CHESTER 5: CAPPERS
This play was introduced by the Cappers in 1521. It appears to be a transitional text. The story of Balaam and his ass is developed with a sense of comedy, and some kindly feeling towards the ass. This gives way to a procession of prophets introduced by the Expositor, an episode which is descended from the procession of prophets in the liturgical drama, and which here retains its very undramatic character. The Moses episode at the beginning is another point where the influence of Le Mistère du Viel Testament has been detected.
The text here is a somewhat complex one. MS Harley 2124 is the only one to retain the relic of the procession of prophets, whilst the other manuscripts enlarge the Balaam episode. It seemed desirable to print a full version here containing both these expansions. But it must be admitted that the result is not very coherent, and the following text is an interesting example of what the producers may have had to choose from as they prepared their performance.
The Balaam episode, from Numbers 22 23–30, was a very popular one in early times. It may have been a counter, in its liturgical form, to the Feast of Fools. On the Continent, the Prophets’ Play was referred to as Processio Asinorum. It is extraordinary that the ambivalence in the treatment of Balaam on the one hand and the Prophets on the other should have survived long enough to be apparent in the work of the Chester compilers.
(1)
DEUS: Moyses, my servaunte life and dere,
And all the people that be here,
Ye wott in Egipte when you were
Out of thralldome I you broughte.
I wyll1 you honour no God save me;
For that me lykes naughte.
(2)
I will you hold your holy daye;
10 And worshipp also by all waye
Father and mother, all that you maye;
And slaye no man no-where.
Fornication you shall flee;
No mens goods steale yee;
Ne in no place abyde ne bee
Falce wytnes for to beare.
(3)
Your neighboures wyves covettes noughte,
Servant ne good that he hath boughte,
Oxe ne asse in deede ne thoughte,
20 Nor any thinge that is his;
Ne wrongefullie to have his thinge
Agayne his will and his lykinge;
In all these doe my byddinge
That you doe not amisse.
Tunc princeps Sinagogae statuet eum in loco quasi pro populo loquatur ad Dominum et Moysen2.
1 life beloved 6 mawmentrye idols 7 nam take
PRINCEPS SINAGOGAE: Ah, good Lord, much of mighte,
Thou comes with so great lighte;
We bene so afraide of this sighte
No man dare speak ne looke.
God is so grym with us to deale,
30 But Moyses, master, with us thou mele;
So afrayde bene all weel.
Tunc Moyses stans super montem loquatur ad populum3.
(5)
MOYSES: Gods folke, drede you noughte;
To prove you with, God hath this wrought
To make you afrayd in deede and thoughte
Aye for to avoyde synne4.
By this sight you may now see
That he is pereles of postye;
Therfore his teachinge looke done yee,
(6)
PRINCEPS SINAGOGAE: Ah, highe Lord, God almighte,
That Moyses shynes wondrous bright!
I may no way for great lighte
Now looke upon hym.
And horned5 he semes in our sighte
Sith he came to the hyll; dight
Our lawe he hase I hope aright,
For was he never so grym.
(7)
MOYSES: YOU, Gods folke of Israell,
50 Harkens to me that loven heale;
30 mele talk 31 feele many times 39 done do 40 blyn stop, cease 46 dight prepared 50 heale prosperity
God bade you sholde doe everye deale
As that I shall saye.
Six dayes boldelye worches all,
The seaventh Sabaoth you shall call;
That daye for ought that may befall
Hallowed shalbe aye.
(8)
That doth not this deede deade shall be;
In houses fire shall no man see.
First fruytes to God offer yee,
60 For so hym-selfe bade.
Gould and silver offers also,
To hym that shall save you from woe
And helpe you in your neede.
(9)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, this comaundment
Was of the Old Testamente,
And yet is used with good entent
With all that good bene.
This storye all if we shold fong,
70 To playe this moneth it were to longe;
Wherfore most frutefull there amonge
We taken, as shall be sene6.
