From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 36 - Mortificacio Christi
Bocheres
001 Pilate. Sees, seniours, and see what I saie,
002 Takis tente to my talkyng enteere.
003 Devoyde all this dynne here this day,
004 And fallis to my frenschippe in feere.
005 Sir Pilate, a prince withowten pere,
006 My name is full neuenly to neuen,
007 And domisman full derworth in dere
008 Of gentillest Jewry full euen
009 Am I.
010 Who makis oppressioun
011 Or dose transgressioun,
012 Be my discressioun
013 Shall be demed dewly to dy.
014 To dye schall I deme thame, to dede,
015 þo rebelles that rewles thame vnright.
016 Who that to yoone hill wille take heede
017 May se ther the soth in his sight,
018 Howe doulfull to dede thei are dight
019 That liste noyot owre lawes for to lere.
020 Lo, thus be my mayne and my myght
021 Tho churles schalle I chasteise and cheere,
022 Be lawe.
023 Ilke feloune false
024 Shall hynge be the halse.
025 Transgressours als
026 On the crosse schalle be knytte for to knawe.
027 To knawe schall I knytte thame on crosse,
028 To schende thame with schame schall I shappe.
029 Ther liffis for to leese is no losse,
030 Suche tirrauntis with teene for to trappe.
031 þus leelly the lawe I vnlappe
032 And punyssh thame pitously.
033 Of Jesu I holde it vnhappe
034 þat he on yone hill hyng so hye
035 For gilte.
036 His bloode to spille
037 Toke ye you tille,
038 þus was youre wille
039 Full spitously to spede he were spilte.
040 Caiphas. To spille hym we spake in a speede,
041 For falsed he folowde in faie.
042 With fraudes oure folke gan he feede
043 And laboured to lere thame his laye.
044 Anna. Sir Pilate, of pees we youe praye-
045 Oure lawe was full lyke to be lorne.
046 He saued noyot oure dere Sabott daye,
047 And that-for to scape it-were a scorne,
048 By lawe.
049 Pilate. Sirs, before youre sight,
050 With all my myght
051 I examynde hym right,
052 And cause non in hym cowthe I knawe.
053 Caiphas. 3e knawe wele the cause sir, in cace;
054 It touched treasoune vntrewe.
055 þe tribute to take or to trace
056 Forbadde he, oure bale for to brewe.
057 Anna. Of japes yoitt jangelid yone Jewe,
058 And cursedly he called hym a kyng.
059 To deme hym to dede it is diewe,
060 For treasoune it touches, that thyng,
061 Indede.
062 Caiphas. 3itt principall,
063 And worste of all,
064 He garte hym call
065 Goddes sonne-that foulle motte hyme speede.
066 Pilate. He spedis for to spille in space,
067 So wondirly wrought is youre will.
068 His bloode schall youre bodis enbrace,
069 For that haue yoe taken you till.
070 Anna. þat forwarde ful fayne to fulfille
071 Indede schall we dresse vs bedene.
072 3one losell hym likis full ille,
073 For turned is his trantis all to teene,
074 I trowe.
075 Caiphas. He called hym kyng,
076 Ille joie hym wring.
077 3a, late hym hyng
078 Full madly on the mone for to mowe.
079 Anna. To mowe on the moone has he mente.
080 We, fye on the, faitour, in faye!
081 Who, trowes thou, to thi tales toke tente?
082 þou saggard, thiselffe gan thou saie,
083 þe tempill distroie the todaye,
084 Be the thirde day ware done ilka dele
085 To rayse it thou schulde the arraye.
086 Loo, howe was thi falsed to feele,
087 Foule falle the.
088 For thy presumpcyoune
089 þou haste thy warisoune.
090 Do faste come doune,
091 And a comely kyng schalle I calle thee.
092 Caiphas. I calle the a coward to kenne,
093 þat meruaylles and mirakills made.
