University of Virginia Library

SIn eftir can crist appere
To petir, at wes in sic were,
and sad: “symon and Nero ay
ar full pensyve how þai may
Confownd þe, bot drede na deile,
For I sal helpe þe wondire veill,
And paule, myn seruand, I sal sende
To confourt þe and till amende;
To morne at next but delay
he sal cum, I to þe say.”
þane petir west be þis but were,
As linus sais, his dede wes nere.
Amang all, quhare he can stande,
he had tane clement be þe hande,
and mad hym byschope; for þat he
ves worth to haf sic degre,
In sic Catheder he gerte hym sit,
agains his will, for his gret wit.
Cristis hecht for to fulfill,
þan paul to Rome com petir till,
And prechit cristis law but dowte
To paganis Richt fell and stowte.
Nero þat tyme, for fyn foly,
þis symon luffit sa tendirly,
wenand of lyf and heile þat he
had cure, of hym and þat Citte.
On a day, as sais leo,
quhen symon stud be-for Nero,
to dissawe hym in his wening,
he mad in his face oft changinge;
for he wald sudanly appere
a Richt auld man as he ware,
and eftir sone appere wald he
a fare ȝoung man þan to be.
quhen Nero þis had sene,
he wend goddis son he had bene.
and, as leo Recordis vs,
Symon þane sad to Nero þis:
“vorthiest Emperour! at þu
May knaw be pruf Richt weil now,
me suthfastis goddis son to be,
ger ane of þi men now hed me,
And I sal ryse þe third day,
to ger þe wit I suth say.”
þan Nero bad a man suld ga,
and strik symonis nek intwa.
and he went on but abade,
and wend þat he hym hedit hade,
þis Symon—bot a ram it wes
þat he slew in his lyknese.
sa be þe sorcery blynd wes he.
and Symon ȝed his gettis fre,
and sa þat Rame throw gylry hyde,
þat nane west quhat it betyde.
bot þe blud lay dais thre,
quhare þai wend hedit was he.
To nero þan þe thrid day
he present hym, and can say:
“ger wipe myn blud of ȝon stede,
quhare I for þe gert it be schede!
for, lo, as I vnhevdyt wes,
To ger þe knaw suthfastnese,
þe thrid day, as I sad to þe,
I am Resine, as þou ma se.”
and quhen nero þus ferly
saw, he fel in extesy,
and trowit wele þat he wes þan
verray goddis son and man.
Eftir þus, in quhat place,
quhare-nero fundyn wes,
þis symon, throw his sorcery,
apere til hym wald bodely,
and spek with hym; bot neuir-þe-less
þe fals fend in his liknese
vith þe pupill wald spek þarowte,
say þat al wend, but ony dowte,
goddis son þat he had ben,
his couerit falshed þat had sene.

ȜEt petir and paul neuir-þe-less,
as leo pape beris witnese,
Com be for nero, and vndide
al þe falshed þat symon dyde;
And als sad petir forthirmare:
“richt as in crist twa substance ar,
of god and man, þat is to say,
sa in þis symon dwellis ay
twa substance, þat is to wyt,
of devel and man, to-gyddir knete.”
þan, as leo and marcellus,
In þar bukis, tellis vs,
symon sad to nero þare:
“I will thole petir nomare,
bot I sall ger myn angelis tak
of hym reuengeance son and wrak.”
þan sad petir: “I dred rycht small
þine angelis.” “bot I dred me all,”
sad Nero; “has þou na drede
of hym at schawis his godhede,
In worde and wark sa verraly?”
þan petir answerit hym in hy:
“gyf þat god had in hym bene,
quhat I think to me he men,
or ellis quhat it is I do!
and I sal firste tell it þe to,
sa þu ma wit quhedir he
a lele man or a lear be.”
þane nero sad: “cum furth, and say
þi thoucht and ded but delay!”
þan petir rownyt in his Ere,
and bad ger bring hym bred of bere,
all preualy. and he did sa.
