From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 38 - Resurrection, Fright of the Jews
Carpenteres
001 Pilate. Lordingis, listenys nowe vnto me:
002 I comaunde yoou in ilke degré
003 Als domesman chiffe in this contré
004 For counsaill kende,
005 Atte my bidding yoou awe to be
006 And baynly bende.
007 And sir Cayphas, chiffe of clergye,
008 Of youre counsaill late here in hye.
009 By youre assente sen we dyd dye
010 Jhesus this day,
011 þat yoe mayntayne, and stande therby
012 þat werke allway.
013 Caiphas. 3is sir, that dede schall we mayntayne,
014 By lawe it was done all bedene,
015 3e wotte youreselue withouten wene
016 Als wele as we.
017 His sawes are nowe vppon hym sene
018 And ay schall be.
019 Anna. þe pepull, sir, in this same steede,
020 Before yoou saide with a hole-hede
021 þat he was worthy to be dede,
022 And therto sware.
023 Sen all was rewlid by rightis rede
024 Nevyn it no more.
025 Pilate. To neuyn methinketh it nedfull thyng.
026 Sen he was hadde to beriyng
027 Herde we nowthir of olde ne yoing
028 Thithynges betwene.
029 Caiphas. Centurio, sir, will bringe thiding
030 Of all bedene.
031 We lefte hym there for man moste wise,
032 If any rebelles wolde ought rise
033 Oure rightwise dome for to dispise
034 Or it offende,
035 To sese thame till the nexte assise
036 And than make ende.
037 Centurio. A, blissid lorde Adonay,
038 What may thes meruayles signifie
039 þat her was schewed so oppinly
040 Vnto oure sight,
041 þis day whanne that the man gune dye
042 þat Jesus highte?
043 Itt is a misty thyng to mene,
044 So selcouth a sight was neuere sene,
045 þat oure princes and prestis bedene
046 Of this affray
047 I woll go weten withouten wene,
048 What thei can saye.
049 God saue yoou sirs on ilke a side,
050 Worschippe and welthe in worldis wide;
051 With mekill mirthe myght yoe abide
052 Both day and nyght.
053 Pilate. Centurio, welcome this tide,
054 Oure comely knyght.
055 3e haue bene miste vs here among.
056 Centurio. God giffe you grace grathely to gang.
057 Pilate. Centurio, oure frende full lang,
058 What is your will?
059 Centurio. I drede me that yoe haue done wrang
060 And wondir ill.
061 Caiphas. Wondir ill? I pray the, why?
062 Declare it to this company.
063 Centurio. So schall I sirs telle yoou trewly
064 Withowten trayne:
065 þe rightwise mane thanne mene I by
066 þat yoe haue slayne.
067 Pilate. Centurio, sesse of such sawe,
068 þou arte a lered man in the lawe,
069 And if we schulde any witnes drawe
070 Vs to excuse,
071 To mayntayne vs euermore the awe,
072 And noyot reffuse.
073 Centurio. To mayntayne trouthe is wele worthi.
074 I saide yoou whanne I sawe hym dy
075 þat he was Goddis sone almyghty
076 þat hangeth thore;
077 3itt saie I soo, and stande therby
078 For euermore.
079 Caiphas. 3a sir, such reasouns may yoe rewe.
080 3e schulde noght neueyn such note enewe
081 But yoe couthe any tokenyngis trewe
082 Vnto vs tell.
083 Centurio. Such woundirfull cas neuere yoitt yoe knewe
084 As now befell.
085 Anna. We praye the telle vs of what thyng.
086 Centurio. All elementis, both olde and yoing,
087 In ther maneres thai made mornyng
088 In ilke a stede,
089 And knewe be countenaunce that ther kyng
090 Was done to dede.
091 þe sonne for woo he waxed all wanne,
092 þe mone and sterres of schynyng blanne,
093 þe erthe tremeled and also manne
094 Began to speke;
095 þe stones that neuer was stered or thanne
096 Gune asondir breke,
097 And dede men rose, both grete and small.
098 Pilate. Centurio, beware withall,
099 3e wote oure clerkis the clipsis thei call
100 Such sodayne sight.
101 Both sonne and mone that sesoune schall
102 Lak of ther light.
103 Caiphas. 3a, and if dede men rose bodily
104 þat myght be done thurgh socery,
105 þerfore we sette nothyng therby
106 To be abaiste.
107 Centurio. All that I tell for trewthe schall I
108 Euermore traste.
109 In this ilke werke that yoe did wirke
110 Nought allone the sonne was mirke,
111 But howe youre vaile raffe in youre kirke,
112 That witte I wolde.
113 Pilate. Swilke tales full sone will make vs irke
114 And thei be talde.
115 Anna. Centurio, such speche withdrawe,
116 Of all thes wordes we haue none awe.
117 Centurio. Nowe sen yoe sette noght be my sawe
118 Sirs, haue gode day.
119 God graunte you grace that yoe may knawe
120 þe soth alway.
