The York Cycle, Play 44 The Descent of the Holy Spirit Potteres 001 Peter. Brethir, takes tente vnto my steuen, 002 Ŝanne schall yoe stabily vndirstande 003 Oure maistir hende is hente to heuyn, 004 To reste there on his fadirs right hande. 005 And we are leued alyue elleuyn, 006 To lere his lawes lely in lande; 007 Or we begynne vs muste be even 008 Ellis are owre werkis noght to warande. 009 For parfite noumbre it is none 010 Off elleuen for to lere, 011 Twelue may be asoundir tone 012 And sett in parties seere. 013 Nobis precepit dominus predicare populo, et testificare 014 quia prope est iudex viuorum et mortuorum. 015 Oure lord comaunded vs more and lesse 016 To rewle vs right aftir his rede, 017 He badde vs preche and bere wittenesse 018 That he schulde deme bothe quike and dede. 019 To hym all prophettis preuys expresse 020 All tho that trowis in his Godhede, 021 Off synnes thei schall haue forgiffenesse, 022 So schall we say...mekill rede. 023 And senne we on this wise 024 Schall his counsaile discrie, 025 Itt nedis we vs avise 026 Ŝat we saye noyot serely. 027 John. Serely he saide that we schulde wende 028 In all this worlde his will to wirke, 029 And be his counsaile to be kende 030 He saide he schulde sette haly kirke. 031 But firste he saide he schulde doune sende 032 His sande, that we schuld noyot be irke, 033 His haly gaste on vs to lende 034 And make vs to melle of materes mirke. 035 Vs menis he saide vs thus 036 Whan that he fared vs froo: 037 `Cum venerit paraclitus 038 Docebit vos omnia`. 039 Jacobus. 3a, certaynely he saide vs soo, 040 And mekill more thanne we of mene: 041 `Nisi ego abiero`, 042 Ŝus tolde he ofte-tymes vs betwene. 043 He saide, forsoth, `But if thi goo 044 Ŝe holy goste schall not be sene, 045 Et cum assumptus fuero 046 Ŝanne schall I sende yoou comforte clené 047 Ŝus tolde he holy howe 048 Ŝat oure dedis schulde be dight, 049 So schall we trewly trowe 050 He will holde that he vs highte. 051 He will holde that he vs hight. 052 Apostle 4. He highte vs fro harme for to hyde 053 And holde in hele both hede and hende, 054 Whanne we take that he talde that tyde, 055 Fro all oure foois it schall vs fende. 056 But thus in bayle behoues vs bide 057 To tyme that sande till vs be sende; 058 Ŝe Jewes besettis vs in ilke a side 059 Ŝat we may nowdir walke nor wende. 060 Apostle 5. We dare noyot walke for drede 061 Or comforte come vs till, 062 Itt is moste for oure spede 063 Here to be stokyn still. 064 Mary. Brethir, what mene yoe yoou emelle, 065 To make mournyng at ilk a mele? 066 My sone that of all welthe is well, 067 He will yoou wisse to wirke full wele, 068 For the tente day is this to telle 069 Sen he saide we schull fauoure fele. 070 Leuys wele that lange schall it not dwell, 071 And therfore drede you neuere a dele, 072 But prayes with harte and hende 073 Ŝat we his helpe may haue, 074 Ŝanne schall it sone be sende, 075 Ŝe sande that schall vs saue. 076 Doctor 1. Harke maistir, for Mahoundes peyne, 077 Howe that thes mobbardis maddis nowe. 078 Ŝer maistir that oure men haue slayne 079 Hase garte thame on his trifullis trowe. 080 Doctor 2. Ŝe lurdayne sais he leffis agayne; 081 Ŝat mater may thei neuere avowe, 082 For as thei herde his prechyng pleyne 083 He was away, thai wiste noyot howe. 084 Doctor 1. They wiste noyot whenne he wente, 085 Ŝerfore fully thei faile, 086 And sais tham schall be sente 087 Grete helpe thurgh his counsaille. 088 Doctor 2. He myghte nowdir sende clothe nor clowte, 089 He was neuere but a wrecche alway- 090 But samme oure men and make a schowte, 091 So schall we beste yone foolis flaye. 092 Doctor 1. Nay, nay, than will thei dye for doute. 093 I rede we make noyot mekill dray, 094 But warly wayte when thai come oute 095 And marre thame thanne, if that we may. 096 Doctor 2. Now certis, I assente thertille, 097 Yitt wolde I noght thei wiste; 098 3one carles than schall we kill 099 But thei liffe als vs liste. 100 Mary. Honnoure and blisse be euer newe, 101 With worschippe in this worlde alwaye, 102 To my souerayne sone Jesu, 103 Oure lorde allone that laste schall ay. 104 Nowe may we triste his talis ar trewe, 105 Be dedis that here is done this day; 106 Als lange as yoe his pase pursue 107 Ŝe fende he fendis yow for to flay. 108 For his high hali gaste 109 He lattis here on yoou lende, 110 Mirthis and trewthe to taste 111 And all misse to amende. 112 Peter. All mys to mende nowe haue we myght, 113 Ŝis is the mirthe oure maistir of mente. 114 I myght noyot loke, so was it light- 115 A, loued be that lorde that itt vs lente. 