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The Gospel of Nicodemus.

Hic incipit euangelium Nichodemi.

1

Bytyd þe tyme Tyberius
Rewled rome with realte,
þe same tyme theodosius
was proued prynce in galile,
þis story wrote Nichodemus
In ebrew for full gret daynte;
Synthen þe Emperoure Theodosius
Gert it þus translate be
þat men may understand,
Both lered & lawed in ledes;
A clerk of yngland
In his remaile þus redes:
24

2

Symon, Zayrus & Cayphas,
Datan & Gamaliel,
Neptalim, Leui and Iudas,
with þair accusynges fals & fell,
Alexander and als Annas,
Ogayns Ihesu þai speke & spell;
Bifor sir Pilate gan þai pass,
þair tales vntyll him gan þai tell:
“þis mopp þat merres our men,
Calles him god son of heuen,
His syre, his dam we ken,
Be name we kan þam neuen;

3

We wate wele Ioseph was a wryght,
Sothly he was his syre,
And mary vs menes his moder hight,
we, whatkyn godes er þire?
He es þair son, þis weryed wight,
þat egges vs all tyll ire;
Our lawes to brek both day & nyght,
þat es his most desyre.”
Sir Pilate answerd þan:
“Says me whilk er his sawes,
On what manere þis man
Alegges ogayne our lawes.”

4

“Our law vs leres,” þan said a Iew,
“Þe sabot day to do no thing;
þan wirkes he wonder werkes new,
Heles all þat askes heleyng,
þe croked crypels þat we knew,
þis es a wonder thing;
26

He makes þam hale of hyde & hew
Thurgh his fals charmyng.”
To Pilate said þai all:
“for soth slyke er his dedes,
Slyke fare he fars withall,
With fendes craft he him fedes.”

5

Þan said Pilate: “yhe haue no ryght
To blame him bi no way;
His miracles musters his myght,
It es noght als yhe say;
Sen he to blynd has gyfen þe syght
And raysed þat byried lay,
whi suld he vnto ded be dyght
þat mendes all þat he may?”
þan all þe Iewes cryde:
“Sir Pilate, we þe pray,
Bryng him to barr þis tyde
þat makes vs all þis dray.”

6

A bedell to bryng him gan he byd,
Romayne he hight, we rede,
And he þat was for curtays kyd
Dyd it sone in dede;
A wonden wrethe þat his heued hyd
Spred he all furth on brede:
“Lord, þe to call domesman me dyd,
Bot walk in on þis wede.”
þe Iewes all of þat gate
wex all full gull & grene
And said to sir Pilate:
“A deuell, what may þis mene?

7

Þe bedell suld to þe be trew
And do þi comandment;
28

On knese here kneled he to Ihesu
Right in þine awen present;
vs noyes gretely þir notes new,
we toke þarto gud tent,
Slyke curtasy vnto him he knew,
Ryght on his wreth he went.”
þai asked him whi he kyd
Ihesu slyke curtasy;
And he said: “þat I did
I had encheson why;

8

Tyll alexander, wele yhe wate,
In message was I made,
To Ierusalem I come so late
þat tyll þe morn I bade;
Þis Ihesus on ane Ass þare sate
And thurgh þe toune he rade;
Childer bifor him in þe gate
Spred þair clothes on brade,
Tyll him all gan þai bow;
‘Osanna,’ was þair sang,
‘Blyssed be he þat comes now
In godes name vs omang.’”

9

Þan said þe Iewes: “traytour vntrew,
with lyes þou has vs led,
þare carpyng þare no thing þou knew,
we lay our heuedes in wed;
Ierusalem langage es hebrew,
ffull fer þethen was þou fed.”
He said: “I spyrd at men Inoghe
þat in þat burgh war bred.”
“Osanna,” quad Pilate,
“what es þat forto say?”
þai said: “it menes allgate
‘Lord, saue vs, we þe pray.’”
30

10

Þan said Pilate: “me think in thoght
þe bedell wrang yhe blame;
yhour childer sawes forsake yhe noght,
yhourseluen says þe same;
Bot, bedell, to barr sen þou him broght
To scheld þiself fro schame,
Haue him furth þat þou wirschip wroght
& call him in by name.”
Out of þat rout Romayne
Our lord Ihesu he ledes,
And calles him in ogayne,
Als he þat domesman dredes.

