appendix a treatise of miraclis playing

56 Pages·2015·0.44 MB·English

APPENDIX
A TREATISE OF MIRACLIS PLAYING: A MODERN
ENGLISH VERSION OF A TRETISE OF MIRACLIS
PLEYINGE
Some introductory notes about the translation:
1. The translation of the ToMP into modern English is intended to
make the text more accessible to contemporary readers; however,
this is a literal translation of the text. By aiming to keep the text
as close as possible to the original, one can experience the unique
writing style of the text, which is typified by extensive use of
parallelisms and by an extremely intricate internal logic. The
best full edition of the text is that of Clifford Davidson (1993),
annotated with an introduction and accompanied by a Middle
English glossary. Another full edition is in W. C. Hazlitt’s The
English Drama and Stage under the Tudor and Stuart Princes 1543–
1664, originally published in Bath in 1832, (reprinted New York:
Burt Franklin, 1969), 73–96, where it appears as A Sermon against
Miracle Plays.
2. Although the logic of the text is coherent throughout, there are
sentences that are very long and complicated. I have tried, as much
as possible, to convey the simple meaning of each and every sen-
tence, however, I have also tried, where possible, not to change the
original wording but to stay as close as possible to the original text.
In places where there are a few possible translations for a word,
but all have the same meaning, I have separated them with slashes.
Where there are a few interpretative options, or where I tried to
clarify the meaning of the sentence according to my understanding
of the text, I have added the alternatives in brackets.
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3. The most significant issue is determining how to translate the pair-
ing of the words “miraclis pleyinge” throughout the text. Altogether
there are four possible options: a) To leave it in the original,
unsolved. b) To translate it into “the playing of miraclis”— using
the term miraclis to denote a performance genre, called “miraclis.”
c) To translate it into “the playing of miracles”— still referring to a
performance genre while specifically evoking the idea of perform-
ing subject matter that has to do with miracles as wonders, specifi-
cally referring to God’s miracles or other scriptural events. d) To
translate it into “playing miracles” or “miracle(s) playing,” which is
most similar to the original but which emphasizes the contempo-
rary meaning of the word miracle because of the spelling.
Since the couplet “miraclis pleyinge” is used in the text in both
ways— sometimes as a performance genre and sometimes specifically
referring to a performance that enacted Christ’s miracles (in addition
to the frequent use of the word miracle/s itself unequivocally denoting
“miracle” in the sense of a wonder)— I use all four translation options
in an attempt to get as close as possible to the specific meaning in each
place in the text. I have decided, however, to leave unchanged the
original spelling of the word “miraclis” in places where it is impossible
to determine whether the specific meaning is a performance genre, a
miracle, or both at the same time. In places where the word “miraclis”
unequivocally means “miracle” I have changed the spelling into mod-
ern English. In all places I have translated “pleyinge” into “playing.”
Line numbers are marked at beginning of paragraphs, following
Davidson’s edition.
[1] Here begins a treatise of miraclis playing.
[2] Know you, Christian men, that since Christ—G od and man— is way,
truth, and life, as says the gospel of John1— way to the erring, truth to the
unknowing and doubting, and life to those wearily climbing to heaven—
so Christ did nothing to us that was not effectual and merciful., truthful
and righteous, and in life of giving up everlasting joy for our continu-
ous mourning and sorrowing in this valley of tears. Miracles, therefore,
that Christ did here on earth either by himself or by his saints, were so
effectual [real/true] and earnestly done, that for sinful men who erred
they brought forgiveness of sin, setting them in the way of right belief;
for doubtful and non- steadfast men they brought the knowledge to better
please God, and real hope in God to be steadfast to him; and for those
weary in the way of God, because of the great penance and suffering of
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the tribulation that men must have therein [in life], they [the miracles]
brought in love of burning charity to those for which everything is light
[taken lightly], even to suffer death, which men most dread, for [in order
to achieve] the everlasting life and joy that men most love and desire, that
which true hope puts away all weariness here in the way of God.2
[22] Then, since the miracles of Christ and of his saints were thus effec-
tual, as according to our belief we are certain, no man should use in jest/
game3 and play the miracles and works that Christ so earnestly wrought
for our well- being. For whoever does such a thing, errs in the faith, con-
tradicts4 Christ, and scorns God. He errs in the faith, because he takes the
most precious works of God in play and jest, and so he takes his [God’s]
name idly and so misuses our belief. A, Lord,5 since an earthly servant
does not dare to take in play and jest what his earthly lord takes earnestly
[seriously], much more we should not make our play and game out of the
miracles and works that God so earnestly did for us. For surely when we
do so, dread of sinning is taken away, just as a servant, when he jokes with
his master, his dread of offending him is lessened, especially when he
jokes with his master about what his master takes seriously. And just as a
smitten-i n nail holds two things together, so dread that is smitten toward
God holds and sustains our belief in him.
