The Procession to Calvary and the Crucifixion of Christ

Prim[a] Muller
Allas, Jesus! Allas, Jesus! Wo is me!1
þat þu art þus dyspoylyd, allas!
And 3et nevyr defawth was fownd in the,
But evyr þu hast be fole of grace.
Secund[a] Muller
A, here is a rewful syth of Jesu so good,5
þat he xal þus dye a3ens þe ryth.
A, wykkyd men, 3e be more þan wood
To do þat good Lord so gret dyspyte!

Here Jesus turnyth a3en to þe women with his crosse, þus seyng:


Jesus
Dowterys of Hierusalem, for me wepyth nowth,9
But for 3oureself wepyth, and for 3oure chyldyr also.
For þe days xal come þat þei han aftyr sowth,
Here synne and here blyndnesse xal turne hem to wo.
þan xal be sayd, "Blyssyd be þe wombys þat bareyn be;"
And wo to be tetys tho days þat do 3evyn sokyng
And to here faderys þei xul seyn, "Wo to þe tyme þat þu begat me,"
And to here moderys, "Alias, wher xal be oure dwellyng?"
þan to be hyllys and mownteynes they xal crye and calle,
"Oppyn and hyde us from þe face of hym syttyng in trone;
Or ellys ovyrthrowyth and on us now come falle,
þat we may be hyd from oure sorweful mone."

Here Jesus turnyth fro þe women and goth forth; and þer þei metyn with Symonem in þe place, þe Jewys seyng to hym:


Primus Jude[us]
Sere, to þe a word of good:21
A man is here, þu mayst se,
Beryth hevy of a rode
Whereon he xal hangyd be.
Therfore we prey all the25
þu take þe crosse of þe man;
Bere it with vs to Kalvarye,
And ryth gret thank þu xalt han.
Symon
Serys, I may not in no degré:29
I haue gret errandys for to do.
þerfore I pray 3ow excuse me,
And on my herand lete me go.
Secundus Judeus
What! Harlot, hast þu skorne33
To bere þe tre whan we þe preye?
þu xalt beryn’t haddyst þu sworn,
And yt were ten tyme þe weye!
Symon
Serys, I prey 3ou, dysplese 3ou nowth.37
I wole help to bere þe tre;
Into þe place it xal be browth
Where 3e wole comawnde me.

Here Symon takyth þe cros of Jesus and beryth it forth.


Veronica
A, 3e synful pepyl, why fare þus?41
For swet and blood he may not se.
Allas, holy prophete, Cryst Jhesus,
Careful is myn hert for the.

And sche whypyth his face with here kerchy.


Jesus
Veronyca, þi whipyng doth me ese.45
My face is clene þat was blak to se.
I xal þem kepe from all mysese
þat lokyn on þi kerchy and remembyr me.

þan xul þei pulle Jesu out of his clothis and leyn them togedyr; and þer þei xul pullyn hym down and leyn hym along on þe cros, and aftyr þat naylyn hym þeron.


Primus Judeus
Come on, now here we xal asay49
Yf þe cros for þe be mete.
Cast hym down here, in þe devyl way;
How long xal he standyn on his fete?
Secundus Judeus
Pul hym down, evyl mote he the!53
And gyf me his arm in hast;
And anon we xal se
Hese good days, þei xul be past.
Tercius Judeus
Gef hese other arm to me,57
Another take hed to hese feet,
And anon we xal se
Yf þe borys be for hym meet.
Quartus Judeus
þis is mete, take good hede,61
Pulle out þat arm to þe sore.
Primus Judeus
þis is short — be deuyl hym sped! —
Be a large fote and more.
Secundus Judeus
Fest on a rop and pulle hym long,65
And I xal drawe þe ageyn.
Spare we not þese ropys strong,
þow we brest both flesch and veyn.
Tercius Judeus
Dryve in þe nayl anon, lete se,69
And loke and þe flesch and senues well last.
Quartus Judeus
þat I graunt, so mote I the!71
Lo, þis nayl is dreve ryth wel and fast.
Primus Judeus
Fest a rop þan to his feet,73
And drawe hym down long anow.
Secundus Judeus
Here is a nayl for both, good and greet;75
I xal dryve it thorwe, I make avow.

