From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 44 - The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Potteres
001 Peter. Brethir, takes tente vnto my steuen,
002 þanne schall yoe stabily vndirstande
003 Oure maistir hende is hente to heuyn,
004 To reste there on his fadirs right hande.
005 And we are leued alyue elleuyn,
006 To lere his lawes lely in lande;
007 Or we begynne vs muste be even
008 Ellis are owre werkis noght to warande.
009 For parfite noumbre it is none
010 Off elleuen for to lere,
011 Twelue may be asoundir tone
012 And sett in parties seere.
013 Nobis precepit dominus predicare populo, et testificare
014 quia prope est iudex viuorum et mortuorum.
015 Oure lord comaunded vs more and lesse
016 To rewle vs right aftir his rede,
017 He badde vs preche and bere wittenesse
018 That he schulde deme bothe quike and dede.
019 To hym all prophettis preuys expresse
020 All tho that trowis in his Godhede,
021 Off synnes thei schall haue forgiffenesse,
022 So schall we say...mekill rede.
023 And senne we on this wise
024 Schall his counsaile discrie,
025 Itt nedis we vs avise
026 þat we saye noyot serely.
027 John. Serely he saide that we schulde wende
028 In all this worlde his will to wirke,
029 And be his counsaile to be kende
030 He saide he schulde sette haly kirke.
031 But firste he saide he schulde doune sende
032 His sande, that we schuld noyot be irke,
033 His haly gaste on vs to lende
034 And make vs to melle of materes mirke.
035 Vs menis he saide vs thus
036 Whan that he fared vs froo:
037 'Cum venerit paraclitus
038 Docebit vos omnia'.
039 Jacobus. 3a, certaynely he saide vs soo,
040 And mekill more thanne we of mene:
041 'Nisi ego abiero',
042 þus tolde he ofte-tymes vs betwene.
043 He saide, forsoth, 'But if thi goo
044 þe holy goste schall not be sene,
045 Et cum assumptus fuero
046 þanne schall I sende yoou comforte clené
047 þus tolde he holy howe
048 þat oure dedis schulde be dight,
049 So schall we trewly trowe
050 He will holde that he vs highte.
051 He will holde that he vs hight.
052 Apostle 4. He highte vs fro harme for to hyde
053 And holde in hele both hede and hende,
054 Whanne we take that he talde that tyde,
055 Fro all oure foois it schall vs fende.
056 But thus in bayle behoues vs bide
057 To tyme that sande till vs be sende;
058 þe Jewes besettis vs in ilke a side
059 þat we may nowdir walke nor wende.
060 Apostle 5. We dare noyot walke for drede
061 Or comforte come vs till,
062 Itt is moste for oure spede
063 Here to be stokyn still.
064 Mary. Brethir, what mene yoe yoou emelle,
065 To make mournyng at ilk a mele?
066 My sone that of all welthe is well,
067 He will yoou wisse to wirke full wele,
068 For the tente day is this to telle
069 Sen he saide we schull fauoure fele.
070 Leuys wele that lange schall it not dwell,
071 And therfore drede you neuere a dele,
072 But prayes with harte and hende
073 þat we his helpe may haue,
074 þanne schall it sone be sende,
075 þe sande that schall vs saue.
076 Doctor 1. Harke maistir, for Mahoundes peyne,
077 Howe that thes mobbardis maddis nowe.
078 þer maistir that oure men haue slayne
079 Hase garte thame on his trifullis trowe.
080 Doctor 2. þe lurdayne sais he leffis agayne;
081 þat mater may thei neuere avowe,
082 For as thei herde his prechyng pleyne
083 He was away, thai wiste noyot howe.
084 Doctor 1. They wiste noyot whenne he wente,
085 þerfore fully thei faile,
086 And sais tham schall be sente
087 Grete helpe thurgh his counsaille.
088 Doctor 2. He myghte nowdir sende clothe nor clowte,
089 He was neuere but a wrecche alway-
090 But samme oure men and make a schowte,
091 So schall we beste yone foolis flaye.
092 Doctor 1. Nay, nay, than will thei dye for doute.
093 I rede we make noyot mekill dray,
094 But warly wayte when thai come oute
095 And marre thame thanne, if that we may.
096 Doctor 2. Now certis, I assente thertille,
097 Yitt wolde I noght thei wiste;
098 3one carles than schall we kill
099 But thei liffe als vs liste.
100 Mary. Honnoure and blisse be euer newe,
101 With worschippe in this worlde alwaye,
102 To my souerayne sone Jesu,
103 Oure lorde allone that laste schall ay.
104 Nowe may we triste his talis ar trewe,
105 Be dedis that here is done this day;
106 Als lange as yoe his pase pursue
107 þe fende he fendis yow for to flay.
108 For his high hali gaste
109 He lattis here on yoou lende,
110 Mirthis and trewthe to taste
111 And all misse to amende.
112 Peter. All mys to mende nowe haue we myght,
113 þis is the mirthe oure maistir of mente.
