|
XXVI
THE CUTLERS’ PLAY
PILATE
Under the royallest king of power and renown,
Now am I regent to rule this region in rest.
Brisk to my bidding must bishops bow down,
And bold men in battle that meet breast to breast.
Delivered to me is the care of this tower-builded town.
For traitors swift I attaint, the truth for to trust;
The deference to my dignity may not be done down.
Neither by duke nor doughty lord, so dread my renown.
My desire must daily be done
By them that are greatest of game.
To gainsay me I find few or none,
Wherefore do I better their boon.
Let him that annoys me right soon
Be ware, for fierce is my name.
I am a perilous prince,
Pounce Pilat by name.
He full bitterly sues
That shall bide my blame;
For soon his life shall he lose,
Or be left for lame,
That bows not to me low,
Nor likes not to learn.
And thus since we stand in our state
As lords with all liking in land,
Come, sirs, tell us now if ye wot
Any matter of grief or debate,
That needs to be handled full hot.
Since all your help hangs on my hand.
CAIAPHAS
Sir, for to certify well the truth in your sight
To you as to our sovereign seemly we sue.
PILATE
Why,
Is there any mischief that musters his might,
Or malice of base men we must pursue?
ANNAS
Yea, Sir; there is a rank swain,
Whose rule is not right,
For report of him through this domain
Has raised tumult and fright.
PILATE
I know well ye hate him;
Your hearts have no peace;
Unless I abate him,
His harm will increase.
But why are ye barely so fierce?
Be calm, and your reasons array.
CAIAPHAS
To us, sir, his lore is full loath.
PILATE
Beware that ye wax not to wrath.
ANNAS
Why, sir, to escape from his scathe,
We seek for your succour to-day.
PILATE
If that wretch in our ward have wrought any wrong,
Well warned would we know—and will ere we end.
If his sayings be lawful. Allege not too long;
For we may if we please, let him stay with good will.
I DOCTOR
And if that false liar Your favour wins still
’Tis plain that our people Must fail of a friend.
Sir,
The strength of his crying so curst is and strong,
He must quickly be quelled ere our ruin befall.
For he teaches the people a name,
Great God's Son to call him—O shame!
And says he shall soon take his seat
In high heaven, his rightful estate.
PILATE
It seems ye will not make an end,
But he is the same ye said should descend,
Both you and your children to save.
CAIAPHAS
Ah, soft, sir.
For of Christ when he comes no kin shall be known,
But of this caitiff's kin we know every one.
He claims like great God everlasting to be,
To lift up the laden, to slay or to free.
PILATE
His mastery should move you Your mood to amend.
ANNAS
Nay, for such fault from malice We cannot let be.
For he says he shall deem us, that dolt.
And does us disdain and despite.
PILATE
To annoy him now is all your note;
But yet the law lies in my lot.
I DOCTOR
If, Sir, ye will hear ye shall know
That he is well worthy of blame;
For here in our Temple he taught—
Yea, times more than ten—
Where tables full of treasure lay
For buyer and bought,
Of our chief money-changers
But cursedly to ken,
He cast them down basely,
And counted it nought.
CAIAPHAS
Lo, sir, this is perjury to print under pen.
Wherefore, make that apostate, We pray you, to bend.
PILATE
How mean ye?
CAIAPHAS
To put him to death, sir, for moving of men.
PILATE
Then 'twould be your mastery that made him to mourn.
Let be, sirs, and move that no more.
Say, what in your Temple was done?
I SOLDIER
Why! There, sir, he skelped out of score
Who stately stood selling their store.
PILATE
Then felt he some fault there before,
And made the cause well to be known.
CAIAPHAS
Why, Sir, on our Sabbath the sick will he save,
Nor cease at our saying to sink so in sin.
2 SOLDIER
He recovers all coming recovery to crave,
And that in a short space, as know all our kin.
But holds not our holy day—hard hap may he have!
So by the neck hang him ——
PILATE
Why now, sir, hold in!
For though you drive giddily the guiltless to grave,
Without grounds you gain not such grief to begin.
And look your alleging be true,
Without any trifles to tell.
ANNAS
For certain our saying we seal.
PILATE
And then shall we profit and deal.
CAIAPHAS
Sir, if his faults were not so fell,
We would not have meddled at all.
For he perverts our people to approve of his preaching.
And for that point you should press his power to impair.
2 DOCTOR
Yea, sir. Also that caitiff Calls himself our king.
For which cause our Commons are cast into care.
PILATE
If that so be, that boast to bale will him bring,
And make him ban bitterly the bones that him bare.
For that wretch from our wrath shall not wring,
Ere wrack be wrought on him.
I DOCTOR
So would we it were.
PILATE
Well, wit yethis work shall be well,
For soon shall this knave learn to kneel.
2 DOCTOR
And so that our force he may feel.
Together for this we beseech you.
JUDAS
Ingenti pro injuria ——
that Jesus, that Jew,
Unjust to me, Judas, and hateful say I.
For at supper as we sat, the truth to pursue,
With Simon the leper my shifts went awry.
For one brought him a box, my bitterness to brew,
And near to his bare feet she bowed her full low,
She anointed them with ointment all noble and new;
But for that work that she wrought my fury waxed high.
And this was my reason, now know—
For of his pence purser was I.
Of all coin committed to me
The tenth part of it stole I still
But now since I want of my will,
That bargain with grief shall he buy,
That same ointment I said should make gain
For silver pence in sum three hundred, and then,
As plain pity would, have been shared to poor men.
But for the poor nor their part there pricked me no pain.
I was troubled for my tenth part, the truth to believe,
That thirty pence of three hundred so smartly to lose.
And for missing that money so sorely I grieve.
And therefore to injure my master I choose.
