Item 28, The Northern Passion

by: George Shuffelton (Editor)

from: Codex Ashmole 61: A Compilation of Popular Middle English Verse  2008

5 10 15 20 fol. 88r 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 fol. 88v 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 fol. 89r 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 fol. 89v 186 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 fol. 90r 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 fol. 90v 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 fol. 91r 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390 395 400 fol. 91v 406 410 415 420 425 430 435 440 445 450 455 fol. 92r 460 465 470 475 480 485 490 495 500 505 fol. 92v 510 515 520 525 530 535 540 545 550 555 fol. 93r 560 565 570 575 580 585 590 595 600 605 610 fol. 93v 615 620 625 630 635 640 645 650 655 660 fol. 94r 665 670 675 680 685 690 695 700 705 710 715 fol. 94v 720 725 730 735 740 745 750 755 760 765 fol. 95r 770 775 780 785 790 795 800 805 810 815 fol. 95v 820 825 830 835 840 845 850 855 860 fol. 96r 866 870 875 880 885 890 895 900 905 910 fol. 96v 916 920 925 930 935 940 945 950 955 960 fol. 97r 966 970 975 980 985 990 995 1000 1005 1010 1015 fol. 97v 1020 1025 1030 1035 1040 1045 1050 1055 1060 1065 fol. 98r 1070 1075 1080 1085 1090 1095 1100 1105 1110 1115 fol. 98v 1120 1125 1130 1135 1140 1145 1150 1155 1160 1165 fol. 99r 1170 1175 1180 1185 1190 1195 1200 1205 1210 1215 1220 fol. 99v 1225 1230 1235 1240 1245 1250 1255 1260 1265 1270 1275 fol.100r 1280 1285 1290 1295 1300 1305 1310 1315 1320 1325 1330 1335 fol. 100v    1340 1345 1350 1355 1360 1365 1370 1375 1380 1385 fol. 101r 1390 1395 1400 1405 1410 1415 1420 1425 1430 1435 fol. 101v 1441 1445 1450 1455 1460 1465 1470 1475 1480 1485 1490 fol. 102r 1495 1500 1505 1510 1515 1520 1525 1530 1535 1540 1545 fol. 102v 1550 1555 1560 1565 1570 1575 1580 1585 1590 1595 fol. 103r 1600 1605 1610 1615 1620 1625 1630 1635 1640 1645 1650 fol. 103v 1655 1660 1665 1670 1675 1680 1685 1690 1695 1700 fol. 104r 1705 1710 1715 1720 1725 1730 1735 1740 1745 1750 fol. 104v 1755 1760 1765 1770 1775 1780 1785 1790 1795 1800 1805 fol. 105r 1810 1815 1820 1825 1830 1835 1840 1845 1850 1855 fol. 105v 1860 1865 1870 1875 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905