114 I myght noyot loke, so was it light-
115 A, loued be that lorde that itt vs lente.
116 Now hase he holden that he vs highte,
117 His holy goste here haue we hente;
118 Like to the sonne itt semed in sight,
119 And sodenly thanne was itt sente.
120 Apostle 2. Hitt was sente for oure sele,
121 Hitt giffis vs happe and hele,
122 Methynke slike forse I fele
123 I myght felle folke full feele.
124 Apostle 3. We haue force for to fighte in felde
125 And fauour of all folke in feere,
126 With wisdome in this worlde to welde
127 Be knowing of all clergye clere.
128 Apostle 4. We haue bewteis to be oure belde
129 And langage nedis vs none to lere,
130 þat lorde vs awe yoappely to yoelde
131 þat vs has yoemed vnto this yoere.
132 Apostle 5. This is the yoere of grace
133 þat musteris vs emang,
134 As aungellis in this place
135 þat sais thus in ther sange.
136 Apostle 1. In thare sigging saide thei thus,
137 And tolde ther talis betwene them two:
138 'Veni creator spiritus,
139 Mentes tuorum visita'.
140 þei praied the spirite come till vs
141 And mende oure myndis with mirthis ma,
142 þat lered thei of oure lorde Jesus,
143 For he saide that itt schulde be swa.
144 Apostle 2. He saide he schulde vs sende
145 His holy goste fro heuyn,
146 Oure myndis with mirthe to mende-
147 Nowe is all ordand euyn.
148 Apostle 3. Euen als he saide schulde to vs come
149 So has bene schewid vnto oure sight;
150 'Tristicia impleuit cor vestrum'-
151 Firste sorowe in herte he vs hight;
152 'Sed conuertetur in gaudium'.
153 Sen saide he that we schulde be light.
154 Nowe that he saide vs, all and summe,
155 Is mefid emange vs thurgh his myght.
156 Apostle 4. His myght with mayne and mode
157 May comforte all mankynde.
158 Doctor 1. Harke man, for Mahoundes bloode,
159 þer men maddis oute of mynde.
160 þei make carpyng of ilke contré
161 And leris langage of ilk a lande.
162 Doctor 2. They speke oure speche als wele as we,
163 And in ilke a steede it vndirstande.
164 Doctor 1. And alle are noyot of Galilee
165 þat takis this hardinesse on hande?
166 Butt thei are drounken, all thes menyoe,
167 Of muste or wyne, I wolle warande.
168 Doctor 2. Nowe certis this was wele saide,
169 þat makis ther mynde to marre;
170 3one faitours schall be flaied
171 Or that thei flitte aught ferre.
172 Apostle 4. Harke brethir, waites wele aboute,
173 For in oure fayre we fynde no frende.
174 þe Jewes with strengh are sterne and stoute
175 And scharpely schapes them vs to schende.
176 Apostle 1. Oure maistir has putte all perellis oute
177 And fellid the falsed of the fende.
178 Vndo youre dores and haues no doute,
179 For to yoone warlowes will we wende.
180 Apostle 2. To wende haue we no drede,
181 Noght for to do oure dette,
182 For to neuyn that is nede
183 Shall none on lyve vs lette.
184 Peter. 3e Jewez that in Jerusalem dwelle,
185 Youre tales are false, that schall yoe fynde.
186 þat we are dronken we here you telle
187 Because yoe hope we haue bene pynnyd.
188 A prophette preued, his name is Johell,
189 A gentill Jewe of youre awne kynde,
190 He spekis thus in his speciall spell
191 And of this matere makis he mynde.
192 Be poyntis of prophicie
193 He tolde full ferre before,
194 þis may yoe noyot denye,
195 For thus his wordis wore:
196 'Et erit nouissimis diebus, dicit dominus,
197 effundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem'.
198 Apostle 3. Loo, losellis, loo, thus may ye lere
199 Howe youre elders wrotte alway.
200 þe holy goste haue we tane here
201 As youre awne prophettis prechid ay.
202 Apostle 4. Hitt is the myght of oure maistir dere,
203 All dedis that here are done this daye;
204 He giffis vs myght and playne power
205 To conclude all that yoe can saie.
206 Doctor 1. There men hase mekill myght
207 Thurgh happe thei here haue tone.
208 Doctor 2. Wende we oute of ther sight
209 And latte them even allone.
210 Apostle 1. Nowe, brethir myne, sen we all meffe
211 To teche the feithe to foo and frende,
212 Oure tarying may turne vs to mischeffe,
213 Wherfore I counsaille that we wende
214 Vntille oure lady and take oure leue.
215 Apostle 2. Sertis, so woll we with wordis hende.
216 Mi lady, takis it noght to greue,
217 I may no lenger with you lende. . [... ...]
218 Mary. Nowe Petir, sen itt schall be soo
219 þat yoe haue diuerse gatis to gang,
220 Ther schall none dere you for to doo
221 Whils my sone musteris you emang.
222 Butt John and Jamys, my cosyns twoo,
223 Loke that yoe lenge not fro me lange.
224 John. Lady, youre wille in wele and woo,
225 Itt schall be wroght, ellis wirke we wrang.
226 Jacobus. Lady, we bothe are boune
227 Atte youre biddyng to be.
228 Mary. The blissing of my sone
229 Be boith with you and me.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 44 - The Descent of the Holy Spirit. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.