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Play 40, The Travelers to Emmaus

[The Woolpackers and Woolbrokers]
 




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I PERIGRINUS   That Lorde that me lente this liffe for to lede,
In my wayes thou me wisse thus will of wone;
Qwen othir men halfe moste mirthe to ther mede,
Thanne als a mornand manne make I my mone,
For douteles nowe may we drede us.
Allas, thei have refte us oure rede,
With doole have thei dight hym to dede,
That Lorde that was leeffe for to lede us.

II PERIGRINUS   He ledde us full lelly, that Lorde, nowe allas
Mi Lorde for his lewté his liffe has he lorne.

I PERIGRINUS   Saye, who comes there claterand?

II PERIGRINUS                                     Sir, I, Cleophas.
Abide, my leffe brothere, to bale am I borne,
But telle me whedir thou bounes?

I PERIGRINUS   To Emax, this castell beside us;
Ther may we bothe herber and hyde us;
Therfore late we tarie at no townes.

II PERIGRINUS   Atte townes for to tarie take we no tent,
But take us tome at this tyme to talke of sume tales
And jangle of the Jewes and of Jesu so gente,
Howe thei bette that body was bote of all bales.
With buffettis thei bete hym full barely;
In Sir Cayphas hall garte thei hym call
And hym before Sir Pilate in his hall,
On the morne than aftir, full arely.

I PERIGRINUS   Full arely the juggemen demed hym to dye.
Both prestis and prelatis to Pilate made preysing,
And alls cursid caytiffis and kene on Criste gan thei crie
And on that lele Lorde made many a lesyng.
Thei spitte in his face to dispise hym,
To spoile hym nothyng thei spared hym,
But natheles baynly thei bared hym,
With scourges smertly goyng thei smote hym.

II PERIGRINUS   Thei smotte hym full smertely that the bloode oute braste,
That all his hyde in hurth was hastely hidde.
A croune of thorne on his heede full thraly thei thraste,
Itt is grete dole for to deme the dedis thei hym dide.
With byndyng unbaynly and betyng,
Thane on his bakke bare he thame by
A crosse unto Calvery,
That swettyng was swemyd for swetyng.

I PERIGRINUS   For all the swette that he swete with swyngis thei hym swang,1
And raffe hym full rewfully with rapes on a rode,
Than hevyd thei hym highly on hight for to hang;
Withouten misse of this man, thus mensked thai his mode2
That evere has bene trewest in trastyng.
Methynkith myn herte is boune for to breke
Of his pitefull paynes when we here speke,
So frendfull we fonde hym in fraistyng.

II PERIGRINUS   In fraisting we fonde hym full faithfull and free,
And his mynde mente he nevere mysse to no man.
Itt was a sorowe, forsoth, in sight for to see
Whanne that a spetyffull spere unto his harte ranne.
In baill thus his body was beltid,
Into his harte thraly thei thraste;
Whan his piteffull paynes were paste,
That swett thyng full swiftely he sweltid.

I PERIGRINUS   He sweltid full swithe in swonyng, that swette.
Allas, for that luffely that laide is so lowe,
With granyng full grissely on grounde may we grette,
For so comely a corse canne I none knowe.
With dole unto dede thei did hym
For his wise werkis that he wroght thame,
Thes false folke whan thei bethoughte thame,
That grette unkyndynesse thei kidde hym.

II PERIGRINUS   Unkyndynesse thei kidde hym, tho caistiffis so kene,
And als unwitty wightis wrought thei hym wreke.

JESUS   What are thes mervailes that ye of mene
And thus mekill mournyng in mynde that ye make,
Walkyng thus wille by thes wayes?

II PERIGRINUS   Why, arte thou a pilgryme and haste bene
At Jerusalem, and haste thou noght sene
What dole has ben done in thes daies?

JESUS   In ther daies, dere sir, what dole was ther done?
Of that werke wolde I witte, and youre will were,
And therfore I pray you telle me now sone.
Was ther any hurlyng in hande? Nowe late me here.

I PERIGRINUS   Why herde thou no carpyng nor crying
Att Jerusalem ther thou haste bene
Whenne Jesu of Nazarene
Was doulfully dight to the dying?

