From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The Towneley Cycle, Play 28 - Thomas of India (Thomas Indiae - et Resurreccio Domini)
001 Maria Magdalene. Hayll brethere! and god be here!
002 I bryng to amende youre chere,
003 Trist ye it and knawe;
004 He is rysen, the soth to say,
005 I met hym goyng bi the way,
006 He bad me tell it you.
007 Peter. Do way, woman, thou carpys wast!
008 It is som spirite, or els som gast;
009 Othere was it noght;
010 We may trow on nokyns wyse
011 That ded man may to lyfe ryse;
012 This then is oure thoght.
013 Paul. It may be sothe for mans mede,
014 The Iues maide hym grymly blede
015 Thrugh feet, handys, and syde;
016 With nayles on rode thay dyd hym hang,
017 Wherfor, woman, thou says wrang,
018 As myght I blys abide.
019 Maria Magdalene. Do way youre threpyng! ar ye wode?
020 I sagh hym that dyed on roode,
021 And with hym spake with mowth;
022 Therfor you both, red I,
023 Putt away your heresy,
024 Tryst it stedfast and cowth.
025 Peter. Do way, woman! let be thi fare,
026 Ffor shame and also syn!
027 If we make neuer sich care
028 His lyfe may we not wyn.
029 Paul. And it is wretyn in oure law
030 'Ther is no trust in womans saw,
031 No trust faith to belefe;
032 Ffor with thare quayntyse and thare gyle
033 Can thay laghe and wepe som while,
034 And yit nothyng theym grefe.'
035 In oure bookes thus fynde we wretyn,
036 All manere of men well it wyttyn,
037 Of women on this wyse;
038 Till an appyll she is lyke-
039 Withoutten faill ther is none slyke-
040 In horde ther it lyse,
041 Bot if a man assay it wittely,
042 It is full roten inwardly
043 At the colke within;
044 Wherfor in woman is no laghe,
045 Ffor she is withoutten aghe,
046 As crist me lowse of syn.
047 Thefor trast we not trystely,
048 Bot if we sagh it witterly
049 Then wold we trastly trow;
050 In womans saw affy we noght,
051 Ffor thay ar fekill in word and thoght,
052 This make I myne avowe.
053 Maria Magdalene. As be I lowsid of my care,
054 It is as trew as ye stand thare,
055 By hym that is my brothere.
056 Peter. I dar lay my heede to wed,
057 Or that we go vntill oure bed
058 That we shall here anothere.
059 Paul. If it be sothe that we here say,
060 Or this be the thrid day
061 The sothe then mon we se.
062 Maria Magdalene. Bot it be sothe to trow,
063 As ye mon here, els pray I you
064 Ffor fals that ye hold me.
065 Peter. Waloway! my lefe deres / there I stand in this sted,
066 Sich sorow my hart sheres / for rewth I can no red;
067 Sen that mawdleyn witnes beres / that ihesus rose from ded,
068 Myn ees has letten salt teres / on erthe to se ym trede.
069 Bot alas! that euer I woke / that carefull catyf nyght,
070 When I for care and cold, qwoke / by a fyre burnyng full bright,
071 When I my lord ihesu forsoke / for drede of womans myght;
072 A rightwys dome I will me loke / that I tyne not that semely sight,
073 Bot euer alas! what was I wode! / myght noman be abarstir;
074 I saide if he nede be-stode / to hym shuld none be trastir;
075 I saide I knew not that good / creature my master.
076 Alas! that we fro the fled / that we ne had with the gane;
077 When thou with Iues was sted / with the was dwelland nane,
078 Bot forsoke the that vs fed / for we wold not be tayn;
079 We were as prysoners sore adred / with Iues forto be slayn.
080 Paul. Now, ihesu, for thi lyfe swete / who hath thus mastryd the?
081 That in the breede that we eytt / thi self gyffen wold be;
082 And sythen thrugh handys and feytt / be nalyd on a tre;
