YORK 48: MERCERES
The Judgement Day was performed by the Mercers. Burton’s list confirms this, and gives Mary, who does not appear in the text, as one of the characters. If we discount doubling, his list demands thirtyeight players. This may be an indication of the prosperity of the Mercers’ Guild. One may suppose that the last play in the cycle would be given to a Guild rich enough to provide for a notable spectacle.
The text is partly paralleled by the Towneley Juditium, but the beginning of the latter is lost, up to l.145 in York. The Towneley version has a more elaborate treatment of the Devils, who satirize the evils of man.
The York play is an emphatic and dignified ending to the cycle. Based upon many Scriptural references, but particularly Matthew 25 31–46, it echoes many themes and subjects which precede it. The notion of completed time is present here, and so are the Creation, the Fall, and Noah, the one good man in a world of sinners. Christ appears as the Judge, and his speeches refer to the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Redemption. The raising of the bodies of the dead is an echo of his own Resurrection. He presents himself as an example of the perfection of man, and gives a grim portrayal of human corruption.
One of the chief features of the Judgement Day was its spectacle. It was frequently portrayed in other art forms (as in the East Window of York Minster, 1405–8). Burtons list mentions that the Angels carry trumpets, as well as crowns, lances, and whips, which are the traditional emblems of the Passion.
Attempts to divide the play into scenes seem artificial. However, the staging is very carefully handled. The play begins with God the Father in Heaven. The Souls are raised by the First Angel at l.86. God the Son appears at l.176, and subsequently takes his seat of judgement (stage direction, l.216). The Devils are located in another place, and the main action of the play, the Judgement, begins at l.229. The final stage direction shows Christ returning to Heaven.
The tone is solemn and powerful throughout. The Devils are muted, and there appears to be no opportunity for comic or undignified by play as the damned are carried off to Hell. A similar restraint is shown in the writing of Christ’s part, which is carefully designed to give the maximum effect to the theological significance of the Judgement, and to complete many themes of the earlier plays. There is a very strict economy of action, and the writer seems to strive – with no little success – to achieve a formal, ceremonial balance.
[Scene: The Place of Judgement.]
(1)
DEUS incipit: Firste when I this worlde hadde wroght,
Woode and wynde and wateris wan,
And all-kynne thyng that nowe is oght1,
Fulle wele me thoght that I did thanne.
Whenne thei were made, goode me thame thoght;
Sethen to my liknes made I man.
And man to greve me gaffe he noght;
Therfore me rewis that I the worlde began.
(2)
Whanne I had made man at my will,
10 I gaffe hym wittis hym selve to wisse,
And paradise I putte hym till,
And bad hym halde it all as his.
But of the tree of goode and ill
I saide, ‘What tyme thou etis of this,
Manne, thou spedes thi selve to spill,
Thou arte broght oute of all blisse’2.
2 wan pale 3 oght anything 6 Sethen then 7 gaffe cared
He wende have bene a god therby,
He wende have wittyne of all-kynne thyng,
20 In worlde to have bene als wise as I.
He ete the appill I badde schulde hyng,
Thus was he begilid thurgh glotony.
Sithen both hym and his ospring,
To pyne I putte thame all for-thy.
(4)
To lange and late me thoghte it goode
To catche thois caitiffis oute of care;
I sente my Sone with full blithe moode
Till erthe, to salve thame of thare sare.
For rewthe of thame he reste on roode,
30 And boughte thame with his body bare;
For thame he shedde his harte and bloode;
What kyndinesse myght I do thame mare?
(5)
Sethen aftirwarde he heryed hell,
And toke oute thois wrechis that ware thare-inne.
Ther faughte that free with feendis feele
For thame that ware sounkyn for synne.
Sethen in erthe than gonne he dwelle;
Ensaumpill he gave thame hevene to wynne,
In tempill hym-selffe to teche and tell,
40 To by thame blisse that nevere may blynne.
(6)
Sethen have thei founde me full of mercye,
Full of grace and for-giffenesse,
And thei als wrecchis, wittirly,
Has ledde ther liffe in lithirnesse.
