The Corvysors Playe

Jesus
Brethren, goe we to Bethanye,
To Lazarre, Martha, and Marye,
For I love moche their companye:
Thedder nowe will I wende.
Symonde the Leaper hath praied me
In his howse to take charatye;
With them nowe it liketh me
A whyle for to lende.

Petrus
Lorde, all readye shall we be
In life and death to goe with thee;
Greate joye the maye have to see
Thy cominge into their place.
Philippe.
Lazarre thou raysed through thy pittie,
And Symonde also, messille was he,
Thou clensed, Lorde, that wotten we,
And holpe them through thy grace.

Tunc ibunt versus domum Simonis Leprosi.

Simon
Wellckome, Jesu, full of grace,
That I that fowle and mescell was,
All wholl, Lorde, thou healed hase,
Over all, Lorde, for to shewe:
Well is me that I maie se thy face
Here in my howse, this poore place!
Thou comfortes me in manye a place,
And that I full well knowe.

Lazarrus.
Welckome, Lorde, sweete Jesu,
Blessed he the tyme that I thee knewe f
From death to liffe through thy vertue
Thou raysed me not yore;
Fower dayes in eairth when I [had] lyne,
Thou granteste me life againe.
Thee I honoure with all my mayne,
Nowe and ever more.

Martha
Welckome, my lovelye Lorde [of] lere!
Welckome, my deere darlinge dere!
Fayne maye thy frendes be in fere,
To see thy sweetlye face.
Sittes downe, yf your will were,
And I shall helpe to serve you here,
As I was wonte to serve you heare
Before in other place.

Tunc Jesus sedebit, et omnes cum eo, et veniet Maria Magdelena, cum albastro unguenti, et lamentando dicat Maria Magdelena:

Maria Magdelena.
Welckome, my lovelye lorde of leale!
Welckome, my harte, welckome in heale I
Welckome, all my worldes heale,
My boote and all my blesse!
From the, Lorde, maye I not conseale
My fylth and my faultes faile;
Forgeve me that my fleshe so frayle
To thee hath donne amisse.
Oyntment heare I have readye,
To anoynte thy sweete bodye,
Though I be wreched and unworthy,
Wave me not from thy wonne.
Full of synne and sorowe am I,
But therfore, Lorde, I am sorye:
Amende me through thy mercye,
That makes to thee my mone.
Time aperiet pixidem, et faciei signum unctionis, et rigabit pedes
Jesu lacrimis, et tergebit capillis suis.

Symon
Ah, Judas, why dose Jesus so?
Me thinkes that he shoulde let her goe,
This woman full of syne and wo,
For feare of worldes shame.
And if he vereye prophett be,
He shoulde knowe her life here,
And suffer her not to come hym nere,
For payringe of his fame.
Judas Iscariotte.
Naye, Symonde, brother, south to saye,
Hit is noe thinge to my paye;
This oyntmente goeth so faste awaie,
That is so moche of price;
This oyle boxe miglite have bene soulde
For three hundreth penyes toulde,
And dealed to poore men, who ever woulde,
And whoesoever hade bene wise.

Jesus
Symon, take good heede to me,
I have a errande to saye to thee.

Symon
Maister, what your will maye be,
Saye one, I you be seeke.

Jesus
By an exsample I shall thee showe,
And to this companye on a roe,
Wherby I saye thou maie knowe
To answere to my speache:
Towe dettores some tyme ther were
Oughten moneye to a userere,
The one was in his daungere
Fy ve hundreth poundes toulde;
The other fifteye, as I saye here:
For the were poore, at their praier,
He forgave them bouth in fere,
And naughte take of them he woulde.
Wheither of thes towe, reade if thou can,
Was more behoulden to that man?

Symon
Lorde, as moche as I can theirone,
I shall saye or I passe.
Fyve hundreth is more than fiftie;
Therfore me thinke skillfulye,
That he that forgave more partie,
More houlden to hym he was.

Jesus
Symon, thou deemes southlye, i-wysse:
Seeyes thou this woman that here is?
Sicker shee has not done amisse,
To worcke in this manere.
Into thy howse here thou me gette,
No watter thou gave me to my feete,
Shee wayshed them with here teares weete,
And wipped them with her heaire.
Kisse since I came thou gave non;
But seith shee came into this wone,
Shee hath kissed my feete eichone,
Of weepinge shee never seaced;
With oyle thou haste not me anoynted,
But shee hath donne bouth foote and joynte;
Therfore I tell thee one poynte,
Moche synne is her released.
And, Judas, also to thee I saie,
Wherto wouldeste thee mispaye
With this woman by anye waye,
That esead me this hasse?
A good deede shee hase done to daie:
For poore men you have with you aye,
And me you maye not have, in good faye,
But a littill space;
Therfore, woman, witterlye,
For thou haste loved so tenderlye,
All thy synnes nowe forge ve I,
Beleeffe hath saved thee;
And all that preach the Evangelie,
Through the worlde by and by,
And of thy deed shall make memorye
That thou haste done to me.
Maria Magdelena.
My Ohriste, my comforte, and my kinge,
I worshippe thee in all thinge,
For nowe my harte is in likinge,
And I at myne above;
Seven devilles, nowe as I well see,
Thou haste dreven nowe out of me,
And from fowle life unto greate lee
Releved me, Lorde, for love.

Tunc surget Jesu, et stando dicat discipulis suis ut sequilur

Jesus
Fetter and Phillipe, my brethren free,
Before you a castill you maie see:
Goe you theider, and feche anon to me
An asse and her fole also;
Lose them, bringe them neither anon:
Yf anye man gryche you as you gone,
And you saye that I will ride therone,
Sone will the let them goe.

Petrus
Mayster, we shall doe your byddinge,
And bringe them sone for anye thinge.
Phillipe, brother, be we goinge,
And feche these beastes towe.
Phillipe.
Brother, I am readye bowne,
Hye that we were at the towne;
Greate joye in harte have we mon,
On this errande for to goe.

Tunc ibunt in civitatem, et dicat primuz janitor.

Petrus
Howe! howe! I must have this asse.
Janitor.
Heare thou getteste nether more nor lesse,
But thou shalte tell me, or thou passe,
Wheither the shall goe.
Phillipe.
My mayster Jesu, leeve thou me,
Thinkes to come to this cittie,
And bade bouth broughte to hym should be,
Hymselfe to ride upon.
Janitor.
All readye, good men, in good faye:
And seith he will come to daye,
All this cittie I will assaie
And warne of his cominge.
Take asse and fole, and goe your waye;
For eiche man of hym marvayle maye,
Lazarre, that fower dayes dead laye,
He raysed at his callinge.

Tunc ibit janitor ad cives.

Tydinges, good men everye one I
The prophette Jesus comes anon.
Of his disciples vender gone
Twayne that were nowe here;
For his marvayles leeve aye upon,
That he is vereye Godes sonne,
Allthough he in this worlde wonne,
Or elles wounder were.
Primuz cives.
A! Lorde, blessed moste thou be t
Hym will I goe nowe and see,
And so I rede that all we
Theidder-warde take the waie.
Secundus cives.
Felowes, I leeve that Christe is he y
Oomon from God in magistie;
Elles suche marvayles, as thinkes me.
He ney did daye for daye.
Tercius gives.
Lazarre he saved, so God me save!
That fower dayes hath bene in grave;
Therfore devocion nowe I have
To welckome hym to this towne.
QUARTUS CIVES.
Braunches of the palme-tree
Eichone in hande take we,
And welckome hym to this cittye,
With fayer procession.
Quintus CIVES.
With all the worshipe that I maye.
I welckome hym will to daye,
And spreade my clothes in the waye,
As sone as I hym see.
Sextus gives.
Thes mirackles approven apeartlye,
That from the father allmightie
He is comen, mankinde to by:
Yt maye no other be.
Primus puer.
Felowes, I harde my father saye
That Jesu the prophette will come to daie:
Theidder I rede we take the waie,
With braunches in our handes.
Secundus puer.
Make we myrth all that we maie,
Pleasante to that Lordes paie;
Hosanna, I rede by my faye,
To singe that wee founde.

