THE YORK PLAY ‘HARROWING OF HELL’
British Museum MS. Addit. 35290 (about 1430–40), f. 193 b.
The miracle play Harrowing of Hell is assigned to the craft of Saddlers in the York cycle, edited by Miss L. Toulmin-Smith, Oxford 1885, pp. 372 ff. This is the text reproduced below. It is also found, though in a less perfect form, among the Towneley Plays, ed. England and Pollard, E.E.T.S., 1897, pp. 293 ff.
All the mediaeval stories of Christ’s Descent into Hell are based on the gospel of Nicodemus, which seems to date from the fourth century, though the legend is referred to nearly two centuries earlier. This apocryphal narrative was popular throughout the Middle Ages. There is a prose translation in late Anglo-Saxon, and a Middle English verse rendering supplies some of the phrases in the play.
Two points deserve notice for their bearing on the development of miracles. A trace of their origin in the services of the Church is seen in the use made of the Scriptural passage ‘Attollite portas, principes, vestras, et elevamini portae aeternales, et introibit rex gloriae’, the dramatic possibilities of which were recognized in ritual from an early date. And the growing taste for comic scenes is met, withoutprejudice to the serious characters, by the rudimentary buffoonery of the Devil and his companions.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
[SCENE I, outside the gates of Hell.]
1. 〈lesus. M〉anne on molde, be meke to me,
And haue thy Maker in þi mynde,
And thynke howe I haue tholid for þe
With pereles paynes for to be pyned.
The forward of my Fadir free 5
Haue I fulfillid, as folke may fynde,
Þerfore aboute nowe woll I bee
Þat I haue bought for to vnbynde.
Þe feende þame wanne with trayne,
Thurgh frewte of erthely foode; 10
I haue þame getyn agayne
Thurgh bying with my bloode.
2. And so I schall þat steede restore
Fro whilke þe feende fell for synne;
Þare schalle mankynde wonne euermore 15
In blisse þat schall neuere blynne.
All þat in werke my werkemen were,
Owte of thare woo I wol þame wynne,
And some signe schall I sende before
Of grace, to garre þer gamys begynne. 20
A light I woll þei haue
To schewe þame I schall come sone;
My bodie bidis in graue
Tille alle thes dedis be done.
3. My Fadir ordand on þis wise 25
Aftir His will þat I schulde wende,
For to fulfille þe prophicye〈s〉,
And als I spake my solace to spende.
My frendis, þat in me faith affies,
Nowe fro ther fois I schall þame fende, 30
And on the thirde day ryght vprise,
And so tille heuen I schall assende.
Sithen schall I come agayne
To deme bothe goode and ill
Tille endles ioie or peyne; 35
Þus is my Fadris will.
[SCENE II, Hell; at one side Limbo, enclosing the patriarchs and prophets; a light shines across.]
4. Adame. Mi bretheren, harkens to me here,
Swilke hope of heele neuere are we hadde.
Foure thowsande and sex hundereth 
ere
Haue we bene heere in †þis stedde†. 40
Nowe see I signe of solace seere,
A glorious gleme to make vs gladde,
Wherfore I hope oure helpe is nere,
And sone schall sesse oure sorowes sadde.
Eua. Adame, my husband hende, 45
Þis menys solas certayne;
Such light gune on vs lende
In Paradise full playne.
5. Isaiah. Adame, we schall wele vndirstande;
I, Ysaias, as God me kende, 50
I prechid in Neptalym þat lande,
And abulon, even vntill ende.
I spake of folke in mirke walkand,
And saide a light schulde on þame lende;
This lered I whils I was leuand, 55
Nowe se I God þis same hath sende.
Þis light comes all of Criste,
Þat seede, to saue vs nowe,
Þus is my poynte puplisshid.
But Symeon, what sais þou? 60
6. Symeon. Þhis, my tale of farleis feele,
For in þis temple His frendis me fande;
I hadde delite with Hym to dele,
And halsed homely with my hande.
I saide, ‘Lorde, late thy seruaunt lele 65
Passe nowe in pesse to liffe lastand,
For nowe myselfe has sene Thy hele,
Me liste no lengar to liffe in lande.’
Þis light Þou hast purueyed
To folkes þat liffis in leede, 70
Þe same þat I þame saide,
I see fulfillid in dede.
7. Iohan. Baptista. Als voyce criand to folke I kende
Þe weyes of Criste, als I wele kanne;
I baptiste Hym with bothe my hande 75
Euen in þe floode of flume Iordanne.
Þe Holy Goste fro heuene discende
Als a white dowue doune on Hym þanne;
The Fadir voice, my mirthe to mende,
Was made to me euen als manne, 80
‘This is my Sone,’ he saide,
‘In whome me paies full wele.’
