The Pilgrims

Cleophas
Almyghty god, ihesu! ihesu1
That borne was of a madyn fre,2
Thou was a lord and prophete trew,3
whyls thou had lyfe on lyfe to be4
Emangys thise men;5
yll was thou ded, so wo is me6
that I it ken!7
I ken it well that thou was slayn8
Oonly for me and all mankynde;9
Therto thise Iues were full bayn.10
Alas! why was thou, man, so blynde11
Thi lord to slo?12
On hym why wold thou haue no mynde,13
bot bett hym blo?14
Blo thou bett hym bare / his brest thou maide all blak,
his woundes all wete thay ware / Alas, withoutten lak!
Lucas
That lord, alas, that leche / that was so meke and mylde,
So well that couth vs preche / with syn was neuer fylde;
he was full bayn to preche / vs all from warkes wylde,
his ded it will me drech, / ffor thay hym so begylde
This day;21
Alas, why dyd thay so22
To tug hym to and fro?23
ffrom hym wold thay not go24
To his lyfe was away.25
Cleophas
Thise cursyd Iues, euer worth thaym wo!26
Oure lord, oure master, to ded gart go,27
All sakles thay gart hym slo28
Apon the rode,29
And forto bete his body blo30
Thay thoght full good.31
Lucas
Thou says full sothe, thay dyd hym payn,32
And therto were thay euer fayn.33
Thay wold no leyf or he was slayn34
And done to ded;35
ffor-thi we mowrne with mode and mayn,36
with rufull red.37
Cleophas
yee, rufully may we it rew,38
ffor hym that was so good and trew,39
That thrugh the falshede of a Iew40
was thus betrayd;41
Therfor oure sorow is euer new,42
Oure ioy is layd.43
Lucas
Certys, it was a wonder thyng44
That thay wold for no tokynyng,45
Ne yit for his techyng,46
Trast in that trew;47
Thay myght haue sene in his doyng48
full great vertu.49
Cleophas
ffor all that thay to hym can say50
he answard neuer with yee, ne nay,51
Bot as a lam meke was he ay,52
ffor all thare threte;53
he spake neuer, by nyght ne day,54
No wordes greatte.55
Lucas
All if he wor withoutten plight,56
Vnto the ded yit thay hym dight;57
If he had neuer so mekill myght58
he suffred all;59
he stud as still, that bright,60
As stone in wall.61
Cleophas
Alas, for doyll! what was thare skyll62
That precyous lord so forto spill?63
And he seruyd neuer none yll64
In worde, ne dede;65
Bot prayd for theym his fader till66
To ded when that he yede.67
Lucas
When I thynk on his passyon,68
And on his moder how she can swoyn,69
To dy nere am I bowne,70
ffor sorow I sagh hir make;71
Vnder the crosse when she fell downe,72
ffor hir son sake.73
Cleophas
Me thynk my hart is full of wo74
when I sagh hym to ded go;75
Th[e] wekyd Iues thay were so thro76
To wyrk hym woghe,77
his fare body thay maide full blo78
with strokes enoghe.79
Lucas
Me thynk my hart droppys all in bloode80
when I sagh hym hyng on the roode,81
And askyd a drynk, with full mylde mode,82
Right than in hy;83
Asell and gall, that was not good,84
Thay broght hym then truly.85
Cleophas
was neuer man in no-kyns steede86
That suffred half so greatt mysdede87
As he, to ded or that he yede,88
Ne yit the care;89
ffor-thi full carefull is my red90
where soeuer I fare.91
Lucas
where so I fare he is my mynde,92
Bot when I thynk on hym so kynde,93
how sore gyltles that he was pyynde94
Apon a tre,95
Vnethes may I hold, my mynde,96
So sore myslykys me.97
Jesus
Pylgrymes, whi make ye this mone,98
And walk so rufully by the way?99
haue ye youre gates vngrathly gone?100
Or what you alys to me ye say.101
what wordes ar you two emange,102
That ye here so sadly gang?103
To here theym eft full sore I lang,104
here of yow two;105
It semys ye ar in sorow strang,106
here as ye go.107
Cleophas
what way, for shame, man, has thou tayn108
That thou wote not of this affray?109
Thow art a man by the alane,110
Thow may not pleasse me to my pay.111
Jesus
I pray you, if it be youre will,112
Those Wordys ye wold, reherse me tyll;113
ye ar all heuy and lykys yll114
here in this way;115
If ye will now shew me youre [wyll]116
I wold you pray.117
Lucas
Art thou a pilgreme thi self alone,118
walkand in contry bi thyn oone,119
And wote not what is commen and gone120
within few dayes?121
Me thynk thou shuld make mone,122
And wepe here in thi wayes.123
Jesus
whi, what is done can ye me say124
In this land this ylk day?125
Is ther fallen any affray126
In land awre whare?127
