THE RAISING OF LAZARUS

Here begins concerning the raising of Lazarus

LAZARUS

God, that all things did make of nought
And put each creature to his quittance,
Save thine handiwork that thou hast wrought,
As thou art Lord of high substance.
Oh gracious God, at thy pleasance,                              5
Of my disease now comfort me,
Which through sickness has such penance
Hardly for headache may I now see.

Sister Martha, and Magdalen meek,
With haste help me my bed to address.                           10
For, truly, I am so wonderfully sick 
I may never escape this great sickness --
My death is now come, I guess.
Help into the chamber that I be led.
My great disease I hope shall less                              15
If I were laid upon a bed.

MARTHA

Lazarus, brother, be of good cheer;
I hope your sickness right well shall slake.
Upon this bed rest you right here,
And a good sleep do try to take.                                20

MAGDALEN

Now, gentle brother, for God's sake,
Lift up your heart and be not faint.
A heavy household with us you make
If deadly sickness does you attaint.

LAZARUS

Forsooth, dear sisters, I may not sleep;                        25
My sickness so sore doth ever increase.
Of me I pray you good care do keep
'Til that my pain begins to release.

MARTHA

God grant grace that it may cease.
Of sickness God make you sound,                                 30
Or else our joy will soon decrease,
In such great pains if you lie bound.

MAGDALEN

Ah brother, brother, lift up your heart!
Your heavy cheer does us grievance.
If death from us should you  part,                              35
Then were we brought in cumberance.
You are our brother, friend in alliance;
If you were dead then had we none.
You do us bring in distemperance
When you  tell us  you shall hence be gone.                     40

FIRST CONSOLER

Dame Martha and Magdalen,
How fares your brother? Let us him see.

MARTHA

He is right sick and has great pain --
I am afraid, dead he shall be.

MAGDALEN

A man may have right great pity,                                45
The feverish heat of him to feel.

SECOND CONSOLER

Take you no thought in no degree;
I hope that he shall fare full well.

MARTHA

He may not live, his colour doth change.
Come to his bed, ye shall him see.                              50

MAGDALEN

If he long live it will be strange,
But as God wills, so must it be.
Cheer him, good friends, for charity.
Comfort of him we cannot get.
Alas, alas! What aileth me?                                     55
My heart for woe is wonder great!

THIRD CONSOLER

All hail, Sir Lazarus! How do you fare?
How do you feel now in your heart?

LAZARUS

I am with sickness all wound in care
And look when death should me depart.                           60

FOURTH CONSOLER & MESSENGER

You shall have health, good news impart
If you will take to you good cheer.

LAZARUS

When death at me has shot his dart?
I shall have health and lie on my bier?

FIRST CONSOLER

Be of good comfort and think not so,                            65
Put out of heart that idle thought.
Your own misdemeanours may work you woe
And cause you sooner to death be brought.

SECOND CONSOLER

With great sickness though ye be sought,
Upon yourself have no mistrust.                                 70
If that you have, I wonder right not
Though you be dead and cast in dust.

THIRD CONSOLER

Many a one has had right great sickness
And after has had his health again.
And many a man, this is no less,                                75
With his despair himself has slain.
You be a man of right sad brain.
Though that your sickness grieve you right ill,
Pluck up your heart with might and main,
And cheer yourself with all your will!                          80

LAZARUS

Against my sickness there is no ease
But Jesus Christ, my master dear.
If that he knew of my disease,
Right soon, I trust, he would be here.

FOURTH CONSOLER

I shall go to him, without wait more,                           85
And of your sickness tell him, certain.
Look that you be of right good cheer
While that I go and come again.

MARTHA

Now, gentle friend, tell him right thus:
Him that he loveth hath great sickness.                         90
Hither to come and comfort us,
Say that we pray him of his goodness.

MAGDALEN

Recommend us unto his highness,
And tell him all our hearts' woe.
But he comfort our heaviness,                                   95
Our worldly joy away will go.

FOURTH CONSOLER & MESSENGER

The truth, forsooth, I shall him tell
As you have told, so shall I say.
Go to your bother and cherish him well,
For I walk forth straight in my way.                            100

MARTHA

What cheer, good brother? Tell me I pray,
What will you eat? What will you drink?
Look we will do whatever you say;
You shall have whatever you think.

LAZARUS

My wind is stopped! Gone is my breath,                          105
And death is come to make my end.
To God in heaven my soul I bequeath.
Farewell, sisters, for hence I wend.

Here Lazarus dies, etc

MAGDALEN

Alas! for woe my hair I rend!
My own dear brother lies here now dead!                         110
Now have we lost a trusty friend
The closest blood of our kindred.

