Play 34, Burial; Guarding of the Sepulcher

by: Douglas Sugano (Editor)

from: The N-Town Plays  2007

*1040 5 10 *1050 15 20 *1060 25 30 *1070 35 40 *1080 45 50 *1090 55 60 *1100 65	CENTURIO In trewth now I knowe with ful opyn syght That Goddys dere sone is naylid on tre. These wundyrful tokenys aprevyn ful right Quod vere Filius Dei erat iste.1 ALIUS MILES 2 The very childe of God I suppose that he be, And so it semyth wele be his wundyrful werk. The erth sore qwakyth, and that agresyth me! With myst and grett wedyr, it is woundyr dyrk! ALIUS MILES 3 Such merveylis shewe may non erthely man! The eyr is ryght derke that fyrst was ryght clere! The erthqwave is grett! The clowdys waxe whan! Those tokenys preve hym a lorde without any pere! CENTURIO His fadyr is pereles kyng of most empere, Bothe lorde of this world and kynge of hevyn hyghe! Yit, out of all synne to brynge us owt of daungere, He soferyth his dere sone for us all to dye. NICHODEMUS Alas, alas! What syght is this? To se the Lorde and Kynge of Blys That nevyr synnyd ne ded amys Thus naylid upon a rode! Alas, Jewys, what have ye wrought? A ye wyckyd wytys? What was youre thought? Why have ye bobbyd and thus betyn owth All his blyssyd blood? CENTURYO A, now trewly telle wel I kan That this was Goddys owyn sone. I knowe he is both God and man Be this wark that here is done. Ther was nevyr man, but God that cowde make this werk That evyr was of woman born. Were he nevyr so great a clerk, It passeth hem all thow thei had sworn. Hese lawe was trewe, I dare wel saye, That he tawth us here amonge. Therfore I rede ye turne youre faye And amende that ye han do wronge. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA O good Lord Jhesu, that deyst now here on rode: Have mercy on me and forgyf me my mys. I wold thee worchep here with my good That I may come to thi blysse. To Pylat now wole I goon And aske the body of my Lord Jhesu To bery that now wold I soon In my grave that is so new. Heyl, Sere Pylat, that syttyth in sete! Heyl, justyce of Jewys, men do thee calle! Heyl with helthe, I do thee grete. I pray thee of a bone whatso befalle. To bery Jhesusis body I wole thee pray, That he were out of mennys syth. For tomorwyn shal be oure holyday Than wole no man hym bery, I thee plyth. And yf we lete hym hange ther stylle, Some wolde seyn therof anow; The pepyl therof wold seyn ful ylle: That nother shuld be youre worchep nor prow.2 PYLAT Sere Joseph of Baramathie, I graunt thee With Jhesuis body do thin intent, But fyrst I wole wete that he ded be As it was his jugement. Sere knytys, I comawnd yow that ye go In hast with Josepht of Baramathie And loke ye take good hede therto That Jhesu surely ded be. Se that this comawndement ye fulfylle Without wordys ony mo And than lete Joseph do his wylle, What that he wyl with Jhesu do.	fully prove (see note) (t-note) by earth; terrifies bad weather; very marvels; no earthly man air; dark earthquake; grow dark prove; peer the greatest empire high Yet allowed sinned nor did wrong cross done Have; wits struck; beaten out blessed truly; well; can God’s own By; work never cleric them; though taught advise; faith have done dies; on the cross; (t-note) forgive; sins will; goods will I go; (t-note) bury; will sits on the throne a boon bury Jesus’; will men’s sight tomorrow; holiday Then will; bury; assure let say plenty about it would speak ill Arimathea; (see note) Jesus’; your will know; dead sentence Arimathea is surely dead See any more then
	[Here come to (two) knytys beforn Pylat atonys (at once) thus seyng:
70 *1110 75 80	MILES 1 Sere, we shal do oure dylygens With Joseph, goyng to Calverye. Be we out of thi presens, Sone, the trewth we shal aspye. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Gramercy, Pylat, of youre jentylnesse That ye han grawntyd me my lyst. Anythyng in my province, Ye shal have at youre request. PYLAT Sere, all your lest ye shal have With Jhesuis body, do youre intent Whethyr ye bery hym in pyt or grave. The powere I grawnt yow here present.	duty Though we are out Soon; truth; see (t-note) have granted; wish district (t-note) wishes Jesus’ bury
	[The to (two) knygtys go with Joseph to Jhesus and stand and heldyn (look) hym in the face.
*1120 85	MILES 2 Methynkyth Jhesu is sewre anow; It is no ned his bonys to breke. He is ded — how thinkyth yow? He shal nevyr go nor speke. MILES 1 We wyl be sure, or than we go Of a thyng I am bethowth. Yondyr is a blynd knyth I shal go to, And sone awhyle here shal be wrowth.	safe enough There is no need; (see note) before I am mindful of one thing knight soon; working
	[Here the knyth goth to blynde Longeys and seyth:
90 *1130 95 100 *1140 105 110 *1150	Heyl, Sere Longeys, thu gentyl knyth! Thee I prey now ryth hertyly That thu wylt wend with me ful wyth. It shal be for thi prow, veryly. LONGEUS Sere, at youre comauwndement, with yow wyl I wende. In what place ye wyl me have, For I trost ye be my frend. Lede me forth, sere, oure Sabath you save. MILES 1 Lo, Sere Longeys, here is a spere, Both long and brood and sharp anow. Heve it up fast that it wore there, For here is game! Show, man, show! LONGEUS O good Lord! How may this be That I may se so bryth now? This thretty wyntyr I myth not se, And now I may se I wote nevyr how! But ho is this that hangyth here now? I trowe it be the maydonys sone, And that he is now — I knowe wel how The Jewys to hym this velany han don. [Here he fallyth down on his knes. Now, good Lord, forgyf me that, That I to thee now don have, For I dede I wyst not what. The Jewys, of myn ignorans, dede me rave. Mercy, mercy, mercy, I crye!	Sir; knight I ask you come with me quickly advantage trust sir; Sabbath; observe broad-headed; enough Heave; were fun; Thrust (Shove) clearly For thirty winters; might don’t know how who maiden’s son; (t-note) villainy have done have done I did not know what I did out of my; made me foolish (t-note)
	[Than Joseph doth set up the lederys (ladders), and Nychodemus comyth to help hym.
115 120	NICHODEMUS Joseph ab Aramathy, blyssyd thu be, For thu dost a fol good dede. I prey thee — lete me help thee That I may be partenere of thi mede. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Nychodemus, welcome indede! I pray yow ye wole help therto. He wole aqwyte us ryth weyl oure mede, And I have lysens for to do.	of; (see note) very partner; reward will reward us well license to do so
	[Here Joseph and Nychodomus takyn Cryst of the cros, on on o ledyr (one on one ladder) and the tother on another leddyr. And qwan (when) he is had down, Joseph leyth hym in oure Ladys lappe, seyng the knytys (knights) turnyng hem, and Joseph seyth: (t-note)
*1160 125 130 *1170 135 140 *1180 145 150 *1190 155	JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Lo, Mary, modyr good and trewe, Here is thi son, blody and bloo, For hym myn hert ful sore doth rewe. Kysse hym now onys eer he go. MARIA A! Mercy! Mercy, myn owyn son so dere! Thi blody face now I must kysse; Thi face is pale, withowtyn chere. Of meche joy now shal I mysse! Ther was nevyr modyr that sey this — So her sone dyspoyled with so gret wo, And my dere chylde nevyr dede amys! A, mercy, Father of Hefne, it shulde be so. JOSEPH Mary, youre sone, ye take to me Into his grave it shal be browth. MARIA Joseph, blyssyd evyr mot thu be For the good dede that ye han wrowth. [Here thei shal leyn Cryst in his grave. JOSEPH I gyf thee this syndony that I have bowth To wynde thee in whyl it is new. NICHODEMUS Here is an onyment that I have browth To anoynt withall myn Lord Jhesu. JOSEPH Now Jhesu is withinne his grave Wheche I ordeyn somtyme for me. On thee, Lord, I vowche it save: I knowe my mede ful