11

Of Emperours þat are had bene
þis was vsed in þat land,
ffor folk suld on þair menskes mene,
Men suld hald in þair hand
þair armes sett on schaftes sene,
Graythed of gold gleterand;
So did þai þare þat day bidene,
And stabilly gan þai stand;
when he þat all sall weld
was led into þe hall,
þe heuedes halely gan held
And did him honoure all.

12

Þan þe Iewes full sterne & stout
Said: “þis es hard hethyng,
þir lurdans lattes þair schaftes lout
And wroght him wirschipyng.”
32

þan Pilate asked þam all obout:
“whi did yhe swilk a thing?”
þai sad: “we do yhow out of dout,
It was noght our wyttyng,
we toke no tent him tyll,
þe baners gan him bow;
It was ogayns our will,
þat sall yhe trewly trow.”

13

Þai said þat it was witerly
Ogayns þair will allgate;
þe Iewes þan full loud gan cry
And pleyned þam to Pilate;
He bad þam tak men more myghty,
Strang & stabyll of state,
And lat þam hald þe schaftes in hy,
þair barett to abate.
In þair iewry aywhare
On ilk syde haue þai soght,
Of men þat myghty ware
þe boldest haue þai broght.

14

Sir Pilate to þase Iewes þan sware,
Suld hold þa schaftes in hand:
“If þai lout vnto Ihesu mare,
yhe sall lose lyfe and land.”
þe men þat wyght & willy ware
Said: “to þi steuen we stand;
Whase heued so heldes brede of ane hare,
Hardily hag of his hand.”
“Haue Ihesus out of þe hall,”
Said Pilate þe bedell vntyll,
“And eft in þou him call,
On what wise so þou will.”
34

15

His heued vnhyld on knese he kneled,
His clathes on bred he spred,
with all wirschip þat he couth weld
Our lord eft in he led;
þe heuedes on heght halely gan held
And bowyng to him þai bed;
þe men when þai þam fayland feld
Drowped & war adred.
when Pilate saw in syght
How þe baners gan bow,
ffor dred he rayse vpryght
Ogayns our lord Ihesu.

16

Broght was he þus to barr ogayne,
þe kyng of all mankyn;
þe fende þan thoght: “if he war slayne,
He suld saue men of syn,
And sawles þat he had tane with trayne
ffro him þat tyme suld twyne.”
fforþi he dose his myght & mayne
To ger þat bargan blyn;
On þe nyght als ane aungell
He appered to Pilates wyfe:
“vnto þi lord þou tell
He lett noght ihesus lyf.”

17

Sir Pilates wife, dame procula,
Till hir lord þus gan say:
“Deme noght ihesus tyll ne fra,
Bot mensk him þat yhe may,
I haue bene dreched with dremes swa
þis ilk nyght als I lay;
If ȝe him deme to ded at ga,
Our welth mon wend oway.”
36

Pilate als man amayde
Stode in a gret stody,
Sythen to þe Iewes he said:
“yhe wregh him wrangwisly;

18

My wife, yhe wate wele, es no Iew,
Scho es a sarizene;
Mynsters has scho made yhow new
And done gud dedes bydene;
Scho sais es gud & trew,
Slepand þus has scho sene;
If we him reyne, it mon vs rew
Euermore þaron to mene.”
þai said: “þis wist we are,
Ilk man þe soth may se;
He fars with fendes fare,
wyched þi wyf has he.”

19

Sir Pilate said: “it meruayles me
þat þou standes so styll,
Sen þat þiself þe soth may se
what þai tell þe vntyll.”
Crist said: “ilk man a mowth has fre
To weld at his awen will;
þare wordes full wyde sall wyten be
whether þai be gud or ill.”
“Ihesus, lat be þi dyn!”
Said all þe Iewes on raw,
“A horcop born in syn
Ilkane wele we þe knaw;

20

We wate wele for þi sake was slayne
All þe barnes in bethleem born;
To fle with þe þi frendes war fayne,
And els had þi lyfe bene lorn;
38

when Herode dyed, es noght at layn,
þat þi ded hertly had sworn,
Till yhour contre yhe come ogayn
þat yhe war fled fro byforn.”
Pilate said: “es þis he
þat Herode soght to sla?”
Þai said: “sir, yha parde,
Bot þus he passed him fra.”