094 þou mustered emange many menne;
095 But, brothell, thou bourded to brade.
096 þou saued thame fro sorowes, thai saide-
097 To saue nowe thiselffe late vs see.
098 God sonne if thou grathely be grayde,
099 Delyuere the doune of that tree
100 Anone.
101 If thou be funne
102 To be Goddis sonne,
103 We schalle be bonne
104 To trowe on the trewlye ilkone.
105 Anna. Sir Pilate, youre pleasaunce we praye,
106 Takis tente to oure talkyng this tide,
107 And wipe yoe yone writyng away,
108 It is not beste it abide.
109 It sittis youe to sette it aside
110 And sette that he saide in his sawe,
111 As he that was prente full of pride:
112 'Jewes kyng am I', comely to knawe,
113 Full playne.
114 Pilate. Quod scripci, scripci.
115 3one same wrotte I;
116 I bide therby,
117 What gedlyng will grucche thereagayne.
118 Jesus. þou man that of mys here has mente,
119 To me tente enteerly thou take.
120 On roode am I ragged and rente,
121 þou synfull sawle, for thy sake;
122 For thy misse amendis wille I make.
123 My bakke for to bende here I bide,
124 þis teene for thi trespase I take.
125 Who couthe the more kyndynes haue kydde
126 Than I?
127 þus for thy goode
128 I schedde my bloode.
129 Manne, mende thy moode,
130 For full bittir thi blisse mon I by.
131 Mary. Allas for my swete sonne I saie,
132 þat doulfully to dede thus is diyot.
133 Allas, for full louely he laye
134 In my wombe, this worthely wight.
135 Allas that I schulde see this sight
136 Of my sone so semely to see.
137 Allas, that this blossome so bright
138 Vntrewly is tugged to this tree.
139 Allas,
140 My lorde, my leyffe,
141 With full grete greffe
142 Hyngis as a theffe.
143 Allas, he did neuer trespasse.
144 Jesus. þou woman, do way of thy wepyng,
145 For me may thou nothyng amende.
146 My fadirs wille to be wirkyng,
147 For mankynde my body I bende.
148 Mary. Allas, that thou likes noght to lende,
149 Howe schulde I but wepe for thy woo?
150 To care nowe my comforte is kende.
151 Allas, why schulde we twynne thus in twoo
152 Foreuere?
153 Jesus. Womanne, instede of me,
154 Loo, John thi sone schall bee.
155 John, see to thi modir free,
156 For my sake do thou thi deuere.
157 Mary. Allas sone, sorowe and siyote,
158 þat me were closed in clay.
159 A swerde of sorowe me smyte,
160 To dede I were done this day.
161 John. A, modir, so schall yoe noght saie.
162 I praye youe be pees in this presse,
163 For with all the myght that I maye
164 Youre comforte I caste to encresse,
165 Indede.
166 Youre sone am I,
167 Loo, here redy;
168 And nowe forthy
169 I praye yowe hense for to speede.
170 Mary. My steuen for to stede or to steere,
171 Howe schulde I, such sorowe to see,
172 My sone that is dereworthy and dere
173 Thus doulfull a dede for to dye?
174 John. A, dere modir, blynne of this blee,
175 Youre mournyng it may not amende.
176 Mary Cleophas. A, Marie, take triste vnto the,
177 For socoure to the will he sende
178 þis tyde.
179 John. Fayre modir, faste
180 Hense latte vs caste.
181 Mary. To he be paste
182 Wille I buske here baynly to bide.
183 Jesus. With bittirfull bale haue I bought,
184 þus, man, all thi misse for te mende.
185 On me for to looke lette thou noyot,
186 Howe baynly my body I bende.
187 No wighte in this worlde wolde haue wende
188 What sorowe I suffre for thy sake.
189 Manne, kaste the thy kyndynesse be kende,
190 Trewe tente vnto me that thou take,
191 And treste.
192 For foxis ther dennys haue thei,
193 Birdis hase ther nestis to paye,
194 But the sone of man this daye
195 Hase noyot on his heed for to reste.
196 Latro Sinister. If thou be Goddis sone so free,
197 Why hyng thou thus on this hille?
198 To saffe nowe thyselffe late vs see,
199 And vs now, that spedis for to spille.
200 Latro Dexter. Manne, stynte of thy steuen and be stille,
201 For douteles thy God dredis thou noyot.
202 Full wele are we worthy thertill,
203 Vnwisely wrange haue we wrought,
204 Iwisse.
205 Noon ille did hee
206 þus for to dye.
