1 SOLDIER: Sir knights! Take heed, quickly draw nigh! We must not delay this deed to do. You know yourselves, as well as I, How lords and leaders of our law Have judged, as one, this fool should die. 2 SOLDIER: Sir, their judgement well we know. Since we have come to Calvary Let each man help as he should now. 3 SOLDIER: We all are ready, lo, This duty to fulfil. 4 SOLDIER: Let's hear what we must do, And then go straight theretill. 1 SOLDIER: It may not help to take too long If we shall any honour win. 2 SOLDIER: He must be dead, they said, by noon. 3 SOLDIER: Well, then, it's time that we begin. 4 SOLDIER: Let's ding him down, and then have done, So he won't vex us with his din. 1 SOLDIER: He'll hang and learn his lesson soon, With grief for him and all his kin. 2 SOLDIER: The foulest death of all He'll die because of sin. 3 SOLDIER: That means, "cross" him we shall? 4 SOLDIER: We will; so let's begin. 1 SOLDIER: Then to this work we must take heed, So that our working be not wrong. 2 SOLDIER: To tell us this there is no need; But let us haste to make him hang. 3 SOLDIER: And I have gone for gear, with speed: Both nails and hammers, large and strong. 4 SOLDIER: Then we may boldly do this deed. Let's kill this traitor, then; come on! 1 SOLDIER: Good luck to young and old Who've done in this man's wise! 2 SOLDIER: We need not to be told Such liars to chastise. 3 SOLDIER: Since everything is well arrayed, The wiselier now work may we. 4 SOLDIER: The cross on ground is stoutly made, And bored just as it ought to be. 1 SOLDIER: Look the lad on length be laid, And fastened then upon this tree. 2 SOLDIER: For all his feats, he shall be flayed; The proof of that you soon shall see. 3 SOLDIER: Come forth, thou cursėd knave; Thy comfort soon shall cool. 4 SOLDIER: Thy wages thou shalt have. 1 SOLDIER: Go on! Now work we well! JESUS: Almighty God, my Father free, Let these things be called to mind: Thou bade I should obedient be, For Adam's plight for to be pained. Here, I take death willingly, So that from sin I save mankind. I thee beseech, especially, That with my death, your grace they find. From the devil them defend, So that their souls be safe In bliss without an end. I have nought else to crave. 1 SOLDIER: Well, hark, sir knights, for Mahound's blood; Of Adam's kind is all his thought! 2 SOLDIER: This warlock's wits are warped as wood; This doleful death dismays him not! 3 SOLDIER: Remember thou, with mind and mood, The wicked works that thou hast wrought! 4 SOLDIER: He might have done himself some good, Not to say the things he thought. 1 SOLDIER: Those sayings shall rue him sore, For all his yammering, soon. 2 SOLDIER: Bad luck to them that spare Till he to death be done! 3 SOLDIER: Have done at once, boy; on the ground! Now bend thy back beneath this tree! 4 SOLDIER: Behold! Himself has laid him down, In length and breadth as he should be! 1 SOLDIER: This tainted traitor, make him bound, Go fast and fetter him, you three. And since he thinks to wear a crown, Just like a king here hang shall he. 2 SOLDIER: I won't waste any time Before his right hand's fast. 3 SOLDIER: The left hand, then, is mine; Let's see who bears him best. 4 SOLDIER: Well, then, I'll take the traitor's feet; Down to the hole I'll stretch this "king." 1 SOLDIER: And to his head will I take heed, And with my hands I'll help him hang. 2 SOLDIER: Now since we four must do this deed, Though there's no profit in the thing, Let no man spare with utmost speed An ending to it soon to bring. 3 SOLDIER: We have no time to spare, But we are well arrayed. 4 SOLDIER: This boy here in our care Will find his deeds repaid! 1 SOLDIER: Tell me, sir knights, have we done aught? 2 SOLDIER: Well, I believe I've got this hand; Right to the hole I have it brought Obediently, without a band. 1 SOLDIER: Then strike on, hard, by him thee bought! 