Middle English Literature

partners.
3
Hebrews 12.8.
4
rod.
5
made meek.
6
comfort.
7
1 Peter 5.5–6.
8
Hebrews 10.31.
9
I.e., Judgment.
Plays and Representations
265

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266
Textualities
And sithen no man may serven two lordis togydere, as seith Crist in his
gospel,
10
no man may heren at onys efectuely the voice of oure maister Crist
and of his owne lustis. And sithen miraclis pleyinge is of the lustis of the
fleyssh and mirthe of the body, no man may efectuely heeren hem and the
voice of Crist at onys, as the voice of Crist and the voice of the fleysh ben
of two contrarious lordis. And so miraclis pleying reversith discipline, for as
seith Seint Poul, “Eche forsothe discipline in the time that is now is not a
joye but a mourninge.”
11
Also, sithen it makith to se veine sightis of degyse,
12
aray of men and wymmen by yvil continaunse, either stiring othere to
leccherie and debatis as aftir most bodily mirthe comen moste debatis, as
siche mirthe more undisposith a man to paciencie and ablith to glotonye
and to othere vicis, wherfore it suffrith not a man to beholden enterly the
yerde of God over his heved, but makith to thenken on alle siche thingis
that Crist by the dedis of his passion badde us to forgeten. Wherfore, siche
miraclis pleyinge, bothe in penaunce doying in verry discipline and in pacience,
reversyn Cristis hestis and his dedis.
Also, siche miraclis pleying is scorning of God, for right as ernestful
leving
13
of that that God biddith is dispising of God, as dide Pharao,
14
so
bourdfully taking Goddis biddingis or wordis or werkis is scorning of him,
as diden the Jewis that bobbiden
15
Crist, thanne, sithen thes miraclis pleyeris
taken in bourde the ernestful werkis of God, no doute that ne they scornen
God as diden the Jewis that bobbiden Crist, for they lowen
16
at his passioun
as these lowyn and japen of the miraclis of God. Therfore, as they scorneden
Crist, so theese scorne God. And right as Pharao, wrooth
17
to do that that
God bad him, dispiside God, so these miraclis pleyeris and maintenours,
leevinge plesingly to do that God biddith hem, scornen God. He forsothe
had beden us alle to halowyn his name, giving drede and reverence in alle
minde of his werkis withoute ony pleying or japinge as al holinesse is in
ful ernest. Men, thanne, pleyinge the name of Goddis miraclis as plesingly,
they leeve to do that God biddith hem so they scornen his name and so
scornyn him.
10
Matthew 6.24; Luke 16.13.
11
Hebrews 12.11.
12
disguise.
13
serious rejecting.
14
Exodus 7–12.
15
struck with fists, insulted.
16
laugh.
17
was unwilling.

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[1.] But here agenus they seyen that they pleyen these miraclis in the
worschip of God and so diden not thes Jewis that bobbiden Crist.
[2.] Also, ofte sithis by siche miraclis pleyinge ben men commited to
gode livinge, as men and wymmen seing in miraclis pleyinge that the devul
by ther aray, by the whiche they moven eche on other to leccherie and to
pride, makith hem his servauntis to bringen hemsilf and many othere to
helle, and to han fer more vilenye herafter by ther proude aray heere than
they han worschipe heere, and seeinge ferthermore that al this worldly
being heere is but vanite for a while, as is miraclis pleying, wherthoru they
leeven ther pride and taken to hem afterward the meke conversacion of
Crist and of hise seintis. And so miraclis pleying turneth men to the bileve
and not pervertith.
[3.] Also, ofte sithis by siche miraclis pleyinge men and wymmen, seinge
the passioun of Crist and of his seintis, ben movyd to compassion and
devocion, wepinge bitere teris, thanne they ben not scorninge of God but
worschiping.
[4.] Also prophitable to men and to the worschipe of God it is to fulfillun
and sechen alle the menes by the whiche men mowen leeve sinne and
drawen hem to vertues and, sithen as ther ben men that only by ernestful
doinge wilen be convertid to God, so ther been othere men that wilen not
be convertid to God but by gamen and pley. And now on dayes men ben
not convertid by the ernestful doing of God ne of men, thanne now it is
time and skilful to assayen to convertyn the puple by pley and gamen as by
miraclis pleyinge and other maner mirthes.
[5.] Also, summe recreacion men moten han, and bettere it is (or lesse
yvele) that they han theire recreacion by pleyinge of miraclis than by pleyinge
of other japis.
[6.] Also, sithen it is leveful to han the miraclis of God peintid, why is not
as wel leveful to han the miraclis of God pleyed, sithen men mowen bettere
reden the wille of God and his mervelous werkis in the pleyinge of hem
than in the peintinge? And betere they ben holden in mennes minde and
oftere rehersid by the pleyinge of hem than by the peintinge, for this is a
deed bok, the tother a quick.
[1.] To the first reson we answeryn, seying that siche miraclis pleyinge is
not to the worschipe of God, for they ben don more to ben seen of the
worlde and to plesyn to the world thanne to ben seen of God or to plesyn
to him, as Crist never ensaumplide
18
hem but onely hethene men that evere
18
set forth as examples.
Plays and Representations
267