II PERIGRINUS   To the dying thei dight hym that defte was and dere,
Thurgh prokering of princes that were ther in prees.
Forthy as wightis that are will thus walke we in were,
For pechyng als pilgrymes that putte are to pees.
For mornyng of oure maistir thus morne wee
As wightis that are wilsome thus walke we,
Of Jesus in telling thus talke we;
Fro townes for takyng thus turne we.

I PERIGRINUS   Thus turne we fro townes, but take we entent
How thei mourthered that man that we of mene;
Full rewfully with ropis on rode thei hym rente
And takkid hym thertill full tyte in a tene,
Upperightis full rudely thei raised hym.
Thanne myghtely to noye hym withall,
In a mortaise faste lete hym fall,
To pynne hym thei putte hym and peysed hym.

II PERIGRINUS   Thei peysed hym to pynne hym, that pereles of pese,
Thus on that wight that was wise wroght thei grete wondir,
Yitt with that sorowe wolde thei noght sesse;
They schogged hym and schotte hym his lymes all in sondir,3
His braynes thus brake thei and braste hym.
A blynde knyght, such was his happe,
Inne with a spere poynte atte the pappe
To the harte full thraly he thraste hym.

I PERIGRINUS   Thei thraste hym full thraly, than was ther no threpyng;
Thus with dole was that dere unto dede dight.
His bak and his body was bolned for betyng:
Itt was, I saie thee forsoth, a sorowfull sight.
But oftesithes have we herde saie,
And we trowe as we herde telle,
That he was to rawsoune Israell;
But nowe is this the thirde daye.

II PERIGRINUS   Thes dayes newe owre wittis are waxen in were,
For some of oure women for certayne thei saide
That thai sawe in ther sightis solas full seere,
Howe all was lemand light wher he was laide.
Thei called us, as ever myght thei thriffe,
For certayne thei saugh it in sight,
A visioune of aungellis bright,
And tolde thame ther Lorde was alyve.

I PERIGRINUS   On lyve tolde thei that Lorde leved hir in lande,
Thez women come lightly to warne, I wene.
Some of oure folke hyed forthe and faste thei it fande
That all was soth that thei saide that sight had thei sene.
For lely thei loked ther he laye,
Thei wende ther that foode to have fonne.
Thanne was his toumbe tome as a tonne;
Thanne wiste thei that wight was away.

II PERIGRINUS   Awaye is that wight that wonte was us for to wisse.

JESUS   A, fooles, that are fauty and failes of youre feithe,
This bale bud hym bide and belde thame in blisse;
But ye be lele of youre laye, youre liffe holde I laith.
To prophetis he proved it and preched,
And also to Moyses gan he saie
That he muste nedis die on a day,
And Moyses forth talde it and teched,

And talde it and teched it many tymes than.

I PERIGRINUS   A, more of this talking we pray you to telle us.

II PERIGRINUS   Ya, sir, be youre carping full kyndely we kenne,
Ye meene of oure maistir of whome that we melle us.

I PERIGRINUS   Ya, goode sir, see what I saie you,
See ye this castell beside her?
All nyght we thynke for to bide here.
Bide with us, sir pilgrime, we praye you,

We praye you, sir pilgrime, ye presse noght to passe.

JESUS   Yis, sir, me bus nede.

I PERIGRINUS                     Naye, sir, the nyght is over nere.

JESUS   And I have ferre for to founde.

II PERIGRINUS                           I hope wele thou has.

I PERIGRINUS   We praye thee, sir, hartely, all nyght holde thee here.

JESUS   I thanke youe of this kyndinesse ye kydde me.

I PERIGRINUS   Go in, sir, sadly and sone.

II PERIGRINUS   Sir, daunger dowte noght, have done.

JESUS   Sir, I muste nedis do as ye bid me:

Ye bidde me so baynly I bide for the beste.

I PERIGRINUS   Lo, her is a sege, goode sir, I saie you.

II PERIGRINUS   With such goode as we have glad we oure geste.

I PERIGRINUS   Sir, of this poure pitaunce take parte now, we pray yow.
. . .
JESUS   Nowe blisse I this brede that brought is on the borde;
Fraste theron faithfully, my frendis, you to feede.

I PERIGRINUS   . . . unterly have we tane entent.
Ow, I trowe some torfoyr is betidde us.
Saie, wher is this man.

II PERIGRINUS                Away is he wente,
Right now satte he beside us.

