From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The Towneley Cycle, Play 27 - The Pilgrims (Peregrini)
The Fishers
001 Cleophas. Almyghty god, ihesu! ihesu
002 That borne was of a madyn fre,
003 Thou was a lord and prophete trew,
004 Whyls thou had lyfe on lyfe to be
005 Emangys thise men;
006 Yll was thou ded, so wo is me
007 That I it ken!
008 I ken it well that thou was slayn
009 Oonly for me and all mankynde;
010 Therto thise Iues were full bayn.
011 Alas! why was thou, man, so blynde
012 Thi lord to slo?
013 On hym why wold thou haue no mynde,
014 Bot bett hym blo?
015 Blo thou bett hym bare / his brest thou maide all blak,
016 His woundes all wete thay ware / Alas, withoutten lak!
017 Lucas. That lord, alas, that leche / that was so meke and mylde,
018 So well that couth vs preche / with syn was neuer fylde;
019 He was full bayn to preche / vs all from warkes wylde,
020 His ded it will me drech, / ffor thay hym so begylde
021 This day;
022 Alas, why dyd thay so
023 To tug hym to and fro?
024 Ffrom hym wold thay not go
025 To his lyfe was away.
026 Cleophas. Thise cursyd Iues, euer worth thaym wo!
027 Oure lord, oure master, to ded gart go,
028 All sakles thay gart hym slo
029 Apon the rode,
030 And forto bete his body blo
031 Thay thoght full good.
032 Lucas. Thou says full sothe, thay dyd hym payn,
033 And therto were thay euer fayn.
034 Thay wold no leyf or he was slayn
035 And done to ded;
036 Ffor-thi we mowrne with mode and mayn,
037 With rufull red.
038 Cleophas. Yee, rufully may we it rew,
039 Ffor hym that was so good and trew,
040 That thrugh the falshede of a Iew
041 Was thus betrayd;
042 Therfor oure sorow is euer new,
043 Oure ioy is layd.
044 Lucas. Certys, it was a wonder thyng
045 That thay wold for no tokynyng,
046 Ne yit for his techyng,
047 Trast in that trew;
048 Thay myght haue sene in his doyng
049 Full great vertu.
050 Cleophas. Ffor all that thay to hym can say
051 He answard neuer with yee, ne nay,
052 Bot as a lam meke was he ay,
053 Ffor all thare threte;
054 He spake neuer, by nyght ne day,
055 No wordes greatte.
056 Lucas. All if he wor withoutten plight,
057 Vnto the ded yit thay hym dight;
058 If he had neuer so mekill myght
059 He suffred all;
060 He stud as still, that bright,
061 As stone in wall.
062 Cleophas. Alas, for doyll! what was thare skyll
063 That precyous lord so forto spill?
064 And he seruyd neuer none yll
065 In worde, ne dede;
066 Bot prayd for theym his fader till
067 To ded when that he yede.
068 Lucas. When I thynk on his passyon,
069 And on his moder how she can swoyn,
070 To dy nere am I bowne,
071 Ffor sorow I sagh hir make;
072 Vnder the crosse when she fell downe,
073 Ffor hir son sake.. Cleophas. Me thynk my hart is full of wo
074 When I sagh hym to ded go;
075 Th[e] wekyd Iues thay were so thro
076 To wyrk hym woghe,
077 His fare body thay maide full blo
078 With strokes enoghe.
079 Lucas. Me thynk my hart droppys all in bloode
080 When I sagh hym hyng on the roode,
081 And askyd a drynk, with full mylde mode,
082 Right than in hy;
083 Asell and gall, that was not good,
084 Thay broght hym then truly.
085 Cleophas. Was neuer man in no-kyns steede
086 That suffred half so greatt mysdede
087 As he, to ded or that he yede,
088 Ne yit the care;
089 Ffor-thi full carefull is my red
090 Where soeuer I fare.
091 Lucas. Where so I fare he is my mynde,
092 Bot when I thynk on hym so kynde,
093 How sore gyltles that he was pyynde
094 Apon a tre,
095 Vnethes may I hold, my mynde,
096 So sore myslykys me.
097 Jesus. Pylgrymes, whi make ye this mone,
098 And walk so rufully by the way?
099 Haue ye youre gates vngrathly gone?
100 Or what you alys to me ye say.
101 What wordes ar you two emange,
102 That ye here so sadly gang?
103 To here theym eft full sore I lang,
104 Here of yow two;
105 It semys ye ar in sorow strang,
106 Here as ye go.
107 Cleophas. What way, for shame, man, has thou tayn
108 That thou wote not of this affray?
109 Thow art a man by the alane,
110 Thow may not pleasse me to my pay.
111 Jesus. I pray you, if it be youre will,
112 Those Wordys ye wold, reherse me tyll;
113 Ye ar all heuy and lykys yll
114 Here in this way;
115 If ye will now shew me youre [wyll]
116 I wold you pray.
117 Lucas. Art thou a pilgreme thi self alone,
118 Walkand in contry bi thyn oone,
119 And wote not what is commen and gone
120 Within few dayes?
121 Me thynk thou shuld make mone,
122 And wepe here in thi wayes.
123 Jesus. Whi, what is done can ye me say