(10)
Also we read in this storie,
God in the Mownt of Synai
Toke Moises these comaundmentis verelye,
Wrytten with his owne hande
In tables of ston, as reade I;
But when men honoured mawmentry
He brake them in anger hastelye,
80 For that he wold not wonde.
62 bisse fine linen 69 fong undertake 75 Toke gave 80 wonde turn aside
But afterward sone, leeve ye me,
Other tables of stone made he
In which God bade wrytten shold be
His wordes that were before;
The which tables shryned were
After as God can Moyses leare;
And that shryne to them was deare
Thereafter evermore.
Tunc Moyses descendet de monte et ex altera parte montis dicet Rex Balaac equitando7.
(12)
BALAACK REX: I, Balaack, king of Moab land,
90 All Israell I had it in my hand;
I am so wroth I wold not wond
To slaye them, ech wighte.
For their God helpes them stiflye
Of other landes to have mastrye,
Against them for to fighte.
(13)
What nation soever dose them noye,
Moyses prayes anone in hye.
Therefore have they sone the victorie
100 And other men they have the worse.
Therfore how will I wroken be
Balaam, I will, shall come to me,
That people for to curse.
(14)
For sworde ne knife may not avayle
These ilke shroes for to assaile;
That fowndes to fight he shall faile,
86 leare teach 93 stiflye courageously 95 witterlie certainly 102 the thrive 106 ilke same shroes evil doers 107 fowndes advances
110 And my-selfe they can destroie,
The grasse right to the roote.
(15)
Who so Balaam blesses, i-wis,
Blessed sickerlie that man is;
Who so he curses, fareth amisse,
(a8)
[But yet I trust venged to be,
Of these false losells, leaves ye,
120 Leave this withouten dowte.
For to be wrocken is my desier;
My hart burnes as hott as fier,
For vervent anger and for ire,
That this be brought about.
(b)
Therfore my god and godes all,
O mightie Mars, on thie I call;
With all the powers infernall,
Rise now and helpe at neede.
I am informed by true report
130 How the mediaters9 do resort
To wine my land to ther comfort,
Descended of Iacobs seed.
(c)
Now show your power, ye goddis mightie,
So that these catyffes I maye destroy;
Having of them full victory,
And them brought to mischaunce,
Beat them downe in plaine battell,
108 sicker truly 109 any harm 111 biselie busily 116 loos fame 118 polecy craft 119 losells idlers leaves believe 121 wrocken avenged 123 vervent burning 131 wine win
These false ossells soe cruell,
That all the world may here tell
140 We take on them vengeaunce.
(d)
Out of Egipt fled they be,
And passed through the Rede Sea.
The Egiptians that pursued them, truly,
Were drowned in that same flood.
The[y] have [trusted] on God mickell of mighte,
Which them doth aide in wrong or right.
Who so ever with them foundeth to feight
He winneth littel good10.
(e)
They have slaine – this wott I well –
150 Through helpe of God of Israell
Both Seon and Ogg11, kingis so fell,
And plainely them destroyed.
Therefore ryse up, ye godes echone!
Ye be an hundred godis for one.
I would be wroken them upon
For all ther pomp and pride.]
Therfore go fetch hym, bachler,
That he may curse the people here;
For sicker on them, on no manner,
(16)
MILES: Syr, on your errand I will gone;
Yt shall be well done, and that anone,
For he shall wreak you on your fone,
The people of Israell.
BALAACK: Yea, looke, thou het hym gold great wone,
And riches for to lyve upon,
To destroy them if he can,
Tunc ibit ad Balaam13.
157 bachler knight, warrior 160 Mon must 163 wreak avenge 165 het promised wone quantity 168 freakes men fell cruel
MILES: Balaam, my lorde greetes well thee,
170 And prayes the right sone at hym to be,
To curse the people of Iudy
That do hym great anoye.
BALAAM: Forsooth, I tell the, bacheler,
That I may have no power
But if Gods will were;
That shall I witt in hye.
(18)
DEUS in supremo loco14: Balaam, I comaund the
King Balaak his bydding that thou flee;
That people that is blessed of me
180 Curse thou not by no waye.
BALAAM: Lord, I must doe thy byddinge,
Thoughe it be to me unlykeing,
For truly much wynninge
I might have had to-daye.