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268
Textualities
more dishonouren God, seyinge that to the worschipe of God, that is to
the most veleinye of him. Therfore, as the wickidnesse of the misbileve
of hethene men lyith to themsilf whanne they seyn that the worshiping of
theire maumetrie is to the worschipe of God, so mennus lecherye now on
dayes to han ther owne lustus lieth to hemself whanne they seyn that
suche miracles pleying is to the worschip of God. For Crist seith that folc of
avoutrie sechen siche singnys as a lecchour sechith signes of verrey love but
no dedis of verrey love. So sithen thise miraclis pleyinge ben onely singnis,
love withoute dedis, they ben not onely contrarious to the worschipe of
God – that is, bothe in signe and in dede – but also they ben ginnys of the
devvel to cacchen men to byleve of Anticrist, as wordis of love withoute
verrey dede ben ginnys of the lecchour to cacchen felawchipe to fulfillinge
of his leccherie. Bothe for these miraclis pleyinge been verrey leesing as they
ben signis withoute dede and for they been verrey idilnesse as they taken
the miraclis of God in idil after theire owne lust. And certis idilnesse and
leesing been the most ginnys of the dyvul to drawen men to the byleve of
Anticrist. And therfore to pristis it is uttirly forbedyn not onely to been
miracle pleyere, but also to heren or to seen miraclis pleyinge lest he that
shulde been the ginne of God to cacchen men and to holden men in the
bileve of Crist, they ben maad agenward by ypocrisie, the gin of the devel to
cacchen men to the bileve of Anticrist. Therfore, right as a man sweringe in
idil by the names of God and seyinge that in that he worschipith God and
dispisith the devil, verrily lyinge doth the reverse; so miraclis pleyers, as they
ben doers of idilnesse, seyinge that they don it to the worschip of God,
verreyly liyn. For, as seith the gospel, “Not he that seith ‘Lord, Lord’ schal
come to blisse of hevene, but he that doth the wille of the fadir of hevene
schal come to his kindam.”
19
So myche more not he that pleyith the wille of
God worschipith him, but onely he that doith his wille in deede worschpith
him. Right, therfore, as men by feinyd tokenes bygilen and in dede dispisen
ther neighboris, so by siche feinyd miraclis men bygilen hemsilf and dispisen
God, as the tormentours that bobbiden Crist.
[2.] And, as anentis
20
the secound reson, we seyen that right as a vertuous
deede is othere while occasioun of yvel, as was the passioun of Crist to the
Jewis, but not occasioun given but taken of hem, so yvele dedis ben occasioun
of gode dedis othere while, as was the sinne of Adam occasioun of the
coming of Crist, but not occasion given of the sinne but occasion takun of
19
Matthew 7.21.
20
concerning.

