University of Virginia Library

Þan went he furth son in hy,
with sere men in-to company.
and as he went ewine furth rycht,
fra hewine schane don a mekil lycht,
and vmlappyt hym son all;
and he with þat to ȝerd can fall.
and as he at þe ȝerde lay,
he herd a voice to hym say:
“saule, saule, quhy warrais þou me?
for is it nocht hard to þe
agane þe brod þu for to prese?”
þane askit he, þat lyand was:
“quhat art þu, lord?” sad he in hy.
“Ihesu of nazareth,” he sad, “am I
þat þu warrays, þat is to say,
all þat trowis in myn lay.
bot ryse and gange in þe citte,
and þar it sall be sad to þe
quhat þu sal do.” And þar withal
þe men, þat with hym war, al
stud abaysit in þe way;
for þat voyce þai þar hard say,
and þai saw na liffand man.
bot saule, þat fra þe ȝerd vpwan,
with flesly ewine he na se mocht,
for he had bene lang blynd in thocht.
þane þai, þat war in company,
be þe handis hym tuk in hy,
ande led hym furth in-[to] damasse.
and þare he thre dais fullely was
bot met na drink, na myicht nocht se.
men trowis, [that] at þat tyme he
was tawcht wele be þe hali gast
þe ewangele þat hym likit beste,
as he to þame of galathas
sais, no man his master was,
na of nane had he techinge,
bot of Ihesu throw his schewinge.
In þat towne wes a lele man sted,
þat ananyas to name had,
to quhowme god sad in visione:
“ananias, ryse, mak þe bowne,
and of þis towne pase til a rew,
quhare þat Iuda dwellis now,
and sek ane saule till his name,
þat beris of tharse till his sorname;
for, lo, he prais, I say þe.”
to god agane þis answerit he:
“and I haf herd fele gud men say,
at þat man has done gret il ay
to þame, þat ar to þe lele men
In þe towne of ierusalem,
and for þat cause is cumin hiddyr,
to gaddir sik men all togiddir,
to haf þam to þe forsad towne,
for þi sak to thole passione.”
quod god: “til hym gang, I byd þe,
for he weschele is to me
chosine, for to bere myn name,
forowut dowt of manis blame,
before kingis and folkis fell,
and to þe sonnis of israell;
fore I hafe schawit hym quhat he
mone thole for þe sayk of me.
for I haf mad of felone sawle
a leile prechour, and callit is paule,
and of a felone wolf eke
a lame I haf mad hym mek.”
but mar þan passit anany
to þe howse of Iuda in hy,
and one paule his handis lad,
and, as god bad hym, þus he sad:
“paule, bruthir, god Ihesu send me,
þat in þe get apperit to þe,
þat þu þi sicht ma hafe in haste,
and be fillit of þe haly gaste.”
And with þat word fel fra his ene
mirknes, as þa skalis had bene,
and he þat sicht þane gat, and rase,
and anany hym baptiste has.
and he tuk mete, and confourt had,
and þar with discipulis abad
a quhyle, þat war in-to damase;
and syne to synagogis cane pase
and prechit Ihesu criste alsone,
sayand þat he wes goddis son.
þan all þat harde, wondir hade,
and sik spech of hym þai mad:
“Is nocht þis he, þat all þe men
werrayt in Ierusalem,
þat euir callit one cristis name,
and now to prech it has na scham,
and for þat cause com her to fynd
sic cristine folk, and þame to bynd,
and to ierusalem þame to led
to þe prince of our presthed?”
and ay þe mar þat þai sad þat,
þe fer mare he his strinthis gat,
and schamyt faste þe Iowis fele,
þat in-to damase þan can dwell,
affermand ay þat Criste Ihesu
wes goddis sone in for to trow.
and þan þe name of felone sawle
wes turnyt in to prechore paule,
þat all þe warld be lycht of preching
to þe suthfaste trewcht can bringe.