YORK 37: SADILLERES
The play was performed by the Saddlers. Burton’s list refers to Verrours (glaziers) and Fuystours (makers of saddle-trees).
The subject was a very popular one, appearing in all four cycles and the Cornish cycle. There is a Middle English poem of the early thirteenth century, and the incident is given attention in Piers Plowman. The Descent into Hell, which is an article of the Creed, has no Scriptural basis. The Gospel of Nicodemus almost certainly provides the main source. It had appeared in the liturgy as part of the Easter ritual in the Sarum Breviary. The subject is also treated in the earliest French passion play, La Passion du Palatinus (early fourteenth century).
Theologically the play represents the triumph of Christ. This is achieved through a physical conflict – the Gates are burst – and by a verbal dispute between Christ and Satan, which Christ wins. It is also the culmination of the story of Adam, who is finally restored by Christ’s sacrifice.
The Towneley play is closely parallel, though there are some passages in York which seem to have been written after the cycles were divided. In the Towneley version the Devils are more unruly: the York is notable for its dignity and restraint, and its close attention to symbolic effect.
[Scene: the Gates of Hell1.]
(1)
JESUS: Manne on molde, be meke to me,
And have thy maker in thi mynde,
1 molde earth
And thynke howe I have tholid for the,
With pereles paynes for to be pyned.
The forward of my Fadir free
Have I fulfillid, as folke may fynde;
Ther-fore a-boute nowe woll I bee,
That I have bought2 for to unbynde.
The feende thame wanne with trayne
10 Thurgh frewte of erthely foode;
I have thame getyn agayne
Thurgh bying with my bloode.
(2)
And so I schall that steede restore
[Fro] whilke the feende fell for synne;
Thare schalle mankynde wonne evermore,
In blisse that schall nevere blynne.
All that in werke my werkemen were
Owte of thare woo I wol thame wynne,
And some signe schall I sende be-fore
20 Of grace to garre ther gamys be-gynne.
A light3 I woll thei have
To schewe thame I schall come sone;
Tille alle thes dedis be done.
(3)
Aftir his will that I schulde wende
For to fulfille the prophicye,
And als I spake my solace to spende.
My frendis that in me faith affies,
30 Nowe fro ther fois I schall thame fende,
And on the thirde day ryght uprise,
And so tille heven I schall assende.
Sithen schall I come agayne,
3 tholid suffered 13 steede place 16 blynne cease 23 bidis remains 25 ordand ordained 26 wende go 29 affies trusts 30 fende defend
Tille endless joie or peyne;
Thus is my Fadris will4.
(4)
ADAME: Mi bretheren, harkens to me here;
Swilke hope of heele nevere are we hadde,
Foure thousande and sex hundereth yere
40 Have we bene heere in this stedde.
Nowe see I signe of solace seere,
A glorious gleme to make us gladde,
Wher-fore I hope oure helpe is nere,
And sone schall sesse oure sorowes sadde.
EVA: Adame, my husband hende,
This menys solas certayne;
Such light gune on us lende
In paradise full playne.
(5)
ISAIAH: Adame, we schall wele undirstande,
50 I, Ysaias, as God me kende,
I prechid in Neptalym5, that lande,
And Zabulon even un-till ende.
I spake of folke in mirke walkand,
And saide a light sculde on thame lende;
This lered I whils I was levand;
Nowe se I God this same hath sende.
This light comes all of Christe,
That seede to save us nowe;
60 But, Symeon6, what sais thou?
(6)
SYMEON: Yhis, my tale of farleis feele,
For in this temple his frendis me fande;
I hadde delite with hym to dele,
38 heele cure 41 seere distinct, separate 50 kende taught 53 mirke dark 55 levand living 59 puplisshid revealed
And halsed homely with my hande.
I saide, ‘Lorde, late thy servaunt lele
Passe nowe in pesse to liffe lastand,
For nowe my selfe has sene thy hele,
Me liste no lengar to liffe in lande.’
This light thou hast purveyed
70 To folkes that liffis in leede;
The same that I thame saide,
I see fulfillid in dede7.
(7)
JOHANNES BAPTISTA: Als voyce criand to folke I kende
The weyes of Christe als I wele kanne,
I baptiste hym with bothe my hande
Even in the floode of flume Jordanne.
The Holy Goste fro hevene discende,
Als a white dowve8 doune on hym thanne;
The Fadir voice, my mirthe to mende,
80 Was made to me even als manne9,
‘This is my sone,’ he saide,
‘In whome me paies full wele.’
His light is on us laide,
He comes oure cares to kele.
