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[A]nd quhen þat he brocht was to rome,
befor nero to thole doume,
all þat euire war of Iowis lay
Come to sanct paule, & þis can say:
“Defend oure lacht, we pray þe now,
sene þu art borne man of hebrew!
cause of folk þu suld defend,
& thol It cum till spedfull end.
syne circumcydit of þaim is nane,
& circumcisione þu has tane,
& þow, as ws think, vald put don
þe lacht of circumcisione,
þar-for, quhen [þu] seis petire ma,
sustene our lacht agan hym ay;
for he fayndis bath lat & ar
for to distroy quytly our lare;
for bath our sabbot & fest-day
he forcis for to put away.”
þane said paule: “quhen I petir se,
Ȝe sall apertly prewe be me
þat I ame verray Iow, quhen I
þe circumcisione suthly
& þe sabbottis sall aprowe ay;
for god hym restit on þe VII day,
als our elderis lacht ws leyrit.
quhy suld þane petir sa be steryt,
þat he ymang þe folk suld preche,
or ony new law to þame teche?
þarfor lat hyme cum now to me,
& yhe but Ire or wreth sall se
hym ourcumyne, suppos he ware
fere wisare; bot gif his lare
throu witnes be approwit now
of þe ald bukis of hebrew;
& gif It swa be, we mon all
obey till his lare, gret & small.”
quhen þis was herd, but mare went þai,
quhar petir was, & can hym say:
“paule appostill is cumyne; loo,
we pray þe þat þu cum hyme to;
for he is bundine, & but leife
to cum here, he ma nocht eschewe.”
quhen petir þis herd, he was blyth,
& with þame went to paule alswyth.
& þai bath, fra þai sammyn met,
for pure pytte & Ioy þai gret;
& Ilkane of þame tald til vthire,
as bruthire suld do to his bruthire,
all hale þare trawale les & mare,
& þe gret dout þat þai in ware.
syne one þe morne richt ayrly
to paule come petir full freyndly,
& fand a multytud wele greit
of Iowis, stanand at his yhat;
& was þar a full gret strife þare
betwen þe Iowis & folk, þat ware
Conuertyt to god throw his grace.
for þe Iowis in þat place
sad: “we ar of ryall kyne,
of goddis dere frendis chosine,
Abraham, ysaac & Iacob leile,
& prophettis, quhome with god can meille,
& schaw to þame his priuete,
& his ferlyis he leit þame se;
& yhe are cumyne of folk but drede,
þat god wrocht nathing in þare sede,
bot þai till wrechit ydolis ay
has bene seruandis; þis is na nay.”
& þan þe folk, þat cristine ware,
mad to þe Iowis sic answere:
“fra þat we herd þe suthfastnes,
we left oure errour mare & les,
& ar set now in þe richt way,
& suthfastnes sall folow ay.
bot yhe, þat wat ȝour fadderis lare,
& of prophettis þat wysmen ware;
þat dryfut passit throu þe se,
& saw ȝour fays drownyt be,
& till ȝou one þe day can pere
of full gret licht a gret pillere,
& syne till ȝou apone þe nycht
It apperyt & gef ȝou licht;
for met of hewine gef ȝou manna,
& stane gef yhou wattir alswa;
bot nocht-withstannand syk gud dede,
þat god wrocht for ȝou in to nede,
of þe gret gold, þat yhe þan had,
ane ydoll of a calf ȝe mad,
& honour[t] It, & had na thocht
of þe gret gud, god for ȝou wrocht.
bot we, þat neuir sic thing had sene,
in þat god trewis wele but wene,
þat yhe haf left, & trewis now
in error, þat ma nocht helpe ȝou.”
& till þat þai war þis striwand,
petir and paule war ȝarne prechand
to þame þat lang tym striwine had,
& gud acord betwene þaim mad.
of petir syne throu þe preching
god schawyt þar a ferly thing,
þat of þe folk full mony ware
conuertyt throu þe postilis lare.
& ymang wtheris treutht can ta
þe wyf of Nero, libia,
na to agrippe, þe prefet,
to be cristine vald nocht lat,
þat had to name agrippyna;
& vthir women mony ma
þar husbandis left for heile of saule,
& aneherdit to petir & paule.
& mony knychtis þar erroure,
þat war dere to þe emprioure,
left, & þar knichthed alswa,
& cristis treutht rycht þare can ta,
sa þat þai wald fra þame na was
Cume to þe king, na his palas;
bot trewit trewly to sanct paule,
& throw hym wan þe heile of saule.