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Play 28, The Agony and Betrayal

The Cordewaneres
 




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305   
JESUS   Beholde, my discipulis that deyne is and dere,
My flesshe dyderis and daris for doute of my dede.
Myne enemyes will newly be neghand full nere
With all the myght if thei may to marre my manhede.
But sen ye are forwakid
   and wanderede in were,
Loke ye sette you doune rathely
    and reste youe, I reede.
Beis noght hevy in youre hertis
    but holde yow even here
And bidis me a stounde
   stille in this same steede.
Beeis witty and wyse in youre wandyng
So that ye be wakand alway,
And lokis nowe prestely ye pray
To my Fadir, that ye falle in no fandyng.

PETRUS   Yis, Lorde, at thy bidding
    full baynly schall we abide,
For thou arte boote of oure bale
    and bidis for the best.

JOAHNNES   Lorde, all oure helpe and oure hele,
    that is noght to hyde,
In thee, oure faythe and oure foode,
    all hollye is feste.

JACOBUS   Qwat way is he willid
   in this worlde wyde?
Whedir is he walked,
   estewarde or weste?

PETRUS   Yaa, sirs, I schall saye you,
   sittis us doune on every ilka side,
And late us nowe rathely here take oure reste;
My lymmys are hevy as any leede.

JOHANNES   And I muste slepe, doune muste I lye.

JACOBUS   In faithe, felawes, right so fare I.
I may no lenger holde uppe my hede.

PETRUS   Oure liffe of his lyolty
   his liffe schall he lose,
Unkyndely be crucified
   and naylyd to a tree.

JESUS   Baynly of my blissing,
   youre eghen ye unclose
So that ye falle in no fandyng
   for noght that may be,
But prayes fast.

JOHANNES   Lorde, som prayer thou kenne us
That somwhat myght mirthe us or mende us.

JACOBUS   Fro all fandyng unfaythfull thou fende us,
Here in this worlde of liffe whille we laste.

JESUS   I schall kenne you and comforte you
   and kepe you from care;
Ye schall be broughte, wete ye wele,
   fro bale unto blisse.

PETRUS   Yaa, but Lorde, and youre willis were
   witte wolde we more,
Of this prayer so precious late us noght mys,
We beseke thee.

JOHANNES   For my felows and me alle in feere,
Some prayer that is precious to lere.

JACOBUS   Unto thy Fadir that moste is of poure
Some solace of socoure to sende thee.
. . .
[JESUS]   The nowys that me neghed
   hase, it nedis not to neven,
For all wate ye full wele
   what wayes I have wente.
Instore me and strenghe
   with a stille steven,
I pray thee interly thou take entent
Thou menske my manhed with mode.
My flessh is full dredand for drede,
For my jorneys of my manhed.
I swete now both watir and bloode.

Thes Jewes hase mente in ther mynde full of malice
And pretende me to take
   withouten any trespasse,
But, Fadir, as thou wate wele,
   I mente nevere amys;
In worde nor in werk
   I never worthy was.
Als thou arte bote of all bale and belder of blisse
And all helpe and hele in thy hande hase,
Thou mensk thy manhede,
   thou mendar of mysse;
And if it possible be
   this payne myght I overpasse.
And, Fadir, if thou se it may noght,
Be it worthely wrought
Even at thyne awne will
Evermore both myldely and still
With worschippe allway be it wroght.

Unto my discipillis will I go agayne
Kyndely to comforte tham
   that kacchid are in care.
What, are ye fallen on slepe
   now everilkone,
And the passioun of me in mynde hase no more?
What, wille ye leve me thus lightly
   and latte me allone
In sorowe and in sighyng
   that sattillis full sore?
To whome may I meve me
   and make nowe my mone?
I wolde that ye wakened, and your will wore;
Do, Petir, sitte uppe now, late se.
Thou arte strongly stedde in this stoure,
Might thou noght the space of an owre
Have wakid nowe mildely with me?

