PLAY XVI THE FLETCHERS, BOWIERS, COWPERS, AND STRINGERS PLAYE Incipit Pagina Deeima Sexta de Passione Christi. Et primo venient Judei adducentes Jesum ad Annam et Caypham; et primo incipiet 001 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Syr byshopps, here we have brought 002 a wretch that mych woe hase wrought 003 and would bringe our lawe to naught— 004 right soe bath hit spurned. 005 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. Yea, wydewhere we have him sought, 006 and deare alsoe we have him bought, 007 for here manye mens thought 008 to him he hase turned. 009 ANNAS. A, janglinge Jesus, art thou nowe here? 010 Nowe thou may prove thy postie powere, 011 whether thy cause be cleane and cleare; 012 thy Christhood we must knowe. 013 CAYPHAS. Meethinke a maistrye that yt were 014 other for pennye or prayere 015 to shutt him of his dangere 016 and such sleight to shewe. 017 ANNAS. Syr, yt is needfull—this saye I— 018 that one man dye witterlye 019 all the people to forbye 020 so that the perish nought. 021 TERTIUS JUDEUS. Syr Cayphas, herken nowe to mee! 022 This babelavaunt would our kinge bee, 023 whatsoever hee sayes nowe befor thee. 024 I hard him saye full yore 025 that prince hee was of such postee, 026 destroye the temple well might hee 027 and buyld yt up in dayes three 028 right as yt was before. 029 QUARTUS JUDEUS. Yea, sycker, that I hard him saye, 030 he maye not denye by no waye; 031 and also, that he was God vereye, 032 Emanuell and messye. 033 He maye not nycke this ne say neye, 034 for more then fortye, in good faye, 035 that in the temple were that daye 036 harden as well as I. 037 CAYPHAS. Saye, Jesu, to this what sayne yee? 038 Thow wottest nowe what is put on thee. 039 Put forth, prince, thy postie 040 and perceive what the preven. 041 What devill! One worde speakes not hee! 042 Yett, Jesu, here I conjure thee; 043 if thou be Goddes Sonne, before mee 044 answere to that the meven. 045 JESUS. As thou sayes, right soe saye I. 046 I am Goddes Sonne almightye, 047 and here I tell thee truelye 048 that me yet shall thou see 049 sytt on Goddes right hand him bye, 050 mankynd in elowdes to justefye. 051 CAYPHAS. 'Justifie!’ Marye, fye, fye on thee, fye! 052 Wytnes of all this compenye 053 that falsely lyes hee! 054 Ye hearen all what he sayes here. 055 Of wytnes nowe what neede were, 056 for before all these folke in feere 057 lowdlye thou lyes? 058 What saye you men that nowe binne here? 059 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Buffetes him that makes this bere, 060 for to God may he not bee dere 061 that owr lawe so destroyes. 062 CAYPHAS. Distroye shall hee not hit. 063 Yee wretches, ye wanton wytt! 064 Found that freake a fltt 065 and gurd him in the face. 066 ANNAS. Despice him, spume and spyt. 067 Let see, or you sytt, 068 whoe hase happe to hitt 069 that thus us harmed hase. Tunc Judei statuent Jesum in cathedram, et dicat torquendo 070 PRIMUS JUDEUS. For his harminge here 071 [nighe] will I nere 072 this fameland freare 073 that makes our lawe false. 074 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. Hee ys, withowt were, 075 to the devyll full deare. 076 Spytt we in fere 077 and buffett him alls. 078 TERTIUS JUDEUS (exputans). Yee herden him in this place nowe 079 howe he lyed hase nowe; 080 in mydest his face nowe 081 fowle will I fyle him. 082 QUARTUS JUDEUS (exputans). Passe he shall a pase nowe. 083 For God he him makes nowe, 084 gettes he no grace nowe 085 when I may beguyle him. 086 PRIMUS JUDEUS (dans alapam). Fye upon the, freyke! 087 Stowpe nowe, nowe, and creake. 088 Thy breanes to breake 089 am I reddye bowne. Tunc Secundus Judeus dans alapam velando faciem Jesu. 090 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. His face will I steake 091 with a cloth, ere he creake, 092 and us all wreake 093 for my warrysonn. 094 TERTIUS JUDEUS. And thou be messye 095 and loth for to lye, 096 whoe smote thee crye, 097 yf that thou be Christ. 