Ludus Coventriæ

by Unknown

XXXII. THE CONDEMNATION AND CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST.

Here the Jewys bryng Jhesus aȝen to Pylat.

Primus doctor. Sere Pylat, gode tydandys thou here of me,—

Of Herowd the kyng thou hast good wyl;

And Jhesus he sendyth aȝen to the,

And byddyth the chese hym to save or spylle!

Secundus doctor. ȝa! ser, alle the poer lyth now in the,

And thou knowyst oure feyth he hath nere schent:

Thou knowyst what myschef therof may be,

We charge the to gyf hym jwgement.

Pylat. Serys, trewly ȝe be to blame,

Jhesus thus to bete, dyspoyle, or bynde;

Or put hym to so gret schame;

ffor no defawth in hym I fynde.

Ne Herowdys nother to whom I sent ȝow,

Defawte in hym cowde fynde ryth non;

But sent hym aȝen to me be ȝow,

As ȝe knowe wel everychon.

Therfore undyrstande what I xal say,

ȝe knowe the custom is in this londe,

Of ȝour Pasche day that is ner honde,

What theff or tretour be in bonde,

For worchep of that day xal go fre away

Without any price.

Now than me thynkyth it were ryth,

To lete Jhesus now go qwyte,

And do to hym no mo dyspyte,—

I wolde wete what ȝe say.

Seres, this is myn avyse.

Here alle thei xul cryen, “Nay! nay! nay!”

Primus doctor. Delyvere us the theff Barabas,

That for mansclawth presonde was.

Pylat. What xal I than with Jhesu do?

Whether xal he abyde or go?

Secundus doctor. Jhesus xal on the cros be don,

Crucifigatur we cry echon!

Pylat. Seres, what hath Jhesus don amys?

Populus clamabunt. Crucifigatur we sey at onys.

Pylat. Serys, syn al gatys ȝe wolyn so,

Puttyn Jhesu to wo and peyn;

Jhesu a wyle with me xal go,

I wole hym examyne betwyx us tweyn.

Here Pylat takyth Jhesu, and ledyth hym into the cowncel hous, and seyth,

Jhesus, what seyst now? lete se,

This matere now thou undyrstonde;

In pes thou myth be for me,

But for thi pepyl of thi londe.

Busshoppys and prestys of the lawe,

Thei love the not, as thou mayst se;

And the comon pepyl aȝens the drawe,

In pes thou myth a be for me,—

This I telle the pleyn!

What seyst, Jhesus? whi spekest not me to?

Knowyst not I have power on the cros the to do,

And also I have power to lete the forth go!

What kanst thou here to seyn?

Jhesus. On me poer thou hast ryth non,

But that my fadyr hath grawntyd beforn;

I cam my faderys wyl to fullefylle,

That mankynd xuld not spylle.

He that hath betrayd me to the at this tyme,

His trespas is more than is thine.

Primus doctor. ȝe prynces and maysteres, takyth hed and se

How Pylat in this matere is favorabyl;

And thus oure lawys dystroyd myth be,

And to us alle unrecurabyl!

Here Pylat letyth Jhesus alone and goth into the Jewys, and seyth,

Seres, what wole ȝe now with Jhesu do?

I can fynde in hym but good!

It is my cownce ȝe lete hym go, —

It is rewthe to spylle his blood!

Cayphas. Pylat, me thynkyth thou dost gret wrong,

Aȝens oure lawe thus to fortefye;

And the pepyl here is so strong,

Bryngyng the lawful testymonye.

Annas. ȝa! and thou lete Jhesu fro us pace,

This we welyn upholdyn alle;

Thou xalt answere for his trespas,

And tretour to the emperour we xal the kalle.

Pylat. Now than, syn ȝe wolne non other weye,

But in al wyse that Jhesus must deye,

Artyse, bryng me watyr, I prey the,

And what I wole do, ȝe xal se.

Hic unus afferet aquam.

