The First Passion Play: The Prologues of the Lucifer and John the Baptist, Judas and the Conspiracy Against Christ, and Christ's Entry into Jerusalem

I am norsshere of synne to þe confusyon of man,
To bryng hym to my dongeon, þer in fyre to dwelle.
Hosoevyr serve me, so reward hym I kan
þat he xal syng "wellaway" evyr in peynes felle.

Lo, þus bountevous a lord þan now am I9
To reward so synners, as my kend is:
Whoso wole folwe my lore and serve me dayly,
Of sorwe and peyne anow he xal nevyr mys.

For I began in hefne synne for to sowe13
Among all þe angellys þat weryn þere so bryth;
And þerfore was I cast out into helle ful lowe,
Notwithstandyng I was þe fayrest and berere of lyth.

3et I drowe in my tayle of þo angelys bryth17
With me into helle — takyth good hed what I say —
I lefte but tweyn a3ens on to abyde here in lyth;
But be iijde part come with me, þis may not be seyd nay.

Takyth hed to 3oure prince, þan, my pepyl euerychon,
And seyth what maystryes in hefne I gan þer do play.
To gete a thowsand sowlys in an houre, methynkyth it but skorn
Syth I wan Adam and Eve on þe fyrst day.

But now mervelous mendys rennyn in myn rememberawns
Of on Cryst, wiche is clepyd Joseph and Maryes sone.
Thryes I tempte hym be ryth sotylle instawnce,
Aftyr he fast fourty days ageyns sensual myth or reson,
For of þe stonys to a mad bred; but sone I had conclusyon;
þan upon a pynnacle, but angelys were to hym assystent —
His answerys were mervelous, I knew not his intencyon;
And at þe last to veynglory, but nevyr I had myn intent.

And now hath þe xij dysypulys to his attendauns.
To eche town and cety he sendyth hem as bedellys,
In dyverce place to make for hym puruyauns.
The pepyl of hese werkys ful grettly merveyllys:
To þe crokyd, blynd and dowm, his werkys provaylys;
Lazare, þat foure days lay ded, his lyff recuryd;
And where I purpose me to tempt, anon he me asaylys;
Mawdelyn playn remyssyon also he hath ensuryd.

Goddys son he pretendyth, and to be born of a mayde,
And seyth he xal dey for mannys saluacyon.
þan xal þe trewth be tryed, and no ferdere be delayd,
Whan þe soule fro þe body xal make separacyon.
And as for hem þat be vndre my grett domynacyon,
He xal fayle of hese intent and purpose also,
Be þis tyxt of holde remembryd to myn intencyon:
Quia in inferno nulla est redempcio.

But whan þe tyme xal neyth of his persecucyon,
I xal arere new engynes of malycyous conspiracy!
Plenté of reprevys I xal provide to his confusyon.
þus xal I false þe wordys þat his pepyl doth testefy.
His discipulis xal forsake hym and here maystyr denye;
Innovmberabyl xal hese woundys be, of woful grevauns;
A tretowre xal countyrfe his deth to fortyfye.55
þe rebukys þat he gyf me xal turne to his displesauns.

Some of hese dyscypulys xal be chef of his ordenawns.
þat xal fortefye his term, þat "in trost is treson."
þus xal I venge be sotylté at my malycyous grevauns,
For nothyng may excede my prudens and dyscrecyon.

Gyff me 3oure love, grawnt me myn affeccyon,61
And I wyl vnclose þe tresour of lovys alyawns,
And gyff 3ow 3oure desyrys afftere 3oure intencyon;
No poverté xal aproche 3ow fro plentevous abundauns.