And preualy he can it ta,
and blissit it, and syne it lade
In his slefe, and þusgat sade:
“Nero, gyve Symon god be,
llat hym opynly say to þe,
quhat is thoucht or quhat is don!”
þan Symon answerit hym alson:
“Lat petir tel quhat I think now!”
þan petir sad: “I will þu trew
þat I sal tel bath thocht and dede
to nero—haf þer-of na drede!”
þan at a dedegne symon can cry:
“Cum furth, myn hundis, here in hy,
To wery petir!” Þan but mare
felloun hundis apperit þare,
and ruschyt to hym, Rycht as þai
suld hym have weryt but delay.
bot he schew þame þe blessit brede,
and þai swith fled of þat stede.
þan petir can to Nero say:
“þat I hecht, I haff don, perfay,
for I have schawit quhat he thocht,
In werk or word, or ellis ocht;
for he hecht at he suld gere
his angelis cum on me to were,
And with hell hundis has me socht;
bot angelis for hym wald do nocht.”
symon to petir and paul but were
sad: “gyf I may nocht noy ȝow here,
ve sal son cum quhare þat ȝe
on a day sal bath Iugit be;
bot as now I vill ȝov spare.”
þan Egissippus sais forthir mare,
and leo, at symon, throw pryde
avansand hym, sad in þat tyde,
þat he mycht rase men fra dede.
sa happinnyt þan in þat stede,
þar wes dede lyand a ȝong man;
and nero gaf sic sentence þane,
for to put end of þare strife,
þat he, þat mocht nocht bring to lyfe
þe body, þat lay þar þan dede,
suld de þarfor ine þat stede.
and þis sentence can thankfull hawe
symon and alss al þe lawe.
þan symon firste þe corse stud by,
And, throw his wekit sorcery,
till þame þat stud þar, gert apere
þat þe ded man his hevid can stere.
þan cryit all þat þis can se:
“Reson will petir stanyt be.”
þan petir þar sa sted wase,
þat narowly cuth he purchase
audience till he had sad his will.
þan þe pupill sad he till:
“gyf he liffis, he ma spek, and ga,
and oþir lifly taknis ma;
and gyf he na may, trewis trewly
þat ȝe se is all fantassy.
Lat symon on fer stand fra þe bede,
and ȝe sal se, I lay wede,
þe fendis craft son onhyde.”
þan is don as he can byde,
and þe body lay stan still.
and petir þar wit[h] dewot will
Stud on far, and praier made,
and cryit on hicht, quhen he don hade:
“þu ȝong man, ryse, I commawnd þe
In name of ihesu of nazare,
Our lord cryst, þat on corse wes don!”
þan rase þe dedman son,
and ȝed, as ewill he had nane.
þan wald þe pupile symon stane,
bot petir gert þame lat hyme be,
and sad þat schame Inucht had he,
“at of his craft has no mar mawcht;
and myn master alswa me taucht
for to do gud agan hyl.”
þan symon magus sad hym till:
“Petir and paul, I tel ȝow now,
þat ȝe wene, sal nocht fall ȝow,
at dingne marteris to be.”
þai answert and [said]: “It, þat we
ȝarne, sal fall ws, and na nothirwa[i]s;
for þu leis all þat þu sais.”
þan symon to marcellus In
held fast, or he wald blyne,
and band ane hell hound at his ȝete,
and to Marcell[us] sad þus gate:
“Now sal I se, gyf petir dare
Cum to me now, as he did ere.”
Þan to þe In of Marcelli
sanct petir sowne com in hy,
and sanyt hym with þe Rycht hand,
and syne þe hound losit of bande.
þan wes þe hound na thing wrath,
Na schup to do na man schath,
bot schot on symeon in-to brath,
and to þe ȝerde hym vndirnethe
Ruschit, and hym weryt hade,
na war petir hym forbade;
þe hunde þar rafe his clathis In hy,
and nathing levit on his body.
