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We will continue to publish all new editions in print and online, but our new online editions will include TEI/XML markup and other features. Over the next two years, we will be working on updating our legacy volumes to conform to our new standards.
Our current site will be available for use until mid-December 2024. After that point, users will be redirected to the new site. We encourage you to update bookmarks and syllabuses over the next few months. If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at robbins@ur.rochester.edu.
Play 20, Slaughter of the Innocents; Death of Herod
Play 20, SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS; DEATH OF HEROD: FOOTNOTES
1 Then looking back, the Steward goes to Herod, saying2 Those men with gold crowns will never beat me again
3 Lines 15–16: Make screech owls hoot, knave and rascal, / When their children bleed under swaddling clothes
4 Then the knights go to kill the male children, and let the first woman say
5 Lines 135–36: If any scoundrel blusters or complains against my decree / I will seize those rascals and kill them altogether
6 Now, my gentle and courteous knights, listen to me right now
7 Food for the loveliest lord that is living on earth
8 Though a little pint might cost a thousand pounds
9 He thinks he surpasses all princes in power!
10 Herbs, grass, and strong trees — [I] take them all the same
11 I [would] give him such a tripping up [that] he will lie still forever
12 Here while they blow trumpets Death suddenly kills Herod and the two knights. And the Devil captures them
13 Lines 276–77: All of you in this crowd shall end up just like I am — I swear to you!
Play 20, SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS; DEATH OF HEROD: EXPLANATORY NOTES
Abbreviations: S: N-Town Play, ed. Spector (1991); s.d.: stage direction.Plays or pageants depicting the slaughter of the innocents seem to have been spread throughout the British Isles. Besides the six existing plays, there are records of performances in Beverley, and possibly in Cambridge and in Edinburgh (Lancashire, Dramatic Texts and Records of Britain). All of the extant plays are based upon Matthew 2:16–20, but the Chester (Play 10), Digby Candlemass, and N-Town versions include the holy family’s flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15), a subject which is a separate and preceding play for Towneley (Play 15) and York (Play 18). Each version possesses its own characteristics, however. In York Play 19, Herod concludes that the soldiers have missed the Christ-child; in Chester Play 10, Herod realizes that his own son has been killed with the other male children; Towneley Play 16 ends with Herod’s triumph; and the Digby version is presented as a St. Anne’s Day play that includes a Purification scene as well as a comic messenger named Watkyn. N-Town, Chester, and Digby all conclude with Herod’s death (Acts 12:20–23). (Evidently, the historical Herod of Ascalon and his grandson, Herod Agrippa, have been conflated in these versions; see Hussey, "How Many Herods in the Middle English Drama?" p. 252.) It is interesting to note that the N-Town Banns describes two separate plays—the Slaughter and the Death of Herod. Clearly, the compiler made several changes as he chose to include the Purification. See Spector, S 2:477.
The play is composed of thirteeners, octaves, and one sestet.
1, s.d. This stage direction indicates that this play was, at one point, part of, or was intended to follow, the Magi Play (see S 2:477).
9–10 I ryde on my rowel . . . Rybbys ful reed, with rape shal I rende! Herod’s tyrannical rage at being thwarted by the kings is rich with violent sexual puns, as he boasts: "I ride on my spike-wheel spurs, potent in reign (with pun on the reining in of the horse); I shall rend (tear, impale) the horse’s sides (ribs) until they are bloody, red with my rape (blows)." The next line anticipates the slaughter of the women and children whom he plans to pierce and stab with his spear, and effeminizes the pretty kings with their gold crowns whom he will stab as well. In line 34 he then returns to the bloody impaling of ribs, now of the children he plans to impale by the beasts’ stalls, as he announces his plans for the slaughter. To enhance his potency Herod speaks in heroic alliterative verse.
11 Popetys. Glossed here as "children," but clearly ironic as it is usually a term of endearment.
13 gomys with gold crownys. Spector notes: "‘The gold-crowned children will never thrive,’ or ‘The children will not profit from (bribery with) gold crowns.’ The reference is less probably to the Magi, the men with gold crowns, whom Herod tries to intercept and kill in Pseudo-Matthew. gomys has been altered, perhaps to gollys. If glossed ‘gulls, unfledged birds’ (i.e., the Innocents), this would be consistent with Herod’s avian imagery in this stanza" (S 2:477).
