LUDUS COVENTRIAE 38
The first part of this play, to l.268, deals with the journey to Emmaus, a subject common in the liturgical drama and known as the Peregrini. It is first recorded at Lichfield in 1188–98.
The dramatic structure is rather simple, and this, together with the verse form in quatrains, has been held as evidence that this part of the cycle is one of the oldest. The Peregrini and the Incredulity of Thomas, which is added here, appear as separate plays in York and Towneley, and it is notable that the Proclamation of Ludus Coventriae lists them as separate (nos. 36 and 37). The text does not make it very clear how the transition is made (see note 10) but one may suppose that this is another example of the simultaneous staging characteristic of this cycle. One part of the stage serves for the journey to Emmaus, and another for the room in Jerusalem where Christ appears to Thomas. The two episodes are made to relate closely in terms of the theme of disbelief overcome, and the speech by Thomas (ll.353–92) acts as a climax to this. The whole play follows Luke 24 13–49 very closely.
[Scene: on the road to Emmaus.]
Hic incipit aparicio Cleophe et Luce.
(1)
CLEOPHAS: My brothir Lucas, I yow pray,
Plesynge to yow if that it be,
To the castel of Emawus1 a lytyl way
That ye vowche-saf to go with me.
LUCAS: All redy, brother, I walke with the
To yone castell with ryght good chere.
Evyn to-gedyr anon go we,
Brother Cleophas, we to in fere.
(2)
CLEOPHAS: A, brother Lucas, I am sore mevyd
10 Whan Cryst oure mayster comyth in my mynde.
Whan that I thynke how he was grevyd
Joye in myn herte kan I non fynde.
He was so lowlye, so good, so kynde,
Holy of lyf and meke of mood.
Alas, the Jewys thei were to blynde,
Hym for to kylle that was so good.
(3)
LUCAS: Brothyr Cleophas, ye sey ful soth:
They were to cursyd and to cruell,
And Judas that traytour, he was to loth,
20 For gold and sylvyr his mayster to selle.
The Jewys were redy hym for to qwelle,
With skorgys bete out all his blood.
Alas, thei were to fers and felle;
Shamfully thei henge hym on a rood.
(4)
CLEOPHAS: Ya, be-twen to thevys, alas for shame!
They henge hym up with body rent.
Alas, alas, they were to blame;
To cursyd and cruel was ther intent.
Whan for thurste he was nere shent
30 Eysil and galle thei govyn hym to drynke.
Alas for ruthe! His deth thei bent
In a fowle place of horryble stynke.
(5)
LUCAS: Ya, and cawse in hym cowde they non fynde.
Alas for sorwe, what was here thought?
And he dede helpe bothe lame and blynde,
And all seke men that were hym browght.
A-gens vice alwey he wrought,
Synfull dede wold he nevyr do,
Yit hym to kylle thei sparyd nought:
40 Alas, alas, why dede they so?
(6)
[Christ joins them unrecognized.]
CHRISTUS: Well ovyr-take ye, serys, in same.
To walke in felaschep with yow I pray.
LUCAS: Welcom, serys, in Goddys name.
Of good felaschep we sey not nay.
CHRISTUS: Qwat is your langage, to me ye say,
That ye have to-gedyr ye to?
Your myrthe is gon2. Why is it so?
(7)
CLEOPHAS: Sere, me thynkyth thou art a pore pylgrym
50 Here walkynge be thi selfe a-lone,
And in the cete of Jerusalem
Thou knowyst ryght lytyl what ther is done.
For pylgrymys comyn and gon ryth sone,
Ryght lytyl whyle pylgrymes do dwelle.
In all Jerusalem as thou hast gone
I trowe no tydyngys that thou canst telle.
(8)
CHRISTUS: Why, in Jerusalem what thynge is wrought?
What tydyngys fro thens brynge ye?
LUCAS: A, ther have they slayn a man for nought;
60 Gyltles he was as we telle the.
An holy prophete with God was he,
Myghtyly in wurde and eke in dede;
36 seke sick 41 in same together 47 evysum heavy 53 ryth right
Of God he had ryght grett pooste.
Amonge the pepyl his name gan sprede.