Passio Domini Nostri Lystyns lordyngys, I wyll yow tell Of mekyll peté, I may you spell Of Jhesu that us all hath wrought And seth oure saules dere hath bought. For he wold not oure saules tyne, Withouten gylt he sofferd pyne. Of hys Passyon I wyll you tell; Theron I muste a stond duell. As Marke and Mathew, Luke and John, All thei acorde into one, For to fullfyll the olde lawys, Jhesu fastyd fourty deys. Hys vertues thei sprong wyde, Bothe fer and nere on ilke-a syde. The Jues hade to hym envye And sey he dyde grete felonye. They gederyd hem togeder stylle To speke of Jhesu all ther wylle. They come together at a feste, Riche and pore, most and leste. Of Seryzens the prinsys alle, The Jues dyde befor hem calle. The most masteres of that lawys Dyspysed Jhesu in ther sawys. “If that we late hym thus gon,” They seyd among them everychon, “All our folke wyll leve on hym And owre lawys schall be benyme.” Cafas was bysschop in that tyme; In prophesy he gan it ryme. He seyd to the prinsys all, “Ye wate not what may befall. A man schall dyen us beforne That the folke be not forlorne — Thous seys the prophesye.” The Jues toke it to envye. Of hymselve he had it nought; The Holy Goste hade it hym brought. The Jues fro that ilke deye Jhesu to sle thei thought aye. “We wyll not,” thei seyd hem among, “That Romans com to do us wrong.” A grete feste ther was in hond That Paske was callyd in that lond; The Jues honouryd that ilke feste, Riche and pore, most and leste. At that feste thei spokyn same Jhesu Cryste for to blame. All thei thretyn hym to slo And seth dyde hym to sofyr wo, Bot thei seyd thei wold abyde To that feste were over-glyde, That no sclander schuld ryse Among the folke in non wyse That thei hade withouten rede Do that dey a man to dede. The sexte dey befor that tyme, Jhesu, of whom is made this ryme, To a cyté he gan draw Ther he thought to duell a thraw. Of hys dyssypullus he clepyd two And bade thei schuld hys erand go, “Into the myddys of yon syté That ye may befor yow se. Ther schall ye fynd withine the walle A myld beste stondyng in stalle, An asse bondyn with her fole, To lowys hyr men schall you thole. That best ye bryng hether to me For I wyll wynd to yon syté.” Than hys dyssypullus gan forth wend To that syté feyr and hend. They dyde as Jhesu them bade: They dyde the asse befor hym lede, Theronne sate Jhesu feyr and hend. To that syté he gan wynd. The chylder of Ebrew herd sey That Jhesu schuld com that wey. They com agen hym in the towne With wele feyre processyon. Som of them befor hym yede Ther clotys befor hym to sprede. They spred ther clothys hym ageyn — Of hys commyng so were thei feyn. Some brought flowres feyre and suete To strew afore hym in the strete. Tho pore men with herte so fre Brake the branch of the palme tre. They began to sey and crye, “Save us, Lord, or that we dye!” Jhesu lyght doune wele styll And blyssed them with gode wylle. He passyd forthe in the wey To he com to Beteny. Be a strete in that sythe He resyd Lazer fro deth to lyve. When he had Lazer reysed, Therfor was he mekyll prased, Of Martha and Mary Maudelen also, For thei saw hym that dede do. Jhesu and hys dyssipullus meke Went to the toune ther mete to seke. They com to a gode mans hous; Hys name was Symon Leperous. He fedde them ther, all bedene, And ther come Mary Magdylene; In holy wryte of hyr men redys That sche had don synfull dedys. Sche knelyd doune hyr bote to crave: Of Jhesu sche wold mersy have. With the terys that sche wepe Sche sette hyr done and wessch hys fete, And kyssed them with full gode wyll, And for hyr trespas sche lyked yll, And wypyd them with hyr here And for hyr synne hyr herte was sore. An oyntment sche brought hyr with; Sche drew it oute with gode gryth. Sche anoyntyd hys fete that were sore, And ever sche cryed “Jhesu, thyn ore!” Jhesu wyst hyr wylle full wele, And forgaffe hyr ylke-a dele. That untment it was so suete That sche untyd onne hys fete, In that hous it spred wyde Overall aboute on ilke-a syde. A dyssipull was therine, He was combyrd all in synne: Judas Scaryot was hys name. He dyd hys lord mykell schame: He spake to Jhesu with mastry Wordys full of felony. He seyd, “Jhesu, thou doyst ille That thou latys thus this ontement spylle. It myght be sold for penyes gode, And gyfe pore men for to fode.” Therfor Judas seyd it nought, For onne the pore was not hys thought. He was terrand and a theffe; To geder penys he was full leffe. Jhesu ansuerd to that saw Wordys that were full of law: “Pore men ye schall have Your almus dede for to crave; If ye wyll do after my wylle Late them not for hungour spylle. Me ye schall not have here long. Agen this woman ye do wrong: Sche hath don a well god dede; It schall be hyrs at hyr nede. Hyr lyve schall be wryten in story, Ever to have in memory.” Judas herd this wordys meke; Hys awne sore he gan seke. He mevyd and seyd in thought, “All this schall helpe thee nought: To the Jues I schall thee selle, Sych masters for to telle.” Judas wold no lenger duelle; He sought the wey that ley to helle. He yede and sought, and sone he fond The most prinsys of that lond. He seyd, “And ye wyll gyfe me mede, Unto Jhesu I wyll you lede, To Jhesu that I lufe nought. To sell hym is my thought.” When the Jues thes wordys herde, With mekyll joy all thei ferde. They gafe for hym, feyre and fre, Thyrty platys of gode moné. The platys sone anon he toke; Ther was non that he forsoke. When Judas had don that folye, He sought Jhesu with grete envye. When he was com to hys feloys, They wyst not of hys pleys. He sett hym doune among hem all With hert byterer than the galle. Of Paske was that feste hend That Jhesu was betrayd and tened. Hys dyssypullus com hym nere And askyd hym with gode chere, “Syr, were wyll ye hold your feste? We wyll make redy your beheste.” Jhesu ansuerd sone anone, And clepyd hym Peter and John: “Go,” he seyd, “and ye schall mete A man with water in the strete. The hous that he goth to with gryth, Folow hym and go hym wyth. The lord of that hous ye schall fynd A sympull man of sely kynd. To hym ye schall speke and sey That I com sone in my wey For to feste in the halle And my twelve dyssypullus alle. The dey is come, the tyme is nere, Among my frendys to make my soper. Ther I wylle my Paske make, And at my frendys my leve take. Ther ye schall dyght our mete Of all gode as we may gete.” Peter and John, thei were hende; To the syté thei gan wende. All thei fownd as Jhesu bade. They dyde all with herte glade: They ordeyned mete grete plenty For Jhesu and hys meny. Jhesu, when the bord was spred, He turnyd as the boke us seyd, And sette hym downe at the bord And bade them sytte at a word. They sette all withoutyn lettyng; He dyde mete befor them bryng. Judas saw them sytte all; Befor hem he gan downe fall That he myght with them ete — Hys treson wold he not forgete. He stole owte of hys lordys dyssche The best morsell of fysche. Jhesu toke brede and leyd hym by, And blessyd it with melady. After he brake it with hys handys And gaffe it to hys gode frendys, “Ete,” he seyd, “of this brede; It schall yow save fro evyll dede. It is my flesch that I yow gyffe; Therfor ye may the better lyffe.” Sethyn he toke the wyne clere And blyssed it with myld chere. “Drynke,” he seyd, “it doth you gode; The drynke of lyfe, it is my blode. Who so unworthy my flesch etys Hys awne dampnacion he etys, And drynkys my blode so hend He schall be dampned withouten ende. The body that ye here se For yow betrayde it schall be For to make you clen of synne And other mo that be therine. Als oft as I schall be take Mournyng of me ye schall make. The ryght law this schall be; I wyll that ye hold it of me. For with yow I ete no more To I have ben wyde-where. Ther ageyn may no man stryve, For I schall sone be brought of lyve. The prophesy seys of me That I schall hong upon a tre. The tyme is com that a trayter bold, One of you, me hath sold. For me be the penys takyn, And one of you hath me forsakyn. For soth I wern hym wele beforn He were better be unborn.” When hys dyssypullus herd this tale, They were abayschyd, grete and small. All thei caste up a cry, And seyd, “Lord, that is not I!” Than spake Jhesu wele styll, And seyd anon after hys wyll, “He it is that with me etys; To fyll hys wombe he not forgetys. Thorow hym trayd I schall be; All ye may hym knaw and se.” Als sone as Judas herd that word He ros and sterte up fro the bord. Judas anon he made a cry: “Master,” he seyd, “was it ought Y?” Jhesu ansuerd and seyd, “Iwys, Thow it seys thiselve it ys.” Seynt John at the soper sate; Mete and drynke he forgate. He lenyd hym to Jhesus breste, For he sate hym alther nexte. Sone anon he fell one slepe. Of mekyll selcouth he gan mete: An angell toke hys saule wele evyn And bare it into the blys of hevyn, And ther he lete hym se Mekyll of Godys privyté. He sey ther many wonder thyng As he was in hys metyng. His wytte, it was so gode All that he sey he understode; When he was wakyd feyr and wele, He couth record it every dele, And he it wrote in letter, As clerkys have it in scryptour. The boke is callyd the Apocalyps, Full of selcuth thingys iwys. On this I wyll no lenger duell; Another thyng I wyll you tell. Als Jhesu sate at the cloth, Hys dyscypullus wex wroth. Some of them began to stryfe And gret contek for to dryfe Whych of them schuld have mastrye, Of mastry and of dygnyté. Bot Jhesus godnes was not forgete: He brought a chyld that was meke; That chyld he sette hem among. “Me thinke,” he seyd, “that ye do wrong, For this stryffe may helpe you nought. Ye must turne you to other thought. For as myld ye behovys to bene As this chyld that here is sene. He that berys hym hyest of all, Of his baly he sone schall fall. I com not hyther with mastrye To bere hey with invye. He that berys hym feyre and styll In the last schall have hys wyll. I ame redy to serve you all Of what thyng ye wyll to me call. For ye must all buxsum be; Take ye all exsampull be me. Yow behovys to soffer pyne; So I schall do for all myne.” Jhesu spake with myld mode To Seynt Peter ther he stode: “When thou schall se that I ame takyn And among my frendys forsakyn, Comforthe thou thy brethyrn all That non of them in synne fall.” When Jhesu had seyd all this, And all hade etyn iwys, He gyrd hym with a cloth of lynne. And seth he toke a feyre basyn With water he brought afor them all, And on hys kne he gan downe fall. Afor Seynt Peter he wold sytte. He seyd he wold wessch hys fete, And Seynt Peter suere “Nay, Thow schall not,” he seyd, “be this dey. It fallys not, thinkys me, Sych servys to have of thee. Lord,” he seyd, “wessch not my fete, Bot my hondys and my hede.” “Peter, for soth I telle it thee, Bot if thi fete wessch be, Thou getys no parte of my blys.” Peter seyd, “That wyll I not mys.” Peter seyd and other mo, “That parte wyll we not forgo; Wessch fete and hondys, we pray thee, That no thyng unwessch be.” Jhesu Cryst swyth anon Wessch ther fete everichon, And seth he wyped them with a cloth — That servys he was not loth. When he had wessch ther fete bedene, He sette hym downe hem betwene. To them he seyd, as he downe sate, “I have do ye wote not what. Ye have callyd me your lord all, Ye ne wote what schall befall. If I be master and lord also, Here I have you knelyd to. So ye schall do iche man to other As iche were other brother. Of hyghe and law, more and les, No thing is beter than buxsumnes. Another I schall tell yow all That among us schall befall: Ye schall todey be sore dred When I schall be fro you lede. Ye schall sone fro me fle, And som of yow forsake me. When the herd goth fer besyde, Hys bestys spred swyth wyde; I ame the herd, ye be the schepe. I schall be take or tyme of slepe; For yow I schall be do to ded –— Sych is now the Jues red. I schall dyghe and breke the ley, And ryse upon the thyrd dey. Than ye schall me fynd and se In the lond of Galylé.” Than seyd Peter wordys fre: “As thou seyst, Lord, may it not be. I schall folow thee were thou wyll gon, Among thy frendys or thi fone. I wyll for thee grete peyne take, To prison go for thy sake. I wyll with thee take the dede — Beryth with me no man that rede.” And thus seyd the apostellus all, That sate with Jhesu in that hall. Jhesu ansuerd as he wele couth, And spake to Peter awne mouth: “Peter, for soth I tell it thee, Thys nyght thou schall foresake me (I wote wele here inow) Thrys or the coke hym crow. Bot do as I wyll thee telle; It is for gode I schall thee spelle. For dred of them that wyll yow dere, Suerdys all ye schall bere.” They seyd that sate hym neghe besyde, “Syr, for thing that may betyde, We have redy suerdys two And other wepyns gode also.” Jhesu ansuerd, feyre and fre, “That is inoughe, if it so be. Sytyh up and folow me — Here wyll we no lenger be.” To a towne thei toke the gate, That men callyd Bethany the Bate. Jhesu spake wordys stylle To hys dyscypullus with god wylle: “Here ye schall me abyde Whyle I go here a lytyll besyde. Ther I have a lytell to seyn; When I have do, I com ageyn.” He toke with hym thre men wele hend, And with them he gan forth wende. (Peter and John and hys brother, He lovyd iche more than other.) He led them forth with wordys suete Onto the Mounte of Olyvete. Than seyd Jhesu to them thre, “Here ye schall abyde me. Slepes not, bot be wakyng; My flessch for dred is quakyng.” When he was fro them gon, On kneys he fell and kysyd the ston. After sone he gan call Hys Fader name, hyghest of all. “Fader,” he seyd, “if it may be, Thou late this deth passe fro me. And if I may non other do Bot that I must nedys therto, I ame redy to do thi wyll Her onne erth, bothe loude and styll.” When this was done he syghed sore; Hys angwys was mekyll the more. The boke it seys, welle I wote, Blod and swete ran doune to hys fote. Ther com downe an angell bryght, Fro heven to erth he lyght, To comforth Jhesu well styll; So it was hys Faderys wyll. After that he rose anone; To hys dyssypullus he gan gon. They were wery of wakyng And had take a grete slepyng. When he found hem slepyng all, Peter fyrst he gan call: “Thys,” he seyd, “is not the dede That I command you when I yede. A lytell thraw may ye not wake Of my sorow for to slake? Wakys and pray heven Kyng That ye fall not in foundyng.” Thus he seyd. Son anone, He toke the wey were he had gon, To that hyll that he come fro; He yede alone with other no mo. On kneys he fell doune wepand, For hys tyme was nygh comand. He prayd hys Fader in Trinyté That he myght that peyn fle. Seth he rose and yede anon To hys dysypullus: thei slepyd ichon. Jhesu wold not them calle; He yede and lete them slepe alle. The thyrd tyme agene he yede Hys erand fully for to bede. “I have servyd no dede, Bot do I wyll after thi rede. If it may non other be, Fader, do thy wyll with