MARTHA

Alas, alas and well-a-way!
Now be we twain both brotherless.
For whom my heart is cold as clay!                              115
Ah, who shall comfort our sadness?
Never had women more dolefulness.
Ah, sister Magdalen, what can be said?
Who may help our heaviness
Now that our brother is gone and dead?                          120

MAGDALEN

Alas, dear sister, I cannot tell.
The best comfort that I can say,
But some man do us slay as well,
Let us lie down with him and die.
Alas, why went he alone away?                                   125
If we had died with him also,
Then had our care turned all to play
When now all joy is turned to woe.

FIRST CONSOLER

Be of good comfort and thank God of all,
For death is due to every man.                                  130
What time that death shall on us fall
No earthly man the hour tell can.

MARTHA

We shall all die, that is certain.
But yet it is in human nature,
When in death a brother now is lain,                            135
We must needs mourn at the sepulcre.

SECOND CONSOLER

Good friends, I pray you, hold your peace.
All your weeping may not amend it.
Of your sorrowing, therefore, now cease,
And help him to bury in a clay pit                              140

MAGDALEN

Alas, that word mine heart doth slit,
That now cold clay must be his grave.
I would some man my throat would cut
That I with him might lie in the cave.

THIRD CONSOLER

Both head and foot now is he wound                              145
In sheet both fair and clean.
Let us bear him straight to that ground
Where that you think his grave shall be.

MARTHA

We are full loth that pit to see.
But standing it may no better be,                               150
The corpse take up you three between.
With sorrowful hearts you follow shall we.

Here they carry the body to the sepulchre

MAGDALEN

Alas, comfort, I see none other,
But all of sorrow, and care, and woe!
We doleful women must bury our brother --                       155
Alas, that death me will not slay!
If I to the pit with him might go,
Therein evermore with him to abide,
Then were my care all gone me from,
Where now great sorrow does wound me wide.                      160

FIRST CONSOLER

This corpse we bury here in this pit;
Almighty God the soul must have.
And with this stone this grave we shut,
From ravenous beasts the body to save.

MAGDALEN

He is now brought into his cave.                                165
My heart for woe this sight does kill!
Let us sit down here by the grave,
Ere we go hence, and weep our fill.

MARTHA

For us to weep no man may let,
Before our face to see this sight.                              170
Alas, why does death not us fetch,
To bring us to this same plight?

SECOND CONSOLER

Arise! For shame, you do not right!
Straight from this grave you shall go hence.
Thus to complain against God's might,                           175
Against high God you do offense.

MAGDALEN

Since I must needs with you be gone,
My brother's grave let me first kiss.
Alas, no man may help my moan.
Farewell, my brother. Farewell, my bliss.                       180

THIRD CONSOLER

Home to your place we shall with you pass.
For God's love, be of good cheer.
Indeed, you do right sore amiss,
So sore to weep as you do here.

MARTHA

Let us go home then to our place.                               185
We pray you all with us to abide,
Us to comfort with some solace
'Til that our sorrow doth slake and slide.

FIRST CONSOLER

To comfort you at every tide
We shall dwell here both night and day.                         190
And God, that made this world so wide,
By your comfort, that best may.

Here the fourth consoler and messenger speaks to Jesus, saying,

 
FOURTH CONSOLER

Hail, holy prophet, Jesus by name!
Martha and Magdalen, those sisters two,
Recommend them to your high fame,                               195
And bad me say to you thus, lo:
How that Lazarus, whom that you loved so,
With great sickness is sore diseased.
To him they pray that you would go,
If that your highness therewith were pleased.                   200

JESUS

Deadly sickness Lazarus has none,
But for to show God's great glory,
For that sickness is ordained alone
The Son of God to glorify.

MESSENGER

They be in doubt that he shall die --                           205
Great sickness him sore doth hold.
For fervent heat his blood doth dry;
His colour changes, as they me told.

JESUS

Go home again and tell them thus:
I shall come to them when that I may.                           210

MESSENGER

At your commandment, O prophet Jesus,
I shall then tell as you do say.

JESUS

Come forth, brothers, walk we our way,
Into Jewry go we anon.
I came not there full many a day;                               215
Therefore thither now will I go.

ALL DISCIPLES

The Jews against thee were grim and shrill.
When you were there they would thee have slain!
With stones they sought thee for to kill,
And wilt thou now go thither again?                             220

JESUS

Twelve hours the day has, in certain,
In them to walk both clear and bright.
He shall not stumble against hill nor plain
That goeth the way while it is daylight.