(9)
He hyght Jhesu of Nazareth;
A man he was of ryght grett fame.
The Jewys hym kylde with cruel deth,
With-out trespas or any blame.
Hym to scorne they had grett game
70 And naylid hym streyte on tyll a tre.
Alas, alas, me thynkyth grett shame
With-out cawse that this xulde be.
(10)
CLEOPHAS: Ya, sere, and ryght grett trost in hym we had,
All Israel countre that he xulde save.
The thrydde day is this that he was clad
In coold cley and leyd in grave,
Yitt woundyrful tydyngys of hym we have,
Of women that sought hym be-forn day lyth.
Wethyr they sey truthe or ellys do rave
80 We can not telle the trew verdyth.
(11)
Whan Cryst in grave thei cowde not se
They comyn to us and evyn thus tolde,
How that an aungell seyd to them thre
That he xuld leve with brest ful bolde.
Yitt Petyr and Johan preve this wolde;
To Crystys grave they ran thei tweyne;
And whan they come to the grave so coolde
They fownde the women fill trewe sertayne.
(12)
CHRISTUS: A ye fonnys and slought of herte
90 For to be-leve in holy scrypture!
63 pooste power 78 lyth light 80 verdyth verdict 85 wolde would 89 fonnys fools slought slothful
Have not the prophetys3 with wurdys smerte
That Cryste xuld deye for your valure,
And syth entre his joye and blys?
Why be ye of herte so dure,
And trust not in God that myghtful is?
(13)
Bothe Moyses and Aaron and othyr mo –
In holy scrypture ye may rede it –
Of Crystis deth thei spak also,
100 And how he xuld ryse out of his pitt.
Owt of feyth than why do ye flitte
Whan holy prophetys yow teche so pleyne?
Turne youre thought and chaunge your witte
And truste wele that Cryst doth leve a-geyne.
(14)
LUCAS: Leve ageyn? Man, be in pes!
How xulde a ded man evyr a-ryse?
I cowncell the such wurdys to ses
For dowte of Pylat, that hygh justyce.
He was slayn at the gre a-syse
110 Be cowncell of lordys many on.
Of suche langage take bettyr a-vise
In evry company ther thou dost gon.
(15)
CHRISTUS: Trewth dyd nevyr his maystyr shame;
Why xulde I ses than trewth to say?
Be Jonas4 the prophete I preve the same,
That was in a whallys body iij nyghtis and iij day;
So longe Cryst in his grave lay
As Jonas was with-inne the se.
His grave is brokyn that was of clay;
120 To lyff resyn agen now is he.
92 signifure meaning 93 valure health 107 ses cease 109 gre great 116 whallys whale’s 120 resyn risen
CLEOPHAS: Sey nott so, man, it may not be,
Thow thyn exaunple be sumdele good;
For Jonas on lyve evyr more was he
And Cryst was slayn upon a rood.
The Jewys on hym they were so wood
That to his herte a spere they pyght;
He bled owt all his herte blood.
How xulde he thanne ryse with myght?
(17)
CHRISTUS: Take hede at Aaron5 and his dede styk,
130 Which was ded of his nature,
And yit he floryschyd with flowrys full thyk
And bare almaundys of grett valure.
The ded styk was signifure
How Cryst that shamfully was deed and slayn,
As that dede styk bare frute ful pure,
So Cryst xuld ryse to lyve a-geyn.
(18)
LUCAS: That a deed styk frute xulde bere
I merveyle sore ther of i-wys.
But yitt hym self fro deth to rere
140 And leve a-geyn more woundyr it is.
That he doth leve I trost not this,
For he hath bled his blood so red;
But yitt of myrthe evyr moor I mys,
Whan I have mende that he is ded.
(19)
CHRISTUS: Why be ye so hard of truste?
Dede not Cryst reyse thorwe his owyn myght
Lazare6 that deed lay undyr the duste,
And stynkyd ryght foule as I yow plyght?
122 sumdele somewhat 126 pyght fixed 132 almaundys almonds 144 mende remembrance 146 thorwe through
To lyff Cryst reysid hym a-gen ful ryght
150 Out of his grave, this is serteyn.
Why may nat Cryste hym self thus qwyght
And ryse from deth to lyve ageyn?
