The Towneley Cycle, Play 22 The Scourging Fflagellacio 001 Pilate. Peasse at my bydyng, ye wyghtys in wold! 002 Looke none be so hardy to speke a word bot I, 003 Or by mahowne most myghty, maker on mold, 004 With this brande that I bere ye shall bytterly aby. 005 Say, wote ye not that I am pylate, perles to behold? 006 Most doughty in dedys of dukys of the Iury; 007 In bradyng of batels I am the most bold, 008 Therfor my name to you will I dyscry, 009 No mys. 010 I am full of sotelty, 011 ffalshed, gyll, and trechery; 012 Therfor am I namyd by clergy 013 As mali actoris. 014 ffor like as on both sydys the Iren the hamer makith playn, 015 So do I, that the law has here in my kepyng; 016 The right side to socoure, certys, I am full bayn, 017 If I may get therby a vantege or wynyng; 018 Then to the fals parte I turne me agayn, 019 ffor I se more Vayll will to me be risyng; 020 Thus euery man to drede me shalbe full fayn, 021 And all faynt of thare fayth to me be obeyng, 022 Truly. 023 All fals endytars, 024 Quest-gangars, and Iurars, 025 And thise out-rydars 026 Ar welcom to me. 027 Bot this prophete, that has prechyd and puplyshed so playn 028 Cristen law, crist thay call hym in oure cuntre; 029 Bot oure prynces full prowdly this nyght haue hym tayn, 030 ffull tytt to be dampned he shall be hurlyd byfore me; 031 I shall fownde to be his freynd vtward, in certayn, 032 And shew hym fare cowntenance and wordys of vanyte; 033 Bot or this day at nyght on crosse shall he be slayn, 034 Thus agans hym in my hart I bere great enmyte 035 ffull sore. 036 ye men that vse bak-bytyngys, 037 and rasars of slanderyngys, 038 ye ar my dere darlyngys, 039 And mahowns for euermore. 040 ffor no thyng in this warld dos me more grefe 041 Then for to here of crist and of his new lawes; 042 To trow that he is godys son my hart wold all to clefe, 043 Though he be neuer so trew both in dedys and in sawes 044 Therfor shall he suffre mekill myschefe, 045 And all the dyscypyls that vnto hym drawes; 046 ffor ouer all solace to me it is most lefe, 047 The shedyng of cristen bloode, and that all Iury knawes, 048 I say you. 049 My knyghtys full swythe 050 Thare strengthes will thay kyth, 051 And bryng hym be-lyfe; 052 lo, where thay com now! 053 Primus Tortor. I haue ron that I swett / from sir herode oure kyng 054 With this man that will not lett / oure lawes to downe bryng; 055 he has done so mych forfett / of care may he syng; 056 Thrugh dom of sir pylate he gettys / an yll endyng 057 And sore; 058 The great warkys he has wroght 059 Shall serue hym of noght, 060 And bot thay be dere boght 061 lefe me no more. 062 Bot make rowme in this rese / I byd you, belyfe, 063 And of youre noys that ye sesse / both man and wyfe; 064 To sir pylate on dese / this man will we dryfe, 065 his dede for to dres / and refe hym his lyfe 066 This day; 067 Do draw hym forward! 068 whi stand ye so bakward? 069 Com on sir, hyderward, 070 As fast as ye may! 071 Secundus Tortor. Do pull hym a-rase / whyls we be gangyng; 072 I shall spytt in his face / though it be fare shynyng; 073 Of vs thre gettys thou no grace / thi dedys ar so noyng, 074 Bot more sorow thou hase / oure myrth is incresyng, 075 No lak. 076 ffelows, all in hast, 077 with this band that will last 078 Let vs bynde fast 079 Both his handys on his bak. 080 Tercius Tortor. I shall lede the a dawnce / Vnto sir pilate hall; 081 Thou betyd an yll chawnce / to com emangys vs all. 082 Sir pilate, with youre cheftance / to you we cry and call 083 That ye make som ordynance / with this brodell thrall, 084 By skyll; 085 This man that we led, 086 On crosse ye put to ded. 087 Pilate. what! with outten any red? 088 That is not my wyll; 089 Bot ye, wysest of law / to me ye be tendand: 090 This man withoutten awe / which ye led in a band, 091 Nather in dede ne in saw / can I fynd with no wrang, 092 wherfor ye shuld, hym draw / or bere falsly on hand 093 With ill. 094 ye say he turnes oure pepyll, 095 ye call hym fals and fekyll; 096 warldys shame is on you mekyll 097 This man if ye spyll. 