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Play 36, Mortificacio Christi

The Bocheres
 




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415   

PILATUS   Sees, seniours, and see what I saie,
Takis tente to my talkyng enteere.
Devoyde all this dynne here this day,
And fallis to my frenschippe in feere.
Sir Pilate, a prince withowten pere,
My name is full nevenly to neven
And domisman full derworth in dede.
Of gentillest Jewry full even
Am I.
Who makis oppressioun
Or dose transgressioun,
Be my discressioun
Shall be demed dewly to dy.

To dye schall I deme thame, to dede,
Tho rebelles that rewles thame unright.
Who that to yone hill wille take heede
May se ther the soth in his sight,
Howe doulfull to dede thei are dight
That liste noght owre lawes for to lere.
Lo, thus be my mayne and my myght
Tho churles schalle I chasteise and cheere
Be lawe.
Ilke feloune false
Shall hynge be the halse,
Transgressours als
On the crosse schalle be knytte for to knawe.

To knawe schall I knytte thame on crosse;
To schende thame with schame schall I shappe,
Ther liffis for to leese is no losse,
Suche tirrauntis with teene for to trappe.
Thus leelly the lawe I unlappe
And punyssh thame pitously.
Of Jesu I holde it unhappe
That he on yone hill hyng so hye
For gilte.
His bloode to spille
Toke ye you till,
Thus was youre wille
Full spitously to spede he were spilte.

CAIPHAS   To spille hym we spake in a speede,
For falsed he folowde in faie,
With fraudes oure folke gan he feede
And laboured to lere thame his laye.

ANNA   Sir Pilate, of pees we youe praye,
Oure lawe was full lyke to be lorne.
He saved noght oure dere Sabott daye,
And that for to scape it were a scorne,
By lawe.

PILATUS   Sirs, before youre sight
With all my myght
I examynde hym right,
And cause non in hym cowthe I knawe.

CAIPHAS   Ye knawe wele the cause, sir, in cace:
It touched treasoune untrewe.
The tribute to take or to trace
Forbadde he, our bale for to brewe.

ANNA   Of japes yitt jangelid yone Jewe,
And cursedly he called hym a kyng.
To deme hym to dede it is diewe,
For treasoune it touches that thyng
Indede.

CAIPHAS   Yitt principall
And worste of all,
He garte hym call
Goddes Sonne, that foulle motte hyme speede.

PILATUS   He spedis for to spille in space,
So wondirly wrought is youre will;
His bloode schall youre bodis enbrace,
For that have ye taken you till.

ANNA   That forwarde ful fayne to fulfille
Indede schall we dresse us bedene;
Yone losell hym likis full ille,
For turned is his trantis all to teene,
I trowe.

CAYPHAS   He called hym kyng,
Ille joie hym wring.
Ya, late hym hyng,
Full madly on the mone for to mowe.

ANNA   To mowe on the moone has he mente.
We, fye on thee, faitour in faye!
Who trowes thou to thi tales toke tente?
Thou saggard, thiselffe gan thou saie,
The Tempill distroie thee todaye,
Be the thirde day ware done ilka dele,
To rayse it thou schulde thee arraye.
Loo, howe was thi falsed to feele,
Foule falle thee!
For thy presumpcyoune
Thou haste thy warisoune;
Do faste come doune,
And a comely kyng schalle I calle thee.

CAYPHAS   I calle thee a coward to kenne
That mervaylles and mirakills made.
Thou mustered emange many menne,
But, brothell, thou bourded to brade.
Thou saved thame fro sorowes, thai saide:
To save nowe thiselffe late us see;
God Sonne if thou grathely be grayde,
Delyvere thee doune of that tree
Anone.
If thou be funne
Thou be Goddis Sonne,
We schall be bonne
To trowe on thee trewelye, ilkone.

ANNA   Sir Pilate, youre pleasaunce we praye,
Takis tente to oure talkyng this tide
And wipe ye yone writyng away:
It is not beste it abide.
It sittis youe to sette it aside,
And sette that he saide in his sawe,
As he that was prente full of pride,
“Jewes kyng am I,” comely to knawe,
Full playne.

PILATUS   Quod scripci, scripci.
Yone same wrotte I;
I bide therby,
What gedlyng will grucche there agayne.

JESUS   Thou man that of mys here has mente,
To me tente enteerly thou take.
On roode am I ragged and rente,
Thou synfull sawle, for thy sake.
For thy misse amendis will I make.
My bakke for to bende, here I bide;
This teene for thi traspase I take.
Who couthe thee more kyndynes have kydde
Than I?
Thus for thy goode
I schedde my bloode.
Manne, mende thy moode,
For full bittir thi blisse mon I by.