083 Grauntt vs grace that we may yit / thi light in manhede se.
084 Tercius Apostolus. This is the day that god maide / all be we glad and blythe,
085 The holy gost before vs glad / full softly on his sithe;
086 Red clothyng apon he had / and blys to vs can kith;
087 Softly on the erthe he trade / ffulle myldly [he did] lythe.
088 Quartus Apostolus. This dede thrugh god is done / thus in all oure sighte.
089 Mighty god, true kyng in trone / Whose son in marye light,
090 Send vs, lord, thi blissid bone / As thou art god of myght,
091 Sothly to se hym sone / and haue of hym a sight.
092 Quintus Apostolus. Who so commys in goddis name / ay blissid mot he be!
093 Mightfull god shelde vs fro shame / In thi moder name marie;
094 Thise wykid Iues will vs blame / Thou grauntt vs for to se
095 The self body and the same / the which that died on tre.
096 Jesus. Peasse emangys you euer ichon! / it is I, drede you noght,
097 That was wonte with you to gone / and dere with ded you boght.
098 Grope and fele flesh and bone / and fourme of man well wroght;
099 Sich thyng has goost none / loke wheder ye knawe me oght.
100 My rysyng fro dede to lyfe / shall no man agane moytt;
101 Behold my woundes fyfe / thrugh handys, syde, and foytt;
102 To ded can luf me dryfe / and styrryd my hart roytt.
103 Of syn who will hym shryfe / thyes woundys shalbe his boytt.
104 Ffor oon so swete a thyng / my self so lefe had wroght,
105 Man sawll, my dere derlyng / to batell was I broght;
106 Ffor it thay can me dyng / to bryng out of my thoght,
107 On roode can thay me hyng / yit luf forgate I noght.
108 Luf makys me, as ye may se / strenkyllid, with blood so red;
109 Luf gars me haue hart so fre / it opyns euery sted;
110 Luf so fre so dampnyd me / it drofe me to the ded;
111 Luf rasid, me thrug his pauste / it is swetter then med.
112 Wytterly, man, to the I cry / thou yeme my fader fere,
113 Thyn awne sawll kepe cleynly / whyls thou art wardan here;
114 Slo it not with thi body / synnyng in synnes sere,
115 On me and it thou haue mercy / for I haue boght it dere.
116 Mi dere freyndys, now may ye se / for soth that [it] is I
117 That dyed apon the roode tre / and sythen rose bodely;
118 That it all-gatys sothfast be / ye shall se hastely;
119 Of youre mett gif ye me / sich as ye haue redy.
120 Sextus Apostolus. Lord, lo her a rostid fish / and a comb of hony
121 Laide full fare in a dish / and full honestly;
122 Here is none othere mett bot this / in all oure company,
123 Bot well is vs that we haue this / to thi lykyng only.
124 Jesus. Mi dere fader of heuen / that maide me borne to be
125 Of a madyn withoutten steven / and sithen to die on tre,
126 Ffrom ded to lif at set stevyn / rasid me thrugh thi paustee,
127 With the wordys that I shall neven / this mette thou blis thrugh me.
128 In the fader name and the son / and the holy gast,
129 Thre persons to knaw and com / in oone godhede stedfast;
130 I gif this mett my benyson / thrugh wordys of myghtys mast;
131 Now will I ette, as I was won / my manhede eft to tast
132 My dere freyndys lay hand till / eyttys for charite;
133 I ette at my fader will / at my will ette now ye.
134 That I ette is to fulfill / that writen is of me
135 In moyses law, for it is skyll / ffulfillyd that it be.
136 Myn ye noght that I you told, / in certan tyme and sted,
137 When I gaf myself to wold, / to you in fourme of bred,
138 That my body shuld be sold, / my bloode be spylt so red;
139 This [co]rs gravyn ded, and cold, / the thrid day ryse fro ded?
140 Youre hartes was fulfillyd with drede / whyls I haue fro you bene;