(8)
MOYSES: Of that same light lernyng have I;
To me, Moyses, he mustered his myght,
And also unto anodir, Hely10,
Wher we were on an hille on hight.
Whyte as snowe was his body,
90 And his face like to the sonne to sight;
No man on molde was so myghty
Grathely to loke agaynste that light.
That same light se I nowe
Shynyng on us sarteyne,
64 halsed embraced 70 leede land, earth 76 flume river 78 dowve dove
We schalle sone passe fro payne.
(9)
I DIABOLUS: Helpe, Belsabub, to bynde thes boyes!
Such harrowe was never are herde in helle.
II DIAB: Why rooris thou soo, Rebalde11? Thou royis.
100 What is be-tidde, canne thou ought telle?
I DIAB: What! Heris thou noght this uggeiy noyse?
These lurdans that in Lymbo12 dwelle,
Thei make menyng of many joies,
And musteres grete mirthe thame emell.
II DIAB: Mirthe? Nay, nay, that poynte is paste;
More hele schall thei nevere have.
I DIAB: Thei crie on Criste full faste,
And sais he schal thame save.
(10)
BELSABUB: Ya, if he save thame noght, we schall,
110 For they are sperde in speciall space.
Whils I am prince and principall
Schall thei never passe oute of this place.
Calle uppe Astrotte13 and Anaball
To giffe ther counsaille in this case,
Bele-Berit14 and Belial,
To marre thame that swilke maistries mase15.
Say to Satan oure sire,
And bidde thame bringe also
120 I DIAB: Al redy, lorde, I goo.
(11)
JESUS [outside the gates]: Attollite portas, principes,
Oppen uppe, ye princes of paynes sere,
Et elevamini eternales16,
Youre yendles gatis that ye have here.
98 harrowe uproar 99 royis ?talkest folly 106 hele health 110 sperde shut 116 mase makes 119 lyre face
SATTAN: What page is there that makes prees,
And callis hym kyng of us in fere?
DAVID: I lered levand, with-outen lees17,
He is a kyng of vertues clere,
A lorde mekill of myght,
130 And stronge in ilke a stoure18,
In batailes ferse to fight,
And worthy to wynne honnoure.
(12)
SATTAN: Honnoure! In the develway, for what dede?
All erthely men to me are thrall,
The lady that calles hym lorde in leede
Hadde never yit herberowe, house, ne halle.
I DIAB: Harke, Belsabub! I have grete drede,
For hydously I herde hym calle.
BELLIALL: We! spere oure gates, all ill mot thou spede,
140 And sette furthe watches on the wall.
And if he call or crie
To make us more debate,
Lay on hym than hardely,
(13)
SATTAN: Telle me what boyes dare be so bolde
For drede to make so mekill draye.
I DIAB: Itt is the Jewe that Judas solde
For to be dede, this othir daye.
SATTAN: Owe! This tale in tyme is tolde;
150 This traytoure traves us alway.
He schall be here full harde in holde.
Loke that he passe noght, I the praye.
II DIAB: Nay, nay, he will noght wende
A-way or I be ware;
He shappis hym for to schende
Alle helle or he go ferre.
125 prees uproar 130 stoure struggle 135 leede country 136 herberowe harbour 139 spere shut 144 garre make gate way 146 draye disturbance 150 traves (v) crosses
SATTAN: Nay, faitour, ther-of schall he faile,
For alle his fare I hym deffie,
I knowe his trantis fro toppe to taile,
160 He levys with gaudis and with gilery.
Ther-by he brought oute of oure bale,
Nowe late, Lazar19 of Betannye,
Ther-fore I gaffe to the Jewes counsaille
That thei schulde alway garre hym dye.
I entered in Judas20
That forwarde to fulfille;
Ther-fore his hire he has,
(15)
BELSABUB: Sir Sattanne, sen we here the saie
170 That thou and the Jewes wer same assente,
And wotte he wanne Lazar awaye,
That tille us was tane for to tente,
Trowe thou that thou marre hym maye
To mustir myghtis what he has mente?21
If he nowe deprive us of oure praye,
We will ye witte whanne thei are wente.
SATTAN: I bidde you be noght abasshed
But boldely make youe boune
180 And dynge that dastard doune.
(16)
JESUS [outside the gates]: Principes, portas tollite,
Undo youre gatis, ye princis of pryde,
Et introibit rex glorie,
The kyng of blisse comes in this tyde.
[Jesus enters the gates.]
SATTAN: Owte! harrowe! [What harlot] is hee?
That sais his kyngdome schall be cryed.
159 trantis tricks 160 gilery deceit 168 wonne stay 179 toles tools
DAVID: That may thou in my sawter see
For that poynte of prophicie.