2 SOLDIER: This nail, I think, will stoutly stand; Through bone and flesh it shall be caught. My work is good, you understand. 1 SOLDIER: Sir, what is your report? The sun has nearly sunk. 3 SOLDIER: His arm's a foot too short; The sinews must have shrunk. 4 SOLDIER: Perhaps the holes were bored too wide. 2 SOLDIER: Then he'll feel some bitter pain! 3 SOLDIER: Indeed, the drill was misapplied; That makes this work a bad bargain. 1 SOLDIER: Why chatter so? Let's get him tied, And stretch him; we'll not work in vain. 3 SOLDIER: You boss us like an overlord; Come help to haul, you son of Cain. 1 SOLDIER: Indeed, that shall I do (As quickly as a snail). 3 SOLDIER: And I'll attach him to, With skill and with a nail. This work will hold; it won't be beat. His hands are fastened end to end. 4 SOLDIER: Go we all four, then, to his feet; Our time efficiently we'll spend. 2 SOLDIER: Let's see what mirth may make pain sweet; For that, my back now I would bend. 4 SOLDIER: Ah, this work is all unmeet! This drilling ill we must amend. 1 SOLDIER: Ah, peace, man, by Mahoun; Let's waste no time on wonder. A rope shall tug him down Though all his sinews go asunder. 2 SOLDIER: I know well how this cord to knit To cool the comfort of this sot. 1 SOLDIER: Well, bind him hard, and get him set; How much it hurts him, matters not. 2 SOLDIER: Tug on, you both, a little yet. 3 SOLDIER: I shall not shirk, no matter what. 4 SOLDIER: And I'll be ready here, to hit. 2 SOLDIER: Now pull! 4 SOLDIER: Whoa! Far enough we've got! 1 SOLDIER: All right, drive in that nail, So no fault may be found. 4 SOLDIER: This effort would not fail If four bulls here were bound! 1 SOLDIER: These cords had much increased his pains Before he to the drillings got. 2 SOLDIER: Yea, burst apart are bones and veins On every side, as I had thought. 3 SOLDIER: Well, now his magic nothing gains; His chattering shall with pain be bought. 4 SOLDIER: I'll go and tell our sovereigns Of all our works and how we've wrought. 1 SOLDIER: No, sirs, another thing Falls first to you and me. They said we should him hang On high, that men might see. 2 SOLDIER: That deed will make us all too sore; We know that we commanded were-- 1 SOLDIER: No use is it to argue more; This villain must be hanged right here. 2 SOLDIER: The mortice is prepared therefore... 3 SOLDIER: So fasten your fingers on, all here. 4 SOLDIER: Upon that hill, and just us four? We'll never raise this in a year! 1 SOLDIER: Now, man, why say you so? You only lift things light? 2 SOLDIER: He means, there must be more To lift him up on height. 3 SOLDIER: Now surely, I think we will not need To call to us more company. I think we four can do this deed, And haul him up that hill we see. 1 SOLDIER: It must be done by us, indeed. No more; let's do this speedily. I'll lift this part and take the lead; On ground he must no longer be. Therefore to work we bend, And bear him to that hill. 4 SOLDIER: Well, I'll bear up this end, And attend his toes un-till. 2 SOLDIER: We two shall see to either side, Or else this work will go all wrong. 3 SOLDIER: We are ready. 4 SOLDIER: Sirs, abide, And let me get a grip that's strong. 2 SOLDIER: Why spend your time on talk this tide? 1 SOLDIER: Lift up! 4 SOLDIER: Let see! 2 SOLDIER: Oh! Lift along! 3 SOLDIER: From all this harm he'd surely hide If he were God. 4 SOLDIER: The devil him hang! 1 SOLDIER: My shoulder's out of joint; My pain is far too great. 2 SOLDIER: Well, I am nearly spent With bearing up this weight. 3 SOLDIER: This cross and I must separate Or else my back will splinter soon. 4 SOLDIER: Stop the din; put down the freight. This deed by us can not be done. 1 SOLDIER: Let's see if we may now abate Our work by thinking, everyone. For sturdy men should honour get, Not waste the day with jests alone. 