141 The rysyng of my manhede / vnethes wold, ye weyn;
142 Of trouth now may ye spede / thorow stedfast wordys and cleyn.
143 Leyf freyndys, trow now the dede / that ye with ees haue sene.
144 Ye haue forthynkyng and shame / for youre dysseferance,
145 I forgif you the blame / in me now haue affyance;
146 The folk that ar with syn lame / preche theym to repentance,
147 Fforgif syn in my name / enioyne theym to penance.
148 The grace of the holy gost to wyn / resaue here at me;
149 The which shall neuer blyn. / I gif you here pauste;
150 Whom in erth ye lowse of syn / in heuen lowsyd shall be,
151 And whom in erthe ye bynd ther-in / In heuen bonden be he.
152 Septimus Apostolus. Ihesu crist in trynyte / Ihesu to cry and call,
153 That borne was of a madyn fre / thou saue vs synfull all!
154 Ffor vs hanged apon a tre / drank asell and gall,
155 Thi seruandys saue fro vanyte / In wanhope that we not fall.
156 Octavus Apostolus. Brethere, be we stabyll of thoght / wanhope put we away,
157 Of mysbelefe that we be noght / for we may safly say
158 He that mankynde on rood boght / fro dede rose the thryd day;
159 We se the woundys in hym was wroght / all blody yit were thay.. Novenus
160 Apostolus. He told vs fyrst he shuld, be tayn / And for mans syn shuld dy,
161 Be ded and beryd vnder a stayn / and after ryse vp bodely;
162 Now is he quyk fro grafe gan / he cam and stode vs by,
163 And lete vs se ilkan / the Woundys of his body.
164 Decimus Apostolus. Deth that is so kene / ihesu ouer comen has,
165 As he vs told, yit may we mene / from ded how he shuld, pas;
166 Ihesu stode witnes betwene / that with hym dwelland, was,
167 All his dyscyples has hym sene / safe oonly thomas.
168 Thomas. If that I prowde as pacok go,/ my hart is full of care;
169 If any sorow myght a man slo / my hart in sonder it share;
170 Mi life wyrkys me all this wo / of blys I am full bare,
171 Yit wold I nawthere freynd ne fo / wyst how wo me ware.
172 Ihesu, my lyfe so good / ther none myght better be,
173 None wysere man then better food / nor none kyndere then he;
174 The Iues haue nalyd his cors on rood / nalyd with nales thre,
175 And, with a spere thay spylt his blood / great sorow it was to se.
176 To se the stremes of blood ryn / well more then doyll it was,
177 Sich great payn for mans syn / sich doyllfull ded, he has;
178 I haue lyfid withoutten wyn / sen he to ded can pas,
179 Ffor he was fare of cheke and chyn / for doyll of ded, alas!
180 Myghty god for to dyscryfe / that neuer dyed, ne shall,
181 Wo and wandreth from you dryfe / that ye not therin fall.
182 Peter. He the saue with woundys fyfe / his son ihesu to call,
183 That rose from deth to lyfe / and shewyd, hym till vs all.
184 Thomas. Whannow, peter! art thou mad? / on lyfe who was hym lyke!
185 Ffor his deth I am not glad / for sorow my hart will breke,
186 That with the Iues he was so stad / to ded they can hym wreke;
187 Thou hym forsoke, so was thou rad, / when they to the can speke.
188 Paul. Let be, leyf brothere thomas / and turne thi thoght belyfe,
189 Ffor the thryd day ihesus rase / fleshly fro ded to lyfe;
190 Till vs all he cam a pase / and shewyd his woundys fyfe,
191 And lyfyng man, and etten hase / hony takyn of a hyfe.
192 Thomas. Let be for shame! apartly / ffantom dyssauys the!
193 Ye sagh hym not bodely / his gost it myght well be,
194 Fforto glad youre hartes sory / in youre aduersyte;
195 He luffyd vs well and faythfully / therfor sloes sorow me.
196 Tercius Apostolus. Thou wote, thomas / and sothe it was, and oft has thou hard