(20)
CLEOPHAS: NOW trewly, sere, your wurdys ben good.
I have in yow ryght grett delyght.
I pray yow, sere, with mylde mood,
To dwelle with us all this nyght.
CHRISTUS: I must gon hens a-non ful ryght,
For grett massagys I have to do.
I wolde abyde yf that I myght,
160 But at this tyme I must hens go.
(21)
LUCAS: Ye xal not gon fro us this nyght.
It waxit all derke; gon is the day;
The sonne is downe; lorne is the lyght;
Ye xal not gon from us a-way.
CHRISTUS: I may not dwelle, as I yow say.
I must this nyght go to my frende.
Therfore, good bretheryn, I yow pray,
(22)
CLEOPHAS: Trewly from us ye xall not go;
170 Ye xal abyde with us here stylle.
Your goodly dalyaunce plesyth us so
We may nevyr have of yow oure fylle.
We pray yow, sere, with herty wylle,
All nyght with us abyde and dwelle,
More goodly langage to talkyn us tylle,
And of your good dalyaunce more for to telle.
151 qwyght release 163 lorne lost 168 Lett hinder 171 dalyaunce conversation 175 tylle to
LUCAS: Ya, brothyr Cleophas, be myn assent
Lete us hym kepe with strenth and myght.
Sett on youre hand with good entent
180 And pulle hym with us the wey well ryght.
The day is done, sere, and now it is nyght;
Why wole ye hens flow from us go?
Ye xal abyde, as I yow plyght;
Ye xal not walke this nyght us fro.
(24)
CLEOPHAS: This nyght fro us ye go not away,
We xal yow kepe be-twen us tweyne.
To us therfore ye sey not nay
But walke with us, the wey is pleyne.
CHRISTUS: Sythyn ye kepe me myght and mayn,
190 With herty wyll I xal abyde.
LUCAS: Of your abydyng we be fulfayn,
No man more wel-kom in this werd wyde.
(25)
CLEOPHAS: Of oure maystyr Cryst Jhesu
I love yow hertyly, trust me trew.
He was bothe meke and mylde of mood;
Of hym to speke is to me food.
If ye had knowe hym, I dare wel say,
And in what plyght with hym it stood,
200 Ye wold have thought on hym many a day.
(26)
LUCAS: Many a day! Ya, ya, i-wys,
He was a man of holy levynge;
Thow he had be the childe of God in blys
Bothe wyse and woundyrfull was his werkynge.
181 sere sir 183 plyght entreat 194 mech much
But aftere your labour and ferre walkynge
Takyth this loff and etyth sum bred;
And than wyl we have more talkynge
Of Cryst oure maystyr that is now ded.
(27)
CHRISTUS: Beth mery and glad with hert ful fre,
210 For of Cryst Jhesu that was your frende
Ye xal have tydyngys of game and gle
With-inne a whyle or ye hens wende.
With myn hand this bred7 I blys,
And breke it here as ye do se.
I geve yow parte also of this,
This bred to ete and blythe to be.
Hic subito discedat Christus ab oculis eorum8.
(28)
[CLEOPHAS:] A, mercy, God! What was oure happe?
Was not oure hert with love brennynge
Whan Cryst oure mayster so nere oure lappe9
220 Dede sitte and speke such suete talkynge?
He is now quyk and man lyvenge
That fyrst was slayn and put in grave.
Now may we chaunge all oure mornynge,
For oure Lord is resyn his servauntys to save.
(29)
LUCAS: Alas, for sorwe! What hap was this
Whan he dyd walke with us in way?
He prevyd by scripture ryght wel i-wys
That he was resyn from undyr clay.
We trustyd hym not but evyr seyd nay.
230 Alas for shame! Why seyd we so?
He is resyn to lyve this day;
Out of his grave oure Lord is go.
206 loff loaf etyth eat 211 gle joy 218 brennynge burning 220 suete sweet
CLEOPHAS: Latt us here no lengere dwelle,
But to oure bretheryn the wey we wende;
With talys trewe to them we telle
That Cryst doth leve, oure mayster and frende.
LUCAS: I graunt ther-to with hert ful hende.
Lete us go walke forthe in oure way.
I am ful joyfull in hert and mende
240 That oure Lord levyth that fyrst ded lay.
(31)
CLEOPHAS: NOW was it not goodly don
Of Cryst Jhesu oure mayster dere?
He hath with us a large wey gon
And of his uprysyng he dede us lere.
Whan he walkyd with us in fere,
And we supposyd hym both dede and colde,
That he was a-resyn from undyr bere,
Be holy scripture the trewth he tolde.
(32)
LUCAS: Ryght lovyngely don for-sothe this was.
250 What myght oure mayster tyl us do more
Than us to chere that forth dede pas
And for his deth we murnyd ful sore?
For love of hym oure myrth was lore;
We were for hym ryght hevy in herte;
But now oure myrth he doth restore,
For he is resyn bothe heyl and qwert.
(33)
CLEOPHAS: That he is thus resyn I have grett woundyr;
An hevy ston ovyr hym ther lay.
How shulde he breke the ston a-soundyr
260 That was deed and colde in clay?
252 murnyd mourned 256 qwert ?hearty 261 mervayle (v) wonder at
And drede that Lord of mekyl myght.
But yit of this no man sey nay
For we have seyn hym with opyn syght
(34)
LUCAS: That he doth leve I woot wel this;
He is a-resyn with flesch and blood.
A levynge man for-sothe he is
That rewly was rent upon a rood.
[They meet Peter10.]
All heyl, dere brothyr, and chaunge your mood,
270 For Cryst doth levyn and hath his hele.
We walkyd in wey with Cryst so good,
And spak with hym wurdys fele.
(35)
CLEOPHAS: Evyn tyll Emawus the grett castell
From Jerusalem with hym we went;
Syxti furlonge as we yow telle
We went with hym evyn passent.
He spak with us with good entent:
That Cryst xuld leve he tolde tyll us,
And previd it be scripture verament –
280 Trust me trewe, it is ryght thus.
(36)
Ya, and whan he had longe spokyn us tylle,
He wold from us agon his way.
With strenght and myght we keptyn hym stylle,
And bred we tokyn hym to etyn in fay.
He brak the loff as evyn on tway
As ony sharpe knyff xuld kytt breed;
Ther-by we knew the trewth that day,
That Cryst dede leve, and was not deed.
(37)
PETRUS: Now trewly, serys, I have grett woundyr
290 Of these grete merveylis that ye us telle.
268 rewly piteously 270 hele health
In brekynge of bred full evyn a-soundyr
Oure mayster ye knew and Lord ryght well.
Ye sey Cryst levith that Jewys dyd qwelle;
Tyll us glad tydyngys this is serteyn;
And that oure mayster with yow so longe dede dwelle,
It doth well preve that he levith a-geyn.
[Enter Thomas.]
(38)
A, brother Thomas, we may be ryght glad
Of these gode novell that we now have.
The grace of oure Lorde God is over us all sprad;
300 Oure Lord is resyn his se[r]vauntys to save.
THOMAS: Be in pes, Petyr, thou gynnyst to rave,
Thy wurdys be wantowne and ryght unwyse.
How xulde a deed man, that deed lay in grave,
With qwyk flesche and blood to lyve ageyn ryse?11
(39)
PETRUS: Yis, Thomas, dowte the not oure maystyr is on lyve;
Record of Mawdelyn and of here systerys too;
Cleophas and Lucas the trewthe for to contryve,
Fro Jerusalem to Emaws with hym dede they go.
THOMAS: I may nevyr in hert trust that it is so.
310 He was ded on cros and colde put in pitt,
Kept with knyhtys iiij, his grave sealyd also.
How xulde he levyn ageyn that so streyte was shitt?
(40)
PETRUS: Whan Mawdelyn dede tell us that Cryst was a-resyn
I ran to his grave and Johan ran with me.
In trewth ther we fownde he lay not in presyn;
Gon out of his grave and on lyve than he was.
