 | The Carpenteres |  |
415
Scene III]
Pilate's Hall; enter the soldiers.
59.
Sir Pilate, prince withouten pere,
Sir Cayphas and Anna in fere,
And all ȝe lordyngis þat are here
To neven by name,
God saue ȝou all, on sidis sere,
Fro synne and schame!
60.
Pil.Ȝe are welcome, oure knyghtis kene,
Of mekill mirthe nowe may ȝe mene,
Therfore some tales telle vs be-twene
Howe ȝe haue wroght.
i Mil.
Oure wakyng lorde with-outen wene
Is worthed to noȝt.
61.
Cayph.To noght? allas! sesse of such sawe.
ii Mil.
Þe prophete Jesu þat ȝe wele knawe
Is resen and gone, for all oure awe,
With mayne and myght.
Pil.
Þerfore þe deuill hym selffe þe drawe,
Fals recrayed knyght!
Fals recrayed knyght!
416
62.
Combered cowardis I you call,
Haue ȝe latten hym goo fro you all?
Haue ȝe latten hym goo fro you all?
iii Mil.
Sir, þer was none þat did but small
When þat he ȝede.
iv Mil.
We wer so ferde downe ganne we falle,
And dared for drede.
63.
Anna.Hadde ȝe no strenghe hym to gayne stande?
Traitoures! ȝe myght haue boune in bande
Bothe hym and þame þat ȝe þer fande,
And sessid þame sone.
i Mil.
Þat dede all erthely men leuand
Myght noȝt haue done.
64.
ii Mil.We wer so radde euer-ilkone,
Whanne þat he putte beside þe stone,
We wer so stonyd we durste stirre none
And so abasshed.
Pil.
What! rose he by hym selfe allone?
i Mil.
Ȝa, sir, þat be ȝe traste.
65.
iv Mil.We herde never sen we were borne,
Nor all oure faderes vs be-forne,
417
As was made þere.
Cayph.
Allas! þanne is oure lawes lorne
for euere-mare.
66.
ii Mil.What tyme he rose good tente I toke,
Þe erthe þat tyme tremylled and quoke,
All kyndely force þan me for-soke
Tille he was gone.
iii Mil.
I was a-ferde, I durste not loke,
ne myght had none,
ne myght had none,
67.
I myght not stande, so was I starke.
Pil.
Sir Cayphas, ȝe are a connyng clerke,
If we amisse haue tane oure merke
I trowe same faile,
Þerfore what schalle worþe nowe of þis werke?
Sais your counsaille.
68.
Cayph.To saie þe beste forsothe I schall,
That schall be prophete to vs all,
Ȝone knyghtis behoues þere wordis agayne call
Howe he is miste.
418
Þat no man wiste.
69.
Anna.
Now, sir Pilate, sen þat it is soo,
Þat he is resynne dede us froo,
Comaundis youre knyghtis to saie wher þei goo,
Þat he was tane
With xxt i ml. men and mo,
And þame nere slayne.
Þat he is resynne dede us froo,
Comaundis youre knyghtis to saie wher þei goo,
Þat he was tane
With xxt i ml. men and mo,
And þame nere slayne.
70.
And therto of our tresorie
Giffe to þame a rewarde for-thy.
Giffe to þame a rewarde for-thy.
Pil.
Nowe of þis purpose wele plesed am I,
and forther þus;
[To the soldiers.]
Sir knyghtis, þat are in dedis dowty,
takes tente to vs,
and forther þus;
[To the soldiers.]
Sir knyghtis, þat are in dedis dowty,
takes tente to vs,
71.
And herkenes what þat ȝe shall saie,
To ilke aman both nyȝt and daye,
That ten ml. men in goode araye
Come ȝou vntill,
With forse of armys bare hym awaye
Agaynst your will.
To ilke aman both nyȝt and daye,
That ten ml. men in goode araye
Come ȝou vntill,
With forse of armys bare hym awaye
Agaynst your will.
419
72.
Thus schall ȝe saie in ilke a lande,
And þerto on þat same comenaunde,
A thousande pounde haue in youre hande
To your rewarde;
And frenschippe, sirs, ȝe vndirstande,
Schall not be spared.
And þerto on þat same comenaunde,
A thousande pounde haue in youre hande
To your rewarde;
And frenschippe, sirs, ȝe vndirstande,
Schall not be spared.
73.
Caiph.Ilkone youre state we schall amende,
And loke ȝe saie as we ȝou kende.
i Mil.
In what contre so ȝe vs sende
Be nyght or daye,
Wherso we come, wherso we wende,
So schal we saie.
74.
Pil.
Ȝa, and where-so ȝe tarie in ilke contre,
Of oure doyng in no degre
Dois þat nomanne þe wiser be,
Ne freyne be-forne,
Ne of þe sight þat ȝe gonne see
Nevynnes it nowþere even ne morne.
Of oure doyng in no degre
Dois þat nomanne þe wiser be,
Ne freyne be-forne,
Ne of þe sight þat ȝe gonne see
Nevynnes it nowþere even ne morne.
75.
For we schall mayntayne ȝou alwaye,
And to þe pepull schall we saie,
It is gretely agaynste oure lay
To trowe such thing.
So schall þei deme, both nyght and day,
All is lesyng.
And to þe pepull schall we saie,
420
To trowe such thing.
So schall þei deme, both nyght and day,
All is lesyng.
76.
Thus schall þe sothe be bought and solde,
And treasoune schall for trewthe be tolde,
Þerfore ay in youre hartis ȝe holde
Þis counsaile clene.
And fares nowe wele, both younge and olde,
Haly be-dene.
And treasoune schall for trewthe be tolde,
Þerfore ay in youre hartis ȝe holde
Þis counsaile clene.
And fares nowe wele, both younge and olde,
Haly be-dene.
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