098 QUARTUS JUDEUS (percutiens). Though he sore stryke 099 a buffett shall byte; 100 may no man myne white, 101 though I do him woo. 102 SECUNDUS JUDEUS (percutiens). And moe yett I maye. 103 I shall soone assaye 104 and shewe large paye, 105 hou prince, on thy pate. 106 QUARTUS JUDEUS. Yf he saye naye, 107 I shall, in faye, 108 laye on. I dare laye 109 yt is not to late. Tunc cessabunt ab alapis, et dicit Cayphas. 110 CAYPHAS. Lordinges, what is your best read? 111 This man hase served to be dead, 112 and yf hee lightly thus be lead, 113 our lawe cleane will sleepe. 114 ANNAS. Syr, yt is fullye myne advise, 115 leade we him to the bye justice. 116 Syr Pilate is both warre and wise 117 and hase the lawe to keepe. Tunc Cayphas et Annas et Judei adducunt Jesum ad Pilatum. Dicat 118 CAYPHAS. Syr Pilate, here we bringe 119 one that false is, and our elders fonne. 120 Tribute may be given nonne 121 to Caesar for him here. 122 Whersoever he and his fellowe gonne, 123 they turne the folke to them eychone. 124 Nowe aske we donne here him upon 125 of that he hasse power. 126 ANNAS. Sycker he is our elders foe. 127 'Whersoever he goeth, to or froo, 128 that he is Christ, and kinge also, 129 he preaches apertlye. 130 Wist Caesar that, he would be woo, 131 such a man and we let goo. 132 Therfore to dampne him we binne throo, 133 lest he us all destroye. 134 PILATUS. Per vous, syr Cayphas; dye vos, syr Annas 135 et sum desepte Judas; vel atres in fuit. 136 Come up, lordinges, I you praye, 137 and we shall here what he will saye 138 amonge this fellowshippe here. 139 What sayst thou, man in miseraye? 140 And thou be kinge of Jewes, saye! 141 JESUS. So thou sayes; men heare maye 142 a kinge that thou me mase. 143 PILATUS. Noe cause fynd I, in good faye, 144 to doe this man to death todaye. 145 CAYPHAS. Syr, the people, us to mispaye, 146 converted to him all hee hase. 147 ANNAS. Yea, all the land of Galilee 148 cleane turned to him hase hee. 149 Therfore [dome] nowe aske we, 150 this false man to do downe. 151 PILATUS. Syth he was borne ther as steyne yee, 152 to Herode send soone shall he be; 153 elles rafte I him his royaltie 154 and blemished his renowne. 155 Goe, leades him to Herode in bye, 156 and sayes I send him to justefie 157 this man of which he bath maistrye 158 at his owne likinge. 159 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Him shall he have full hastelye, 160 and lead him thidder anon will I. 161 Come thou forth with thy rybaldrye 162 and speake with our kinge. Tunc ibunt duo Judei adducentes Jesum ad Herodem; et dicat 163 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Syr kinge, here Pilate bath you sent 164 a shrewe that our lawe hasse shent, 165 for to have his judgment 166 or he hens awaye wend. 167 HERODES. A! Welcome, Jesu, verament! 168 And I thanke Pilate of his present, 169 for oftetymes I have binne in that intent 170 after thee to have sent. 171 Jesu, mych have I hard of thee. 172 Some vertue fayne nowe would I see. 173 If thou from God in majestie 174 be commen, tell us here. 175 I pray thee, say nowe to mee, 176 and prove some of thy postie, 177 and mych the gladder would I bee, 178 truly, all this yeare. Jesus nihil respondebit; et dicat 179 HERODES. What! I weene that man is wood, 180 or elles dombe and can no good. 181 Such a scalward never before me stood, 182 so stowt and sterne is hee. 183 Speake on, Jesu, for cockes blood, 184 for Pilate shall not, by my hood, 185 do the non amys; but mend thy mood 186 and speake somwhat with mee. 187 Alas, I am nigh wood for woo. 188 Methinkes this man is wonders throo, 189 dombe and deafe as a doted doo, 190 or frenticke, in good faye. 191 Yett sythen that Pilate hasse donne soo, 192 the wrath that was betweene us two 193 I forgive-no more his foe 194 to be after this daye. 195 Cloth him in white, for in this case 196 to Pilate hit may be solace, 197 for Jewes eustome before was 198 to cloth men that were wood 199 or madd, as nowe hee him mase, 200 as well seemes by his face; 201 for him that hase lost his grace 202 this garment is full good. Tunc Judei mduent eum veste alba et dicat 203 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Have this, Jesu, upon thee— 204 a worshipful! weede, as thinkes mee, 205 of the kinges liverye 206 that nowe is on thee light! 