116 Now hase he holden that he vs highte, 117 His holy goste here haue we hente; 118 Like to the sonne itt semed in sight, 119 And sodenly thanne was itt sente. 120 Apostle 2. Hitt was sente for oure sele, 121 Hitt giffis vs happe and hele, 122 Methynke slike forse I fele 123 I myght felle folke full feele. 124 Apostle 3. We haue force for to fighte in felde 125 And fauour of all folke in feere, 126 With wisdome in this worlde to welde 127 Be knowing of all clergye clere. 128 Apostle 4. We haue bewteis to be oure belde 129 And langage nedis vs none to lere, 130 Ŝat lorde vs awe yoappely to yoelde 131 Ŝat vs has yoemed vnto this yoere. 132 Apostle 5. This is the yoere of grace 133 Ŝat musteris vs emang, 134 As aungellis in this place 135 Ŝat sais thus in ther sange. 136 Apostle 1. In thare sigging saide thei thus, 137 And tolde ther talis betwene them two: 138 `Veni creator spiritus, 139 Mentes tuorum visita`. 140 Ŝei praied the spirite come till vs 141 And mende oure myndis with mirthis ma, 142 Ŝat lered thei of oure lorde Jesus, 143 For he saide that itt schulde be swa. 144 Apostle 2. He saide he schulde vs sende 145 His holy goste fro heuyn, 146 Oure myndis with mirthe to mende- 147 Nowe is all ordand euyn. 148 Apostle 3. Euen als he saide schulde to vs come 149 So has bene schewid vnto oure sight; 150 `Tristicia impleuit cor vestrum'- 151 Firste sorowe in herte he vs hight; 152 `Sed conuertetur in gaudium`. 153 Sen saide he that we schulde be light. 154 Nowe that he saide vs, all and summe, 155 Is mefid emange vs thurgh his myght. 156 Apostle 4. His myght with mayne and mode 157 May comforte all mankynde. 158 Doctor 1. Harke man, for Mahoundes bloode, 159 Ŝer men maddis oute of mynde. 160 Ŝei make carpyng of ilke contré 161 And leris langage of ilk a lande. 162 Doctor 2. They speke oure speche als wele as we, 163 And in ilke a steede it vndirstande. 164 Doctor 1. And alle are noyot of Galilee 165 Ŝat takis this hardinesse on hande? 166 Butt thei are drounken, all thes menyoe, 167 Of muste or wyne, I wolle warande. 168 Doctor 2. Nowe certis this was wele saide, 169 Ŝat makis ther mynde to marre; 170 3one faitours schall be flaied 171 Or that thei flitte aught ferre. 172 Apostle 4. Harke brethir, waites wele aboute, 173 For in oure fayre we fynde no frende. 174 Ŝe Jewes with strengh are sterne and stoute 175 And scharpely schapes them vs to schende. 176 Apostle 1. Oure maistir has putte all perellis oute 177 And fellid the falsed of the fende. 178 Vndo youre dores and haues no doute, 179 For to yoone warlowes will we wende. 180 Apostle 2. To wende haue we no drede, 181 Noght for to do oure dette, 182 For to neuyn that is nede 183 Shall none on lyve vs lette. 184 Peter. 3e Jewez that in Jerusalem dwelle, 185 Youre tales are false, that schall yoe fynde. 186 Ŝat we are dronken we here you telle 187 Because yoe hope we haue bene pynnyd. 188 A prophette preued, his name is Johell, 189 A gentill Jewe of youre awne kynde, 190 He spekis thus in his speciall spell 191 And of this matere makis he mynde. 192 Be poyntis of prophicie 193 He tolde full ferre before, 194 Ŝis may yoe noyot denye, 195 For thus his wordis wore: 196 `Et erit nouissimis diebus, dicit dominus, 197 effundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem`. 198 Apostle 3. Loo, losellis, loo, thus may ye lere 199 Howe youre elders wrotte alway. 200 Ŝe holy goste haue we tane here 201 As youre awne prophettis prechid ay. 202 Apostle 4. Hitt is the myght of oure maistir dere, 203 All dedis that here are done this daye; 204 He giffis vs myght and playne power 205 To conclude all that yoe can saie. 206 Doctor 1. There men hase mekill myght 207 Thurgh happe thei here haue tone. 208 Doctor 2. Wende we oute of ther sight 209 And latte them even allone. 210 Apostle 1. Nowe, brethir myne, sen we all meffe 211 To teche the feithe to foo and frende, 212 Oure tarying may turne vs to mischeffe, 213 Wherfore I counsaille that we wende 214 Vntille oure lady and take oure leue. 215 Apostle 2. Sertis, so woll we with wordis hende. 216 Mi lady, takis it noght to greue, 217 I may no lenger with you lende. . [... ...] 218 Mary. Nowe Petir, sen itt schall be soo 219 Ŝat yoe haue diuerse gatis to gang, 220 Ther schall none dere you for to doo 221 Whils my sone musteris you emang. 222 Butt John and Jamys, my cosyns twoo, 223 Loke that yoe lenge not fro me lange. 224 John. Lady, youre wille in wele and woo, 225 Itt schall be wroght, ellis wirke we wrang. 226 Jacobus. Lady, we bothe are boune 227 Atte youre biddyng to be. 228 Mary. The blissing of my sone 229 Be boith with you and me.