Play 35, Harrowing of Hell (2); Appearance to Mary; Pilate and Soldiers

by: Douglas Sugano (Editor)

from: The N-Town Plays  2007

	[Tunc dormyent milites. Et veniet Anima Christi de inferno cum Adam et Eva, Abraham, Johan Baptista, et aliis.1; (see note)
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70	ANIMA CHRISTI Come forthe, Adam and Eve, with thee, And all my fryndys that herein be! To paradys come forthe with me, In blysse for to dwelle. The fende of helle, that is your foo, He shal be wrappyd and woundyn in woo. Fro wo to welthe now shul ye go With myrthe evyr more to melle. ADAM I thanke thee, Lord, of thi grett grace That now is forgovyn my grett trespace. Now shal we dwellyn in blysful place, In joye and endeles myrthe. Thorwe my synne, man was forlorn, And man to save, thu wore all torn And of a mayd in Bedlem born, That evyr blyssyd be thi byrthe. EVA Blyssyd be thu, Lord of Lyff! I am Eve, Adamis wyff. Thu hast soferyd strok and stryff For werkys that we wrought. Thi mylde mercy haht all forgovyn; Dethis dentys on thee were drevyn. Now, with thee, Lord, we shul levyn, Thi bryght blood hath us bowth. JOHANNES BAPTISTA I am thi cosyn; my name is Johan. Thi woundys hath betyn thee to the bon. I baptyzid thee in Flom Jordon And gaff thi body baptyze. With thi grace now shul we gon From oure enmyes, everychon, And fyndyn myrthis many on In pley of paradyse. ABRAHAM I am Abraham, fadyr trowe, That reyned after Noes flowe. A sory synne Adam gan sowe That clad us all in care. A sone, that maydenys mylk hath sokyn, And with his blood oure bonde hath brokyn, Helle logge lyth unlokyn Fro fylth with frende we fare. ANIMA CHRISTI Fayre frendys, now be ye wunne! On yow shyneth the sothfast sunne! The gost that all grevaunce hath gunne Ful harde I shal hym bynde! As wyckyd werme thu gunne apere To tray my chylderyn that were so dere; Therfore, traytour, hevermore here Newe peynes thu shalt evyr fynde! Thorwe blood I took of mannys kynde, Fals devyl, I here thee bynde! In endles sorwe I thee wynde Therin evyrmore to dwelle. Now thu art bownde; thu mayst not fle, For thin envyous cruelté In endeles dampnacyon shalt thu be, And nevyr comyn out of helle. BELIALL Alas! Herrow, now am I bownde In helle gonge to ly on grownde! In hendles sorwe, now am I wounde; In care evyrmore to dwelle; In Helle logge I lygh alone. Now is my joye awey al gone, For all fendys shul be my fone! I shal nevyr com from Helle. ANIMA CHRISTI Now is your foo boundyn in Helle That evyr was besy, yow for to qwelle. Now wele I rysyn flesch and felle That rent was for youre sake. Myn owyn body that hynge on rode — And be the Jewys nevyr so wode — It shal aryse both flesch and blode, My body now wyl I take.	(t-note) fiend; foe consumed and enclosed; woe From woe; shall to live forgiven; (see note) Through; lost were Bethlehem blessed Life Adam’s wife beatings and strife works; did has forgiven all; (t-note) Death’s blows shall live bought cousin beaten; bone River Jordan gave; baptism shall enemies, everyone joys many a one joys of true reigned; Noah’s flood spread sorrow a virgin’s milk; sucked our bonds Hell’s lodge lies unlocked From; friends; go; (t-note) won shines; true spirit; begun worm (serpent); began to appear To betray; children evermore Through; man’s form bind wind flee damnation (t-note) (t-note) hell’s cesspool; lie; (t-note) endless sorrow lodge; lie fiends shall; foes (t-note) foe busy; you; to kill the whole body torn hung on the cross by; insane
[APPEARANCE TO MARY]
	[Tunc transiet Anima Christi ad resuscitandum corpus quo resuscitato dicat Jhesus: 2; (t-note)
75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135	JHESUS Harde gatys have I gon, And peynes sofryd many on: Stomblyd at stake and at ston, Nygh thre and thretty yere. I lyght out of my Faderys trone For to amende mannys mone. My flesch was betyn to the bon; My blood I bledde clere. For mannys love I tholyd dede, And for mannys love I am rysyn up rede. For man I have mad my body in brede, His sowle for to fede. Man, and thu lete me thus gone, And wylt not folwyn me anone; Such a frende fyndyst thu nevyr none To help thee at thi nede. Salve, sancta parens, my modyr dere! All heyl, modyr, with glad chere! For now is aresyn with body clere Thi sone that was dolve depe. This is the thrydde day that I yow tolde: I shuld arysyn out of the cley so colde. Now am I here with brest ful bolde; Therefore no more ye