[40] Therefore, just as playing and jesting with the most earnest works of
God take away the dread of God that men should have in him, so it takes
away our belief and thus our greatest help for our salvation. And since tak-
ing away our belief is a greater vengeance than suddenly taking away our
bodily life, and when we take in jest and play the most earnest works of
God as were his miracles, God takes away from us his grace of [letting us
have] meekness, dread, reverence, and our belief; then, when we play his
miracles6 as men do nowadays, God takes more vengeance on us than a
lord that suddenly strikes his servant for playing too familiarly with him.
And just as that lord then indeed says to his servant, “don’t play with me
but play with your peer,” so when we take in play and game the miracles
of God, he takes from us his grace, saying more seriously to us than the
abovementioned lord, “don’t play with me but play with your peer.”
[57] Therefore, such “miraclis playing” [playing of miracles] contradicts
Christ. First, by turning into play what he took most earnestly. Second,
by using in miraclis our flesh, our lust [pleasure], and our five senses—
those which God took [“used”] in the bringing in of his bitter death and
for teaching of doing penance, and for fleeing away the feeding of our
senses and for mortifying them. And therefore saints frequently note that
we never read about Christ laughing in the Holy Scriptures, but rather
130 APPENDIX
about his penance, tears, and shedding of blood, so that we know that
everything we do here should be done in penance, in disciplining of our
flesh, and in penance of adversity. And therefore, all the works that we
do except for these three7 utterly contradict Christ’s works. And therefore
Saint Paul said that “If you escape the discipline in which all sons share,
you must be bastards and not true sons of God.”8 And such miraclis play-
ing contradicts doing penance since they are done with great pleasure,
and are planned for the purpose of great pleasure in advance, whereas
penance is done in great mourning of the heart and is ordained for great
mourning.
[76] It also contradicts discipline, for in true discipline the true voice of
our master Christ is heard, as a student hears the voice of his master, and
the rod of God in the hand of Christ is seen, in the sight of which all our
other three senses tremble and quake because of fear and dread [just] as a
child trembles seeing the rod of his master. And thirdly, true discipline is
truly turning away and forgetting all those things that Christ hated and
turned himself away from here, [just] as a child under the discipline of his
master turns himself away from all the things that his master had forbid-
den him, and forgets them because of the great thought/reason9 that he
has to do his master’s will.
[87] And for these three Saint Peter wrote, saying, “Be you humbled
therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the
time of visitation: Casting all your care upon him.”10 That is, “be you
humbled,” that is, to Christ, hearing his voice by truly obeying his com-
mands; and “under the mighty hand of God,” seeing evermore his rod in
his hand to chastise us if we become lacking in discipline or idle, remind-
ing us, Saint Peter said, that “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hand of
the living God.”11 For just as it is most joyful to climb up into the hand of
the mercy of God, so it is most hideous and fearful to fall into the hands
of the wrath of God. Therefore we [should] meekly dread him here ever-
more seeing and remembering his rod over our head, and then he shall
enhance us elsewhere in time of his gracious visiting. So that all our busi-
ness we throw in him,12 that is, that all other earthly works we do only
[should only be done] in order to do his ghostly works, more easily and
speedily and more pleasantly to him[,] trusting, that for him is cure for us,
that is, if we do for him that which is in our power he shall marvelously
do for us that which is in his power, both in delivering us from all perils
and in giving us graciously all that we need or ask of him.
[109] And since no man can serve two lords together, as Christ said in
his gospel,13 no man can hear at once effectually the voice of our master
APPENDIX 131
Christ and of his own lust. And since miraclis playing belongs to the lust
of the flesh and mirth of the body, no man can effectually hear himself
and the voice of Christ at once, since the voice of Christ and the voice of
the flesh belong to two contrary lords. And so playing miraclis contra-
dicts discipline, just as Saint Paul said, “and each truly discipline in the
time that is now is not a joy but a mourning.”14 Also since it causes to
see vain sights of disguise, costumes of men and women with evil behav-
ior, stirring each other to lechery and disputes, since most bodily mirth
leads to most disputes,15 since such mirth does not lead a man to patience
but leads to gluttony and to other vices, because it enables a man not to
wholeheartedly remember of the rod of God over his head, but causes to
think about all such things that Christ by the deeds of his passion bade
us to forget. Wherefore such miraclis playing contradicts Christ’s com-
mands and deeds of penance, true discipline, and patience.