PETRUS   Yis, Lorde, with youre leve
   nowe wille we lere,
Full warely to were you
   fro alle wandynge?

JESUS   Beeis wakand and prayes faste all in fere
To my Fadir, that ye falle in no fanding,
For evelle spiritis is neghand full nere
That will you tarie at this tyme with his temtyng.
And I will wende ther I was withouten any were,
But bidis me here baynly in my blissing.
Agayne to the mounte I will gang
Yitt eftesones where I was ere,
But loke that ye cacche yow no care,
For lely I schall noght dwelle lange.

Thou, Fadir, that all formed hase with fode for to fill,
I fele by my ferdnes my flessh wolde full fayne
Be torned fro this turnement and takyn thee untill,
For mased is manhed in mode and in mayne.
But if thou se sothly that thi Sone sill
Withouten surffette of synne thus sakles be slayne,
Be it worthly wroght even at thyne awne will,
For Fadir, att thi bidding am I buxum and bayne.
Now wightely agayne will I wende
Unto my disciplis so dere.
What, slepe ye so faste all in fere?
I am ferde ye mon faile of youre frende.

But yitt will I leve you and late you allone,
And eftesones there I was agayne will I wende.
Unto my Fadir of myght now make I my mone:
As thou arte salver of all sore som socoure me sende.
The passioun they purpose to putte me uppon,
My flesshe is full ferde and fayne wolde defende,
At thi wille be itt wrought worthely in wone.
Have mynde of my manhed my mode for to mende,
Some comforte me kythe in this case,
And Fadir, I schall dede taste
   I will it noght deffende.
Yitt yf thy willis be
   spare me a space.
[And seis . . . yght
With rappes . . . the rode rente.]

ANGELUS   Unto the maker unmade
   that moste is of myght,
Be lovyng aylastand in light that is lente.
Thy Fadir that in heven is moste,
   he uppon highte,
Thy sorowes for to sobir
   to thee he hase me sente.
For dedis that man done has
   thy dede schall be dight,
And thou with turmentis be tulyd.
But take nowe entente:
Thy bale schall be for the beste
Thurgh that mannys mys schall be mende;
Than schall thou withouten any ende
Rengne in thy rialté full of reste.

JESUS   Now if my flesshe ferde be,
   Fadir, I am fayne
That myne angwisshe and my noyes
   are nere at an ende.
Unto my discipilis go will I agayne,
Kyndely to comforte tham
   that mased is in ther mynde.
Do slepe ye nowe savely,
   and I schall you sayne.
Wakyns uppe wightely
   and late us hens wende,
For als tyte mon I be taken
   with tresoune and with trayne,
My flesshe is full ferde
   and fayne wolde deffende.
Full derfely my dede schall be dight,
And als sone as I am tane
Than schall ye forsake me ilkone
And saie nevere ye sawe me with sight.

PETRUS   Nay, sothely, I schall nevere my sovereyne forsake,
If I schulde for the dede darfely here dye.

JOHANNES   Nay, such mobardis schall nevere man us make,
Erste schulde we dye all at onys.

JACOBUS         Nowe in faith, felows, so shulde I.

JESUS   Ya, but when tyme is betydde,
   thanne men schalle me take.
For all youre hartely hetyng
   ye schall hyde you in hy:
Lyke schepe that were scharid
   away schall ye schake.
Ther schall none of you be balde
   to byde me than by.

PETRUS   Nay, sothely, whils I may vayle thee,
I schall were thee and wake thee,
And if all othir forsake thee,
I schall nevere fayntely defayle thee.

JESUS   A, Petir, of swilke bostyng
   I rede thou late bee,
For all the kene carpyng
   full kenely I knawe.
For ferde of myne enmyse
   thou schalte sone denye me
Thries yitt full thraly
   or the cokkes crowe.
For ferde of my fomen
   full fayne be for to flee,
And for grete doute of thi dede
   thee to withdrawe.