If ye can, me tell I you pray,128
Or that I farthere fare.129
Cleophas
why, knowys thou not what thyng is done130
here at Ierusalem thus sone,131
Thrugh wykyd Iues, withoutten hone,132
And noght lang syn?133
flor the trewe prophete make we this mone,134
And for his pyne.135
Lucas
yee for ihesu of nazarene,136
That was a prophete true and clene,137
In word, in wark, full meke, I wene,138
And that fonde we;139
And so has he full long bene,140
As mot I the,141
To god and to the people bath;142
Therfor thise daies he has takyn skath,143
Vnto the ded, withoutten hagh,144
Thise Iues hym dight;145
ffor-thi for hym thus walk we wrath146
By day and nyght.147
Cleophas
Thise wykyd Iues trayed hym with gyle148
To thare high preestys within a whyle,149
And to thare prynces thay can hym fyle,150
withoutten drede;151
Apon a crosse, noght hens a myle,152
To ded he yede.153
Lucas
we trowyd that it was he truly154
his awne lyfe agane shuld by,155
As it is told in prophecy156
Of Cristys doyng;157
And, certys, thay will neuer ly158
ffor noykyns thyng.159
ffro he was of the crosse tayn160
he was layde full sone agane161
In a graue, vnder a stane,162
And that we saw;163
wheder he be rysen and gane164
yit we ne knaw.165
Jesus
Pilgremes, in speche ye are full awth,166
That shall I well declare you why,167
ye haue it hart, and that is rawth,168
ye can no better stand therby,169
Thyng that ye here;170
And prophetys told it openly171
On good manere.172
Thay saide a childe there shuld be borne173
To by mankynde combryd in care;174
Thus saide dauid here beforne175
And othere prophetys wyse of lare,176
And daniell;177
Som saide he ded shuld be,178
And ly in erth by dayes thre,179
And sithen, thrugh his pauste,180
Ryse vp in flesh and fell.181
Cleophas
Now, sir, for sothe, as god me saue,182
women has flayed vs in oure thoght;183
Thay saide that thay were at his graue,184
And in that sted, thay faunde hym noght,185
Bot saide a light186
Com downe with angels, and vp hym broght187
Ther in thare sight.188
we wold not trow theym for nothyng,189
If thay were ther in the mornyng,190
we saide thay knew not his rysyng191
when it shuld be;192
Bot som of vs, without dwellyng,193
wentt theder to se.194
Lucas
yee, som of vs, sir, haue beyn thare,195
And faunde it as the women saide,196
Out of that sted that cors was fare,197
And also the graue stone put besyde,198
we se with ee;199
The teres outt of myn ees can glyde,200
ffor doyll I dre.201
Jesus
ye foyles, ye ar not stabyll!202
where is youre witt, I say?203
wilsom of hart ye ar vnabyll204
And outt of the right way,205
ffor to trow it is no fabyll206
that at is fallen this same day.207
he wyst, when he sat at his tabill,208
that Iudas shuld, hym sone betray.209
Me thynk you all vntrist to trow,210
both in mode and mayn,211
All that the prophetys told to you212
before, it is no trane.213
Told, not thay what wyse and how214
That cryst shuld suffre payn?215
And so to his paske bow216
To entre till his ioy agane.217
Take tent to moyses and othere mo,218
that were prophetys trew and good;219
Thay saide ihesus to ded, shuld go,220
And pynde be on roode;221
Thrugh the Iues he maide full blo,222
his woundys rynyng on red blode;223
Sithen shuld he ryse and furth go224
before, right as he yode.225
Crist behovid to suffre this,226
fforsothe, right as I say,227
And sithen enter into his blys228
vnto his fader for ay,229
Euer to won with hym and his,230
where euer is gam and play;231
Of that myrth shall he neuer mys232
ffro he weynde hens away.233
Cleophas
Now, sir, we thank it full oft sythes,234
the commyng of you heder;235
To vs so kyndly kythes236
the prophecy all to geder.237
Jesus
By leyff now, sirs, for I must weynde,238
ffor I haue far of my iornay.239
Lucas
Now, sir, we pray you, as oure freynde,240
All nyght to abyde for charite,241
And take youre r[est];242
At morne more prest then may ye be243
to go full prest.244
Cleophas
Sir, we you pray, for godys sake,245
This nyght penance with vs to take,246
With sich chere as we can make,247
And that we pray;248
we may no farthere walk ne wake,249
Gone is the day.250
Lucas
Dwell with vs, sir, if ye myght,251
ffor now it waxes to the nyght,252
The day is gone that was so bright,253
No far thou shall;254