Byholde þe dyvercyté of my dysgysyd varyauns,
Eche thyng sett of dewe naterall dysposycyon,
And eche parte acordynge to his resemblauns,
Fro þe sool of þe foot to be hyest asencyon:

Off fyne cordewan a goodly peyre of long-pekyd schon;
Hosyn enclosyd of þe most costyous cloth of crenseyn
(þus a bey to a jentylman to make comparycyon),
With two doseyn poyntys of cheverelle, þe aglottys of syluer feyn;

A shert of feyn Holond (but care not for þe payment!),
A stomachere of clere Reynes, þe best may be bowth
(þow poverté be chef, lete pride her be present,
And all þo þat repreff pride, þu sette hem at nowth);

Cadace, wolle, or flokkys, where it may be sowth,77
To stuffe withal þi dobbelet and make þe of proporcyon
Two smale legges and a gret body (þow it ryme nowth,
3et loke þat þu desyre to an þe newe faccyon);

A gowne of thre 3erdys (loke þu make comparison
Vnto all degrees dayly þat passe þin astat);
A purse withoutyn mony, a daggere for devoscyon
(And here repref is of synne, loke þu make debat);

With syde lokkys I schrewe þin here, to þi colere hangyng down,
To herborwe qweke bestys þat tekele men onyth;
An hey smal bonet for curying of þe crowne.
And all beggerys and pore pepyll, haue hem in dyspyte.
Onto þe grete othys and lycherye gyf þi delyte.
To maynteyn þin astate lete brybory be present.
And yf be lawe repreve þe, say þu wylt fyth
And gadere þe a felachep after þin entent.

Loke þu sett not be precept nor be comawndement:
Both sevyle and canoun sett þu at nowth.
Lette no membre of God but with othys be rent —
Lo, þus his werd at his tyme to myn intent is browth.
I, Sathan, with my felawus þis werd hath sowth,
And now we han it at houre plesawns.
For synne is not shamfast, but boldnes hath bowth99
þat xal cause hem in helle to han inerytawns.

A beggerys dowtere to make gret purvyauns101
To cownterfete a jentylwoman, dysgeysyd as she can.
And yf mony lakke, þis is þe newe chevesauns:
With here prevy plesawns to gett it of sum man;
Here colere splayed and furryd with ermyn, Calabere, or satan,
A seyn to selle lechory to hem þat wyl bey;
And þei þat wyl not by it, yet mow xal þei han,
And telle hem it is for love — she may it not deney.

I haue browth 3ow newe namys, and wyl 3e se why?109
For synne is so plesaunt to ech mannys intent.
3e xal kalle pride "onesté," and "naterall kend" lechory,
And covetyse "wysdam" there tresure is present;

Wreth, "manhod," and envye callyd "chastement"113
(Seyse nere sessyon, lete perjory be chef);
Glotenye, "rest" (let abstynawnce beyn absent).
And he þat wole exorte þe to vertu, put hem to repreff!

To rehers al my servauntys, my matere is to breff,117
But all þese xal eneryth þe dyvicyon eternal.
þow Cryst by his sotylté many materys meef,
In evyrlastynge peyne with me dwellyn þei xal.

Remembre, oure seruauntys whoys sowlys ben mortall,
For I must remeffe for more materys to provyde,
I am with 3ow at all tymes whan 3e to councel me call;
But for a short tyme myself I devoyde.

þe weys of oure Lord cast 3ow to aray,133
And þerin to walk, loke 3e be applyande.
And make his pathys as ryth as 3e may,
Kepyng ryth forth, and be not declinande
Neyther to fele on ryth nor on lefte hande,
But in þe myddys purpose 3ow to holde.
For þat in all wyse is most plesande,139
As 3e xal here whan I have tolde.

Of his wey for to make moralysacyon,141
Be þe ryth syde 3e xal vndyrstonde "mercy;"
And on þe lefte syde lykkenyd :dysperacyon;"
And þe patthe betwyn bothyn þat may not wry
Schal be "hope and drede," to walk in perfectly,
Declynyng not to fele for no maner nede.
Grete cawsys I xal shove 3ow why147
þat 3e xal sewe þe patthe of hope and drede.