gret shal be. NICHODEMUS Now lete us leyn on this ston ageyn, And Jhesu in this tombe stylle shal be. And we wyl walke hom ful pleyn, The day passyth fast, I se. Farewel, Joseph, and wel ye be! No lengere teryeng here we make. JOSEPH Sere, Almythy God be with thee; Into his blysse he mote you take. MARIA Farewel, ye jentyl princys kende. In joye evyr mote ye be. The blysse of hefne withowtyn ende I knowe, veryly, that ye shal se.	blue pity once before without spirit much mother; has seen this stripped did wrong it (the body); brought may deed; have done give; shroud; bought wind ointment; brought ordered once for myself vouchsafe reward (t-note) directly longer tarrying Sir may kind; (see note) may heaven (t-note)
	[Here the princys shal do reverens to oure Lady and gon here (their) way and leve the Maryes at the sepulcre. Cayphas goth to Pylat, seyng thus:
160 *1200 165 170 *1210 175 180 *1220 185 190 *1230 195 200 *1241 205 210 *1250 215 220 *1260 225 230 *1270 235	CAYPHAS Herk, Sere Pylat, lyst to me! I shal thee telle tydyngys new Of o thyng we must ware be Er ellys here after, we myth it rewe. Thu wotyst weyl that Jhesu, He seyd to us with wordys pleyn, He seyd we shuld fynd it trew — The thryd day, he wold ryse ageyn. Yf that hese dyscyplys come serteyn And out of his grave stele hym away, Thei wyl go preche and pleyn seyn That he is reson the thryd day! This is the cowncel that I gyf here: Take men and gyf hem charge therto To weche the grave with gret power Tyl the thryd day be go. PYLAT Sere Cayphas, it shal be do, For as ye say, ther is peryl in And it happend that it were so. It myth make our lawys for to blyn. Ye shal se, sere, er that ye go How I shal this mater save And what I shal sey therto, And what charge thei shal have. Come forth, ye Ser Amorawnt And Sere Arphaxat, com ner also, Sere Cosdram and Sere Affraunt, And here the charge that ye must do: Serys, to Jhesuis grave, ye shal go Tyl that the thryd day be gone, And lete nother frend nor fo In no wey to towche the ston. Yf ony of hese dyscipelys come ther, To fech the body fro you away, Bete hym down — have ye no fere — With shamful deth do hym day! In payn of youre godys and youre lyvys — That ye lete hem nowth shape you fro — And of youre chyldere and youre wyfys, For al ye lese and ye do so. AMERAUNT Sere Pylat, we shal not ses! We shal kepe it strong anow. ARFAXAT Ya, and an hunderyd put hem in pres, Thei shal dey, I make a vow. COSDRAM And han honderyd? Fy, on an honderyd and an honderyd therto!3 Ther is non of hem shal us withstonde! AFFRAUNT Ya, and ther com an hunderyd thowsand and mo, I shal hem kylle with myn honde! PYLAT Wel, serys, than youre part ye do! And to youre charge, loke ye take hede. Withowtyn wordys ony mo Wysly now that ye procede. [Here the knytys gon out of the place. Lo, Sere Cayphas, how thynkyth yow? Is not this wel browth abowth? CAYPHAS In feyth, ser, it is sure anow. Hardely, have ye no dowth. ARFAXAT Let se, Ser Amaraunt, where wele ye be? Wole ye kepe the feet or the hed? AMERAUNT At the hed, so mote I the, And hoso come here, he is but ded! ARFAXAT And I wole kepe the feet this tyde Thow ther come both Jakke and Gylle. COSDRAM And I shal kepe the ryth syde, And hoso come, I shal hym kylle! AFFRAUNT And I wole on the lefte hand ben, And hoso come here, he shal nevyr then! Ful sekyrly his bane shal I ben With dyntys of dowte! Syr Pylat, have good day! We shal kepyn the body in clay, And we shal wakyn wele the way And wayten all abowte. PYLAT Now, jentyl serys, wole ye vowchsaffe To go with me and sele the graffe That he ne aryse out of the grave That is now ded? CAYPHAS We graunte wel, lete us now go Whan it is selyd and kepte also. Than be we sekyr withowtyn wo And have of hym no dred.	