098 Of all thise causes ilkon / which ye put on hym, 099 Herode, truly as stone / coud fynd with nokyns gyn 100 Nothyng herapon / that pent to any syn; 101 why shuld I then so soyn / to ded here deme hym? 102 Therfor 103 This is my counsell, 104 I will not with hym mell; 105 let hym go where he wyll 106 ffor now and euermore. 107 Primus Consultus. Sir, I say the oone thyng / without any mys, 108 he callys his self a kyng / ther he none is; 109 Thus he wold downe bryng / oure lawes, I-wys, 110 with his fals lesyng / and his quantys, 111 This tyde. 112 Pilate. herk, felow, com nere! 113 Thou knowes I haue powere 114 To excuse or to dampne here, 115 In bayll to abyde. 116 Jesus. Sich powere has thou noght / to wyrk thi will thus with me, 117 Bot from my fader that is broght / oone-fold god in persons thre. 118 Pilate. Certys, it is fallen well in my thoght / at this tyme, as well wote ye, 119 A thefe that any felony has wroght / to lett hym skap or go fre 120 Away; 121 Therfor ye lett hym pas. 122 Primus Tortor. Nay, nay, bot barabas! 123 And ihesus in this case 124 To deth ye dam this day. 125 Pilate. Syrs, looke ye take good hede / his cloysse ye spoyll hym fro, 126 ye gar his body blede / and bett hym blak and bloo. 127 Secundus Tortor. This man, as myght I spede / that has wroght vs this wo, 128 how "[Iudicare"] comys in crede / shall we teche, or we go, 129 All soyne. 130 haue bynd to this pyllar. 131 Tercius Tortor. why standys thou so far? 132 Primus Tortor. To bett his body bar 133 I haste, withoutten hoyne. 134 Secundus Tortor. Now fall I the fyrst / to flap on hys hyde. 135 Tercius Tortor. My hartt wold all to-bryst / bot I myght tyll hym glyde. 136 Primus Tortor. A swap fayn, if I durst / wold I lene the this tyde. 137 Secundus Tortor. war! lett me rub on the rust / that the bloode downe glyde 138 As swythe. 139 Tercius Tortor. haue att! 140 Primus Tortor. Take thou that! 141 Secundus Tortor. I shall lene the a flap, 142 My strengthe for to kythe. 143 Tercius Tortor. Where on seruys thi prophecy / thou tell vs in this case, 144 And all thi warkys of greatt mastry / thou shewed in dyuers place? 145 Primus Tortor. Thyn apostels full radly / ar run from the a rase, 146 Thou art here in oure baly / withoutten any grace 147 Of skap. 148 Secundus Tortor. Do, rug him. 149 Tercius Tortor. Do, dyng hym. 150 Primus Tortor. Nay, I myself shuld kyll hym 151 Bot for sir pilate. 152 Syrs, at the ffeste of architreclyn / this prophete he was; 153 Ther turnyd he water into wyn / that day he had sich grace, 154 his apostels to hym can enclyn / and other that ther was; 155 The see he past bot few yeres syn / it lete hym walk theron apase 156 At wyll; 157 The elementys all bydeyn, 158 And wyndes that ar so keyn, 159 The firmamente, as I weyn, 160 Ar hym obeyng tyll. 161 Secundus Tortor. A lepir cam full fast / to this man that here standys, 162 And prayed hym, in all hast / of bayll to lowse his bandys; 163 his trauell was not wast / though he cam from far landys; 164 This prophete tyll hym past / and helyd hym with his handys, 165 ffull blythe. 166 The son of Centuryon, 167 ffor whom his fader made greatt mone, 168 Of the palsy he helyd anone, 169 Thay lowfyd hym oft sythe. 170 Tercius Tortor. Sirs, as he cam from iherico / a blynde man satt by the way; 171 To hym walkand with many mo / cryand to hym thus can he say, 172 "[Thou son of dauid, or thou go / of blyndnes hele thou me this day."] 173 Ther was he helyd of all his wo / sich wonders can he wyrk all way 174 At wyll; 175 he rasys men from deth to lyfe, 176 And castys out devyls from thame oft sythe, 177 seke men cam to hym full ryfe, 178 He helys thaym of all yll. 179 Primus Tortor. ffor all thise dedys of great louyng / fower thyngys I haue fond 180 certanly, 181 ffor which he is worthy to hyng: / oone is oure kyng that he wold be; 182 Oure sabbot day in his wyrkyng / he lettys not to hele the seke truly; 183 he says oure temple he shall downe bryng / and in thre daies byg it in hy 184 All hole agane; 185 Syr pilate, as ye sytt, 186 looke wysely in youre wytt; 187 Dam ihesu or ye flytt 188 On crosse to suffre his payne. 