MARIA   Allas, for my swete Sonne I saie,
That doulfully to dede thus is dight.
Allas, for full lovely thou laye
In my wombe, this worthely wight.
Allas, that I schulde see this sight
Of my Sone so semely to see.
Allas, that this blossome so bright
Untrewly is tugged to this tree,
Allas!
My lorde, my leyffe,
With full grete greffe
Hyngis as a theffe.
Allas, he did never trespasse.

JESUS   Thou woman, do way of thy wepyng,
For me may thou nothyng amende;
My Fadirs wille to be wirkyng,
For mankynde my body I bende.

MARIA   Allas, that thou likes noght to lende,
Howe schulde I but wepe for thy woo?
To care nowe my comforte is kende.
Allas, why schulde we twynne thus in twoo
Forevere?

JESUS   Womanne, instede of me,
Loo, John thi sone schall bee.
John, see to thi modir free,
For my sake do thou thi devere.

MARIA   Allas, Sone, sorowe and sighte
That me were closed in clay,
A swerde of sorowe me smyte,
To dede I were done this day.

JOHANNES   A, modir, so schall ye noght saie,
I praye youe be pees in this presse,
For with all the myght that I maye
Youre comforte I caste to encresse
Indede.
Youre sone am I,
Loo, here redy,
And nowe forthy
I praye yowe hense for to speede.

MARIA   My steven for to stede or to steere,
Howe schulde I such sorowe to see:
My Sone that is dereworthy and dere
Thus doulfull a dede for to dye.

JOHANNES   A, dere modir, blynne of this blee;
Youre mournyng it may not amende.

MARIA CLEOPHE   A, Marie, take triste unto thee,
For socoure to thee will he sende
This tyde.

JOHANNES   Fayre modir, faste
Hense latte us caste.

MARIA   To he be paste
Wille I buske here baynly to bide.

JESUS   With bittirfull bale have I bought,
Thus, man, all thi misse for te mende,
On me for to looke lette thou noght
Howe baynly my body I bende.
No wighte in this worlde wolde have wende
What sorowe I suffre for thy sake.
Manne, kaste thee thy kyndynesse be kende,
Trewe tente unto me that thou take
And treste.
For foxis ther dennys have thei,
Birdis hase ther nestis to paye,
But the Sone of Man this daye
Hase noght on his heed for to reste.

LATRO A SINISTRIS   If thou be Goddis Sone so free,
Why hyng thou thus on this hille?
To saffe nowe thyselffe late us see,
And us now, that spedis for to spille.

LATRO A DEXTRIS   Manne, stynte of thy steven and be stille,
For douteles thy God dredis thou noght;
Full wele are we worthy thertill.
Unwisely wrange have we wrought,
Iwisse.
Noon ille did hee
Thus for to dye.
Lord, have mynde of me
Whan thou art come to thi bliss.

JESUS   Forsothe, sonne, to thee schall I saie,
Sen thou fro thy foly will falle,
With me schall dwelle nowe this daye
In paradise place principall.
Heloy! heloy!
My God, my God, full free,
Lama zabatanye,
Wharto forsoke thou me,
In care?
And I did nevere ille
This dede for to go tille,
But be it at thi wille.
A, me thirstis sare.

GARCIO   A drinke schalle I dresse thee indede,
A draughte that is full dayntely dight,
Full faste schall I springe for to spede.
I hope I schall holde that I have hight.

CAYPHAS   Sir Pilate, that moste is of myght,
Harke, “Heely” now harde I hym crye;
He wenys that that worthely wight
In haste for to helpe hym in hye
In his nede.

PILATUS   If he do soo,
He schall have woo.

ANNA   He wer oure foo
If he dresse hym to do us that dede.

GARCIO   That dede for to dresse yf he doo,
In sertis he schall rewe it full sore.
Neverethelees, if he like it noght, loo,
Full sone may he covere that care.
Now swete sir, youre wille yf it ware,
A draughte here of drinke have I dreste
To spede for no spence that ye spare,
But baldely ye bib it for the beste
Forwhy
Aysell and galle
Is menged withalle.
Drynke it ye schalle.
Youre lippis, I halde thame fulle drye.

JESUS   Thi drinke it schalle do me no deere,
Wete thou wele, therof will I none.
Nowe, Fadir, that formed alle in fere,
To thy moste myght make I my mone.
Thi wille have I wrought in this wone.
Thus ragged and rente on this roode,
Thus doulffully to dede have thei done.
Forgiffe thame be grace that is goode,
Thai ne wote noght what it was.
My Fadir, here my bone,
For nowe all thyng is done.
My spirite to thee right sone
Comende I in manus tuas.