121 Anna. Withdrawe the faste sen thou the dredis,
122 For we schall wele mayntayne oure dedis.
123 Pilate. Such wondir reasouns as he redis
124 Was neuere beforne.
125 Caiphas. To neven this noote no more vs nedis,
126 Nowthere even ne morne.
127 þerfore loke no manne make ille chere,
128 All this doyng may do no dere.
129 But to beware yoitt of more were
130 þat folke may fele,
131 We praye you sirs, of thes sawes sere
132 Avise yoou wele.
133 And to this tale takes hede in hye,
134 For Jesu saide even opynly
135 A thyng that greues all this Jury,
136 And riyot so may:
137 þat he schulde rise vppe bodily
138 Within the thirde day.
139 And be it so, als motte I spede,
140 His lattar deede is more to drede
141 þan is the firste if we take hede
142 Or tente therto.
143 To neuyn this noote methynke moste nede
144 And beste to do.
145 Anna. 3a sir, if all that he saide soo,
146 He has no myght to rise and goo
147 But if his menne stele hym vs froo
148 And bere away.
149 þat were tille us and other moo
150 A foule fraye,
151 For thanne wolde thei saie euere-ilkone
152 þat he roose by hymselffe allone.
153 Therfore latte hym be kepte anone
154 With knyghtes hende,
155 Vnto thre daies be comen and gone
156 And broght till ende.
157 Pilate. In certayne sirs right wele yoe saie,
158 For this ilke poynte nowe to purvaye
159 I schall ordayne if I may.
160 He schall not ryse,
161 Nor none schalle wynne hym thens away
162 On nokyns wise.
163 Sir knyghtis, that are in dedis dowty,
164 Chosen for chiffe of cheualrye,
165 As we ay in youre force affie
166 Bothe day and nyght,
167 Wendis and kepis Jesu body
168 With all youre myghte.
169 And for thyng that euere be maye
170 Kepis hym wele to the thirde day,
171 And latis no man take hym away
172 Oute of that stede-
173 For and thei do, suthly I saie
174 3e schall be dede.
175 Miles 1. Lordingis, we saie yoou for certayne,
176 We schall kepe hym with myghtis and mayne.
177 þer schall no traitoures with no trayne
178 Stele hym vs froo.
179 Sir knyghtis, takis gere that moste may gayne
180 And lates vs goo.
181 Miles 2. 3is, certis, we are all redy bowne,
182 We schall hym kepe till oure rennowne,
183 On ilke a side latte vs sitte doune
184 Nowe all in fere,
185 And sone we schall crake his croune
186 Whoso comes here.
187 Maria 1. Allas, to dede I wolde be dight,
188 So woo in werke was neuere wight,
189 Mi sorowe is all for that sight
190 þat I gune see,
191 Howe Criste my maistir moste of myght
192 Is dede fro me.
193 Allas that I schulde se his pyne
194 Or yit that I his liffe schulde tyne,
195 Of ilke a myscheue he was medicyne
196 And bote of all,
197 Helpe and halde to ilke a hyne
198 þat on hym wolde call.
199 Maria 2. Allas, who schall my balis bete
200 Whanne I thynke on his woundes wete.
201 Jesu, that was of loue so swete
202 And neuere did ill,
203 Es dede and grauen vnder the grete,
204 Withouten skill.
205 Maria 3. Withowten skill the Jewes ilkone
206 þat louely lorde has newly slayne,
207 And trespasse did he neuere none
208 In nokyn steede.
209 To whome nowe schall I make my mone
210 Sen he is dede?
211 Maria 1. Sen he is dede my sisteres dere,
212 Wende we will on mylde manere
213 With oure anoynementis faire and clere
214 þat we haue broght,
215 To noynte his wondis on sides sere
216 þat Jewes hym wroght.
217 Maria 2. Goo we same my sisteres free,
218 Full faire vs longis his corse to see.
219 But I wotte noght howe beste may be,
220 Helpe haue we none.
221 And who schall nowe here of vs thre
222 Remove the stone?
223 Maria 3. þat do we noght but we wer moo,
224 For it is huge and heuy also.
225 Maria 1. Sisteris, a yoonge childe, as we goo
226 Makand mornyng,
227 I see it sitte wher we wende to,
228 In white clothyng.
229 Maria 2. Sistirs, sertis it is noght to hide,
230 þe heuy stone is putte beside.
231 Maria 3. Sertis, for thyng that may betyde
232 Nere will we wende,
233 To layte that luffely and with hym bide
234 þat was oure frende.