I saide that he schuld breke
190 Youre barres22 and bandis by name,
And on youre werkis take wreke;
Nowe schalle ye see the same.
(17)
JESUS: This steede schall stonde no lenger stoken.
Opynne uppe, and latte my pepul passe.
DIABOLUS: Oute! Beholdes, oure baill is brokynne,
And brosten are alle oure bandis of bras.
Telle Lucifer alle is unlokynne.
BELSABUB: What thanne, is Lymbus lorne? Allas!
Garre, Satan, helpe that we were wroken;
200 This werke is werse thanne evere it was.
SATTAN: I badde ye schulde be boune
If he made maistries more.
Do dynge that dastard doune,
And sette hym sadde and sore.
(18)
BELSABUB: Ya, sette hym sore, that is sone saide,
But come thi selffe and serve hym soo.
We may not bide his bittir braide;
He wille us marre, and we wer moo.
SATTAN: What, faitours, wherfore are ye ferde?
210 Have ye no force to flitte hym froo?
Belyve loke that my gere23 be grathed;
Mi selffe schall to that gedlyng goo.
Howe, belamy, abide,
And telle to me this tyde
What maistries makes thou here?
187 sawter psalter 191 wreke revenge 193 steede place stoken stuck 196 brosten burst 197 unlokynne unlocked 198 lorne lost 214 bere outcry
JESUS: I make no maistries but for myne.
Thame wolle I save, I telle the nowe;
Thou hadde no poure thame to pyne,
220 But as my prisonne for ther prowe
Here have thei soiorned, noght as thyne24,
But in thy warde, thou wote wele howe.
SATTAN: And what devel haste thou done ay syne
That never wolde negh thame nere or nowe?
JESUS: Nowe is the tyme certayne
Mi Fadir ordand be-fore,
That they schulde passe fro payne,
And wonne in mirthe ever more.
(20)
SATTAN: Thy fadir knewe I wele be sight.
230 He was a write his mette to wynne,
And Marie, me menys25, thi modir hight,
The uttiremeste ende of all thi kynne.
Who made the be so mekill of myght?
JESUS: Thou wikid feende, latte be thy dynne!
Mi Fadir wonnys in heven on hight,
With blisse that schall nevere blynne.
I am his awne sone,
His forward to fulfille,
240 And sundir when we wolle.
(21)
SATTAN: God sonne, thanne schulde thou be ful gladde;
Aftir no catel neyd thowe crave.
But thou has leved ay like a ladde,
And in sorowe as a symple knave.
JESUS: That was for hartely love I hadde
Unto mannis soule it for to save;
220 prowe profit, honour 223 syne since 230 write carpenter mette meat, food 239 wonne abide 242 catel property
And for to make the mased and madde,
And by that resoune thus dewly to have,
Mi godhede here I hidde
250 In Marie modir myne,
To the nor to none of thyne.
(22)
SATTAN: A, this wolde I were told in ilke a toune.
So sen thou sais God is thy sire,
I schall the prove be right resoune
Thou motes his men in to the myre26.
To breke his bidding were thei boune,
And, for they did at my desire,
Fro paradise he putte thame doune
260 In helle here to have ther hyre.
And thy selfe, day and nyght,
Has taught al men emang
To do resoune and right,
And here werkis thou all wrang.
(23)
JESUS: I wirke noght wrang, that schal thow witte,
If I my men fro woo will wynne;
Mi prophetis playnly prechid it,
All this note that nowe be-gynne.
Thai saide that I schulde be obitte,
270 To hell that I schulde entre in,
And save my servauntis fro that pitte,
Wher dampned saulis schall sitte for synne.
And ilke trewe prophettis tale
Muste be fulfillid in mee.
I have thame broughte with bale,
And in blisse schal thei be.
251 kidde known 269 obitte dead
SATTAN: Nowe sen the liste allegge the lawes27,
Thou schalte be atteynted, or we twynne,
For tho that thou to wittenesse drawes,
280 Full even agaynste the will be-gynne.
Salamon28 saide in his sawes
That whoso enteres helle withynne
Shall never come oute, thus clerkis knawes –
And therfore, felowe, leve thi dynne.
Job29, thi servaunte also,
Thus in his tyme gune telle
That nowthir frende nor foo
Shulde fynde reles in helle.
(25)
JESUS: He saide full soth, that schall thou see,
290 That in helle may be no reles,
But of that place than preched he,
Where synffull care schall evere encrees.
And in that bale ay schall thou be,
Whare sorowes sere schall never sesse,
And for my folke ther fro wer free,
Nowe schall thei passe to the place of pees.