On þe mercy of God to meche 3e xal not holde,
As in þis wyse, behold what I mene:
For to do synne, be þu no more bolde
In trost þat God wole mercyful bene.
And yf be sensualyté, as it is ofte sene,
Synnyst dedly, þu xalt not þerfore dyspeyre;
But þerfore do penawns and confesse þe clene,
And of hevyn þu mayst trost to ben eyre.

þe pathe þat lyth to þis blyssyd enherytawns
Is hope and drede, copelyd be conjunccyon.
Betwyx þese tweyn may be no dysseuerawns,
For hope withoutyn drede is maner of presumpcyon;
And drede withowtyn hope is maner of dysperacyon.
So these tweyn must be knyt be on acorde.
How 3e xal aray þe wey I haue made declar[acyon],
Also þe ryth patthis a3ens þe comyng of oure Lord.

Here xal Annas shewyn hymself in his stage beseyn aftyr a busshop of þe hoold lawe in a skarlet gowne, and ouyr þat a blew tabbard furryd with whyte, and a mytere on his hed after þe hoold lawe; ij doctorys stondyng by hym in furryd hodys, and on beforn hem with his staff of astat, and eche of hem on here hedys a furryd cappe with a gret knop in þe crowne; and on stondyng beforn as a Sarazyn, þe wich xal be his masangere, Annas þus seyng:

3ef I may aspey þe contrary, no wheyle xal þei reyn,
But anon to me be browth and stonde present
Before here jewge, wich xal not feyn,
But aftere here trespace gef hem jugement.
Now, serys, for a prose, heryth myn intent:
There is on Jesus of Nazareth þat oure lawys doth excede.
Yf he procede thus, we xal us all repent,179
For oure lawys he dystroyt dayly with his dede.

Therefore be 3oure cowncel we must take hede181
What is be[st] to provyde or do in his case.
For yf we let hym þus go and ferdere prosede,
Ageyn Sesare and oure lawe we do trespace.

To Rewfyn and Leon þu go also,201
And pray hem þei speke with me in hast.
For a pryncipal matere þat haue to do,
Wich must be knowe or þis day be past.

Here goth þe masangere forth; and in þe menetyme Cayphas shewyth himself in his skafhald arayd lych to Annas, savyng his tabbard xal be red furryd with white; ij doctorys with hym arayd with pellys aftyr þe old gyse and furryd cappys on here hedys; Cayphas þus seyng:

But þer is on Cryst þat [in] oure lawys is varyable;
He perverte þe pepyl with his prechyng ill.
We must seke a mene onto hym reprevable
For yf he procede, oure lawys he wyl spyll!

We must take good cowncel in þis case221
Of þe wysest of þe lawe þat kan þe trewthe telle,
Of þe jewgys of Pharasy and of my cosyn Annas.
For yf he procede, be prossesse oure lawys he wyl felle.

Here comyth þe masangere to Cayphas; and in þe menetyme Rewfyn and Lyon schewyn hem in þe place in ray tabardys furryd, and ray hodys abouth here neckys furryd; þe masangere seyng:

Here þe masager metyth with þe jewgys, sayng:

Here þe masangere comyth to Annas, þus seyng:

Here Annas goth down to mete with Cayphas, and in þe menetyme þus seyng:

Here þe buschopys with here clerkys and þe Pharaseus mett [at] þe mydplace, and þer xal be a lytil oratory with stolys and cusshonys, clenly beseyn lych as it were a cownsel hous; Annas þus seyng:

The pepyl so fast to hym doth falle,297
Be prevy menys as we aspye,
3yf he procede, son sen 3e xalle
þat oure lawys he wyl dystrye.

It is oure part þ[i]s to deny.301
What is 3oure cowncell in þis cas?