me.” He yede myldly withall Hys dyssypullus for to calle. Fyrst he clepyd Peter and John; After, he spake to hem ichon: “Ye have restyd and slepyd wele, Bot Judas slepyd never a dele. To the Jues he hath me solde, And for me be the penys tolde. Syte up, for my sake; I wote thei com that wyll me take. Now Peter,” he seyd, “I rede thee That thou be redy for to fle. Sathanas is thi frend nought; He wyll thee dryfe in wekyd thought. When I have dyghed on the rode tre, Mykell schall be feld of hys posté. Bot ever what schall befalle, Comforth thou thy brether alle.” After that, they toke the strete Ther thei schuld hys fo men mete. Judas com wyth grete rowte, And he sette Jhesu all aboute With suerdys, gleyves, and masys gode, And blew ther hornes as thei were wode. In lanternes thei brought lyght, For it was wele in the nyght. The Jues seyd hem betwen To that traytour Judas so kene, “Wherby schall we thi lord knaw? Som of us hym never saw.” “Of hym,” seyd Judas, “Ye schall not mysse: Take hym,” he seyd, “that I schall kysse.” Jhesu wyst hys wyll full wele; He soferd them every dele. He yede among them — he dred hem nought. He seyd then, “What have ye thought?” They ansuerd hym that was meke, “Jhesu of Nazareth we seke.” “If ye wyll Jhesu aseyle, I ame he, withouten feyle.” For drede thei were so hevy as lede: They fell doune as thei were dede. Seth thei ros and stod styll. Jhesu to them seyd his wyll: “What seke ye fast als ye have gon?” The Jues seyd, sone anon, “Jhesu of Nazareth we seke.” Than spake Jhesu wordys meke: “I seyd yow fyrst that I ame he; Ferther wyll I not fle. Yiff I be sought with you in ylle, Late thes men in pes go stylle.” “Welcom, master,” Judas gan calle. The Jues com aboute hym alle. They leyd hondys on Jhesus clothys, And suore hys deth with many othys. Jhesu seyd to Judas, “Thys treson procuryd thou has. Thou hast betrayd me, iwys; Wherto com thou me to kys?” Hys dissypullus that were ther, Iche one of them had gret care. Fro Jhesu thei fled everychon, All bot Peter and Seynt John. Peter thought to do hym gode: He drew hys suerd as he were wode, And smote a man swyth sore, And refte hym hys ryght ere. Jhesu sey this dede idon. He seyd to Peter sone anon, “Pute up thy suerd and smyte no more; Me for-thinkys that thou smytys so sore. Whoso with suerd wyrch bale, He schall have the same gale. Trowys thou nought and I wold crave, Help of angellus I myght have? Twelve thousand of angellus bryght I myght have here this same nyght Fro my Fader me to defend, And wele mo he wold me send My party for to susten Agen the Jues that be so kene. Than were not the profesye That seys of me that I schall dye; It behovys, nedys to be, All that ever is wryten of me.” Jhesu yede hem beforn; He toke the ere that was of-schorn. He yede to hym that was bledand; Hys ere he helyd, wele farand. For all this thei lovyd hym nought; Thei dyde with hym as thei ne rowght. They bonde hys hondys faste, Whyles the bondys myght laste. Jhesu seyd, “Ye bynd me fast here As I were a thefys fere. To me ye don gret unryght Thus to fare with in the nyght. Ye do me schame, all that ye may; Feyrer it were to do be dey. Oft tyme I have befor you ben; In all the tempull ye myght me sen. Why had ye me not ther take?” The Jues to hym nought thei spake. They wold hym ansuer nought, Bot dyd as thei had in thought. They led hym a wele god pas To the bysschop, Syr Cayfas, And began to hym wrye Of Jhesu, both styll and hye. Peter folowyd sone anon Hys lord Jhesu, so dyd Seynt John. John entryd with other mo, For he was ther long or tho. Peter stod withoute the gate, For no man wold hym in late. Als sone as he was were of John, He clepyd to hym sone anone. John spake with the porter styll; Ther Peter enteryd at hys wyll. What thei wold to Jhesu do, The one beheld, the other also. John stude in a mantyll fold; On hym the Jues gan behold, And to hym thei gan chyd. Als the Jues dyde hym besyde, The lape of that mantyll gode They drew as thei were wode. John saw men wold hym take; He had lever hys mantyll forsake. He lepe awey with grete tene, And set the mantyll hym betwen. Jhesu stod that ilke thraw Among the Jues on a raw. Nought was fond hym within Thing that touchyd unto synne. Two Jues stode hym bye; On Jhesu thei made a crye: “Thys man seyd that stode here, A wonder thyng ye may here:1 That he may fall done in a throw Thys tempull that ye all knaw, And sethyn within the thryd dey Reys it up new wele he may. Thys wytnes we well, for soth: He seyd it with hys awne mouth!” Cayfas seyd in that thraw, And spake to Jhesu with hys law. He seyd to Jhesu ther he stode, “Thynke thou that this pleynt is gode?” Jhesu ansuerd hym ryght nought, For he was grevyd in thought. Cayfas to Jhesu that dey Cryed to hym sone on hey: “If thou arte Godys awne sone, Have now done and sey us sone!” Jhesu spake with myld chere: “Godys sone thou seyst here, And for soth I sey thee, In heven men schall me se To deme men after ther dedys; He is unwyse that it not dredys.” Cayfas herd this wordys styll; He thought it was not after hys wyll. Hys clothys he brake for tene, And after seyd wordys kene: “Hys wordys,” he seyd, “is sone gon, Bot other wytnes hath he none. Jues,” he seyd, “what is your rede?” All thei seyd, “Do hym to dede!” They gon spyte on hym all, All that stod in that hall, And seth with palmes in that place They bette Jhesu in the face. Peter drew among them bold, And the weder wex wele cold. He sey a fyre that was made on heye; Als he durst, he drew hym neye. Among the Jues Peter stode styll And wermyd hym after hys wyll. Ther com a meyden sone anon To loke what Jhesu schud be done. Sche sey Peter stond at the fyre; Sche lokyd on hym with evyll chere. “Man,” sche seyd, “what arte thow? Arte not thou a dyssypull of Jhesu?” Peter ansuerd son anon: “For soth,” he seyd, “thou hast mysgon Of thyng that thou onne me leyst; I ne wote what thou seyst.” Peter thought non other wone, Bot the meyd forth gan gone To another sted ther besyde. Ther he herd men gon chyde — Of hys face he was werre — And spake to hym wordys there. “Sertys,” thei seyd, “thou arte one That arte wonte with Jhesu gon.” Peter began to suer nay, He sey hym never to that dey. Peter gan to stryve ille; He wold have gon thens full stylle. Prevyly he went out at the gate Betwen two men that sate therate. Ageyn hym com Jues kene, The bysschopys men thei were, I wene. Ther Malcus came hym beforn That he had hys ere of schorn. He spake to Peter wordys grete, And he began hym to threte. He seyd, “Felow, arte thou not he That my ryght ere toke fro me When we com thi master to take? Thys may thou not forsake. Thy master helyd it anone; Therfor he wend quyte to gone. I folowyd hym betwene; I wys he is thy lord, I wene.” Peter stod adred full sore; He forthought that he com ther As he stod in swevne streng. “Man,” he seyd, “thou hast gon wrong. I ne sey hym never yite, Nor I knaw not that prophete.” Than began the kokys to craw, Wel sone, both hyghe and law. Jhesu turnyd sone anone And he lukyd Peter apone. Peter sey Jhesu on hym blynke; Anon he began hym to thinke And that word in mynd gan take That Jhesu seyd Peter schuld hym forsake. Therof myght he do no more, Bot wepyd fast and syghed sore. Befor the bysschop Jhesu stode. He was ever myld and gode. He askyd Jhesu of hys dedys, What he wrought and to whos nedys, Of hys techyng and of hys lore, And of hys dyscypullus that were ther. “That thing myght not wele be hyde; It awght to be rede wele wyde. Wythin the tempull I have bene; Erly and late ye myght me sene. Men I taught of my sawys For to kepe my Faders lawys. In privyté aught it not be leyd, For in scryptour it schall be seyd. What askys thou sych thyng of me When other men kane telle thee?” Up than ros a felon theve; To rayse contek he was leve. He ros up as he were wode, And smote Jhesu ther he stode, And seyd, “Why ansuerys thou so The bysschop that thou speke to?” Jhesu stode wele styll that tyde And lokyd on hym that dyd hym smyte. He seyd to hym, “Evyll mote thou thé. Agen the ryght thou smytys me. If that I seyd ought yll, Smyt me after thy wyll. Seth that I seyd no thynge bot gode, With wrong thou mengys my blode.” Cayfas, upon that grownd, Spake to Jhesu in that stond: “Sey us now for soth, iwys, If thou com fro heven blys.” Jhesu seyd, “Bote is ther non For to plete ageyn my fone. It nede not tell yow no tyding — Ye leve no word of my seyng. Ye schall, so it may betyde, Se me be my fader syde. All the posty schall be myn To deme after ther synne. Than I schall my fo men deme That wyll me now of lond fleme.” When this was seyd, the Jues all On Jhesu thei gan fast calle. Anon thei gaff hym dyntys ther, And gaff hym wondys sore. Upon hym loud gan thei cry, “What helpys now thy prophesy? Tell now who smote thee, And we schall leve on thee.” Thus thei fayred all the nyght Tyll it sprong the dey lyght. When it was dey, thei toke rede For to pute Jhesu to dede. They bounde hym with ropys sore. Ther thei wold duell no more; Anon thei toke ther gate To thei com to Sir Pylate. Withouten hym thei durst not do Thyng that fell the crowne unto, For he was man of grete baly; In all that lond he hade mastry. Now at Judas I wyll duelle, All of hys sorow for to telle. For the treson that he made, All hys games wex unglade. When hys game was all agone, In wanhope he fell anone. He wolde of Jhesu no mersy crave, For he wend non to have. He yede to the Jues kene And seyd to them all bedene, “I have synned in envy, I have don grete foly. Sertys, Jhesu I forsoke For the penys that I toke. Withouten gylt I have hym sold; My synne is turnyd manyfold.” Than ansuerd the Jues all, To Judas thei gan calle: “We have nothing to do Of thyng that thou spekys us to. Whyll thou sey thyn awne dede, Thow awys it most to drede. If thou hast do hym unryght, On thee fallys wrech aplyght. When thou hym us sold, Gode money for hym thou told. Thou were payd and so were we; Ther may non other mendys be.” Judas herd this wordys ill; Of hys lyve he gan to spyll. Be the tempull ther he stode, He gan to quake as he were wode. The thryty platys that he toke, Out of hyr lape he them schoke And threw them awey Befor the Jues on hyghe. And sethyn he gan gon; Anon he thought yll to done. Into a privye stede he drewht, Ther he had hys wyll inough. Within a pytte of a privé, He hong hymselff on elther tre. Hys wombe cleft in two full skete; Hys bowellus hong downe to hys fete; Body and salle he was forlorn. Alas that evyr he was born! In wanhop hys saule is tent; Withouten ende to hell he wente. The Jues sey that sylver bryght; They toke it up with herte lyght. Sone anone thei gane to stryve, And grete contek thei dryve What were best therwith to do. Som seyd ther rede, so and so, Sum seyd it aught nought Into the tempull to be brought, Ne be done in tresory, For it was full of felony. That stryff was feld sone anone; They toke counsyll everychon With that sylver to by lond For to hold in ther hond To strew Jues for ther synne When thei were fownd therine. Furth thei went on this wyse Anon thei made merchandys: They bought the Mounte of Calvery For to hold in ther baly. Sethen on that ylke place To hong men thei made a space. That gode was ivell gete and gone, For-delyd was never none. Fyrst, therfor, were penys told When Judas had Jhesu sold; Sethyn therwith that place was bought That Jhesu was unto deth brought. That sted, who so understod, Is callyd the Feld of Blod. Of this I wyll no more telle; On other thyngys I must duelle, Of Jhesu that was herd besette, And befor Pylate was fette. The Jues began on Jhesu crye, And grete lesyng on hym lye. “We have,” thei seyd, “befor you brought A man that mekyll wrong hath wrought. He makys folke to beleve on hym; Therof he wyll never blynne. And yete he seys another thyng: That he is God and of Jues kyng. Every man that seys this thyng, He spekys ageyn Sesar the kyng.” Pylat spake with myld mode To Jhesu Cryst ther he stode: “If this wytnes be trew, Thow speke and ansuer to us now. Arte thou Godys sone of heven?” Jhesu ansuerd with myld steven, “Thow it seys I ame he; I ame present here to thee.” Pylate seyd a party lowde To the Jues kene and prowde, “Sykerly, be my leuté, That Jhesu seys, it may welle be. I fynd in hym no gylte Wherfor that he schuld be spylte.” The Jues thei gan to cry, “Syr Pylat, thou seyst foly! Owre folke were in beleve gode And he hath changyd of ther mode. Mych folke he hath turnyd us fro In this cuntré and other mo All this thre yere, as I wene, Al so wyde as he hath bene, That is now fro this syté Into the lond of Galylé.” Pylat seyd to the Jues all, The wysest of them he gan calle, “Wyteh ye sone and wern me, If he were born in Galylé.” Than ansuerd one sone anone Of hym he was avysed long gone. Pylat seyd, “If it be so, Wele I wote what longys therto. Kynge Herod of that lond The reme he holdys in hys hond. He is man of more posté; The dome fallys not to me. Lede ye hym to Herod the kyng, And sey I send hym gretyng. Byde hym do all hys wylle Of this mater that ye wyll spelle.” The Jues toke Jhesu anon, And to Herod thei gan gon. To hym thei com a wele gode pase Into the cyté ther he was. Herod sey Jhesu command; He yede agen hym, wele lykand. Mekyll he desyred hym to se, More than I can tell thee. The Jues cam rynnyng full tyte And fell before Herodys fete, And ther mesage thei gan tell — Lothe thei were long to duell. Befor Herod in hys hall Ther wylle of Jhesu thei speke all. Herod seyd, “Welcom, Jhesu; I ame glad I se thee now. I thanke hym that thee hether sente; I schall quyte hym hys talente. Pylat hath do now ryght wele; My wreth I forgyff hym every dele. And sethen thou arte com to me, Sey me some dele of thy posté. I have herd speke in callyng That thou doyst many selcuth thing: The blynd men thou doyst to seyn, The dome to speke, the defe to heren; Crokyd men thou makys to gone; Wode men thou makys hole anone. And now for the lufe of me, Some meracle that I may se.” Jhesu Cryst was grevyd sore. He wold be taryd than no more. He ansuerd not, bot stod styll; He gaff not of Herodys wyll. Herod gan hym for to prechen; He dyd hym spoyll and seth beten. When he was betyn of them all, Herodys men that sate in the halle, They clothyd Jhesu than with clothys, And suore hys deth with grete othys. Herod seyd, “Jhesu I forsake; They that hym brought, thei schall hym take. To Pylat agen ye schall hym lede, For he knawys most of hys dede. Of this man ye do your wylle, Whether ye wyll hym save or spylle.” The Jues anon toke ther gate To thei com to Syr Pylate. They told hym tyding glade, How Herod and he were frendys made: “Of Jhesu he bade thee do thi wylle, Whether thou wylt hym save or spylle.” Pylat anon gan calle The masters and the princes alle. He