ANNA   Sir Cayphas, of youre counsaille,
   do sone, late us now see,
For lely it langes us to luke
   unto oure lawys.
And therfore, sir, prestely I pray you,
Sen that we are of counsaille ilkone
That Jesus that traytoure wer tane,
Do sone late se, sir, I pray you.

CAYPHAS   In certayne, sir, and sone schall I saye you,

I wolde wene by my witte
   this werke wolde be wele.
Late us justely us june
   tille Judas the gente,
For he kennes his dygnites
   full duly ilke a dele,
Ya, and beste wote, I warande,
   what wayes that he is wente.

ANNA   Now this was wisely saide
   als ever have I seele.
And sir, to youre saiyng,
   I saddely will assente;
Therfore take us of oure knyghtis
   that is stedfast as stele,
And late Judas go lede tham belyffe
   wher that he laste lente.

CAYPHAS                     Full wele, sir.
Nowe, Judas, dere neghbour,
   drawe nere us.
Lo, Judas, thus in mynd have we ment,
To take Jesus is oure entent,
For thou muste lede us and lere us.

JUDAS   Sirs, I schall wisse you the way
   even at youre awne will,
But loke that ye have
   many myghty men
That is both strang and sterand
   and stedde hym stone stille.

ANNA   Yis, Judas, but be what knowlache
   schall we that corse kenne?

JUDAS   Sirs, a tokenyng in this tyme
   I schall telle you untill,
But lokis by youre lewty
   no liffe ye hym lenne.
Qwhat man som I kys,
   that corse schall ye kyll,
And also beis ware
   that he wil not away.
I schrew you all thenne.

CAYPHAS                     Why, nay, Judas,
We purpose the page schall not passe.
Sir knyghtis, in hy!

I MILES               Lorde, we are here.

CAYPHAS   Calles fourth youre felaws in feere
And gose justely with gentill Judas.

I MILES   Come, felaws, by youre faith,
   come forthe all faste
And carpis with Sir Cayphas:
   he comaundis me to call.

II MILES   I schrewe hym all his liffe,
   that loves to be last.

III MILES   Go we hens than in hy
   and haste us to the halle.

IV MILES   Lorde, of youre will worthely
   wolde I witte what wast?

CAYPHAS   To take Jesus, that sawntrelle,
   all same, that ye schall.

I MILES   Lorde, to that purpose,
   I wolde that we paste.

ANNA   Ya, but loke that ye be armed wele all,
The moste gentill of the Jury schalle gyde you.

CAYPHAS   Ya, and every ilke a knyght in degré
Both armed and harneysed ye be
To belde you and baynely go byde you.

ANNA   Ya, and therfore, Sir Cayphas, ye hye you,
Youre wirschippe ye wynne in this cas.
As ye are a lorde most lofsom of lyre
Undir Sir Pilate that lyfis in this empire,
Yone segger that callis hymselffe a sire
With tresoure and tene sall we taste hym.
Of yone losell his bale schall he brewe.
Do trottes on for that traytoure apas
In hast.

CAYPHAS   Nowe, sirs, sen ye say my poure is moste beste
And hase all this werke
   thus to wirke at my will,
Now certayne I thinke not to rest
But solempnely youre will to fulfille
Right sone.

Full tyte the traytoure schall be tane.
Sirs knyghtis, ye hye you ilkone,
For in certayne the losell schall be slane.
Sir Anna, I praye you have done.

ANNA   Full redy tyte I schal be boune
This journay for to go till.
Als ye are a lorde of grete renoune,
Ye spare hym not to spill,
The devill hym spede.
Go we with oure knyghtis in fere,
Lo, thay are arrayed and armed clere.
Sir knyghtis, loke ye be of full gud chere:
Where ye hym see, on hym take hede.

I JUDEUS   Goode tente to hym, lorde, schall we take:
He schall banne the tyme that he was borne.
All his kynne schall come to late;
He schall noght skape withouten scorne
Fro us in fere.