21

Pilate when he herd how it was,
He dred mykell þe mare;
He chesed a quest on him to pas
And bi þair law þai sware,
þai said to Pilate & to Cayphas:
“þe soth we will noght spare,
Mary with Ioseph wedded was,
At þair wedyng we ware.”
Pilate said to þam þan
þat had blamed him biforne:
“with wrang yhe wregh þis man,
In wedlake was he borne.”

22

Þan styrt vp Iewes bytter & bald
And said to sir Pilate:
“þe tales þat we haue of him tald
will we avow allgate;
At þir men es full lytell hald,
Sir, þai say als þai wate,
þai er bot barnes, sir, be yhe bald,
Comen tyll our law now late.”
þis quest stedfast als stele
Said to þase other twelue:
“we er Iewes, witt yhe wele,
Born frely als yhourselue.”
40

23

Sir Pilate to bar a boke has broght
þir two questes to twyn;
with sweryng sall þe soth be soght,
ffyrst quest he bydes bygyn;
And þai say: “nay, þat falles vs noght,
we say sweryng es syn;
Lat þam swere þat þis wrang has wroght,
All knew we Ihesus kyn;
If we be fon gylty
In þis thing that we say,
we oblysch vs forto dy
Bifor domesmen þis day.”

24

Þan spak Annas & Cayphas
And said to sir Pilate:
“we trow wele Mary wedded was
And þat Ioseph him gate;
Bot tyll aneother poynt we pas
þat sall hald him full hate:
we say a spyrit enclosed he has,
wharethurgh all thynges he wate.”
Pilate gert haue out all
þat þan war in þat hows,
And þat quest gert he call
þat proued him born in spowse;

25

He said: “I fand yhow trew langare,
Telles me now yhour rede,
whi hate þir Iewes Ihesu so sare
And will þus haue him dede?”
42

þai say: “his lessons passes þair lare,
þarfore þai haue hatred,
And als his miracles moues þam mare,
þat standes þam mykell in stede.”
wrathe es sir Pilate þan
And sais: “þis es envy;
will þai þus deme a man
ffor his gud dedes to dy?”

26

Sir Pilate hyghed out of þe hall
And said þe Iewes vntyll:
“I witnes here bifor yhow all
I fynd in him none ill.”
And þai answerd both gret & small:
“Sir, if it war þi will,
we gert him noght befor þe call
To deme withouten skyll.”
He says: “þan bus him dy,
I se wele be yhour sawes;
Takes him to yhow forþi
And demes him be yhour lawes.”

27

Þan said þe Iewes: “sir, wele þou wate,
God byddes vs sla no man.”
vnto þam þus answerd Pilate:
“Byddes god me sla men þan?
I haue wele herd why yhe him hate
And whi yhour grefe bigan;
with my will bese he ded nonegate
Bi no craft þat yhe kan;
It sall noght stand in stede,
ffor certes it war no resoune
At deme a man to ded,
Bot yhe had more enchesoune.”
44

28

He led Ihesus þe Iewes fra
þat bifore stode him by
And said tyll him bitwix þam twa:
“þou es kyng of Iewry?”
Ihesus sais: “owther was it tald þe swa,
Or þou red ryghtwisly?”
þan said Pilate: “me war full wa
þi folk suld ger þe dy;
þou ert bitane to me
fforto be demed þis day;
Kyng of Iewes if þou be
Answer to þat, I say.”

29

Ihesus said þan to him ogayne:
“My kyngdom es noght here;
If my kyngdom, es noght at layne,
within þis world now were,
Or I omang þir Iewes war slayne,
My men þat war me dere
wald putt þam fro þair purpose playne
with full gret powere.”
“þan ertow kyng allgate,”
says Pilate, “sykerly?”
Ihesus said to Pilate:
“þou sais it & noght I;

30

Comen I am to þis contre
And þareto was I born,
Of sothfastnes wytnes to be
þat was noght sene biforn;
All þat sothfast lythes me
Lely both euen & morn;
þai sall be demed in þair degre
þat sothfastnes has lorn.”
46

Pilate þan asked him eft:
“what thing es sothfastnes?”
with þat Ihesus he left
Als man þat stonayd es.

31

He said vnto þe Iewes all þus:
“Sirs, if it war yhour wyll,
I haue enquered more of Ihesus,
I fynd in him none ill.”
þai said: “he was noght wreghed for vs
Withouten certayne skyll.”
Sir Pilate said: “dy sen him bus,
I consent noght þaretyll,
I am withouten gylt,
To proue in yhoure present;
His blode sall noght be spylt
fforsoth be myne assent.”