wepe. MARIA Welcom, my Lord! Welcom, my grace! Welcome, my sone and my solace! I shal thee wurchep in every place. Welcom, Lord God of Myght! Mekel sorwe in hert I leed Whan thu were leyd in dethis beed, But now my blysse is newly breed: All men may joye this syght. JHESUS All this werlde that was forlorn Shal wurchepe you, bothe evyn and morn; For had I not of yow be born, Man had be lost in helle. I was deed, and lyff I have; And thorwe my deth, man do I save. For now I am resyn out of my grave; In hevyn, man shal now dwelle. MARIA A, dere Sone, these wurdys ben goode. Thu hast wel comfortyd my mornyng moode. Blyssyd be thi precyous bloode That mankende thus doth save. JHESUS Now, dere modyr, my leve I take. Joye in hert and myrth ye make, For deth is deed, and lyff doth wake. Now I am resyn fro my grave. MARIA Farewel, my sone! Farewel, my childe! Farewel, my Lorde, my God so mylde! Myn hert is wele that fyrst was whylde. Farewel, myn owyn dere love! Now, all mankynde beth glad with gle, For deth is deed, as ye may se! And lyff is reysed, endles to be In hevyn dwellynge above. Whan my sone was naylyd on tre, All women myght rewe with me, For grettere sorwe myght nevyr non be Than I dede suffyr, iwys. But this joy now passyth all sorwe That my childe suffryd in that hard morwe, For now he is oure alderers borwe To brynge us all to blys.	Through grievous paths; (see note) pains suffered; a one Nearly thirty-three years descended; Father’s throne man’s sorrow beaten fully man’s; suffered death quickly; (t-note) made; bread if; let follow; now Hail, holy mother; (see note) (see note) arisen; pure buried deep third; told you of honor Great sorrow; suffered When; laid; death’s bed born enjoy lost; (see note) honor; evening; (t-note) been would have been dead; life through (t-note) (t-note) mournful saves mankind dead; life well; wild; (t-note) dead; see raised When; nailed mourn greater sorrow did; indeed sorrow; (see note) morning redeemer of us all bliss
[PILATE AND SOLDIERS]
	[Tunc evigilabunt milites sepulcri, et dicit Primus Miles: 3
140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260	AMERAUNT Awake! Awake! Hillis gyn qwake! And tres ben shake Ful nere atoo! Stonys clevyd; Wyttys ben revid; Erys ben devid; I am servid so! ARFAXAT He is aresyn, this is no nay! That was deed and colde in clay, Now is resyn, belyve this day! Grett woundyr it is to me! He is resyn by his owyn myght, And forth he goth his wey ful ryght. How shul we now us qwytte Whan Pylat doth us se? COSDRAM Lete us now go Pilat ontoo. And ryght evyn so As we han sayn The trewth we sey: That out of clay He is resyn this day That Jewys han slayn. AFFRAUNT I holde it best, Lete us nevyr rest, But go we prest That it were done. All heyl, Pilatt In thin astat! He is resyn up latt That thu gast dome. PYLAT What? What? What? What? Out upon thee! Why seyst thu that? Fy upon thee, harlat! How darst thu so say! Thu dost myn herte ryght grett greff! Thu lyest upon hym, fals theff! How shulde he rysyn ageyn to lyff That lay deed in clay? AMERAUNT Ya, thow thu be nevyr so wroth, And of these tydandys nevyr so loth. Yitt goodly on ground, on lyve he goth, Qwycke and levynge man! Iff thu haddyst a ben ther we ware, In hert, thu shuldyst han had gret care — And of blysse a ben ryght bare, Of colore, bothe pale and whan. PYLAT Or ye com there, Ye dede all swere To fyght in fere And bete and bynde! All this was trayn! Your wurdys wore vayn, This is sertayn. Yowe fals I fynde. ARFAXAT Be the deth the devyl deyd, We were of hym so sore atreyd That, for fer, we us down leyd, Ryght evyn upon oure syde. Whan we were leyd upon the grounde, Stylle we lay, as we had be bounde. We durst not ryse for a thowsand pounde, Ne not for all this worlde so wyde! PYLAT Now fy upon youre grett bost! All youre wurchep is now lost In felde, in town, and in every cost, Men may you dyspravyn. Now all youre wurchep, it is lorn: And every man may yow wel scorn, And bydde yow go syttyn in the corn And chare awey the ravyn. COSDRAM Ya, it was hygh tyme to leyn oure bost, For whan the body toke agen the gost, He wold a frayd many an ost — Kynge, knyght, and knave! Ya, whan he dede ryse out of his lake, Than was ther suche an erthequake, That all the worlde it gan to shake! That made us for to rave! AFFRAUNT Ya, ya! Herke, felawys what I shal say! Late us not ses be nyght nor day, But telle the trewth ryght as it lay In countré