seyd to hem, “Ye be to blame; Ye do Jhesu mekyll schame. I canne nothing in hym fynd Werefor men schuld hym bete or bynd.” Pylat seyd, “Lystyns to me, I wyll you tell wordys thre: It is custom of this lond Of Paske dey that is nere hand If any man in prison be For manys-slaughter or feloné Of prison delyverd he schall be, And withouten dome to pas fre, And sethyn do hym of land fle.” The Jues gan to cry lowde, “Nyme hym of hys wordys prowde! If that he dyd not ylle, We wold not hym spylle.” Pylat was a party grevyde, For thei cryed lowde in hys hede. He toke Jhesu and wente aboute, And askyd hym thyng that was in dowte. Jhesu ansuerd in evyn wey To all that Pylate couth sey. Whyll Jhesu and Pylate stod ther, I wyll you telle of treson more. The princys and the masterys alle, Styll thei lystend in the halle. They callyd forth the Jues kene And toke concell hem betwene, A delyverans for to have Of Pylate for to crave.2 They had in prison Barabas: Both tratore and thefe he was. Delyver hym thei wold ichon, Bot Jhesu Cryst thei wold slone. Pylat anon com hem to: He seyd to hem, “What wyll ye do? If ye wyll do after me, Jhesu schall delyverde be.” The Jues cryed and seyd “Nay, He schall dyghe this same dey. Bot ther is Barabas the thefe — Delyver hym as he is lefe.” Lystyns now a lytell spas, I wyll yow tell of Sathanas: He thought wele that Godys sone Was come in erth for to wone. He wyst if Jhesu were not slone, He schuld have saules many one. For Jhesu with hys deth myght bye All the saulys in hys balye. A treson he thought to do, If he myght have com therto. All that nyght he yede styll; Hys thought he soundyd to fullfylle. He com to Sir Pylatys wyfe; He wold have savyd Jhesus lyfe. Ther sche ley in slepe faste; A grysly loke he on hyr caste. “Awake,” he seyd, “and speke with me. Of thy herme I werne thee. Byd thy lord with gode rede That he do not Jhesu to dede. The men that procure hym to fall, They schall be confondyd all. For he was take with no treson, With wrong he was pute in prison. He that this treson fyrst begane, The peyn of hell he hym wane.” Pylatys wyfe herd this wordys ther; Sche durst not speke a word for fere. Anon sche yede to Syr Pylate Ther he sate in domes sete, Als he schuld deme Jhesu. “With Jhesu,” sche seyd, “what wylte thou do?” Sche seyd, “I hold thee for wode If thou do Jhesu ought bot gode. Leve not on the Jues rede For to do Jhesu to dede. Slepand it come, I may you telle, A gost — I wene he com fro helle. Loythely he masyd me; For Jhesu sake that dyde he. They that brought Jhesu thee beforne, Withouten end thei be forlorne. That gost was well grysly; Sey I never non so ugly. I was never so sore adred Seth I was of my moder fede. Delyver anon Jhesu fro thee So that the gost may love thee.” Pylat herd the Jues alle, How hy thei gan with wordys calle. They seyd, “We wyll have our wylle Of Jhesu that hath don ylle. He seys us schame and schond, And defame us in every lond. And yit he seys other foly, That he hath of us mastry. Kyng of Jues he dyde hym calle; Sych are hys dedys alle.” Pylat seyd unto Jhesu, “They love thee nought, what thei sey now. In pes thou myght be for me, Bot for the folke of this contré. The bysschop of the law with envy Thinkys to do thee vylonye. No thing this fawte is in me, And that thee schall sone se.” He callyd forth a wyked squyre And bade hym fete water clere. When the water was to hym brought, He wessch hys hondys as he thought. He seyd to the Jues kene, “Of this gylte I wyll be clene, And in the spyllyng of hys blod. I fynd in hym no thing bot gode.” Than ansuerd the Jues kene, “All hys blode on us be sene, And all the synne myght falle On us and of oure chylder alle.” Than spake Pylat ther he stode To Jhesu Cryst with myld mode. “Jhesu,” he seyd, “behold and se All this folke be hold onne thee For thou teches new lawys That were unseyd be olde deys.” Jhesu seyd anon hys thought: “Of your wordys I gyfe nought. I wyll make her no mastrye; In other sted is my balye. My kyngdom is heven bryght, Ther I was this same nyght. Yiff that my kyngdom were here, Angellus of heven schuld me were. Agen the Jues thei myght me were, That non of them schuld me dere. Bot my reme is ferr me fro; My Fader wyll it schall be so.” Pylat seyd, “Than arte thou kyng In this werld of all thyng?” Jhesu seyd, “Thou seyst wele so; In this werld I have to do, And in this werld I was borne. I com to seke that was forlorne, Nother to fyght, nether to suere, Bot of sothefastnes wytnes bere. And every man that lovys sothnes In me wones more and les.” Pylat seyd, “I byde thee, What is sothfastnes, tell thou me?” At this word Jhesu stod stylle, And seyd nether gode ne ille. Pylat was full of thought; What he myght do he wyst noght. Anon he seyd the Jues to, “What wyll ye with Jhesu do? Synne it were to spyll his blode; I fynd in hym nothing bot gode. I rede that we late hym go Into the lond that he com fro.” The Jues seyd to Pylate, “Yiff that thou late hym thus scape, Sezars frend wyll thou not be. For we have do as we told thee, Deylver us Barabas the thefe And pute Jhesu to peynes greffe. Bot if thou do as we thee sey, Thou schalt an a evyll deth dey.” Pylat than dred them sore. He toke Jhesu afor them ther, He toke hym to the Jues all. “Now loke,” he seyd, “what wyll befalle.” Than began the Jues kene Dyspoyle Jhesu hem betwene. They pute of hym all hys clothys And suore hys deth with many othys. They bond hym to a pylere And toke scorgys strong in fere. They bete hym, whyll the schorgys laste. The blod ran don by hym faste; Jhesus body, ther he stode, Was all coverde with hys blode. Seth thei bonde hys fete faste With strong cordys, whyll thei myght laste. Thei honge on hym a purpull palle And fell onne kneys befor hym alle. All thei seyd in ther schorging, “Welcom, Syr Jues Kyng!” After thei toke thornes kene, They made a garlond bedene And sett it upon hys hede. Ther was no mercy with hem leved. The thornes made woundys grete; The blode ran doune with grete hete. They toke scorges and bete hym sore; All that he sofferd and mych more. Besyde Pylat Jhesu stode; All he was berune with blode. Pylat seyd, “I have mervell of thee That thou bydys no man helpe thee, And why thou makys no more crye On them that doys thee this vylonye. Whens arte thou? What is thi name? Strong thou arte to sofer schame. I rede thou cry us mersy all, For thy profete so may befalle.” Jhesu stod styll and seyd nought. Pylat seyd “What is thi thought? Ne gruche thou nought to speke with me Whyll thou arte in my posté? Wenyst thou not that I wele may Do thee to deth this same dey? Or I may do thee to the dede As it is the Jues rede. Of thy body I have posté For to hong thee on a tre.” Jhesu seyd to Pylat tho, “All thi posté thou schall forgo. Posty hast thou non of me, Bot that fro heven is grantyd thee; Therfor, he hath more synne That gaff me to you herine.” Pylat lede Jhesu withoute; The Jues gatherd all aboute. Anon Pylat lowde gan cry, “Thys is your kyng in my baly.” The Jues seyd, “We byde thee, Gyff hym dome to hang on tre.” Pylat seyd, “Is this your cry To deme hym, bot ye wote why?” The Jues, all that ther stode, Cryed on hym as thei were wode; All thei seyd with o voys, “Gyff hym dome to hong onne cros. Of the lawys we have rede, The law wyll that he be dede. He dyde all that to foly fallys When he hym kyng of Jues callys.” Pylat seyd, “I can no rede, Bot do ye hym to the dede.” Than ansuerd the folke of helle, “It fallys us no man to quelle. The dome fallys be gyne of thee: Gyff thou hym dome to hong onne tre.” Pylat seyd, “This is a strange thing. Wyll ye sle your awne kyng?” The Jues ansuerd sone, “Other kyng than Sezar we have non. Grante us hym for Sezar sake, And Baraban out of prison take.” Pylat seyd, “If it be so, What wyll ye with Jhesu do?” All thei seyd with o voys, “Gyff hym dome to hong on cros.” Pylat grantyd hem ther wyll. Than gafe he dom Jhesu to spyll; Barabas comandyd he Anon delyverd for to be. Purpull paull Jhesu stod ine; Thei drew it of withouten wynne. All hys clothys of thei gan take; Agen thei clothyd hym for schame sake. Thei drew hym as thei were wode, And thretyn hym to hong on rode. “The dom is gyfyn: hangyd is he, Bot we have no rode tre.” Than seyd hem Syr Pylate, “Go,” he seyd, “fro gate to gate, Tyll ye fynd some rode tre Wereon he may hongyd be.” Forth thei yede; at the laste A long tre thei fownd in haste. Whens that ilke tre com ther, It is not told everywher. Therfor, I wyll a stond duelle; Of that tre I wyll you telle. Davyd the kyng, in hys lyfe, He sett that tre for to thryfe Of thre branchys that he fownd; The branchys all togeder he wond. In a stoke of sedyr tre He sett this branchys all thre. The branchys were of grete price; They com oute of paradys. They were take withouten stryfe, And were corve of the tre of lyfe. On that tre that appull grew That made us all to change new. For that appull, thorow Evys rede, Was Adam brought to dede; Forthy it was a well gode thought That deth was thorow the appull brought, That lyfe schuld of that tre In som time tokyn be. David the kyng the branchys sette, And in the rote togeder thei mette. Be that the yere was all gon, They stode and wex everychon. Of thre maner treys thei were That stode and wex together ther; Therupon grew all our bote. Of sedyr was the fyrst rote; The sedyr and the palme tre, The feyr olyff, I tell thee, They wex together feyr and spred; Therof the keng grete joy made. Thyrty wynter all bedene They wex feyr and lyke gren. Within the tyme that I telle thee, It was wax a well fayr tre. Ther it stod and fast gon spred Unto that Kyng Davyd was dede. For hym was made grete mournyng; Salamon after was made kyng. He was hys son and of age; Therfor he bore hys herytage. Anon he thought to make a werke To serve in both preste and clerke. Men he had of mastery; They made the werke to reys on hy. In Jherusalem, that cyté bryght, They made that werke a wele gode syght. When the temple was up reysed, Of a tre thei were deseyved. Sone thei yede befor the kyng And told hym of that thyng. Salamon seyd he ne rowght; Of that tre he was bethought. In hys yerd, ther it grew, All it was of one hew. He sey that tre was long inowghe; He dyd it fell, every boughe. When it was feld thei gan it wyrche; They bere it to the feyr chyrche. Als thei drew that tre onne hyghe, Ther werkys wex unslyghe: The tre was schorter than the marke Be four fote mette to take. Grete wonder thei thought withall; For tene thei lete it doun fall. Bot yit thei thought hem among They had take the mete wrong. After thei gan mette to take, Than was it lenger than the marke Be thre fote large and more. They suere that it schuld be ther. As thei drew it up with mastrye, Thei lokyd theronne ever on hye; They wend to have sped wele. The mette thei toke, it wold no dele: Than it was schorter than the merke. Awey thei drew it fro the werke. They sought another thei myght; To that werke it wold not ryght. Another werke it wold abyde; Ther fro myght no man it hyde. Abyd it wold another honour: To bere Jhesu, owre savyour. Than it was layd over a pytte — Then myght no man it flyte — Over a strem of water clene, In the sted of a bryge, I wene. Sone after in a lytell stond, It sonke doun into the grond, And ther it ley long also; Toke ther no man hede therto. God that know of all dedys Honoryd that tre for mans nedys. God honoryd that ilke tre; Also, I may telle thee, Every dey fro heven lyght God send thether an angell bryght; The angell made that water flowe. When he gan therin rowe, Men that were that streme besyde Therin thei se an angell glyde At a tyme every dey; When he hade done, he went awey. Whoso myght anone ryght Bathe hym after the angell bryght, And yefe he were ryght seke withall, Hys seknes schuld fro hym falle. Of every maner evyll sore Men had ther bote ther For that holy treys sake, For it was withouten make. When the tyme was com of that tre, The Jues it toke in ther posté. They drew it up as thei were wode; Anon thei made therof a rode. With wordys sone, feyre and styll, Of that rode tell you I wyll. That rode anon the Jues gan make That Jhesus lymes myght theron take. Bothe the hondys thei schud take To the rode withouten lake, And both hys fete to the nether ende They schuld be nayled, that were so hende. Of what maner tre it was all, Anon I you telle schall: The over tre that hys armes ley onne Of olyf it was purvyd anon, For it was feyre and a bryght tre That men myght it well ferre se. The end on the grownd was seder gode, For it schud not rote ther it stode. They boryd holys theron withoutene wynne, For it was to dryve nayles ine. Thei thought God was mekyll and long also. Borys thei toke no mette therto; A bore to the one, a bore to the other, A bore to bethe hys fete; wold thei non other. When it was made for to se, Than thei wantyd nayles thre. The Jues thei made Jhesu wrothe; To make the nayles forth thei gothe. Than fond thei a smyth welle sone; They bade hym, be sone and mone, That he schuld hy hym well faste To make foure nayles that wold laste To nayle with Jhesu on the rode — So thei cryed as thei were wode. The smyth therfor was ryght wo Aboute the nayles for to go; To Jhesu he hade wyll full gode. Jhesu he lovyd, and understode That Jhesu was a trew prophete; Loth he was to nayll hys fete. He ansuerd with herte fre, He thought Jhesus frend to be; Thus seyd he to the Jues alle. Another smyth thei behovyd to calle. “Foure nayles we must have! Of thee, smyth, we do crave.” “Nay,” he seyd, “so mote I thé, Thys dey gete ye non of me.” In hys bosom he pute hys hond And seyd he hurte it with a brond. Than ansuerd the Jues kene To the smyth with grete tene, “Now we wote thou fenys thee: Draw oute thi hond and late us se. Draw oute thi hondys of thi clothys Or that we suere be grete othys Bot it be soth as thou hast suorne, Thy lyve sone thou schalt lorne.” Thus thei thret hym in ther saw; Hys hondys thei made hym forth draw. Than was ther in a lytell space Gret tokenyng thorow Godys grace: Hys hondys before had not sore bene; God made sorys on them be sene. It fared as it hade be sore, Bot it was never the more. Forth than com the smythys wyfe; With mekyll care sche led hyr lyfe. Befor the Jues ther sche stode, Sche spake her husband lytell gode. “Syr,” sche seyd and cryed on hye, “How long hast thou had this maladye? Yister evyn when the dey was gone On thi hand had thou none. Where hast thou ben among thi foys Seth todey that thou roys? The nayles for defaute of thee They schall not unmade be.”3 Sche toke the wey to the stythé Ther sche thought for to be. Sche broke four pesys of the irene; Therof sche made four nalys evyn. Sche made the nalys to hyr wyll; Durste non sey that sche dyde yll. The Jues and the smythys wyffe With the smyth were at stryffe; The smyth durst sey ryght nought, Bot cursyd hem in hys thought. Forth the Jues yede ther gate; Loth thei were to com overlate. They com to Pylat ther he stode And to Jhesu myld of mode. Besyde them sate Jues kene In a consyll them betwene. Sone anon thei toke rede For to do Jhesu to dede. Than began thei fast to stryve And grete contek for to dryve Among them as thei were wode, And askyd who schuld bere the rode. Some seyd, “Who bot he That theron schuld hongyd be?” Than the Jues, everychon, All thei acordyd into one: Jhesu thei made the rode to bere — Gode wyll thei had hym to dere. They led hym withoute the syté; Wold thei no mersy on hym se. Two thevys thei lede also That schuld with hym to deth go. Men folowyd hym with grete route, Sore wepand all aboute. Wyfys and meydens wepyd sore; For Jhesu thei couth do no more. Jhesu sey women wepe sore. He spake to them wordys ther: “Women,” he seyd, “of Bethleme And meydens of Jerusaleme, Wepe ye not for me, For nothing that ye on me se; For yourselve ye may wepe, And for your chylder terys lete. The deys are comyng faste That ye schall your joys caste. Upon your faderys ye schall crye, And onne your moderys with envye, ‘Fader, wherto were we borne? Mych sorow is us beforne. Moder whereto were we forth brought? We were better to be nought.’ Ye schall to the montans sey, Ther thei stond withouten nay, ‘Montaynus we wyll that ye fall To felle us to deth all.’ And yit it may fall so kene, More wonder with you schall bene.” The Jues folowyd Jhesu with ire, So dyde Pylate, the grete syre. As thei lede hym in the strete A bold man thei gan mete. Symon was hys name, serteyn; He com rynand, soth to seyne. The Jues perseyved hym all; Anon thei gan hym to calle. “Master,” thei seyd, “thou hyest faste; Well mette arte thou at the laste. A man is here among us lede; He is wery and all for-blede, And berys hymselve that ilke tre Wereon he schall hangyd be. Wyll thou now, for oure sake, Take the crosse on thy bake And bere it ther it schall be, And mekyll we wyll thanke thee.” Symond ansuerd and seyd, “Ney, I ne may be this dey.” The Jues seyd sone anon, “Of this herlote is grete scorne, That thou forsoke to bere the tre That we have iprayd thee. Take up the cros and forth gone, Or we schall breke thy bake bone.” Symond sey non other bote; At ther wyll forth he mote. Symon toke the rode anone, And leyd it onne hys schulder bone. They made hym bere it with envye To the Mounte of Calverye; Ther thei sette the rode tre. Of Jhesu had thei no pyté: Thei dyspulyd hym all nakyde. When thei hade that sorow makyde, Lottys thei leyd of hys clothys And suere hys deth with grete othys. Withouten seme hys clothys were That thei hade among hem ther. Sethyn thei dyde Jhesu on rode; Withoutyn gylt thei sched hys blode. How he was on the rode done, I wyll you telle ryght sone. They toke the rode with sturdy wyll And leyd it on the grounde well styll. They toke Jhesu ther he stode And leyd hym upon the rode. To the borys thei leyd hys armys suete For to loke if it were mete. As thei gone ther merkys al so, Hys armes myght not rech therto. Be a fote, withoute lesyng, They myght not hys armes bryng. The Jues sey that and gan thynke That thei had so lorn ther swynke. They were loth other holys to make; Therfor two ropys thei gane take. Thei dyde ropys on hys hondys; The blode broke out for strenthe of bandys. They gan hys body all todraw To thei myght bryng the handys therto. The semys thei byrst also; Lyth fro lyth thei were undo. Thei toke the nayls told be tale, And drew hym by the handys smale. Thei lokyd to hys fete so bryght And sey thei ley not aryght. Thei toke a cord at the laste And tyde it on hys fete wele faste, Another on hys brest with grete wronge, And drew hym to the pynnes longe. Hys leggys blede — wo was he begone — Pyté of hym hade thei none. They toke hys fete that were clene And leyd hem over the bore bedene. They toke two nayles swyth grete And drove them thorow both hys fete. The blode rane of hys body tho; Was never man so wobego. Ther was not hym so mekyll levyd Wheron he myght rest hys hede,4 Bot leyd it on the schulder bone. Of hym mersy hade thei none. Some of the Jues a cloth gan take To hyll hys membyrs for schame sake. And when that they hade thus done, The rode thei hevyd up well sone. Upon the Mounte of Calverye Thei sette it up with grete invye And ramyd it in a pytte, For that non schuld it hene flytte. Seth on kneys thei gon falle. To Jhesu with scorne thei gan calle: “Lyght doune,” thei seyd, “of that heyghe tre, Kyng of Jues if that thou be, And beleve we schall apon thee ryght That thou arte man of grete myght.” Anon Pylate a letter wrote (So seys Seynt John that wele wote); One a bord of palme tre He dyde it festyn with herte fre. He sette it aboven the rode tre That men myght it rede and se. That wryte seyd mekly iwys, “Jhesu of Nazareth he is, Kyng of Jues,” theron was wryte. What it seys men may wele wyte. Grew and Ebrew and Latyne Was wryten ther in that perchemyne. Nazaret was Grew, Jhesu Ebrew, Kyng of Jues was Latyn to yow. What Pylat betokyn in this wryte, I wyll you tell all my wyte: The palme is a sympull tre That betokynys pes to be. Pylat seyd with hys word It schall be festynd on palme bord. They thought when Jhesu was dede That thei hade bene oute of drede, That no folke schuld turne them fro, Bot be in pes ever more so. The Jues when thei the letter rede, Thei were not payd of that dede. Before Pylat thei gan crye, “Thow hast wrote grete foly! Wryte not that he is Jues kynge — Who so it seys, it is lesynge.” Pylat seyd, ther he stode, To the Jues, “Ye be wode. With wronge ye blame me; Als it is wryte, so it schall be.” Yit the Jues cursyd and kene Made a stroblyng hem betwen. They hong two thevys Jhesu bye To do hym schame and vylonye. The one theff gan to cry, “Save me, Jhesu, when I dyghe!” The other theve seyd anone, “Helpe of hym getyst thou none. How myght he helpe thee? Hys awne deth he may not fle.” Yit he cryed Jhesu mersy, And spake to hys feley that hang hym by, “Wrech,” he seyd, “thou arte wode. That man dyde never thyng bot gode; He is not worthy to sofure dede, He is dampnyd with fals rede. And we have don grete folye, Ryght it ys that we abye. For soth, this man is full of myght; He may us grante heven bryght.” He seyd, “Jhesu, I praye thee, A place in heven thou grante me.” Jhesu seyd myldly iwys, “Thys dey I grante thee paradys.” Of this I wyll no more telle — The other theff toke the wey to helle. Jhesu wyst all that was done And that he schuld deyghe sone. He seyd to the Jues thore, “Sertys,” he seyd, “me thyrstys sore.” The Jues herd hys wordys all; Asell thei toke hym mengyd with gall. They putte it up unto hys mouth; That drynke was hym not couthe. Jhesu forsoke that drynke so felle That thei bede hym for to smelle. He seyd to them, feyre and hende, “Thys dede is don and brought to ende.” Than ther stode besyde the rode Thre maner women gode: Jhesus modere, mayden clene, So dyde Mary Magdelyne, And Mary Cleophe, that suete wyght, And Seynt Jon the Evangelyst. And Oure Lady wepe wele sore; Was ther non had sorow more. Jhesu lokyd doune anone And sey hys modere and Seynt John. Jhesu seyd to John wordys new: “Now behold thi modere trew. Mary schall thi modere be, And thou hyr sone after me.” Mary herd this wordys suete; Terys of blode sche gan lete. Hyr eyghen were all hyd in blode When sche beheld upon the rode. Jhesus wordys John understod; To Mary he had wyll full gode. He toke Our Lady to kepe schen, For thei were both vergyns clene. Jhesu spake well myldly To the folke that stode hym by: “Ye that be this wey pas, Abyde and behold my face, And loke yff any other pyne Be so bytter as is myne.” The holy wryte seys nay, No pyne to hys be lykyd may. It was aboute the hyghe myddey. Also, yow tell I may, Bryght and feyr the son schon: That forleste hys lyght anon. Jhesu began grete pyne to thole. The son wex blake as do the cole, The dey turnyd into the nyght, And the sterrys lest ther lyght. Gret wonder befell allso: The gret tempull cleft in two. The elementys thei roffe that dey; That was grete marvell for to sey. The stonys thei broke for hete; Strong it was, that storme so grete. Men that were dede ther beforne, A hundreth wynter or God was borne, For that hete thei gan up ryse Oute of ther graves on dyverse wyse And yede forth to the syté That men myyht hem both here and se. All were this dedys done Betwyx mydey and none. That tyme of dey, Jhesu so gode, Als he hong upon the rode, Lowde he cryed, “Hely, hely,” And also, “lamazabatany.” What this wordys be to mene I schall yow tell as I wene: “Fader and God in Trinité, Why haste thou forsakyn me?” The Jues stode ther besyde; They were schent in ther pride. They wende he hade clepyd “Hely,” That was a man of that contry. Thei seyd yf Hely take hym done, With schame schall he com to towne. Yit seyd Jhesu meke and styll, “Fader, I have don thi wyll. Here I ame com thorow thi rede; With wronge I ame pute to dede. All my fo men wele thou knawyste; Do them mersy yf thou awyste. Fader, I take thee my goste, For it is tyme, well thou woste.” He bowyd hys hede done wele stylle. Hys spryte passyd after hys wylle. After, the wey he toke to helle; Myght no thyng make hym hene duelle. The gatys he broke that were stronge; Agayn hym thei were schyte with wronge. The devyllys of hym were sore drede; If they myght thei wold have flede. Sathanas he bonde fast With chanys of iren that wold laste. For soth he schall lye bondyn aye, To that it be domys deye. He toke with hym Adame and Eve, And other mo that were hym leve. Anon he lede them oute of helle; How many thei were I cane not telle. He lede them into paradys, Ther joy and blys ever more ys. Besyde the Rode ther stod a man, Hys ryght name telle you I can. A gret cry he gan make When he sey the woundys slake. Centyr, that was hys name; For hys cry the Jues gane schame. He seyd “This is Godys sone!” Therfore thei dyd hym in prisone. The other dey aboute none, When that dey was all done, Ther com a man of ryche se, That duellyd in that contré. Joseph was hys name ryve; He lovyd Jhesu as hys lyve. Forth anon he wente hys gate To he com to Syr Pylate. He seyd, “Syr Pylat, I praye thee, Jhesus body thou grante me. Soffer me to take hym done Or that I hens gone.” Syr Pylat seyd “I grante thee; We wyll wyte fyrst if he dede be.” He callyd forth knyghtys hende With Joseph for to wende. “Go,” he seyd, “unto Jhesu And loke that he be dede now. Yiff he be dede take hym doune stylle And late Joseph have hys wylle.” The knyghtys thei gan forth gone; To the rode thei com anon. Fyrst thei com the Jues to; Bothe ther theys were broke in two. Seth thei stode in that place And beheld Jhesu in the face. Thei sey well that Jhesu was dede; To breke hys bonys it was no nede. Besyde the rude stude a knyght That longe hade forgon hys syght. Longeus was that knyghtys name; He was bothe blynd and lame. They made hym under Jhesu stond And pute a spere in hys hond. They leyd the spere to Jhesu syde; “Pute up,” thei seyd, “what so betyde.” Longeus pute the spere hym fro; To Jhesus herte it gan go. The blode gan anon oute spryng And the water anon oute wryng. Fro synne we were with hys blod bought, And fro hell than we were brought. Longeus stode welle styll than; By hys fyngerys the blode ranne. With that blode he wyped hys face; Than of hys syght he hade grace. On hys kneys he gan doune falle And of Jhesu mersy calle. He seyd, “I wyst not what I dede, Bot as other hade me bede.” Joseph toke done the body anon And leyd it in a feyr stone. Nychodemus, a man well gode, To Jhesu he come with myld mode. He brought with hym spysery And strewyd on the body sothly, And an oyntment the body to smere, That no wormys schuld do hym dere. They toke hys body schene And wond it in a sendell clene. Joseph the sendell with hym brought; He hade it with hys sylver bought. He leyd the body in the grave; He wold of Jhesu mersy have. The spysys gode with suete odour They leyd aboute our savyoure. Aboven hym thei leyd a ston faste — That was not lyght — on hym to caste. When the body was in reste, They went ther fro and dyde ther beste. Seth agene the thyrd dey, I cane yow tell and wele I may, Of a consyll and of a stryfe That was among the Jues ryve. Nothyng seyd the knyghtys stylle. Tyll that they wyst Pylatys wylle. Anon thei toke ther gate To thei com to Syr Pylate. They seyd, “Pylate, bethynke thee now Of a thyng we wern yow, Jhesu seyd in hys lyve That made us all for to stryve. He seyd to hys desypullus all A wonder thing if it befall: That he schuld dyghe and breke the ley And ryse agene the thyrd dey. For this thyng we drede us alle; Therfore, do men befor you calle And late them wake that stone To the thyrd dey be agone, That hys dyscypullus with no reson Make among them no treson To stele hys body awey be nyght, And bery it ther hem thinke lyght. Than myght thei tell and sey That he were resyn and went awey; Than were this last dede More than the fyrst to drede.” Pylat ansuerd sone anon, “Go kepe hym wele as ye can, Upon lond and lyfe, And upon shyld and wyfe.” When thei were chergyd so sore, Wordys thei durst speke no more. They chesyd foure knyghtys gode Among the Jues ther thei stod. They dyde them arme swyth wele Both in iren and in stele. They gan forth to wend The stone to kepe feyre and hend. They kepyd that ston all the nyght Tyll it sprang the dey lyght. When it was nyght thei fell on slepe; They had no power hym to kepe. Jhesu in the systyrn ley, And rose upon the thyrd dey. The over-ston he pute besyde; No lenger he wold therine abyde. He toke the wey to Galylé Ther men myght hym here and se. To Joseph of Ramaty he schewyd hym sone Ther he was put in prisone. The secunde to hys moder dere, And bade hyr be of gode chere. The thyrd he schewyd schen Onto Mary Magdelen. Ther he spake to hyr anone And bade sche schuld hys erand gone: “Go to Mary my moder dere, And to Jon hyr trew fere, And tell the apostyllus everychon That I ame ryse out of my stone.” Mary began forth to gon And dyd hys commandment anon. Sche seyd to Peter and to Mary Wordys of gret curtasy: That Jhesu was reson out of the ston And into Galylé he was gone. “For soth, I you tell may — I spake with hym this same dey.” When hys dyscypullus this wordys herd, With mykell joy all thei faryd. Jhesu Cryst that is heven kyng, Of whom is made all this spellyng, Gyve us grace of hys peyn In our thought to have serteyn That it may our warant be Agen the fend and hys posté, That we may to that joy wend That ever schall last withouten ende — That is, to the blysse of heven. Amen, for hys names seven. And that it myght so be, Amen, Amen, for charyté.