Therfore, dere brother Thomas, I wole rede the
Stedfastly thou trust that Cryst is not deed;
Feythfully be-leve a qwyk man that he be,
320 A-resyn from his deth by myght of his godhed.
293 qwelle kill 294 Tyll to 312 streyte tight shitt shut 317 rede advise
THOMAS: I may nevyr be-leve these woundyr merveles
Tyl that I have syght of every grett wounde,
And putt in my fyngyr in place of the nayles –
I xal nevyr be-leve it ellys for no man on growunde.
And tyll that myn hand the sperys pytt hath fowunde,
Which dede cleve his hert and made hym sprede his blood,
I xal nevyr be-leve that he is qwyk and sownde
In trewth whyl I knowe that he was dede on rood.
(42)
PETRUS: Cryst be thi comforte and chawnge thi bad witt,
330 For feyth but thou have thi sowle is but lorn12.
With stedfast beleve God enforme the yitt,
Of a meke mayde as he was for us born.
[Christ re-appears.]
CHRISTUS: Pees be amonge yow! Be-holde how I am torn;
Take hede of myn handys, my dere brothyr Thomas.
THOMAS: My God and my Lorde! Nyght and every morn
I aske mercy, Lorde, for my grett trespas.
(43)
CHRISTUS: Be-holde wele, Thomas, my woundys so wyde,
Which I have sufferyd for all mankynde.
Put thin hool hand in to my ryght syd,
340 And in myn hert blood thin hand that thou wynde.
So feythfull a frend were mayst thou fynde?
Be stedfast in feyth, be-leve wel in me,
Be thou not dowtefful of me in thi mynde,
But trust that I leve that deed was on a tre.
(44)
THOMAS: My Lord and my God, with syght do I se
That thou art now quyk which henge deed on rode.
More feythful than I ther may no man be,
For myn hand have I wasch in thi precyous blode.
325 pytt hole 330 lorn lost 339 hool whole 341 were where 346 henge hung
CHRISTUS: For thou hast me seyn, therfore thi feyth is good;
350 But blyssyd be tho of this that have no syght
And be-leve in me; they, for here meke mood,
Shall com in to hefne, my blysse that is so bryght.
(45)
THOMAS: As a ravaschyd man whos witt is all gon,
Grett mornynge I make for my dredfful dowte.
Alas, I was dowteful that Cryst from undyr ston
Be his owyn grett myght no wyse myght gon owte.
Alas, what mevyd me thus in my thought?
My dowtefful be-leve ryght sore me avexit;
The trewthe do I knowe that God so hath wrought,
360 Quod mortuus et sepultus nunc resurrexit13.
(46)
He that was bothe deed and colde put in grave
To lyve is a-resyn by his owyn myght.
In his dere herte blood myn hand wasch I have
Where that the spere poynt was peyn-fully pyght.
I take me to feyth, for-sakynge all un-ryght.
The dowte that I had ful sore me avexit,
For now I have seyn with ful opyn syght,
Quod mortuus et sepultus nunc resurrexit.
(47)
I trustyd no talys that were me tolde
370 Tyll that myn hand dede in his hert blood wade.
My dowte doth aprevyn Cryst in levynge ful bolde
And is a grett argument in feyth us to glade.
Thou man that seyst this, from feyth nevyr thou fade;
My dowte xal evyr chere the that sore me avexit;
Truste wele in Cryst that such meracle hath made,
Quod mortuus et sepultus nunc resurrexit.
(48)
The prechynge of Petir myght not converte me
Tyll I felyd the wounde that the spere dyde cleve.
358 avexit vexes 378 felyd felt
I trustyd nevyr he levyd that deed was on a tre
380 Tyll that his herte blood dede renne in my sieve.
Thus be my grett dowte oure feyth may we preve.
Be-hold my blody hand to feyth that me avexit;
Be syght of this myrroure from feyth not remeve,
Quod mortuus et sepultus nunc resurrexit.
(49)
Thow that Mary Magdalyn in Cryst dede sone be-leve
And I was longe dowteful, yitt putt me in no blame,
For be my grett dowte oure feyth we may preve
Agens all the eretykys that speke of Cryst shame.
Truste wel Jhesu Cryst: the Jewys kyllyd the same.
390 The fende hath he feryd oure feyth that evyr a-vexit.
To hevyn yow brynge, and save yow all in same
That mortuus et sepultus iterum resurrexit14.
388 eretykys heretics
