English Mystery Plays

19. The Death of Herod

LUDUS COVENTRIAE 20

The principal events here are common to the other cycles: the play presents Herod’s ruthless intention to kill all the male children under two years old (Matthew 216) out of revenge for the challenge to his kingship. The cruelty of the Massacre of the Innocents is powerfully shown, and Herod is satisfied and pleased by what he hears. In some versions he dies immediately after this, and the writer here has turned this event into a striking scene. The Proclamation at the beginning of the cycle indicates that there were two plays on these events, and it is therefore reasonable to suppose that there has been a later revision. Certainly the appearance of Death at the feast is reminiscent of the morality plays, and has no parallel elsewhere in the cycles. The moralities frequently impressed upon their audiences the inevitability and suddenness of death. Though their structure was usually designed to show moral conflict, the warning about the necessity for virtue was sharpened and intensified by the idea that death could not be resisted by anyone of whatever rank. Herod’s cruelty and arrogance, his blasphemy, and his triumphant self-indulgence at the feast mark him out for disaster. Death arrives and kills him with a spear, delivering to the audience his warning about the grave. It is a remarkable piece of writing, showing hints of tragedy in the morality idiom. One must recognize also that it is to some extent a departure from the idiom of the mystery plays.

Tunc respiciens Senescallus vadyt ad Herodem dicens¹

(1)

SENESCALLUS: Lord, I have walkyd be dale and hylle

And wayted as it is your wyll.

The kyngys iii. stelyn awey full styll

Thorwe Bedleem londe.

They wyl nevyr, so moty the ²,

Com in the lond of Galyle,

For to se your fay[r] cete,

Ne dedys of your honde.

(2)

HERODES REX: I ryde on my rowel ryche in my regne,

10 Rybbys ful reed with rape xal I rende,

Popetys and paphawkys I xal puttyn in peyne,

With my spere prevyn pychyn and to pende.

The gomys with gold crownys ne gete nevyr ageyn,

To seke tho sottys sondys xal I sende.

Do howlott howtyn, hoberd and heyn;

Whan here barnys blede undyr credyl bende,

Sharply I xal hem shende,

The knave childeryn that be

In all Israel countre;

20 Thei xul have blody ble

For on I calde unkende ³.

(3)

It is tolde in grw

His name xulde be Jhesu.

I-fownde

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,

30 Shewyth on your shulderys scheldys and schaftys,

9 rowel spur 10 Rybbys ribs reed red rape force 11 Popetys puppets paphawkys ?sucklings 12 prevyn test pychyn stab pende pinch 13 gomys men 14 sottys fools sondys messengers 15 Do make howlott owl (i.e. woman) howtyn hoot hoberd clown heyn villain 21 unkende unnatural 22 grw Greek 28 kythe make use of

Shapyht amonge [selcouthys ⁴] ashyrlyng shray;

Doth rowncys rennyn with rakynge raftys

Tyl rybbys be to-rent with a reed ray ⁵.

Lete no barne beleve on bete baftys,

Tyl a beggere blede be bestys baye,

Mahound that best may ⁶.

I warne yow, my knyghtys,

A barn is born, I plyghtys,

Wolde clymbyn kynge and knytys,

40 And lett my lordly lay.

Knyghtys wyse,

Chosyn full chyse,

A-ryse, a-ryse,

And take youre tolle,

And every page

Of ii. yere age,

Or evyr ye swage,

Sleyth ilke a fool.

(5)

On of hem alle

50 Was born in stalle;

Folys hym calle

Kynge in crowne.

With byttyr galle

He xall down falle;

My myght in halle

Xal nevyr go down.

(6)

I MILES: I xall sle scharlys,

And qwenys with therlys;

31 ashyrlyng shrilling shray clamour 32 rowncys horses raftys shafts 33 ray dance 34 baftys behind 35 baye stall 38 plyghtys promise 39 clymbyn (v) ?silence 40 lett hinder lay law 42 chyse choice 47 swage cease 57 scharlys churls 58 qwenys women therlys serfs

Here knave gerlys

60 I xal steke.

Forth wyl I spede

To don hem blede;

Thow gerlys grede,

We xul be wreke.

(7)

II MILES: For swerdys sharpe

As an harpe,

Quenys xul karpe

And of sorwe synge.

Barnys yonge,

70 They xul be stunge

Thurwe levyr and lunge;

We xal hem stynge.

[The Angel appears to Joseph.]

(8)

ANGELUS: Α-wake, Joseph, and take thi wyff,

Thy chylde also, ryd be-lyff ⁷,

For Kynge Herowde with sharpe knyff

His knyghtys he doth sende.

The Fadyr of hevyn hath to the sent,

In to Egypte that thou be bent,

For cruel knyghtys thi childe have ment

80 With swerde to sle and shende.

(9)

JOSEPH: Awake, good wyff, out of your slepe,

And of your childe takyght good kepe,

Whyl I your clothis ley on hepe

And trus hem on the asse.

Kynge Herowde the chylde wyl scloo;

Therfore to Egypte muste we goo.

59 gerlys children 63 grede cry out 64 wreke avenged 67 karpe complain 79 ment threatened 85 scloo slay

An aungel of God seyd me soo,

And ther-fore lete us passe.