As I wasche with watyr my handys clene,

So gyltles of hese deth I must ben.

Primus doctor. The blod of hym mut ben on us,

And on oure chyldyr aftyr us!

Et clamabunt “ȝa! ȝa! ȝa!”

Than Pylat goth aȝen to Jhesu, and bryngit hym, thus seyng,

Lo! seres, I bryng hym here to ȝour presens,

That ȝe may knowe I fynde in hym non offens.

Secundus doctor. Delyvere hym! delyvere hym! and let us go,

On the crosse that he were do!

Pilat. Seres, wolde ȝe ȝour kyng I xulde on the cros don?

Tertius doctor. Sere, we seyn that we have no kyng but the emperour alon.

Pilat. Seres, syn al gatys it must be so,

We must syt and our office do;

Brynge forth to the barre that arn to be dempt,

And thei xal have here jugement.

Here thei xal brynge Barabas to the barre, and Jhesu, and ij. Jewys in here shertys bare-leggyd, and Jhesus standing at the barre betwyx them; and Annas and Cayphas xal gon into the cowncelle hous qwhan Pylat syttyth.

Pylat. Barabas, hold up thi hond!

For here at thi delyvere dost thou stond.

And he halt up his hond.

Serys, qwhat sey ȝe of Barabas thef and tretour bold?

Xal he go fre or he xal be kept in holde?

Primus doctor. Sere, for the solemnyté of oure Pasche day,

Be oure lawe he xal go fre away.

Pylat. Barabas, than I dysmysse the,

And ȝeve the lycens to go fre.

Et curret.

Dysmas and Jesmas ther as ȝe stondys,

The lawe comawndyth ȝou to hold up ȝour hondys;

Sere, what sey ȝe of these thevys tweyn?

Secundus doctor. Sere, thei ben bothe gylty, we seyn.

Pylat. And what sey ȝe of Jhesu of Naȝareth?

Primus doctor. Sere, we sey he xal be put to deth!

Pylat. And kone ȝe put aȝens hym no trespas.

Secundus Doctor. Sere, we wylle alle that he xal be put upon the crosse!

Et clamabunt omnes voce magna dicentes, “ȝa! ȝa! ȝa!”

Pylat. Jhesu, thin owyn pepyl han dysprevyd,

Al that I have for the seyd or mevyd;

I charge ȝou alle at the begynnyng,

As ȝe wole answere me beforn,

That ther be no man xal towche ȝour kyng,

But yf he be knyght or jentylman born.

Fyrst his clothis ȝe xal of don,

And makyn hym nakyd for to be;

Bynde hym to a pelere, as sore as ȝe mon,

Than skorge hym with qwyppys that al men may se!

Whan he is betyn, crowne hym for ȝour kyng!

And than to the cros ȝe xal hym bryng!

And to the crosse thou xalt be fest,

And on thre naylys thi body xal rest!

On xal thorwe thi ryth hand go,

Anothyr thorwe thi lyfte hand also;

The thred xal be smet thoro bothe thi feet,

Wheche nayle ther to be mad ful mete!

And ȝet thou xalt not hange alone,

But on eyther syde of the xal be on.

Dysmas now, I deme the,

That on hese ryth hand thou xalt be!

And Jesmas on the left hand hangyd xal ben,

On the mowth of Calverye, that men may sen!

Here Pylat xal rysyn and gon to his schaffald, and the busshoppys with hym; and the Jewys xul crye for joy with a gret voys, and arryn hym and pullyn of his clothis, and byndyn hym to a pelere, and skorgyn hym; on seyng thus,

Primus Judæus. Doth gladly, oure kyng,

For this is ȝour first begynnyng!

And qwhan he is skorgyd, thei put upon hym a cloth of sylk, and settyn hym on a stol, and puttyn a kroune of thornys on hese hed with forkys; and the Jewys knelyng to Cryst, takyng hym a septer and skornyng hym, and than thei xal pullyn of the purpyl clothe, and don on ageyn his owyn clothis; and leyn the crosse in hese necke to berynt, and drawyn hym forth with ropys; and than xal come to women wepyng, and with here handes wryngyn, seyng thus,

Primus mulier. Allas! Jhesus, allas! Jhesus, wo is me!

