CHESTER 12: BUTCHERS
The play, performed by the Butchers, was in the cycle by 1467. It depends in part upon the Stanzaic Life of Christ and upon the Gospels. The action is divided into two parts: the temptations of Christ by Satan (Matthew 4 1–11); and Christ’s treatment of the woman taken in adultery (John 8 1–11). This combination is not found in any other cycle, though both incidents are common enough as examples of Christ’s work. Indeed they here represent a process of testing (as the Chester title indicates) and are linked together thematically. As Christ is caught by Satan between human nature and divinity, so he is caught by the Jews between the old law and the new. The Expositor is introduced to comment upon the incidents – he is used not for narrative purposes but solely to support the homiletic points made by the narratives.
Satan appears in the first episode, and connects Christ’s predicament with Adam’s, as well as looking forward with horror to his own defeat and loss of authority after the Passion.
[Enter Satan]
(1)
SATHANAS: Now by my soverayntie, I sweare,
And principalitie that I beare,
In hell payne when I am there
There is a Doseberd1 I wolde dear
Who is his father I wot nere,
The sooth if I shold say.
(2)
What master man ever be this
10 That in the world thus comen is?
His mother I wot did never amisse,
And that now marvayles me.
His father can I not finde, I-wisse,
For all my craft ne my quaintyce;
It seemes he thought heaven were his,
So stout a syre is he.
(3)
He is a man from foote to crowne2,
And gotten without corruption;
So cleane of conversacion
20 Knew I never none before.
All men of hym marvayle mon,
For as man he goeth up and downe,
But as God with devocion
(4)
Sith the world first began,
Knew I never such a man,
Among the sinfull synne doth he none,
30 And cleaner then ever was any one;
He seemes to be of bloud and bone3,
And wiser then ever man was.
(5)
Avaryce ne no envye
In hym cold I never espy;
6 wyde-where everywhere 13 I-wisse indeed 14 quaintyce cunning 24 yore for a long time 27 deadlish mortal 28 wemlesse without blemish
Ne tempted is he by no sight.
Pryde has he none ne glotony
Ne no lyking of lechery;
40 Nother day nor night.
(6)
My highnes aye he putis behynde,
For in hym falte can I none finde;
If he be God in mans kinde,
My craft then fully fayles.
For more then man I wot he is,
Ells somewhat he did amisse4;
Ells I wot not what him ayles.
(7)
And this thing dare I soothly say:
50 If that he were God veray,
Hunger shold greeve hym by no way5;
That were against reason.
Therfore now I will assay
With speach of bread hym to betray,
For he hath fasted many a day,
Now meat were in season.
(8)
[He approaches Christ in the wilderness.]
Thou man, abyde and speak with me:
Gods sonne if that thou be,
Make of these stones that thou may see
60 Bread through thy blessing.
IESUS: Satan, I tell thee sickerly:
Man lyves not by bread onely,
But through Gods word, verely,
Of his mouth coming.
39 hard heard 42 falte fault 47 Saffe unless 48 ayles troubles 49 soothly truly
Therfore thou pynes thee, Satanas,
To supplant me of my place
By meat, as Adam sometyme was6,
Of blisse when he was brought.
Deceyved he was that tyme through thee,
70 But now must fayle thy posty;
Therfore to move that thing to me,
Yt shall serve the of naught.
(10)
Sathan, through thy entycement,
Hunger shall not turne my entent;
For Gods will omnipotent
Is my meat without fayle,
And His word perfecte sustenance
To me alway, without distance,
For thou shalt fynde no varyance
80 In me that shall avayle.
(11)
SATHANAS: Out! Alas! What is this?
This matter fares all amisse:
For hongry I see that he is,
But through no craft ne no quoyntice
I may not turne his will, I-wis;
Ne neede of meate ne worldly blisse
In hym nothing hath he.
(12)
For he may suffer all manner nye,
90 As man shold well and stiffly,
But ever he wynnes the victory,
As godhead in hym weare.
65 pynes thee strivest 74 entent intention 84 kindly naturally 89 nye harm 90 stiffly steadfastly
Some other sleight I must espie
This Dosaberd for to destroy,
For of me he hath the mastry
(13)
Adam, that God hym-selfe wrought,
Through my deceipt in bale I brought;
But this syre that I have sought,
100 Borne of one woman,
For ne neede that hym-selfe hase
[With] no counsaile in this case,
To greeve hym I may have no grace,
For no craft that I can7.