His light is on vs laide,
He comes oure cares to kele.
8. Moyses. Of þat same light lernyng haue I, 85
To me Moyses He mustered his myght,
And also vnto anodir, Hely,
Wher we were on an hille on hight.
Whyte as snowe was His body,
And His face like to þe sonne to sight: 90
No man on molde was so myghty
Grathely to loke agaynste þat light;
Þat same light se I nowe
Shynyng on vs sarteyne,
Wherfore trewly I trowe 95
We schalle sone passe fro payne.
9. i Diabolus. Helpe! Belsabub! to bynde þer boyes,
Such harrowe was neuer are herde in helle.
ii Diab. Why rooris þou soo, Rebalde? þou royis;
What is betidde, canne þou ought telle? 100
i Diab. What! heris þou not þis vggely noyse?
Þes lurdans þat in Lymbo dwelle,
Þei make menyng of many ioies,
And musteres grete mirthe þame emell.
ii Diab. Mirthe? nay, nay, þat poynte is paste, 105
More hele schall þei neuer haue.
i Diab. Þei crie on Criste full faste,
And sais he schal þame saue.
10. Belsabub. a, if he saue þame noght, we schall,
For they are sperde in speciall space; 110
Whils I am prince and principall
Schall þei neuer passe oute of þis place.
Calle vppe Astrotte and Anaball
To giffe þer counsaille in þis case,
Bele-Berit and Belial, 115
To marre þame þat swilke maistries mase.
Say to Satan oure sire,
And bidde þame bringe also
Lucifer louely of lyre.
i Diab. Al redy, lorde, I goo. 120
11. Iesus [Without]. Attollite portas, principes,
Oppen vppe, e princes of paynes sere,
Et eleuamini eternales,
Youre yendles atis þat e haue here.
Sattan. What page is þere þat makes prees, 125
And callis hym kyng of vs in fere?
Dauid [in Limbo]. I lered leuand, withouten lees,
He is a kyng of vertues clere.
A! Lorde, mekill of myght,
And stronge in ilke a stoure, 130
In batailes ferse to fight,
And worthy to wynne honnoure.
12. Sattan. Honnoure! in þe deuel way, for what dede?
All erthely men to me are thrall;
Þe lady þat calles hym lorde in leede 135
Hadde neuer itt herberowe, house, ne halle.
i Diab. Harke, Belsabub! I haue grete drede,
For hydously I herde hym calle.
Belliall. We! spere oure ates, all ill mot þou spede!
And sette furthe watches on þe wall. 140
And if he calle or crie
To make vs more debate,
Lay on hym þan hardely,
And garre hym gang his gate.
13. Sattan. Telle me what boyes dare be so bolde 145
For drede to make so mekill draye.
i Diab. Itt is þe Iewe þat Iudas solde
For to be dede, þis othir daye.
Sattan. O we! þis tale in tyme is tolde,
Þis traytoure traues〈es〉 vs alway; 150
He schall be here full harde in holde,
Loke þat he passe noght, I þe praye.
ii Diab. Nay, nay, he will not wende
Away or I be ware,
He shappis hym for to schende 155
Alle helle, or he go ferre.
14. Sattan. Nay, faitour, þerof schall he faile,
For alle his fare I hym deffie;
I knowe his trantis fro toppe to taile,
He leuys with gaudis and with gilery. 160
Þerby he brought oute of oure bale,
Nowe late, Laar of Betannye,
Þerfore I gaffe to þe Iewes counsaille
Þat þei schulde alway garre hym dye.
Þat forwarde to fulfille,
Þerfore his hire he has,
Allway to wonne here stille.
15. Belsabub. Sir Sattanne, sen we here þe saie
Þat þou and þe Iewes wer same assente, 170
And wotte he wanne Laar awaye,
Þat tille vs was tane for to tente,
Trowe þou þat þou marre hym maye
To mustir myghtis, what he has mente?
If he nowe depriue vs of oure praye, 175
We will e witte whanne þei are wente.
Sattan. I bidde ou be not abasshed,
But boldely make youe boune
With toles þat e on traste,
And dynge þat dastard doune. 180
16. Iesus [Without]. Principes, portas tollite,
Vndo youre atis, e princis of pryde,
Et introibit rex glorie,
Þe kyng of blisse comes in þis tyde. [Enters the gates of Hell.
Sattan. Owte! harrowe 〈what harlot〉 is hee 185
Þat sais his kyngdome schall be cryed?
Dauid [in Limbo]. Þat may þou in my Sawter see
For þat poynte I prophicie〈d〉.
I saide þat he schuld breke
Youre barres and bandis by name, 190
And on youre werkis take wreke;
Nowe schalle e see þe same.
17. Iesus. Þis steede schall stonde no lenger stoken;
Opynne vppe, and latte my pepul passe!