(19)
DEUS: Thoughe the folke be my foe,
Thou shalt have leave thydder to goe;
But looke that thou doe right soe
As I have thee taughte.
BALAAM: Lord, it shall be done in height;
190 This asse shall beare me aright.
Goe we together anone, sir knight,
Tunc equitabunt versus regem, et eundo dicat Balaam15
(20)
Sith I have leave for to gone,
They shalbe cursed every one,
And I ought wyn maye16.
182 unlykeing unfavourable 192 coughte obtained 193 leve believe
If Balaak hold that he has heighte,
Gods hest I set at light;
Warryed they shalbe this night,
200 Or that I wend awaye.
Tunc Angelus obviabit Balaam cum gladio extracto in manu, et stabit asina17.
(21)
Goe forth, Burnell! Goe forth, goe!
What the dyvell! My asse will not goe;
Served me she never soe.
What sorrow so her dose nye?
Rise up, Burnell! Make thee bowne,
And helpe to beare me out thee towne;
Or as brok I my crowne18,
Thou shalt full sore abye!
Tunc percutiet asinam, et loquetur aliquis in asina19.
(22)
ASINA: Maister, thou dost evell witterly,
210 So good an ass as me to nye.
That beare the thus aboute.
BALAAM: Burnell, whye begiles thou me
When I have most nede to the?
ASINA: That sight that I before me see
(23)
Am I not, master, thyne owne ass,
That ever before ready was
To beare the whether thou woldest pas?
220 To smyte me now yt is shame.
Thou wottest well, master, pardy,
Thou haddest never ass like to me,
Ne never yet thus served I thee;
211 thry thrice 216 lowte bow 219 pas go, travel
Tunc Balaam videns Angelum evaginatum gladium habentem adorons dicat20
(24)
BALAAM: Ah, Lord, to thee I make a vowe,
I had no sight of thee erre now;
Lyttle wist I it was thou
That feared my asse soe.
ANGELUS: Why hast thou beaten thy ass thry?
230 Now am I comen thee to nye,
That changes thy purpose falcelye,
And woldest be my foe.
(25)
And the ass had not downe gone,
I wold have slayne the here anone.
BALAAM: Lord, have pittye me upon
For sinned have I sore.
Is it thy will that I forth goe?
ANGELUS: Yea, but looke thou doe this folk no woe
Otherwise then God bade thee tho,
240 And saide to thee before.
Tunc Balaam et Miles ibunt, Balaack venit in obviam21.
(26)
BALAACK: Ah, welcome, Balaam, my frend!
For all myne anguish thou shalt end,
If that thy will be to wend,
And wreake me of my foe.
BALAAM: Nought may I speake, so have I win,
But as God puttes me in
To forby all and my kin22;
Therfore sure me is woe.
226 erre before 239 tho then 245 win bliss
BALAACK: Come forth, Balaam, come with me!
250 For on this hill, so mot I thee,
The folke of Israell thou shalt see,
And curse them, I thee praye.
Thou shalt have riches, golde, and fee,
And I shall advance thy dignytye,
To curse men – cursed they may be –
That thou shalt see to-day23.
Tunc adducens secum Balaam in montem et ad australem partem respiciens dicat ut sequitur24
(f25)
Lo, Balaam, now thou seest here
Godis people all in feare,
Cittie, castell, and river;
260 Looke now how likes thie;
Curse them now at my prayer,
As thou wilte be to me full dere,
And in my realme most of power,
And greatest under me.
Tunc Balaam versus austrum dicat26
(28)
BALAAM: How may I curse them in this place,
The people that God blessed hase?
In them is both might and grace,
And that is alwayes seene.
Wytnes I may none beare
270 Against God that this can were,
His people that no man may deare,
(29)
I saye these folkes shall have their will;
That no nation shall them gryll.
253 fee property 270 were defend 271 deare injure 272 teene injury 274 gryll anger
The goodnes that they shall fulfill
Nombred may not be.