where we goo. And than, I dare ley myn heed That thei that Crystys lawys leed, They wyl nevyr ses tyl they be deed, His deth that brought hym too. AMERAUNT Be Belyall, this was now wele ment. To this cowncell lete us consent. Lett us go tellyn with on assent — He is resyn up this day. ARFAXAT I grawnt therto and that forthryght That he is resyn by his owyn myght, For ther cam non be day nor nyght To helpe hym owte of clay. PYLAT Now, jentyl serys, I pray yow all — Abyde stylle, a lytyl thrall Whyll that I, myn cowncel call And here of ther councell. AMERAUNT Syr, att youre prayour, we wyl abyde Here in this place a lytel tyde. But tary not to longe, for we must ryde — We may not longe dwelle. PYLAT Now, jentyl serys, I pray yow here Sum good cowncel, me to lere, For sertys, serys, without dwere, We stounde in right grett dowte. CAYPHAS Now trewly sere, I yow telle, This matere is both fers and felle — Combros it is therwith to melle, And evyl to be browth abowte. ANNAS Syr Pylat, thu grett justyse, Thow thu be of wittys wyse, Yit herke ful sadly with good devyse What that thu shalt do. I counsel thee be my reed: This wundyrful tale, pray hem to hede. And upon this, geve hem good mede, Bothe golde and sylver also. And, sere, I shall tell yow why In youre erys prevyly, Betweyn us thre serteynly. Now herk, serys, in youre erys.	(see note); (t-note) begin to are shaken nearly in two cleaved Wits are snatched; (t-note) Ears are deafened treated arisen; lie dead believe Great wonder risen straight away explain ourselves When; see (t-note) have said risen have think at once On your throne risen; lately Whom you judged Shame on you scoundrel dare heart; great grief tell lies about; thief rise again to life dead Though; ever so angry; (t-note) tidings; displeased Yet splendidly; alive Alive had been where we were distress have been wan Before; went; (t-note) did together betrayed were empty certain You By; death; died so afraid lay down When; lying been bound dared Nor not boasting reputation everywhere condemn respect; lost (see note); (t-note) sit; grain fields scare; ravens give up spirit have frightened; an army when; did rise; pit; (t-note) Then began Listen, fellows Let; cease by night straight out wherever then; bet my own head teach Christ’s laws cease until; dead to By; well intended counsel one risen agree risen no one by sirs; ask a little while While; council hear; their counsel bidding a little while too long stay sirs; ask counsel; give certain, sirs; doubt perplexity fierce and treacherous Cumbersome; deal with evil Though; intelligence Yet listen; seriously; good intent by my advice bid them to hide give them; rewards sir ears privately certainly
	[Hic faciant Pilatus, Cayphas, et Annas privatim inter se consilium. Quo finito dicat: 4
265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300	ANNAS For mede doth most in every qwest, And mede is mayster, bothe est and west. Now trewly, serys, I hold this best — With mede, men may bynde berys. CAYPHAS Sekyr, sere, this counsell is good. Pray these knyhtys to chaunge ther mood. Geve them golde, feste, and food, And that may chaunge ther wytt. PYLAT Serys, youre good councel I shal fulfylle. Now, jentyl knyhtys, come hedyr me tylle! I pray yow, serys, of youre good wylle No ferther that ye flytt. Jentyl knyhtys, I yow pray, A bettyr sawe that ye say: Sey ther he was cawth away With his dyscyplis be nyght; Sey he was with his dyscyplis fett. I wolde ye worn in youre sadelys sett And have here gold in a purs knett, And to Rome rydyth ryght. AFFRAUNT Now, Syr Pylatt, We gon oure gatt. We wyll not prate No lengere now Now we have golde; No talys shul be tolde To whithtys on wolde, We make thee a vow. PYLAT Now, ye men of myth, As ye han hyght, Evyn so forthryght Youre wurdys not falle. And ye shul gon With me anon All everychon Into myn halle. AMERAUNT Now hens we go, As lyth as ro, And ryght evyn so As we han seyd. We shul kepe counsel Wheresoevyr we dwell. We shul no talys tell — Be not dysmayd.	reward; endeavor; (see note) reward; master; east sirs bind bears; (see note) Surely, sir; (see note) Give; feast minds Sirs knights; here to me go away story stolen by night fetched were; saddles knitted in a purse; (see note) straightaway (t-note) go our way talk Any longer tales shall anyone on earth might; (see note); (t-note) are called [may] not fall now everyone light; deer have said the secret tales (t-note)