II JUDEUS   We schall hym seke both even and morne,
Erly and late, with full gode chere,
Is oure entente.

III JUDEUS   Stye nor strete we schall spare none,
Felde nor towne, thus have we mente,
And boune in corde.

CAYPHAS   Malcus!

MALCUS                  A, ay, and I schulde be rewarde,
And right als wele worthy were,
Loo, for I bere light for my lorde.

CAYPHAS   A, sir, of your speche lette, and late us spede
A space, and of oure speche spare;
And Judas, go fande thou before
And wisely thou wisse tham the way,
For sothely sone schall we saye
To make hym to marre us no more.

JESUS   Now will this oure be neghand full nere
That schall certefie all the soth that I have saide.

CAYPHAS   Go, fecche forth the freyke for his forfette.

JUDAS   All hayll, maistir, in faith,
   and felawes all in fere,
With grete gracious gretyng
   on grounde be ye graied.
I wolde aske you a kysse,
   maistir, and youre willes were,
For all my love and my likyng
   is holy uppon you layde.

JESUS   Full hartely, Judas, have it even here,
For with this kissing is mans Sone betrayed.

I MILES   Whe, stande, traytoure, I telle thee for tane.

CAYPHAS   Whe, do knyghtis, go falle on before.

II MILES   Yis, maistir, move thou no more,
But lightly late us allone.

III MILES   Allas, we are loste for leme of this light.

JESUS   Saye ye here, whome seke ye?
   do saye me, late see.

I JUDEUS   One Jesus of Nazareth
   I hope that he hight.

JESUS   Beholdis all hedirward, loo,
   here, I am hee.

I MILES   Stande, dastarde, so darfely
   thy dede schall be dight;
I will no more be abasshed
   for blenke of thy blee.

I JUDEUS   We, oute, I ame mased almost
   in mayne and in myght.

II JUDEUS   And I am ferde, be my feyth,
   and fayne wolde I flee,
For such a sight have I not sene.

III JUDEUS   This leme it lemed so light,
I saugh never such a sight:
Me mervayles what it may mene.

JESUS   Doo, whame seke ye all same, yitt I saye?

I JUDEUS   One Jesus of Nazareth,
   hym wolde we neghe nowe.

JESUS   And I am he sothly.

MALCUS                            And that schall I asaie,
For thou schalte dye, dastard,
   sen that it is thowe.

PETRUS   And I schall fande be my feythe thee for to flaye,
Here with a lusshe, lordayne, I schalle thee allowe.

MALCUS   We, oute, all my deveres are done.

PETRUS                                                           Nay,
Traytoure, but trewly I schall trappe thee, I trowe.

JESUS   Pees, Petir, I bidde thee;
Melle thee nor move thee no more,
For witte thou wele
   and my willis were,
I myght have poure grete plenté.

Of aungellis full many
   to mustir my myght;
Forthy putte uppe thi swerde
   full goodely agayne,
For he that takis vengeaunce
   all rewlid schall be right,
With purgens and vengeaunce
   that voydes in vayne.
Thou man that is thus derede
   and doulfully dyght,
Come hedir to me savely
   and I schalle thee sayne.
In the name of my Fadir
   that in hevene is most upon hight,
Of thy hurtis be thou hole
   in hyde and in hane,
Thurgh vertewe thi vaynes be at vayle.

MALCUS   What, ille hayle, I hope that I be hole.
Nowe I schrewe hym this tyme that gyvis tale,
To touche thee for thi travayle.

I JUDEUS   Do felaws, be youre faithe,
   late us fange on in fere,
For I have on this hyne.

II MILES   And I have a loke on hym nowe;
   howe, felawes, drawe nere.

III MILES   Yis, by the bonys that this bare,
   this bourde schall he banne.

JESUS   Even like a theffe heneusly
   hurle ye me here.
I taught you in youre Tempill,
   why toke ye me noght thanne?
Now haves mekenes on molde
   all his power.