MARIA   Now, dere Sone, Jesus so jente,
Sen my harte is hevy as leede,
O worde wolde I witte or thou wente.
Allas, nowe my dere Sone is dede.
Full rewfully refte is my rede.
Allas, for my darlyng so dere.

JOHANNES   A modir, ye halde uppe youre heede
And sigh noght with sorowes so seere,
I praye.

MARIA CLEOPHE   It dose hir pyne
To see hym tyne.
Lede we her heyne,
This mornyng helpe hir ne maye.

CAIPHAS   Sir Pilate, parceyve, I you praye,
Oure costemes to kepe wele ye canne.
Tomorne is our dere Sabott daye,
Of mirthe muste us meve ilke a man.
Yone warlous nowe waxis full wan,
And nedis muste thei beried be.
Delyver ther dede, sir, and thane
Shall we sew to oure saide solempnité
Indede.

PILATE   It schalle be done,
In wordis fone.
Sir knyghtis, go sone
To yone harlottis you hendely take heede.

Tho caytiffis thou kille with thi knyffe;
Delyvere, have done, thei were dede.

MILES   Mi lorde, I schall lenghe so ther liffe
That tho brothelles schall nevere bite brede.

PILATUS   Ser Longeus, steppe forthe in this steede.
This spere, loo, have halde in thy hande,
To Jesus thou rake fourthe I rede
And sted nought but stiffely thou stande
A stounde.
In Jesu side
Schoffe it this tyde;
No lenger bide,
But grathely thou go to the grounde.

LONGEUS LATUS   O, maker unmade, full of myght.
O, Jesu so jentill and jente,
That sodenly has lente me my sight.
Lorde, louyng to thee be it lente.
On rode arte thou ragged and rente
Mankynde for to mende of his mys.
Full spitously spilte is and spente
Thi bloode, Lorde, to bringe us to blis
Full free.
A, mercy my socoure,
Mercy, my treasoure,
Mercy my Savioure,
Thi mercy be markid in me.

CENTERIO   O, wondirfull werkar iwis,
This weedir is waxen full wan,
Trewe token I trowe that it is
That mercy is mente unto man.
Full clerly consayve thus I can
No cause in this corse couthe thei knowe,
Yitt doulfull thei demyd hym than
To lose thus his liffe be ther lawe,
No righte.
Trewly I saie,
Goddis Sone verraye
Was he this daye
That doulfully to dede thus is dight.

JOSEPH [OF ARIMATHEA]   That Lorde lele aylastyng in lande,
Sir Pilate, full preste in this presse,
He save thee be see and be sande,
And all that is derworth on deesse.

PILATUS   Joseph, this is lely no lesse;
To me arte thou welcome iwisse.
Do saie me the soth or thou sesse,
Thy worthyly wille what it is
Anone.

JOSEPH   To thee I praye,
Giffe me in hye
Jesu bodye
In gree it for to grave al alone.

PILATUS   Joseph, sir, I graunte thee that geste.
I grucche noght to grath hym in grave.
Delyver, have done he were dreste,
And sewe, sir, oure Sabott to saffe.

JOSEPH   With handis and harte that I have
I thanke thee in faith for my frende.
God kepe thee thi comforte to crave,
For wightely my way will I wende
In hye.
To do that dede
He be my speede,
That armys gun sprede,
Mannekynde be his bloode for to bye.

NICHODEMUS   Weill mette, ser; in mynde gune I meffe
For Jesu that juged was unjente.
Ye laboured for license and leve
To berye his body on bente?

JOSEPH   Full myldely that matere I mente,
And that for to do will I dresse.

NICHODEMUS   Both same I wolde that we wente
And lette not for more ne for lesse,
Forwhy
Oure frende was he,
Faithfull and free.

JOSEPH   Therfore go we
To berie that body in hye.

All mankynde may marke in his mynde
To see here this sorowfull sight.
No falsnesse in hym couthe thei fynde
That doulfully to dede thus is dight.

NICHODEMUS   He was a full worthy wight,
Nowe blemysght and bolned with bloode.

JOSEPH   Ya, for that he mustered his myght.
Full falsely thei fellid that foode,
I wyne,
Bothe bakke and side
His woundes wide;
Forthi this tyde
Take we hym doune us betwene.

NICHODEMUS   Betwene us take we hym doune,
And laie hym on lenthe on this lande.

JOSEPH   This reverent and riche of rennoune,
Late us halde hym and halse hym with hande.
A grave have I garte here be ordande
That never was in noote, it is newe.

NICHODEMUS   To this corse it is comely accordande
To dresse hym with dedis full dewe
This stounde

JOSEPH   A sudarye
Loo here have I,
Wynde hym forthy,
And sone schalle we grave hym in grounde.