Their God shall them kepe and save.
No other repreve may I not have,
But such death as they shall have,
280 I praye God send me.
(30)
BALAACK: What the devilles! Eyles the, poplart?27
Thy speach is not worth a fart!
I bade thee curse them, every one,
And thou blest them, blood and bone.
To this North syde thou shalt anon,
For here thy deed is nought.
Tunc adducet eum ad borealem partem28.
(31)
BALAAM: Herken, Balaack, what I say.
290 God may not gibb by no waye;
That he saith is veray,
For he may not lye.
To bless his folk he me sent,
Therfore I saie, as I am kent,
That in this land verament
Is used no mawmentry29.
(32)
To Iacobs blood and Israell
God shall send ioy and heale;
And as a lyon30 in his weale,
And rise also, in noble araye,
As a prynce to wyn great paye,
278 repreve reproof 283 Doted mad 284 woodlie madly 290 gibb waver 294 kent instructed, taught 300 haunsed exalted hye high
Overcome his enemyes, as I say,
(33)
BALAACK: What the devill is this! Thou cursest them naught,
Nor blessest them nether as me thought?
BALAAM: Syr kinge, this I thee beheight
Or that I come here.
BALAACK: Yet shalt thou to an-other place
310 Ther Gods power for to embrace;
The dyvell geve the hard grace
But thou doe my prayer.
Ad occidentalem partem31.
(34)
BALAAM: Ah, Lord, that here is fayre wonning,
Halls, chambers of great lyking,
Valleyes, woodes, grass springing,
I wot well God made all this,
His folke to lyve in joye and blisse;
That warryeth them warried is32.
320 That blessest them to God is deare.
(35)
BALAACK: Popelard! Thou preachest as a pie.
The devill of hell thee destroy!
I bade thee curse myne enemye;
Therfore thou came me to.
Now hast thou blessed them here thry,
For thou meanes me to nye.
BALAAM: So tould I the before twye,
I might none other doe.
304 bowndly readily 307 beheight promised 313 worming dwelling-place 316 yordes fields 321 Popelard hypocrite pie magpie 325 thry thrice 327 twye twice
BALAACK: Out, alas! What dyvell ayles thee?
330 I have het thee gold and fee
To speake but wordes two or three,
Yet once I will assay thee,
And if thou falcely now faile me,
Mahound geve thee mischance!
Tunc Balaam ad caelum respiciens prophetando33
(37)
BALAAM: Now one thinge I will tell you all
Hereafter what shall befall:
A starre of Iacob springe shall,
340 A man of Israell.
He shall overcome and have in band
All kinges, dukes of Strang land,
And all the world have in his hand,
As lord to dight and deale34.
(38)
ESAYAS35: I say a mayden meeke and mylde
Shall conceave and beare a childe,
Cleane without workes wilde,
To wyne mankinde to wayle36.
Butter and hony shall be his meate,
350 That he may all evill forgeat
Our soules out of hell to get,
And called Emanuell.
(39)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, these wordes are so veray
That exposition in good faye
None needes, but you know may
332 distance disagreement 334 bale suffering 350 forgeat forget, overcome
Emanuell is as much to saye
As ‘God with us night and day,’
Therfore that name for ever and aye
360To his sonne cordes wondrous well.
(40)
ezechiell37: I, Ezechiell, sothlie see
A gate in Gods house on hye.
Closed it was; no man came nye.
Then told an angell me
This gate shall no man open, i-wis,
For God will come and goe by this,
For him-self it reserved is,
None shall come there but hee.
(41)
EXPOSITOR: By this gate, lords, verament,
370 I understand in my intent
That way the Holy Ghost in went,
When God tooke flesh and bloode
In that sweet mayden Mary;
Shee was that gate, wytterly,
For in her he light graciouslie,
Mankind to doe good.
(42)
IHEREMIA38: My eyes must run and sorrow aye,
Without ceasing, night and daye,
For my daughter, soth to saye,
380 Shall suffer great anye.
And my folke shall doe, in faye,
Thinges that they ne know may
To that mayden, by many waye,
And her sonne, sickerlie.
