Learn More about the Book
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...his mission into the wilderness: And nowe men spakis of a swayne, How he sehall come and suffre payne, And with his dede to blisse agayne, Thei (all that have been born) shulde be bought; But cert is this is but a trayne, I trowe it noyt. Jesus seems conscious also that the strife has been renewed. At the end of the play, after blessing those who will "stiffely stande agaynste the fende," he says, "I knawe my tyme is fast command--now will I wende." From this point the interest in the action increases. It centres exclusively in the person of Jesus. Nothing is omitted that would lend additional graciousness and dignity to his role. In the plays immediately following the Temptation, Jesus is triumphant. They are, however, his last triumphs. In the Transfiguration scene the saddening motives that called it forth reveal the character of Jesus and stand in contrast with the moment of bliss vouchsafed the Apostles. Our Saviour's endearing personality is again in contrast In the next play which contains two scenes, the Woman taken in Adultery and the Raising of Lazarus. The Scribes, the lawyers on the case, are horrified at the deed committed (nemyn it noght, for schame), but Jesus is silent and listens to her condemnation. Unhappily the leaf of the manuscript that contained the temptation and His answer is torn away. The reply of Jesus must, we may presume, have been a characteristic paraphrase of His words in St. John (VIII, 1-12), somewhat as they read in the corresponding Coventry play. This scene is only half the play, the prelude in some sort to the Raising of Lazarus. The Apostles were still thanking Jesus for his pity on the guilty woman when the messenger from Bethany arrived. There is a ring of genuine sorrow in the words of Mary and ...