2 SOLDIER: Well, sturdier men than we I think you will not find. 3 SOLDIER: This work is not for me; I have no second wind. 4 SOLDIER: At such a loss we never were. I guess this churl some spells has cast. 2 SOLDIER: My burden made me very sore; Upon that hill? I shall not last! 1 SOLDIER: Lift up, and soon we'll get him there. So, clamp on your fingers, fast. 3 SOLDIER: And, lift! 1 SOLDIER: Good, ho! 4 SOLDIER: A little more. 2 SOLDIER: And stop! 1 SOLDIER: And now? 2 SOLDIER: The worst is past. 3 SOLDIER: He weighs a wicked weight. 2 SOLDIER: So did we all four say Ere he was heaved on height And raised in this array. 4 SOLDIER: He made us slow as any stones, So awkward was he for to bear. 1 SOLDIER: Let's raise him nimbly, and at once, And set him in this mortice here, And let him fall in all at once. For surely, that pain has no peer! 3 SOLDIER: Heave up! 4 SOLDIER: And drop! And all his bones Have shattered into pieces here. 1 SOLDIER: This falling felt more ill Than all the hurts he had. Now every man can tell The least bone in this lad. 3 SOLDIER: I think this cross will not abide Nor stand still in this mortice yet. 4 SOLDIER: The mortice-hole is over-wide; That makes it wave instead of set. 1 SOLDIER: It must be fixed on either side So that it shall no further flit. Let's take these wedges for this tide And fix the base; then all is fit. 2 SOLDIER: Here are wedges arrayed For that, both great and small. 3 SOLDIER: Where are our hammers laid That we should work withal? 4 SOLDIER: We have them even here, at hand. 2 SOLDIER: Give me this wedge; I'll hammer it. 4 SOLDIER: Here is another ready, then. 2 SOLDIER: Bring it here; I'll make this fit. 1 SOLDIER: Lay on then, hard. 2 SOLDIER; I know that, man! I'll drive both with one sturdy hit. Now, this cross will stably stand. Although he squirm, they will not split. 1 SOLDIER: Well, sir, how like you now This work that we have wrought? 4 SOLDIER: We pray you, tell us how You feel. Or faint you ought? JESUS: All men that walk by path or street, My sufferings take heed unto. Behold my head, my hands, my feet, And fully feel, before you go, If any mourning may be fit, Or torment, equal this unto. My father that all pain may quit, Forgive these men who these things do. What they do, know they not. Therefore, father, I crave Their sins be punished naught. But see their souls to save. 1 SOLDIER: Well, hark! He chatters like a jay. 2 SOLDIER: I think he patters like a pie. 3 SOLDIER: Well, he's been doing this all day, Discussing mercy; who knows why? 4 SOLDIER: Is this the same that did us say That he was son of God on high? 1 SOLDIER: He was; that's why this price he'll pay; That's why he's ordered thus to die. 2 SOLDIER: Va, qui destruis templum! 3 SOLDIER: His words were thus, certain. 4 SOLDIER: And, sirs, he said to some He might raise it again. 1 SOLDIER: To manage that he has no might, For all the spells that he could cast. For though he thought his words were bright, Despite his cunning, he's nailed fast. What Pilate judged is done this night, Therefore I think that we should rest. 2 SOLDIER: This thing must be reported right Throughout the world, both east and west. 3 SOLDIER: Let him hang there still And make moues at the moon. 4 SOLDIER: Then we can go at will. 1 SOLDIER: No, good sirs, not so soon. For here's another thing to note: This garment would I from you crave. 2 SOLDIER: No, no, sir, we will cast by lot To see which man this thing shall have. 3 SOLDIER: Then let's draw straws to win this coat. Come, gather round--all sides to save. 4 SOLDIER: The short straw wins, just as it ought, Whether it fall to knight or knave. 1 SOLDIER: Fellows, you must not fight; This mantle here is mine. 2 SOLDIER: Let's go then, and good night. This is a waste of time!
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