Thai were here with my wille,
And so schall thei fourthe wende,
And thi selve schall fulfille
300 Ther wooe with-outen ende.
(26)
SATTAN: Owe! Thanne se I howe thou movys emang30
Some mesure with malice to melle,
Sen thou sais all schall noght gang,
But some schalle alway with us dwelle.
JESUS: Yaa, witte thou wele, ellis were it wrang,
Als cursed Cayme that slewe Abell,
And all that hastis hem-selve to hange
Als Judas and Archedefell31,
Datan and Abiron32
310 And alle of thare assente,
Als tyrantis everilkone
That me and myne turmente,
(27)
And all that liste noght to lere my lawe33,
That I have lefte in lande nowe newe,
That is my comyng for to knawe,
And to my sacramente pursewe,
Mi dede, my rysing, rede be rawe,
Who will noght trowe thei are noght trewe,
Unto my dome I schall thame drawe,
320 And juge thame worse thanne any Jewe.
And all that likis to leere
My lawe and leve ther bye
Shall nevere have harmes heere,
But welthe as is worthy.
(28)
SATTAN: Nowe here my hande, I halde me paied,
This poynte is playnly for oure prowe.
If this be soth that thou hast saide,
We schall have moo thanne we have nowe.
This lawe that thou nowe late has laide
330 I schall lere men noght to allowe,
Iff thei it take thei be be-traied,
For I schall turne thame tyte, I trowe.
I schall walke este and weste,
And garre thame werke welle werre.
JESUS: Naye, feende, thou schall be feste,
That thou schalte flitte not ferre.
(29)
SATTAN: Feste! That were a foule reasoune,
Nay, bellamy, thou bus be smytte34.
JESUS: Mighill!35 Myne aungell, make the boune,
340 And feste yone fende, that he not flitte.
317 rede learnt be rawe in turn
And, devyll, I comaunde the go doune
In-to thy selle, where thou schalte sitte.
SATTAN: Owt! Ay! Herrowe! Helpe, Mahounde!
Nowe wex I woode oute of my witte.
BELSABUB: Sattan, this saide we are,
Nowe schall thou fele thi fitte.
SATTAN: Allas, for dole and care,
I synke in to helle pitte.
(30)
ADAME: A! Jesu, Lorde, mekill is thi myght,
350 That mekis thi-selffe in this manere,
Us for to helpe as thou has hight,
Whanne both forfette I and my feere.
Here have we levyd with-outen light
Foure thousand and vi c yere;
Now se I be this solempne sight
Howe thy mercy hath made us clere.
EVE: A, Lorde, we were worthy
Mo turmentis for to taste,
But mende us with mercye
360 Als thou of myght is moste.
(31)
BAPTISTA: A! Lorde, I love the inwardly,
That me wolde make thi messengere,
Thy comyng in erth for to crye,
And teche thi faith to folke in feere,
And sithen be-fore the for to dye
And bringe boodworde to thame here,
How thai schulde have thyne helpe in hye.
Nowe se I all thi poyntis appere
Als David prophete trewe
370 Ofte tymes tolde untill us;
Of this comyng he knewe,
And saide it schulde be thus.
345 are before 346 fitte turn 350 mekis humblest
DAVID: Als I have saide, yitt saie I soo,
Ne derelinquas, domine,
Animam meam in inferno36;
Leffe noght my saule, Lorde, aftir the,
In depe helle where dampned schall goo,
Ne suffre nevere saules fro the be,
The sorowe of thame that wonnes in woo,
380 Ay full of filthe, that may repleye37.
ADAME: We thanke his grete goodnesse
Makes joie nowe more and lesse.
OMNIS: We laude God of his grace.
(33)
JESUS: Adame and my frendis in feere,
Fro all youre fooes come fourth with me.
Ye schalle be sette in solas seere,
Wher ye schall nevere of sorowes see.
And Mighill, myn aungell clere,
390 Ressayve thes saules all unto the,
And lede thame als I schall the lere
To Paradise with playe and plente.
[Michael leads the Souls from Hell.]
Mi grave I woll go till38,
Redy to rise uppe-right,
And so I schall fulfille
That I be-fore have highte.
(34)
MICHILL: Lorde, wende we schall aftir thi sawe,
To solace sere thai schall be sende;
But that ther develis no draught us drawe39,
400 Lorde, blisse us with thi holy hende.
JESUS: Mi blissing have ye all on rawe,
I schall be with youe wher ye wende,
382 fette fetched 400 hende hand
And all that lelly luffes my lawe.
Thai schall be blissid with-owten ende.
ADAME: TO the, Lorde, be lovyng40,
That us has wonne fro waa;
For solas will we syng
Laus tibi cum gloria41.