That thou art thus dyspoylyd, allas!

And ȝet nevyr defawth was fownd in the,

But evyr thou hast be fole of grace.

Secundus mulier. A! here is a rewful syth of Jhesu so good,

That he xal thus dye aȝens the ryth;

A! wykkyd men, ȝe be more than wood.

To do that good Lord so gret dyspyte!

Here Jhesus turnyth aȝen to the women with his crosse, thus seyng,

Dowterys of Hierusalem, for me wepyth nowth,

But for ȝourself wepyth and for your chyldyr also;

For the days xal come that thei han aftyr sowth,

Here synne and here blyndnesse xal turne hym to wo!

Than xal be sayd “blyssyd be the wombys that bareyn be,

And wo to the tetys tho days that do ȝevyn sokyng!”

And to here faderes, thei xul seyn, “Wo to the tyme that thou begat me!”

And to her moderes, “Allas! wher xal be oure dwellyng?”

Than to the hyllys and mownteynes they xal crye and calle,

Oppyn and hyde us from the face of hym syttyng in trone!

Or ellys ovyrthrowyth and on us now come falle,

That we may be hyd from oure sorweful mone.

Here Jhesus turnyth fro the women and goth forth, and ther thei metyn with Symonem in the place, the Jewys seyng to hym,

Primus Judæus. Sere, to the a word of good;

A man is here thou mayst se,

Beryth hevy of a rode,

Where an he xal hangyd be.

Therfore we pray alle the,

Thou take the crosse of the man;

Bere it with us to Kalvarye,

And ryth gret thank thou xalt han.

Symon. Seres, I may not in no degré,—

I have gret errandys for to do;

Therfore I pray ȝow excuse me,

And on my herand lete me go.

Secundus Judæus. What? harlot, hast thou skorne

To here the tre? whan we the praye!

Thou xalt berynt, haddyst thou sworn,

And yt were ten tyme the weye!

Symon. Serys, I pray ȝow dysplese ȝou nowth,

I wole help to here the tre;

Into the place it xal be browth,

Where ȝe wole commawnde me.

Here Symon takyth the cros of Jhesus, and beryth it forth.

Veronica. A! ȝe synful pepyl, why fare thus?

ffor swet and blod he may not se!

Alias! holy prophete, Cryst Jhesus!

Careful is myn hert for the!

And sche whypyth his face with her kerchy.

Jhesus. Veronyca, thi whipyng doth me ese!

My face is clene that was blak to se:

I xal them kepe from alle mysese,

That lokyn on thi kerchy and remembyr me!

Than xul thei pulle Jhesu out of his clothis, and leyn them togedyr; and ther thei xul pullyn hym down and leyn along on the cros, and after that naylyn hym thereon.

Primus Judæus. Come on now here, we xal asay

Yf the cros for the be mete;

Cast hym down here in the devyl way,

How long xal he standyn on his fete?

Secundus Judæus. Pul hym down, evyl mote he the!

And gyf me his arm in hast;

And anon we xal se

Hese good days thei xul be past!

Tertius Judæus. Gef hese other arm to me,—

Another take hed to hese feet;

And anon we xal se

Yf the borys be for hym meet.

Quartus Judæus. This is mete, take good hede;

Pulle out that arm to the sore.

Primus Judæus. This is short, the devyl hym sped,

Be a large fote and more.

Secundus Judæus. ffest on a rop and pulle hym long,

And I xal drawe the ageyn;

Spare we not these ropys strong,

Thow we brest both flesch and veyn!

Tertius Judæus. Dryve in the nayle anon, lete se,

And loke and the flesch and sennes welle last.

Quartus Judæus. That I graunt, so mote I the;

Lo! this nayl is dreve ryth wel and fast.