17 Belyve quickly 19 wittyne known 23 ospring progeny 28 sare suffering 36 sounkyn sunken 44 lithirnesse idleness
Ofte have thei greved me grevously,
Thus have thei quitte me my kyndinesse;
Ther-fore no lenger, sekirlye,
Thole will I thare wikkidnesse.
(7)
Men seis the worlde but vanite,
50 Yitt will no manne be ware ther-by;
Ilke a day ther mirroure may thei se,
Yitt thynke thei noght that thei schall dye.
All that evere I saide schulde be
Is nowe fulfillid thurgh prophicie;
Ther-fore nowe is it tyme to me
To make endyng of mannes folie.
(8)
I have tholed mankynde many a yere
In luste and likyng for to lende,
And unethis fynde I ferre or nere
60 A man that will his misse amende.
In erthe I see butte synnes seere,
Therfore myne aungellis will I sende
To blawe ther bemys, that all may here
The tyme is comen I will make ende.
(9)
Aungellis, blawes youre bemys belyve,
like a creatoure for to call;
Leerid and lewde, both man and wiffe,
Ressayve ther dome this day thei schall;
like a leede that evere hadde liffe,
70 Bese none for-getyn, grete ne small.
Ther schall thei see the woundes fyve
That my sone suffered for them all.
48 Thole suffer 59 unethis with difficulty 63 bemys trumpets 67 lewde ignorant 69 leede person
And sounderes thame be-fore my sight;
All same in blisse schall thei not be.
Mi blissid childre, as I have hight,
On my right hande I schall thame see:
Sethen schall ilke a weried wight
On my lifte side for ferdnesse flee.
This day ther domys thus have I dight,
80 To ilke a man as he hath served me.
(11)
I ANGELUS: Loved be thou, Lorde of myghtis moste,
That aungell made to messengere!
Thy will schall be fulfillid in haste,
That hevene and erthe and helle schalle here.
Goode and ill, every ilke agaste3,
Rise and fecche youre flessh4 that was youre feere,
For all this worlde is broght to waste;
Drawes to youre dome, it neghes nere.
(12)
II ANG: like a creature, bothe olde and yhing,
90 Be-lyve I bidde you that ye ryse,
Body and sawle with you ye bring
And comes be-fore the high justise.
For I am sente fro hevene kyng
To calle you to this grette assise.
Therfore rise uppe and geve rekenyng
How ye hym served uppon sere wise.
[The dead souls arise.]
(13)
I ANIMA BONA5: Loved be thou, Lorde, that is so schene,
That on this manere made us to rise
Body and sawle to-gedir, clene,
73 sounderes separate 77 weried cursed 89 yhing young 96 sere many wise ways
100 To come before the high justise.
Of oure ill dedis, Lorde, thou not mene,
That we have wroght uppon sere wise,
But graunte us for thy grace be-dene
That we may wonne in paradise.
(14)
II ANIMA BONA: A! loved be thou, Lorde of all!
That hevene and erthe and all has wroght,
That with thyne aungellis wolde us call,
Oute of oure graves hidir to be broght.
Ofte have we greved the, grette and small;
110 Ther aftir, Lorde, thou deme us noght6.
Ne suffir us nevere to fendis to be thrall,
That ofte in erthe with synne us soght.
(15)
I ANIMA MALA7: Allas! allas! that we were borne,
So may we synfull kaytiffis say.
I here wele be this hydous horne
Itt drawes full nere to domesday.
Allas, we wrecchis that ar for-lorne,
That never yitt served God to paye,
But ofte we have his flessh for-sworne,
120 Allas! allas! and welaway!
(16)
What schall we wrecchis do for drede,
Or whedir for ferdnes may we flee,
When we may bringe forthe no goode dede
Before hym that oure juge schall be?
