York Guides

XXVI
THE CUTLERS’ PLAY

PILATE

Under the royallest king of power and renown,
Now am I regent to rule this region in rest.
Brisk to my bidding must bishops bow down,
And bold men in battle that meet breast to breast.
Delivered to me is the care of this tower-builded town.
For traitors swift I attaint, the truth for to trust;
The deference to my dignity may not be done down.
Neither by duke nor doughty lord, so dread my renown.

My desire must daily be done
By them that are greatest of game.
To gainsay me I find few or none,
Wherefore do I better their boon.
Let him that annoys me right soon
Be ware, for fierce is my name.

I am a perilous prince,
Pounce Pilat by name.
He full bitterly sues
That shall bide my blame;
For soon his life shall he lose,
Or be left for lame,
That bows not to me low,
Nor likes not to learn.
And thus since we stand in our state
As lords with all liking in land,
Come, sirs, tell us now if ye wot
Any matter of grief or debate,
That needs to be handled full hot.
Since all your help hangs on my hand.

CAIAPHAS

Sir, for to certify well the truth in your sight
To you as to our sovereign seemly we sue.

PILATE

Why,
Is there any mischief that musters his might,
Or malice of base men we must pursue?

ANNAS

Yea, Sir; there is a rank swain,
Whose rule is not right,
For report of him through this domain
Has raised tumult and fright.

PILATE

I know well ye hate him;
Your hearts have no peace;
Unless I abate him,
His harm will increase.
But why are ye barely so fierce?
Be calm, and your reasons array.

CAIAPHAS

To us, sir, his lore is full loath.

PILATE

Beware that ye wax not to wrath.

ANNAS

Why, sir, to escape from his scathe,
We seek for your succour to-day.

PILATE

If that wretch in our ward have wrought any wrong,
Well warned would we know—and will ere we end.
If his sayings be lawful. Allege not too long;
For we may if we please, let him stay with good will.

I DOCTOR

And if that false liar Your favour wins still
’Tis plain that our people Must fail of a friend.
Sir,
The strength of his crying so curst is and strong,
He must quickly be quelled ere our ruin befall.
For he teaches the people a name,
Great God's Son to call him—O shame!
And says he shall soon take his seat
In high heaven, his rightful estate.

PILATE

It seems ye will not make an end,
But he is the same ye said should descend,
Both you and your children to save.

CAIAPHAS

Ah, soft, sir.
For of Christ when he comes no kin shall be known,
But of this caitiff's kin we know every one.
He claims like great God everlasting to be,
To lift up the laden, to slay or to free.

PILATE

His mastery should move you Your mood to amend.

ANNAS

Nay, for such fault from malice We cannot let be.
For he says he shall deem us, that dolt.
And does us disdain and despite.

PILATE

To annoy him now is all your note;
But yet the law lies in my lot.

I DOCTOR

If, Sir, ye will hear ye shall know
That he is well worthy of blame;
For here in our Temple he taught—
Yea, times more than ten—
Where tables full of treasure lay
For buyer and bought,
Of our chief money-changers
But cursedly to ken,
He cast them down basely,
And counted it nought.

CAIAPHAS

Lo, sir, this is perjury to print under pen.
Wherefore, make that apostate, We pray you, to bend.

PILATE

How mean ye?

CAIAPHAS

To put him to death, sir, for moving of men.

PILATE

Then 'twould be your mastery that made him to mourn.
Let be, sirs, and move that no more.
Say, what in your Temple was done?

I SOLDIER

Why! There, sir, he skelped out of score
Who stately stood selling their store.

PILATE

Then felt he some fault there before,
And made the cause well to be known.

CAIAPHAS

Why, Sir, on our Sabbath the sick will he save,
Nor cease at our saying to sink so in sin.

2 SOLDIER

He recovers all coming recovery to crave,
And that in a short space, as know all our kin.
But holds not our holy day—hard hap may he have!
So by the neck hang him ——

PILATE

Why now, sir, hold in!

For though you drive giddily the guiltless to grave,
Without grounds you gain not such grief to begin.
And look your alleging be true,
Without any trifles to tell.

ANNAS

For certain our saying we seal.

PILATE

And then shall we profit and deal.

CAIAPHAS

Sir, if his faults were not so fell,
We would not have meddled at all.
For he perverts our people to approve of his preaching.
And for that point you should press his power to impair.

2 DOCTOR

Yea, sir. Also that caitiff Calls himself our king.
For which cause our Commons are cast into care.

PILATE

If that so be, that boast to bale will him bring,
And make him ban bitterly the bones that him bare.
For that wretch from our wrath shall not wring,
Ere wrack be wrought on him.

I DOCTOR

So would we it were.

PILATE

Well, wit yethis work shall be well,
For soon shall this knave learn to kneel.

2 DOCTOR

And so that our force he may feel.
Together for this we beseech you.

JUDAS

 Ingenti pro injuria ——
                                       that Jesus, that Jew,
Unjust to me, Judas, and hateful say I.
For at supper as we sat, the truth to pursue,
With Simon the leper my shifts went awry.
For one brought him a box, my bitterness to brew,
And near to his bare feet she bowed her full low,
She anointed them with ointment all noble and new;
But for that work that she wrought my fury waxed high.
And this was my reason, now know—
For of his pence purser was I.
Of all coin committed to me
The tenth part of it stole I still
But now since I want of my will,
That bargain with grief shall he buy,
That same ointment I said should make gain
For silver pence in sum three hundred, and then,
As plain pity would, have been shared to poor men.
But for the poor nor their part there pricked me no pain.
I was troubled for my tenth part, the truth to believe,
That thirty pence of three hundred so smartly to lose.
And for missing that money so sorely I grieve.
And therefore to injure my master I choose.
And therefore fast forth will I flit,
The house of the High Priest to seek,
And sell him full soon ere I sit,
For thirty pence in a knot knit.
In this wise full well shall he wit
In what way my vengeance I wreak.
Ho, porter!
Open now, porter, the port of this proud place,
That I may pass to your princes. It will grow for your gain.