189 Pilate. Thou man that suffurs all this yll / Why Wyll thou Vs no mercy cry? 190 Slake thy hart and thi greatt wyll / whyls on the we haue mastry; 191 Of thy greatt warkes shew vs som skyll; / men call the kyng, thou tell vs why; 192 wherfor the Iues seke the to spyll / the cause I wold, knowe wytterly, 193 perdee; 194 Say what is thy name, 195 Thou lett for no shame, 196 Thay putt on the greatt blame, 197 Els myght [thou] skap for me. 198 Secundus Consultus. Syr pilate, prynce peerles / this is my red, 199 That he skap not harmeles / bot do hym to ded: 200 he cals hym a kyng in euery place / thus wold he ouer led 201 Oure people in his trace / and oure lawes downe tred 202 By skyll; 203 Syr, youre knyghtes of good lose, 204 and the pepyll with oone voce, 205 To hyng hym hy on a crosse 206 Thay cry and call you vntyll. 207 Pilate. Now certys, this is a wonder thyng / that ye wold bryng to noght 208 hym that is youre lege lordyng / In faith this was far soght; 209 Bot say, why make ye none obeyng / to hym that all has wroght? 210 Tercius Tortor. Sir, he is oure chefe lordyng / sir Cesar so worthyly wroght 211 On mold. 212 pylate, do after vs, 213 And dam to deth ihesus 214 Or to sir Cesar we trus, 215 And make thy frenship cold. 216 Pilate. Now that I am sakles / of this bloode shall ye see; 217 Both my handys in expres / weshen sall be; 218 This bloode bees dere boght I ges / that ye spill so frele. 219 Primus Tortor. we pray it fall endles / on vs and oure meneye, 220 with wrake. 221 Pilate. Now youre desyre fulfyll I shall; 222 Take hym emangs you all, 223 On crosse ye put that thrall, 224 his endyng ther to take. 225 Primus Tortor. Com on! tryp on thi tose / without any fenyng; 226 Thou has made many glose / with thy fals talkyng. 227 Secundus Tortor. we ar worthy greatte lose / that thus has broght a kyng 228 ffrom sir pilate and othere fose thus into oure ryng, 229 withoutt any hoyne. 230 Sirs, a kyng he hym cals, 231 Therfor a crowne hym befals. 232 Tercius Tortor. I swere by all myn elder sauls, 233 I shall it ordan soyne. 234 Primus Tortor. Lo! here a crowne of thorne / to perch his brane within, 235 putt on his hede with skorne / and gar thyrll the skyn. 236 Secundus Tortor. hayll kyng! where was thou borne / sich worship for to wyn? 237 we knele all the beforne / and the to grefe will we not blyn, 238 That be thou bold; 239 Now by mahownes bloode! 240 Ther will no mete do me goode 241 To he be hanged on a roode, 242 And his bones be cold. 243 Primus Tortor. Syrs, we may be fayn / ffor I haue fon a tree, 244 I tell you in certan / it is of greatt bewtee, 245 On the which he shall suffre payn / be feste with nales thre, 246 Ther shall nothyng hym gayn / ther on to he dede be, 247 I insure it; 248 Do, bryng hym hence. 249 Secundus Tortor. Take vp oure gere and defence. 250 Tercius Tortor. I wold spende all my spence 251 To se hym ones skelpt. 252 Primus Tortor. This cros vp thou take / and make the redy bowne; 253 Withoutt gruchyng thou rake / and bere it thrugh the towne; 254 Mary, thi moder, I wote will make / great mowrnyng and mone, 255 But for thy fals dedys sake / shortly thou salbe slone, 256 No nay; 257 The pepyll of bedlem, 258 and gentyls of Ierusalem, 259 All the comoners of this reme, 260 shall wonder on the this day. 261 John the Apostle. Alas! for my master moste of myght, 262 That yester euen with lanterne bright 263 before Caiphas was broght; 264 Both peter and I sagh that sight, 265 And sithen we fled away full wight, 266 when Iues so wonderly wroght; 267 At morne thay toke to red, And fals witnes furth soght, 268 And demyd hym to be dede, That to thaym trespaste noght, 269 Alas! for his modere and othere moo, 270 My moder and hir syster also, 271 Sat sam with syghyng sore; 272 Thay Wote nothyng of all this wo, 273 Therfor to tell thaym will I go, 274 Sen I may mend no more. 275 If he shuld dy thus tyte And thay vnwarned wore, 276 I were Worthy to wyte; I will go fast therfor. 