31 sheltrownys. A sheltroun was a battle formation (MED). Spector takes these lines as referring to the crying mothers, but this is not likely (see S 2:478).
32 Conceivably, raftys is derived from riften, meaning to tear, cleave, or rend, though I have followed MED’s suggestion of raftys for "spear," adapted here to the point of a spur.
48 fool. Spector glosses as "rascal" (S 2:587). But MED cites this line under fole n.1a (male colt), with the specialized meaning (n.1a[e]) "young child," "mere child," which is surely the sense here.
58 qwenys. Derogatory term; "low-class women" or whores (MED).
therlys. "piercings" (MED). See Spector, S 2:478.
65–66 sharpe / As an harpe. See Rastall (Heaven Singing, pp. 49–50) on what the sense of a sharp harp might imply. Perhaps "it is the penetrating power of the instrument that makes the metaphor a usable one; and that its carrying sound-quality was regarded as one of the harp’s virtues. This may point towards a metal-strung clarach rather than a gut-strung harp as the instrument best known to an East Anglian audience." But it is more likely that the playwright shortened one of two ME words that have nothing to do with music, namely arpago or arpagoun, meaning a grappling hook or "harpoon" (MED), which gets at the vicious behavior of the soldiers better than harp does.
67 See the explanatory note to line 58.
73 Awake, Joseph. The angel addresses the Holy Family situated in a different playing area of the stage, perhaps opposite to Herod’s palace.
139 I shal hem down dynge. Herod imagines himself to be a powerful death figure, heedless that Death stands near him, watching.
143 dyner. Herod celebrates the butchery with a feast, a grand meal for his knights accompanied by pomp and circumstance. We, as audience, are acutely aware of another silent presence, namely Mors, who is, even as Herod boasts, orchestrating the greatest feast of all — Death’s feast. See the explantory note to line 139.
153, 232 blowe up . . . Blowe up. This particular minstrel plays a horn or a wind instrument. John Stevens compares Herod’s use of minstrels for revelry here with the beginning of the Magi Play (18.19). "Herod has music wherever a king or duke would in real life. . . . Minstrelsy is part of ‘the sweet fruition of an earthly crown’" ("Music in Mediaeval Drama," p. 88).
168 ff. Spector observes that Mors’ or Death’s speeches bear comparison with those in Castle of Perseverence, lines 2778–2842 (see S 2:478).
189 ken. MS: kan. If the word is ken, then there is clever wordplay: ken can mean "to recognize" but also "to engender" (MED). It is also possible that kan is correct and that the no that follows ought to be ne or not (and sporte is not reflexive) in which case the line would read: "Death cannot play."
196 hete. Most likely "fever," but "a blow" is also possible. Line 200, "I shal hym owt swete," would seem to make "fever" more likely. See also Spector, S 2:478, and Jacobus de Voragine’s Golden Legend, trans. Ryan, 1:58–59. There is a possibility that Herod suffers symptoms of the plague or other European pandemics, something of which even fifteenth-century East Anglians might well have been aware. See McEvedy, "Bubonic Plague," pp. 3–4.
220–22 boys . . . boy. Abusive terms (see S 2:479).
233–34 All oure! . . . I shall hem brynge onto my celle. As Mors slays each knight and then Herod, Diabolus gathers them together in a Dance of Death to trail them out of the staging area, leaving Mors alone to address the audience with his chilling moral (lines 246 ff.).
244–45 Of oure myrthis now shal ye se / And evyr synge "Welawey!" The devil, under the watchful eye of Mors, captures the souls of Herod’s court as they are smitten one by one, and, in a Dance of Death, leads them to Hell where they will dance to a different tune: "Note the nature of the perversion of heavenly mirth: it results not in the joyful singing of the mirthful person but in someone else metaphorically singing sadly" (Rastall, Minstrels Playing, p. 86).
265–66 These lines are also found in other works such as Everyman (see S 2:480).
Play 20, SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS; DEATH OF HEROD: TEXTUAL NOTES
Abbreviations: Bev: Medieval Drama, ed. Bevington (1975); Bl: Ludus Coventriae, ed. Block (1922); S: N-Town Play, ed. Spector (1991); s.n.: stage name.Before 1 MS: rubricated 1 in red erased before play number 20.