197 Say,
198 How a fysh swalod, ionas / thre dayes therin he lay;
199 Yit gaf god hym myght to pas / whyk man to wyn away;
200 Myght not god sich myght has / rase his son apon the thryd day?
201 Thomas. Man, if thou can vnderstand / cryst saide his self, mynnys me,
202 That all lokyn was in his hande / all oone was god and he!
203 The son wax marke, all men seand / when he died, on the tre,
204 Therfor am I full sore dredand, / that who myght his boote be.
205 Quartus Apostolus. The holy gost in marye light / and in hir madynhede
206 Goddis son she held, and dight / and cled hym in manhede;
207 Ffor luf he wentt as he had hight / to fight withoutten drede;
208 When he had termynd that fight / he skypt outt of his wede.
209 Thomas. If he skypt outt of his clethyng / yit thou grauntys his cors was ded;
210 It was his cors that maide shewyng / vnto you in his sted;
211 Fforto trow in youre carpyng / my hart is hevy as led;
212 His dede me bryngys in great mowrneyng / and I withoutten red.
213 Quintus Apostolus. The gost went to hell a pase / whils the cors lay slayn,
214 And broght the sawles from sathanas / for which he suffred, payn;
215 The thryd day right he gase / right vnto the cors agayn,
216 Mighty god and man he rase / and therfor ar we fayn.
217 Thomas. All sam to me ye flyte / youre resons fast ye shawe,
218 Bot tell me a skyll perfyte / any of you on raw;
219 When cryst cam you to vysyte / as ye tell me with saw,
220 A whyk man from spyryte / wherby couth ye hym knaw?
221 Sextus Apostolus. Thomas, vnto the anone / herto answere I will;
222 Man has both flesh and bone / hu, hyde, and hore thertill;
223 Sich thyng has goost none / thomas, lo, here thi skyll;
224 Goddis son toke of mary flesh and bone / what nede were els thertill?
225 Thomas. Thou has answered me ffull Wele / and, full skylfully,
226 Bot my hart is harde as stele / to trow in sich mastry;
227 Say, bad he any of you fele / the woundys of his body,
228 Fflesh or bone or ilka dele / to assay his body?
229 Septimus Apostolus. Yis, thomas, he bad vs se / and handill hym with hande,
230 To loke wheder it were he / ihesu, man lyfand,
231 That dyed apon a tre / flesh and bone we fand,
232 His woundes had bene pyte / to towch that were bledand.
233 Thomas. Waloway! ye can no good / youre resons ar defaced,
234 Ye ar as women rad for blood, / and lightly oft solaced;
235 It was a goost before you stod / lyke hym in blood betraced,
236 His cors that dyed on rood / for euer hath deth embraced.
237 Octavus Apostolus. Certys, thomas, gretter care / myght no synfull wight haue
238 Then she had, that wepyd so sare / the mawdleyn at his graue;
239 Ffor sorow and doyll hir awne hare / of hir hede she rent and rafe,
240 Ihesu shewid hym till hir thare / hir sorow of syn to safe.
241 Thomas. Lo, sich foly with you is / wysemen that shuld be,
242 That thus a womans witnes trowys / better than that ye se!
243 In all youre skylles more and les / for mysfowndyng fayll ye;
244 Might I se ihesu gost and flesh / gropyng shuld not gab me.
245 Novenus Apostolus. Lefe thomas, flyte no more / bot trow and turne thi red,
246 Or els say vs when and whore / crist gabbyd in any sted;
247 Ffor he saide vs when thou was thore / when he hym gaf in bred,
248 That he shuld, salfe all oure sore / quyk rysand fro ded.
249 Thomas. He was full sothfast in his sawes / that dar I hertly say,
250 And rightwys in all his lawes / whils that he lyfyd ay;
251 Bot sen he shuld thole hard thrawes / on tre whils that he lay,