The Passion of Our Lord; (see note) (t-note) [A matter] of great pity; tell since; dearly (at great price) Because; lose punishment dwell a while are in agreement (see note) were widely known; (see note); (t-note) everywhere malice (envy) gathered themselves privately all their plans feast heathens; (see note) greatest masters; religion counsels everyone believe in taken away Caiaphas; (t-note) explain know not; (see note) [So] that; lost Thus From himself always We do not want (see note) at hand (drawing near) Passover spoke together slay then made him Until; was past slander no way without judgment (a fair trial) Put a man to death that day sixth; (t-note) (see note) a while called yonder bound release her; allow beast will go (t-note) noble (t-note) children of the Hebrews to him very elegant went in front of him clothes before him eager Those lest we die dismounted; humbly (see note) Bethany time Lazarus; (see note) praised meal all together holy scripture to ask for relief; (see note) for her sins she was ashamed hair good will; (t-note) mercy in every way ointment anointed [the scent] spread widely everywhere mired in sin Judas Iscariot pride given in order to feed poor men; (t-note) For that reason cruel; (see note) eager advice wisdom die in her [time of] need Her life; legend own grief; sought He considered greatest reward (t-note) they went coins; money left behind companions tricks Passover; noble taken disciples where; (see note) command humility; (t-note) (t-note) blessed (t-note) from my friends prepare our food ready; (t-note) companions table taught us at once without delay had food; brought (see note) set [it] near him song; (see note) (see note) noble As often (see note) Until; afar Against this killed traitor to have been unborn abashed; in every way belly betrayed Indeed (see note) leaned nearest of all great marvel[s]; to dream God’s secrets dreaming (t-note) (see note) marvelous (see note); (t-note) grew angry quarrel; (t-note) to make a great argument; (see note); (t-note) preeminence pride From his authority act arrogantly; envy peacefully humble abandoned wrapped; linen (t-note) (t-note) It is not filling, it seems to me unless get no share quickly each of them not loath [to do] entirely You know not what I have done know not treat each other low; (see note) humility sorely afraid shepherd goes far away very shepherd be taken before put to death Jews’ judgment die; law frank; (see note) foes I will take death with you [May] no man give me [other] advice knew well i.e., own face I know well enough here Thrice before the cock crows instruct harm may happen Sit; (see note) way (see note) say am done virtuous (see note) (see note) But what I must do loud and silent (i.e., in all ways); (t-note) anguish well I know landed weary while lessen temptation Soon weeping coming near escape that punishment message (prayer) to deliver deserved; [punishment of] death; (t-note) according to thy judgment (t-note) not a bit counted Satan afflict cross power whatever shall happen (see note); (t-note) foes a great crowd surrounded spears and maces crazy not miss in everything (t-note) as heavy as lead; (t-note) (t-note) as fast as (so quickly) in evil peacefully Why very severely cut from him saw; done I regret works evil meet the same fate Do you not trust that if I asked My friends; support would not [be true] cut off bleeding acting well cared not [for him] thief’s companion injustice treat; (t-note) (t-note) pace Caiaphas accuse soft and loud (i.e., in every way) (see note) long before then aware they [i.e., the Jews] wrapped in a cloak chide (accuse) took him aside edge grabbed; crazy rather abandon his cloak fear same moment; (see note); (t-note) group Anything sinful (t-note) cast down an instant He may raise it well anew; (t-note) (t-note) accusation aggrieved in high voice (i.e., loudly) Have done with it and tell us now! (t-note) judge men according to their deeds to his liking tore in anger are soon gone (i.e., empty) (t-note) spit weather grew cold (t-note) As he dared warmed himself what would be done to Jesus have been mistaken; (see note) accuse me of no other hope; (see note) aware (i.e., he hid his face) [they] spoke to him accustomed to go with Jesus struggle unhappily quietly Up to him; fierce I believe (see note) cut off strong words; (t-note) threaten renounce (t-note) thought to leave unscathed I believe regretted daze cocks to crow low looked upon Peter look (t-note) for whose need instruction hidden (t-note) teachings secret; kept wicked thief He was eager to raise trouble; (t-note) May you fare evilly according to your will stir up my blood (i.e., provoke me) time (place) indeed There is no remedy plead; foes story believe as it may happen (t-note) power judge according to put to flight; (t-note) blows wounds (see note) believe in rose made the decision way pertained to the crown (royal authority) power jurisdiction (see note) schemes turned out poorly despair believed together Certainly numerous (magnified) You ought vengeance in full counted amends (t-note) began to ruin; (t-note) their flap private place; drew pit of a latrine alder tree immediately; (see note); (t-note) bowels (intestines) [In] body and soul; lost despair; afflicted saw argue quarrel they made; (t-note) argument was settled (t-note) (t-note) to own directly put to death a purchase (see note) power evilly gained and spent Divided; (see note) counted place Field of Blood (see note) fiercely afflicted; (t-note) fetched slanders cease against Caesar (t-note) testimony voice somewhat loudly by my faith killed in good belief changed their minds (t-note) (see note) Learn; tell warned long ago i.e., know what must be done; (see note) realm; (t-note) power judgment describe pace saw Jesus coming; (t-note) He went to him, desiring much [to see him] quickly (t-note) pay him his due I completely forgive him for my anger power; (t-note) marvelous caused to see dumb; hear Crippled; (t-note) Insane (t-note) delayed (hindered) cared not for exhort; (see note) had him stripped and then beaten (t-note) (t-note) condemn near at hand released punishment exile him from the land Take him for somewhat aggrieved; (t-note) i.e., calmly could ask each one wanted slay as he desires little while; (t-note) (see note) to dwell slain authority treacherous deed be able to do so traveled quietly plan he examined harm condemned (cursed); (t-note) won (earned) judgment seat mad Believe Sleeping it came Loathsomely; frightened lost (damned) (t-note) loudly (t-note) dishonor power over us (t-note) In no way is the blame upon me (t-note) fetched set against you in olden days here In another place is my jurisdiction guard; (see note) injure realm have to be seek what was lost to bear witness to truth truth dwells (t-note) (t-note) escape Caesar’s; (t-note) have done grievous Unless (see note); (t-note) greatly feared them Disrobe took off from him (t-note) scourges (whips); together; (t-note) fine cloth; (t-note) ready left in them; (t-note) covered ask (t-note) advise You may fare better for that (t-note) grudge power Know to death lose Except for that [power which] from heaven herein control command Sentence him to condemn; although you know not why one voice pertains to folly I know no judgment kill by your working (t-note) Caesar Barabas condemn released Fine purple cloth off; joy dragged; (t-note) (t-note) to them tall (t-note) a while (see note) (t-note) planted; thrive From grafted trunk; cedar carved Therefore [Since] that death (t-note) Eventually be taken; (t-note) root By the time that the year grew (t-note) remedy (cure) cedar (see note) olive flourished king together green Until Solomon received his inheritance For priests to perform services in skill rise cheated (i.e., lacking) cared not remembered had it felled became inept; (see note) By four feet [in] measure For anger measurement skill looked on it on high thought to have succeeded would not [fit] at all (t-note) they might [use] would not [fit] right await remove; (t-note) mankind’s needs (i.e., redemption) from heaven’s light (see note) to swim (t-note) if; sick cure tree’s equal (t-note) pulled it from the ground in a frenzy nail without fail lower noble olive; purveyed (made) cedar rot where joy; (t-note) tall; (t-note) Boreholes; measurement they would [make] no other (see note) by sun and moon hurry (see note) truly upset (woeful) goodwill (t-note) so may I prosper brand anger feign Before we swear lose speech sign (miracle) i.e., never afterwards loudly Last night foes Since you rose today; (t-note) anvil four pieces None dared say she worked badly in conflict took their way They were loath to be late argue make a great quarrel; (t-note) agreed as one injure outside in a great crowd weeping could saw; (see note); (t-note) shed tears for your children cast [away] (t-note) mountains without dispute happen so cruelly (t-note) running; to tell the truth run (t-note) bloody coward refuse asked remedy must (t-note) disrobed; (t-note) Lots (wagers); (t-note) seam; (see note); (t-note) placed placed on the cross (see note) firmly holes; sweet to see if they fit made their measurements; (t-note) reach lost their work (t-note) draw apart Until they could sinews; burst Limb from limb; undone as told in the story; (t-note) noble; (t-note) (t-note) nails together woebegone (miserable) [he] laid For To cover (t-note) take it away Than Jump down; from (t-note) who knows well; (see note) fasten read sign said simply indeed; (see note) know Greek and Hebrew; (t-note) parchment (text) signified [with] all my intelligence (see note) betokens (promises) peace; (t-note) turn against them pleased with that deed; (t-note) (t-note) it is a lie (see note) cruel distraction (quarrel) (see note) (t-note) not escape fellow (t-note) does not deserve to suffer death judgment (t-note) suffer (t-note) there I thirst sorely Vinegar; mixed with gall courteous to him fierce ordered (see note) sweet creature saw shed eyes; covered (t-note) pure (see note) can be compared; (t-note) lost suffer as a coal lost split apart before Christ 3:00 p.m. Eli, Eli (see note) lamma sabacthani (see note) (t-note) damned thought (t-note) ought entrust you with my soul according to his desire (see note) remain away shut unjustly iron bound perpetually Until it is Judgment Day dear to him (t-note) slacken; (t-note) Centurion; (see note) That day; (see note) well known; (see note) way Until down Before I go from here learn (t-note) (t-note) i.e., the two thieves thighs (t-note) cross lost Longinus (see note) Raise [it] up; whatever may happen flow i.e., he regained his sight did; (t-note) as others ordered me (t-note) (t-note) spices spread harm beautiful wrapped; shroud (t-note) (t-note) Then on the third day an argument; (see note) rife (widespread) [Something that] Jesus said debate break the law watch So that; no cause any plot where they think it easy i.e., More dangerous than the first guard (t-note) shield and wife charged (commanded) chose; (t-note) quickly (see note) cistern (sepulcher); (t-note) Joseph of Arimathea; appeared; (see note) bright Unto go on his errand (t-note) companion (see note) risen i.e., were overjoyed (see note) story certainty protection power (see note); (t-note) (see note)