Tunc ibunt pueri versus Jerusalem cantantes Hosanna cum ramis palmarum in manibus, et cives prosternenl vestimentasua in via, et cantabunt, Hosanna filio David, benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, Hosanna in excehis. Time sedens Jesus super asellam, videns civitatem flebit, et dicat Jesus:

Jesus
A! Jerusalem, holye cittie!
Unknowen to daie it is to thee,
That peace thou haste canste thou not see,
But bale thou muste abyde;
Moche muste thou drighte yet some daie,
When wo shall fall on everye [waye,]
And thou begiled, the south to saye,
With sorowe on all syde;
Destroyed dilfullye, beaten downe,
No stonne with other in all this towne
Shall stande, for that the be unleven,
To kepe Christes commaundmente,
And Godes owne visitacion,
Done for mankindes salvacion;
For the have no devocion,
Nor dreaden not his dome.

Tunc Jesus equitabit versus civitatem, et omnes cives pannos suos in via prosternent, el cum venerit ad templum descendens de asina dicat vendentibus cum jiagello:

Doe awaye, and use not this thinge,
For it is not my likinge;
You make my fathers dwellinge
A place of merchandise.
Primuz marcator.
What frecke is this that makes fare,
And casteth downe all our ware?
Come no man neither full yare,
That did us suche anoye.
Secundus marcator.
Owte! out! woes me!
My table with my moneye
Is spread abrode, well I see,
And naughte dare I saie.
Nowe it seemes well that he
Woulde attayne royalltie,
Elles this boulde durste he not be,
To make such araye.
Primuz marcator.
It seemes well he woulde be kinge,
That casteth downe thus our thinge,
And saith his fathers woninge
In this temple is.
Save, Jesus, with thy janglinge,
What evidense or tockenin«e
Shewest thou of thy raigninge,
That thou nowe dareste doe this?
Secundus marcator.
What signe nowe sheweste thou here,
That proves suche power,
To shende our ware in suche manere,
Maisterlye through thy mayne I

Jesus
This temple here I maye destroye,
And through my mighte and my maisteiye,
In dayes three it edifie,
And builde it up againe.
Primuz marcator.
Aha! Jesus, will thou soe?
This worde, as ever mote I goe,
Shalbe rehearsed before moe,
And Cayphas I shall tell.

Tunc Jesus ejiciet cum Jlagello emenLes et vendenles.

Jesus
Hye you faste this temple froe!
For marchandise shalbe here no moe;
In this place, be you never so throe,
Shall you no longer dwell.
Judas Iscariot.
By deare God in magistie!
I am so wroth as I maye be,
And some waye I will wrecken me,
As sone as ever I maie.
My mayster Jesus, as men maye see,
Was rubbed heade, foote, and knye,
With oyntmente of more daintie
Then I see manye a daie.
To that I have greate envye,
That he suffred to destrove
More then all his good thrye,
And his dames towe.
Hade I of it hade maisterye,
I woulde have soulde it sone in hie,
And put it up in tresuerye,
As I was wonte to doe.
Whatsoever wes geven to Jesu,
I have kepte, since I hym knewe;
For he hopes I wilbe trewe,
His purse allwaie I bare.
Hym hade bene better, in good faye,
Hade spared oyntmente that daie,
For wrocken I wilbe some waie
Of waste that was done their;
Three hundreth penny worthes it was
That he let spill in that place;
Therefore God geve me harde grace,
But hymselfe shalbe soulde
To the Jewes, or that I sitte,
For the tenth penye of it;
And this my maister shalbe quite
My grefFe a hundreth foulde.
Syr Cayphap and his companye
Conspirne Jesus to anoye;
Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
Ther speche anon I will spie,
With falsehood for to fowle his;
And yf the gladlye will doe why,
I shall teache them to hym in hie,
For of his counscell well knowe I
I maye beste begyle hym.

Tunc Judas pro tempore abiit, et Cayphas dicit.

Oayphas.
Lordinges, lokes on the lawe,
Harcken heither to my sawe,
To Jesu all men maye drawe
And likinge in hym hase.
Yf we let hym longe gone,
All men will leeve hym upon,
So shall the Romanes come anon,
And prive us of our place.
Therfore it is fullye my rede,
We caste howe he beste were dead;
For yf he longe on life be leade,
Our lawe goeth all to naughte.
Therfore saie eichon his counscell
What maner a waye will beste avayle,
This same shrewe for to assayle:
Some sleighte their muste be soughte.