Mete and drynk, sir, we you hight255
ffor thi good tale.256
Jesus
I thank you both, for sothe, in fere,257
At this tyme I ne may dwell here,258
I haue to walk in wayes sere,259
where I haue hight;260
I may not be, withoutten were,261
With you all nyght.262
Cleophas
Now, as myght I lyf in qwarte,263
At this tyme will we not parte,264
Bot if that thou can more of arte265
Or yit of lare;266
Vnto this cyte, with good harte,267
Now let vs fare.268
Lucas
Thou art a pilgreme, as we ar,269
This nyght shall thou fare as we fare,270
Be it les or be it mare271
Thou shall assay;272
Then to-morne thou make the yare273
To weynde thi Way.274
Jesus
ffreyndys, forto fulfill youre will275
I will abyde with you awhyle.276
Cleophas
Sir, ye ar welcom, as is skyll,277
To sich as we haue, bi sant gyle.278
Lucas
Now ar we here at this towne,279
I red that we go sytt vs downe,280
And forto sowpe we make vs bowne,281
Now of oure fode;282
we haue enogh, sir, bi my crowne,283
Of godys goode.284
Cleophas
lo, here a borde and clothe laide,285
And breed, theron, all redy graide;286
Sit we downe, we shalbe paide,287
And make good chere;288
It is but penaunce, as we saide,289
That we haue here.290
Lucas
wemmow! where is this man becom,291
Right here that sat betwix vs two?292
he brake the breed and laide vs som;293
how myght he hens now fro vs go294
At his awne lyst?295
It was oure lorde, I trow right so,296
And we not wyst.297
Cleophas
When went he hens, whedir, and how,298
What I ne wote in warld so wyde,299
ffor had I wyten, I make a vowe,300
he shuld haue byden, what so betyde;301
Bot it were ihesus that with vs was,302
Selcowth me thynke, the sothe to say,303
Thus preualy from vs to pas,304
I wist neuer when he went away.305
we were full blynde, euer alas!306
I tell vs now begylde for ay,307
ffor spech and bewte that he has308
Man myght hym knaw this day.309
Lucas
A, dere god, what may this be?310
Right now was he here by me;311
Now is this greatt vanyte,312
he is away;313
We ar begylyd, by my lewte,314
So may we say.315
Cleophas
where was oure hart, where was oure thoght,316
So far on gate as he vs broght,317
knawlege of hym that we had noght318
In all that tyme?319
So was he lyke, bi hym me wroght,320
Till oon pylgryme.321
Lucas
Dere god, why couth we hym not knawe?322
so openly all on a raw323
The tayles that he can till vs shaw,324
By oone and oon;325
And now from vs within a thraw326
Thus sone is gone.327
Cleophas
I had no knawlege it was he,328
Bot for he brake this brede in thre,329
And delt it here to the and me330
With his awne hande;331
When he passyd, hence we myght not se,332
here syttande.333
Lucas
Wee ar to blame, yee, veramente,334
That we toke no better tente335
whils we bi the way wente336
With hym that stownd.337
knowlege of hym we myght haue hentt,338
Syttyng on grownd.339
Cleophas
ffro he toke breede full well I wyst,340
And brake it here with his awne fyste,341
And laide it vs at his awne lyst,342
As we it hent;343
I knew hym then, and sone it kyst344
with good, intente.345
Lucas
That we hym knew wist he well enogh,346
Therfor all sone he hym with-drogh,347
ffro he saw that we hym knogh,348
with in this sted;349
I haue ferly what way and how350
Away that he shuld glyde.351
Cleophas
Alas, we war full myrk in thoght,352
bot we were both full will of red;353
Man, for shame whi held, thou noght354
when he on borde brake vs this breede?355
he soght the prophecy more and les356
And told it vs right in this sted,357
how that he hym self was358
With wykid Iues broght to ded,359
And more;360
we will go seke that kyng361
That suffred woundes sore.362
Lucas
Ryse, go we hence from this place,363
To Ierusalem take we the pace,364
And tell oure brethere all the case,365
I red right thus;366
ffrom ded, to lyfe when that he rase367
he apperyd till vs.368
Cleophas
At Ierusalem I vnderstande,369
Ther hope I that they be dwelland,370
In that countre and in that land371
We shall theym mete.372
Weynd we furth, I dar warand,373
Right in the strete.374
Lucas
let vs not tary ne mare,375
Bot on oure feete fast lett vs fare;376
I hope we shall be cachid fro care377
ffull sone, Iwys;378
That blyssid childe that marie bare379
Grauntt you his blys.380


2022 Jan 21  20:05:23