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PILATUS Pees, bewscheres, I bidde you, that beldis here aboute me,
And loke that ye stirre with no striffe but stande stone still,
Or, by the Lorde that me liffe lente, I schall garre you lowte me,
And all schall byde in my bale that wirkis noght my will.
Ye rebaldis that regnys in this rowte,
Ye stynte of youre stevenyng so stowte,
Or with this brande that dere is to doute,
All to dede I schall dryve you this day.
For Sir Pilate of Pounce as prince am I preved,
As renke moste royall in richeste array,
Ther is no berne in this burgh has me aboute hevyd,
But he sekis me for sovereyne, in certayne I saie,
To knawe,
Therfore take hede to youre lordis estate
That none jangill or jolle at my gate,
Nor no man to grath hym no gate
Tille I have seggid and saide all my sawe.
For I ame the luffeliest lappid and laide
With feetour full faire in my face,
My forhed both brente is and brade
And myne eyne thei glittir like the gleme in the glasse;
And the hore that hillis my heed
Is even like to the golde wyre;
My chekis are bothe ruddy and reede,
And my coloure as cristall is cleere.
Ther is no prince prevyd undir palle
But I ame moste myghty of all to behold,
Nor no kyng but he schall come to my call,
Nor grome that dare greve me for golde.
Sir Kayphas, thurgh counsaill thi clergy is kid,
For thy counsaille is knowyn for connand and clere,
And Sir Anna, thyn aunswer aught not to be hidde,
For thou is one and is abill and aught to be nere
In Parlament playne.
And I am prince pereles, youre poyntis to enquere.
How saie ye, Jues, of Jesus that swayne?
Have done, sirs, sais on youre sawis,
What tytill nowe have ye unto hym?
And lely ye loke uppon youre lawes,
Saye, why sente ye so sone for to spille hym?
ANNA Sir, that is prince and lorde of oure laye,
That traitour untrewe that ye of telle us,
Nowe certayne and sone the soth schall I saie:
It is Jesus that japer that Judas ganne selle us.
He marres oure men in all that he may,
His merveylis full mekill is mustered emelle us,
That faitoure so false.
He dois many derffe dedis on oure Sabotte day,
That unconnand conjeon he castis hym to quelle us;
Fro man onto man he will compelle us
And undo you and ourselffe als.
Youreselffe he will fordo
And he halde furth this space,
And all this Jurie to
Yf that ye graunte hym grace.
PILATUS Sir Anna, this aunswere allow I nothyng,
I halde it but hatereden, this artikill hale,
And therfore, ser busshoppe, at my biddyng,
Do telle me nowe trewly the texte of this tale.
Do termyne it trewly and tyte
And lely ye lede it by the lawe,
Felonye or falsed evyn here I defie it;
Saie me sadly the soth, for love or for awe.
KAYPHAS Sir Pilate, the talis the traitoure has tolde,
It hevys us in harte full haly to here tham:
The warlowe with his wilis he wenys tham to wolde,
The ladde with his lesyngis full lightly gan lere tham.
Full tyte will he take tham untill hym
And he thus forth go with his gaudis
Or speche oversprede; ya, bettir is to spille hym,
The faitoure is so felle with his false fraudis.
PILATUS Youre aunsweres is hedouse and hatefull to here.
Hadde I not herde hym and myselfe had hym sene,
Yitt ye myght have made me to trowe you intere,
But faute in hym I fynde none, but conande and clene.
For conande and clene can I clepe hym,
No faute can I fynde to reffuse hym;
I hope yitt in haste ye schall here hym
Whanne he comys to racleyme; than may ye cuse hym.
I MILES Lorde, fele of his ferles in faith have we fonne,
Yone harlotte hevys oure hartis full of hate ire,
He sais hymselffe that he is Goddis Sone
And schall sitte on the right hande beside his awne sire.
II MILES Ther talis is full trewe that we telle.
On the raynebowe the rebalde it redis,
He sais he schall have us to hevene or to hell
To deme us a day aftir oure dedis.
PILATUS To deme us? In the devyll name!
Say whedir, saie whedir to the devyll?
What dastardis, wene ye be wiser than we?
I MILES Mi lorde, with youre leve, we neven it for non ill,
He has mustered his mervayles to mo than to me.
Mi soverayne lorde, yone sauterell he sais
He schall caste doune oure Tempill, noght for to layne,
And dresse it uppe dewly within thre daies
As wele as it was, full goodely agayne.