Go To Item 29, The Short Charter of Christ, introduction
Go To Item 29, The Short Charter of Christ, text

Footnotes

Item 28, THE NORTHERN PASSION: FOOTNOTES

1 Lines 613–14: This man who stands here said / A wondrous thing that you may hear

2 Lines 988–89: To ask Pilate for / A prisoner to be released

3 Lines 1424–25: The nails will not be left unmade / On account of your infirmity

4 Lines 1564–65: There was not so much left for him / [As a place] whereon he might rest his head

Item 28, THE NORTHERN PASSION: EXPLANATORY NOTES

Abbreviations: EETS: Early English Text Society; GL: Jacobus de Voragine, Golden Legend; MED: Middle English Dictionary; MWME: The Manual of Writings in Middle English; NIMEV: A New Index of Middle English Verse; NP: F. Foster, The Northern Passion; P: Cambridge, University Library MS Ff.5.48; PL: Patrologia Latina.

Title Passio Domini Nostri. “The Passion of Our Lord." The title is written in a slightly larger version of Rate’s regular script, and in lighter ink than the text itself, which suggests that he may have added it later. The text has long been known as The Northern Passion because of its connection to the Northern Homily Cycle (see introduction to this text) and its origins in the north of England, and to distinguish it from other Middle English accounts of the Passion. The text begins halfway down the page of fol. 87v.

12 Jhesu fastyd fourty deys. See Matthew 4:1–4.

13 Hys vertues thei sprong wyde. See Matthew 4:23–25.

21 Seryzens. Rate probably inherited this reading from his copy-text; the reading of British Library MS Additional 31042, “pharezenes" (Pharisees) is preferable. The following section is based on John 11:46–53.

32 Ye wate not what may befall. John 11:49.

42 That Romans com to do us wrong. The province of Judea had only recently (and violently) been incorporated into the Roman Empire and remained a restive region. Various Hebrew insurrections culminated in the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. and the bloody suppression of the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 A.D.

59 To a cyté. This is Bethphage, on Mount Olivet. The following episode is based on Matthew 21:1–8.

93 He passyd forthe. The following episode is based on the interrelated accounts of Matthew 26:14–16 and John 12:1–8.

96 Lazer. The story of Lazarus is found in John 11. It also appears in all the cycle plays “as the greatest miracle of Christ’s ministry and a central antetype of the Resurrection" (Bevington, Medieval Drama, p. 470). See Sugano, N-Town Plays, pp. 193–204, for the N-Town “Raising of Lazarus."

109 Sche knelyd doune. The syntax of the following lines is slightly strained, due to the fact that Rate or his copy-text has transposed the lines of both this couplet and lines 111–12.

139 He was terrand and a theffe. Other accounts expand these accusations of Judas’s treachery prior to his betrayal of Jesus; GL claims that he stole one-tenth of all that was received by the disciples, and that he accepted the thirty pieces of silver to make up for the perceived “loss" of the ointment used by Mary (1:167–69). The version of The Northern Passion preserved in the “expanded" Northern Homily Cycle includes this account as well; see NP 1:19–21.

183 Syr, were wyll ye hold your feste. The following account of the preparations for the Last Supper is based on Luke 22:7–23 and Matthew 26:20–25.

219 He stole owte of hys lordys dyssche. As Foster notes, this detail seems to be an invention of the Old French Passion (the principal source of The Northern Passion), though other texts hint at Judas’s gluttony, and there are early associations of fish with the Last Supper (NP 2:63–64).

222 blessyd it with melady. This reading is unique to Rate’s text; most others read “blessyd it ful mildely" or “ful hendyly" or “ful bowsumly."

233–36 These lines do not appear in the other texts of The Northern Passion, but they do appear in the poem’s main source, the Old French Passion; see NP 2:105, lines 198–202, and 2:181. The ultimate source for these lines is 1 Corinthians 11:27; Rate may have interpolated this passage on the basis of that text, or his copy-text preserved a translation of the Old French Passion that uniquely included these lines. If the addition is Rate’s, it is certainly in keeping with the centrality of the Eucharist in many of the items of Ashmole 61, and its vigorous orthodoxy.

241 Als oft as I schall be take. I.e., as often as the sacrament of the Eucharist will be performed, Christ’s sacrifice will be mourned and commemorated.

273 Seynt John at the soper sate. The following account of John’s falling asleep on Jesus’ breast and dreaming of the Apocalypse is partially based on John 13:23–25 and partially taken from a long tradition that linked John the Evangelist with John of Patmos, author of the Book of Revelation. Early Church Fathers, including Augustine and Bede, claimed that John acquired secret knowledge from Jesus’ breast, and the legend as it appears here dates back to at least the twelfth century; see NP 2:62–63.

291 the Apocalyps. I.e., the Book of Revelation.

295 Als Jhesu sate at the cloth. The following episode is based on Luke 22:24–27 and John 13:4–15.

298 contek. Rate seems to have considered this a “hard" word (meaning “strife," “argument" or “battle"); this is the first of four occasions in this text in which he has substituted a less satisfactory word (in this case “counsell"). The readings have been emended in each case except for the last (see note to line 1826).

363 Of hyghe and law, more and les. Rate has inserted this couplet, adding further praise of “buxsumnes" that is entirely in keeping with the message of other works in Ashmole 61, including How the Wise Man Taught His Son and How the Good Wife Taught Her Daughter (items 3 and 4).

381 Than seyd Peter wordys fre. The prophecy of Peter’s denials and the detail of the two swords are taken from Matthew 26:31–35 and Luke 22:35–38.

407 Sytyh. This is the imperative plural, used occasionally by Rate elsewhere, as in the opening line of The Short Charter of Christ (item 29).

410 Bethany the Bate. This name for Bethany is obscure. The MED suggests that the epithet means “Bethany the lowly," a paraphrase of Bethany’s etymology, “house of the poor." This is the only instance of bate cited in this sense.

419 John and hys brother. I.e., John and James the Greater, the two “sons of Zebedee" mentioned in Matthew 26:37.

422 the Mounte of Olyvete. Mount Olivet (the Mount of Olives) lies to the east of Jerusalem, across the Kedron valley. The account of Jesus’ prayers and the comforting angel is based on Luke 22:39–46.

493 After that, they toke the strete. The following account of Jesus’ arrest is based on Matthew 26:47–56 and John 18:2–11.

587 John entryd with other mo. The episode of John and his mantle is based on Mark 14:51–52, combined with John 18:15–16; neither gospel names the disciple who flees, but tradition had long identified him as John.

607 Jhesu stod that ilke thraw. The episode of Jesus before Caiaphas is based on Matthew 26:57–75 and Luke 22:54–71.

662 For soth. P and other manuscripts read “Par ma fay thou hast mysgon." Rate’s translation of the French phrase (“By my faith") suggests that he did not expect his readers to understand it.

665 non other wone. “An alternative; a hope." See MED, “won(e)" n. 3, 1a, and 1b.

681 Malcus. Rate’s text is unique in naming Malchus at this point; the name appears in John 18:10.

759 Tell now who smote thee. Though this terse account of the buffeting of Jesus follows the text of Luke 22:63–65 quite closely, this scene might evoke a range of associations for a medieval audience, including the gruesome depictions of this same event in the York and Towneley cycle plays and the violent children’s games known as “blindman’s bluff" or “hot cockles"; see Kolve, Play Called Corpus Christi, p. 185.

773 Now at Judas I wyll duelle. The following account of Judas’s returning the pieces of silver and his suicide is based on Matthew 27:3–10 and Acts 1:18–19.

815 in two full skete. This is an emendation. The reading of the manuscript, “with a bow skete" might make sense as “bow sharp" (see MED “skete" [adj.], “swift, fierce" or “skete" [adv.], “swiftly, immediately"), but Foster’s gloss, “a bow shot," seems less likely. No bow is involved, and the action imagined is physically impossible. Rate’s reading is a corruption of the reading in British Library Additional MS 31042, “in twa full skete."

839 the Mounte of Calvery. Though the Old French Passion makes this same identification of the Field of Blood with Mt. Calvary, this connection is unusual, appearing only in The Northern Passion, the York cycle play, and other works derived from the same Old French source; see NP 2:83. For the customary location of the Field of Blood, see The Stations of Jerusalem (item 34), line 601 and note.

844 For-delyd was never none. The reading is corrupt but plausible. Other closely related manuscripts read “So besette was never none" (Cambridge University Library Ii.4.9), “For swa boghte was nevir nane" (British Library MS Additional 31042), and P reads “So bewunne was nevyr none." The sense of Rate’s reading is that the thirty pieces of silver shared a dark history.

852 On other thyngys I must duelle. The account of Jesus before Pilate and Herod is based on Matthew 27:11–26, Luke 23:1–25, and John 18:28–40.

886 Al so wyde as he hath bene. The sense of these lines is that Jesus has preached in an area as broad as the distance between Jerusalem and Galilee. Rate has badly garbled these lines by mistakenly transposing part of Pilate’s question, and this passage has been significantly emended on the basis of the closely related manuscripts (see the Textual Notes for the MS reading).

896 Wele I wote what longys therto. Pilate recognizes Herod’s jurisdiction over Galilee and uses this as a pretext for remitting the case against Jesus to Herod’s authority. Such a maneuver would be familiar to English medieval audiences; the different jurisdictions held by lords, ecclesiastical authorities, and the crown meant that many competing jurisdictions might overlap in a small area or single case.

939 Herod gan hym for to prechen. Most other manuscripts read “to threte." The loud ranting of actors who played the angry Herod was legendary; the rubric for a Coventry mystery play describes Herod raging in the street (see Craig, Two Coventry Corpus Christi Plays, p. 27).

1003 I wyll yow tell of Sathanas. The legend that Satan provided the impetus for the dream of Pilate’s wife dates back at least to Peter Comestor’s twelfth-century Historia scholastica (see PL 198.1628), and Satan’s appearance in her dream is described in very similar language by the Middle English Gospel of Nicodemus (Hulme, Middle English Harrowing of Hell, lines 189–92). The general idea that Satan feared the Redemption and attempted to avert it is even older; see Marx, Devil’s Rights and the Redemption. See also The King and His Four Daughters (item 26).

1093 schuld me were. Rate has mistakenly anticipated the following line; P reads “that ben full dere" (“that are dear to me").

1127 Thou schalt an a evyll deth dey. Rate shares this reading with P, but most manuscripts read “done an evyll dede todey."

1235 Of that tre I wyll you telle. The following legend of the Tree of the Cross is a composite of many similar legends dating back at least as far as the eleventh century; for a collection of some of the various legends surrounding the cross, see the Golden Legend’s entry for the Feast of the Holy Cross (GL, 1:277–84). For examples in Middle English, see Morris, Legends of the Holy Rood.

1261 Of sedyr was the fyrst rote. The Northern Passion inherited from the Old French Passion a confusing mixture of legendary descriptions of this tree and added further complications from other sources. Though lines 1246–53 seem to imply that one of the grafts came from an apple tree (the Tree of Knowledge), in lines 1261–63 most manuscripts of The Northern Passion identify the stock as cedar and the grafts as cypress, palm, and olive trees. This legend appears in Bernard of Clairvaux’s Vitis Mystica (PL 184.732–33) and also in some versions of Mandeville’s Travels; see NP 2:67–72. Rate has further confused the issue by changing the number of trees from four to three, eliminating the cypress.