þan al þe folk, bot barnysce maste,
And þat hunde of þe town hym caste,
as he ane wolf had ben, or war.
for-þi þat ȝere he com nomar,
sic schent and schame at hart had he.
and fra marcellus þis can se,
he had þerof rycht mekil wondir;
and, for his master wes as vndir,
To sanct petir he com in hy.
And quhen a ȝer wes passit by,
symon to Nero com agane,
þat of his cumin wes rycht fane;
for lyk to lyk accordis wele.
And quhen þat symon þat can fele,
þat sa in dante had wes he,
Alson þe pupile assemblit he,
And mad gret playnt of þe schame,
of þe vilne, and of þe blame,
þat lytil befor tholit he
Of thame namyt of galele;
For-þi he sad þat he wes bowne
for þane and ay to leif þe towne,
at he defendit had fra skath
to þat tyme, and fra ruyne bath;
and alss disdenȝe, he sad, had he
In þis ȝerde langar for to be
with wordly men, for þai war ill.
þar-for a day he sat þame till,
vp in hewine quhen he suld fle.
and quhen þe day cumin wes, he
of þe capitale, in þe mast hecht,
he passit vpe, and his weyngis dycht,
and crownyt hym-self with lauream gren,
and flaw, as he a foule had bene.
Þane cane paul to petir say:
“To me it feris for to pray,
and þe to purches quhat þu will.”
þan nero sad þame twa till:
“Ȝone is a gud man, and a leile,
and falset is, at ȝe with dele.”
þan petir bad to paul þat he
suld dress his sicht vpe for to se.
and he with þat kist vpe þe sicht
and saw þe tyrand fle in hycht.
sad paule to petir: “quhy cesis þou
þat þu begouth to do Richt now?
for cryste, þat mad bath sone and mowne,
vs callis now with hym to wone.”
þane petir sad: “I coniour ȝow,
dewilis angelis, at beris now
þat wikit mane sa he on hicht,
throw þe grace, wertu, and mycht
of our lord Ihesu [Crist], at ȝe
ber hym no mar, bot let hym be.”
and sike ane fall þane he gat,
to þe ȝerde he tuk sic a swak,
þat harnise, and sched, & body, all
fruschit in peciss [w]vndir small.
þan quhen nero þis can se,
rycht passand wrath þar-of wes he,
þat he þat man had tint. For-þi,
to þe appostulis sad angrely
he sad: “suspeckit I haf ȝow batht,
for ȝe to me hass done gret schatht;
þar-for, in sampill of ewill dede
to wekit dede I sall ȝow lede;”
and bethaucht þame in handis þan
to paulyne, þat was a mychty man.
and syn þame deliuerit paulyne
In þe handis of Mamertyne,
þe quhilk gaff þame ine ȝemsale
of twa knychttis, þat war fell,
of þe quhilk procese wes ane,
and þe toþir callit wes Martyane,
þe quhilk petir nocht-þe-lese
Conuertit till he in presence wes.
and fra thay þe treutht had tane,
þai wald þe appostulis þine had gane;
and all war þai lath þar-to,
ȝet at þe laste þai cane sa do.
and fra nero persawinge hade,
þat petir knychttis cristine war made,
he gertt sla þame. and petir bowne
hym mad to pass of þe towne.
and quhen he come to þe ȝete
of þe cite, he met þar-at
Ihesu enterand, his master dere.
þane Petir þan at hym can spere:
“quhare gais þu, lord, now?” and hee
sad: “to Rome I ga, agane to be
one þe corse ȝet eft-sone done.”
and petir sad till hym alsone:
“dere lorde, sall þu ȝet be
eftir crucifit one þe tre?”
“ȝa,” sad he. and petir sone
sad, he wald one þe croise be done
with hym, and for-þi wald he
turne agayne with hym to þe cite.
quhen þis wes sad, petir west wele
þat he of dede þe payne suld feile;
for he saw cryst in þat sythware
pas in hewine quhare he wes ar.

