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
With myschef on moolde here membrys I merke,
That japyn with Jhesus that Judas solde;
Be he nevyr so crafty nor conyng clerke,
I harry them to helle as tretour bolde.
But ther is o thyng that grevyth me sore,
Of a prophete that Jhesu men calle;
He peynyth me every day more and more,
With his holy meraclis and werkys alle.
I had hym onys in a temptacyon,
With glotenye, with covetyse, and veynglorye,
I hasayd hym be alle weys that I cownde don,
And uttyrly he refusyd hem, and gan me defye.
That rebuke that he gaf me xal not be unqwyt,
Somwhat I have begonne, and more xal be do;
ffor alle his barfot goyng, fro me xal he not skyp,
But my derk dongeon I xal bryngyn hym to.
I have do made redy his cros that he xal dye upon,
And thre nayles to takke hym with that he xal not styrte;
Be he nevyr so holy he xal not fro me gon,
But with a sharpe spere he xal be smet to the herte.
And sythyn he xal come to helle be he nevyr so stowte,
And ȝet I am aferd and he come he wole do som wrake;
Therfore I xal go warnyn helle that thei loke abowte,
That thei make redy chenys to bynd hym with in lake.
Helle! Helle! make redy, for here xal come a gest,
Hedyr xal come Jhesus that is clepyd Goddys sone,
And he xal ben here be the oure of none,
And with the here he xal wone,
And han ful shrewyd rest.
_Here xal a devyl spekyn in helle._
_Demon._ Out upon the! we conjure the,
That nevyr in helle we may hym se,
ffor and he onys in helle be,
He xal oure power brest.
_Sathan._ A! A! than have I go to ferre;
But som wyle help, I have a shrewde torne,
My game is wers than I wend here,
I may seyn my game is lorne.
Lo! a wyle ȝet have a kast,
If I myth Jhesus lyf save,
Helle gatys xal be sperd fast,
And kepe stylle alle tho I have.
To Pylatys wyff I wele now go,
And sche is aslepe a bed ful fast,
And byd here withowtyn wordys mo,
To Pylat that sche send in hast.
I xal asay, and this wol be
To bryng Pylat in belef;
Withinne a whyle, ȝe xal se,
How my craft I wole go pref.
_Here xal the devyl gon to Pylatys wyf, the corteyn drawyn as she lyth in
bedde; and he xal no dene make; but she xal sone after that he is come
in, makyn a rewly noyse, commyng and rennyng of the schaffald, and her
shert and here kyrtyl in here hand, and sche xal come beforn Pylat leke a
mad woman, seyng thus_,
_Uxor Pilaty._ Pylat, I charge the that thou take hede!
Deme not Jhesu, but be his frende!
ȝyf thou jewge hym to be dede,
Thou art dampnyd withowtyn ende!
A fend aperyd me beforn,
As I lay in my bed slepyng fast;
Sethyn the tyme that I was born
Was I nevyr so sore agast!
As wylde fyre and thondyr blast,
He cam cryeng onto me;
He seyd, thei that bete Jhesu or bownd hym fast,
Withowtyn ende dampnyd xal be!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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