And therefore fast forth will I flit,
The house of the High Priest to seek,
And sell him full soon ere I sit,
For thirty pence in a knot knit.
In this wise full well shall he wit
In what way my vengeance I wreak.
Ho, porter!
Open now, porter, the port of this proud place,
That I may pass to your princes. It will grow for your gain.
PORTER
Hence, glowering gadling. God give thee ill grace!
Thou glancest so grimly, it gives me heart pain.
JUDAS
Be kindly this time, sir, and stay not my pace,
I have tidings to tell.
PORTER
Yea, some treason, I trow.
For I feel it full figured in your false face.
’Tis but folly to fasten affection on you,
For Mars has well morticed his mark,
After all lines I hold true,
And says ye are wicked of work.
And both a strange thief and a stark.
JUDAS
Sir, if at my beard you thus bark,
I vow that full sore you shall rue.
PORTER
Say, beetle-browed briber, why blowest thou such boast?
Full false in thy face in faith can I find,
Thou art cumbered in curstness and cares to the most;
To mar men of might hast thou marked in thy mind.
JUDAS
No malice I mean, Sir, but move mirth I must.
PORTER
Say on, thou hanged harlot; I hold thee a lout.
Thou lookest like a scoundrel whose livelihood is lost.
JUDAS
Ah good sir, take tent to my talking this tide,
For tidings full true can I tell.
For through my good warning your lords in their pride
May surely be saved now from danger full fell.
PORTER
Bide here then, good fellow, ere more breath be spent.
I'll move to my masters what is your intent.
To Pilate
Sir, now do I tell you, here comes to the gate
One hiltfull of anger and hasty with hate.
PILATE
What comes he for?
PORTER
I know not: he is cloaked all around,
He carries a keen face uncomely to kiss.
PILATE
Go, get him; his grievance full strictly we'll sound,
And no open language be spoken amiss.
PORTER
To Judas
Come lively to my lord. If you want to go free,
So speak out thy say that thou spoil not their bliss.
JUDAS
The Lord make you happy to be,
Gentles all, with fair fortune and fame.
PILATE
Now welcome! thy words are of weal.
CAIAPHAS
Say, hearest thou knave? Canst thou not kneel?
PILATE
To Caiaphas
Lo, here may men fault in you feel
Let be, sir your scorning, for shame.
To Judas
Good fellow, tear not to abide at the bar.
JUDAS
To be brought before you, sirs, about have I been.
And all for your service.
ANNAS
Say, know ye no fear?
JUDAS
What worketh your wrath, sir? I know what I mean.
But I would make a bargain, your mischief to mar.
My reason is keen, sir, I tell you,
For if ye will bargain or buy,
One Jesus this time will I sell you.
I DOCTOR
My blessing, son, have thou thereby.
JUDAS
And him dare I promise, I say,
If ready you bend and abide.
PILATE
Thy name?
JUDAS
Judas Iscariot;
PILATE
Thou art a just man.
That Jesus before us shall justly be tried.
But bid forth thy bargain. Now, what shall we pay?
JUDAS
No more and no less—thirty pence, short and plain.
PILATE
Are ye pleased at the price he presses to present?
2 DOCTOR
Else cross we our conscience, since we may believe
That Judas his guilt knows.
PILATE
How say you? Consent?
But, Judas—to fix all—wilt make this accord?
JUDAS
Yea, then, in a word.
PILATE
Right welcome that word.
I SOLDIER
Take thee off, traitor, quick!
2 SOLDIER
Away! let none know
How this scurvy fellow larks with his lord.
PILATE
Now, Judas, for our profit, I pray thee, prepare.
JUDAS
Yet have I no penny received for my share.
PILATE
Thou shalt have delivery at once at thy will.
So shalt thou have liking to love our estate
And therefore, good Judas, now mend thou thy moan,
And take there thy silver full weight.
JUDAS
Ha! Now's my great grief over gone.
I SOLDIER
Be glad, then.
JUDAS
Yea; let me alone, For jocund and jolly am I.
PILATE
Thou sellest thy master? What fault has he moved?
JUDAS
Of just as much money he made me delay
As of you I receive, shall but right be well proved.
ANNAS
I advise that thou think not our rule so to array,
For that the false fiend shall have thee away.
3 DOCTOR
Your language you lay out too long.
But, Judas, thee truly we trust,
Thou truly must learn us that bad man to take,
Or away through a trick the fellow must fly.
JUDAS
I shall teach him a token him quick for to take
Where he is thronged in the press, both safe and surely.
I SOLDIER
We know him not.
JUDAS
Take care then of him whom I kiss to lay hold.
2 SOLDIER
How well that becomes thee, good fellow and bold!
But yet warn us wisely; keep careful look out.
When you wend out forthwith, we shall walk in a crowd,
And therefore look now thou be busy about.
I SOLDIER
Go forth, for a traitor are ye.
2 SOLDIER
Yea, and a wicked man.
I DOCTOR
Why, what's he?
2 DOCTOR
He is full of deceit, the truth for to trust.
I hold it but folly his faith for to trow.
PILATE
Now, Judas,
To hold thy behest be prompt for our hap.
Our help to uphold we pledge you to have.
JUDAS
I'll show you his carcass in gaol for to clap.
ANNAS
More comfort in this case we covet not to have.
I SOLDIER
If we reach that rascal, his ribs shall we rap,
And make that king, ere we rest, for running to rave.
PILATE
But if he be blameless, we ought him to save.
Wherefore when ye go forth to get him.
To his body ye shall brew no bale.
I SOLDIER
Our wish is from 'scaping to save him;
But in your sight sound shall we set him.
PILATE
Go on, then; flit forth till ye have him
And therefore—good luck to you all. |
York Mystery Plays