124 In this land this ylk day?
125 Is ther fallen any affray
126 In land awre whare?
127 If ye can, me tell I you pray,
128 Or that I farthere fare.
129 Cleophas. Why, knowys thou not what thyng is done
130 Here at Ierusalem thus sone,
131 Thrugh wykyd Iues, withoutten hone,
132 And noght lang syn?
133 Flor the trewe prophete make we this mone,
134 And for his pyne.
135 Lucas. Yee for ihesu of nazarene,
136 That was a prophete true and clene,
137 In word, in wark, full meke, I wene,
138 And that fonde we;
139 And so has he full long bene,
140 As mot I the,
141 To god and to the people bath;
142 Therfor thise daies he has takyn skath,
143 Vnto the ded, withoutten hagh,
144 Thise Iues hym dight;
145 Ffor-thi for hym thus walk we wrath
146 By day and nyght.
147 Cleophas. Thise wykyd Iues trayed hym with gyle
148 To thare high preestys within a whyle,
149 And to thare prynces thay can hym fyle,
150 Withoutten drede;
151 Apon a crosse, noght hens a myle,
152 To ded he yede.
153 Lucas. We trowyd that it was he truly
154 His awne lyfe agane shuld by,
155 As it is told in prophecy
156 Of Cristys doyng;
157 And, certys, thay will neuer ly
158 Ffor noykyns thyng.
159 Ffro he was of the crosse tayn
160 He was layde full sone agane
161 In a graue, vnder a stane,
162 And that we saw;
163 Wheder he be rysen and gane
164 Yit we ne knaw.
165 Jesus. Pilgremes, in speche ye are full awth,
166 That shall I well declare you why,
167 Ye haue it hart, and that is rawth,
168 Ye can no better stand therby,
169 Thyng that ye here;
170 And prophetys told it openly
171 On good manere.
172 Thay saide a childe there shuld be borne
173 To by mankynde combryd in care;
174 Thus saide dauid here beforne
175 And othere prophetys wyse of lare,
176 And daniell;
177 Som saide he ded shuld be,
178 And ly in erth by dayes thre,
179 And sithen, thrugh his pauste,
180 Ryse vp in flesh and fell.
181 Cleophas. Now, sir, for sothe, as god me saue,
182 Women has flayed vs in oure thoght;
183 Thay saide that thay were at his graue,
184 And in that sted, thay faunde hym noght,
185 Bot saide a light
186 Com downe with angels, and vp hym broght
187 Ther in thare sight.
188 We wold not trow theym for nothyng,
189 If thay were ther in the mornyng,
190 We saide thay knew not his rysyng
191 When it shuld be;
192 Bot som of vs, without dwellyng,
193 Wentt theder to se.
194 Lucas. Yee, som of vs, sir, haue beyn thare,
195 And faunde it as the women saide,
196 Out of that sted that cors was fare,
197 And also the graue stone put besyde,
198 We se with ee;
199 The teres outt of myn ees can glyde,
200 Ffor doyll I dre.
201 Jesus. Ye foyles, ye ar not stabyll!
202 Where is youre witt, I say?
203 Wilsom of hart ye ar vnabyll
204 And outt of the right way,
205 Ffor to trow it is no fabyll
206 That at is fallen this same day.
207 He wyst, when he sat at his tabill,
208 That Iudas shuld, hym sone betray.
209 Me thynk you all vntrist to trow,
210 Both in mode and mayn,
211 All that the prophetys told to you
212 Before, it is no trane.
213 Told, not thay what wyse and how
214 That cryst shuld suffre payn?
215 And so to his paske bow
216 To entre till his ioy agane.
217 Take tent to moyses and othere mo,
218 That were prophetys trew and good;
219 Thay saide ihesus to ded, shuld go,
220 And pynde be on roode;
221 Thrugh the Iues he maide full blo,
222 His woundys rynyng on red blode;
223 Sithen shuld he ryse and furth go
224 Before, right as he yode.
225 Crist behovid to suffre this,
226 Fforsothe, right as I say,
227 And sithen enter into his blys
228 Vnto his fader for ay,
229 Euer to won with hym and his,
230 Where euer is gam and play;
231 Of that myrth shall he neuer mys
232 Ffro he weynde hens away.
233 Cleophas. Now, sir, we thank it full oft sythes,
234 The commyng of you heder;
235 To vs so kyndly kythes
236 The prophecy all to geder.
237 Jesus. By leyff now, sirs, for I must weynde,
238 Ffor I haue far of my iornay.
239 Lucas. Now, sir, we pray you, as oure freynde. All nyght to abyde for charite,
240 And take youre r[est];
241 At morne more prest then may ye be
242 To go full prest.
243 Cleophas. Sir, we you pray, for godys sake,
244 This nyght penance with vs to take,
245 With sich chere as we can make,
246 And that we pray;
247 We may no farthere walk ne wake,
248 Gone is the day.
249 Lucas. Dwell with vs, sir, if ye myght,
250 Ffor now it waxes to the nyght,
251 The day is gone that was so bright,
252 No far thou shall;
253 Mete and drynk, sir, we you hight
254 Ffor thi good tale.