207 Lord, haue mynde of me
208 Whan thou art come to thi blisse.
209 Jesus. Forsothe sonne, to the schall I saie,
210 Sen thou fro thy foly will falle,
211 Sen thou fro thy foly will falle,
212 With me schall dwelle nowe this daye,
213 In paradise place principall.
214 Heloy, heloy!
215 My God, my God full free,
216 Lama zabatanye,
217 Wharto forsoke thou me
218 In care?
219 And I did neuere ille
220 þis dede for to go tille,
221 But be it at thi wille.
222 A, me thristis sare.
223 Garcio. A drinke schalle I dresse the, indede,
224 A draughte that is full dayntely dight.
225 Full faste schall I springe for to spede,
226 I hope I schall holde that I haue hight.
227 Caiphas. Sir Pilate that moste is of myght,
228 Harke, 'Heely' now harde I hym crye.
229 He wenys that that worthely wight
230 In haste for to helpe hym in hye
231 In his nede.
232 Pilate. If he do soo
233 He schall haue woo.
234 Anna. He wer oure foo
235 If he dresse hym to do vs that dede.
236 Garcio. þat dede for to dresse yf he doo,
237 In sertis he schall rewe it full sore.
238 Neuerethelees, if he like it noght, loo,
239 Full sone may he couere that care.
240 Now swete sir, youre wille yf it ware,
241 A draughte here of drinke haue I dreste,
242 To spede for no spence that yoe spare,
243 But baldely ye bib it for the beste.
244 For-why
245 Aysell and galle
246 Is menged withalle;
247 Drynke it yoe schalle-
248 Youre lippis I halde thame fulle drye.
249 Jesus. þi drinke it schalle do me no deere,
250 Wete thou wele, therof will I none.
251 Nowe fadir, that formed alle in fere,
252 To thy moste myght make I my mone:
253 þi wille haue I wrought in this wone,
254 þus ragged and rente on this roode,
255 þus doulffully to dede haue thei done.
256 Forgiffe thame be grace that is goode,
257 þai ne wote noyot what it was.
258 My fadir, here my bone,
259 For nowe all thyng is done.
260 My spirite to thee right sone
261 Comende I, in manus tuas.
262 Mary. Now dere sone, Jesus so jente,
263 Sen my harte is heuy as leede,
264 O worde wolde I witte or thou wente.
265 Allas, nowe my dere sone is dede,
266 Full rewfully refte is my rede.
267 Allas for my darlyng so dere.
268 John. A, modir, yoe halde vppe youre heede,
269 And sigh noyot with sorowes so seere
270 I praye.
271 Mary Cleophas. It dose hir pyne
272 To see hym tyne.
273 Lede we her heyne,
274 þis mornyng helpe hir ne maye.
275 Caiphas. Sir Pilate, parceyue I you praye,
276 Oure costemes to kepe wele yoe canne.
277 Tomorne is oure dere Sabott daye,
278 Of mirthe muste vs meve ilke a man.
279 3one warlous nowe waxis full wan
280 And nedis muste thei beried be.
281 Delyuer ther dede sir, and thane
282 Shall we sewe to oure saide solempnité
283 Indede.
284 Pilate. It schalle be done
285 In wordis fone.
286 Sir knyghtis, go sone,
287 To yoone harlottis you hendely take heede.
288 þo caytiffis thou kille with thi knyffe-
289 Delyuere, haue done thei were dede.
290 Miles. Mi lorde, I schall lenghe so ther liffe
291 þat tho brothelles schall neuere bite brede.
292 Pilate. Ser Longeus, steppe forthe in this steede;
293 þis spere, loo, haue halde in thy hande.
294 To Jesus thou rake fourthe I rede,
295 And sted nouyot, but stiffely thou stande
296 A stounde.
297 In Jesu side
298 Schoffe it this tyde.
299 No lenger bide,
300 But grathely thou go to the grounde.
301 Longeus Latus. O maker vnmade, full of myght,
302 O Jesu so jentill and jente
303 þat sodenly has sente me my sight,
304 Lorde, louyng to the be it lente.
305 On rode arte thou ragged and rente,
306 Mankynde for to mende of his mys.
307 Full spitously spilte is and spente
308 Thi bloode, lorde, to bringe vs to blis
309 Full free.
310 A, mercy my socoure,
311 Mercy, my treasoure,
312 Mercy, my sauioure,
313 þi mercy be markid in me.