To aske mercy us is no nede8
For wele I wotte dampned be we.
Allas! that we swilke liffe schulde lede,
That dighte us has this destonye.
103 be-dene at once 111 thrall enslaved 118 paye please 122 ferdnes fear
Oure wikkid werkis thei will us wreye,
130 That we wende never schuld have bene weten,
That we did ofte full prively,
Appertely may we se them wreten.
Allas! wrecchis, dere mon we by;
Full smerte with helle fyre be we smetyn.
Nowe mon nevere saule ne body dye,
But with wikkid peynes evermore be betyne.
(18)
Allas! for drede sore may we quake,
Oure dedis beis oure dampnacioune,
For oure mys-mevyng mon we make;
140 Helpe may none excusacioune9.
We mon be sette for our synnes sake;
For evere fro oure salvacioune,
In helle to dwelle with feendes blake,
Wher never schall be redempcioune.
(19)
II ANIMA MALA: Als carefull caitiffis may we ryse;
Sore may we wringe oure handis and wepe;
For cursidnesse and for covetise,
Dampned be we to helle full depe.
Rought we nevere of Goddis servise;
150 His comaundementis wolde we noght kepe,
But ofte than made we sacrafise
To Satanas, when othir slepe.
(20)
Allas, now wakens all oure were!
Oure wikkid werkis may we not hide,
But on oure bakkis us muste them bere;
Thei will us wreye on ilke a side.
129 wreye destroy 130 weten known 139 mys-mevyng evil-doing 149 Rought cared 153 were confusion
I see foule feendis that wille us feere,
And all for pompe of wikkid pride;
Wepe we may with many a teere.
160 Allas, that we this day schulde bide!
(21)
Before us playnly bese fourth brought
The dedis that us schall dame be-dene;
That eres has herde, or harte has thoght,
Sen any tyme that we may mene10,
That fote has gone or hande has wroght,
That mouthe has spoken or ey has sene,
This day full dere thanne bese it boght.
Allas, unborne and we hadde bene.
(22)
III ANG: Standis noght to-gedir; parte you in two:
170 All sam schall ye noght be in blisse;
Mi fadir of hevene woll it be soo,
For many of yowe has wroght amys.
The goode, on his right hande ye goe,
The way till hevene he will you wisse;
Ye weryed wightis, ye flee hym froo,
On his lefte hande, as none of his.
(23)
DEUS11: This woffull worlde is brought till ende,
Mi fadir of hevene he woll it be;
Therfore till erthe nowe will I wende,
180 Mi-selve to sitte in mageste.
To deme my domes I woll descende;
This body will I bere with me,
Howe it was dight, mannes mys to mende,
All mankynde there schall it see.
(24)
Mi postelis and my darlyngis dere,
The dredfull dome this day is dight.
175 weryed cursed 185 postelis apostles
Both heven and erthe and hell schall here
Howe I schall holde that I have hight;
That ye schall sitte on seetis sere12,
190 Be-side my selffe to se that sight,
And for to deme folke ferre and nere,
Aftir ther werkyng, wronge or right.
(25)
I saide also whan I you sente
To suffre sorowe for my sake,
All tho that wolde thame right repente
Schulde with you wende and wynly wake;
And to youre tales who toke no tente
Shulde fare to fyre with fendis blake,
Of mercy nowe may noght be mente,
200 Butt aftir wirkyng, welth or wrake.
(26)
My hetyng haly schall I fullfille.
Therfore comes furth and sittis me by
To here the dome of goode and ill.
I APOST: I love the, Lord God all myghty;
Late and herely, lowde and still,
To do thy bidding bayne am I:
I obblissh me to do thi will,
With all my myght, als is worthy.
(27)
II APOST: A, myghtfull God, here is it sene
210 Thou will fulfille thi forward right,
And all thi sawes thou will maynteyne.
I love the, Lorde, with all my myght,
Ther-fore us that has erthely bene,
Swilke dingnitees has dressed and dight13.
189 sere many, various 196 wynly joyfully wake watch 200 wrake wreck, ruin 205 herely early
DEUS: Comes fourthe, I schalle sitte you betwene,
And all fullfille that I have hight.
Hic ad sedem iudicij cum cantu angelorum14.
(28)
I DIABOLUS: Felas, arraye us for to fight;
And go we faste oure fee to fange;
The dredefull dome this day is dight;
220 I drede me that we dwelle full longe.
II DIAB: We schall be sene evere in ther sight,
And warly waite, ellis wirke we wrange15.
For if the domisman do us right,
Full grete partie with us schall gang.
(29)
III DIAB: He schall do right to foo and frende,
For nowe schall all the soth be sought;
All weried wightis with us schall wende;
To payne endles thei schall be broght16.
(30)
DEUS: like a creature, takes entent,
230 What bodworde I to you bringe.
This wofull worlde away is wente,
And I am come as crouned kynge.
Mi fadir of hevene, he has me sente
To deme youre dedis and make ending.
Comen is the day of jugement;
Of sorowe may ilke a synfull synge17.
(31)
The day is comen of kaydyfnes,
All tham to care that are unclene,
The day of bale and bittirnes,
240 Full longe abedyn has it bene,
The day of drede to more and lesse,
217 Felas companions 218 fee property fange take 222 warly warily 237 kaydyfnes wretchedness 240 abedyn awaited
Of care, of trymbelyng and of tene.
That ilke a wight that weried is
May say, ‘Allas this daye is sene!’
(32)
Here may ye see my woundes wide,
The whilke I tholed for youre mysdede,
Thurgh harte and heed, foote, hande, and hide18,
Nought for my gilte, butt for youre nede.
Beholdis both body, bak, and side,
250 How dere I bought youre brotherhede.
Thes bittir peynes I wolde abide
To bye you blisse, thus wolde I bleede.
(33)
Mi body was scourged with-outen skill;
As theffe full thraly was [I] thrette;
On crosse thei hanged me, on a hill,
Blody and bloo, as I was bette.
With croune of thorne throsten full ill;
This spere unto my side was sette;
Myne harte bloode spared noght thei for to spill;
260 Manne, for thy love wolde I not lette.
(34)
The Jewes spitte on me spitously;
Thei spared me nomore than a theffe;
Whan thei me strake I stode full stilly;
Agaynste tham did I no thyng greve.
Behalde mankynde, this ilke is I,
That for the suffered swilke mischeve;
Thus was I dight for thy folye:
Man, loke thy liffe was to me full leffe.
(35)
Thus was I dight thi sorowe to slake;
270 Manne, thus behoved the to borowed be19.
253 skill reason 254 thraly like a slave thrette threatened 268 leffe dear
In all my woo toke I no wrake;
Mi will itt was for the love of the.
Man, sore aught the for to quake,
This dredfull day this sight to see.
All this I suffered for thi sake;
Say, man, what suffered thou for me?
(36)
Mi blissid childre on my right hande,
Youre dome this day ye thar not drede,
For all youre comforte is command;
280 Youre liffe in likyng schall ye lede.
Commes to the kyngdome ay lastand,
That you is dight for youre goode dede;
Full blithe may ye be where ye stande,
For mekill in hevene schall be youre mede.
(37)
Whenne I was hungery20 ye me fedde;
To slake my thirste youre harte was free;
Whanne I was clothles ye me cledde;
Ye wolde no sorowe uppon me see.
In harde presse whan I was stedde,
290 Of my paynes ye hadde pitee;
Full seke whan I was brought in bedde,
Kyndely ye come to coumforte me.
(38)
Whanne I was wikke and werieste
Ye herbered me full hartefully;
Full gladde thann were ye of youre geste,
And pleyned my poverte piteuously.