Primus Judæus. ffest a rope than to his feet,

And drawe hym down long anow.

Secundus Judæus. Here is a nayl for both good and greet,

I xal dryve it thorwe, I make a vow!

Here xule thei leve of and dawncyn abowte the cros shortly.

Tertius Judæus. Lo! fela, here a lythe takkyd on a tre!

Quartus Judæus. ȝa! and I trowe thou art a worthy kyng!

Primus Judæus. A! good sere, telle me now what helpyth thi prophecy the?

Secundus Judæus. ȝa! or any of thi ffals prechyng!

Tertius Judæus. Seres, set up the cros on the honde,

That we may loke hym in the face.

Quartus Judæus. ȝa! and we xal knelyn onto oure kyng so kend,

And preyn hym of his gret grace!

Here qwhan thei han set hym up, thei xuln gon before hym, seyng eche affter other thus,

Primus Judæus. Heyl! kyng of Jewys, yf thou be.

Secundus Judæus. ȝa! ȝa! sere, as thou hangyst there flesche and bonys.

Tertius Judæus. Com now down of that tre!

Quartus Judæus. And we wole worchepe the alle at onys.

Here xul poer comonys stand and loke upon the Jewys iiij. or v., and the Jewys xul come to them, and do them hange the thevys.

Primus Judæus. Come on, ȝe knavys, and set up these ij. crosses ryth,

And hange up these to thevys anon!

Secundus Judæus. ȝa! and in the worchep of this worthy knyth,

On eche syde of hym xal hangyn on!

Here the sympyl men xul settyn up these ij. crossys, and hangyn up the thevys be the armys and therwhylys xal the Jewys cast dyce for his clothis, and fytyn and stryvyn; and in the mene tyme xal oure Lady come with iij. Maryes with here and Sen John with hem, settyng hem down asyde afore the cros; oure Lady swuonyng and mornyng and leysere seyng,

Maria. A! my good Lord, my sone so swete!

Why hast thou don? why hangyst now thus here?

Is ther non other deth to the now mete,

But the most shamful deth among these thevys fere?

A! out on my hert! whi brest thou nowth?

And thou art maydyn and modyr, and seyst thus thi childe spylle!

How mayst thou abyde this sorwe and this woful thowth?

Ah! deth! deth! deth! Why wilt thou not me kylle?

Here oure Lady xal swonge aȝen, and ore Lord xal seyn thus,

Jhesus. O ffadyr almythy! makere of man!

fforgyff these Jewys that don me wo!

fforgeve hem, fadyr! forgeve hem than!

ffor thei wete nowth what thei do.

Primus Judæus. ȝa! vath! vath! now here is he

That bad us dystroye oure tempyl on a day,

And withinne days thre

He xuld reysynt aȝen in good aray.

Secundus Judæus. Now and thou kan do sweche a dede,

Help now thiself, yf that thou kan;

And we xal belevyn on the withoutyn drede,

And seyn thou art a mythty man!

Tertius Judæus. ȝa! yf thu be Goddys sone, as thou dedyst teche,

ffrom the cros come now downe!

Than of mercy we xal the beseche,

And seyn thou art a Lord of gret renown!

Jestes. Yf thou be Goddys sone, as thou dedyst seye,

Helpe here now both the and us!

But I fynde it not al in my feye,

That thou xuldyst be Cryst, Goddys sone Jhesus.

Dysmas. Go wey, fool! why seyst thou so?

He is the sone of God, I beleve it wel!

And synne dede he nevyr, lo!

That he xuld be put this deth tyl.

Be we ful meche wrong han wrowth, —

He dede nevyr thing amys!

Now mercy, good Lord! mercy! and forgete me nowth

Whan thou comyst to thi kyngham and to thi blysse!

Jhesus. Amen! amen! thou art ful wyse!

That thou hast askyd I grawnt the!

This same day in paradyse

With me thi God thou xalt ther be!