1295 Ther werkys wex unslyghe. The miraculous inability of the Tree of the Cross to fit into Solomon’s temple is present in both the Old French Passion and in other legends of the cross. The episode foreshadows lines 1532–55, when Jesus’ body cannot be fitted to the cross without gruesome racking.

1332 The angell made that water flowe. This part of the legend refers to the Sheep Pool described in John 5:2–7; in that episode Jesus cures a crippled man who has come to bathe in the waters there.

1373 Than thei wantyd nayles thre. The following legend of the smith appears in the Old French Passion and may be alluded to in other works, though it is not a commonly repeated episode; see NP 2:64–65. Legends surrounding the nails used in the crucifixion multiplied in the fifteenth century; these included charms based on the “Measure of the Nails." See Duffy, Stripping of the Altars, pp. 274–75 and plates 110 and 112.

1379 foure nayles. This is a curious example of Rate’s scribal habits; all other manuscripts (and most descriptions of the Crucifixion elsewhere) mention three nails (as in line 1373), not four. Rate probably mistakenly read a Roman numeral as four, and then rewrote lines 1392–93 to cover his mistake. He continues the error in lines 1428–29. He then had an extra nail to account for, and thus alters line 1560 so that two nails (rather than the traditional one) are driven into Jesus’ feet.

1462 Jhesu sey women wepe sore. The following account of the journey to Calvary is based on Luke 23:26–32.

1522 Withouten seme hys clothys were. See John 19:23.

1528 They toke the rode with sturdy wyll. The following account of Jesus being racked on the cross is probably derived from the Dialogus beatae Mariae et Anselmi de passione Domini (PL 159.282–83); see NP 2:66, and Bestul, Texts of the Passion, p. 59. The Pinners’ Play of the Crucifixion in the York Cycle features a very similar episode (see Beadle, York Plays, pp. 315–23).

1583 So seys Seynt John. See John 19:19–22.

1588 mekly iwys. The sense of “mekly" here is presumably ironic. This is Rate’s misreading of “thus mycull iwisse" (as in P).

1598 The palme is a sympull tre. In some of the sources for The Northern Passion the palm wood forms part of the cross and the inscription is written on olive wood, a more traditional symbol of peace; see NP 2:69.

1615 Als it is wryte so it schall be. See John 19:22.

1620 The one theff gan to cry. See Luke 23:39–43.

1654 Than ther stode besyde the rode. See John 19:25–27.

1678 Ye that be this wey pas. This speech from the cross is based on Lamentations 1:12 and had long been associated with the Crucifixion, as in the influential Meditatio in passionem falsely attributed Bernard of Clairvaux (PL 184.744). It is the basis of several Middle English Passion lyrics; see, for example, NIMEV numbers 110, 2596, and 4263.

1708 Hely, hely. “O God, O God"; see Matthew 27:46–48 and Psalm 21:2.

1709 lamazabatany. “Why hast thou forsaken me?" See note to line 1708.

1730–45 A reference to the apocryphal Harrowing of Hell, where Christ rescued the virtuous Jews and pagans from hell.

1750 Centyr, that was hys name. See Matthew 27:54 and Luke 23:47; in the gospels, the centurion is an unnamed Roman military officer. Elsewhere, this figure is occasionally identified with Longinus, treated here as a separate character in lines 1782–1803. The legend that he later suffered martyrdom, alluded to in line 1753, is a very old one; see Peebles, Legend of Longinus.

1754 The other dey aboute none. Rate’s odd reading makes this needlessly confusing; most manuscripts read “That selve day" or “That same daye." But since Cambridge University Library MS Gg.5.31 also reads “The tothyr day," the error may have been in Rate’s copy-text.

1758 Joseph was hys name ryve. Joseph of Arimathea; see John 19:38.

1784 Longeus. Elsewhere, this legendary knight is named Longinus, a name given by legend to the soldier who pierces Jesus’ side in John 19:34 (on the basis of the Greek word for lance, “longe"). His legend was very popular, and appears in both Piers Plowman (B.18) and various cycle plays. See also Peebles, Legend of Longinus.

1826 a consyll. See note to line 298; since Rate’s substitution is more plausible here, it has not been emended.

1864 They kepyd that ston all the nyght. Rate has skipped over a passage of fourteen lines describing the knights guarding the sepulcher, an episode treated at greater length in The Legend of the Resurrection (item 36).

1874–77 Rate has inserted these two couplets referring to Jesus’ appearance to the Virgin Mary. The insertion is puzzling, since other texts of The Northern Passion (following Matthew 28:1–11) cite Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene as the first of the post-Resurrection appearances. Legends of Joseph of Arimathea date back to the early Church; the source for Rate’s allusion to his imprisonment and vision of Christ may be the Gospel of Nicodemus. For the Middle English verse translation of this episode, see Hulme, Middle English Harrowing of Hell, lines 769–1080. Legends of Christ’s appearance to the Virgin Mary date back at least as far as Ambrose (see PL 16.270). Jacobus de Voragine offers a systematic treatment of the appearances of Christ after the Resurrection (GL, 1:219–22).

1885 In his revision of this section, Rate has omitted a couplet present in P and other closely related texts: “And that I yede into Galilé / Lyvynge with greet dignité."

1896 Rate has omitted approximately eighty lines describing the account of the knights at the tomb, material treated in The Legend of the Resurrection (item 36); see the introduction to that text.

1905 hys names seven. The manuscript reads “joys seven," which is a mistake based on the well-known “Seven joys of Mary." The less well-known “Seven names of Jesus" may be those derived from Isaiah 9:6 and discussed in Bernard of Clairvaux’s fifteenth sermon on the Song of Songs (PL 183.843–48).

1907 Amen Amen for charyté. There is no explicit or other colophon; beneath the last line Rate has drawn a small sprig of flowers and a smiling fish in the bottom margin of fol. 105v.

Item 28, THE NORTHERN PASSION: TEXTUAL NOTES

Abbreviations: See Explanatory Notes

1 MS: Initial L is two lines tall.

13 sprong. MS: spong.

29 MS: Initial C is two lines tall.

57 The sexte. MS: Te sexte. MS: Initial T is two lines tall.

71 MS: Initial T is two lines tall.

74 asse. MS: as.

118 gryth. MS: grytht.

136 for to. MS: on to.

166 thought. MS: thouht.

189 gryth. MS: gryght.

190 wyth. MS: wyht.

196 dyssypullus. MS: dyssyullus.

203 were. MS: welle.

285 His wytte. MS: Is wytte.

295 Als Jhesu. MS: Also Jhesu. MS: Initial A is two lines tall.

297 stryfe. MS: styfe.

298 contek. MS: consell.

332 on hys kne. MS: on kne hys.

336 Thow schall not. MS: not added above rest of line.

436 loude. MS: lounde.

471 no dede. MS: after no dede.

479 Ye have. MS: They had.

493 MS: Initial A is two lines tall.

510 What. MS: wh what. thought. MS: thouht.

515 hevy as lede. MS: hevy lede.

518–19 Jhesu to them seyd his wyll / “What seke ye fast als ye have gon?" MS: To Jhesu thei seyd there wyll / What seke ye fast ye have gone? Rate’s line makes the passage incomprehensible, and derives from an inherited defective reading. The emendation has been supplied from F. Foster.

572 fare. MS: illegible.

574 were. MS: with.

607 MS: Initial J is two lines tall.

613 man. MS: men.

618 Reys it up new wele he may. MS: Reys it up now welell I may.

620 mouth. MS: mought.

631 MS: Initial J is two lines tall.

642 wytnes. MS: wynes.

651 He sey a fyre that was made on heye. MS: He seyd fore the was made a crye. Rate’s line makes the passage incomprehensible; cf. F. Foster.

683 Peter. MS: Jhesu.

689 Thy. MS: They.

709 MS: Initial B is larger than usual.

716 awght. MS: aw.

726 contek. MS: consell.

748 syde. MS: gyde.

752 fleme. MS: flene.

801 MS: Initial J is larger than usual.

802 spyll. MS: syll.

815 in two full skete. MS: with a bow skete.

824 contek thei dryve. MS: cotell thei drew blythe.

832 They toke. MS: The toke.

833 by lond. MS: bylong.

853 Of Jhesu. MS: Afor Jhesu. Initial A is two lines tall.

865 MS: Initial P is two lines tall.

885–94 The MS is garbled here, having transposed lines and omitted the reply to Pilate’s question about Jesus’ Galilean origin:

Pylat seyd to the Jues all
The wysest of them he gan calle
Weyteh sone and wern me
Iff he were born in Galyle
Than ansuerd one sone anone
Off hym he was avysed long gone
Al this thre yere as I wene
Also wyde as I have bene
That is now fro this syté
In to the lond off Galylé.

898 The reme. MS: That reme.

909 MS: Initial H is two lines tall.

919 seyd. MS: sey.

926 thy. MS: they.

931 Crokyd men. MS: Crokyd me.

935 MS: Initial J is two lines tall.

943 They clothyd. MS: The clothyd.

955 do thi wylle. MS: do ther wylle.

976 MS: Initial P is two lines tall.

1002 MS: Initial L is larger than usual.

1023 They schall. MS: The schall.

1050 MS: Initial P is larger than usual.

1052 They seyd. MS: They that.

1064 The bysschop. MS: Bisschop.

1067 that thee schall. MS: that schall.

1108 Pylat seyd, “I. MS: Pylat I. Initial P is larger than usual.

1118 I rede that we late hym go. MS: I reade that wee late off thy god father is written in a different, probably sixteenth-century, hand at the top of this folio.

1122 Sezars frend wyll. MS: Sezars wyll.

1127 an. MS: on.

1136 They. MS: The.

1137 toke scorgys strong. MS: toke stronge.

1144 Thei. MS: The.

1151 mercy with hem leved. MS: more with hem bot dede.

1162 Whens. MS: When.

1166 MS: Initial J is larger than usual and decorated with pen work.

1204 strange. MS: strang.

1222 Thei. MS: The.

1225 Bot. MS: Bo.

1232 Whens. MS: When.

1236 MS: Initial D is two lines tall.

1252 That. MS: The.

1253 time. MS: men.

1259 That. MS: The.

1310 Than. MS: Tha.

1319 flyte. MS: slyte.

1337 went. MS: weent.

1346 When. MS: Whe.

1366 withoutene. MS: with with.

1368 Thei thought God was mekyll. MS: The thought mekyll.

1390–91 MS: lines transposed.

1423 that. MS: at.

1445 contek. MS: cutell.

1462 MS: Initial J is two lines tall.

1474 we. MS: be.

1484 MS: Initial thorn is four lines tall.

1493 mette arte thou. MS: mette thou.

1514 They. MS: The.

1518 Thei dyspulyd hym all. MS: The dyspulyd all.

1520 Lottys. MS: Bot.

1522 seme. MS: synne.

1534 As. MS: Also.

1542 Thei. MS: The.

1548 Thei. MS: The.

1550 Thei. MS: The.

1552 Thei. MS: The.

1573 Thei. MS: The.

1581 grete myght. MS: grete.

1592 Grew. MS: Grwe.

1599 betokynys. MS: betokyngge.

1607 Thei. MS: The.

1608 MS: Initial B is two lines tall.

1624 myght he helpe. MS: myght helpe.

1628 seyd. MS: sey.

1632 grete. MS: gre.

1637 MS: Initial J is two lines tall.

1671 When. MS: Whe.

1683 be lykyd may. MS: be may.

1713 haste. MS: aste.

1718 Thei seyd. MS: The seyd.

1746 MS: Initial B larger than usual.

1749 woundys. MS: wordys.

1771 now. MS: inow.

1772–85 MS: In the left margin next to these lines there is a considerable amount of doodling that includes both letters and shapes.

1780 Thei. MS: The.

1802 seyd. MS: sey.

1805 MS: Nychodemus is written in the margin below this line as a catchword.

1807 To Jhesu he come with. MS: To Jhesu with.

1816 the body. MS: the the body.

1818 spysys. MS: sperysys.

1854 and lyfe. MS: and lyth lyfe (lyth is marked for deletion).

1858 knyghtys. MS: knyght.

1868 MS: Initial J is decorated with pen work and is larger than usual.

1882 Go to Mary my moder. MS: To Mary hys moder.

1905 names. MS: joys.