Primus Tortor. I warand alle redy oure toyles, both moore and les,

And sir Symon truly gose on before with cros.

Tercius Tortor. Now by Mahowne, oure heven kyng!

I wold that he were in that stede
Where we myght hym on cros bryng;
Step on before and furthe hym lede
A trace.

Primus Tortor. Com on thou!
Secundus Tortor. Put on thou!

Tercius Tortor. I com fast after you,
And folowse on the chase.

EXPLICIT FLAGELLACIO.

SEQUITUR PROCESSUS CRUCIS.

Pilatus. Peasse I byd everyeich wight,
Stand as stylle as stone in walle,
Whyles ye ar present in my sight,
That none of ye clatter ne calle,
For if ye do youre dede is dyght,
I warne it you both greatte and smalle,
With this brand burnyshyd so bright,
Therfor in peasse loke ye be alle.
What! peasse in the dwillys name!
Harlottes and dustards alle bedene,
On galus ye be maide fulle tame,
Thefes and mychers keyn;
Wille ye not peasse when I bid you?
By Mahownys bloode, if ye me teyn,
I shalle ordan sone for you,
Paynes that never ere were seyn,
And that anone;

Be ye so bold beggars, I warn you,
Fulle boldly shalle I bett you,
To helle the dwille shalle draw you,
Body, bak and bone.

I am a lord that mekylle is of myght,
Prynce of a'le Jury, sir Pilate I highte,
Next kyng Herode gryttyst of alle,

Bowys to my byddyng bothe greatt and smalle,
Or els be ye shentt;

Therfore stere youre tonges, I warn you alle,
And unto us take tent.

Primus Tortor. Alle peasse, alle peasse, emang you
alle!

And herkyns now what shalle befalle

Of this fals chuffer here;

That with his fals quantyse,

Has lett hym self as God wyse,
Emanges us many a yere.

He cals hym self a prophett,
And says that he can bales bete,

And make alle thynges amende ;

Bot or lang wytt we shalle

Wheder he can bete his awne bale,

Or skapp out of oure hende.

Was not this a wonder thyng,
That he durst calle hym self a kyng
And make so greatt a lee?
Bot, by Mahowne! whyls I may lyf
Those prowde wordes shalle I never forgyf,
Tylle he be hanged on he.

Secundus Tortor. His pride, fy, we sett at noght, Bot ich man kest in his thoght,

And looke that we noght wante;

For I shalle fownde, if that I may,

By the order of knyghtede, to day
To cause his hart pante.

Tercius Tortor. And so shalle I with alle my
myght,

Abate his pryde this ylk nyght,

And rekyn hym a crede;

Lo, he lettes he cowde none ylle,
Bot he can ay, when he wylle,
Do a fulle fowlle dede.

Quartus Tortor. Yei felows, ye, as have I rest! Emanges us alle I red we kest

To bryng this thefe to dede;

Looke that we have that we shuld nate,
For to hald this shrew strate.

Primus Tortor. That was a nobylle red;

Lo, here I have a bande,

If nede be to bynde his hande,

This thwong, I trow, wille last.

Secundus Tortor. And here oone to the othere

syde,

That shalle abate his pride,

Be it be drawen fast.

Tercius Tortor. Lo, here a hamere and nales also, For to festen fast oure foo

To this tre fulle soyn.

Quartus Tortor. Ye ar wise, withoutten drede, That so can help yourself at nede

Of thyng that shuld be done.

Primus Tortor. Now dar I say hardely,
He shalle with alle his mawmentry
No longere us be telle.

Secundus Tortor. Syn Pilate has hym tylle us

geyn,

Have done, belyfe, let it be seyn

How we can withe hym melle.

Tercius Tortor. Now ar we at the Monte of
Calvarye,

Have done, folows, and let now se

How we can with hym lake.

Quartus Tortor. Yee, for as modee as he can loke, He wold have turnyd an othere croke Myght he have had the rake.

Primus Tortor. In fayth, syr, sen ye callyd you a kyng,

Ye must prufe a worthy thyng

That falles unto the were;

Ye must just in tornamente,

Bot ye sytt fast els ye be shent,

Els downe I shalle you bere.

Secundus Tortor. If thou be Godes son, as thou tellys,

Thou can the kepe; how shuld thou ellys ?
Els were it mervelle greatt;

And bot if thou can, we wille not trow

That thou hase saide, bote make the mow
When thou syttes in yond sett.

Tercius Tortor. If thou be kyng we shalle thank adylle,

For we shalle sett the in thy sadylle,

For fallyng be thou bold;

I hete the welle thou bydys a shaft,

Bot if thou sytt welle thou had better laft
The tales that thou has told.

Quartus Tortor. Stand nere, felows, and let se
How we can hors oure kyng so fre,

By any craft;

Stand thou yonder on yond syde,

And we shalle se how he can ryde,
And how to weld a shaft.

Primus Tortor. Sir, commys heder and have done, And wyn apon youre palfray sone,

If ye

For he redy bowne;

be bond to hym be not wrothe, For be ye secure we were fulle lothe

On any wyse that ye felle downe.

Secundus Tortor. Knit thou a knott, withe alle thi

strength,

For to draw this arme on lengthe,

Tylle it com to the bore.

Tercius Tortor. Thou maddes, man, bi this light! It wantys, tylle ich man's sight,

Othere half span and more.

Quartus Tortor. Yit drawe out this arme and fest it fast,

Withe this rope, that welle wille last,

And ilk man lay hand to.

Primus Tortor. Yee, and bynd thou fast that band, We shalle go to that other hand

And loke what we can do.

Secundus Tortor. Do dryfe a naylle ther thrughe outt,

And then thar us nothyng doutt,

For it wille not brest.

Tertius Tortor. That shalle I do, as myght I thryfe!

For to clynk and for to dryfe

Therto I am fulle prest;

So let it styk, for it is wele.

Quartus Tortor. Thou says sothe, as have I cele, Ther can no man it mende.

Primus Tortor. Hald downe his knees.

Secundus Tortor.

That shalle I do.

His noryshe yede never better to,

Lay on alle your hende.

Tercius Tortor. Draw out hys lymmes, let se, have

at.

Quartus Tortor. That was welle drawen that that, Fare falle hym that so puld!

For to have getten it to the marke

I trow lewde man ne clerk

Nothyng better shuld.

Primus Tortor. Hald it now fast thor,

And oone of you take the bore,

And then may it not faylle.

Secundus Tortor. That shalle I do withoutten

drede,

As ever myght I welle spede,

Hym to mekylle bayle.

Tercius Tortor. So, that is welle, it wille not brest,