277 God saue you, systers all in fere! 278 Dere lady, if thi will were, 279 I must tell tythyngys playn. 280 Mary. Welcom, Iohn, my cosyn dere! 281 how farys my son sen thou was here? 282 That wold I wyt full fayn. 283 John the Apostle. A, dere lady with youre leyff, The trouth shuld no man layn, 284 I: Ne with godys will thaym grefe. 285 Mary. whi, Iohn, is my son slayn? 286 John the Apostle. Nay lady, I saide not so, 287 Bot ye me myn he told vs two 288 And thaym that with vs wore, 289 how he with pyne shuld pas vs fro, 290 And efte shuld com vs to, 291 To amende oure syghyng sore; 292 It may not stand in stede To sheynd youre self therfore. 293 Mary Magdalene. Alas! this day for drede! Good Iohn, neven this no more! 294 Speke preualy I the pray, 295 ffor I am ferde, if we hir flay, 296 That she will ryn and rafe. 297 John the Apostle. The sothe behowys me nede to say, 298 he is damyd to dede this day, 299 Ther may no sorow hym safe. 300 Maria Jacobi. Good Iohn, tell vnto vs two What thou of hir will crafe, 301 And we will gladly go And help that thou it haue. 302 John the Apostle. Systers, youre mowrnyng may not amende; 303 And ye will ever, or he take ende, 304 Speke with my master free, 305 Then must ye ryse and with me weynd, 306 And kepe hym as he shall be kend 307 Withoutt yond same cyte; 308 If ye will nygh me nere, Com fast and felowe me. 309 Mary. A, help me, systers dere! That I my son may see. 310 Mary Magdalene 311 Lady, we wold weynd full fayn, 312 Hertely With all oure myght and mayn, 313 youre comforth to encrese. 314 Mary. Good Iohn, go before and frayn. 315 John the Apostle. Lo, where he commes vs euen agayn 316 with all yond mekyll prese! 317 All youre mowrnyng in feyr / may not his sorow sese. 318 Mary. Alas, for my son dere, / that me to moder chese!. Alas, dere son for care 319 / I se thi body blede; 320 My self I will for-fare / for the in this great drede, 321 This cros on thi shulder bare / to help the in this nede, 322 I will it bere with greatt hart sare / wheder thay will the lede. 323 Jesus. This cros is large in lengthe / and also bustus with all; 324 If thou put to thi strengthe / to the erthe thou mon downe fall. 325 Mary. A dere son, thou let me / help the in this case! 326 Jesus. lo, moder, I tell it the / to bere no myght thou hase. 327 Mary. I pray the, dere son, it may so be / to man thou gif thi grace, 328 On thi self thou haue pyte / and kepe the from thi foyse. 329 Jesus. ffor sothe, moder, this is no nay / on cros I must dede dre, 330 And, from deth ryse on the thryd day / thus prophecy says by me; 331 Mans saull that I luffyd ay / I shall redeme securly, 332 Into blis of heuen for ay / I shall it bryng to me, 333 Mary Magdalene. It is greatt sorow to any wyght / Ihesus, to se with Iues keyn, 334 How he in dyuerse payns is dight / ffor sorow I water both myn eeyn. 335 Maria Jacobi. This lord that is of myght / dyd neuer yll truly, 336 Thise Iues thay do not right / if thay deme hym to dy. 337 Mary Magdalene. Alas! what shall we say! / ihesus that is so leyfe, 338 To deth thise Iues this day / thay lede with paynes full grefe.. Maria Jacobi. 339 He was full true, I say / though thay dam hym as thefe, 340 Mankynde he lufed all way / for sorow my hart will clefe. 