Go To Play 36, Announcement to the Marys; Peter and John at the Sepulcher

Footnotes

Play 35, HARROWING OF HELL (2); APPEARANCE TO MARY; PILATE AND SOLDIERS: FOOTNOTES

1 Then the knights will sleep. Anima Christi will come from hell with Adam and Eve, Abraham, John the Baptist, and others

2 Then the soul of Christ will go to revive his body, and when it is revived, let Jesus say

3 Thereupon the knights at the sepulcher will awaken, and the First Knight says

4 Here Pilate, Cayphas, and Annas will privately consult among themselves. When they are done he (Annas) says

Play 35, HARROWING OF HELL (2); APPEARANCE TO MARY; PILATE AND SOLDIERS: EXPLANATORY NOTES

Abbreviations: PP: Passion Play, ed. Meredith (1990); S: N-Town Play, ed. Spector (1991); Whiting: Whiting, Proverbs, Sentences, and Proverbial Phrases.

This play is written in tail-rhymed octaves.

Before 1, s.d. Meredith notes (PP, p. 219n1367sd) that there is no mention of such a procession in the Banns, but rather of Jesus’ frightening the knights.

10 my grett trespace. Adam claims his guilt, and has spent sufficient time in Purgatory for his original sin. Compare 2.165 ff.

73–80 Spector cites the Middle English Harrowing of Hell, ed. Hulme.

89–90 Salve, sancta parens . . . All heyl, modyr. Spector identifies this as from the Introit for Lady Masses (S 2:521). This appearance first to the Virgin Mary is unique to N-Town. In other cycles Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene or the three Marys (Magdalene, Jacobi, and Salome in York, Towneley, and Chester). This privileging of the Blessed Virgin Mary emphasizes the Son’s love of his mother and, through its reiteration of the Hail Mary of the Assumption (see Play 41), elevates the Marian adoration that gave us the Mary Play and will conclude in the Ascension Play, which is also unique to this cycle. Christ’s appearance to the three Marys will come later, after the soldiers awaken and sound the alarm to Pilate and Cayphas, as in other cycles.