1–5 MS: large play number 20 in right margin.
7 fayr. So S. MS, Bl: fay.
9, s.n. MS: without rubrication.
13 gomys. So S, Bl. MS: reviser altered it to gollys ("gulls," referring to the children).
gete. MS: ne gete. and thei added above the line by reviser.
ageyn. So Bl, MS. S: geyn.
22–27 MS: three lines are written as one, actually a sestet.
28 kythe. MS: reviser canceled and wrote scharpe above.
craftys. MS: reviser canceled and wrote knyvys above.
31 scheltrownys. MS: schelchownys, changed to schelchowthys by reviser. S: schelchownys. Bl: schel chownys.
shray. MS: shar shray.
32 rowncys. MS: reviser canceled and wrote your speris.
raftys. MS: reviser canceled it and wrote long (?) above.
34 barne. MS: reviser canceled word and revised it to child above the line.
37–72 MS: two lines written as one.
39 clymbyn. MS: a word canceled before.
knytys. MS: ky knytys.
42 Chosyn. MS: cof Chosyn.
48 fool. MS: foal may also be a possible reading.
51 MS: Angelus written in left margin in another hand.
105–28 MS: written two lines as one, in short-lined octaves.
108 werld. MS: werdl.
MS: reviser added go hom wardys in right margin.
130 werd. So MS, Bl, S. Bev: werld.
131 helle. MS: hevyn helle.
135 do. MS: or bragger do.
138 neyther. So S. MS, Bl: neythey. Bev: neither.
141 myn. So MS, Bl, S. Bev: mine.
148 thowsand. So S, Bev. MS, Bl: Ml.
160 thee. So Bev. MS, Bl, S: the.
162, 170 werde. So MS, S, Bl. Bev: werlde.
179 Yon. MS: letter canceled before.
185 take hem. So MS, Bl, S. Bev: I tak hem.
186 dent. MS: des dent.
188 ly. So MS, Bl, S. Bev: lie.
202 MS: unnecessary capitulum.
224 unhende. MS: un hende with kende written above by reviser.
227 asavyd. So MS, S, Bl. Bev: a-sayvd.
234 celle. MS: d celle.
255–58 MS: two lines written as one.
269 mery. MS: me mery.
274 nyth. MS: d nyth.
284 MS: remainder of fol. 104v (58 mm). Top of fol. 105r has one line: all men dwellyng upon the repeated from previous folio. The rest is left blank.
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[Tunc respiciens, Senescallus vadyt, ad Herodem dicens:1; (see note); (t-note) |
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5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 |
SENESCALLUS Lord, I have walkyd be dale and hylle And wayted as it is youre wyll. The kyngys thre stelyn awey full styll Thorwe Bedleem londe. They wyl nevyr, so mot y thee, Com in the lond of Galylé For to se youre fayr ceté Ne dedys of youre honde! HERODES REX I ryde on my rowel, ryche in my regne! Rybbys ful reed, with rape shal I rende! Popetys and paphawkys I shal puttyn in peyne! With my spere prevyn, pychyn, and to pende The gomys with gold crownys ne gete nevyr ageyn!2 To seke tho sottys, sondys shal I sende. Do howlott howtyn, hoberd and heyn, Whan here barnys blede undyr credyl bende!3 Sharply, I shal hem shende — The knave childeryn that be In all Israel countré! Thei shul have blody ble, For on I calde unkende! It is tolde in Grw: His name shulde be Jhesu Ifownde. To have hym, ye gon — Hewe the flesch with the bon And gyf hym wownde! Now, kene knyghtys, kythe youre craftys, And kyllyth knave chylderyn and castyth hem in clay! Shewyth on youre shulderys scheldys and schaftys! Shapyht amonge scheltrownys a shyrlyng shray, Doth rowncys rennyn with rakynge raftys Tyl rybbys be torent with a reed ray! Lete no barne beleve onbete baftys Tyl a beggere blede be bestys baye! Mahound, that best may! I warne yow, my knyghtys, A barn is born, I plyghtys, Wolde clymbyn kynge and knytys And lett my lordly lay! Knyghtys wyse, Chosyn ful chyse Aryse! Aryse, And take youre tolle! And every page Of twey yere age Or evyr ye swage Sleyth ilke a fool. On of hem alle Was born in stalle, Folys hym calle Kynge in crowne! With byttyr galle He shall down falle! My myght in halle Shal nevyr go down. MILES 1 I shall sle scharlys And qwenys with therlys, Here knave gerlys I shal steke! Forth wyl I spede To don hem blede Thow gerlys