Ludus Coventriæ

by Unknown

XXVI. THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.

Jhesus. ffrendys, beholde the tyme of mercy,

The whiche is come now withowt dowth;

Mannys sowle in blys now xal edyfy,

And the prynce of the werd is cast owth.

Go to ȝon castel that standyth ȝow ageyn,

Sum of myn dyscyplis go forthe ȝe to;

There xul ȝe ffyndyn bestys tweyn,

An asse tyed and here fole also.

Unlosne that asse, and brynge it to me pleyn;

Iff any man aske why that ȝe do so,

Sey that I have nede to this best serteyn,

And he xal not lett ȝow ȝour weys for to go:

That best brynge ȝe to me.

Primus Apostolus. Holy prophete, we gon oure way,

We wyl not ȝoure wourd delay,

Also sone as that we may,

We xal it brynge to the.

Here thei ffecche the asse with the ffole, and the burgeys seyth,

Burgensis. Herke ȝe, men, who ȝaff ȝow leve,

Thus this best ffor to take away?

But only ffor pore men to releve,

This asse is ordeyned, as I ȝow say.

Philippus. Good sere, take this at no greff,

Oure mayster us sent hedyr this day,

He hath grett nede withowte repreff,

Therfore not lett us, I the pray,

This best for to lede.

Burgensis. Sethyn that it is so that he hath ȝow sent,

Werkyth his wylle and his intent,

Take the beste, as ȝe be bent,

And evyr wel mote ȝe spede.

Jacobus minor. This best is brought ryght now here lo!

Holy prophete at thin owyn wylle,

And with this clothe, anon, also,

This bestys bak we xal sone hylle.

Philippus. Now mayst thou ryde whedyr thou wylt go,

Thyn holy purpos to ffulfylle,

Thy best fful redy is dyth the to,

Bothe meke and tame the best is stylle.

And we be redy also,

Iff it be plesynge to thi ssyght,

The to helpe anon forthe ryght,

Upon this best that thou were dyght,

Thi jurney ffor to do.

Here Cryst rydyth out of the place and he wyl, and Petyr and John abydyn stylle, and at the last, whan thei have done ther prechyng, thei mete with Jhesu,

Petrus. O, ȝe pepyl dyspeyryng, be glad!

A grett cawse ȝe have, and ȝe kan se,

The Lord that alle thynge of nought mad,

Is comynge ȝour comfort to be.

Alle your langoris salvyn xal he,

ȝour helthe is more than ȝe kan wete,

He xal cawse the blynde that thei xal se,

The def to here, the dome for to speke!

Thei that be crokyd, he xal cause hem to goo

In the wey that John Baptyst of prophecyed;

Sweche a leche kam ȝow nevyr non too,

Wherfore what he comawndyth loke ȝe applyed.

That som of ȝow be blynd, it may not be denyid;

ffor hym that is ȝour makere with ȝour gostly ey ȝe xal not knowe;

Of his comaundementes in ȝow gret neclygens is aspyed,

Wherefore def fro gostly heryng clepe ȝow I howe.

And som of ȝow may not go, ȝe be so crokyd;

ffor of good werkyng in ȝow is lytyl habundawns,

Tweyn fete hevery man xuld have and it were lokyd,

Wyche xuld here the body gostly most of substawns;

ffyrst is to love God above alle other plesawns;

The secunde is to love thi neybore as thin owyn persone;

And yf these tweyn be kepte in perseverawns;

Into the celestyal habytacion ȝe arn habyl to gone.

Many of ȝow be dome; why? for ȝe wole not redresse,

Be mowthe ȝour dedys mortal but therin don perdure;

Of the wyche but ȝe have contrycyon and ȝow confesse,

ȝe may not inheryte hevyn, this I ȝow ensure.

And of alle these maladyes ȝe may have gostly cure,

ffor the hevenly leche is comyng ȝow for to vicyte;

And as for payment he wole shewe ȝow no redrure,

ffor with the love of ȝoure hertys he wole be aqwhyte.

Johannes Apostolus. Onto my brotherys forseyd rehersalle,

That ȝe xuld ȝeve the more veray confydens,

I come with hym as testymonyalle,

ffor to conferme I fortefye his sentens.

This lord xal come without resystens,

Onto the cety-ward he is now comyng,

Wherefore dresse ȝow with alle dew dylygens,

To honowre hym as ȝour makere and kyng.