89–136 Meredith observes that although this scene between Jesus and his mother appears in no other English plays, it does appear in the Meditationes, Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend, and in the Vita Christi (PP, p. 221n1456). See also Martin Stevens, Mystery Cycles, p. 252.

105–06 All this werlde . . . Shal wurchepe you. "While Christ’s suffering allows for man­kind’s salvation, Mary’s sinless body made the process possible, for had he not been born of her, there would be no salvation. Just as his wounds demand grati­tude and worship, so does Mary’s nurturing role merit her the devotions of man­kind" (Kinservik, "Mary’s Body," p. 197).

133 But this joy now passyth all sorwe. Perhaps the allusion is to John 16:21–22, where Jesus anticipates the joy of the Resurrection, the sorrow and pain a mother feels in the birthing process which is forgotten once the child is born, or, in this in­stance, reborn.

137 ff. The poet changes the verse form to the skipping meter of short lines and tupple rhymes, to reflect the anxiety of the soldiers as they awaken, bestirring them­selves after the more significant arousal has already taken place. The hasty rhythms set a comic tone for Pilate’s "What? What? What? What?" (there are four soldiers, after all), lines 169 ff.

206–08 Pilate threatens the four knights with crucifixion. Note that in the Crucifixion scene, Judeus 1 says to Christ: "Take good eyd to oure corn, / And chare awey the crowe" (32.212–13).

261–62 Proverbial. See Whiting M490, G296.

264 Proverbial. See Whiting B105.

265 this counsell. Refers to bribing the knights.

279 See explanatory note to 27.305-06.

289–92 "Now, ye mighty men, as you are called — from this point on, you will not talk."

Play 35, HARROWING OF HELL (2); APPEARANCE TO MARY; PILATE AND SOLDIERS: TEXTUAL NOTES

Abbreviations: Bl: Ludus Coventriae, ed. Block (1922); PP: Passion Play, ed. Meredith (1990); S: N-Town Play, ed. Spector (1991); s.n.: stage name.

1–8 MS: very large play number 35 in right margin.

21 MS: h all.
forgovyn. So MS. Bl: for-govyn. PP: forʒovyn. S: forgevyn.

40–41 MS: in the left margin in a reviser’s hand, is Nota anima caym ("Note: soul of Cain."). Following line 40 is a speaker’s name, Anima Caym, presumably with a speech to be spoken between lines 40 and 41, before Anima Chris­ti’s speech.

56 MS: word or words erased in right margin.

57, s.n. BELIALL. MS: to the left of the speaker’s name a few words have been erased.

58 on. MS: inserted above an erased word.

64 MS: below this line, in the left margin beside lines 65–72, and to the right of lines 63–66 is another revision by Scribe B. See PP, p. 253 and S 2:520. Below is PP’s reconstruction of this revision.

Beliall: I shal nevyr com from helle
     [Nota ye devyll
Thought many be gon, I am glad, etc.
. . .
Hens I wyll ye bere.
     [and than Cayme shal sey:
Now is your foo, etc.

Clearly, as seen in the note above to 40–41, Scribe B was interested in having Cain added to the cast as a character, presumably to confirm his condemnation in Hell for being a murderer.

Before 73 MS: fol. 192v marked 190.

82 rede. PP notes that the handwriting in the manuscript is unclear (p. 221n1449). The Middle English word is either "red" or "rade," both ad­verbs meaning "quickly" or "readily." Da suggests the color red (p. 330).

106 you. MS: written above the line.

111 I am resyn. MS: I aresyn, with a dot and curved line above the a and another curved line under the a.

113 MS: a letter canceled before ben.

123 is. MS: written above the line.

137–44 MS: two lines written as one.

142 revid. MS: rewi revid.

153–68 MS: two lines written as one.

177, s.n. MS: 3 Miles.

185–92 MS: two lines written as one.

206 wel. So PP, S. MS, Bl: we.

213 he. MS: d he.
lake. MS: k lake.

281–304 MS: two lines written as one, separated by various punctuation.

289 men of. MS: men of men of.

After 304 MS: no break between plays.