, be-ware with-all,
Ȝe wote oure clerkis þe clipsis þei call
Such sodayne sight,
Both sonne and mone þat sesonne schall
lak of þer light.
18.
Cayph.Ȝa, and if dede men rose bodily,
Þat myght be done thurgh socery,
Þerfore we sette no thyng þerby
To be abaiste.
Cent.
All þat I tell for trewthe schall I
euermore traste.
euermore traste.
19.
In this ilke werke þat ȝe did wirke,
Nought allone þe sonne was mirke,
But howe youre vaile raffe in youre kirke,
That witte I wolde.
Nought allone þe sonne was mirke,
But howe youre vaile raffe in youre kirke,
That witte I wolde.
Pil.
Swilke tales full sone will make vs irke
And þei be talde.
402
20.
Anna.Centurio, such speche withdrawe,
Of all þes wordes we haue none awe.
Cent.
Nowe sen ȝe sette noght be my sawe,
Sirs, haue gode day!
God graunte you grace þat ȝe may knawe
þe soth alway.
21.
Anna.With-drawe þe faste, sen þou þe dredis,
For we schall wele mayntayne oure dedis.
[Exit Centurion.
Pil.
Such wondir reasouns as he redis
Was neuere beforne.
Caiph.
To neven þis noote no more vs nedis,
Nowþere even ne morne.
Nowþere even ne morne.
22.
Þerfore loke nomanne make ilke chere,
All þis doyng may do no dere,
But to be-ware ȝitt of more were
Þat folke may fele;
We praye you, sirs, of þes sawes sere
Avise ȝou wele.
All þis doyng may do no dere,
But to be-ware ȝitt of more were
Þat folke may fele;
We praye you, sirs, of þes sawes sere
Avise ȝou wele.
403
23.
And to þis tale takes hede in hye,
For Iesu saide even opynly
A thyng þat greues all þis Jury,
And riȝte so may,—
Þat he schulde rise vppe bodily
With-in þe thirde day.
For Iesu saide even opynly
A thyng þat greues all þis Jury,
And riȝte so may,—
Þat he schulde rise vppe bodily
With-in þe thirde day.
24.
And be it so, als motte I spede,
His lattar deede is more to drede
Þan is the firste, if we take hede
Or tente þerto.
To neuyn þis noote me thynke moste nede
and beste to do.
His lattar deede is more to drede
Þan is the firste, if we take hede
Or tente þerto.
To neuyn þis noote me thynke moste nede
and beste to do.
25.
Anna.
Ȝa, Sir, if all þat he saide soo,
He has no myght to rise and goo,
But if his menne stele hym vs froo
And bere away;
Þat were tille us and oþer moo
A foule ffraye.
He has no myght to rise and goo,
But if his menne stele hym vs froo
And bere away;
Þat were tille us and oþer moo
A foule ffraye.
404
26.
For þanne wolde þei saie, euere ilkone,
Þat he roose by hym selffe allone;
Therfore latte hym be kepte anone
With knyghtes hende.
Vnto thre daies be comen and gone
and broght till ende.
Þat he roose by hym selffe allone;
Therfore latte hym be kepte anone
With knyghtes hende.
Vnto thre daies be comen and gone
and broght till ende.
27.
Pil.
In certayne, sirs, right wele ȝe saie,
For þis ilke poynte nowe [to] purvaye,
I schall ordayne if I may
He schall not ryse.
Nor none schalle wynne hym þens away
On no-kyns wise.
[To the soldiers.
For þis ilke poynte nowe [to] purvaye,
I schall ordayne if I may
He schall not ryse.
Nor none schalle wynne hym þens away
On no-kyns wise.
28.
Sir knyghtis, þat are in dedis dowty,
Chosen for chiffe of cheualrye,
As we ay in youre force affie
Boþe day and nyght,
Wendis and kepis Jesu body
With all youre myghte;
Chosen for chiffe of cheualrye,
As we ay in youre force affie
Boþe day and nyght,
Wendis and kepis Jesu body
With all youre myghte;
405
29.
And for thyng þat euere be maye
Kepis hym wele to þe thirde day,
And latis noman takis hym away
Oute of þat stede.
For and þei do, suthly I saie
Ȝe schall be dede.
Kepis hym wele to þe thirde day,
And latis noman takis hym away
Oute of þat stede.
For and þei do, suthly I saie
Ȝe schall be dede.
30.
i Mil.Lordingis, we saie ȝou for certayne,
We schall kepe hym with myghtis and mayne,
Þer schall no traitoures with no trayne
Stele hym vs froo.
Sir knyghtis, takis gere þat moste may gayne,
And lates vs goo.
[Exeunt.]
| The Carpenteres | |