Be-lyve ye brought me of the beste,
And made my bedde full esyly;
Therfore in hevene schall be youre reste,
300 In joie and blisse to be me by.
278 thar need 279 command coming 287 cledde clothed 295 geste guest 296 pleyned pitied
I ANIMA BONA: Whanne hadde we, Lorde that all has wroght,
Meete and drinke the with to feede,
Sen we in erthe hadde nevere noght
But thurgh the grace of thy godhede?
II ANIMA BONA: Whanne waste that we the clothes brought,
Or visite the in any nede,
Or in thi sikenes we the sought?
Lorde, when did we the this dede?
(40)
DEUS: Mi blissid childir, I schall you saye
310 What tyme this dede was to me done:
When any that nede hadde, nyght or day,
Askid you helpe and hadde it sone.
Youre fre hartis saide them nevere nay,
Erely ne late, mydday ne none,
But als ofte sithis as thei wolde praye,
Thame thurte but bide, and have ther bone21.
(41)
Ye cursid caytiffis of Kaymes kynne,
That nevere me comforte in my care,
I and ye for ever will twynne,
320 In dole to dwelle for evermare;
Youre bittir bales schall nevere blynne,
That ye schall have whan ye come thare.
Thus have ye served for youre synne,
For derffe dedis ye have done are.
(42)
Whanne I had mistir of mete and drynke,
Caytiffis, ye cacched me fro youre gate;
Whanne ye wer sette as sirs on benke,
I stode ther-oute, werie and wette,
Was none of yowe wolde on me thynke,
315 sithis times 324 derffe wicked 325 mistir need 327 benke bench
330 Pyte to have of my poure state;
Ther-fore till hell I schall you synke,
Weele are ye worthy to go that gate.
(43)
Whanne I was seke and soriest,
Ye visitte me noght, for I was poure;
In prisoune faste whan I was feste,
Was none of you loked howe I fore.
Whenne I wiste nevere where for to reste,
With dyntes ye draffe me fro your dore;
Butte ever to pride thanne were ye preste;
340 Mi flessh, my bloode ofte ye for-swore.
(44)
Clothles whanne I was ofte and colde,
At nede of you yede I full naked;
House ne herborow, helpe ne holde,
Hadde I none of you, thof I quaked22.
Mi mischeffe sawe ye many-folde,
Was none of you my sorowe slaked,
Butt evere for-soke me, yonge and aide;
Therfore schall ye nowe be for-saked.
(45)
I ANIMA MALA: Whan had thou, Lorde that all thyng has,
350 Hungir or thirste, sen thou God is?
Whan was thou in prisonne was,
Whan was thou naked or herberles?
II ANIMA MALA: Whan was it we sawe the seke, allas?
Whan kid we the this unkyndinesse,
Werie or wette to late the passe,
When did we the this wikkidnesse?
(46)
DEUS: Caistiffis, als ofte als it be-tidde
That nedfull aught askid in my name,
333 seke sick 336 fore lived, fared 338 dyntes blows 343 herborow shelter 354 kid showed
Ye herde them noght, youre eris ye hidde,
360 Youre helpe to thame was noght at hame,
To me was that unkyndines kyd23.
Ther-fore here this bittir blame,
To leste or moste whan ye it did,
To me ye did the selve and the same.
(47)
Mi chosen childir, comes unto me;
With me to wonne nowe schall ye wende;
There joie and blisse schall ever be;
Youre liffe in lyking schall ye lende.
Ye cursed kaitiffis, fro me ye flee,
370 In helle to dwelle with-outen ende.
Ther ye schall nevere butt sorowe see,
And sitte be Satanas the fende.
(48)
Nowe is fulfillid all my for-thoght,
For endid is all erthely thyng24,
All worldly wightis that I have wroght,
Aftir ther werkis have nowe wonnyng;
Thei that wolde synne and sessid noght,
Of sorowes sere now schall thei syng,
And thei that mendid thame whils thei moght,
380 Schall belde and bide in my blissing.
Et sic facit finem cum melodia angelorum transiens a loco ad locum25.
