 | The Escreueneres |  |
[Scene I,
A chamber with doors shut: the disciples assembled.]
1.
Petrus.ALLAS! to woo þat we wer wrought,
Hadde never no men so mekill þought
Sen that oure lorde to dede was brought
with Jewes fell;
Oute of þis steede ne durst we noght,
but here ay dwelle.
2.
Joh.Here haue we dwelte with peynes strang,
Of oure liffe vs lothis, we leve to lange,
For sen the Jewes wrought vs þat wrong
Oure lorde to sloo,
Durste we neuere come þame emang,
ne hense to goo.
3.
Jac.Þe wikkid Jewes hatis vs full ille,
And bittir paynes wolde putte vs till,
Therfore I rede þat we dwelle stille
Here þer we lende,
Unto þat Criste oure lorde vs wille
some socoure sende.
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4.
Deus.Pees and reste be with yowe!
[He vanishes.
Petrus.
A! brethir dere, what may we trowe,
What was this sight þat we saughe nowe
Shynand so bright?
And vanysshed þus and we ne wote how,
Oute of oure sight?
5.
Johes.Oute of youre sight nowe is it soghte,
Itt makith vs madde, þe light it broght.
Jacobus.
Sertis I wotte noght but sekirly
What may it be;
Itt was vanyte in oure þought,
Nought ellis trowe I it be.
[Jesus re-appears.
6.
Deus.Pees vnto yowe euermore myght be,
Drede you noȝt, for I am hee.
Petrus.
On goddis name, benedicite,
What may þis mene?
Jacobus.
Itt is a sperite, for sothe thynketh me,
Þat dose vs tene.
7.
Johannes.A sperite it is, þat trowe I right,
All þus appered here to oure sight,
Itt makis vs madde of mayne and myght,
Dois vs flaied,
Ȝone is þe same þat broughte þe light,
Þat vs affraied.
8.
Deus.
What thynke ȝe, madmen, in youre thought?
What mournyng in youre hertis is brought?
I ame Criste, ne drede ȝou noght,
her may ȝe se
Þe same body þat has you bought
vppon a tre.
What mournyng in youre hertis is brought?
I ame Criste, ne drede ȝou noght,
her may ȝe se
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vppon a tre.
9.
Þat I am comen ȝou here to mete,
Be-halde and se myn handis and feete,
And grathely gropes my woundes wete
Al þat here is,
Þus was I dight youre bales to beete,
and bring to blis.
Be-halde and se myn handis and feete,
And grathely gropes my woundes wete
Al þat here is,
Þus was I dight youre bales to beete,
and bring to blis.
10.
For yowe þusgatis þanne haue I gone,
Folous me grathely euerilkone,
And se þat I haue flessh and bone,
Gropes me nowe.
For so ne has sperite none,
Þat schall ȝe trowe.
Folous me grathely euerilkone,
And se þat I haue flessh and bone,
Gropes me nowe.
For so ne has sperite none,
Þat schall ȝe trowe.
11.
To garre ȝou kenne and knowe me clere,
I schall you schewe ensaumpillis sere,
Bringe nowe forthe vnto me here
some of youre mette,
If ȝe amange you all in-fere
haue ought to ete.
I schall you schewe ensaumpillis sere,
Bringe nowe forthe vnto me here
some of youre mette,
If ȝe amange you all in-fere
haue ought to ete.
12.
Jacobus.Þou luffand lorde þat laste schall ay,
Loo here is mette þat þou ete may,
A hony kombe þe soth to saye,
Roste fecche þertill;
To ete þerof here we þe praie,
with full goode will.
13.
Deus.
Nowe sen ȝe haue broughte me þis mete,
To make youre trouthe stedfast and grete,
And for ȝe schall wanhope for-gete,
and trowe in me,
With youe þan here wol I ete,
Þat ȝe schalle see.
To make youre trouthe stedfast and grete,
And for ȝe schall wanhope for-gete,
and trowe in me,
With youe þan here wol I ete,
Þat ȝe schalle see.
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14.
Nowe haue I done, ȝe haue sene howe,
Boldely etyng here with youe,
Stedfastly loke þat ȝe trowe
yitt in me efte,
And takis þe remenaunte sone to you
þat her is lefte.
Boldely etyng here with youe,
Stedfastly loke þat ȝe trowe
yitt in me efte,
And takis þe remenaunte sone to you
þat her is lefte.
15.
For ȝoue þus was I reuyn and dreste,
Þerfore some of my peyne ȝe taste,
And spekis now no whare my worde waste,
þat schall ȝe lere,
And vnto ȝou þe holy goste
Releffe yow here.
Þerfore some of my peyne ȝe taste,
And spekis now no whare my worde waste,
þat schall ȝe lere,
And vnto ȝou þe holy goste
Releffe yow here.
16.
Beis now trewe and trowes in me,
And here I graunte youe in youre poste,
Whome þat ȝe bynde bounden schall be
Right at youre steuene,
And whome þat ȝe lesid losed schalbe
Euer more in heuene.
And here I graunte youe in youre poste,
Whome þat ȝe bynde bounden schall be
Right at youre steuene,
And whome þat ȝe lesid losed schalbe
Euer more in heuene.
[Exit.
[Thomas outside the chamber.
17.
Thomas.
Allas for sight and sorowes sadde,
Mornyng makis me mased and madde,
On grounde nowe may I gang vngladde
Boþe even and morne.
Þat hende þat I my helpe of hadde
his liffe has lorne.