Maria. O my sone! my sone! my derlyng dere!

What have I defendyd the?

Thou hast spoke to alle tho that ben here,

And not o word thou spekyst to me!

To the Jewys thou art ful kende,

Thou hast forgeve al here mysdede;

And the thef thou hast in mende,

For onys haskyng mercy hefne is his mede.

A! my sovereyn Lord, why whylt thou not speke

To me that am thi modyr in peyn for thi wrong?

A! hert! hert! why whylt thou not breke?

That I were out of this sorwe so stronge!

Jhesus. A! woman, woman, behold ther thi sone!

And thou Jon take her for thi modyr!

I charge the to kepe her as besyly as thou kone,

Thou a clene mayde xal kepe another!

And, woman, thou knowyst that my fadyr of hefne me sent

To take this manhod of the, Adamys rawnsom to pay;

ffor this is the wyl and to my ffaderys intent,

That I xal thus deye to delyvere man fro the develys pray!

Now syn it is the wyl of my fadyr it xuld thus be,

Why xuld it dysplese the, modyr, now my deth so sore?

And for to suffre al this for man I was born of the,

To the blys that man had lost man aȝen to restore.

Here owe Lady xal ryse and renne and halse the crosse.

Maria Magdalen. A! good lady, why do ȝe thus?

ȝour dolful cher now chevit us sore.

And for the peyne of my swete Lord Jhesus,

That he seyth in ȝou, it peyneth hym more.

Maria virgo. I pray yow alle lete me ben here,

And hang me up here on this tre,

Be my frend and sone that me is so dere;

ffor ther he is, ther wold I be.

Johannes. Jentyl lady, now leve ȝour mornyng,

And go with us, now we ȝou pray!

And comfort oure Lord at hese departyng,

ffor he is almost redy to go his way.

Here thei xal take oure lady from the crosse, and here xal Pylat come down from his shaffald with Cayphas and Annas, and alle here mené; and xul come and lokyn on Cryst, and Annas and Cayphas xul skornfully seyn,

Cayphas. Lo! seres, lo! beholdyth and se,

Here hangyth he that halpe many a man;

And now yf he Goddys sone be,

Helpe now hymself yf that he kan.

Annas. ȝa! and yf thou kyng of Israel be,

Come down of the cros among us alle!

And lete thi God now delyvere the,

And than oure kyng we wole the calle!

Here xal Pylat askyn penne and inke and a tabyl, xal betake hym wretyn afore, “Hic est Jhesus Nazarenus rex Judæorum.” And he xal make hym to wryte, and than gon upon a leddere, and settyn the tabyl abovyn Crystes hed; and then Cayphas xal makyn hym to redyn, and seyng,

Cayphas. Sere Pylat, we merveylyth of this,

That ȝe wryte hym to be kyng of Jewys.

Therfore we wolde that ȝe xuld wryte thus,

That he namyd hymself Kyng of Jewus.

Pylat. That I have wretyn, wretyn it is,

And so it xal be for me i-wys.

And so forth alle thei xal gon aȝen to the skaffald, and Jhesus xal cryen

Heloy! Heloy! Lama zabathany!

My fadyr in hevyn on by,

Why dost thou me forsake?

The frelté of my mankende,

With stronge peyn yt gynnyth to peynde,

Ha, dere fadyr, have me in mende,

And lete deth my sorwe slake!

Secundus Judæus. Methynkyth he this doth calle Hely;

Lete us go nere and aspy,

And loke yf he come prevely,

From cros hym down to reve.

Jhesus. So grett a thrust dede nevyr man take

As I have, man, now for thi sake;

For thrust asundyr my lyppys gyn crake,—

For drynes thei do cleve.

Tertius Judæus. ȝour thrust, sere hoberd, for to slake,

Eyȝil and galle here I the take,

What! me thynkyth a mowe ȝe make:—

Is not this good drynk?

To crye for drynke ȝe had gret hast,

And now it semyth it is but wast,—

Is not this drynk of good tast?