[129] Also, such miraclis playing scorns God, because just as really desert-
ing what God said despises God, as did Pharaoh, so using God’s biddings
or words or works playfully/amusingly scorns him, as did the Jews that
struck Christ, then, since these miraclis players use amusingly the ear-
nest works of God, no doubt that they scorn God as did the Jews that
struck/mocked Christ, since they laughed at his passion and these laugh
and jape at the miracles of God. Therefore, as they scorned Christ, so
these scorn God. And just as Pharaoh, [who] hated to do what God told
him, despised God, so these miraclis players and maintainers, [who] turn
aside from pleasingly doing what God bid them, scorn God. He for sure
had bid us all to hallow his name, with dread and reverence within any
thought about his works without any playing or japing, since all holiness
is fully earnest. Men then who play the name of God’s miracles pleas-
ingly, they turn away from doing what God bid them and therefore they
scorn his name and scorn him.
[147] But here again they say [explain/justify] that they play these
miraclis in the worship of God whereas the Jews that mocked Christ
did not.16
[150] Also since by such miraclis playing men are often committed to
good living [conducting a good life], since men and women [by] seeing
in miraclis playing that the devil and his order drive each other to lechery
and to pride, making them his servants and bringing himself and many
others into hell, and causing them to have far more villainy hereafter
because of their pride arrayed here than they have worship here, and see-
ing furthermore that all this worldly being here is only vanity for a while,
as is miraclis playing, so that they leave their pride and take on themselves
132 APPENDIX
afterwards the meek conversation about Christ and his saints. And so
miraclis playing turns [leads] men into belief and does not prevent it.17
[162] Also often by such miraclis playing men and women, seeing the
Passion of Christ and of his saints, are moved to compassion and devotion,
weeping bitter tears, so they are not scorning God but worshipping.
[166] It is also profitable to men and to the worship of God to bring
about and search for all the means by which men might leave sin and turn
it into virtue; And just as there are men that only by earnest doing are
converted to God, so there are other men that cannot be converted to
God but by game and play. And [since] nowadays men are not converted
by the earnest doing of God or of men, so now it is timely and appropriate
to try to convert the people by play and game such as by miraclis playing
and other kinds of mirth.
[176] Also men must have some recreation, and it is better (or less evil)
[sic] that they have their recreation by playing miraclis than by playing
other japes.
[179] Also, since it is pleasing to have the miracles of God painted, why
is it not as well pleasing to have the miracles of God played, since men
might better read the will of God and his marvelous works by playing
them than in the painting? And they will remain better in men’s mind
and more often rehearsed by playing them than by painting, for painting
is a dead book, the other is alive.
[186] To the first reason we answer saying that such miraclis playing is
not done in the worship of God, because it is done more to be seen by the
world and to please the world than to be seen by God or to please him,
just as Christ never gave examples to them [of such behavior,] but only
heathen men that evermore dishonor God, saying that it is in the wor-
ship of God, that which is the most offensive of him. Therefore just as
the wickedness of the misbelieving of heathen men is a lie to themselves,
when they say that the worshipping of their idols is for the worship of
God, so men’s lechery nowadays for their own lust, is a lie to themselves
when they say that such miraclis playing is for the worship of God. For
Christ says that idolatrous men look for such signs [just] as an adulterer
seeks signs of real love but no deeds of real love. So since these miraclis
playing are only signs of love without deeds, they are not only contrary
to the worship of God—t hat is both in sign and in deed— but also they
are devices of the devil to catch men to believe in Antichrist, as words of
love without real deeds are devices of the lecher to catch fellows to fulfill
his lechery. These miraclis playing are both very false since they are signs
APPENDIX 133
without deeds and they are very futile, since they use the miracles of God
idly for their own lust. And certainly idleness and lying are the obvious
devices of the devil to draw men to believe in Antichrist. And therefore
for priests it is utterly forbidden not only to be a miracle player, but also
to hear or to see miraclis playing, least of all he that should be the device
of God to catch men and hold men in the belief of Christ, [so that] they
are turned against [in the opposite direction] by hypocrisy, [becoming]
the device of the devil to catch men to believe in Antichrist. Therefore,
just as a man swearing lightly by the names of God and saying that this
way he worships God and despises the devil, he is really lying and doing
the opposite; so miraclis players, since they are doers of idleness [light-
ness], saying that they do it to the worship of God, actually lie. For as the
gospel says, “Not he that says ‘Lord, Lord’ shall come to bliss in heaven,
but he who does the will of the Father of Heaven shall come to his
kingdom.”18 Thus much more not he that plays the will of God worships
him, but only he that does his will in- deed worships him. Just as men
beguile and despise their neighbors by feigned tokens, so by such feigned
miraclis men beguile themselves and despise God, as did the tormentors
that mocked Christ.