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the grete mercy of God. The same wise miraclis pleyinge, albeit that it be
sinne, is othere while occasion of converting of men, but as it is sinne it is
fer more occasion of perverting of men, not onely of oon singuler persone
but of al an hool comynte,
21
as it makith al a puple to ben ocupied in vein
agenus this heeste of the Psauter book that seith to alle men and namely to
pristis that eche day reden it in ther servise: “Turne awey min eyen that they
se not vanitees,” and efte, “Lord, thou hatidest alle waitinge
22
vanitees.”
23
How thanne may a prist pleyn in entirlodies or give himsilf to the sight of
hem sithen it is forbeden him so expresse by the forseide heste of God,
namely sithen he cursith eche day in his service alle tho that bowen awey fro
the hestis of God. But, alas, more harme is, pristis now on dayes most
shrewyn hemsilf and al day as a jay that al day crieth, “Watte shrewe!”
shrewinge
24
himsilf. Therfore, miraclis pleyinge, sithen it is agenus the heest
of God that biddith that thou shalt not take Goddis name in idil, it is
agenus oure bileve and so it may not given occacioun of turninge men to
the bileve but of perverting. And therfore many men wenen that ther is no
helle of everelastinge peine, but that God doth but thretith us not to do it
in dede as ben pleyinge of miraclis in signe and not in dede. Therfore, siche
miraclis pleying not onely pervertith oure bileve but oure verry hope in God,
by the whiche seintis hopiden that that the more they absteneden hem fro
siche pleyes, the more mede they shulden have of God, and therfore the
holy Sara, the doughter of Raguel, hopinge heie mede of God, seith, “Lord,
thou woost that nevere I coveytide man, and clene I have kept my soule fro
all lustis, nevere with pleyeris I mingid me mysilfe persin,” and by this trwe
confessioun to God, as she hopide, so sche hadde hir preyeris herd and
grete mede of God.
25
And sithen a yonge womman of the Olde Testament,
for keping of hir bodily vertue of chastite and for to worthily take the
sacrament of matrimonye whanne hir time shulde come, abstenyde hir fro al
maner idil pleying and fro al cumpany of idil pleyeris, myche more a prist of
the Newe Testament, that is passid the time of childehod and that not onely
shulde kepe chastite but alle othere vertues, ne onely ministren the sacra-
ment of matrimonye but alle othere sacramentis and namely sithen him
owith to ministre to alle the puple the precious body of Crist, awghte to
abstene him fro al idil pleying bothe of miraclis and ellis. For certis, sithen
21
community.
22
attending.
23
Psalms 118.37; 30.6.
24
scolding.
25
Tobias 3.14–17.
Plays and Representations
269

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270
Textualities
the quen of Saba, as seith Crist in the gospel, schal dampne the Jewis that
wolden not reseive the wisdom of Crist,
26
myche more this holy womman
Sara at the day of dom schal dampnen the pristis of the Newe Testament
that givis heem to pleyes, reversen hir holy maners aprovyd by God and al
holiy chirche; therfore sore aughten pristis to be aschamyd that reversen this
gode holy womman and the precious body of Crist that they treytyn in ther
hondis, the whiche body never gaf him to pley but to all siche thing as is
most contrarious to pley, as is penaunce and suffring of persecution.
And so thes miraclis pleyinge not onely reversith feith and hope but verry
charite by the whiche a man shulde weilen for his owne sinne and for his
neieburs, and namely pristis, for it withdrawith not onely oon persone but
alle the puple fro dedis of charite and of penaunce into dedis of lustis and
likingis, and of feding of houre
27
wittis. So thanne thes men that seyen,
“Pley we a pley of Anticrist and of the Day of Dome that sum man may be
convertid therby,” fallen into the herisie of hem that, reversing the aposteyl,
seiden, “Do we yvel thingis, that ther comyn gode thingis,” of whom, as
seith the aposteyl, “dampning is rightwise.”
28
[3.] By this we answeren to the thridde resoun, seying that siche miraclis
pleyinge giveth noo occasioun of werrey wepinge and medeful, but the
weping that fallith to men and wymmen by the sighte of siche miraclis
pleyinge, as they ben not principaly for theire oune sinnes ne of theire gode
feith withinneforthe, but more of theire sight withouteforth, is not alow-
able byfore God but more reprowable. For sithen Crist himsilf reprovyde
the wymmen that wepten upon him in his passioun, myche more they ben
reprovable that wepen for the pley of Cristis passioun, leevinge to wepen for
the sinnes of hemsilf and of theire children, as Crist bad the wymmen that
wepten on him.
29
[4.] And by this we answeren to the furthe resoun, seyinge that no man
may be convertid to God but onely by the ernestful doyinge of God and
by noon vein pleying, for that that the word of God worchith not ne his
sacramentis, how shulde pleyinge worchen that is of no vertue but ful of
defaute? Therfore, right as the weping that men wepen ofte in siche pley
comunely is fals wittnessenge that they lovyn more the liking of theire body
and of properite of the world than likinge in God and prosperite of vertu in
the soule, and therfore, having more compassion of peine than of sinne,
26
See Matthew 12.42.
27
our.
28
Romans 3.8.
29
See Luke 23.27–8.