32

To þis answerd þe Iewes all
And made þam wonder wrathe,
þai say: “his blode mot on vs fall
And on our childer bathe.”
Sir Pilate said: “parchaunce so sall,
þat es full mykell wathe;
þarfor lat haue him out of hall
And schape withouten skathe.”
þai say: “sir, wele þou wate,
we say bot lawfully;
Wha blemys kynges astate
Es wele worth forto dy;

33

And whoso sklaunders þe godhede
Es more syn þan swilk seuen;
48

He þat es man withouten dred
Als god son will him neuen,
He hetes to sytt, who takes hede,
On ryght hand in heuen,
To deme ilk man after his awen dede
At his awen ordenance euen.”
Out of þat company
Pilate went Ihesu vnto
And said: “sir, sykerly,
I ne wayte what es to do.”

34

Crist said: “als gyfen þe & me,
So bus be done allwyse.”
Pilate sais: “how?” & þan says he:
“Als proues þe prophecyse,
Moyses, Dauid & Iosue,
And other mo þan þese;
Als þai said, bese fullfyld in me,
To suffer & degh & ryse.”
Þan Pilate went to hall
Als man þat was amayd
And tald to þe Iewes all
How þat Ihesus had said.

35

Þan said þe Iewes to Pilate: “lo,
In swilk erroure he dwelles,
with more witnes what suld we do?
Himself full trewly telles.”
Pilate said: “takes him yhow vnto,
Sen ilk man þus him melles,
And demes als yhe bygan þis bro,
ffor I will say noght elles.”
Þai say: “wha mellyng makes
To man, þis fynd we wryten,
‘Ane wane of fourty strakes
with yherd he sall be smyten;’
50

36

Wha sklaunders god, yhe wate he mon
Be staned to ded for syn;
He telles yhow þat he es god son,
And we knaw all his kyn;
He says þat he sall sytt in trone,
Þarfore or euer we blyn,
we will þat he on cross be done
And ded for all his dyn;
If he regne sykerly,
All sall turne tyll his lare;
And better es þat a man dy
þan all þe folk forfare.”

37

In come syr Nichodeme by þan,
was prynce of þe Iewry,
He said: “I red yhe do þis man
No manere of vylany;
Slyke sotell talkynges als yhe can
And schewes vs openly
was neuer yhit sen þe world bygan
Sene in prophecy;
And if his fare war fals,
It suld be sene full sone;
His sawes & his dedes als
Suld dy and be vndone.

38

When sygnes war schewed thurgh Moyses
Vntyll Pharao þe kyng,
Two witnes, Iamnes & mambres,
Did him full gret hethyng;
Signes þat he schewed made þai lese
with þair fals enchauntyng,
Als godes þam held all hathenes;
Bot lythes þe last endyng;
52

ffor his dedes war sothfast
And þaires bot sorcery;
His dedes sall euermore last,
And þaires bot nedely dy.

39

And parchaunce þis man may be sent
A prophet vs forto lere;
I ne wate by whame þat moyses ment
þat telles on þis manere:
‘A prophet tyll our lawes bese lent
And borne omanges vs here;’
He said þai sall be schamely schent
Þat him þis will noght here.”
Þe Iewes byfor Pilate
Said vnto Nichodeme:
“His lare be þine allgate,
And his pese myght þe yheme.”

40

Nichodeme answerd & said “amen,”
And held vp both his hend,
“vntyll his lare I tak me þen,
His pese in me myght lend.”
Into þe hall þan come þare ten
þat for Lazars war kend,
þai said: “we war vnclene, yhe ken,
Hale thurgh his word we wend.”
In come aneother & sayd:
“Sir, blynd borne was I,
Handes on myne eghen he layd,
Þus saw I sykerly.”

41

Aneother said: “syrs, seke I lay
ffourty yhere all bot twa,
54

I asked mercy, & he gan say:
‘Tyte tak þi bed and ga!’
Sone was I heled & went my way.”
Þus come ay ma and ma,
þai said: “syrs, no man nowmbre may
How many he has heled swa.”
All halely say þai þus:
“A gret prophet es he,
Our sauyour dere Ihesus,
Blyssed ay myght he be.”

