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XXXII
THE COOKS’ AND WATERLEADERS’ PLAY
JUDAS
Alas! that ever I was wrought,
Or ever I came by kind or kin.
I ban the bones that forth me brought.
Woe worth the womb that I bred in.
So may I bid,
For I so falsely did to him
That unto me great kindness did,
His purse and money about I bore;
There was none he trusted so well as I—
Yea, than me he trusted no man more;
And I betrayed him traitorously.
With a false lie.
Blameless I sold his blest body
Unto the Jews, the death to die.
To slay my sovereign did I assent,
And told them the time of his taking.
O shameful was then my intent,
Consenting to such an ill making.
If I wist how he might pass that pain,
And find how that boon best main,
Unto the Jews will I again,
To save him that he might be free—
That would I do.
To Pilate
Lord, wealth and all worship be with you.
PILATE
What tidings, Judas, now bring you?
JUDAS
My tidings are troublous, I tell you,
Sir Pilate; therefore must I pray—
My master, whom once I would sell you,
Good lord, let go on his way.
CAYPHAS
Nay,
Needs must, Judas, that we deny,
What matter or mind moves you thus?
JUDAS
Sir, I have sinned full grievously
Betrayed that righteous blood Jesus,
True master mine.
CAYPHAS
Fair sir, what is that to us?
The peril and the plight are thine.
Thine is the wrong, and thou hast wrought.
You promised true he should be ta'en;
And ours is the bargain we bought;
We all assent that he be slain.
JUDAS
Alas! then I deeply repent,
If so ye assent him to slay.
PILATE
What should we do? What’s your intent?
JUDAS
I pray, lord, he go free away.
Here I give back your full payment plain.
CAYPHAS
Nay; we'll not so,
We bought him that he might be slain.
JUDAS
To save his blood, sirs, now beg I,
And take you there your payment whole.
I pray you, spare. Let him not die,
Else brew ye me full heavy dole.
PILATE
Nay; hears't thou, Judas.
We will have it not. What a'devil art thou?
When thou soughtest us thou wast full fain
Of this money; what aileth thee now,
To rue the cost?
JUDAS
Again, sirs, here—I give it you;
And save him, that he be not lost.
PILATE
Straightway again, thou traitor, take it.
I'll not take it nor touch it, not I.
Nor shalt thou, trespasser, so soon forsake it.
Thou soldest him; him then I surely will try.
CAYPHAS
Forsake it, faith, that shall he not,
For we will hold him that we have.
The payment binds, which thou hast got;
Thou needs’t no other covenant crave,
Nor mercy none.
JUDAS
Since then you assent him to slay,
Vengeance I cry on you each one.
To each I cry, The devil damn you,
And that might I both hear and see.
Hard vengeance, wish I, come upon you,
For sorrow unsought comes on me.
CAYPHAS
Why, fie on thee, traitor attaint; what is here?
Of treason to tax them that trusted thee true?
Now get thee hence, rascal; no longer bide near,
For if thou do, all thy words sore shalt thou rue.
Say, wot ye not who I am, I?
PILATE
Go thy ways, wastrel, and vex us no more.
Leave off thy talk. To the devil, and be hanged.
JUDAS
What I took, take it back as I give;
Take it, masters, each one to his share,
And claim it again.
My life now I loathe; too long do I live
My traitorous trick torments me with pain.
Since wages of treason I have taken to me,
I need ask for no mercy, for none shall I get.
Then by my own hand an end shall there be.
Alas! the hard while that I ever lived yet.
Then shall Imark how small my meed,
My vengeance I'll work with a will.
To slay myself now will I speed,
For sadly deserve I that ill.
So walaway!
That ever I would give wit or will
That trust so true thus to betray.
Alas! who may I move unto?
On other counsel waste no breath.
Myself in haste I will fordo,
And take me now unto my death.
CAYPHAS
Come now, Sir Pilate, tell us what ye say,
Touching this silver here that we now have,
Which Judas in a passion flung away,
Cast at us crabbedly, the cursed knave—
How say ye thereby ?
ANNAS
Sir, since he scattered it, we shall it save.
CAYPHAS
Quick, carry it to our treasury.
PILATE
Nay, sir, not so.
CAYPHAS
Why, sir, how then?
PILATE
Sir, it shall not cumber us,
Nor come into our Corbonan.
CAYPHAS
No.
To our treasury, surely, go it shall not;
This purpose for sure must not be assigned.
It is the price of the blood that we bought.
Some other use, then, I purpose to find.
PILATE
And thus I devise—
A spot of earth for to buy have I in mind,
To bury the pilgrim that on his way dies.
Pilgrims and palmers therein shall lie,
And those false felons we doom to die.
Sir Cayphas and Annas, assent ye thereto?
ANNAS
As you deem, good lord, so will we do. |
York Mystery Plays