The Bowchers Playe

Incipit Pagina Duodecima qualiter Jhesus ductus est in desertum a Spiritu. Incipiat Diabolus.

What maister mon ever be this9
that nowe in world commen is?
His mother I wott did never amisse,
and that now mervayles mee.

His [father] cannot I find iwys,13
for all my crafte and my couintise.
Hit seemes that heaven all should be his,
so stowte a syre is hee.

He is man from foote to crowne,17
and gotten without corruption;
so cleane of conversation
knewe I non before.
All men of him mervayle mone,
for as man hee goeth up and downe;
but as God with devotion23
[he has bene honoured yore].

Sythen the world first begane25
knewe I never such a man
borne of a deadlych woman,
and hee yet wembles.
Amonge sinfull synne dose hee none,
and cleaner then ever was anyone;
blotles eke of blood and bonne,31
and wiser then ever man was.

Avarice nor any envye33
in him could I never espie.
He hase no gould in tresorye,
ne tempted ys by no syght.
Pryde hasse he none, ne gluttonye,
ne no likinge of lecherye.
His mouth hard I never lye39
neather by day nor night.

My heighnes he puttes aye behynd,41
for in him faulte non can I fynd.
If hee be God in mans kinde,
my crafte then fully fayles.
And more then man I wott hee is,
elles somethinge he did amys;
save only [hongarye he is],47
iwis, elles wott I not what him ayles.

And this thinge dare I soothly saye:49
if that hee be God verey
honger should greeve him by no waye;
that weare agaynst reasoun.
Therfore nowe I would assaye
with speach of bread him to betraye,
for he hasse fast nowe manye a daye;55
therfore bread were in seasoun.

Diabolus dicit:

Thou, man, abyde and speake with mee.57
Goddes Sonne yf that thou be,
make of these stones-nowe lett see-
bread through thy blessinge.

Therfore thou pynes thee, Sathanas,65
to suplant mee of my place
by meate, as sometyme Adam was,
of blys when hee was brought.
Disceaved hee was that tyme through thee,
but nowe must fayle thy postee;
therfore to meeve that thinge to mee71
yt shall serve thee of nought.

Sathan, through thine inticement73
honger shall nought tome myne intent,
for Goddes will omnypotent
is my meat withouten fayle,
and his word perfect sustenance
to mee aiwayes without distance;
for thou shalt finde no varyance79
in mee that shall thee avayle.

For hee may suffer all maner of noye89
as man should, well and stifflye;
but aye hee winneth the victorye
as godhead in him weare.
Some other sleight I mott espye
this disobedient for to destroye;
for of rnee hee hasse the maistrie95
unhappingely flowe here.

Adam, that God hiniselfe wrought,97
through my discent in bale I brought;
but this syre that I have sought,
borne of on woman,
for no neede that himselfe hasse,
with no counsell in this case
to greeve him I may have no grace,103
for no craft that I can.

Yett will I seeke some sutteltie105
Come forth, thou Jhesu, come with me
to this holy cittie;
I have an errande to saye.
Verey God if that thou bee
nowe I shall full well see,
for I shall shape honour for thee111
or that thou wend awaye.

Tunc statuat Jesus super pinnaculum templi, et dicat Diabolus:

Say thou nowe that syttes so high:113
if thou be Goddes Sonne, by sleight
come downe, and I will saye in sight
thou diddest a fayre maistrye.
Thine owne angells mon keepe to thee
that thou hurt no foote ne knee.
Shewe thy power; now lett see119
that thou may have maistrye therbye.

Jesus dicit ad Diabolum

Discendens de pinnaculo dicat Diabolus:

Alas, that me is woe todaye!125
This have I fayled of my praye.
Was I never rent in such araye
ne halfe so foule reprived.

Tunc Sathan adducet Jhesum super montem, et dicat Diabolus:

Yett, fellowe, if it be thy will,129
goe we playe us to a hill;
another poynte I must fulfill
for ought that may befall.
Looke abowte thee nowe and see
of all this reaime the royaltie;
for to kneele downe and honour me135
thou shall be lord of all.

Alas, my slight nowe am I qwyt.145
Adam I founded with a fytt,
and him in comberans soonne I knyt
through contyse of my crafte.
Nowe soone of sorrowe he mone be shitt
and I punished in hell-pitt.
Knewe I never man of such wytt151
as him that I have [lafte].

Alas, for shame I am shent.153
With hell-houndes when I am hent
I must be ragged and all torent
and dryven to the fyre.
In sorrowe and woe nowe am I brought,
and all my cunninge is sett at nought;
endles payne must I have unsought159
to my reward and hyre.

But I am nowe of good intent161
to hould a court ful diligent,
and call my servants verament
shortly for to appeare;

then to reward with dignitie165
that all their life have served mee.
In burninge blys there shall they bee
and sytt with Luciferre.

That Adam was tempted in gluttonye177
I may well prove appertly,
when of that fruite faisly
the devyll made him to eate.
And tempted hee was in vayneglorye
when hee height him great maistrie,
and have godhead unworthelye183
through eatinge of that meat.

Alsoe hee was tempted in avarice185
when he height him to be wise,
knowe good and evill at his devise
more then he was worthye.
For covetousnes, Gregorye sayth expresse,
sinnes nought greatly in riches
but in willinge of highnes191
and state unskylfullye.
Alsoe Christe in these sinnes three
was tempted, as yee might well see;
for in gluttonye-leeve yee mee-
hee moved him sleightely here
when he entysed him through his read197
to torne the stones into bread,
and soe to move his godhead
which hee was in a weare.

In vayneglorye he tempted him alsoe,201
when hee bade him down to goe
the pinnacle of the temple froe
an unskilfull gate.
And in covetousnes he tempted was
when hee shewed him such ryches
and height him londes more and lesse,207
and that through great estate.

This overcome thrise in this case209
the devil!, as playd was in this place,
of the three sinnes that Adam was
of wayle into woe weaved.
But Adam fell through his trespas,
and Jhesu withstoode him through his grace;
for of his godhead soothnes215
that tyme was cleane disceived.

Tunc venient duo Pharasei adducentes mulierem in adulterio deprehensam. Dicat

that was taken thus tonight219
in fowle advowtrye,
before Jhesu in his sight;
for so to tempt him I have tyght
to wyt whether hee will deeme the right
or elles unlawfullye.

Tunc adducent mulierem inter se coram Jesu, et dicat

Jesus scribens in terra dicat:

Nowe which of you everychon241
is bowt synne, buske him anon
and cast at her the first stonne
belyve or that ye blynne.

Et fugiet, et postea dicat Primus Pharaseus:

Why fleest thou, fellowe, be thy faye?257
I will see soone and assaye.
Alas, that I weare awaye
farre beyonde France!
Stond you, Sybble, him besyde.
No longer here dare I abyde
agayst thee for to chyde,263
as have I good chance.

Et fugiet, et dicat Jesus ad mulierem:

Woman, where binne these men eychon265
that putten this gilt thee upon?
To dampne thee nowe there is none
of tho that were before.

two wayes the casten him to anoye289
syns he had preached mych of mercye,
and the lawe commandeth expressely
sych women for to stone
that trespassen in advowtrye.
Therfore they hoped witterlye
varyans in him to espye-295
or blenquyshe the lawe cleane.

That wyst Jesu full well their thought,297
and all theire wyttes hee sett at nought-
but bade which synne had not wrought
cast first at her a stonne;
and wrote in claye-leeve yee mee-
their owne synnes that they might see,
that ichone fayne was to flee,303
and they lefte hir alonne.

For eychon of them had grace305
to see theire sinnes in that place;
yett non of them wiser was,
but his synnes eych man knewe.
And fayne the were to take the waye
lest they had dampned binne that daye.
Thus helpe that woman in good faye,311
our sweete lord Jesu.

Finis