255 Jesus. I thank you both, for sothe, in fere,
256 At this tyme I ne may dwell here,
257 I haue to walk in wayes sere,
258 Where I haue hight;
259 I may not be, withoutten were,
260 With you all nyght.
261 Cleophas. Now, as myght I lyf in qwarte,
262 At this tyme will we not parte,
263 Bot if that thou can more of arte
264 Or yit of lare;
265 Vnto this cyte, with good harte,
266 Now let vs fare.
267 Lucas. Thou art a pilgreme, as we ar,
268 This nyght shall thou fare as we fare,
269 Be it les or be it mare
270 Thou shall assay;
271 Then to-morne thou make the yare
272 To weynde thi Way.
273 Jesus. Ffreyndys, forto fulfill youre will
274 I will abyde with you awhyle.
275 Cleophas. Sir, ye ar welcom, as is skyll,
276 To sich as we haue, bi sant gyle.
277 Lucas. Now ar we here at this towne,
278 I red that we go sytt vs downe,
279 And forto sowpe we make vs bowne,
280 Now of oure fode;
281 We haue enogh, sir, bi my crowne,
282 Of godys goode.
283 Cleophas. Lo, here a borde and clothe laide,
284 And breed, theron, all redy graide;
285 Sit we downe, we shalbe paide,
286 And make good chere;
287 It is but penaunce, as we saide,
288 That we haue here.
289 Lucas. Wemmow! where is this man becom,
290 Right here that sat betwix vs two?
291 He brake the breed and laide vs som;
292 How myght he hens now fro vs go
293 At his awne lyst?
294 It was oure lorde, I trow right so,
295 And we not wyst.
296 Cleophas. When went he hens, whedir, and how,
297 What I ne wote in warld so wyde,
298 Ffor had I wyten, I make a vowe,
299 He shuld haue byden, what so betyde;
300 Bot it were ihesus that with vs was,
301 Selcowth me thynke, the sothe to say,
302 Thus preualy from vs to pas,
303 I wist neuer when he went away.
304 We were full blynde, euer alas!
305 I tell vs now begylde for ay,
306 Ffor spech and bewte that he has
307 Man myght hym knaw this day.
308 Lucas. A, dere god, what may this be?
309 Right now was he here by me;
310 Now is this greatt vanyte,
311 He is away;
312 We ar begylyd, by my lewte,
313 So may we say.
314 Cleophas. Where was oure hart, where was oure thoght,
315 So far on gate as he vs broght,
316 Knawlege of hym that we had noght
317 In all that tyme?
318 So was he lyke, bi hym me wroght,
319 Till oon pylgryme.
320 Lucas. Dere god, why couth we hym not knawe?
321 So openly all on a raw
322 The tayles that he can till vs shaw,
323 By oone and oon;
324 And now from vs within a thraw
325 Thus sone is gone.
326 Cleophas. I had no knawlege it was he,
327 Bot for he brake this brede in thre,
328 And delt it here to the and me
329 With his awne hande;
330 When he passyd, hence we myght not se,
331 Here syttande.
332 Lucas. Wee ar to blame, yee, veramente,
333 That we toke no better tente
334 Whils we bi the way wente
335 With hym that stownd;
336 Knowlege of hym we myght haue hentt,
337 Syttyng on grownd.
338 Cleophas. Ffro he toke breede full well I wyst,
339 And brake it here with his awne fyste,
340 And laide it vs at his awne lyst,
341 As we it hent;
342 I knew hym then, and sone it kyst
343 With good, intente.
344 Lucas. That we hym knew wist he well enogh,
345 Therfor all sone he hym with-drogh,
346 Ffro he saw that we hym knogh,
347 With in this sted;
348 I haue ferly what way and how
349 Away that he shuld glyde.
350 Cleophas. Alas, we war full myrk in thoght,
351 Bot we were both full will of red;
352 Man, for shame whi held, thou noght
353 When he on borde brake vs this breede?
354 He soght the prophecy more and les
355 And told it vs right in this sted,
356 How that he hym self was
357 With wykid Iues broght to ded,
358 And more;
359 We will go seke that kyng
360 That suffred woundes sore.
361 Lucas. Ryse, go we hence from this place,
362 To Ierusalem take we the pace,
363 And tell oure brethere all the case,
364 I red right thus;
365 Ffrom ded, to lyfe when that he rase
366 He apperyd till vs.
367 Cleophas. At Ierusalem I vnderstande,
368 Ther hope I that they be dwelland,
369 In that countre and in that land
370 We shall theym mete.
371 Weynd we furth, I dar warand,
372 Right in the strete.
373 Lucas. Let vs not tary ne mare,
374 Bot on oure feete fast lett vs fare;
375 I hope we shall be cachid fro care
376 Ffull sone, Iwys;
377 That blyssid childe that marie bare
378 Grauntt you his blys.
379
380
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The Towneley Cycle, Play 27 - The Pilgrims (Peregrini). From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http://www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.