Sir; listen one; be wary Or else; might; rue well know true third; (t-note) surely; (t-note) steal openly say risen; third give give them guard be gone Sir; done If might; laws to cease see; sir; before duties (see note); (t-note) come near hear Jesus’ third neither friend nor foe stone any; his fear kill goods; lives; (t-note) them not escape from children; wives lose if cease enough; (t-note) if a hundred press us die (t-note) none of them if there them; my hands sirs; then duties; heed any more Carefully (see note); (t-note) Sir brought about enough Certainly; doubt Let’s see; will; (t-note) Will; guard may I prosper; (t-note) whoso; dead guard; right now Jack and Jill (i.e., whoever); (see note) right side; (t-note) whoso; kill (t-note) whoso; never thrive death; be; (t-note) doughty strokes (t-note) guard; in the earth watch well Keep our eyes open sirs, will; vouchsafe seal; grave; (t-note) not arise; (t-note) When; sealed Then; secure fear
	[Tunc ibunt ad sepulcrum Pilatus, Cayphas, Annas, et omnes milites et dicit:4
240 *1280 245 250 *1290 255 260 *1300 265	ANNAS Loo, here is wax ful redy dyght Sett on your sele, anon ful ryght. Than be ye sekyr, I yow plyght He shal not rysyn agayn. PYLAT On this corner, my seal shal sytt And with this wax, I sele this pytt. Now dare I ley he shal nevyr flytt Out of this grave, serteayn. ANNAS Here is more wax ful redy, loo! All the cornerys, ye sele also. And with a lokke, loke it, too! Than lete us gon oure way And lete these knyntys abydyn therby. And yf hese dysciplys com prevyly To stele awey this ded body, To us they hem brynge without delay. PYLAT On every corner now is sett my seale. Now is myn herte in welthe and wele. This may no brybour awey now stele This body from undyr ston. Now, syr buschoppe, I pray to thee And Annas also, com on with me, Evyn togedyr all we thre, Homward, the wey we gon. As wynde wrothe, Knyghtys now goht! Clappyd in cloth, And kepyth hym well! Loke ye be bolde With me for to holde. Ye shul have gold And helme of stele.	prepared seal, now Then; certain; promise rise seal; grave I bet; escape certainly seal lock; lock knights stay secretly bring them (t-note) well-being; ease thief; (t-note) stone together the angry wind; (t-note) go Shrouded guard him (Jesus) to consider (t-note) steel helmets
	[Pylat, Annas, and Cayphas go to ther skaffaldys (scaffolds), and the knyghtys sey:
270 *1310 275 280 *1320 285 290 *1330 295 300 *1340 305 310 *1350 315 320 *1360    325	AFFRAUNT Now, in this grownnde He lyeth bounde, That tholyd wounde For he was fals. This lefft cornere, I wyl kepe here, Armyd clere Bothe hed and hals. COSDRAM I wyl have this syde Whatso betyde. If any man ryde To stele the cors, I shal hym chyde With woundys wyde, Amonge hem glyde With fyne fors! AMERAUNT The hed I take Hereby to wake, A stele stake I holde in honde. Maystryes to make, Crownys I crake, Schafftys to shake And schapyn schonde. ARFAXAT I shal not lete To kepe the fete. They are ful wete, Walterid in blood. He that wyll stalke, Be brook or balke, Hedyr to walke — Tho wrecchis be wood! AMERAUNT Myn heed dullyth; Myn herte fullyth Of slepp. Seynt Mahownd, This beryenge grownd Thu kepp! ARFAXAT I sey the same. For any blame, I falle! Mahownde whelpe, Aftyr thin helpe, I calle. COSDRAM I am hevy as leed. For any dred, I slepe. Mahownd of myght, This ston tonyght, Thu kepe! AFFRAUNT I have no foot To stonde on root By brynke. Here I aske To go to taske A wynke.	(t-note) suffered wounds (t-note) fully neck (t-note) happens steal; corpse abuse them pass sheer force head; (t-note) to guard lance great deeds Heads; crack Shafts; tremble bring about ruin; (t-note) cease; (t-note) feet wet; (t-note) Drenched (I.e., anywhere) Here Those wretches; crazy head feels dull; (t-note) fills sleep Holy Mohammed burial watch say; (t-note) Despite Mohammed’s child your lead; (t-note) (t-note) stand the edge to take nap; (t-note)