grede We shul be wreke! MILES 2 For swerdys sharpe As an harpe Quenys shul karpe, And of sorwe synge Barnys yonge! They shul be stunge Thurwe levyr and lunge! We shal hem stynge. ANGELUS Awake, Joseph, and take thi wyff, Thy chylde also; ryd belyff, For Kynge Herowde, with sharpe knyff, His knyghtys he doth sende! The Fadyr of Hevyn hath to thee sent Into Egypte that thu be bent, For cruel knyghtys thi childe have ment With swerde to sle and shende. JOSEPH Awake, good wyff, out of youre slepe, And of youre childe takyght good kepe Whyl I youre clothis ley on hepe And trus hem on the asse. Kynge Herowde the chylde wyl scloo! Therfore, to Egypte muste we goo. An aungel of God seyd me soo And therfore lete us passe! |
by; (t-note) spied have sneaked Through Bethlehem may I prosper Galilee city; (t-note) Nor deeds; hand ride spurring, potent; (see note); (t-note) Ribs; red, in haste Children; suckling babies; (see note) test, pierce, and stab (see note); (t-note) those sots, messengers kill them male complexions one I consider traitorous Greek; (t-note) Found to be go through the bone wounds brave knights, show; (t-note) male; them shields; spears troop formations a shrill outcry; (see note); (t-note) Make horses run; piercing spurs; (see note); (t-note) ribs be torn; all in blood baby; be left unbeaten on the backside; (t-note) knave; by the beasts’ stall Mohammed; can [do this] (t-note) baby; I swear Would climb over; knights; (t-note) lessen; rule the choicest ones; (t-note) toll boy two years of Before; cease Slay every baby; (see note); (t-note) One of them a stall Fools call him; (t-note) Crowned king in this hall churls whores (women); piercings; (see note) Their boys stab (stake) To make them Though the babies cry satisfied swords; (see note) harpoon Women; wail; (see note) Young babies stabbed Through liver pierce them wife; (see note) ride at once bound destroy take good care gather tie them slay said so to me go |
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[Tunc ibunt milites ad pueros occidendos, et dicat Prima Femina:4 |
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90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 |
FEMINA 1 Longe lullynge have I lorn! Alas, qwhy was my baron born? With swappynge swerde now is he shorn, The heed ryght fro the nekke! Shanke and shulderyn is al totorn! Sorwyn I se behyndyn and beforn, Both mydnyth, mydday, and at morn! Of my lyff I ne recke! FEMINA 2 Serteynly, I sey the same! Gon is all my good game — My lytyll childe lyth all lame, That lullyd on my pappys. My fourty wekys gronynge Hath sent me sefne yere sorwynge! Mykyl is my mornynge, And ryght hard arne myn happys. MILES 1 Lorde in trone: Makyght no mone! Qwenys gyn grone In werld aboute! Upon my spere A gerle I bere! I dare well swere — Lett moderys howte! MILES 2 Lord, we han spad As ye bad. Barnis ben blad And lyne in dych. Flesch and veyn Han tholyd peyn, And ye shul reyne Evermore rych! HERODUS REX Ye shul have stedys To youre medys, Londys and ledys, Fryth and fe! Wele have ye wrought! My fo is sought, To deth is he brought! Now come up to me. In sete now am I sett as kynge of myghtys most! All this werd, for ther love to me, shul thei lowt! Both of hevyn and of erth and of helle cost, For dygne of my dygnyté, thei have of me dowt! Ther is no lord lyke on lyve to me wurth a toost — Nother kyng nor kayser in all this worlde abought! If any brybour do bragge or blowe agens my bost, I shal rappe tho rebawdys and rake them on rought5 With my bryght bronde! Ther shal be neyther kayser nere kynge But that I shal hem down dynge, Lesse than he at my byddynge Be buxum to myn honde. Now, my jentyll and curteys knyghtys: herke to me this stownde!6 Good tyme sone me thynkygh at dyner that we were. Smertly, therfore, sett a tabyll anon here ful sownde Coverid with a coryous cloth and with rych wurthy fare, Servyse for the lovelyest lorde that levynge is on grownde!7 