382 THE GERMAN PASSION-PLA Y 



mander I have already commented (p. 360). Conscious 

 of the innocence of the accused, Pilate sends him to 

 Herod, who is delighted at seeing the famous juggler 

 (gougelman) of whose doings he has heard so much. 

 As Jesus refuses to exhibit his magical powers Herod 

 holds him for a perfect fool (ein rechter thore), and 

 sends him back in fool's garb to Pilate with profuse 

 expressions of friendship for the latter. 1 



Probably about this stage of the play Judas is over- 

 come by remorse, and, casting his thirty pence at 

 Caiaphas' feet, 2 takes a rope and proceeds to hang 

 himself. Beelzebub and other devils run to offer him 

 assistance, or sit on the gallows and mock him. 

 According to the stage-directions a black bird shall fly 

 away from him, 3 and Beelzebub shall tear open his 

 bosom and let fall " etwas tarmen." Meanwhile the 

 chorus sing O du armer loser Judas ! 4 and the devils 

 with fire-forks dance round him and off with him to 

 hell, where Lucifer receives him in the highest glee. 5 



The second audience with Pilate is marked by the 

 Barabbas incident and the scourging. In the former, 

 Barabbas, released from the stocks, runs at once to 

 fetch a scourge and a rope in order to assist. The 

 scourging is of an extravagantly brutal character in 



1 See C, p. 129 ; F, p. 182 ; D, p. 44 ; K, pp. 146 et seq. ; and J, p. 103, 

 where we read, "Tune conveniant Pilatus et Herodes et osculentur invicem." 



2 These pence were coined by Abraham's father, and belonged successively to 

 Potiphar (as Joseph's purchase-money), the Queen of Sheba (given to Solomon), 

 the Magi, the Virgin Mary, the High Priest, and Judas ! They may be 

 found alongside Judas in hell : see the frontispiece. Note the fourteenth-century 

 Drei Konige (Simrock, Volksbucher, iv. p. 459), and Chester Plays, p. 291. 



3 On the souls of sinners as crows compare Grimm's Marchen, No. 107, Die 

 beiden Wanderer. See also p. 331. 



4 This is the old hymn, afterwards ' christlich verandert ' by Luther. 



5 See C, p. 115 ; F, p. 188 ; B, vol. ii. pp. 281 et seq., etc. 