I JUDEUS   Do, do, laye youre handes
belyve on this lourdayne.

III JUDEUS   We, have holde this hauk in thi handis.

MALCUS   Whe, yis, felawes, be my faith he is fast.

IV JUDEUS   Unto Sir Cayphas I wolde that he passen.
Farewell, for, iwisse, we will wenden.
worthy; dear; (t-note)
trembles; shakes; fear; (see note)
soon
manhood
tired with watching
perplexity
promptly
advise


abide with me; time; (see note)
place
thoughts
waking
urgently
temptation; (t-note)


obediently
remedy
abide

well-being


wholly; fast (firm)

What; gone






let; quickly
limbs; lead




head

truth




Obediently
eyes; open
temptation



instruct
cheer; improve

defend




know; well


will
know would




learn

power

[pages missing, see textual note]
information
say
know

Restore; strengthen
voice
wholly
honor; strength of will
dreading; dread
undertakings
(see note)

intended
propose

know well



reward; support
health
honor
error

(see note)







By nature
caught

everyone
in [your] thoughts

let

sinks deeply in the mind
move (express) myself
lament
if it were; (see note)

struggle
hour
meekly



vigilantly; defend
uncertainty


temptation

tempting
perplexity
obediently
go


truly; long

sustenance
fear; gladly
tournament (battle); (see note)
bewildered; strength
shall
innocent
own
humble; obedient
quickly (boldly)


afraid; may; friend


where
lament


avoid
place

make known
death
resist



blows; cross torn asunder; (t-note)

(see note); (t-note)



high
alleviate



attacked


original sin

Reign; royalty; peace

afraid

trouble



upset
certainly
sign (make sign of the cross); (see note)
quickly

soon must
deceit

protect [myself]
cruelly; death
taken; (see note)
everyone



deed cruelly

villainous fools




come

boldly promising
quickly
sheep; sheared
flee
bold [enough]; (t-note)
abide with me then

serve; (t-note)
guard; watch

desert

boasting
let be
(t-note)

enemies

Thrice; completely
ere
foes

fear; death


(see note)

longs; look

urgently

should be taken
soon let see [it done]; (t-note)





Let; join
with; gracious
authority
lawful
knows; warrant (certify)
has gone


health


take; [those] of
steel
allow; lead them without delay
passed

(t-note)




teach (inform)

guide; (t-note)



athletic
hold

by


sign

loyalty
grant
What; whom
body (person)
be on guard
escape
curse

(t-note)
boy
come here quickly; (t-note)




deal



talk


curse


in haste



(i.e., what do you want)

pretender
together


passed

(t-note)
Jewry; guide

in order
in armor
comfort; obediently; abide (i.e., await)

go quickly
gain; (t-note)
attractive body
lives
braggart; lord
harm; test (try)
knave; cause; (t-note)
traitor; apace









quickly
hurry
slain; (t-note)





destroy (kill)



good
heed

attention
curse
too
escape
all together





Path

accord

(t-note)



a lantern; (see note)

leave off; allow us to hurry

find the way
guide
truthfully soon


hour; nighing
truth

bold man; punishment; (t-note)

(see note)


given; (t-note)
(see note)
(i.e., consent)

wholly




apprehended

proceed


quickly

radiance; (see note)

(see note)



is [so] named

(i.e., Look this way)


cruelly
put down

radiance; countenance

amazed






radiance; shone; brightly






approach



test (check out); (t-note)



try by; faith; put to flight
blow

deeds




Peace; (t-note)
Stir about
well
will
power

(see note)




governed
purging
renders ineffectual
hurt

safely
sign (bless)


whole
in field and in enclosure (i.e., everywhere)
veins; healed

whole (healed)
curse; (i.e., considers it worthwhile)



proceed
[lower-class] man; (t-note)

lock


bones; bore
jest; curse

heinously; (see note)



earth; (t-note)



quickly; rascal

hawk



be passed on