207 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. Put thee forth. Thou may not flee. 208 Nowe thou art in thy royaltie! 209 Syr Herode, kinge, beleave on thee 210 and grantmereye this [guyfte]. Tunc exeunt duo Judei ad Pilatum adducentes Jesum in veste alba, et dicat 211 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Syr Pilate, here the kinge hath sent 212 Jesu agayne, and, syth we went, 213 he hasse forgiven his male intent 214 for thy deede todaye. 215 PILATUS. Yea, fault in him can I fynd none, 216 ne Herode, as seemes hereupon. 217 Therfore is best we lett him gonne. 218 whither he will his waye. 219 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. Naye, all, all we cryen with on voyee, 220 nayle him, nayle him to the crosse. 221 PILATUS. Yee men, for shame! Lett bee your noyce! 222 My counsell will I saye. 223 Yee knowen eyehonne the manere: 224 delivered must be a prisoner— 225 this feast that nowe approehes neare— 226 for honour of the daye. 227 Will ye Jesu delyvered bee? 228 TERTIUS JUDEUS. Naye, suffer the death worthye is hee; 229 and thereupon all cryen wee, 230 and Barabas reserved. 231 PILATUS. What shall I doe with Jesu here 232 that Christ is called, and kinge in feere? 233 QUARTUS JUDEUS. Nayle him on the crosse in all manere, 234 for so he bath deserved. 235 PILATUS. Nowe sythen I see you so fervent 236 and shapen that he shalbe shent, 237 wash I will here in your present, 238 waxe ye never so woodd. 239 Yee shall all wytt verament 240 that I am cleane and innocent 241 and for to sheede in no intent 242 this rightwise mans bloodd. Tunc Pilatus lavabit manus, et Cayphas et Annas recedent cum Pilato; et dicat Pilatus 243 PILATUS. Yee prelates here everychonne, 244 what will ye do? Lett him gonne? 245 CAYPHAS. Nayle, nayle him to the crosse anonne 246 and deeme him or thou leeve. 247 PILATUS. Takes ye him, that binne so gryme, 248 and after your lawe deeme ye him. 249 ANNAS. Nay, that is not lawfull, lyth ne lymme 250 for us no man to reeve. 251 PILATUS. What devil! of hell ys this to saye? 252 Jesu, tell me, I thee praye, 253 arte thou kinge—saye yea or naye— 254 of Jewes by auncetrye? 255 JESUS. Whither hopes thou yt so be, 256 or other men tould hit the? 257 PILATUS. Naye, fay! Thyselfe may knowe and see 258 that no Jewe am I. 259 Men of thyne owne nation 260 shewen for thy dampnatyon 261 with many an accusatyon, 262 and all this day have. 263 Art thou kinge—say, for all ther crye? 264 JESUS. My realme in this world, as say I, 265 ys [not]—but were, witterlye, 266 with Jewes were I not tayne. 267 And if my realme in this world were, 268 stryve I would with you nowe here 269 and lead with me such powere 270 should pryve you of your praye. 271 But my might in this manere 272 will I not prove, ne nowe appere 273 as worldly kinge; my cause uncleare 274 were then, in good faye. 275 PILATUS. Ergo, a kinge thou art, or was. 276 JESUS. That thou sayes, yt is no lesse. 277 But nowe I tell thee here expresse 278 that kinge I am and be maye. 279 In world I came’to beare wytnes 280 of sootbnes, and therfore borne I was, 281 and all that leeven soothnes 282 take heede to that I saye. 283 PILATUS. What is soothnes, tell thou mee? 284 JESUS. Soothnes came from Goddes see. 285 PILATUS. In yearth then bath trueth no postie 286 by thyne opinion? 287 JESUS. Howe should on yearth bee 288 while so deemed in yearth is hee 289 of them that have non authoritie 290 in yearth, agaynst reason? 