314 Centurio. O wondirfull werkar iwis,
315 þis weedir is waxen full wan.
316 Trewe token I trowe that it is
317 þat mercy is mente vnto man.
318 Full clerly consayue thus I can
319 No cause in this corse couthe thei knowe,
320 3itt doulfull thei demyd hym than
321 To lose thus his liffe be ther lawe,
322 No riyote.
323 Trewly I saie,
324 Goddis sone verraye
325 Was he this daye,
326 þat doulfully to dede thus is diyot.
327 Joseph. þat lorde lele ay-lastyng in lande,
328 Sir Pilate, full preste in this presse,
329 He saue the be see and be sande,
330 And all that is derworth on deesse.
331 Pilate. Joseph, this is lely, no lesse,
332 To me arte thou welcome iwisse.
333 Do saie me the soth or thou sesse,
334 Thy worthyly wille what it is
335 Anone.
336 Joseph. To the I praye,
337 Giffe me in hye
338 Jesu bodye,
339 In gree it for to graue al alone.
340 Pilate. Joseph sir, I graunte the that geste,
341 I grucche noyot to grath hym in grave.
342 Delyuer, haue done he were dreste,
343 And sewe, sir, oure Sabott to saffe.
344 Joseph. With handis and harte that I haue
345 I thanke the in faith for my frende.
346 God kepe the thi comforte to craue,
347 For wightely my way will I wende
348 In hye.
349 To do that dede
350 He be my speede
351 þat armys gun sprede,
352 Mannekynde be his bloode for to bye.
353 Nicodemus. Weill mette, ser. In mynde gune I meffe
354 For Jesu that juged was vnjente.
355 Ye laboured for license and leve
356 To berye his body on bente?
357 Joseph. Full myldely that matere I mente,
358 And that for to do will I dresse.
359 Nicodemus. Both same I wolde that we wente
360 And lette not for more ne for lesse,
361 For-why
362 Oure frende was he,
363 Faithfull and free.
364 Joseph. þerfore go we
365 To berie that body in hye.
366 All mankynde may marke in his mynde
367 To see here this sorowfull sight.
368 No falsnesse in hym couthe thei fynde
369 þat doulfully to dede thus is dight.
370 Nicodemus. He was a full worthy wight,
371 Nowe blemysght and bolned with bloode.
372 Joseph. 3a, for that he mustered his myght,
373 Full falsely thei fellid that foode
374 I wyne.
375 Bothe bakke and side
376 Has woundes wide,
377 Forthi this tyde
378 Take we hym doune vs betwene.
379 Nicodemus. Betwene vs take we hym doune
380 And laie hym on lenthe on this lande.
381 Joseph. þis reuerent and riche of rennoune,
382 Late vs halde hym and halse hym with hande.
383 A graue haue I garte here be ordande
384 þat neuer was in noote, it is newe.
385 Nicodemus. To this corse it is comely accordande,
386 To dresse hym with dedis full dewe
387 þis stounde.
388 Joseph. A sudarye,
389 Loo here, haue I.
390 Wynde hym forthy,
391 And sone schalle we graue hym in grounde.
392 Nicodemus. In grounde late vs graue hym and goo;
393 Do liffely latte vs laie hym allone.
394 Nowe sauiour be see and be sande,
395 þou kepe vs in clennesse ilkone.
396 Joseph. To thy mercy nowe make I my moone:
397 As sauiour be see and be sande,
398 þou gyde me that my griffe be al gone,
399 With lele liffe to lenge in this lande,
400 And esse.
401 Nicodemus. Seere oynementis here haue I
402 Brought for this faire body.
403 I anoynte the forthy
404 With myrre and aloes.
405 Joseph. þis dede it is done ilke a dele,
406 And wroughte is this werke wele iwis.
407 To the, kyng, on knes here I knele,
408 þat baynly thou belde me in blisse.
409 Nicodemus. He highte me full hendely to be his
410 A nyght whan I neghed hym full nere.
411 Haue mynde lorde, and mende me of mys,
412 For done is oure dedis full dere
413 þis tyde.
414 Joseph. þis lorde so goode
415 þat schedde his bloode,
416 He mende youre moode,
417 And buske on this blis for to bide.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 36 - Mortificacio Christi. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.