Beste metys and wurthyest wynes loke that ye non spare! Thow that a lytyl pynt shulde coste a thowsand pownde,8 Brynge alweye of the beste — for coste, take ye no care! Anon that it be done! SENESCALLUS My lorde, the tabyl is redy dyght! Here is watyr — now wasch forthryght. Now blowe up, mynstrall, with all youre myght! The servyse comyth in sone. HERODES REX Now am I sett at mete, And wurthely servyd at my degré! Com forth, knyghtys! Sytt down and ete, And be as mery as ye kan be! MILES 1 Lord, at yowre byddynge we take oure sete. With herty wyl obey we thee! Ther is no lorde of myght so grett Thorwe all this werde in no countré In wurchepp to abyde. HERODES REX I was nevyr meryer here beforn Sythe that I was fyrst born Than I am now ryght in this morn! In joy I gynne to glyde! MORS Ow! I herde a page make preysyng of pride — All prynces he passyth, he wenyth, of powsté!9 He wenyth to be the wurthyest of all this werde wyde — Kynge ovyr all kyngys, that page wenyth to be! He sent into Bedlem to seke on every side Cryst for to qwelle yf thei myght hym se, But of his wykkyd wyl, lurdeyn, yitt he lyede! Goddys Sone doth lyve; ther is no lorde but he: Over all lordys he is kynge! I am Deth, Goddys masangere. Allmyghty God hath sent me here, Yon lordeyn to sle, withowtyn dwere, For his wykkyd werkynge. I am sent fro God: Deth is my name! Allthynge that is on grownd I welde at my wylle, Both man and beste and byrdys, wylde and tame. Whan that I come them to, with deth I do them kylle: Erbe, gres, and tres stronge — take hem all in same!10 Ya, the grete myghty okys, with my dent I spylle! What man that I wrastele with, he shal ryght sone have schame! I geve hym such a trepett, he shal evyrmore ly stylle,11 For Deth ken no sporte. Wher I smyte, ther is no grace, For aftere my strook, man hath no space To make amendys for his trespace, But God hym graunt comforte. Ow, se how prowdely yon kaytyff sytt at mete! Of Deth hath he no dowte — he wenyth to leve evyrmore! To hym wyl I go and geve hym such an hete That all the lechis of the londe, his lyf shul nevyr restore! Agens my dredful dentys it vaylyth nevyr to plete Or I hym part fro, I shal hym make ful pore! All the blood of his body I shal hym owt swete! For now I go to sle hym with strokys sad and sore This tyde. Bothe hym and his knyghtys all — I shal hem make to me but thrall, With my spere, sle hem I shall, And so cast down his pride. HERODES REX Now kende knyghtys, be mery and glad! With all good diligens shewe now sum myrth, For, be gracyous Mahound, more myrth never I had! Ne nevyr more joye was inne from tyme of my byrth, For now my fo is ded and prendyd as a padde! Above me is no kynge on grownd nere on gerth! Merthis therfore make ye, and be ryght nothynge sadde! Spare nother mete nor drynke, and spare for no dyrthe Of wyne nor of brede, For now am I a kynge alone! So wurthy as I may ther be none! Therfore, knyghtys, be mery echone, For now my fo is dede! MILES 1 Whan the boys sprawlyd at my sperys hende By Sathanas, oure syre, it was a goodly syght! A good game it was, that boy for to shende That wolde abene oure kynge and put yow from youre ryght! MILES 2 Now trewly, my lorde the kynge, we had ben unhende And nevyr non of us able for to be a knyght If that any of us to hem had ben a frende And asavyd any lyff agen thi mekyl might From deth hem to flytt. HERODES REX Amonges all that grett rowthte He is ded — I have no dowte! Therfore menstrell, rownd abowte Blowe up a mery fytt! |