Diabolus. Owte! beholdes, oure baill is brokynne, 195
And brosten are alle oure bandis of bras.
Telle Lucifer alle is vnlokynne.
Belsabub. What þanne, is Lymbus lorne? allas!
Garre Satan helpe þat we wer wroken;
Þis werke is werse þanne euere it was. 200
Sattan. I badde e schulde be boune
If he made maistries more;
Do dynge þat dastard doune,
And sette hym sadde and sore.
18. Belsabub. a, sette hym sore, þat is sone saide, 205
But come þiselffe and serue hym soo;
We may not bide his bittir braide,
He wille vs marre and we wer moo.
Sattan. What! faitours, wherfore are e ferde?
Haue e no force to flitte hym froo? 210
Belyue loke þat my gere be grathed,
Miselffe schall to þat gedlyng goo.
[To Iesus.] Howe! belamy, abide,
With al thy booste and bere,
And telle to me þis tyde, 215
What maistries makes þou here?
19. Iesus. I make no maistries but for myne,
Þame wolle I saue, I telle þe nowe;
Þou hadde no poure þame to pyne,
But as my prisoune for þer prowe 220
Here haue þei soiorned, noght as thyne,
But in thy warde, þou wote wele howe.
Sattan. And what deuel haste þou done ay syne,
Þat neuer wolde negh þame nere, or nowe?
Iesus. Nowe is þe tyme certayne 225
Mi Fadir ordand before
Þat they schulde passe fro payne,
And wonne in mirthe euer more.
20. Sattan. Thy fadir knewe I wele be sight,
He was a write his mette to wynne, 230
And Marie me menys þi modir hight,
Þe vttiremeste ende of all þi kynne.
Who made þe be so mekill of myght?
Iesus. Þou wikid feende, latte be thy dynne!
Mi Fadir wonnys in heuen on hight, 235
With blisse þat schall neuere blynne.
I am His awne sone,
His forward to fulfille;
And same ay schall we wonne,
And sundir whan we wolle. 240
21. Sattan. God〈ys〉 sonne! þanne schulde þou be ful gladde,
Aftir no catel neyd thowe craue!
But þou has leued ay like a ladde,
And in sorowe, as a symple knaue.
Iesus. Þat was for hartely loue I hadde 245
Vnto mannis soule, it for to saue;
And for to make þe mased and madde,
And by þat resoune þus dewly to haue
Mi godhede here, I hidde
In Marie modir myne, 250
For it schulde not be kidde
To þe, nor to none of thyne.
22. Sattan. A! þis wolde I were tolde in ilke a toune.
So, sen þou sais God is thy sire,
I schall þe þroue, be right resoune, 255
Þou motes His men into þe myre.
To breke His bidding were þei boune,
And, for they did at my desire,
Fro Paradise He putte þame doune
In helle here to haue þer hyre. 260
And thyselfe, day and nyght,
Has taught al men emang
To do resoune and right,
And here werkis þou all wrang.
23. Iesus. I wirke noght wrang, þat schal þow witte, 265
If I my men fro woo will wynne;
Mi prophetis playnly prechid it,
All þis note þat nowe begynne.
Þai saide þat I schulde be obitte,
To hell þat I schulde entre in, 270
And saue my seruauntis fro þat pitte,
Wher dampned saulis schall sitte for synne.
And ilke trewe prophettis tale
Muste be fulfillid in mee;
I haue þame boughte with bale, 275
And in blisse schal þei be.
24. Sattan. Nowe sen þe liste allegge þe lawes,
Þou schalte be atteynted, or we twynne,
For þo þat þou to wittenesse drawes
Full even agaynste þe will begynne. 280
Salamon saide in his sawes
Þat whoso enteres helle withynne
Shall neuer come oute, þus clerkis knawes,
And þerfore, felowe, leue þi dynne.
Iob, þi seruaunte, also 285
Þus in his tyme gune telle,
Þat nowthir frende nor foo
Shulde fynde reles in helle.
25. Iesus. He saide full soth, þat schall þou see,
Þat in helle may be no reles, 290
But of þat place þan preched he
Where synffull care schall euere encrees.
And in þat bale ay schall þou be,
Whare sorowes sere schall neuer sesse,
And for my folke þerfro wer free, 295
Nowe schall þei passe to þe place of pees.
Þai were here with my wille,
And so schall þei fourthe wende,
And þiselue schall fulfille
Þer wooe withouten ende. 300
26. Sattan. O we! þanne se I howe þou menys emang
Some mesure with malice to melle,
Sen þou sais all schall not gang,
But some schalle alway with vs dwelle.