PORTER

Hence, glowering gadling. God give thee ill grace!
Thou glancest so grimly, it gives me heart pain.

JUDAS

Be kindly this time, sir, and stay not my pace,
I have tidings to tell.

PORTER

Yea, some treason, I trow.
For I feel it full figured in your false face.
’Tis but folly to fasten affection on you,
For Mars has well morticed his mark,
After all lines I hold true,
And says ye are wicked of work.
And both a strange thief and a stark.

JUDAS

Sir, if at my beard you thus bark,
I vow that full sore you shall rue.

PORTER

Say, beetle-browed briber, why blowest thou such boast?
Full false in thy face in faith can I find,
Thou art cumbered in curstness and cares to the most;
To mar men of might hast thou marked in thy mind.

JUDAS

No malice I mean, Sir, but move mirth I must.

PORTER

Say on, thou hanged harlot; I hold thee a lout.
Thou lookest like a scoundrel whose livelihood is lost.

JUDAS

Ah good sir, take tent to my talking this tide,
For tidings full true can I tell.
For through my good warning your lords in their pride
May surely be saved now from danger full fell.

PORTER

Bide here then, good fellow, ere more breath be spent.
I'll move to my masters what is your intent.

To Pilate

Sir, now do I tell you, here comes to the gate
One hiltfull of anger and hasty with hate.

PILATE

What comes he for?

PORTER

I know not: he is cloaked all around,
He carries a keen face uncomely to kiss.

PILATE

Go, get him; his grievance full strictly we'll sound,
And no open language be spoken amiss.

PORTER

To Judas

Come lively to my lord. If you want to go free,
So speak out thy say that thou spoil not their bliss.

JUDAS

The Lord make you happy to be,
Gentles all, with fair fortune and fame.

PILATE

Now welcome! thy words are of weal.

CAIAPHAS

Say, hearest thou knave? Canst thou not kneel?

PILATE

To Caiaphas

Lo, here may men fault in you feel
Let be, sir your scorning, for shame.

To Judas

Good fellow, tear not to abide at the bar.

JUDAS

To be brought before you, sirs, about have I been.
And all for your service.

ANNAS

Say, know ye no fear?

JUDAS

What worketh your wrath, sir? I know what I mean.
But I would make a bargain, your mischief to mar.
My reason is keen, sir, I tell you,
For if ye will bargain or buy,
One Jesus this time will I sell you.

I  DOCTOR

My blessing, son, have thou thereby.

JUDAS

And him dare I promise, I say,
If ready you bend and abide.

PILATE

Thy name?

JUDAS

Judas Iscariot;

PILATE

Thou art a just man.
That Jesus before us shall justly be tried.
But bid forth thy bargain. Now, what shall we pay?

JUDAS

No more and no less—thirty pence, short and plain.

PILATE

Are ye pleased at the price he presses to present?

2 DOCTOR

Else cross we our conscience, since we may believe
That Judas his guilt knows.

PILATE

How say you? Consent?
But, Judas—to fix all—wilt make this accord?

JUDAS

Yea, then, in a word.

PILATE

Right welcome that word.

I SOLDIER

Take thee off, traitor, quick!

2 SOLDIER

Away! let none know
How this scurvy fellow larks with his lord.

PILATE

Now, Judas, for our profit, I pray thee, prepare.

JUDAS

Yet have I no penny received for my share.

PILATE

Thou shalt have delivery at once at thy will.
So shalt thou have liking to love our estate
And therefore, good Judas, now mend thou thy moan,
     And take there thy silver full weight.

JUDAS

Ha! Now's my great grief over gone.

I SOLDIER

Be glad, then.

JUDAS

Yea; let me alone, For jocund and jolly am I.

PILATE

Thou sellest thy master? What fault has he moved?

JUDAS

Of just as much money he made me delay
As of you I receive, shall but right be well proved.

ANNAS

I advise that thou think not our rule so to array,
For that the false fiend shall have thee away.

3 DOCTOR

Your language you lay out too long.
But, Judas, thee truly we trust,
Thou truly must learn us that bad man to take,
Or away through a trick the fellow must fly.

JUDAS

I shall teach him a token him quick for to take
Where he is thronged in the press, both safe and surely.

I SOLDIER

We know him not.

JUDAS

Take care then of him whom I kiss to lay hold.

2 SOLDIER

How well that becomes thee, good fellow and bold!
But yet warn us wisely; keep careful look out.
When you wend out forthwith, we shall walk in a crowd,
And therefore look now thou be busy about.

I SOLDIER

Go forth, for a traitor are ye.

2 SOLDIER

Yea, and a wicked man.

I DOCTOR

Why, what's he?

2 DOCTOR

He is full of deceit, the truth for to trust.
I hold it but folly his faith for to trow.

PILATE

Now, Judas,
To hold thy behest be prompt for our hap.
Our help to uphold we pledge you to have.

JUDAS

I'll show you his carcass in gaol for to clap.

ANNAS

More comfort in this case we covet not to have.

I  SOLDIER

If we reach that rascal, his ribs shall we rap,
And make that king, ere we rest, for running to rave.

PILATE

But if he be blameless, we ought him to save.
Wherefore when ye go forth to get him.
To his body ye shall brew no bale.

I SOLDIER

Our wish is from 'scaping to save him;
But in your sight sound shall we set him.

PILATE

Go on, then; flit forth till ye have him
And therefore—good luck to you all.