Here xul þei leve of and dawncyn abowte þe cros shortly.


Tercius Judeus
Lo, fela, here a lythe, takkyd on a tre!77
Quartus Ju[deus]
3a, and I trowe þu art a worthy kyng.78
Primus Judeus
A, good sere, telle me now, what helpyth þi prophecy þe?
Secundus Judeus
3a, or any of þi fals prechyng?80
Tercius Judeus
Serys, set up þe cros on þe hende81
þat we may loke hym in þe face.
Quartus Judeus
3a, and we xal knelyn onto oure kyng so kend,83
And preyn hym of his gret grace.

Here quan þei han set hym up, þei xuln gon before hym seyng eche affter other þus:


Primus Judeus
Heyl, Kyng of Jewys, yf þu be!85
Secundus Judeus
3a, 3a, sere, as þu hangyst þere flesche and bonys,
Tercius Judeus
Com now down of þat tre,87
Quartus Judeus
And we wole worchepe þe all atonys!88

Here xul poer comonys stand and loke upon þe jewys iiij or v; and þe Jewys xul come to them and do them hange þe þevys.


Primus Judeus
Come on, 3e knavys, and set up þise ij crosses ryth,
And hange up þese to thevys anon.
Secundus Jud[eus]
3a, and in þe worchep of his worthy knyth,91
On eche syde of hym xal hangyn on.

Here þe sympyl men xul settyn up þese ij crossys and hangyn up þe thevys be þe armys. And þerwhylys xal þe Jewys cast dyce for his clothis, and fytyn and stryvyn. And in þe menetyme xal oure Lady come with iij Maryes with here and Sen Johan with hem, settyng hem down asyde afore þe cros, oure Lady swuonyng and mornyng, and [be] leysere seyng:


Maria
A, my good Lord, my sone so swete!93
What hast þu don? Why hangyst now þus here?
Is þer non other deth to þe now mete
But þe most shamful deth among þese thevys fere?
A, out on my hert — whi brest þu nowth?
And þu art maydyn and modyr, and seyst þus þi childe spylle!
How mayst þu abyde þis sorwe and þis woful þowth?
A, deth, deth, deth! Why wylt þu not me kylle?

Here oure Lady xal swonge a3en, and ore Lord xal seyn þus:


Jesus
O Fadyr Almythy, makere of man,101
Forgyff þese Jewys þat don me wo.
Forgeve hem, fadyr, forgeve hem þan,
For thei wete notwh what þei do.
Primus Judeus
3a! Vath! Vath! Now here is he105
þat bad us dystroye oure tempyl on a day,
And withinne days thre
He xulde reysyn’t a3en in good aray.
Secundus Judeus
Now and þu kan do swech a dede,109
Help now þiself, yf þat þu kan;
And we xal belevyn on þe withoutyn drede,
And seyn þu art a mythty man..
Tercius Judeus
3a, yf þu be Goddys sone, as þu dedyst teche,
From þe cros come now down.
þan of mercy we xal þe beseche
And seyn þu art a lord of gret renown.
Jestes
Yf þu be Goddys sone, as þu dedyst seye,
Helpe here now both þe and vs.
But I fynde it not al in my feye
þat þu xuldyst be Cryst, Goddys sone Jesus.
Dysmas
Do wey, fool! Why seyst þu so?121
He is þe Sone of God, I beleve it wel!
And synne dede he nevyr, lo,
þat he xuld be put his deth tyl.
But we ful mech wrong han wrowth.125
He dede nevyr þing amys!
Now mercy, good Lord, mercy, and forgete me nowth
Whan þu comyst to þi kyngham and to þi blysse!
Jesus
Amen, amen, þu art ful wyse.129
þat þu hast askyd I grawnt þe:
þis same day in paradyse
With me, þi God, þu xalt þer be.
Maria
O my sone, my sone, my derlyng dere!133
What! Haue I defendyd be?
þu hast spoke to alle þo þat ben here,
And not o word þu spekyst to me.
To þe jewys þu art ful kende:137
þu hast forgove al here mysdede.
And be thef þu hast in mende:
For onys haskyng mercy, hefne is his mede.
A, my sovereyn Lord, why whylt þu not speke141
To me þat am þi modyr, in peyn for þi wrong?
A, hert, hert, why whylt þu not breke,
þat I wore out of his sorwe so stronge!
Jesus
A, woman, woman, beheld her þi sone,145
And þu, Jon, take her for þi modyr.
I charge þe to kepe here as besyly as þu kone;
þu, a clene mayde, xal kepe another.
And, woman, þu knowyst þat my fadyr of hefne me sent
To take his manhod of þe, Adamys rawnsom to pay.
For þis is be wyl and my faderys intent,
þat I xal þus deye to delyuere man fro þe develys pray.
Now syn it is þe wyl of my fadyr, it xuld þus be.
Why xuld it dysplese þe, modyr, now my deth so sore?
And for to suffre al þis for man I was born of the,
To þe blys þat man had lost, man a3en to restore.

