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Appendix a Treatise of Miraclis Playing: a Modern 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. 128 APPENDIX 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—God 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 APPENDIX 129 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-in 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.
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