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they falsly wepyn for lakkinge of bodily prosperite more than for lakking of
gostly, as don dampnyd men in helle. Right so, ofte sithis the convertinge
that men semen to ben convertid by siche pleyinge is but feinyd holinesse,
worse than is othere sinne biforehande. For yif he were werrily convertid, he
shulde haten to seen alle siche vanite, as biddith the hestis of God, albeit
that of siche pley he take occasion by the grace of God to fle sinne and to
folowe vertu. And yif men seyn heere that yif this pleyinge of miraclis were
sinne, why wile God converten men by the occasion of siche pleyinge,
heereto we seyen that God doith so for to comenden his mersy to us that
we thenken enterly hou good God is to us, that whil we ben thenkinge
agenus him, doinge idilnesse and withseyinge him, he thenkith upon us
good, and sendinge us his grace to fleen alle siche vanite. And for ther
shulde no thinge be more swete to us than siche maner mercy of God, the
Psauter book clepith that mercy “blessinge of swetnesse” where he seith,
“Thou cam bifore him in blessinges of swetnesse” – the whiche swetnesse,
albeit that it be likinge to the spirit, it is while we ben here ful travelous
30
to
the body whan it is verry as the flesche and the spirit ben contrarious;
31
therfore, this swetnesse in God wil not been verely had while a man is
ocuped in seinge of pleyis. Therfore, the pristis that seyn
32
hemsilf holy and
bysien hem aboute siche pleyis ben verry ypocritis and lieris.
[5.] And herby we answeren to the fifte resoun, seyinge that verry
recreacion is leeveful, ocupyinge in lasse werkis to more ardently worschen
grettere werkis. And therfore siche miraclis pleyinge ne the sighte of hem is
no verrey recreasion but fals and worldly, as provyn the dedis of the fautours
33
of siche pleyis that yit nevere tastiden verely swetnesse in God, traveilinge so
myche therinne that their body wolde not sofisen to beren siche a traveile of
the spirite, but as man goith fro vertue into vertue, so they gon fro lust into
lust that they more stedefastly dwellen in hem. And therfore as this feinyd
recreacioun of pleyinge of miraclis is fals equite, so it is double shrewidnesse,
worse than though they pleyiden pure vaniteis. For now the puple giveth
credence to many mengid leesingis for othere mengid trewthis and maken
wenen to been gode that is ful yvel, and so ofte sithis lasse yvele it were to
pleyin rebaudye than to pleyin siche miriclis. And yif men axen what
recreacion men shulden have on the haliday after theire holy contemplacion
in the chirche, we seyen to hem two thingis – oon, that yif he hadde verily
30
oppressive, wearisome.
31
Psalms 20.4.
32
say.
33
patrons, persons who encourage.
Plays and Representations
271

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272
Textualities
ocupiede him in contemplacion byforn, neither he wolde aske that question
ne han wille to se vanite; another we seyn that his recreacioun shulde ben in
the werkis of mercy to his neiebore and in diliting him in alle good com-
unicacion with his neibore, as biforn he dilitid him in God, and in alle othere
nedeful werkis that reson and kinde axen.
[6.] And to the laste reson we seyn that peinture, yif it be verry withoute
menging of lesingis and not to curious,
34
to myche fedinge mennis wittis,
and not occasion of maumetrie to the puple, they ben but as nakyd lettris to
a clerk to riden
35
the treuthe. But so ben not miraclis pleyinge that ben
made more to deliten men bodily than to ben bokis to lewid men.
36
And
therfore, yif they ben quike bookis, they ben quike bookis to shrewidenesse
more than to godenesse. Gode men therfore, seinge ther time to schort to
ocupien hem in gode ernest werkis and seinge the day of ther rekeninge
neighen faste and unknowing whan they schal go hennys, fleen alle siche
idilnessis, hyinge
37
that they weren with her spouse Crist in the blisse of
hevene.
34
elaborate.
35
read.
36
Gregory I the Great (ca. 540–604), Registrum epistolarum.
37
hurrying.

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Appendix
273
Appendix: Currency,
Income, Prices; Measures