Her oure Lady xal ryse, and renne, and halse þe crosse.


Maria Magdalene
A, good lady, why do 3e þus?157
3oure dolfol cher now cheuyth us sore.
And for þe peyne of my swete Lord Jesus,
þat he seyth in 3ou, it peyneth hum more.
Maria Virgo
I pray 3ow alle, lete me ben here,161
And hang me up here on þis tre
Be my frend and sone þat me is so dere,
For her he is, þer wold I be.
Johannes
Jentyl lady, now leve 3oure mornyng,165
And go with us now, we 3ou pray;
And comfort oure Lord at hese departyng,
For he is almost redy to go his way.

Here þei xal take oure Lady from þe crosse. And here xal Pylat come down from his shaffald with Cayphas and Annas and all here mené and xul come and lokyn on Cryst. AndAnnas and Cayphas xul skornfully sey[n]:


Cayphas
Lo, serys, lo, beheldyth and se,169
Here hangyth he þat halpe many a man.
And now yf he Goddys sone be,
Helpe now hymself, yf þat he kan!
Annas
3a, and yf þu Kyng of Israel be,173
Come down of þe cros among us alle.
And lete þi God now delyuere the,
And þan oure kyng we wole þe calle.

Here xal Pylat askyn penne and inke, and a tabyl xal be take hym wretyn afore "Hic est Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judeorum." And he xal make hym to wtyte, and þan gon up on a leddere and settyn þe tabyl abovyn Crystys hed. And þan Cayphas xal makyn hym to redyn and seyn:


Cayphas
Sere Pylat, we merveylyth of þis,177
þat 3e wryte hym to be Kyng of Jewys.
þerfore we wolde þat 3e xuld wryte þus,
þat he namyd hymself Kyng of Jewus.
Pylat
þat I haue wretyn, wretyn it is.181
And so it xal be for me, iwys.

And so forth all þei xal gon a3en to þe skaffald and Jesus xal cryen:


[Jesus]
Heloy, Heloy, lamazabathany?183
My fadyr in hevyn on hy,
Why dost þu me forsake?185
The frelté of my mankende,
With stronge peyn yt gynnyth to peynde!
Ha, dere fadyr, haue me in mende,
And lete deth my sorwe slake.
Secundus Judeus
Methynkyth he this doth calle Hely.190
Lete us go nere and aspy,
And loke yf he come preuely,
From cros hym down to reve.
Jesus
So grett a thrust dede nevym man take194
As I haue, man, now for þi sake;
For thrust asundyr my lyppys gyn crake,
For drynes þei do cleve.
Tercius Judeus
3oure thrust, Sere Hoberd, for to slake,198
Eyzil and galle here I þe take.
What! Methynkyth a mowe 3e make.
Is not þis good drynk?
To crye for drynke 3e had gret hast,
And now it semyth it is but wast;
Is not þis drynk of good tast?204
Now telle me how 3e thynk.
Quartus Judeus
On lofte, Sere Hoberd, now 3e be sett,206
We wyl no lenger with 3ou lett.
We grete 3ou wel on þe newe gett,
And make on 3ou a mowe.
Primus Judeus
We grete 3ou wel with a scorn210
And pray 3ou bothe evyn and morn,
Take good eyd to oure corn,
And chare awey þe crowe.
Jesus
In manus tuas, Domine,214
Holy Fadym in hefly se,
I comende my spyryte to þe,
For here now hendyth my fest.
I xal go sle þe fende, þat freke,
For now myn herte begynnyth to breke.
Wurdys mo xal I non speke.220
Nunc consummatum est.
Maria
Alas! Alas! I leve to longe,222
To se my swete sone with peynes stronge
As a theff on cros doth honge,
And nevyr 3et dede he synne!
Alas, my dere chyld to deth is dressyd!
Now is my care wel more incressyd!
A, myn herte with peyn is pressyd —228
For sorwe myn hert doth twynne!
Johannes
A, blyssyd mayde, chaunge 3oure thought,230
For þow 3oure sone with sorwe be sought,
3itt by his owyn wyl his werk is wrought,
And wylfully his deth to take.
3ow to kepe he chargyd me here,
I am 3oure servaunt, my lady dere;
Wherfore I pray 3ow, be of good chere,236
And merthis þat 3e make.
Maria
Thow he had nevyr of me be born,238
And I sey his flesch þus al xxxto torn,
On bak behyndyn, on brest beforn,
Rent with woundys wyde,
Nedys I must wonyn in woo,
To se my frende with many a fo
All torent from top to too,244
His flesch withowtyn hyde.
Johannes
A, blyssyd lady, as I 3ow telle,246
Had he not deyd, we xuld to helle,
Amongys fendys þer evyr to dwelle,
In peynes þat ben smert.
He sufferyth deth for oure trespace,
And thorwe his deth we xal haue grace
To dwelle with hym in hevyn place.252
þerfore beth mery in hert!
Maria
A, dere frende, weel woot I this,254
þat he doth bye us to his blys.
But 3itt of myrth evyrmor I mys
Whan I se his syght.
Johannes
Now, dere lady, þerfore I 3ow pray,258
Fro þis dolful dolour wende we oure way;
For whan þis syght 3e se nought may,
3oure care may waxe more lyght.
Maria
Now sythe I must parte hym fro,262
3it lete me kysse, or þat I go,
His blyssyd feyt þat sufferyn wo
Naylid on his tre.
So cruelly with grett dyspyte
þus shamfully was nevyr man dyghte.
þerfore in peyn myn hert is pyghte —268
Al joyedepartyth fro me.

Hic quasi semi-[m]ortua cadat prona in terram. Et dicit Johannes:


Johannes
Now, blyssyd mayd, com forthe with me,270
No lengere his syght þat 3e se.
I xal 3ow gyde in his countré
Where þat it plesyth 3ow best.
Maria
Now, jentyl Johan, my sonys derlyng,274
To Goddys temple þu me brynge
þat I may prey God with sore wepynge
And mornynge þat is prest.
Johannes
All 3oure desyre xal be wrought;278
With herty wyll I werke 3oure thought.
Now, blyssyd mayde, taryeth nowth,
In þe temple þat 3e ware.
For holy prayere may chaunge 3oure mood
And cawse 3oure chere to be more good.
Whan 3e se not3 3oure childys blood,284
þe lasse may be 3oure care.

Tunc transiet Maria ad templum cum Johanne, et cetera.


Maria
Here in þis temple my lyff I lede,286
And serue my Lord God with hertyly drede.
Now xal wepynge me fode and fede,
Som comforte tyll God sende.
A, my Lord God, I þe pray,
Whan my childe ryseth þe iijde day,
Comforte thanne thyn handmay,292
My care for to amende.


2024 Mar 19  14:56:36