42

“Yhour prestes, yhour bysschopes,” quad Pilate,
“þusgate whi hele noght þai?”
And þai answerd & said: “we ne wate,
Bot þus wirkes he allway;
Ane Lazar þat was ded now late
And in his graue lang lay,
He lyfes ogayne in full gud state,
þis es soth þat we say.”
Hereof had Pilate dred
And said: “whi will yhe spyll
þe man þat helpes in nede
All þat will call him tyll?”

43

He called Nichodeme & þat quest
þat he fand trew allgate
And said: “lordynges, how hald yhe best?
þir folk falles in debate.”
And þai said: “syr, als haue we rest,
what es to do we ne wate;
þam forto pay er we noght prest,
fforto less his astate;
we pray god þat he send
Ryght dome þam omang,
On þam self mot it lend
wha dose ryght & wha wrang.”
56

44

At Pasch of Iewes þe custom was
Ane of preson to slake,
withouten dome to latt him pas
ffor þat hegh fest sake.
A pryson þai had hight Barabas
þat murthers gan make;
Whether him or Ihesu, pilate ass,
þai will fro presone take,
þai cryed fast: “Baraban!”
And Pilate askes þam all:
“What sall Ihesus do þan?”
þai say: “cross him þou sall;

45

Bot þou do so, it es wele sene
þou ert noght Cesares frende;
who makes þam kyng, withouten wene
Ogayns Cesare þai wende.”
And Pilate said þan in a tene:
“yhe folk full of þe fende,
Tyll yhour belders ay haue yhe bene
Schrewes & ill ay at þe ende.”
ffor wroth þai wex nere wode
And said: “whi says þou so?
who did vs euer yhit gud,
þat we ne dyd þam slyke two?”

46

“ffro Egypp,” said he, “yhe war led
with moyses þe trew prophete,
ffro Pharao thurgh þe cee yhe fled
And fyled noght yhour fette;
In wildernes, when god yhow fed
With aungell mete full swete,
ffowles to yhour fode þat neuer war bred
And rayne fro heuen he lete;
58

Out of þe stane he sent
ffressch water wyterly;
yhe brak his comament
& lyfed on mawmetry;

47

Bot þat Moyses gan for yhow pray,
God had fordone yhow þare;
And here þis man þat ilka day
heles yhow seke and sare,
ffor I deme noght vnto yhour pay
Bot wald þe gyltles spare;
I am noght Cesars frend, yhe say,
Þis es vnryghtwyse fare.”
þai say: “we haue no kyng
Bot þe Emperoure of Rome;
To trow on þis tratylling
þat war no ryghtwys dome.

48

We fynd how thre kynges here biforne
ffro Perse to bethleem soght,
þai asked whare þe kyng of Iewes was borne
And tyll him offrandes broght;
Bot when Herod wist on þe morne
On what wise þai had wroght,
þat he & þai both suld be lorne,
þis was in herodes thoght;
ffor he knew noght him þis,
All childer bad he sla
Þat of twa yhere oght mys,
And yhit he skaped him fra.”

49

Pilate hereof had gret Pete
And bad all men be styll:
“withouten cause þa kynges thre
Soght noght so fer him tyll.”
60

water wightly askes he
And wessch his hend by skyll:
“I am gyltles, als yhe sall se,
þis ryghtwys blode to spyll.”
þan cryed þe Iewes all:
“þareof haue þou no dout,
þis blode on vs myght fall,
Put vs in & þe out.”

50

Þan gert Pilate vnto bar bryng
Knyghtes full gret plente,
He says: “his folk vnproues him kyng,
And kyngdom claymes he;
þarfore with skourges yhe sall him dyng,
þus byd I þat it be,
Sythen on a cross yhe sall him hyng
Hegh þat þe men may se;
A thef on ayther syde
yhe do at my byddyng,
Als kyng of mykell pryde
In myddes yhe sall him hyng.”

51

Þase knyghtes kene layd hand him on
And led whare he suld dy,
His clothes þai dof, on him þai don
A whyte towayle in hy,
A purpure mantyll þareopon
And hyd his eghen hastily;
þare þai defouled him als a fon
And kyng of Iewes gan cry;
62

A crowne of thorne full sare
To threst þai haue bygon
On his heued, tyll þe hare
was all of blode byron;

52

On rode þai raysed him þan gud spede,
A thefe on ayther syde;
Aysell & gall raysed on a rede
within a spownge þai hyde,
vntyll his mowthe at drynk þai bede,
And Ihesus said þat tyde:
“ffader, forgyf þir men þair dede
Of þis bale þat I byde.”
þe Iewes þan þat þare stode
said: “god son if þou be,
Come doune now fro þat rode,
And we sall trow in þe.”