Iesus. aa, witte þou wele, ellis were it wrang, 305
Als cursed Cayme þat slewe Abell,
And all þat hastis hemselue to hange,
Als Iudas and Archedefell,
Datan and Abiron,
And alle of þare assente; 310
Als tyrantis euerilkone
Þat me and myne turmente.
27. And all þat liste noght to lere my lawe,
Þat I haue lefte in lande nowe newe,
Þat is my comyng for to knawe, 315
And to my sacramente pursewe,
Mi dede, my rysing, rede be rawe,
Who will noght trowe, þei are noght trewe,
Vnto my dome I schall þame drawe,
And iuge þame worse þanne any Iewe. 320
My lawe, and leue þerbye,
Shall neuere haue harmes heere,
But welthe, as is worthy.
28. Sattan. Nowe here my hande, I halde me paied; 325
Þis poynte is playnly for oure prowe;
If þis be soth þat þou hast saide,
We schall haue moo þanne we haue nowe.
Þis lawe þat þou nowe late has laide
I schall lere men not to allowe, 330
Iff þei it take, þei be betraied,
For I schall turne þame tyte, I trowe.
I schall walke este and weste,
And garre þame werke wele werre.
Iesus. Naye, feende, þou schall be feste, 335
Þat þou schalte flitte not ferre.
29. Sattan. Feste! þat were a foule reasoune,
Nay, bellamy, þou bus be smytte.
Iesus. Mighill! myne aungell, make þe boune,
And feste yone fende, þat he noght flitte. 340
And Deuyll, I comaunde þe go doune
Into thy selle where þou schalte sitte. [Satan sinks.
Sattan. Owt, ay! herrowe! helpe Mahounde!
Nowe wex I woode oute of my witte.
Belsabub. Sattan, þis saide we are, 345
Nowe schall þou fele þi fitte.
Sattan. Allas! for dole and care,
I synke into helle pitte. [Falls into the pit.
30. Adame. A! Iesu Lorde, mekill is Þi myght,
That mekis Þiselffe in þis manere, 350
Vs for to helpe, as Þou has hight,
Whanne both forfette, I and my feere.
Here haue we leuyd withouten light
Foure thousand and six hundred ere;
Now se I be þis solempne sight 355
Howe Thy mercy hath made vs clere.
Eue. A! Lorde, we were worthy
Mo turmentis for to taste,
But mende vs with mercye,
Als Þou of myght is moste. 360
31. Baptista. A! Lorde, I loue Þe inwardly,
That me wolde make Þi messengere
Thy comyng in erth for to crye,
And teche Þi faith to folke in feere;
And sithen before Þe for to dye, 365
And bringe boodworde to þame here,
How þai schulde haue Thyne helpe in hye:
Nowe se I all Þi poyntis appere.
Als Dauid prophete trewe
Ofte tymes tolde vntill vs, 370
Of þis comyng he knewe,
And saide it schulde be þus.
32. Dauid. Als I haue saide, itt saie I soo,
Ne derelinquas, Domine,
Animam meam 〈in〉 inferno, 375
Leffe noght my saule, Lorde, aftir Þe,
In depe helle where dampned schall goo,
Ne suffre neuere †saules fro Þe be†
The sorowe of þame þat wonnes in woo
Ay full of filthe, †þat may repleye†. 380
Adame. We thanke His grete goodnesse
He fette vs fro þis place,
Makes ioie nowe more and lesse;
Omnis. We laude God of His grace.
33. Iesus. Adame and my frendis in feere, 385
Fro all youre fooes come fourth with me,
e schalle be sette in solas seere,
Wher e schall neuere of sorowes see.
And Mighill, myn aungell clere,
Ressayue þes saules all vnto þe, 390
And lede þame als I schall þe lere
To Paradise with playe and plenté. [They come out of Limbo.
Mi graue I woll go till,
Redy to rise vpperight,
And so I schall fulfille 395
That I before haue highte.
34. Michill. Lorde, wende we schall aftir Þi sawe,
To solace sere þai schall be sende,
But þat þer deuelis no draught vs drawe,
Lorde, blisse vs with Þi holy hende. 400
Iesus. Mi blissing haue e all on rawe,
I schall be with youe, wher e wende,
And all þat lelly luffes my lawe,
Þai schall be blissid withowten ende.
Adame. To Þe, Lorde, be louyng, 405
Þat vs has wonne fro waa,
For solas will we syng,
Laus Tibi cum gloria. [Exeunt.
14 Fro] For MS.
40 in þis stedde] in darknes stad Towneley.
49 Isaiah] Isaac MS.
170 þe] e MS.
185 what harlot] from Towneley MS.: om. MS.
188 I] of MS.
242 neyd thowe craue] þus þe I telle first hand.
244 as] added later MS. knaue] braide first hand.
347 dole] dolee MS.
356 clere] clene MS.