252 Dede has determyd his dayes / his lyfe noght trow I may.
253 Decimus Apostolus. Thyne hard hart thi saull will dwyrd / Thomas, bot if thou
254 Blyn;
255 He has ded conquerd, / and weshen vs all fro syn.
256 May nawder knyfe ne swerde / hym eft to ded wyn;
257 Goddys myght in hym apperd, / that neuer more shall blyn.
258 Thomas. That god I trow full Wele / goostly to you light,
259 Bot bodely neuer a dele / ihesu that woundid wyght.
260 My hart is harde as stele / to trow in sich a myght,
261 Bot if I that wounde myght fele / that hym gaf longeus the knyght.
262 Peter. That wounde haue we sene, thomas / and so has mo then we;
263 With lucas and with cleophas / he welke a day Iurnee;
264 Thare hartes that for hym sory was / with prophecy comforted he,
265 To Emaus castell can thai pas / ther hostyld thai all thre.
266 Ihesu, goddis son of heuen / at sopere satt betweyn;
267 Ther bred he brake as euen / as it cutt had beyn.
268 Thomas. Nothyng that ye may neuen / his rysyng gars me weyn,
269 If ye me told, sich seuen / the more ye myght me teyn.
270 Paul. Thomas, brothere, turne thi thoght / and trust that I say the;
271 Ihesu so dere has boght / oure synnes apon a tree,
272 Which rysyng hath broght / adam and his meneyee.
273 Thomas. Lett be youre fayr! shew it noght/ that he efte quyk shuld be.
274 Tercius Apostolus. That must thou nedelyngys trow / if thou thi saull will
275 Saue,
276 Ffor that we sa we dar avowe / ihesu rose quyk from graue.
277 Thomas. I haue you saide, and yit dos now / thise wordes to wast ye haue;
278 He shewid hym not to you / for mysfoundyng ye rafe.
279 Quartus Apostolus. Ffor we say that we haue sene / thou hold,ys vs wars then
280 Woode;
281 Ihesu lyfyng stod vs betwene / oure lord that with vs yode.
282 Thomas. I say ye wote neuer what ye mene / a goost before you stode;
283 Ye wenyd that it had bene / the cors that died on roode.
284 Quintus Apostolus. The cors that dyed on tre / was berid in a stone,
285 The thurgh beside fande we / and in that graue cors was none;
286 His sudary ther myght we se / and he thens whik was gone.
287 Thomas. Noght, bot stolne is he / with Iues that hym haue slone.
288 Sextus Apostolus. Certys, thomas, thou sais not right / thay wold, hym not
289 Stele,
290 Ffor thay gart kepe hym day and nyght / with knyghtys that they held lele;
291 He rose has we haue sene in sight / fro all the Iues fele.
292 Thomas. I lefe not bot if I myght / myself with hym dele.
293 Septimus Apostolus. He told vs tythyngys, thomas / yit mynnys me,
294 That as Ionas thre dayes was / In a fysh in the see,
295 So shuld he be, and bene has / in erth by dayes thre,
296 Pas fro ded, ryse, and rase / as he saide done has he.
297 Thomas. Certys, that worde I harde hym say / and so harde ye hym all,
298 Bot for nothyng trow I may / that it so shuld befall,
299 That he shuld ryse the thrid day / that dranke asell and gall:
300 Sen he was god and ded lay / from ded, who myght hym call?
301 Octavus Apostolus. The fader that hym sent / rasid hym that was ded,
302 He comforth vs in mowrnyng lent / and counseld vs in red;
303 He bad vs trow with good intent / his rysyng in euery sted;
304 Thyne absens gars thi saull be shent / and makys the heuy as led.
305 Thomas. Thou says soth, harde and heuy / am I to traw that ye me say;
306 Mi hardnes I trow skilfully / for he told vs thus ay,
307 That his fader was euer hym by / for all bot oon were thay;
308 That he rose bodely / for nothyng trow I may.
309 Novenus Apostolus. May thou not trow withoutten mo / for sothe, that it was he?