235 Angel. 3e mournand women in youre thought,
236 Here in this place whome haue yoe sought?
237 Maria 1. Jesu, that to dede is brought,
238 Oure lorde so free.
239 Angel. Women, certayne here is he noght,
240 Come nere and see.
241 He is noght here the soth to saie,
242 þe place is voide that he in laye,
243 þe sudary here se yoe may
244 Was on hym laide.
245 He is resen and wente his way,
246 As he yoou saide.
247 Euen as he saide so done has hee,
248 He is resen thurgh grete poostee,
249 He schall be foune in Galilé
250 In flesshe and fell.
251 To his discipilis nowe wende yoe
252 And thus thame tell.
253 Maria 1. Mi sisteres dere, sen it is soo
254 þat he is resen dede thus froo,
255 As the aungell tolde me and yow too-
256 Oure lorde so fre-
257 Hens will I neuer goo
258 Or I hym see.
259 Maria 2. Marie, vs thare no lenger lende,
260 To Galilénowe late vs wende.
261 Maria 1. Nought tille I see that faithfull frende
262 Mi lorde and leche,
263 þerfore all this my sisteres hende,
264 þat yoe forth preche.
265 Maria 3. As we haue herde so schall we saie.
266 Marie oure sistir, haue goode daye.
267 Maria 1. Nowe verray God as he wele maye-
268 Man most of myght-
269 He wisse you, sisteres, wele in youre waye
270 And rewle yoou right.
271 Allas, what schall nowe worthe on me.
272 Mi kaytiffe herte will breke in three
273 Whenne I thynke on that body free,
274 How it was spilte.
275 Both feete and handes nayled tille a tre,
276 Withouten gilte.
277 Withouten gilte the trewe was tane,
278 For trespas did he neuere none,
279 þe woundes he suffered many one
280 Was for my misse.
281 It was my dede he was for slayne
282 And nothyng his.
283 How might I, but I loued that swete,
284 þat for my loue tholed woundes wete
285 And sithen be grauen vndir the grete,
286 Such kyndnes kithe?
287 þer is nothing to that we mete
288 May make me blithe.
289 Miles 1. What, oute allas, what schall I saie?
290 Where is the corse that herein laye?
291 Miles 2. What ayles the man? Is he awaye
292 þat we schulde tent?
293 Miles 1. Rise vppe and see.
294 Miles 2. Harrowe, for ay
295 I telle vs schente.
296 Miles 3. What deuill is this, what aylis yoou twoo,
297 Such noyse and crye thus for to make too?
298 Miles 1. Why is he gone?
299 Miles 3. Allas, whare is he that here laye?
300 Miles 4. Whe, harrowe! Deuill, whare is he away?
301 Miles 3. What, is he thus-gatis fro vs wente,
302 þat fals traitour that here was lente,
303 And we trewly here for to tente
304 Had vndirtane?
305 Sekirlie, I telle vs schente
306 Holy ilkane.
307 Miles 1. Allas, what schall we do this day,
308 þat thus this warlowe is wente his waye?
309 And sauely sirs I dare wele saie
310 He rose allone.
311 Miles 2. Witte sir Pilate of this affraye
312 We mon be slone.
313 Miles 3. Why, canne none of vs no bettir rede?
314 Miles 4. þer is not ellis but we be dede.
315 Miles 2. Whanne that he stered oute of this steede
316 None couthe it kenne.
317 Miles 1. Allas, harde happe was on my hede
318 Amonge all menne.
319 Fro sir Pilate witte of this dede,
320 þat we were slepande whanne he yoede,
321 He will forfette withouten drede
322 All that we haue.
323 Miles 2. Vs muste make lies, for that is nede,
324 Oureselue to saue.
325 Miles 3. 3a, that rede I wele, also motte I goo.
326 Miles 4. And I assente therto alsoo.
327 Miles 2. An hundereth schall I saie, and moo,
328 Armed ilkone,
329 Come and toke his corse vs froo
330 And vs nere slayne.
331 Miles 1. Nay; certis I halde there none so goode
332 As saie the soth even as it stoode,
333 Howe that he rose with mayne and mode
334 And wente his way.
335 To sir Pilate if he be wode
336 þis dar I saie.