lullabies; wasted child smiting sword; cut head; from the neck Legs; shoulders; torn Sorrow; behind midnight, midday care nothing For certain, I say pleasure wounded slept; breasts weeks of labor seven years of sorrow Great; mourning are my fortunes (t-note) Make; complaints Women (whores) begin to wail Around the world; (t-note) baby scream have fulfilled ordered Babies have bled lie suffered pain shall; steeds For your reward Landed property (landholdings) Property and goods Well; done On throne world; shall they bow; (t-note) hell’s coast; (t-note) Out of respect; fear alive; toast Neither; caesar (t-note) sword neither emperor nor; (t-note) shall strike them down; (see note) Unless obedient; my hand; (t-note) dinner; (see note) now; ample costly; dishes meats (t-note) all of Do it now all ready play, minstrel; (see note) soon worthily; for my rank knights hearty; (t-note) Throughout; world; (t-note) to continue I have never been merrier Since right now Into joy I begin to pass a knave; proud boasts; (see note) imagines [himself]; (t-note) knave thinks Bethlehem to seek to kill rogue, yet he lies God’s Son God’s messenger rogue; slay, certainly; (t-note) actions on earth; wield beast; birds But when (t-note) oaks; blow I destroy; (t-note) wrestle (t-note) knows; (see note) stroke; time sins Unless scoundrel sits at his meal fear; live give; a fever; (see note) doctors blows it avails; plead Before I leave him sweat out of him At this time; (t-note) make them my slaves slay them noble by; Mohammed in me captured like a toad anywhere on earth dearth bread everyone When; spear’s end; (see note) Satan kill have been discourteous; (t-note) to him [had] saved; life against; great; (t-note) him to save group minstrels Play; tune; (see note) |
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[Hic dum buccinant Mors interficiat Herodem et duos milites subito. Et Diabolus recipiat eos.12 |
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235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 |
DIABOLUS All oure! All oure! This catel is myn! I shall hem brynge onto my celle! I shal hem teche pleys fyn And showe such myrthe as is in helle! It were more bettyr amongys swyn That evyrmore stynkyn ther be to dwelle. For in oure logge is so gret peyn That non erthely tonge can telle! With yow I go my way! I shal yow bere forth with me And shewe yow sportys of oure gle! Of oure myrthis now shal ye se And evyr synge “Welawey!” MORS Of Kynge Herowde all men beware That hath rejoycyd in pompe and pryde, For all his boste of blysse ful bare He lyth now ded here on his syde. For whan I come, I cannot spare Fro me no whyht may hym hyde! Now is he ded and cast in care In helle pytt evyr to abyde! His lordchep is al lorn. Now is he as pore as I: Wormys mete is his body; His sowle in helle ful peynfully Of develis is al to-torn. All men dwellyng upon the grownde: Beware of me be myn councel, For feynt felachep in me is fownde. I kan no curtesy as I yow tel, For be a man nevyr so sownde, Of helth in herte nevyr so wel, I come sodeynly within a stownde! Me withstande may no castel My jurnay wyl I spede. Of my comyng no man is ware, For when men make most mery fare, Than sodeynly I cast hem in care And sle them, evyn indede. Thow I be nakyd and pore of array And wurmys knawe me al abowte, Yit loke ye drede me nyth and day, For whan Deth comyth, ye stande in dowte! Evyn lyke to me — as I yow say — Shull all ye be here in this rowte!13 Whan I yow chalange at my day, I shal yow make ryght lowe to lowth And nakyd for to be Amongys wormys, as I yow telle! Undyr the erth shul ye dwelle, And thei shul etyn both flesch and felle As thei have don me. |
ours; chattel; (see note) cell; (t-note) teach him fine games among swine lodge; pain no earthly tongue carry you glee (see note) Alas sheer bliss when creature can hide torment hell’s pit (grave) lost (t-note) Worm’s food soul devils; torn to pieces on earth by my little know; courtesy; you by; sound heart suddenly in an instant; (see note) No castle can withstand me make successful aware act most merry; (t-note) suddenly; in distress indeed poorly attired worms gnaw Yet look [that]; fear; (t-note) when; in fear When I challenge you shall make you bow low Amongst shall skin done to me; (t-note) |
Go To Play 21, Christ and the Doctors
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