Mornyng makis me mased and madde,
On grounde nowe may I gang vngladde
Boþe even and morne.
Þat hende þat I my helpe of hadde
his liffe has lorne.
18.
Lorne I haue þat louely light,
Þat was my maistir moste of myght,
So doulfully as he was dight
was neuere no man;
Such woo was wrought of þat worthy wighte
with wondis wan.
Þat was my maistir moste of myght,
So doulfully as he was dight
was neuere no man;
Such woo was wrought of þat worthy wighte
with wondis wan.
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19.
Whan lo! as his wondis and wondis wette,
With skelpis sore was he swongen, þat swette,
All naked nailed thurgh hande and feete,
allas! for pyne,
Þat bliste, þat beste my bale myght bete,
his liffe schulde tyne!
With skelpis sore was he swongen, þat swette,
All naked nailed thurgh hande and feete,
allas! for pyne,
Þat bliste, þat beste my bale myght bete,
his liffe schulde tyne!
20.
Allas! for sorowe my selffe I schende,
When I thynke hartely on þat hende,
I fande hym ay a faithfull frende,
Trulie to telle;
To my brethir nowe wille I wende
wher so þei dwell.
[Enters the chamber.
When I thynke hartely on þat hende,
I fande hym ay a faithfull frende,
Trulie to telle;
To my brethir nowe wille I wende
wher so þei dwell.
21.
A! blistfull sight was neuere none,
Oure joie and comforte is all gone,
Of mournyng may we make oure mone
In ilka lande;
God blisse you, brether! bloode and bone,
same þer ȝe stande.
Oure joie and comforte is all gone,
Of mournyng may we make oure mone
In ilka lande;
God blisse you, brether! bloode and bone,
same þer ȝe stande.
22.
Petrus.Welcome Thomas, where has þou bene?
Wete þou wele withouten wene
Jesu oure lorde þan haue we sene,
on grounde her gang.
Thomas.
What saie ȝe men? allas! for tene,
I trowe ȝe mang.
23.
Johannes.Thomas, trewly it is noght to layne,
Jesu oure lorde is resen agayne.
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Do waie, these tales is but attrayne
of fooles vnwise.
For he þat was so fully slayne,
howe schulde he rise?
24.
Jacobus.Thomas, trewly he is on-lyue,
Þat tholede þe Jewes his flessh to riffe,
He lete vs fele his woundes fyue,
Oure lorde verray.
Thomas.
That trowe I nought, so motte I thryue,
what so ȝe saie.
25.
Petrus.Thomas we saugh his woundes wette,
How he was nayled thurgh hande and feete,
Hony and fisshe with vs he eette,
þat body free.
Thomas.
I laye my liff it was some sperit
ȝe wende wer hee.
26.
Johannes.Nay Thomas, þou haste misgone,
For-why he bad vs euerilkon
To grope hym grathely, bloode and bone
And flessh to feele,
Such thyngis, Thomas, hase sperite none,
Þat wote ȝe wele.
27.
Thomas.
What! leue felawes, late be youre fare,
Till þat I see his body bare,
And sithen my fyngir putte in thare
within his hyde,
And fele the wound þe spere did schere
riȝt in his syde;
Till þat I see his body bare,
And sithen my fyngir putte in thare
within his hyde,
And fele the wound þe spere did schere
riȝt in his syde;
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28.
Are schalle I trowe no tales be-twene.
Jacobus.
Thomas, þat wounde haue we seene.
Thomas.
Ȝa, ȝe wotte neuere what ȝe mene,
youre witte it wantis,
Ye muste thynke sen ȝe me þus tene
and tule with trantis.
[Jesus reappears.
29.
Deus.
Pees! brethir, be vn-to you,
And, Thomas, tente to me takis þou,
Putte forthe thy fingir to me nowe,
myn handis þou see;
Howe I was nayled for mannys prowe
vppon a tree.
And, Thomas, tente to me takis þou,
Putte forthe thy fingir to me nowe,
myn handis þou see;
Howe I was nayled for mannys prowe
vppon a tree.
30.
Beholde my woundis are bledand,
Here in my side putte in þi hande,
And fele my woundis and vndirstande
þat þis is I,
And be no more so mistrowand,
But trowe trewly.
Here in my side putte in þi hande,
And fele my woundis and vndirstande
þat þis is I,
And be no more so mistrowand,
But trowe trewly.
[Thomas touches the side of Jesus.
31.
Thomas.Mi lorde, my god, full wele is me,
A! blode of price! blessid mote þou be,
Mankynd in erth, be-hold and see
þis blessid blode.
Mercy nowe lorde ax I the,
with mayne and mode.
32.
Deus.
Thomas, for þou haste sene þis sight,
Þat I am resen as I you hight,
Þerfore þou trowes it; but ilka wight,
Blissed be þou euere,
Þat trowis haly in my rising right,
And saw it neuere.
Þat I am resen as I you hight,
Þerfore þou trowes it; but ilka wight,
Blissed be þou euere,
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And saw it neuere.
33.
My brethir, fonde nowe forthe in fere,
Ouere all in ilke a contre clere,
My rising both ferre and nere,
And preche it schall ȝe,
And my blissyng I giffe ȝou here,
And my menȝe.
Ouere all in ilke a contre clere,
My rising both ferre and nere,
And preche it schall ȝe,
And my blissyng I giffe ȝou here,
And my menȝe.
| The Escreueneres | |