(14)
But I will seeke some subtilty:
Come furth, thou, Ihesu, come with me
Unto the holy citye;
I have an arrand to say.
110 Now I shall full sone see,
For I shall ordayne honor for thee,
Or that thou wend away.
Tunc statuet Iesum super pinnaculum templi8.
(15)
Say, thou that sittes there so hye,
If thou be Gods Sonne, be slye,
Come downe and I will say I see
Thyne owne Angell mon keepe thee,
That thou hurt nether foot nor knee;
Shew thy power, now lett see,
120 Thou may have honour therby.
96 Unhappely unfortunately 98 bale torment 109 Very true 116 mastry feat
IESUS: Sathan, sickerly I thee say:
It is written that thou ne may
Tempt God thy Lord, by no way,
What matter so ever be mooved.
Descendet de pinnaclo9.
SATHANAS: Alas! Woe is me to-day!
Twise have I fayled of my pray,
Was I never rowted in such aray,
Ne so fowle reproved.
(17)
Tunc Sathan adducet Iesum super montem et dicit Diabolus10
But yet if it be thy will,
130 Goe we play us upon this hill;
An other point thou must fulfill,
For ought that may befall.
Looke about thee now and see
Of all these realmes the royalty;
For to kneele downe and honour me
Thou shalte be lord of all.
(18)
IESUS: Goe furth, Satan! Goe furth, goe!
It is wrytten and shall be soe,
God, thy Lord, thou shalt honour oo
140 And serve hym though it thee noye.
SATHANAS: Out! Alas! Now me is woe,
For found I never so mickle a foe;
Though I to threpe be never so thro,
(19)
Alas! my sleight now am I quitt;
124 mooved raised 127 rowted routed 143 threpe dispute thro eager 144 thrye thrice 145 sleight trick quitt paid back 146 founded tried, inflicted fitt hardship, suffering
And hym in combrance sone I knitte
Throughe quayntice of my crafte.
Nowe sone out of sorrow he must be shut,
150 And I pyned in hell pitt;
Knew I never none of such a witt
As hym that I have lafte.
(20)
With helhoundes when I am hent
I must be ragged and all to-rent
And dryven all to dyrt.
Therfore is nowe myne intent,
Or I goe, to make my testament11:
To all that in this place be lent,
Exit.
[Enter Expositor.]
(21)
EXPOSITOR: Loe! Lordinges, Gods righteousnes,
As St Gregorie12 makes mynde expresse,
Since our forefather overcomen was
By three thinges to doe evill:
Gluttony, vayne glorye, there be twooe,
Covetuousnes of highnes alsoe,
By these three thinges, without moe,
Christ hath overcome the Devill.
(22)
That Adam was tempted in Glotony,
170 I may well prove apertly,
When of the frute falsly
The Devill made hym to eate.
And tempted he was in Vayne-glorye,
147 combrance harassment knitte entrapped 153 shent ruined 154 hent seized 155 to-rent torn to pieces 160 shitte excrement
When he height hym great mastery,
To have godhead, unworthely,
Through eating of that meate.
(23)
Also he was tempted in Avaryce,
When he het hym to be wise,
Knowe good and evill at his device,
180 More then he was worthy.
For Covetous, Gregory saieth expresse,
Synnes not onely in riches,
But in willing of highnes
And state, unskilfully.
(24)
Also Christ in these synnes three
Was tempted, you might well see,
For in Glotony, leave you me,
He moved hym, you saw here,
When he entyced hym through his red
190 To turnes stones into bread,
And so to prove his godhead,
(25)
In Vayne-glory he tempted him also,
When he excited hym downe to goe
The pynacle of the temple froe,
And in Covetous he tempted was,
When he shewed hym such riches
And het hym landes, both more and lesse,
200 And there-through greate estate.
(26)
Thus overcome Christe in this case
The Devill, as played was in this place,
192 weere doubt 196 gate way 199 het promised
With those three synnes that Adam was
But Adam fell through his trespas,
And Iesu withstood hym through his grace,
For of his godhead Sathanas
That tyme was cleane deceyved.