Annas
Sir, you saie righte skilfullye:
But nedelye men muste espie,
By hym we cache noe vellanye,
To founde and fowle to faile;
For you knowe as well as I,
Ofte we have founded to doe hym nye,
But ever he hath the victorye,
That we noe waye maie avayle.

Primuz Pharaseus
Yea, sir, in temple he hath bene,
And trobled us with moche teene,
That when we wended and did wene
Of hym to have hade all our will,
Or ever we wiste he was awaie;
This maketh the people, in good faye,
To leve that he is Christe vereye,
And our lawe for to spill.

Secundus Pharaseus
Yea, lordes, one poynte maye doe again©,
That lurden Lazarre shoulde be slayne;
For he raysed hym up againe,
That fower dayes hade bene deade;
For that mirackle moche of mayne,
To honour hym eicheon is fayne,
And Lazarre that dead was will not layne,
And he on life be leade.

Cayphas
No more for south will manye moe,
That he has made to speake and goe,
And blinde that hath ther sighte also,
Loven hym steadfastlye;
And folowen hym fare and nere,
Preachinge to the people his power,
Therfore my witte is in a were,
To ordeyne remedye.

Annas
And remedye muste ordeyned be,
Before this greate solempenitie;
Or elles maye other as well as we
Trusse and take our waie.
For when he come to this cittie,
All the worlde, as you maie se,
Honored hym upon ther knye,
As God had come that daie.

Primuz Pharaseus
Also, lordinges, you sawe there,
Howe that he fareth with chaffere,
Caste it downe, God geve hym care!
That was so greate of price;
And also lowdlye he can lye,
Called the temple appeartlye
His fathers howse, full falslye,
Bighte as it had bene his.

Secundus Pharaseus
Lordinges, ther is no more to saie,
But loste is our lawe, I dare laye,
And he come on our Saboath daie,
That nowe approcheth nye;
Heale he anye lesse or more,
All men will leeve on his lore,
Therfore it is good to slea hym before,
Yf that we wilbe slye.

Cayphas
Amonge our wittes let us see
To take hym with some subtiltie:
He shall have selver, goulde, and fee,
This thinge that woulde fulfill.

Judas
Lordes, what will you geve me,
And I shall sone helne that he
Slealye betraied be,
Righte at your owine will.

Cayphas
Welckome, felowe, as have I roe,
That bargane woulde I fayne knowe.

Judas
Let me see what ye will doe,
And laye downe selver here.
For the devell swope of my swire,
And I doe it without hyre,
Other for soveraigne or sire:
It is not my manere.

Cayphas
Saye on what we shall geve thee,
To helpe that he tacken be,
And here is readye thy moneye,
To paye thee or thou passe.

Judas
As ever mote I thrive or thee,
And I shewe my subtiltie,
Thirtye pennyes you shall geve me,
And not a farthinge lesse.

Primuz Pharaseus
Yea, but thy troth thou muste p[l]ighte,
For to serve us arighte,
To betraye thy maister through thy mighte,
And have here thy moneye.

Judas
Have here my truth, as I have tighte,
On Fridaie or it be nigthte,
I shall bringe you to his sighte,
And tell which is he.

Primuz Pharaseus
Ye bene brethren on a roe,
Which is he I can not knowe.

Judas
Nowe a vereye signe I shall you shoe:
Espices whom I kisse,
And that is he, south to saie,
Take hym manfullye as you maie,
And lead hym slealye awaie,
Wheither your likinge is.

Cayphas
Now loke thou serve us trewlye:
Thy maiste[r] is cominge us to espie.

Judas
Truste well therto and sickerlye,
That he shall not eskape.
[And would God almighty,
The kinge of Fraunce may so affye,
In his realme or bareny,
That they were all so trewe!]
One Frydaye in the morninge
Espies on my cominge;
For wher that he is walkinge,
I will goe and espie.
With hym I thinke to eate and drinke,
And after tydinges to you bringe
Wher he shapes his dwellinge,
And come and tell you in hie.