Go to 3on castel þat standyth 3ow ageyn,347
Sum of myn dyscyplis — go forth, 3e to.
þere xul 3e fyndyn bestys tweyn:
An asse tyed and here fole also.
Vnlosne þat asse and brynge it to me pleyn.
Iff any ma[n] aske why þat 3e do so,
Sey þat I haue nede to þis best, certeyn,
And he xal not lett 3ow 3oure weys for to go.
þat best brynge 3e to me.

Here þei fecch þe asse with þe fole, and þe burgeys seyth:

But only for pore men to releve362
This asse is ordayned, as I 3ow say.

Here Cryst rydyth out of þe place and he wyl, and Petyr and Johan abydyn stylle; and at þe last, whan þei haue don þer prechyng, ]ei mete with Jesu.

þei þat be crokyd, he xal cause hem to goo,
In þe wey þat Johan Baptyst of prophecyed.
Sweche a leche kam 3ow nevyr non too.
Wherfore, what he comawndyth, loke [b]e applyed!
þat som of 3ow be blynd, it may not be denyid,
For hym þat is 3oure makere, with 3oure gostly ey 3e xal not knowe.
Of his comaundementys in 3ow gret necglygens is aspyed;
Wherefore def fro gostly heryng clepe 3ow I howe.

And some of 3ow may not go, 3e be so crokyd,402
For of good werkyng in 3ow is lytyl habundawns.
Tweyn fete heuery man xuld haue, and it were lokyd,
Wyche xuld bere þe body gostly, most of substawns:
Fyrst is to love God above all other plesawns;
þe secunde is to love þi neybore as þin owyn persone.
And yf þese tweyn be kepte in perseverawns,408
Into þe celestyal habytacyon 3e arn habyl to gone.

Many of 3ow be dome. Why? For 3e wole not redresse410
Be mowthe 3oure Dedys Mortal, but þerin don perdure.
Of þe wych but 3e haue contrycyon and 3ow confesse,
3e may not inheryte hevyn, his I 3ow ensure.
And of all þese maladyes 3e may haue gostly cure,
For be hevynly leche is comyng 3ow for to vicyte.

And as for payment, he wole shewe 3ow no red[d]ure,
For with þe love of 3owre hertys he wole be aqwhyte.

And to fulfylle þe prophetys prophesé,
Vpon an asse he wole hedyr ryde,
Shewyng 3ow exawmple of humylyté,
Devoydyng þe abhomynable synne of pryde,
Whech hath ny conqweryd all þe werd wyde,
Grettest cause of all 3oure trybulacyon.
Vse it hoso wole, for it is þe best gyde432
þat 3e may haue to þe place of dampnacyon.

Now, brothyr in God, syth we have intellygens434
þat oure Lord is ny come to þis ceté,
To attend upon his precyous presens
It syttyth to us, as semyth me.
Wherfore to mete whit hym now go we.
I wold fore nothyng we where to late.
To þe cetéward fast drawyth he;440
Mesemyth he is ny at be [g]ate.

Here spekyth þe iiij ceteseynys, þe fyrst þus seyng:

Here þe iiij ceteseynys makyn hem redy for to mete with oure Lord, goyng barfot and barelegged and in here shyrtys, savyng þei xal have here gownys cast abouth them. And qwan þei seen oure Lord þei xal sprede þer clothis beforn hym, and he xal lyth and go þerupon. And þei xal fall downe upon þer knes all atonys, þe fyrst þus seyng:

Here Cryst passyth forth. þer metyth with hym a serteyn of chylderyn with flowrys, and cast beforn hym. And they synggyn "Gloria laus," and beforn on seyt:

Thow sone of Davyd, þu be oure supporte454
At oure last day whan we xal dye!
Wherefore we alle atonys to þe exorte,
Cryeng mercy! Mercy! Mercye!

The trewthe of trewthis xal now be tryede,466
And a perfyth of corde betwyx God and man,
Wich trewth xal nevyr be dyvide —
Confusyon onto þe fynd Sathan.

Here Cryst blyssyth here eyn and þei may se, þe fryst seyng: