York Guides

XXX

THE TAPESTRY-MAKERS’ PLAY

DAME   PERCULA

Was ne'er judge in Jewry of such gay pedigree,
Of such jocund genealogy to gentry allied,
As you, my duke doughty, who may doom by decree
Allprinces who proudly your precepts defied.
Who would dare your decree to defy,
With dread to his death shall you drive him.
By my troth, such false fellows must die;
All to rags shall ye rend him and rive him,
I am Dame precious Percula, of princes the prize,
Wife to Sir Pilate here, prince without peer.
I am well of all womanhood witty and wise;
Behold now my countenance so comely and clear,
My body in beauty as fair,
And in richness of robes I am arrayed.
There is no lord in this land so great,
I’ faith, that hath friendlier mate,
Than you, my lord, myself though I say it.

PILATE

Nay, say it all safely; I'll certify the same.

PERCULA

Gracious lord, gramercy. Your good will is gain.

PILATE

Then to comfort my corse, let me kiss you, madame.

PERCULA

To fulfil your will fair lord, in truth I am fain.

BEADLE

My liberal lord, leader of laws to each,
O shining show that all shames eschews,
I beseech you, my sovereign, assent to my speech,
As you are gentle judge and justice of Jews.

PERCULA

Out on you, now, wrangling and jangling of Jews,
Why, begone, noisy brat, when I bid thee.

BEADLE

Nay, madame, I do but what is due.

PERCULA

Who stays here to argue will rue.
Begone, cursed churl, ere I rid thee.

PILATE

Amend you now, madame; be calmer I pray;
For I feel it is fit to see what he may say.

BEADLE

My lord, will ye see now the sun in your sight,
How his stately strength he stems in his streams.
Behold overhead how he holds from the height,
And glides to the ground with his glittering gleams.
To the ground he goes down with his beams,
And the night draws nearer anon.
Let my Lady so bright here who beams
To her bower now swiftly begone.

PILATE

Now, wife dear, come, blithely prepare; go your way,
This young man has told us no more than is right.

PERCULA

My lord, with your leave I no longer delay.
Your commandments to keep, I will go now. Good night.
Now farewell, my friendliest. Let no foe offend.

PILATE

Farewell, fairest figure that e'er did food feed;
Farewell to you also, good damsel, indeed.

MAID

My lord, I commend me to your royalty.

PILATE

Fair lady, this lad shall you lead.
Sir, go with this lady indeed;
As she bids you, obedient be.

SON

I am proud and prepared to pass on apace,
To go with her grace, and her gently to guide.

PILATE

Take heed to my tale:  turn not out of the way;
Come quickly to tell me if tidings betide.

SON
Sir, if any tidings my lady betide
Full soon will I tell you, the whole for to say.
So seemly I shew by her side.
Farewell, sir; no longer we bide.

PILATE

Now farewell, and walk on your way.
Now gone is my wife, though unwilling maybe.
And moves to her rest as if nothing she cared.
'Tis time now, I tell you, to attend unto me;
So bustle, that briskly my bed be prepared
And soft for my slumber be made.
And look I be richly arrayed.

BEADLE

As your servant, I have sought it with care.
This night no annoyance you'll share;
I dare say ye'll softly be laid.

PILATE

Come near now, I bid thee; I'll go to my couch.
So help me; be handy; put thy strength to mine.
Don't hurt me with handling, but tenderly touch.

BEADLE

Eh sir, you weigh well.

PILATE

     Yea, I've wet me with wine,
Now tuck me and lap me all round,
For I will sleep softly a space.
Let no man about make a sound
Or any loud noise in this place.

BEADLE

Sir, the wretch that you wakens with loud words and wild,
That boy for his brawling were better unborn.

PILATE

Yea, the chatterbox chastise, be he churl or be child;
If scatheless he scape, it were a great scorn.
The ribald that readily roars,
I will meet with that minion to-morrow.
His lewdness he'll rue to his sorrow.

BEADLE

Why, so.
Sleep on, sir, and say ye no more.

I SOLDIER

Go rap on the rails; bring them forth to the door.
Come forth there, sir coward. Why cower ye behind?

BEADLE

What wastrels are here with rush and with roar?

I SOLDIER

Good sir, be not wroth, for words are but wind.

BEADLE

Out, gadabouts; go;  get ye back with your gauds.

2 SOLDIER

Be patient, good sir, I beseech you,
And more of this matter I'll teach you.

BEADLE

Why, ignorant knaves, if I catch you
I'll fell you, i'faith, for all yourfalse frauds.

PILATE

Why, child, ill befall you. What knaves make this clatter?

BEADLE

My lord, ignorant knaves; they cry and they call.

PILATE

Go boldly betimes these beggars to batter,
And put them in prison on pain to befall.
Yea, speedily ask them if sport they can spell,
Yea, And look well what lordings they be.

BEADLE

My Lord, that is lovely to see,
I do gladly as thou biddest me.

PILATE

If they talk any tidings, come quick and me tell.

BEADLE

Can ye talk any tidings, my fellows, that’s good ?

I SOLDIER

Yea;
Sir Cayphas and Anna come both of them here
To Sir Poncius Pilate, the prince without peer.
They have caught here a caitiff that’s lawless and lewd.

BEADLE

My lord, my lord!

PILATE

How now?

BEADLE

My lord, come, unlap you where you lie, betimes.
Sir Cayphas to court now is carried,
With Sir Anna, but a traitor them tarried.
Many wights has this wicked one wearied.
They have brought him here bound, to answer his crimes.

PILATE

But are these saws certain in sooth as thou says?

BEADLE

Yea, lord; even so the state stands.

PILATE

Now I am light as a roe, and easy to raise.
Go bid them come both, and the boy they have bound.

BEADLE

Sirs, my lord gives you leave to come in.

CAYPHAS

Hail, prince that is peerless in price,
You are leader of laws in our land;
Your help is full ready at hand.

ANNAS

Hail! strong in your state for to stand.
All this judgement must be as you duly devise.

PILATE

Who are these—my prelates?

BEADLE

Yea, lord.

PILATE

Then welcome to each.

CAYPHAS

Gramercy, my sovereign; but let us beseech.
For our waking unwary, your pardon to each.
We have brought here a scoundrel, who looks like a lamb.

PILATE

Come in, both my lords; to the dais make your way.

CAYPHAS

Nay, good sir; lower is lawful for us.

PILATE

Ah, sir Cayphas, in courtesy must you give way.

ANNAS

Now nay, my good lord;  nay, it may not be thus.

PILATE

Say no more—sit beside me; I mean what I say.

SON

Hail! seemliest sir under sun that is sought,
Hail!  dearest of dukes and doughtiest in deed.

PILATE

Now welcome, fair sir. What command hast thou brought?
Has languor or illness my lady new caught?

SON

Sir, she humbly commends her to you,
And says that tonight as she lay in her bed,
With grief and with trouble was she sore bested,
By a dream which swept swiftly and strange through her head
Of one Jesus the just whom the Jews will undo.
She beseeches you, sir, for that innocent man,
To death not to doom him, lest vengeance fall quick.

PILATE

What! I hope this is he that ye haled here to me.

CAYPHAS

Yea, sir, the self same. But this is but a trick.
'Tis only with witchcraft this will he has wrought.
Some fiend with his message he sent,
Who won o'er your wife ere he went.
Ah!
Do not blame him for shameful intent.
This is certain and sure, and truth should be sought.

ANNAS

     Yea,
Through fiendcraft and feigning of deeds false and sly,
He wrought many a wonder when full free he went;
So lord, it were lawful the death he should die.

PILATE

Be ye never so fierce, patient both must ye be,
Unless this same traitor be shown for untrue;
And therefore your preaching now end.
For the fellow himself will I send,
And see what he says to defend—
Bring him, beadle—
For of him have I pity—that is true.

BEADLE

Your behest to fulfil I am fain moved in my heart.
Say, Jesus, the judges and Jews in their hate
Bid bring you before them all bound as thou art;
Yon lords, for thy ruin fall long do they wait.
But first I thee worship with wit and with will;
This reverence to thee I bring;
For those that were wiser than I,
They worshipped full holy on high
And solemn Hosanna to thee did they sing.

I SOLDIER

My lord, that is leader of laws, as I hold,
Bedells to your bidding should bow and obey;
Yet this boy before you in bowing was bold
To worship this wizard. We waste time I say.

2 SOLDIER

Yea, and in your presence he prayed for his peace.
With kneeling on knees to this knave,
Besought him his servant to save.

CAYPHAS

Lo! now, lord, such error among them they have
‘Tis great sorrow to see, but no man makes it cease.
It becomes not your manhood so mickle in might
To forbear such defaults that so falsely are feigned.
Such spite in especial should flee from your sight.

PILATE

     Sirs,
Be not moved in this matter, but mildly demeaned.
Such courtesy, I know, had some cause.

ANNAS

In your sight, sir, the truth shall I say.
As you're prince, take good heed, sir, I pray.
So unloyal a lout, I dare lay,
Might lead many lords of our land from our laws.

PILATE

Say, knave, who gave leave so to lout to yon lad.
And serve him before me so seemly, as I saw?

BEADLE

Gracious lord, grieve you not, for good cause I had.
Your command was to go,
(As ye knew well, and know)
To Jerusalem city that tide,
There this worthy did on an ass ride,
And many men mildly him meet,
As a God in that ground they him greet
And with worship full loyal brought him on his way.
Osanna they sang there to David's child.
Rich men with their robes they ran to his feet.
And poor folks fetched flowers fair and wild,
And made mirth and melody this man to meet.

PILATE

What "osanna" may mean, sir, truly now say?

BEADLE

In the speech of this land construe it we may,
As "Saviour and Sovereign, save us, we pray".

PILATE

Lo, seigneurs, how seemeth?  
The truth has he told?

CAYPHAS

Yea, lord; this lad is too loose and too bold,
If his sayings were searched and soberly tried—­
Save your reverence, it soon will be seen that he lied.
This caitiff has cursedly construed us.

BEADLE

Sirs, truly the truth have I told
Of this wight whom so strongly you hold.

ANNAS

I say, rascal, thy tongue is too bold,
Nor ought 'gainst thy masters to move thus.

PILATE

Cease now of your sparring. I’ll search him full sore.

ANNAS

Sir, doom him to death, or do him away.

PILATE

……Sir, have ye said?

ANNAS

Yea, lord. . . .

PILATE

Then sit down with sorrow and care.
No liege will I lose that's loyal to our law.

To Jesus

Step forth, now, and stand up on high;
Be brisk to my bidding, thou boy,
And for the nonce name us no annoy.

BEADLE

I am here at your hand, to halloo "Ahoy!"

PILATE

Cry “Oyez!”

BEADLE

Oyez!

PILATE

Yet louder.

BEADLE

Oyez!

PILATE

Yet again, by my faith.
Cry peace in this press, upon pain thereon.
Bid them cease of their shouting both swiftly and soon,
And stint of their strife, and stand still as a stone.
Call "Jesus, the offspring of Jacob the Jew,
Approach and appear;
To the bar draw thou near,
To thy judgement here,
To be judged for thy deads done undue."

I SOLDIER

No brawling, I say now. Go brisk to the bar.

2 SOLDIER

Now step on thy standing; be slow if you dare.

I SOLDIER

Sir coward, now must you to court.

2 SOLDIER

A lesson to learn of our school.

I SOLDIER

Flit forth then, and foul may you fare.

YOUNGER SON

O Jesu ungentle, thy joy is in japes;
Thou canst not be courteous, thou caitiff I call thee.
Thou drivest men to drag thee and rive thee in ropes.
Why fallest thou not flat here, foul fall thee,
For fear of my father so free?
You know him not, how he is wise;
All thy help in his hand surely lies.
How soon might he save thee from this!
Obey him, thou rascal, I bid thee.

PILATE

Now, Jesus, believe me, full welcome you are.
Unabashed then and boldly come here to the bar,
And quickly, I charge thee, come here.
Sir prelates, your points be ye proving,
What cause ye can cast of accusing.
This matter ye mark to be moving,
So please you, in haste let us hear.

CAYPHAS

Sir Poncius Pilate, good prince of great price,
We trust you will take our tales to be true,
And doom him to death with due form of device.
The cause, in this churl's cursed course if ye knew,
In heart would you hate him on high.
Unless it were so—we meant not to misdo;
You may trust, sir, thereto—
We would not have brought him before thee.
Sir, haltmen and hurt he has healed in haste;
The deaf and the dumb he delivered from woe.
By witchcraft I warrant, his wits does he waste;
For the wonders he worketh, men follow him so.
Our folks thus he frights every hour.

ANNAS

The dead men he brings back to-day.
This Lazarus in death low that lay,
He granted to go on his way,
And openly proved thus his power.

PILATE

Then, good sirs, what would ye have of me, say I?

CAYPHAS

Sir, doom him directly; the death let him die.

PILATE

Must I doom him to death now because he does well?
Go, go; ye jest lightly. Where learned ye such law?
This touches no treason, I tell ye.

ANNAS

May it please your high person, thou prince past compare,
It touches to treason, this tale that I tell.
Yon briber, full boldly he bid to forbear
The Emperor's tribute; thus would he compel,
Our people his points to apply.

CAYPHAS

The people he says he shall save,
And "Christ" bids them call him, that knave,
And says the high kingdom he'll have.
Look if this deserves not to die!

PILATE

To die he deserves if he do thus in deed,
But first I will see, myself, if he lies.
Speak, Jesu, and spend now thy space for to speed.
These lords, they allege that our laws ye despise,
They accuse thee full cruel and keen,
And so as the chief here I charge thee,
If thou be the Christ, that thou tell me,
If God's son thou grudge not to call thee,
For this is the charge that I mean.

JESUS

Thou sayest so thyself. I am truly the same.
My father is faithful to fulfil that fame.
Without sin or trespass I'm taken to you.

PILATE

Lo! bishops, why blame ye this boy?
Meseems it is truth that he says.
Ye move all the malice ye may,
With your twists and your turns to writhe him away,
Unjustly to judge him from joy.
I like not this language so lavish in lies.

CAYPHAS

Ah, mercy, lord, meekly. We meant no malice.

PILATE

That is over and done; be bold now and blithe.
Talk more of that traitor, and tell your intent.
His saying is subtle, ye say—
Good sirs, then how came he so wise?

CAYPHAS

In faith, that is hid from our eyes.

PILATE

Then mean ye of malice to mar him by might?
Of crime to convict him no cause can ye move.

CAYPHAS

From Galilee hither, I know,
The greatest against him can go,
That wicked one's doings to show,
And so his works there well may prove.

PILATE

What, comes he from Galilee—gadabout lad?

ANNAS

Yea, lord; for there he was born and was bred.

PILATE

Then truly, my friends'—'tis no lie—I am glad,
For my strife with Herod will soon now be dead.
And therefore, to go with yon guest,
Pick out for me manliest men.

CAYPHAS

As wit and as wisdom your will shall be done,
Here are soldiers full keen to the king to be gone.

PILATE

Sir knights, let this felon be laced
Full tightly, and bound well and braced.
And then take him on, sirs, in haste
To Herod the king; and when there ye come nigh,
Command me full meekly unto his most might
And say that the doom of this case I concede,
To his will I submit him to live or to die.

I SOLDIER

To Pilate

My lord, we shall spring on with speed.

To Jesus

Come on, now, thou traitor, give heed.

To Cayphas and Annas 

Mahound, sirs, maintain you with might.

2 SOLDIER

And save you, sirs, seemly in sight.

PILATE

Now go, with a vengeance. Walk off with that wight,
And freshly be found to be flitting.