ANNA Ya, sir, and on oure awne Sabott day,
Thanne werkis he werkis full wele.
PILATUS We, fye on hym, faitour, for ay,
For thei are darke dedis of the devyll.
KAYPHAS Sir, a noysomemare note newly is noysed,
That grevis me more than any kynne thyng;
He claymes hym clerly till a kyngdome of Jewes
And callis hymselffe oure comeliest kyng.
PILATUS Kyng, in the devillis name — we, fye on hym, dastard!
What, wenys that woode warlowe overewyn us thus lightly?
A begger of Bedlem, borne as a bastard,
Nowe, by Lucifer lath I that ladde, I leve hym not lightly.
ANNA Sir, the harlotte is at Heroudes hall evyn her at your hande.
PILATUS I sente to hym that warlowe, the devyll myght hym wery.
KAIPHAS It langis to youre lordschippe be lawe of this land,
As soverayne youreselffe, to sitte of enquery.
ANNA Sir, the traitoure has tolde us mo trufullis truly
Wolde tene you full tyte and we you tham tolde.
PILATUS Nowe, be Beliall bonis, that boy schall abie
And bring on his bak a burdeyne of golde.
I FILIUS Mi lorde that is ledar of lawis of this lande,
Ye sente hym youreselfe to Herowde the kyng
And sais, “The dome of that doge lies holy in your hande
To deme hym or lose hym at youre likyng.”
And thus ye comaunded youre knyghtis for to saie,
For Sir Heroude will serche hym full sore
So that he wende with no wilis away;
And therfore, my goode lorde, move you no more.
KAIPHAS Nowe, certis, this was wele saide,
But sir, wille ye sese nowe, and we schall se syne.
PILATUS Sir Kayphas and Anna, right so nowe I thynke,
Sittis, in Mahoundis blissing, and aske us the wyne,
Ye knyghtis of my courte, comaundis us to drynke.
JUDAS Allas, for woo that I was wrought
Or evere I come be kynde or kynne;
I banne the bonys that me furth brought,
Woo worthe the wombe that I bredde ynne,
So I may bidde.
For I so falsely did to hym
That unto me grete kyndnesse kidde.
The purse with his spens aboute I bare,
Ther was none trowed so wele as I.
Of me he triste no man mare,
And I betrayed hym traytourly
With a false trayne.
Sakles I solde his blessid body
Unto Jues for to be slayne.
To slaa my sovereyne assente I,
And tolde them the tyme of his takyng;
Shamously myselfe thus schente I
So sone for to sente to his slayng.
Nowe wiste I howe he myght passe that payne
To loke that howe beste bote myght be.
Unto the Jues I will agayne
To save hym he myght passe free,
This ware my will.
Lorde, welthe and worschippe mot with yow be.
PILATUS What tythandis, Judas, tellis thou us till?
JUDAS My tydyngis are tenefull, I telle you,
Sir Pilate, therfore I you praye;
My maistir that I gune selle you,
Gode lorde, late hym wende on his way.
KAIPHAS Nay, nedelyngis, Judas, that we denye;
What mynde or mater has moved thee thus?
JUDAS Sir, I have synned full grevously,
Betraied that rightwisse bloode, Jesus,
And maistir myne.
KAYPHAS Bewscher, what is that till us?
The perill and the plight is thyne.
Thyne is the wronge, thou wroughte it,
Thou hight us full trulye to take hym,
And oures is the bargayne: we bought hym.
Loo, we are alle sente for to slee hym.
JUDAS Allas, that may me rewe full ill,
Giffe ye assente hym for to slaa.
PILATUS Why, what wolde thou that we did thertill?
JUDAS I praie you, goode lorde, late hym gaa,
And here is of me youre paymente hale.
KAYPHAS Naie, we will noght so.
We bought hym for he schulde be slayne.
To slee hym thiselffe thou assente it.
This wate thou wondirly wele.
What right is nowe to repente?
Thou schapist thiselffe unseele.
ANNA Do waie, Judas, thou dose for noght.
Thy wordis I warne thee are in waste;
Thyselffe to selle hym whanne thou us sought,
Thou was agaynste hym thanne the moste
Of us ilkan.
KAYPHAS We schall be venged on hym in haste,
Whedir that evere he will or none.
PILATUS Ther wordis that thou nevys noght nedis it,
Thou onhanged harlott, harke what I saie:
Spare of thy spekyng, noght spedis it,
Or walke oute at the dore, in the devill way.
JUDAS Why will ye thanne noght latte hym passe
And have of me agayne youre paie?
PILATUS I telle thee, traytoure, I wille it noght.
JUDAS Allas, thanne am I lorne,
Bothe bone and bloode;
Allas the while, so may I saie,
That evere I sente to spille his bloode.
To save his bloode, sirs, I saie youe,
And takes you thare youre payment hole.
Spare for to spille hym, I praye youe,
Ellis brewe ye me full mekill bale.
PILATUS Nay, heriste thou, Judas, thou schall agayne,
We will it nought, what devyll art thou?
When thou us sought thou was full fayne
Of this money. What aylis thee nowe
For to repente?
JUDAS Agayne, sirs, here, I giffe it you,
And save hym that he be noght schent.
PILATUS To schende hym thyselfe has thee schamed.
Thou may lathe with thi liffe that thou ledis,
Fondely as a false foole thiselffe has famed;
Therfore the devyll thee droune for thy darfe dedis.
JUDAS I knawe my trespasse and my gilte.
It is so grete it garres me grise,
Me is full woo he schulde be spilte.
Might I hym save of any wise,
Wele were me than;
Save hym, sirs, to youre service
I will me bynde to be your man.
Youre bondeman, lorde, to be
Nowe evere will I bynde me,
Sir Pilate, ye may trowe me,
Full faithfull schall ye fynde me.
PILATUS Fynde thee faithfull? A, foule mot thee falle
Or thou come in oure companye,
For, by Mahoundes bloode, thou wolde selle us all.
Thi service will we noght for it
Thou art unknowen.
Fals tiraunte, for thi traitoury
Thou art worthi to be hanged and drawen.
Hanged and drawen schulde thou be knowen
And thou had right, by all goode reasoune.
Thi maistirs bloode thou biddist us save,
And thou was firste that did him treasoune.
JUDAS I cry you mercy, lorde, on me rewe,
This werryd wight that wronge has wrought;
Have mercy on my maistir trewe
That I have in youre bandome brought
. . .
PILATUS Goo, jape thee, Judas, and neven it noght
Nor move us of this matere more.
ANNA No more of this matere thou move thee,
Thou momeland mytyng emell;
Oure poynte expresse her reproves thee
Of felonye falsely and felle.
KAIPHAS He grucchis noght to graunte his gilte,
Why schonnys thou noght to schewe thi schame?
We bought hym for he schulde be spilte,
All same we were consente to the same
And thiselffe als.
Thou feyned noght for to defame,
Thou saide he was a traytoure fals.
PILATUS Yaa, and for a false faitoure
Thyselffe full fully gon selle hym;
O, that was a trante of a traytour
So sone thou schulde goo to begile hym.
I MILES What, wolde thou that we lete hym ga?
Yon weried wight that wrought such wronge,
We will noght lose oure bargayne swaa,
So lightely for to late hym gang;
And reson why
Latte we that lotterell liffe ought long,
It will be fonde, in faith, foly.
II MILES Yone folte, for no foole schall he fynde us,
We wotte all full wele howe it was,
His maistir whanne he gune bringe us,
He praied yow, my goode lord, late hym not passe.
PILATUS Nay, sertis, he schalle noght passe free
That we for oure mony has paied.
JUDAS Take it agayne that ye toke me,
And save hym fro that bittir braide,
Than were I fayne.
ANNA Itt serves of noght that thou has saide,
And therfore takis it tyte agayne.
PILATUS Tyte agayne, traytoure, thou take it,
We wille it noght welde within oure wolde;
Yitt schalte thou noght, sawterell, thus sune forsake it,
For I schall sers hym myselffe sen thou has hym solde.
KAIPHAS Forsake it, in faith, that he ne schall,
For we will halde hym that we have;
The payment chenys thee withall,
Thee thar no nodir comenaunte crave,
. . .
JUDAS Sen ye assente hym for to slaa,
Vengeaunce I crie on you ilkone!
Ilkane I crie, the devill fordo youe,
And that myghte I both here and see
Herde hevenyng here I unto youe,
For sorowe onsought ye on me se.
KAIPHAS Whe, fye on thee, traytoure attaynte, at this tyde;
Of treasoune thou tyxste hym that triste thee for trewe.
Do buske thee henne, brothell, no lenger thou abide,
For if thou do, all thi respouns sare schall thee rewe.
Say wote thou noght who is I?
Nowe be my nociens, myght I negh nere thee,
In certayne, ladde, yitt schulde I lere thee
To lordis to speke curtaisely.
PILATUS Go thy gatis, geddlyng, and greve us no more,
Leffe of thi talke, the devill mot thee hange.
JUDAS That att ye toke me, take it you there,
Ther with youre maistrie make yowe emange
And clayme it you clene,
Me lathes with my liff, so liffe I to lang.
My traitourfull torne he turment my tene.
Sen for my treasoune have I tane unto me,
Me thare aske no mercy, for none mon I gete;
Therfore in haste myselffe schall fordo me.
Allas, the harde while that evere ete I meete.
Thus schall I marke my mytyng meede
And wirke me wreke with harte and will,
To spille myselffe nowe wille I spede,
For sadly have I servyd thertill.
So walaway
That evere I was in witte or wille
That tristy trewe for to betraye.
Allas, who may I meve to?
Shall I me take non othir reede?
Miselffe in haste I schall fordoo,
And take me nowe unto my dede.
KAIPHAS Have done, nowe, Sir Pilate, late se what ye saie
As touchyng this money that we here have
That Judas in a wreth has wavyd away
And keste us crabbidly, that cursed knave.
Howe saie ye therby?
ANNA Sir, sen he it slang, we schall it save.
KAYPHAS Tite truste it tille oure tresorie.
PILATUS Nay, sir, noght soo.
JUDAS Why, sir, how than?
PILATUS Sir, it schall nought combre us;
nor come in oure corbonan.
KAYPHAS No, tille oure tresory certayne;
farther schall it nought.
PILATUS And se youreselffe soth certayne and skill,
It is price of the bloode that we with it boght;
Therfore some othir poynte I purpose it till,
And thus I devyse.
A spotte of erthe for to by, wayte nowe I will,
To berie in pilgrimes that by the wey dies.
Pilgrimes and palmeres to putte there,
Sir Kaiphas and Anna, assente ye therto?
And othere false felons that we forfare.
ANNA As ye deme, lorde, so wille we doo.
ARMIGER Hayle, Sir Pilate, perles and prince of this empire;
Haile, the gaiest on grounde, in golde ther ye glide;
Haile, the louffeliest lorde of lyme and of lyre
And all the soferans semely that sittith thee beside.
PILATUS What wolde thou?
ARMIGER A worde, lorde, and wende.
PILATUS Nowe thou arte welcome, iwisse.
But delyvere thee lightly withouten any lette,
We have no tome all day to tente onto thee.
ARMIGER A place here beside, lorde, wolde I wedde sette.
PILATUS What title has thou therto? Is it thyne awne free?
ARMIGER Lorde, fre be my fredome me fallis it.
This tale is full trewe that I telle you,
And Calvary locus men callis it;
I wolle it wedde sette, but not for to selle you.
PILATUS What wolde thou borowe, bewshire, belyve, late me se?1
ARMIGER If it ware youre lekyng, my lorde, for to lene it,
Thirty pens I wolde ye lente onto me.
KAYPHAS Yis, bewshire, that schall thou have.
PILATUS Shewe us thi dedis and have here thi mony.
ARMIGER Have her, gode lord, but loke ye thame save.
PILATUS Yis, certis, we schall save thame full soundely,
And ellis do we noght dewly oure devere.
Faste, freke, for thy faith, on thy fote fonde thee,
For fro this place, bewschere, I soile thee for evere.
ARMIGER Now sorowe on such socoure as I have soght,
For all my tresoure thurgh tresoune I tyne.
I tyne it untrewly by tresoune,
Therfore nowe my way will I wende,
For ye do me no right nor no resoune
I betake you all to the fende.
PILATUS Nowe, certis, we are served att all,
This place is purchesed full propirly;
The Felde of Bloode loke ye it call,
I comaunde ilkone forthy.
KAIPHAS Sir, as ye comaunde us, call it schall we soo,
But my lorde, with youre leve, we may lende her no lengar
But faste late us founde to fang on oure foo,
Yone gedlyng ongodly has brewed us grete angir.
ANNA Do way, sir busshoppe, and be not abaste,
For loste is all oure lekyng, lepe he so light.
KAIPHAS Nay, sir, he schall not trusse so tite, and that he ye traste,
For it wynnes us no worschippe the werkis of yone wight,
But grete angir.
Forthy late us dresse us his deth for to dite,
And late we this lotterell leve her no lengar.
PILATUS Sir Kayphas, thurgh counsaile comaunde we oure knyghtis
To wacche on yone warlowe
What way that he wendis,
Do dresse you nowe dewly
To yone doderon you dightis,
And lette noght to laite hym
In lande where he lendis,
Nor levys hym noght lightly.
II MILES In faith, we schall fette hym
Full farre fro his frendis.
PILATUS Nowe walkis on in the wanyand,
And wende youre way wightely.
|
dwell; (t-note)
(t-note)
custody
prevail; crowd
stop (cease); shouting
sword; dangerous; fear
death
proved
man
boy; raised up
jostle
(see note)
spoken
covered
features
high is and broad
hair; covers; head
(see note)
red
proved (acknowledged); royal robe; (see note)
(t-note)
man; grieve
known
intelligence; clarity
plainly
Jews
sayings
claim
destroy
law
scoffer; did
great; are manifested among; (t-note)
deceiver
evil
unwise idiot
If; hold
too
malicious; whole
pronounce; quickly
truly; uphold
falsehood
solemnly
stories
grieves; wholly to hear
wiles; to wield (control)
lies; teach
quickly; to
tricks
spread out; kill
wicked
hideous
(t-note)
believe; entirely (sincerely)
fault; wisdom; purity; (see note)
call
condemn
returns when summoned; accuse
many; marvels; discovered
(i.e., fills our hearts)
tales
interprets; (see note)
judge; one day
(see note)
mention; (t-note)
babbler
not to be concealed
raise it up again
more noisome matter; heard
sort of
crazy warlock to defeat; easily
Bethlehem
loathe
harass (trouble); (t-note)
belongs; (t-note)
to preside at a court of inquiry
nonsense
displease you quickly if
bones; pay (the penalty); (see note)
If [he]
prince
interrogate
tricks (deceptions); (t-note)
cease; later
(see note); (t-note)
(see note)
curse
did
pence
trusted
had confidence
deception
Innocent
slay
Shamefully; was guilty
assent
remedy (redemption); (t-note)
is
may
(t-note)
grievous
did
necessarily
righteous
guilt
did
assured
(see note)
(t-note)
If
go
whole
agreed (to)
know
create misery for yourself
name
not yet put to (the) death (you deserve)
Refrain from
payment
return to you
sorrow
extremely happy
killed
destroy
hate your life
been made a celebrity
wicked deeds
(see note)
causes; to shudder in terror
befall
Ere
(i.e., even if)
You were
villain; betrayal
(t-note)
accursed man
power
[line missing, see note]
play the jester; say
mumbling insignificant person
as expressed here convicts
sharply
shuns; show
also
hesitated; denounce
deceiver
trick
wicked man
so
(i.e., release him)
(t-note)
scoundrel live any longer
foolish; folly
fool (idiot)
began [to]
(see note)
torment
glad
have within our power
babbler (hypocrite); soon; (t-note)
search (examine)
hold
obliges
other agreement; (t-note)
[line missing, see textual note]
hear
Hard vengeance
convicted; (see note)
charged; trusted
hence
(miserable) answers; rue
know you not who I am
by; inclinations; come near
teach
way
Leave off; (t-note)
(i.e., share it among you)
I hate my; too long
traitorous act; torments; rage
Since; taken
(see note)
commit suicide
ate; meat (food)
little reward
vengeance
kill
trusty true [one]
speak
advice
(see note)
anger
thrown; bad-naturedly
threw
Quickly
(t-note)
encumber
treasury
to
fitting; (t-note)
buy
execute
peerless; (t-note)
move gracefully
limb; body
sovereigns
delay
time; attend
mortgage; (see note)
free on account of; (see note)
place
mortgage it
desire; bestow
deed [to property]
duty
man; feet go
assoil (release)
(t-note)
have lost
fiend
(see note)
remain here no longer
seize
ungodly
afraid
liking (hope), escape
go so quickly
accomplish
scoundrel live
watch for
wretch; go
fail; seek
dwells
lives
fetch
waning [of the moon] (i.e., an evil time)
briskly
|