I PERIGRINUS   Beside us we both sawe him sitte,
And by no poynte couthe I parceyve hym passe.

II PERIGRINUS   Nay, be the werkis that he wrought full wele myght we witte
Itt was Jesus hymselffe, I wiste who it was.

I PERIGRINUS   Itt was Jesus thus wisely that wrought,
That raised was and rewfully rente on the rode;
Of bale and of bittirnesse has he us boght,
Boune was and betyn that all braste on bloode.

II PERIGRINUS   All braste on bloode, so sore was he bette
With ther wickid Jewes that wrethfull was evere,
With scourges and scharpe thornes on his heede sette,
Suche torfoyr and torment of telle herde I nevere.

I PERIGRINUS   Of telle herde I nevere of so pitefull peynes
As suffered oure soverayne, hyngand on highte.
Nowe is he resen with myght and with mayne;
I telle for sikir, we saugh hym in sight.

II PERIGRINUS   We saugh hym in sight, nowe take we entent,
Be the brede that he brake us so baynly betwene,
Such wondirfull wais as we have wente
Of Jesus the gente was nevere none seene.

I PERIGRINUS   Sene was ther nevere so wondirfull werkes,
Be see ne be sande, in this worlde so wide,
Menskfully in mynde thes materes now merkis,
And preche we it prestly on every ilke side.

II PERIGRINUS   On every ilke side prestely prechis we;
Go we to Jerusaleme thes tydingis to telle;
Oure felawes fro fandyng nowe fraste we.
More of this mater her may we not melle.

I PERIGRINUS   Here may we notte melle more at this tyde,
For prossesse of plaies that precis in plight;4
He bringe to his blisse on every ilke side,
That sofferayne Lorde that moste is of myght.
(t-note)
direct; [being] distraught
When; have; reward
mourning; moan; (t-note)
may we dread
taken away; counselor; (t-note)
dole; put; death
beloved

truly; (see note); (t-note)
loyalty

chattering; (t-note)

(t-note)
dear; carried; (t-note)
wither; are going

Emmaus; (see note)

let us

intent
time; (i.e., reminisce); (t-note)
talk
beat; remedy; sorrows; (t-note)
to the extreme


afterward; early

judges
flattering
as; maliciously; to cry
true; lie

despoil (strip)
nonetheless readily; stripped
in movement

burst
injury (wounds)
violently; thrust
sorrow; judge; deeds
cruelly; beating


beloved one; overcome; sweating (toil)


pulled him apart; ropes; cross


trusting (faith)


loyal (loving); [his] trial (testing)

found
sin (hostility)

cruel spear
custody; enclosed
violently

sweet; was overcome (died)

quickly; swooning
loved one
lamenting; sorrowfully; weep
body

them
contrived
showed

showed, cruel
unwise men; violence

(see note)

distraught


observed



if it is your wish

violence; let; hear

talking

Nazareth
sorrowfully put to death

gentle
provoking (plotting); assembly
distraught; confusion; (t-note)
fear of accusation; made to be quiet
mourning; mourn; (t-note)
confused (bewildered)
(t-note)
[possibility of] capture

notice


fastened; (i.e., in an angry fit); (t-note)

annoy
mortice
nail; pushed; pressed him down; (t-note)

peace

cease

crushed
luck
breast
violently

disputing

swollen from; (t-note)

oftentimes; (t-note)
believe
ransom; (t-note)
(see note)

confusion


gleaming
thrive
saw




quickly; believe
hurried; found
true
truly
man; found
empty; barrel


man; teach

fallible; faith
pain must he abide; support
Unless your story is true; loath; (t-note)

(see note)

(t-note)





readily
mean (speak); associated ourselves


[us] here



beg; pass [on]

must [go on]



far to go





offer

solemnly; soon

doubt not; (t-note)





seat; (see note)

entertain; guest


[two lines missing, see note]
board; (see note)
Taste

?entirely; (t-note)
calamity; happen (to)








know



sorrowfully torn; cross
purchased
Bound; beaten; ?splattered with


wrathful
head
disaster


hanging high
power
surely


bread; broke; readily
ways; traveled; (t-note)



By sea nor by
Fittingly remembers these matters; (see note)
without delay; each and every; (t-note)



temptation; urge
be concerned

mingle; time

(t-note)