University of Virginia Library

Sanct paulis hed eftir his discese
In a depe vewar warpit was,
quhare sa mony vthir war flungyne,
þat [it] was lange or it was fundyne.
bot quhene þat fowrty ȝer war gane,
þe men þar by purposs has tane
to dry þe stank; and sa þai did.
and paulis hed, þat þar wes hyd
a-mange þe lafe, a hyrd has tane
one his staf end, or euir he fane.
þe hewid, at fresche wes and nocht alde,
he set it vpe besid his falde,
quhare þat he wok his fe one nycht;
and thre nichttis he saw gret lycht
a-beowe þat heid þan, þat gert he
his lord cum and it se.
to þe bischope þan þai twa
þis tale has tald, and oþir ma.
þe bischop sad þan, be his sawle,
þis is þe hed of sanct paule!
and went one in processione,
and browcht it with hym to þe towne,
In þe kirk befor þe altere
lad it, fresche as it wes eyre.
his body þane vnhelit þai,
þat sa lange had lyne in clay,
and fand it alswa fresche & gren,
as it þat day grawin had bene.
þan dressit þai entent and will
þe hed to set þe body till.
and it hapnyt in þe sythar
þe patriarch for to cum þare,
þat sad: “lordis, ȝe suld wele ken,
þat here slane has bene mony men,
Of quham þe hedis in placis sere
ar scalyt; for-thy it is in wer
gyff þis be paulis hewid or nocht.
for-þi to do þis, hafe I thowcht:
þis hewid ewene at his fet to lay,
and syne dewotly to god to pray,
sant paulis hewid gyf þat it be,
þat þis body, þat we ma se,
turne till it and till It knet,
þe suthfastnes at we ma wyt.”
till all it likit þat he sad.
þe hevid þan to þe fete þai lad;
and, seand all þis grete ferly,
a-bowt turnyt þe ded body,
and with þe hewid sic festening mad,
rycht as þai neuire departit had.
þane lofit þai god of his gret mycht,
þat schew [it] þame sa þe suth be sycht;
and sone with worschipe þe body
þai enclusit full reuerendly.

llange efter þis, quhen pape cornel
þe sege of rowme gouernyt wele,
quhare gret religione wes þane,
fra owt of grece com mony men
to rowme, and stall a-way be nycht
þe twa bodis of mekill mycht
of petir and paule, fra quhare þai lay;
and with þame wald hawe gan a-way,
bot fendis, þat in ydolis ware,
throw goddis vertu he can rare
agane þar will: “men of rome, now
helpe! ȝour goddis ar tane fra ȝow.”
þan þai of rome wittinge had
þat sic nois and cryis wes mad
for þe appostulis; and for-thy
gret multitud gadderit in hy,
and þame of grece folowit so faste,
till þai for rednase done can caste
In-till a dyk, ner by þe place
þat catakumba callit wes,
þat worthy tresour but delay,
and war richt fane to fle a-way.
fra þine þire banis men has tane.
for þai na weste quhilk wes ane,
na quhilk vthir of þe twa,
for-þi þare prayere can þai may,
with dewote fastinge and wak,
þat god wyss þame wald make
peteris banis quhilk war of þai,
and quhilk war pa[u]lis banis alsa.
and fra hewine wes þam tawcht,
þe mar banis þe prechour awcht,
and þe les als but wer
war þe banis of þe feschere.
and sa þe banis þai bad parte,
and in a kirk lad a parte,
and [in] a[ne] vthire parte lad þai.
þar ar þai honorit to þis day.
And men sais þat siluester,
Ȝarnand of þis to be wisere,
quhen hallowit war þir kirkis twa
he gerte agane þir banis ta,
and with a balance and nomar
þai banis he departit þare;
and in a kirk has he downe
ane halfe, and ane wthir sone
In ane wthir reuerently,
till domyseday quhar þat þa ly.

a, Rowme, þu aucht blitht to be,
þat had sic techare to kene þe
Cristis ewangell; first, quhen þu
wes mastres of errour; and now
discippil mad of suthfastnes!
þai ar þi frendis neuir-þe-lese,
sut[h]faste hirdis, þat has þe
playntit in hewine reme to be
bettir and happliare.
and þai, þi firste faderis war,
of þe quhilk [he þat] firste rit þe,
gafe þe name and fowndit to be,
throw browthir slawchtir can þe file;
þat wes gret wikitnes and will.
þa ar þai sa helit þe,
þat þu art digne callit to be
now haly folk and pepill chosyn,
as gud þat fra ill ar losine.
of kinge and presthed þe gud citte
þu art callit, worthy to be
mychtyare throw religione
þan wardly dominacione.
þis þu throw mycht of empriour,
has hyit bene to gret honour;
Ȝet cristine throw þe mar availis
þan victory of gret batalis;
for ma now cumis to þe,
throw þi patrons helpyne to be,
þan euir ȝet come of victory
to þe, or of þi chewalry.
for-þi suld þu gret Ioy may
of sic hirdis and fadderis twa,
throw [quhom] all crist[i]ne honouris þe
as hevyde of al cristianite.