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

Footnotes

Play 34, BURIAL; GUARDING OF THE SEPULCHER: FOOTNOTES

1 Because truly the Son of God was he (compare Matthew 28:54)

2 That would be neither to your honor or advantage

3 And a hundred? Fie on a hundred and a hundred [more] as well

4 Then Pilate, Cayphas, Annas, and all the knights will go to the sepulcher and say

Play 34, BURIAL; GUARDING OF THE SEPULCHER: EXPLANATORY NOTES

Abbreviations: MED: Middle English Dictionary; OED: Oxford English Dictionary; PP: Passion Play, ed. Meredith (1990); S: N-Town Play, ed. Spector (1991); s.d.: stage direction.

4 Loosely translated in the following line. Compare Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, and Luke 23:47.

57 Baramathie. As Meredith notes, possibly from the Latin, "ab Aramathie" (PP, p. 214n1099). Could also be from the Hebrew "bar," meaning "son of."

82 no ned his bonys to breke. See John 19:33, where the Evangelist is mindful of the Passover Feast (Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12), where no bone of the Paschal meal is to be broken. John, with the unique reference to the Agnus Dei (John 1:29), looks upon this moment of the Crucifixion as a step toward the Eucharist's displacing the Passover Feast.

114–51 N-Town is the only English version that mentions rewards for Nicodemus' and Joseph of Arimathea's good deeds. It is possible that these lines reflect the work of local religious guilds, e.g., to bury the dead.

154–57 The loving courtesy of Mary's "farewell gentle princes" quatrain reflects the queen-of-courtesy tone of Pearl and some of the Marian lyrics of the fourteenth century, but is unusual in drama. Mary's beautiful and moving farewell to Joseph and Nicodemus serves as a farewell to her son as well, as her benediction turns attention toward the new day, a day in which Adam and Eve and the patriarchs recover bliss, but also in which the true value of Mary will be honored. See also 35.121–36.

182–84 Meredith observes that the knights' names, except for Affraunt, agree with the list in Reynes' Commonplace Book (1470–1500) (p. 257). Arfaxat is from Genesis 10:22, but the other names are from romances (PP, p. 217n1224–26). See Spec­tor's note to 34.182–205, which traces the names and behavior to the Nor­thern Passion and MS Ashmole 61, as cited by Horstmann ("Nachträge zu den Le­gen­den"). Spector cites parallels between Northern Passion and lines 34, 194–97, 200–05, 214–25, and 302–25.

209, s.d. Meredith notes that, in spite of the stage direction, the knights should not leave the playing place (PP, p.218n1251sd), but it could very well be that the tomb is outside or at the edge of the playing place, and above ground. Note that in 36.157–58, the stone covering the tomb seems to be atop the grave. (See note below.)

219 Jakke and Gylle. Common forms for John or James and Gillian, such common names that they stand for any or every boy and girl (OED, MED).