Þane petir gretand þis tale
till his brethir tald all hale.
sone nero till Agrippe
gert petir deliuerit be;
And, as leo sais, þane his face
þane þe sone fer brichtair wes.
þe prefet sad: “is þu nocht he,
þat sa gretly delittis þe
In wemen, at þu drawis fra
þare husbandis, þame chast to ma?”
þane petir cane þe prefet wit,
and sad, þat he had na delit
bot in Ihesu cristis croice.
þane þe prefet with he woce
gaf sentence sone, þat he suld be,
as criste wes, crucifit on þe tre,
for þat he wes bot a cumlyne.
and of sanct paule he commandit syn,
þat he suld swith hedit be,
for citesane of þame wes he.
and dynise sais: “quha had ben þar,
of ned his hart suld have ben sar
þat fellone Iugment to heyre,
þat on þe appostulis gewin wer.”
and paganis and Iowis fellely
buffit þame dispituisly,
and spyt in þare facis þat wer cler.
and quhen þat awfull our com ner
of þar end, as quhen þai
þe deit of dede suld one pay,
how tyrandis þan one tyrandis band,
quhar-one all þe warld suld stand;
bot crist[i]ne men þat saw þis thinge,
faste cuth gret with ser sichinge.
and quhen þai suld twyne nedway,
paule to petir þus cane say:
“pece be to þe, grownd-wall,
and hyrde of goddis hersale all!”
And petir till hym þis can say:
“and þu, dere brothir, far wele ay,
prechour of god and mediatour,
lledar of heile and saweoure!”

Þay ware nocht slane in-to a stede.
bot petir furth haf þai lede
sone to þe croice, quhar þat he,
fore cristis sak, suld martir be.
fra he it saw, þus can he mele:
“quhen myn lord Ihesu, for oure heile
þat in þis ȝerd com fra hewine,
vp-one þe croice wes nalit done
vp þe hevid; bot one þat wiss me
feris nocht on it hangit be;
bot, sene he will I cum hym till
fra erde to hewin, it is myn will
one þe croice to be festnyt swa,
myn fet vp-wart, þat I ma ga
to ihesu criste, þat myn lord is,
with hym to wine in-to his b[l]ise.”
þe folk of rome, þat lele war,
to se þat sicht þar gadrit war;
for þai sa Increly ware hete,
þat þai nero and þe prefete
wald hafe slane, and petir mad fre
to ga quhar hym laste to be.
bot he requeste to þame can may,
þat þai be na way suld do say,
Na for to lat his passione,
þat to resawe he wes þan bown.
and, as tellis Egissippus,
and als as linus sais till ws,
þat of fele folk, at sorowfull ware,
stannand before petir with hart sare,
In þat howre god hopnyt þar ewyn,
and his angelis þat þai haf sene,
full thik a-bowt sanct petir stand,
with lely and rose-cronis in hand,
and brocht fra criste to hym a buk,
þe quhilk he full blithfull tuk,
and all þe wordis petir one rad,
þat he prechit in þat stede.
and in þe croice þis word sad he:
“lord, I ȝarnyt to folow þe,
bot crucifit durste I nocht now
be vpe-rycht, as wes þu;
for þu is richt and vpracht,
and of our-selfe haf we na maucht;
Adam till ws, his sonnis, lewyt
bowand to þe ȝerde to hawe þe hed;
and in our birth we ar owt ȝet
þe hed before done to þe fete.
der lord, þu art all, think me,
and but þe na thing ma be.
I ȝeld þe thank with harte and will,
þat I had grace to serve the till.
and þer leile folkis, at rewis me,
swet Ihesu, I pray It þe,
haf commendit. And þis he ȝalde
þe spyrit, of god in-to þe halde.
and his discipill marcellus
and his comper apuleus
tuk done his corss, and honorabli
wand it with clathis and spycery,
and laid it in grawe, as was skill
to do sa worthy relyk till.