360 cordes accords 363 nye near
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, this prophesie, i-wis,
Touches the passion nothing amisse,
For the prophet see well this,
What shall come, as I reade,
390 Shall suffer death, sooth to saye,
And they that mayden shall afray
Have vengeance for that deede.
(44)
IONAS39: I, Ionas, in full great any40
To God I prayed inwardlie,
And he me hard through his mercy
And on me did his grace.
In myddes the sea cast was I,
For I wrought inobedyentlie,
400 Three dayes saved I was.
(45)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, what this may signifie
Christ expoundes apertlie,
As we reade in the Evangely,
That Christ him-self can saie.
Right as lonas was dayes three
In wombe of whall, so shall he be
In earth lyinge, as was he,
And rise the third daye.
(46)
DAVID41: I, Davyd, saie that God almighte
410 From the highest heaven to earth will light,
And thidder againe with full might,
Both God and man in feare,
And after come to deeme the righte.
389 maye maid 391 afray disturb 399, 406 whall(es) whale(’s)
May no man shape them of his sight,
Ne deeme that to mankind is dighte;
But all then must apeare42.
(47)
EXPOSITOR: Lordes, this speach is so veray
That to expound it to your pay
It needes nothing, in good faye,
420 This speach is so expresse.
Each man by it knowe may
That of the Ascention, soth to saie,
David prophesied in his daye,
As yt rehearsed was.
(48)
IOELL43: I, Ioell, saie this sickerlye,
That my ghost send will I
From heaven, sitting in see.
Then shold our childre prophesie,
430 Ould men meet swevens wytterly,
Many wise shall be.
(49)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, this prophet speakes here
In Gods person, as it were,
And prophesies that he will apeare,
Ghostlie, to mankinde;
This signes non other, in good faye,
But of his deede on Whitson-day,
Sending his ghost that we ever may
440 On hym have sadlie mynd44.
427 merciably mercifully 430 meet (v) dream swevens dreams 431 sightes visions
MICHEAS45: I, Micheal, through my mynde,
Will saye that man shall sothlie finde
That a childe of kinges kinde
In Bethlem shall be borne,
That shall be duke to dight and deale,
And rule the folke of Israell,
Also wyn againe mankindes heale,
(51)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, two thinges apertlie
450 You may see in this prophesie;
The place certefies thee sothlie
Where Christ borne will be;
And after his ending, sickerlie,
Of his deedes of great mercy,
That he shold sit soveraynly
In heaven thereas is he.
(52)
Moe prophetis, lordinges, we might play,
But yt wold tary much the daye;
Therfore six, sothe to say,
460 Are played in this place.
Twoo speakes of his Incarnation,
An other of Christe Passion,
The fourth of the Resurrection
In figure of Jonas46.
(53)
The fifte speakes expreslie
How he from the highest heavenlye47
With oure kinde to heaven-blisse.
448 lorne lost 457 Moe more 467 forby redeem 468 steigh ascended
470 More love might he not shew, i-wis,
But right there as hym-selfe is,
He haunshed our kinde on high.
(54)
The sixt shewes, you may see,
His Goste to man send will he,
More stidfast that they shalbe
To love God evermore.
Thus that beleven, that leven we,
Of Gods deedes that had pittye
One man, when that he made them free,
480 Is prophesied here before48.
(55)
BALAACK49: Goe we forth! It is no boote
Longer with this man to moote,
For God of Iewes is crop and roote
And lord of heaven and hell.
Now see I well no man on lyve
Gaynes with him for to stryve,
Therefore here as mot I thryve
I will no longer dwell.
(56)
EXPOSITOR: Lordinges, much more matter
490 Is in this story then you see here50,
But the substance without were
Is played you beforne;
And by these prophesies, leav you me,
Three kinges, as you shall played see,
Presented at his Nativitye
Christ when he was borne.
Finis paginae quintae.
472 haunshed exalted 477 beleven (n) belief leven (ν) believe 482 moote debate 491 were omission 493 leav believe