Now telle me how ȝe thynk!

Quartus Judæus. On lofte, sere hoberd, now ȝe be sett,

We wyl no lenger with ȝou lett!

We grete ȝou wel on the newe gett,

And make on ȝou a mowe.

Primus Judæus. We grete ȝou wel with a scorn,

And pray ȝou, bothe evyn and morn,

Take good eyd to oure corn,

And chare awey the crowe.

Jhesus. In manus tuas, Domine!

Holy fadyr in hefly se,

I comende my spyryte to the,

For here now hendyth my fest!

I xal go sle the fende, that freke,

ffor now myn herte begynnyth to breke,

Wurdys mo xal I non speke!

Nunc consummatum est!

Maria. Alas! alas! I leve to longe,

To se my swete sone with peynes stronge,

As a theff on cros doth honge,

And nevyr ȝet dede he synne!

Alas! my dere chyld to deth is dressyd!

Now is my care wel more incressyd!

A! myn herte with peyn is pressyd!

ffor sorwe myn hert doth twynne.

Johannes. A! blyssyd mayde, chaunge ȝour thought;

ffor thow ȝour sone with sorwe be sought,

ȝitt by his owyn wyl this werk is wrought,

And wylfully his deth to take!

ȝow to kepe he chargyd me here;

I am ȝour servaunt, my lady dere,

Wherfore I pray ȝow, be of good chere,

And merthis that ȝe make!

Maria. Thow he had nevyr of me be born,

And I sey his flesche thus al to-torn,

On bak behyndyn, on brest beforn,

Rent with woundys wyde!

Nedys I must wonyn in woo,

To se my ffrende with many a fo

Alle to-rent from top to too,

His flesche withowtyn hyde!

Johannes. A! blyssyd lady, as I ȝow telle,

Had he not deyd, we xuld to helle,

Amonges ffendys ther evyr to dwelle,

In peynes that ben smert!

He sufferyth deth for oure trespace,

And thorwe his deth we xal have grace,

To dwelle with hym in hevyn place;

Therfore beth mery in hert!

Maria. A! dere ffrende, weel woot I this,

That he doth bye us to his blys;

But ȝitt of myrth evyr more I mys,

Whan I se this syght!

Johannes. Now, dere lady, therfore I ȝow pray,

ffro this dolful dolour wende we oure way,

ffor whan this syght ȝe se nought may,

ȝoure care may waxe more lyght.

Maria. Now sythe I must parte hym fro,

ȝit lete me kysse or that I go

His blyssyd ffeyt that sufferyn wo,

Naylid on this tre.

So cruelly with grett dyspyte,

Thus shamfully was nevyr man dyghte,

Therfore in peyn myn hert is pyghte,

Al joye departyth fro me!

Hic quasi semimortua cadat prona in terram, et dicit.

Johannes. Now, blyssyd mayd, com forthe with me!

No lengere this syght that ȝe se,

I xal ȝow gyde in this countré,

Where that it plesyth ȝow best.

Maria. Now, jentyl John, my sonys derlyng!

To Goddys temple thou me brynge,

That I may prey God with sore wepynge,

And mornynge that is prest!

Johannes. Alle ȝour desyre xal be wrought,

With herty wylle I werke ȝour thought;

Now, blyssyd mayde, taryeth nowth,

In the temple that ȝe ware!

ffor holy prayere may chaunge ȝour mood,

And cawse ȝour chere to be more good;

Whan ȝe se notȝ ȝour childys blood,

The lasse may be ȝour care!

Tunc transiet Maria ad templum cum Johanne, etc.

Maria. Here in this temple my lyff I lede,

And serve my lord God with hertyly drede, —

Now xal wepynge me fode and fede,

Some comforte tylle God sende.

A! my lord God, I the pray,

Whan my childe ryseth the iij.ᵈᵉ day,

Comforte thanne thyn hand-may,

My care for to amende!