But if men walk when it is night,                               225
Soon they offend in that darkness.
Because they may hav no clear sight,
They hurt their feet oft in such dimness.
But for this, yet nevertheless,
The cause therefore I thither will wend                         230
Is for to raise from bed express
Lazarus, that sleepeth, our common friend.

ALL DISCIPLES

Of his sickness he shall be saved.
If that he sleeps, a good sign it is.

JESUS

Lazarus is dead and laid in grave;                              235
Of his sleeping you judge amiss.
I was not there, you know well this.
To strengthen your faith I am full glad.
Therefore I tell you the truth, iwis:
Our friend is dead and under earth clad.                        240

THOMAS

Then go we all right even straight thither,
Where our friend Lazarus is dead,
And let us die with him together,
Where as he lieth in the same stead.

JESUS

To die have thou no dread.                                      245
The way straight thither in haste we take.
By the great might of my Godhead,
Out of his sleep he shall awake.

MESSENGER

All hail, Martha and Mary eke,
To Jesus I have your message said.                              250
I told him that your brother was sick
And with great pain in his bed laid.
He bade you should not in sorrow sink.
From all his sickness he will be freed
He will be here within a wink;                                  255
As he told me, he comes with speed

MAGDALEN

That holy prophet doth come too late:
Our brother is buried three days ere this.
A great stone stoppeth the pit's gate
Where our brother buried is.                                    260

MESSENGER

Is Lazarus dead? God commend his soul to bliss.
Yet look you take no heaviness.
So long to weep you do amiss;
It may not help your sorryness

MARTHA

Out of my heart all care to let,                                265
All sorrow and woe to cast away,
I shall go forth into the street
To meet with Jesus if I may.

SECOND CONSOLER

God be your speed both ever and aye,
For with your sister we will abide.                             270
Here to comfort we shall assay,
And all her care to cast aside

THIRD CONSOLER

Mary Magdalen, be of good heart,
And well bethink you in your mind,
Each creature hence must depart:                                275
There is no man but hence must wend.
Death to no man can be a friend.
All things to earth he will down cast.
When that God wills, all things shall end;
Longer than He wills, nothing may last.                         280

MAGDALEN

I thank you, friends, for your good cheer.
My head doth ache as it would burst.
I pray you, therefore, while you be here,
A little while that I may rest.

FOURTH CONSOLER & MESSENGER

That Lord that made both east and west                          285
Grant you good grace such rest to take
That unto him should please most best,
As he this world of nought did make.

MARTHA

Ah, gracious Lord, had you been here,
My brother Lazarus this time had lived.                         290
But four days gone upon a bier
We did him bury when he was dead.
Yet now I know, without dread,
What thing of God that thou do crave,
Though shalt speed of the high Godhead:                         295
Whatso thou ask, thou shalt it have.

JESUS

Thy brother Lazarus again shall rise,
A living man again to be.

MARTHA

I know well that at the great last assize
He shall arise, and also we.                                    300

JESUS

Resurrection thou mayst in me see,
And endless life I am also.
That man that liveth and dyeth in me,
From death to life again shall he go.

Each man that in me faithful is,                                305
And leads his life after my lore,
Of endless life may he never miss:
Ever he shall live and die nevermore.
The body and soul I shall restore
To endless joy. Do you believe this?                            310

MARTHA

I hope in thee, Christ, full sore.
Thou art the Son of God in bliss.

Thy father is God, of life endless;
Thyself his son of life and grace.
To end this world's wretchedness,                               315
From heaven to earth thou took the pass.

JESUS

Of heavenly might right great solace
Through me shall all this world  soon see.
Go call thy sister to this place:
Bid Mary Magdalen come hither to me.                            320

MARTHA

At thy bidding I shall her call,
In haste we were here you before.

MAGDALEN

Alas my mouth is bitter as gall.
Great sorrow has burst my heart's core!
Now my brother I see no more,                                   325
There may no mirth my care relieve.
Alas the time that I was born!
The sword of sorrow my heart doth cleave.

FIRST CONSOLER

For his dear love that all hath wrought,
Cease some time of your weeping;                                330
And put all things out of thought
Into this care that thou doth bring.

SECOND CONSOLER

You do yourself right great hindering,
And shorten your life unless you beware.
For God's love, cease of your sorrowing,                        335
And with good wisdom refrain your care.

MARTHA

Sister Magdalen, come out of hall.
Our master is come, as I you say.
He sent me hither you for to call.
Come forth in haste, as I you pray.                             340

MAGDALEN

Ha! where has he been many a long day?
Alas, why came he no sooner hither?
In haste I follow you into the way.
In seems so long ere I come thither.

THIRD CONSOLER

Hark, good friends, I you pray,                                 345
After this woman in haste we go!
I am afraid, right in good faith,
Herself for sorrow she shall hurt so.