291 PILATUS. Lordinges, I fynd no cause, iwys. 292 to dampne this man that here ys. 293 CAYPHAS. Pilate, he bath donne mych amysse. 294 Let him never passe. 295 By Moyses lawe liven wee 296 and after that lawe dead shall hee bee, 297 for apertly preached hase hee 298 Goddes Sonne that he was. 299 ANNAS. Yea, Pilate, he that makes him appere 300 other to kinge or kinges feere 301 withsayth Caesar of his power, 302 and so we have donne with him. 303 And whoso calles himselfe a kinge here 304 reves Caesar of his power. 305 PILATUS. Anone goe scourge this losingere 306 and beat him lymme and lythe. 307 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Come nowe with care, 308 freake, for thy fare. 309 On thy bodye bare 310 strockes shalt thou beare. 311 SECUNDUS JU]JEUS. Cast of thy ware, 312 all thy clothes, yare. 313 Start nowe and stare. 314 This stalward I would stere. Tunc spoliabunt ipsum et ligabunt ad columnam, et dicat 315 TERTIUS JUDEUS. Nowe he is bounden. 316 Be he never so wandon, 317 soone he shalbe fownden 318 with flappes in feere. 319 QUARTUS JUDEUS. In woo he ys wounden 320 and his grave is grounden. 321 No lade unto London 322 such lawe can him lere. Tunc posteaquam flagellaverunt eum, postea induunt eum purpurea ponentes in cathedram, et dicat 323 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Nowe, syth hee kinge ys, 324 whyte his clothinge ys. 325 Beggere, I bringe thee this, 326 thee for to weare. Tunc Secundus Judeus ponens coronam spineam super capite eius et dicat 327 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. All in lythinge this ys 328 that of ould spronge ys; 329 of thornes this thinge ys, 330 thee for to were. 331 TERTIUS JUDEUS. Nowe thou hasse a weede, 332 have here a reede. 333 A scepter I thee bede, 334 a kinge for to bee. 335 QUARTUS JUDEUS. Hervye, take heede! 336 Thus must I neede 337 for my foule deede 338 kneele upon knee. 339 PRIMUS JUDEUS. Hayle, kinge of Jewes! 340 That so many men shewes, 341 rybauld, nowe thee rewes, 342 with all thy reverence. 343 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. With yron on him hewes 344 and his hyde hewes. 345 An oyntment thee newes 346 for thyne offence. 347 TERTIUS JUDEUS. To wryte in his face— 348 thou that the kinge mase, 349 nowe my nose hase 350 good spice of the newe! 351 QUARTUS JUDEUS. With a hard grace 352 thou came to this place. 353 Passe thou this rase, 354 sore shalt thou rewe. 355 PILATUS. Lordinges, here you may se 356 your kinge all in his royaltie. 357 CAYPHAS. Nay, syr, forsooth, no kinge have wee 358 save the emperour of Rome pardee; 359 and but thou nayle him to the tree, 360 the emperour full wrath wilbee. 361 ANNAS. All we sayen right as sayes hee. 362 Deme him while thou hase tyme. 363 PILATUS. Whether of them will ye have, 364 Jesus Christ or Baraban? 365 CAYPHAS. Naye, Jesus this traytour that is tane 366 must nayld be to the tree, 367 and lett Baraban goe his waye. 368 PILATUS. Take him to you nowe as I saye, 369 for save him I ney maye, 370 undonne but I would bee. 371 PRIMUS JUDEUS. This [dome] is at an end. 372 Nowe read I that we wend 373 this shrewe for to shend 374 a little here besyde. Secundus Judeus, ponens crucem super dorsum eius, dicat. 375 SECUNDUS JUDEUS. Here shalt thou not lend. 376 Come hither and behind 377 thy backe for to bende. 378 Here may thou not abyde. 379 THE DAMSELL (to Peter). Was not thou with Jesus of Nazareth? 380 PETER. I knowe him not, nor what thou sayest. 381 THE DAMSELL. Syrs, syckerlye I tell you playne, 382 this man here is on of them 383 that was with him in the garden; 384 I knowe yt to be trewe. 385 PETER. Yt is not trewe, so mote I thee. 386 I knowe him not by any degree. 387 THE JEWE. One of [them] thou art assuredlye, 388 and thou art alsoe of Galilee. 389 Thy speach clearly bewrayeth thee 390 in wytnes of us all. 391 PETER. In fayth and trueth, that ys no soe. 392 Shame have I, and myckell woo, 393 yf ever I did him before knowe 394 or keepe him companye. 395 Finis