[230] And as an answer to the second reason, we say that just as a virtu-
ous deed is sometimes an occasion of evil, as was the Passion of Christ for
the Jews, but not an occasion given to them but taken from them, so evil
deeds can be occasions of good deeds sometimes, as was the sin of Adam
an occasion [the reason] for the coming of Christ,19 but not an occasion
given of the [that is for] sin but rather an occasion taken [that shows] the
great mercy of God. The same with miraclis playing, although it is sin, it
might be claimed sometimes an occasion for converting men, but since
it is sin it is far more an occasion of perverting men, not only of one sin-
gular person but of all, a whole community, as it occupies all the people
in vain against the commands of the book of Psalms that says to all men
and especially to priests that each day read it in their service: “Turn away
my eyes that they see not vanities,”20 and afterwards, “Lord, thou hated
all witting vanities.”21 How then may a priest play in interludes [plays] or
watch them since it is forbidden to him so clearly by the foresaid com-
mands of God, especially since he curses every day in his service all those
that bow away from the commands of God. But, alas, it is more harm-
ful, that priests nowadays are shrewish, and all day just as a jay that all
day cries “What shrew!”— himself shrewing. Therefore miraclis playing,
since it is against the command of God that bids that thou shall not take
God’s name idly [lightly], is against our belief and so it does not give an
occasion of turning men into believers but an occasion of perverting.
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And therefore many men think that there is no hell of everlasting pain,
but that God only threatens us, not to really do it, just as is playing of
miraclis in signs and not in deeds [for real]. Therefore such miraclis play-
ing not only perverts our belief but also our true hope in God, by which
saints hoped that the more they abstained themselves from such plays, the
more rewards they should receive from God, and therefore the holy Sara,
the daughter of Raguel, hoping for her rewards from God, said, “Lord,
thou knowest well, that I never desired man, but I have kept clean my
soul from all concupiscence, I never meddled me with players, ne never
had part of them that walk in lightness,”22 and by this true confession to
God, as she hoped so she had her prayers heard and received great rewards
from God. And since a young woman of the Old Testament for keeping
her bodily virtue of chastity and for worthily taking the sacrament of
matrimony when her time came, abstained herself from all kinds of idle
playing and from all company of idle players, much more a priest of the
New Testament, that has passed the time of childhood and that not only
should keep chastity but also all other virtues, not only ministering the
sacrament of matrimony but all the other sacraments and especially since
he is obligated to minister to all the people the precious body of Christ,
ought to abstain himself from all idle playing both of miraclis and of
other kinds [of plays]. For certainly, since the Queen of Sheba, as Christ
said in the gospel, shall condemn the Jews that would not receive the
wisdom of Christ,23 much more this holy woman Sara at the day of doom
shall condemn the priests of the New Testament that give themselves
to plays, contradicting her holy manners approved by God and the holy
church; therefore priests surely ought to be ashamed that they contradict
this good holy woman and the precious body of Christ that they treat in
their hands, the body which never gave himself to play but to everything
that is contrary to playing, as is penance and suffering of persecution.