Tunc venient duo Iudeorum cum midiere deprehensa in adulterio, ut Iesum tentarent: guare dicat Primus13
(27)
PRIMUS IUDEUS: Master, I redd us by God almight
210 That we lead this wretched wight,
That was taken thus to-night
In fowle adultery,
Before Iesus in his sight;
For to tempte him I have tight,
To witt whether he will deme the right
Or ells unlawfully.
(28)
SECUNDUS IUDEUS: Hit is good redd, by my fay,
So we may catch him by some way,
For if he doe her grace to-day,
220 He dothe against the law14.
And if he bydd punishe her sore,
He dothe against his owne lore,
That he hath preached here before:
To mercy man shall draw.
Tunc venient ad Iesum15.
(29)
Master, this woman that is heer
Is a weddit wyfe, without weer;
But with an-other man then her fere
204 wayle prosperity wayved moved 214 tight intended, planned 215 deme judge 217 Hit it redd counsel 226 weer doubt 227 fere companion (husband)
And Moyses law byddes us stone
230 All such women as be uncleane.
Therfore to thee we can us meane
(30)
IESUS: Now which of you everychon
Is without synne, buske him anon,
And cast at her the first stonne,
Tunc Iesus scribit super ter[r]am16.
PRIMUS IEW: Speak on, master, somewhat to say:
Shall she be stoned or ells nay?
Or doe her mercy here to-day,
240 To forgeve her this synne?
(31)
SECUNDUS IEW: Master, why art thou so still?
What wrytes thou, master? If it be thy will,
Whether shall we save or spill
This woman found in blame?
Tunc inspiciunt scripsionerri17.
What wrytes thou, master? Now lett see!
Out! Alas! That wo is me!
Here no longer dare I be –
I see my synnes so clearly –
For dread of worlds shame.
Et fugiett: et postea dicat18
(32)
250 PRIMUS PHARASEUS: Why fleest thou, fellow? By my fay,
I will see sone and assay.
Alas! That I were away,
Farr behynde Fraunce!19
Stand thou, Sibbel, him besyde!
231 meane refer 232 dome judgement 234 buske prepare 236 Be-lyve at once blynne hesitate
Against thee now for to chyde,
As I have good chaunce.
Et fugiet; et dicat Iesus ad Mulierem20
(33)
IESUS: Woman, wher be those men echon
That putt this guilt thee uppon?
260 To damne thee is ther none
Of those that were before?
MULIER: Lord, to damne me ther is none,
For all they beene away gone.
IESUS: Neither do I damne thee; thow, woman,
Goe forth, and synne no more!
(34)
MULIER: A! Lord, blessed must thou be,
That of mischefe hath holpen me!
From hence-forth synne I will flee,
And serve thee, in good fay.
270 For godhead fully in thee I see,
That knoweth all workes that done be;
I honour thee, knelinge on my knee,
And so I will doe aye.
[Exeunt Jesus and the Woman. Enter Expositor.]
(35)
EXPOSITOR: Now, lordings, I pray you take hede
Of the great goodnes of Gods deede;
I will declare as it is nede,
This thing that played was.
As Augustyne sayeth expressely
Of it in his Homely
280 Uppon St Iohn Evangely,
This he sayeth in this case:
258 echon each one
Two wayes they casten him to anoy,
Sith he hadd preached much of mercy,
And the law commaunded expresly
Such women for to stone,
That trespassed in adultery;
Therfore they hoped witterly
Or blemishe the law clean.
(37)
290 Then wist Iesus well ther thought
And all ther witts sett at nought,
But bade which no synne hadd wrought,
Cast first at her a stone;
And wrott in clay – leeve you me –
Ther owne sinnes that they might see,
That eche one fayne was to flee,
And ther lafte never one.
(38)
For eche one of them had grace
To see theyr synnes in that place;
300 Yet none of other wyser was,
But his owne eche man knew21.
And fayne [they] were to take their way,
Lest they had damned beene that day.
Thus holpe the Woman, in good fay,
Our sweet Lord Iesu.
Finis paginae duodecimae.
282 casten tried 288 Variance inconsistency 290 wist knew 294 wrott wrote