And to fulfylle the prophetys prophesé,

Upon an asse he wole hedyr ryde,

Shewing ȝow exawmple of humylyté,

Devoydyng the abhomynable synne of pryde.

Wheche hath ny conqweryd alle the werd wyde,

Grettest cause of all ȝour trybulacyon,

Use it ho so wole, for it is the best gyde,

That ȝe may have to the place of dampnacyon.

Now, brothyr in God, syth we have intellygens,

That oure Lord is ny come to this ceté,

To attend upon hys precyous presens,

It syttyth to us, as semyth me.

Wherfore to mete with hym now go we,

I wold fere no thynge we where to late;

To the ceté-ward fast drawyth he,

Me semyth he is ny at the gate.

Here spekyth the iiij. ceteseyngs, the fyrst thus seyng,

Primus cives de Jherusalem. Neyborys, gret joye in oure herte we may make,

That this hefly kyng wole vycyte this cyté.

Secundus cives. Yf oure eerly kyng sweche a jorné xuld take,

To don hym honor and worchepe, besy xuld we be.

Tertius cives. Meche more than to the hevynly kyng bownd are we,

ffor to do that xuld be to his persone reverens.

Quartus cives. Late us than welcome hym with flowres and brawnchis of the tre,

ffor he wole take that to plesawns becawse of redolens.

Here the iiij. ceteseynys makyn hem redy for to mete with oure Lord, goyng barfot and barelegged, and in here shyrtes, savyng thei xal have here gownys cast abouth them; and qwan thei seen oure Lord, thei xal sprede ther clothis beforn hym, and he xal lyth and go ther upon, and thei xal falle downe upon ther knes alle at onys, the fyrst thus seyng,

Primus cives. Now blyssyd he be that in oure Lordys name,

To us in any wyse wole resorte,

And we beleve veryly that thou dost the same,

For be thi mercy xal spryng mannys comforte.

Here Cryst passyth forth, ther metyth with hym a serteyn of chylderyn with flowres, and cast beforn hym, and they synggyn “Gloria Laus,” and beforn on seyth,

Thow sone of Davyd, thou be oure supporte,

At oure last day whan we xal dye,

Wherefore we alle at onys to the exorte,

Cryeng mercy! mercy! mercye!

Jhesu. ffrendys, beholde the tyme of mercy;

The wiche is come now, withowtyn dowth;

Mannys sowle in blysse now xal edyfy,

And the prynce of the werd is cast owth.

As I have prechyd in placys abowth,

And shewyd experyence to man and wyf,

Into this werd Goddys sone hath sowth

ffor veray love man to revyfe.

The trewthe of trew this xal now be tryede,

And a perfith of corde betwyx God and man,

Wiche trewthe xal nevyr be dyvide,

Confusyon onto the fynd Sathan!

Primus pauper homo. Thou sone of Davyd! on us have mercye,

As we must stedfast belevyn in the;

Thi goodnesse, Lord, lete us be nye,

Wheche lyth blynd here and may not se!

Secundus pauper homo. Lord, lete thi mercy to us be sewre,

And restore to us oure bodyly syth!

We know thou may us wel recure,

With the lest poynt of thi gret myth.

Jhesu. ȝowre beleve hath made thou for to se,

And delyveryd ȝow fro alle mortal peyne;

Blyssyd be alle tho that beleve on me,

And se me not with here bodyly eyn.

Here Cryst blyssyth here eyn and thei may se, the fyrst seyng,

Primus pauper homo. Gramercy, Lord! of thi gret grace,

I that was blynd, now may se.

Secundus pauper homo. Here I forsake al my trespace,

And stedfastly wyl belevyn on the.

Here Cryst procedyth on fote, with his dyscipulys after hym, Cryst wepyng upon the cyté, saying thus,

Jhesu. O Jherusalem! woful is the ordenawnce

Of the day of thi gret persecucyon;

Thou xalt be dystroy with woful grevans,

And thi ryalté browth to trew confusyon.

ȝe that in the ceté han habytacyon,

Thei xal course the tyme that thei were borne,

So gret advercyté and trybulacion,

Xal falle on hem bothe evyn and morwyn.

Thei that han most chylderyn sonest xal wayle,

And seyn, alas! what may this meen?

Both mete and drynk sodeynly xal fayle,—

The vengeance of God ther xal be seen.

The tyme is comyng hes woo xal ben,

The day of trobyl and gret grevauns;

Bothe templys and towrys they xal down cleen,

O ceté! fful woful is thin ordenawns!