[289] And so these miraclis playing not only contradict faith and hope
but also real charity through which a man should cry for forgiveness
for his own sin and for his neighbors’, and especially priests, for it with-
draws not only one person but all the people from deeds of charity and
of penance into deeds of lust and mirth and of feeding of our senses. So
then these men that say, “Play we a play of Antichrist and of the Day of
Doom so that some man may be converted by it,” fall into the heresy of
themselves by contradicting the apostle, saying, “Do we evil things, so
that good things come,” of whom, as says the apostle, “damnation is the
right way.”24
[300] By this we answer to the third reason saying that such miraclis play-
ing gives no occasion of real weeping and meditation, but the weeping
APPENDIX 135
that happens to men and women by the sight of such miraclis playing,
which is not principally for their own sins nor because of their good
faith within, but more because of their sight from without is not allow-
able before God but more reprovable. For since Christ himself reproved
the women that wept for him in his passion, much more should they
be reproved [those] that weep for the play of Christ’s passion, instead of
weeping for their own sins and those of their children as Christ told the
women that wept for him.25
[312] And by this we answer to the fourth reason, saying that no man
can be converted to God but only by the earnest doing of God and by
no vain playing, because if the word of God or the sacraments do not
work, how should playing work— that which is of no virtue but full of
flaw? Therefore, just as the weeping that men weep often in such plays is
commonly false witnessing because they love more the liking [pleasure]
of their own body and the prosperity of the world than liking [pleasing]
God and prosperity of virtue in the soul, and therefore, having more
compassion for pain than for sin, they falsely weep for the lack of bodily
prosperity, more than for the lack of spiritual prosperity, as do damned
men in hell. Right so, often this converting that men seem to be con-
verted by such playing is but feigned holiness, worse than is other sin
beforehand. For if he were really converted, he should have hated to see
all such vanity, as bid the commands of God, albeit that in such play he
takes occasion by the grace of God to flee sin and to follow virtue. And
if men say here that if this playing of miraclis is sinful, why would God
convert men on the occasion of such playing, here too we say that God
does so in order to commend his mercy to us, so that we think fully how
good God is to us, that while we are thinking against him, doing idleness
and denunciating him, he thinks good about us, and sends us his grace to
flee all such vanity. And therefore nothing should be sweeter to us than
such kind of mercy of God, as the book of Psalms calls that mercy “bless-
ing of sweetness” where he says, “Thou came before him in blessings of
sweetness”26— the sweetness which, although it is pleasure of the spirit,
it is [in fact] while we are here full of travails of the body, because truly
that the flesh and the spirit are contrary. Therefore, this sweetness of God
will not be truly experienced while a man is occupied in seeing plays.
Therefore the priests that call themselves holy and busy themselves with
such plays are truly hypocrites and liars.
[347] And hereby we answer to the fifth reason that says that real recre-
ation should be permitted, because occupying in lesser works, [causes] to
more ardently worship greater works. And therefore such miraclis play-
ing or the sight of them are not real recreation but false and worldly, as
136 APPENDIX
prove the deeds of those who favor such plays that yet never truly tasted
the sweetness of God, travailing so much in them [becoming so occupied
with them] that their body does not suffice to bear such a laboring of
the spirit, but rather just as a man goes from virtue to virtue, so they go
from lust into lust and more steadfastly dwell in them. And therefore just
as this feigned recreation of playing of miraclis is false righteousness, so
it is double shrewdness, worse than if they played pure vanities. For now
the people give credence to many mixed lies for other mixed truths and
are led to think goodly about that which is full of evil, and so often it is
less evil to play obscenity than to play such miraclis. And if men ask what
recreation men should have on the holiday after their holy contempla-
tion in the church, we say to them two things— one, that if he had really
occupied himself in contemplation beforehand, neither would he ask that
question nor have the will to see vanity; and secondly we say, that his rec-
reation should be in the works of mercy to his neighbor and in delighting
himself in all good communication with his neighbor, as beforehand he
delighted himself in God, and in all other necessary works that reason
and kindness ask for.
[373] And to the last reason we say that painting, if it is really without
mixing of lies and not too skilful, too much feeding men’s senses, and not
an occasion of idolatry for the people, it is but as naked letters to a clerk
to read the truth. But so are not miraclis playing that are created more
to delight men bodily rather than to be books for unlearned men. And
therefore if they are live books, they are live books of shrewdness more
than of goodness. Good men therefore seeing that their time is too short
to occupy themselves in good earnest works, and seeing the day of their
reckoning arriving fast, and unknowing when they shall go from this
world, flee all such idleness, hurrying to be with their spouse Christ in
the bliss of heaven.
* * *
[386] An half friend, [who is] tarrying the health of the soul, [who is]
ready to excuse the evil and, and who it is hard to convince, like Thomas
of India,27 says that he will not leave the abovementioned miraclis play-
ing unless men show him that he should [do so] by the Holy Writ openly
and according to our belief. In order for this half friend to turn into a
whole one, we ask him to behold first the second amendment of God that
says, “Thou shall not take God’s name in idle,”28 and since the marvel-
ous works of God are his name, as the good works of a craftsmen are his
name, then in the command of God it is forbidden to take the marvelous
works of God in vain. And how can they be used more idly than when