YORK 44: POTTERES
This play is attributed to the Potters in Burton’s list and in the manuscript. The subject of the coming of the Holy Ghost had an important part in the liturgy, but there is no evidence that the dove was used in the plays, and the action itself is shown very simply. The main source of the York play is Acts 1 and 2. The election of a new Apostle to replace Judas is mentioned briefly but not developed as in the Bible.
There is some discrepancy between Burton’s list of characters and those actually appearing in our text. Burton mentions eleven Apostles: only six speak (assuming that Peter and John are I and II). He records four Jews instead of two Doctors, and he gives two angels. The discrepancies may be accounted for by mutes, but the possibility that the play was modified after 1415 remains.
The play was written for simultaneous staging, with the Doctors outside the chamber in which the Apostles meet. This arrangement gives greater point to the mockery by the Doctors, and the Apostles are able to open the doors in a dramatic gesture (ll. 175–6).
[Scene: a house in Jerusalem: Mary and the Apostles inside, the Jews outside.]
(1)
PETRUS: Brethir, takes tente unto my Steven;
Thanne schall ye stabily undirstande,
Oure maistir hende is hence to hevyn,
To reste there on his Fadirs right hande.
1 steven speech
And we are leved a-lyve, ellevyn,
To lere his lawes lely in lande.
Or we begynne us muste be even,
Ellis are owre werkis noght to warande.
For parfite noumbre it is none,
10 Off elleven for to lere;
Nobis precepit Dominus predicare populo et
testificare quia prope est iudex vivorum et mortuorum1.
(2)
Oure Lord comaunded us, more and lesse,
To rewle us right aftir his rede.
He badde us preche and bere wittenesse
That he schulde deme bothe quike and dede.
To hym all prophettis prevys expresse;
20 All tho that trowis in his godhede,
Off synnes thei schall have forgiffenesse,
So schall we say mekill rede.
And senne we on this wise
Itt nedis we us avise
(3)
JOHANNES: Serely he saide that we schulde wende
In all this worlde his will to wirke,
And be his counsaile to be kende
30 He saide he schulde sette haly kirke.
But firste he saide he schulde doune sende
His sande, that we schuld noght be irke,
His Haly Gaste on us to lende,
And make us to melle of materes mirke.
Us menis he saide us thus2
6 lere teach 11 tone taken 12 seere even 18 quike living 24 discrie reveal 26 serely separately, differently 27 Serely surely 32 sande messenger irke oppressed 34 melle of be concerned with mirke dark, evil
III APOS: Cum venerit paraclitus
Docebit vos omnia3.
(4)
JACOBUS: Ya, certaynely he saide us soo,
40 And mekill more thanne we of mene4.
Nisi ego abiero5,
Thus tolde he ofte tymes us be-twene,
He saide forsoth, but if I goo,
The Holy Goste schall not be sene;
Et dum assumptus fuero6,
Thanne schall I sende you comforte clene.
That oure dedis schulde be dight;
So schall we trewly trowe,
50 He will holde that he us highte.
(5)
IV APOS: He highte us fro harme for to hyde,
And holde in hele both hede and hende;
Whanne we take that he talde that tyde,
Fro all oure foois it schall us fende.
But thus in bayle behoves us bide,
To tyme that sande till us be sende;
The Jewis besettis us in ilke a side
That we may nowdir walke nor wende.
V APOS: We dare noght walke for drede
60 Or comforte come us till;
Itt is moste for oure spede
Here to be stokyn still.
(6)
MARIA: Brethir, what mene ye you emelle,
To make mournyng at ilk a mele?
My sone, that of all welthe is well,
47 holy wholly 50 highte promised 52 hende hand 63 emelle amongst 64 mele time
He will you wisse to wirke ful wele.
For the tente day is this to telle
Sen he saide we schull favoure fele.
Levys wele that lange schall it not dwell,
70 And therfore drede you nevere a dele,
But prayes with harte and hende
That we his helpe may have.
Thanne schall it sone be sende,
The sande that schall us save.
(7)
I DOCTOR: Harke, maistir, for Mahoundes peyne,
Howe that thes mobbardis maddis nowe.
Ther maistir that oure men have slayne
Hase garte thame on his trifullis trowe.
II DOCTOR: The lurdayne sais he leffis agayne;
80 That mater may thei nevere avowe,
For as thei herde his prechyng pleyne,
He was away, thai wiste noght howe.
I DOCT: They wiste noght whenne he wente,
Therfore fully thei faile,
And sais tham schall be sente
Grete helpe thurgh his counsaille.
(8)
II DOCT: He myghte nowdir sende clothe nor clowte;
He was nevere but a wrecche alway.
But samme oure men and make a schowte;
90 So schall we beste yone foolis flaye.
I DOCT: Nay, nay, than will thei dye for doute.
I rede we make noght mekill dray,
But warly wayte when thai come oute
And marre thame thanne, if that we may.
II DOCT: Now, certis, I assente ther-tille.
Yitt wolde I noght thei wiste.
76 mobbardis clowns maddis rave 78 garte made 87 clowte kerchief 89 samme gather 90 flaye frighten 92 dray disturbance 93 warly cautiously
Yone carles than schall we kill
But thei liffe als us liste.
[The Holy Ghost descends.]
Angelus tunc cantare ‘Veni creator spiritus’7.
(9)
MARIA: Honnoure and blisse be ever nowe
100 With worschippe in this worlde alwaye
To my soverayne sone, Jesu,
Oure Lord alione that laste schall ay.
Nowe may we triste his talis ar trewe,
Be dedis that here is done this day.
Als lange as ye his pase pursue,
The fende ne fendis yow for to flay8.
For his high Hali Gaste
110 And all misse to amende.
(10)
PET: All mys to mende nowe have we myght;
This is the mirthe oure maistir of mente.
I myght noght loke, so was it light.
A! loved be that Lorde that itt us lente.
Now hase he holden that he us highte;
His Holy Goste here have we hente.
Like to the sonne itt semed in sight
And sodenly thanne was itt sente.
II APOS: Hitt was sente for oure sele,
120 Hitt giffis us happe and hele;
I myght felle folke full feele.
(11)
III APOS: We have force for to fighte in felde
And favour of all folke in feere,
105 pase steps 108 lende stay 109 taste enjoy 119 sele happiness 120 happe fortune 121 slike such 122 felle destroy feele many
With wisdome in this worlde to welde,
Be knowing of all clergye clere.
IV APOS: We have bewteis to be oure belde,
And langage nedis us none to lere.
That Lorde us awe yappely to yelde
130 That us has yemed unto this yere.
V APOS: This is the yere of grace
That musteris us emang,
As aungellis in this place
That sais thus in ther sange.
(12)
I APOS: In thare sigging saide thei thus,
And tolde ther talis be-twene them two:
Veni, creator spiritus,
Mentes tuorum visita9.
They praied the spirite come till us,
140 And mende oure myndis with mirthis ma;
That lered thei of oure Lorde Jesus,
For he saide that itt schulde be swa.
II APOS: He saide he schulde us sende
His Holy Goste fro hevyn
Oure myndis with mirthe to mende;
Nowe is all ordand evyn.
(13)
III APOS: Even als he saide schulde to us come,
So has bene schewid un-to oure sight:
Tristicia implevit cor vestrum,
150 Firste sorowe in herte he us hight;
Sed convertetur in gaudium10,
Sen saide he that [we] schulde be light.
Nowe that he saide us, all and summe,
Is mefid emange us thurgh his myght.
IV APOS: His myght with mayne and mode
May comforte all man-kynde.
125 welde use 126 clergye learning 127 bewteis beauties belde protection 129 awe ought yappely eagerly yelde give 130 yemed guarded yere year 140 ma many 142 swa so 154 mefid moved
I DOCTOR [outside11]: Harke, man, for Mahoundes bloode,
Ther men maddis oute of mynde.
(14)
Thei make carpyng of ilke contre
160 And leris langage of ilk a lande.
II DOCT: They speke oure speche als wele as we,
And in ilke a steede it undirstande.
I DOCT: And all are noght of Galilee
That takis this hardinesse on hande;
Butt thei are drounken, all thes menye,
Of muste or wyne, I wolle warande.
II DOCT: Nowe certis this was wele saide,
That makis ther mynde to marre;
Yone faitours schall be flaied,
170 Or that thei flitte aught ferre.
(15)
IV APOS [inside]: Harke, brethir, waites wele aboute,
For in oure fayre we fynde no frende;
The Jewes with strengh are sterne and stoute,
And scharpely schapes them us to schende.
I APOS: Oure maistir has putte alle perellis oute,
And fellid the falsed of die fende;
Undo youre dores, and haves no doute,
For to yone warlowes will we wende,
II APOS: To wende have we no drede,
180 Noght for to do oure dette,
For to nevyn that is nede
Shall none on-lyve us lette12.
[They open the doors.]
(16)
PETRUS: Ye Jewez that in Jerusalem dwelle,
Youre tales are false, that schall ye fynde;
158 maddis rave 159 carpyng talk 160 ilk a every165 menye company 166 muste new wine 172 fayre affair
That we are dronken we here you telle,
Be-cause ye hope we have bene pynnyd.
A prophette preved, his name is Johell,
A gentill Jewe of youre awne kynde,
He spekis thus in his speciall spell,
190 And of this matere makis he mynde.
Be poyntis of prophicie
He tolde full ferre be-fore,
This may ye noght denye,
For thus his wordis wore,
Et erit in novissimus diebus, dicit Dominus:
effundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem13.
(17)
III APOS: Loo, losellis, loo, thus may ye lere
Howe youre elders wrotte alway;
The Holy Goste have we tane here,
200 As youre awne prophettis prechid ay.
IV APOS: Hitt is the myght of oure maistir dere,
All dedis that here are done this daye;
He giffis us myght and playne power
To conclude all that ye can saie.
I DOCT: There men hase mekill myght
Thurgh happe thei here have tone14,
II DOCT: Wende we oute of ther sight,
And latte them even alione.
[Exeunt Jews.]
(18)
I APOS: Nowe, brethir myne, sen we all meffe,
210 To teche the feithe to foo and frende,
Oure tarying may turne us to mischeffe;
Wherfore I counsaille that we wende
Untille oure lady, and take oure leve.
II APOS: Sertis so woll we with wordis hende.
Mi lady, takis it noght to greve,
I may no lenger with you lende.
186 pynnyd tormented 190 mynde mention
MARIA: Nowe Petir, sen itt schall be soo,
That ye have diverse gatis to gang,
Ther schall none dere you for to doo,
220 Whils my sone musteris you emang.
Butt, John and Jamys, my cosyns twoo,
Loke that ye lenge not fro me lange.
JOH: Lady, youre wille in wele and woo
Itt schall be wroght, ellis wirke we wrang.
JACOB: Lady, we bothe are boune
Atte youre biddyng to be.
MARIA: The blissing of my sone
Be boith with you and me.
219 dere (n) hurt 220 musteris reveals himself