337 Miles 2. Why, dare thou to sir Pilate goo
338 With thes tydingis and saie hym soo?
339 Miles 1. So rede I; if he vs sloo
340 We dye but onys.
341 Miles 3. Nowe he that wrought vs all this woo
342 Woo worthe his bonys.
343 Miles 4. Go we thanne, sir knyghtis hende,
344 Sen that we schall to sir Pilate wende.
345 I trowe that we schall parte no frende
346 Or that we passe.
347 Miles 1. And I schall hym saie ilke worde tille ende,
348 Even as it was.
349 Sir Pilate, prince withouten pere,
350 Sir Cayphas and Anna in fere,
351 And all yoe lordyngis that are here
352 To neven by name,
353 God saue yoou all on sidis sere
354 Fro synne and schame.
355 Pilate. 3e are welcome, oure knyghtis kene,
356 Of mekill mirthe nowe may yoe mene,
357 Therfore some tales telle vs betwene
358 Howe yoe haue wroght.
359 Miles 1. Oure wakyng, lorde, withouten wene,
360 Is worthed to noyot.
361 Caiphas. To noght? Allas, sesse of such sawe.
362 Miles 2. þe prophete Jesu that yoe wele knawe
363 Is resen and gone for all oure awe,
364 With mayne and myght.
365 Pilate. þerfore the deuill hymselffe the drawe,
366 Fals recrayed knyght.
367 Combered cowardis I you call,
368 Haue yoe latten hym goo fro you all?
369 Miles 3. Sir, ther was none that did but small
370 When that he yoede.
371 Miles 4. We wer so ferde downe ganne we falle
372 And dared for drede.
373 Anna. Hadde yoe no strenghe hym to gaynestande?
374 Traitoures, yoe myght haue boune in bande
375 Bothe hym and thame that yoe ther fande,
376 And sessid thame sone.
377 Miles 1. þat dede all erthely men leuand
378 Myght noyot haue done.
379 Miles 2. We wer so radde euerilkone
380 Whanne that he putte beside the stone,
381 We wer so stonyed we durste stirre none,
382 And so abasshed.
383 Pilate. What, rose he by hymselfe allone?
384 Miles 1. 3a sir, that be yoe traste.
385 Miles 4. We herde never sen we were borne,
386 Nor all oure faderes vs beforne,
387 Suche melodie mydday ne morne
388 As was made there.
389 Caiphas. Allas, thanne is oure lawes lorne
390 For eueremare.
391 Miles 2. What tyme he rose goode tente I toke,
392 þe erthe that tyme tremylled and quoke,
393 All kyndely force than me forsoke
394 Tille he was gone.
395 Miles 3. I was aferde, I durste not loke
396 Ne myght had none,
397 I myght not stande, so was I starke.
398 Pilate. Sir Cayphas, yoe are a connyng clerke:
399 If we amysse haue tane oure merke,
400 I trowe same faile-
401 þerfore what schalle worthe nowe of this werke?
402 Sais your counsaille.
403 Caiphas. To saie the beste forsothe I schall
404 That schall be prophete to vs all.
405 3one knyghtis behoues there wordis agayne-call,
406 Howe he is miste.
407 We nolde for thyng that myght befall
408 þat no man wiste.
409 Anna. Now sir Pilate, sen that it is soo
410 þat he is resynne dede vs froo,
411 Comaundis youre knyghtis to saie wher thei goo
412 þat he was tane
413 With xxti ml. men and mo,
414 And thame nere slayne,
415 And therto of oure tresorie
416 Giffe to thame a rewarde forthy.
417 Pilate. Nowe of this purpose wele plesed am I,
418 And forther thus:
419 Sir knyghtis that are in dedis dowty,
420 Takes tente to vs,
421 And herkenes what that yoe schall saie
422 To ilke a man both nyyot and daye,
423 That ten ml. men in goode araye
424 Come yoou vntill,
425 With forse of armys bare hym awaye
426 Agaynst your will.
427 Thus schall yoe saie in ilke a lande,
428 And therto on that same comenaunde
429 A thousande pounde haue in youre hande
430 To your rewarde-
431 And frenschippe sirs, yoe vndirstande,
432 Schall not be spared.
433 Caiphas. Ilkone youre state we schall amende,
434 And loke yoe saie as we yoou kende.
435 Miles 1. In what contréso yoe vs sende
436 Be nyght or daye,
437 Wherso we come wherso we wende
438 So schall we saie.
439 Pilate. 3a, and whereso yoe tarie in ilke contré
440 Of oure doyng in no degré
441 Dois that no manne the wiser be
442 Ne freyne beforne,
443 Ne of the sight that yoe gonne see
444 Nevynnes it nowthere even ne morne.
445 For we schall mayntayne yoou alwaye,
446 And to the pepull schall we saie
447 It is gretely agaynste oure lay
448 To trowe such thing.
449 So schall thei deme both nyght and day
450 All is lesyng.
451 Thus schall the sothe be bought and solde
452 And treasoune schall for trewthe be tolde,
453 þerfore ay in youre hartis yoe holde
454 þis counsaile clene.
455 And fares nowe wele both yonge and olde,
456 Haly bedene.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 38 - Resurrection, Fright of the Jews. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.