Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi
General
Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi
English drama -- To 1500; English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.; Mysteries and miracle-plays, English
And he seyd, “it is I that am here in ȝour syth;”
With that word we ovyrthrowyn bakward everychone,
And some on her bakkys lyeng upryth,
But standyng upon fote manly ther was not on.
Cryst stode on his fete as meke as a lom,
And we loyn stylle lyche ded men tyl he bad us ryse;
Whan we were up, fast handys we leyd hym upon,
But ȝet me thought I was not plesyd with the newe gyse.
Therfore takyth now ȝour cowncel and avyse ȝou ryth weyl,
And beth ryth ware that he make ȝou not amat;
ffor be my thryfte I dare sweryn at this seyl,
ȝe xal fynde hym a strawnge watt!
_Here bryng thei Jhesus beforn Annas and Cayphas, and on xal seyn thus_,
Lo! lo! lordys, here is the man
That ȝe sent us fore.
_Annas._ Therfore we cone ȝou thanke than,
And reward ȝe xal have the more.
Jhesus, thou art welcome hedyr to oure presens;
Ful oftyn tymes we han the besyly do sowth;
We payd to thi dyscyple for the thretty pens,
And as an ox or an hors we trewly the bowth.
Therfore now art oure as thou standyst us before;
Sey, why thou ast trobelyd us and subvertyd oure lawe?
Thou hast ofte concludyd us, and so thou hast do more,
Wherfore it were ful nedful to bryng the a dawe.
_Cayphas._ What arn thi dysciplys that folwyn the aboute?
And what is thi doctryne that thou dost preche?
Telle me now somewhath, and bryng us out of doute,
That we may to othere men thi prechyng forth teche.
_Jhesus._ Al tymes that I have prechyd, opyn it was don
In the synagog or in the temple, where that alle Jewys com:
Aske hem what I have seyd, and also what I have don;
Thei con telle the my wordys, aske hem everychone.
_Primus Judeus._ What thou, fela? to whom spekyst thou?
Xalt thou so speke to a buschop?
Thou xalt have on the cheke, I make a vow,
And ȝet therto a knok.
_Here he xal smyte Jhesus on the cheke._
_Jhesus._ Yf I have seyd amys,
Therof wytnesse thou mayst bere;
And yf I have seyd but weyl in this,
Tho[u] dost amys me to dere!
_Annas._ Serys, takyth hed now to this man,
That he dystroye not oure lawe;
And brynge ȝe wyttnesse aȝens hym that he can,
So that he may be browt of dawe.
_Primus doctor._ Sere, this I herd hym with his owyn mowth seyn,—
Brekyth down this temple without delay,
And I xal settynt up ageyn
As hool as it was, by the thrydde day.
_Secundus doctor._ ȝa, ser, and I herd hym seyn also
That he was the Sone of God;
And ȝet many a fole wenyth so,
I durst leyn theron myn hed.
ȝa! ȝa! and I herd hym preche meche thyng,
And aȝens oure lawe everydel;
Of wheche it were longe to make rekenyng,
To tellyn alle at this seel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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