NICHODEMUS   In grounde late us grave hym and goo;
Do liffely, latte us laie hym allone.
Nowe Saviour of me and of moo,
Thou kepe us in clennesse ilkone.

JOSEPH   To thy mercy nowe make I my moone,
As Saviour be see and be sande,
Thou gyde me that my griffe be al gone;
With lele liffe to lenge in this lande
And esse.

NICHODEMUS   Seere oynementis here have I
Brought for this faire body.
I anoynte thee forthy
With myrre and aloes.

JOSEPH   This dede it is done ilke a dele,
And wroughte is this werke wele iwis.
To thee, Kyng, on knes here I knele
That baynly thou belde me in blisse.

NICHODEMUS   He highte me full hendely to be his
A nyght whan I neghed hym full nere.
Have mynde, Lorde, and mende me of mys,
For done is oure dedis full dere
This tyde.

JOSEPH   This Lorde so goode
That schedde his bloode,
He mende youre moode
And buske on this blis for to bide.
Cease
entirely
Stop
altogether
peer
plainly; mention
judge; worthy; deed
(i.e., certainly)



By
judged; die

death
rules (controls) themselves

truth
death; put
care (desire); learn
(t-note)
(i.e., punish)

Each felon
neck
also; (see note)
bound; teach


destroy; attempt
lives; lose
malefactors; misery
loyally; reveal

unlucky
high


Took upon yourselves

destroyed

hurry
falsehood; faith
did
teach; lore


destroyed

escape





none; could

[this] case

seek out
sorrow; stir up

jests

due





caused; to be called
might

die; space [of time] (i.e., soon)

(i.e., be on your head)


purpose; eagerly
undertake; forthwith
wretch
trickery; misery
think

(t-note)
torture
hang
moon to make faces


deceiver; faith
trusts; pay attention
sagging one; (see note)
[If] the; were destroyed
were; every way
arrange
manifest [itself]


reward



know

among
jested too broadly; (t-note)

(see note)
truly; were made to be
off

found

obliged
trust; truly, each one

good will; (t-note)
at this time
(see note)

substitute

marked



What I have written, I have written; (see note)


gadling (scoundrel); grudge

sin; intended; (see note)
attention entirely


sin

suffering; trespasses
shown
(t-note)



I will purchase

(see note)

(t-note)
man

handsome

attached

dear one
grief
thief


stop




remain

distress; given
part



son
(t-note)
duty

Son; grief


death


calm; crowd








voice; stabilize; control

worthy


stop (amend); attitude


hope




go away

Until; passed (away)
try; humbly

(see note)
sins; to
refrain
obediently
(i.e., endured)

attempt to show
attention
trust
dens; (see note)
satisfy [them]

head

THIEF ON THE LEFT; (see note)
hang
save; let
(i.e., soon will be killed)

cease; speaking; (see note)
you dread not

wrong

No evil


(t-note)

(see note)
part


(see note)


Why
misery

undergo

sorely

prepare (for); (see note)
carefully

shall do as; promised


Elijah







foe
try; perform; deed


repent

be released from
were
prepared
expense; (t-note)
boldly; drink

Vinegar
mingled



harm; (see note)
Know; well
all together
moan (lament)
place
cross
(t-note)


hear; request

(t-note)
into your hands

gentle (gracious)
lead
know ere

cruelly lost; advisor (supporter)


hold; head
many (painful)


pain
die
Lead; away; (see note)
[we] may not; (t-note)

perceive
customs; well

move every
sorcerer; pale

Hasten; death
pursue



few

in a seemly manner

Those; (see note)


lengthen; lives
bread

place; (see note)
hold
go; advise
delay; boldly
while (space of time)

Shove

directly; location

(see note)

given
praise
cross
amend; sin
maliciously







(t-note)
weather; dark; (see note)
sign

conceive
could
judged

(i.e., illegally)



death; put

truly everlasting
bold; crowd

worthy; dais

loyally

cease




Give

suitable manner

man
grudge; bury
Hasten, endeavor; (see note)
proceed; save




quickly



were
by; purchase

Well met; was I moved; (t-note)
was judged to be not noble
permission
in a place




together; (t-note)

Since




quickly






man
disfigured; swollen; (see note)

manifested
destroyed; (dear) person
believe



(see note)


ground

holy one
hold; embrace; (see note)
cause; ordered; (see note)
use

properly suitable
[those] acts due [to him]
(i.e., now)

shroud


bury


quickly, let us
more
purity

lament; (t-note)

guide; grief
righteous; (i.e., dwell)
ease

Many


myrrh

(t-note)

(see note)
readily; shelter

promised; graciously
approached
[my] transgressions; (t-note)
dear
time




hurry to; abide