341 Jesus. ye doghters of Ierusalem / I byd you wepe nothyng for me, 342 Bot for youre self and youre barn-teme / behald I tell you securle, 343 Sore paynes ar ordand for this reme / in dayes herafter for to be; 344 youre myrth to bayll it shall downe streme / in euery place of this cyte. 345 Childer, certys, thay shall blys / women baren that neuer child bare, 346 And pappes that neuer gaf sowke, Iwys / thus shall thare hartys for sorow be 347 sare; 348 The montayns hy and thise greatt hyllys / thay shall byd fall apon them thare, 349 ffor my bloode that sakles is / to shede and spyll thay will not spare. 350 Secundus Tortor. walk on, and lefe thi vayn carpyng / it shall not saue the fro 351 thy dede, 352 wheder thise women cry or syng / for any red, that thay can red. 353 Tercius Tortor. Say wherto abyde we here abowte, 354 Thise qwenes with scremyng and with showte? 355 May no man thare wordys stere? 356 Primus Tortor. Go home, thou casbald, with that clowte! 357 Or, by that lord I leyfe and lowte, 358 Thou shall by it full dere! 359 Mary Magdalene. This thyng shall venyance call / on you holly in fere. 360 Secundus Tortor. Go, hy the hens with all / or yll hayll cam thou here! 361 Tercius Tortor. let all this bargan be / syn all oure toyles ar before; 362 This tratoure and this tre / I wold, full fayn were thore.. Primus Tortor. It 363 nedys not hym to harll / this cros dos hym greatt dere, 364 Bot yonder commys a carll / shall help hym for to bere. 365 Secundus Tortor. That shall we soyn se on assay. 366 herk, good, man, wheder art thou on away? 367 Thou walkes as thou were wrath. 368 Symon. Syrs, I haue a greatt Iornay 369 That must be done this same day, 370 Or els it will me skathe. 371 Tercius Tortor. Thou may with lytyll payn / easse hym and thi self both. 372 Symon. Good syrs, that wold I fayn / bot for to tary were full loth. 373 Primus Tortor. Nay, nay! thou shall full soyn be sped; 374 lo here a lad, that must be led, 375 ffor his yll dedys to dy, 376 And he is bressed and all for bled, 377 That makys vs here thus stratly sted; 378 we pray the, sir, for-thi, 379 That thou will take this tre / bere it to caluary. 380 Symon. Good sirs, that may not be / ffor full greatt haste haue I, 381 No longere may I hoyn. 382 Secundus Tortor. In fayth thou shall not go so soyn 383 ffor noght that thou can say 384 This dede must nedys be done, 385 And this carll be dede or noyn, 386 And now is nere myd day; 387 And therfor help vs at this nede / and make vs here no more delay. 388 Symon. I pray you do youre dede / and let me go my way; 389 And I shall com full soyn agane, 390 To help this man with all my mayn, 391 At youre awne wyll.. Tercius Tortor. what and wold, thou trus with sich a 392 trane? 393 Nay fatur, thou shall be full fayn, 394 This forward to fulfyll; 395 Or, by the myght of mahowne! / thou shall lyke it full yll. 396 Primus Tortor. Tytt, let dyng this dastard downe / bot he lay hand ther tyll. 397 Symon. Certys, that were vnwysely wroght, 398 To beytt me bot if I trespast oght 399 Aythere in worde or dede. 400 Secundus Tortor. Apon thi bak it shall be broght, 401 Thou berys it wheder thou will or noght! 402 Dewyll! whom shuld we drede? 403 And therfor take it here belyfe / And bere it furth, good spede. 404 Symon. It helpys not here to strife / bere it behoues me nede; 405 And therfor, syrs, as ye haue sayde, 406 To help this man I am well payde, 407 As ye wold that it were. 408 Tercius Tortor. A, ha! now ar we right arayde, 409 bot loke oure gere be redy grade, 410 To wyrk when we com there. 411 Primus Tortor. I warand all redy / oure toyles both moore and les, 412 And sir symon truly / gose on before with cros. 413 Tercius Tortor. Now by mahowne, oure heuen kyng, 414 I wold that we were in that stede 415 where we myght hym on cros bryng. 416 Step on before, and furth hym lede 417 A trace. 418 Primus Tortor. Com on thou! 419 Secundus Tortor. Put on thou! 420 Tercius Tortor. I com fast after you, 421 And folowse on the chace. 422