(10)

Tunc ibunt milites ad pueros occidendos et dicat prima femina⁸

I FEMINA: Longe lullynge have I lorn.

90 Alas, qwhy was my baron born?

With swappynge swerde how is he shorn,

The heed ryght fro the nekke,

Shanke and shulderyn is al to torn.

Sorwyn I se be-hyndyn and be-forn,

Both mydnyth, mydday, and at morn;

Of my lyff I ne recke.

(11)

II FEMINA: Serteynly I sey the same.

Gon is all my good game,

My lytyll childe lyth all lame,

100 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.

(12)

I MILES: Lorde in trone,

Makyght no mone.

Qwenys gyn grone

In werdl aboute.

Upon my spere

110 A gerle I bere ⁹;

I dare well swere,

Lett moderys howte.

101 wekys weeks 102 sefne seven 104 happys fortune 108 werdl world 112 howte hoot

(13)

II MILES: Lord, we han spad

As ye bad,

Barnis ben blad,

And lyne in dych;

Flesch and veyn

Han tholyd peyn,

And ye xul reyne

120 Ever more rych.

(14)

HERODES REX: Ye xul have stedys

To your 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.

(15)

In sete now am I sett as kynge of myghtys most;

130 All this werd for ther love to me xul thei lowt.

Both of hevyn and of erth and of helle cost,

For dygne of my dygnyte 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 a-gens my bost,

I xal rappe tho rebawdys and rake them on rought,

With my bryght bronde.

Ther xal be neyther kayser nere k[yn]ge

But that I xal hem down dynge,

140 Lesse than he at my byddynge

Be buxum to myn honde ¹⁰.

115 blad bled 118 tholyd suffered 123 ledys peoples 124 Fryth forest fe property 130 lowt bow 131 cost region 132 dowt fear 133 toost (piece of) toast 135 brybour scoundrel, thief 141 buxum obedient

(16)

Now, my jentyll and curteys knyghtys, herke to me this stownde.

Good tyme sone, me thynkygh, at dyner that we were;

Smertly therfore sett a tabyll a-non here full sownde,

Coverid with a coryous cloth and with rych wurthy fare,

Servyse for the lovelyest lorde that levynge is on grownde;

Beste metys and wurthyest wynes loke that ye non spare.

Thow that a lytyl pynt xulde coste a Ml. pownde,

Brynge alwey of the beste; for coste take ye no care,

150 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 your myght;

The servyse comyth in sone.

(17)

HERODES REX: NOW am I sett at mete,

And wurthely servyd at my degre.

Com forth, knyghtys, sytt down and ete,

And be as mery as ye kan be.

I MILES: Lord, at yowre byddynge we take oure sete,

160 With herty wyl obey we the.

Ther is no lorde of myght so grett,

Thorwe all this werde in no countre,

In wurchepp to a-byde.

HERODES [REX]: I was nevyr meryer here be-forn,

Sythe that I was fyrst born,

Than I am now ryght in this morn;

In joy I gynne to glyde.

(18)

[Enter Mors.]

MORS: OW! I herde a page make preysyng of pride;

All prynces he passyth, he wenyth, of powste.

170 He wenyth to be the wurthyest of all this werde wyde;

142 stownde time 145 coryous fine, elaborate 163 wurchepp honour 167 gynne begin glyde go 168 preysyng praising 169 wenyth thinks powste power

Kynge ovyr all kyngys that page wenyth to be.

He sent into Bedlem to seke on every syde

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 ¹¹.

All-myghty God hath sent me here

Yon lordeyn to sle with-owtyn dwere,

180 For his wykkyd werkynge.

(19)

I am sent fro God: Deth is my name.

All thynge 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,

Ya, the grete myghty okys with my dent I spylle.

What man that I wrastele with he xal ryght sone have schame.

I geve hym such a trepett, he xal evyr-more ly stylle,

For Deth kan no sporte.

190 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.

(20)

Ow! se how prowdely yon kaytyff sytt at mete;

Of Deth hath he no dowte; he wenyth to leve evyr-more.

To hym wyl I go and geve hym such an hete

That all the lechis of the londe his lyf xul nevyr restore.

Α-gens my dredful dentys it vaylyth nevyr to plete;

Or I hym part fro I xal make ful pore;

200 All the blood of his body I xal hym owt swete.

174, 179 lurdeyn lordeyn oaf 179 dwere fear 185 Erbe herb gres grass 187 wrastele wrestle 188 trepett trip 196 hete blow 197 lechis doctors 198 plete plead 200 owt swete sweat out

For now I go to sle hym with strokys sad and sore,

This tyde.

Bothe hym and his knyghtys all,

I xal hem make to me but thrall;

With my spere sle hem I xall

And so cast down his pride.

(21)

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,

210 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 no thynge 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.

(22)

220 I MILES: 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 your ryght.

II MILES: Now trewly, my lorde the kynge, we had ben un-hende,

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 a-gen thi mekyl myght,

From deth hem to flytt.

HERODES REX: Amonges all that grett rowthe,

207 kende proved 211 prendyd pinned, stuck padde frog 212 nere nor gerth garth 214 dyrthe shortage 224 un-hende churlish, lacking in chivalry 228 flytt flee 229 rowthe company