MESSENGER

Her brother so sore is in her mind
She may not eat, drink, nor sleep.                              350
Straight to his grave she goes without end,
As a mad woman there for to weep.

MAGDALEN

Ah, sovereign Lord and master dear,
Had you been with us in presence,
Then had my brother alive been here,                            355
Not dead but quick, that now is hence.
Against death is no resistance.
Alas, my heart is wondrously low
When that I think of his absence
That you yourself in heart loved so.                            360

FIRST CONSOLER

When we have mind of his sore death,
He was to us so gentle and good,
The memory of him our hearts slayeth.
The loss of him doth mar our mood.

SECOND CONSOLER

A better neighbour never man stood,                             365
To every man he was right kind.
Us he did refresh with drink and food,
Now he is gone, gone is our friend.

JESUS

Your great weeping doth me constrain
For my good friend to weep also.                                370
I cannot myself for woe restrain,
But I must weep just as you do.

Here Jesus weeps

THIRD CONSOLER

Behold this prophet, how he does weep, lo!
He loved Lazarus right wondrously sore.
He would not otherwise for him weep so.                         375
But if that his love were on him more.

MESSENGER

A straw for thy tale! What needs he to weep?
A man born blind did he not give sight?
Might he not then his friend living keep
By the virtue of that same high might?                          380

JESUS

Where is he put? Tell me this right.
Bring me the way straight to his grave.

MARTHA

Lord, at your will we shall bring you tight,
Even to that place where he lies in a cave.

MAGDALEN

When that we had the messenger sent,                            385
Ere he had fully half a mile gone,
Died my brother and we took him at one consent
Here to this grave and we buried him anon.

JESUS

The might of the Godhead shall glad you everyone,
Such a sight shall you see hence ere you wend.                  390
Set to your hands, take away the stone.
A sight let me have of Lazarus my friend.

MARTHA

He stinketh right foul long before this.
Four days gone, forsooth, he was dead.
Let him lie still right even as he is.                          395
The stink of his carrion might hurt us, I dread. 

JESUS

As I have thee told, sight of the Godhead
Thyself should have, faithful if thou be.
Take off the stone, do as I bid.
The glory of the Godhead anon shall you see.                    400

FIRST CONSOLER

Your bidding shall be done anon full swift.
Set to your hands and help each one.
I pray you, sirs, help me to lift;
I may not raise it myself alone.

SECOND CONSOLER

In faith it is a heavy stone,                                   405
Right sad of weight and great heaviness
Though it were twice as heavy grown,
Among us four we shall it raise.

MESSENGER

Now is the stone taken from the cave.
Here men may see a pitiful sight                                410
Of this dead body that lyeth in the grave,
Wrapped in a sorrowful state.

Jesus, raising his eyes to heaven says,

JESUS

I thank thee, father, of thy high might,
That thou hast heard my prayer this day.
I know full well both day and night                             415
Ever thou dost grant what I do say.

But for these people that stand about
And believe not the power of you and me,
To bring them clean out of doubt,
This day our might they all shall see.                          420

Here Jesus cries with a loud voice saying,

Lazarus, Lazarus, my friend so free,
From that deep pit come out anon!
By the great might of the high majesty,
Alive thou shalt on earth again go.

LAZARUS

At your commandment I rise up full right.                       425
Heaven, hell, and earth your bidding must obey.
For you are God and man, and Lord most of might.
Of life and death you have both lock and key.

Here Lazarus rises bound hand and foot from that same sepulchre and Jesus says,

JESUS

Go forth brethren and Lazarus untie,
And all his bonds, loose them asunder.                          430
Let him walk home with you in the way.
Against God's might, this miracle is no wonder.

PETER

At your bidding his bonds we unbind.
All things must bow to your majesty.
By this great miracle openly we find                            435
Very God and man in truth that you be.

JOHN

That thou art very God, every man may see
By this miracle so great, such a marvel!
All things uner heaven must needs obey thee.
When against thee, though Death try, he may not prevail.        440

ALL CONSOLERS

We all with one voice for God do thee know,
And as our Saviour we do thee reverence.
All our whole love now in thee doth grow,
Oh sovereign Lord of most excellence.
Help us of your grace when that we go hence,                    445
For against death it helps us not to strive.
But against your might is no resistance:
Our death you may conquer and keep us still alive.

JESUS

Now I have showed in open sight
Of my Godhead, the great glory.                                 450
Towards my Passion I will me dight:
The time is near that I must die,
For all mankind his soul to buy.
A crown of thorns shall pierce my brain,
And on the Mount of Calvary,
Upon a cross I shall be slain.

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