310 Thomas wherto shuld we say so? / then wenys thou fals we be.
311 Thomas. I wote youre hartes was full wo / and fownd with vanyte;
312 If ye swere all and ye were mo / I trow it not or that I se.
313 Decimus Apostolus. Thomas, of errowre thou blyn / and till vs turne thi mode;
314 Trow his rysyng by dayes threyn / sen he died on the rode.
315 Thomas. Noght bot I myght my fynger wyn / in sted as nayle stode,
316 And his syde my hande put in / ther he shed his hart bloode.
317 Jesus. Brethere all, be with you peasse! / leaffe stryfe that now is here!
318 Thomas, of thyn errowre seasse / of sothe Witnes thou bere;
319 Putt thi hande in my syde, no fres / ther longeus put his spere;
320 Loke my rysyng be no les / let no wan-hope the dere.
321 Thomas. Mercy, ihesu, rew on me / my hande is blody of thi blode!
322 Mercy ihesu, for I se / thi myght that I not vnderstode!
323 Mercy, ihesu, I pray the / that for all synfull died on roode!
324 Mercy, ihesu, of mercy fre / for thi goodnes that is so goode!
325 Kest away my staf will I / and with no wepyn gang;
326 Mercy will I call and cry / ihesu that on roode hang;
327 Rew on me, kyng of mercy / let me not cry thus lang!
328 Mercy, for the velany / thou tholyd on Iues with wrang.
329 Mi hat will I kest away / my mantill sone onone,
330 Vnto the poore help it may / for richere knawe I none.
331 Mercy will I abyde, and pray / to the ihesu, alone;
332 My synfull dede I rew ay / to the make I my mone.
333 Mercy, ihesu, lorde swete / for thi fyfe woundys so sare,
334 Thou suffred thrugh handys and feete / thi semely side a spere it share;
335 Mercy, ihesu, lord, yit / for thi moder that the bare!
336 Mercy, for the teres thou grett / when thou rasid lazare!
337 Mi gyrdill gay and purs of sylk / and cote away thou shall;
338 Whils I am werere of swylke / the longere mercy may I call.
339 Ihesu, that soke the madyns mylk / ware noght bot clothes of pall,
340 Thi close so can thai fro the pyke / on roode thay left the small.
341 Mercy, ihesu, honoure of man / mercy, ihesu, mans socoure!
342 Mercy, ihesu, rew thi leman / mans saull, thou boght full soure!
343 Mercy, ihesu, that may and can / forgif syn and be socoure!
344 Mercy, ihesu, as thou vs wan / forgif and gif thi man honoure.
345 Jesus. None myght bryng the in that wytt / for oght that thay myght say,
346 To trow that I myght flytt / fro ded to lyfe to wyn away;
347 My saull and my cors haue knytt / a knott that last shall ay;
348 Thus shall I rase, well thou wytt / ilk man on domesday.
349 Who so hath not trowid right / to hell I shall theym lede,
350 Ther euer more is dark as nyght / and greatt paynes to drede;
351 Those that trow in my myght / and luf well almus dede,
352 Thai shall shyne as son bright / and heuen haue to thare mede.
353 That blys, thomas, I the hete / that is in heuen cytee,
354 Ffor I se the sore grete / of the I haue pytee;
355 Thomas, for thi teres wete / thi syn forgiffen be,
356 Thus shall synfull thare synnes bete / that sore haue grefyd me.
357 Thomas, for thou felys me / and my woundes bare,
358 Mi risyng is trowed in the / and so was it not are;
359 All that it trowes and not se / and dos after my lare,
360 Euer blissid mot thay be / and heuen be theym yare!
361
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The Towneley Cycle, Play 28 - Thomas of India (Thomas Indiae - et Resurreccio Domini). From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http://www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.