Play 34, BURIAL; GUARDING OF THE SEPULCHER: TEXTUAL NOTES

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

5–8 MS: large play number 34 written in right margin.

37, s.n. ARIMATHEA. MS: Ara . . . m, remainder lost in a hole and cropped.

41 goon. MS: god goon.

73, s.n. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. MS: Joseph ab, remainder cropped.

76 request. MS: resquest. First written as rest, then corrected.

106 maydonys. So PP, S. MS, Bl: mayndonys.

113 MS: written to right of line 110, not metrical.

121, s.d. he. MS: omitted, but added for clarity by PP and S. PP further notes that Mary's sudden appearance in this stage direction attests to the incor­poration of several source materials (p. 216n1163sd).

146, s.n. MS: Nichodem, remainder cropped.

157, s.d. MS: to the left of this stage direction are Nota ("Note") and Incipit hic ("Be­gin here") in the hand of a reviser. It is possible that this section was per­formed at some later point as a Resurrection play (PP, p. 216–17n1200).
Cayphas. MS: Go Cayphas.

165 ageyn. So PP, S. MS, Bl: agey.

166–97 MS: scribe compressed two lines on each line, probably to accommodate a new quire which begins with the next folio.

182 MS: Nota hic written at left of the line by a reviser.

194 MS: no capitulum.

199–35.297 MS: sometimes the knights as speakers' names are denoted by a number (e.g., i^us Miles), sometimes by their names, and sometimes both. The main scribe's scheme (i.e., Arfaxat, as Knight 1; Ameraunt, as Knight 2; Cos­dram, as Knight 3; and Affraunt, as Knight 4) actually causes problems. A reviser decided that it would make more sense if Ameraunt were Knight 1 and Arfaxat were Knight 2. I am following the reviser's assig­nations.

202 honderyd. MS: written as C each time.

209, s.d. MS: letter canceled before out.

214, s.n. MS: reviser has written j^us before s.n.

216, s.n. MS: reviser has written ij^us before s.n.
216 MS: this line has replaced So mote I the I wole be at the h.

220, s.n. MS: reviser has written ^iijus before s.n., Affraunt 4.

222, s.n. MS: reviser has written iiij^us before s.n.
222 MS: So mote I the I wole be at the h between lines 215 and 216.

Before 225 MS: catchword Syr pilat at bottom of fol. 189v.

226 MS: Nota written by a reviser to the left of the line, possibly to denote the new quire V, or possibly a prompt note for Pylat.

231 graffe. MS: a letter has been canceled before.

After 231 Capital V at the bottom of fol. 190r in a different hand. Pilatus written faint­ly below and to the right in a different hand.

254, s.n. MS: Pilatus, possibly corrected from Pilatas.

256 This. So MS, Bl, PP. S: Ther.

262–301 MS: two lines are written as one, but the stanzas should be short-lined octaves.

268, s.d. seyn. MS: n cropped.

270, s.n. AFFRAUNT. MS: Affraunt 4.
270 grownnde. MS: tyde grownnde.

274 lefft. MS: second f written over a t.

278, s.n. COSDRAM. MS: Cosdram 3.

286, s.n. AMERAUNT. MS: Ameraunt i^us altered to ij^us by reviser (?).

293 MS: above schapyn schonde, a reviser has written sle fre and bonde.

294, s.n. ARFAXAT. MS: Arfaxat 2^us altered to 1^us by reviser (?).

296 wete. MS: letters are obscured.

302–25 MS: three lines are compressed into one. In addition, these lines are written as short-lined sestets, an unusual stanzaic form in the MS.
302, s.n. AMERAUNT. MS: i^us Miles.
302 MS: has capitulum, as have lines 308, 314, and 320.

308, s.n. ARFAXAT. MS: ij^us Miles.

314, s.n. COSDRAM. MS: 3^us Miles.

320, s.n. AFFRAUNT. MS: 4^us Miles.

After 325 MS: no break between plays.