53

A blynd knyght, so thoght þam best,
A spere þai gaf gud spede;
To Ihesu syde þai gan it threst,
And blode and water out yhede.
Pilate, for folk by est & west
Suld haue mynde of þat dede,
A byll obouen his heued he fest
þat ilka man myht rede,
Latyn, Ebrew and grew;
His tytell was þusgate:
“þis ilk man es Ihesu,
kyng of Iewes,” þus he wrate.

54

On his left syde hang Iesmas
And said to him bi name:
“If þou be god, hethen lat vs pas,
Saue þe & vs fro schame!”
64

And on his ryght hand hynged Dismas,
His fere fast gan he blame:
“Als þou has serued so þou has,
And I may say þe same;
Ouer lytell god þou dredes,
we haue þis for our gylt,
And he for his gud dedes
fful wrangwisly es spylt.”

55

Vnto Ihesu gan he pray:
“Als þou es heghe Iustyse,
when þou comes in þi regne for ay,
Mend me with þi mercyse.”
And Ihesus sone to him gan say
And answer on þis wyse:
“I hete þe forto be þis day
With me in paradyse.”
At vnderon was þis done,
Omang þam wex it myrk,
þe son wex dyme full sone,
þe vaile rafe in þe kyrk.

56

In þis ilk story als we rede,
who will it vnderstand,
Ane aungell was sene do þat dede
with a swerd bryght brynand,
He said: “I come, whasom takes hede,
Als witnes and warand
Of Ihesu dede þat yhe se blede,
Nayled thurgh fote & hand.”
Ihesus said: “in þi hend,
My fader of myghtes mast,
My saule now sall I send.”
with þis he gaf þe gaste.
66

57

Centurio said, when he suld dy,
vnto þe Iewes full ryght:
“þis ilk was god son sykerly,
þat þus to ded es dyght.”
And many other þat stode him by
And saw þis selcouth syght
Knocked on þair brestes & cryed mercy
And mended þam at þair myght.
Of þis wonderfull dede
when sir Pilate herd say,
ffor dole and als for dred
He ette no mete þat day.

58

Þan Pilate sembled þe Iewes all
And said: “what es yhour rede?
Swilk ferlies wist we neuer bifall
Als fell in Ihesu ded.”
þai said: “sir, clerkes þe clyppes it call
þat made þe son so red.”
He asked: “what made þe stanes so small
þat none myght styr of þe stede?
Allso, what raue þe vayle
þat in yhour temple hang?
vs all to wrotherhail
I dout we haue done wrang.”

59

Centurio come forth bi þan
And other þat with him ware;
Till all þe Iewes þus þai bigan
To tell þis ferly fare:
“Of wreghyng of þis ryghtwisman
yhe may yhow dred full sare;
þe sonne at his ded wex all wan
wele thre myle way or mare,
68

þe stanes in sonder brak,
þe erth trembled & quaked,
with noys als man it spak,
Slyke mane for him it maked;

60

Ded men er rysen out of þair graue
Ryght in our aller syght;
þarfore we trow & hope we haue
He was god son full ryght.”
Als þai all þus togyder straue,
To Pilate come a knyght,
And Ihesu cors fast gan he craue
þat þus to ded was dyght;
Pilate graunted þat bone
Till Ioseph of Aramathi;
And he fra þe cross full sone
Toke doune þat blyssed body.

61

He wand þat cors with gud entent
In sendell new & clene
And layd it in his monument
whare nane bifore had bene.
Þan said þe Iewes with ane assent:
“Als ill we sall him tene.”
Men forto seke him haue þai sent,
And he dar noght be sene.
þat quest þat gan him deme
Trew in sposage borne,
And ryghtwise Nichodeme,
To sla all haue þai sworne;

62

And forto sla all haue þai thoght
þat heled of Ihesu ware;
þai bad sone þat men spare þam noght,
So war þai greued sare.
70

Sone when þai war togyder broght,
þe maisters of þair lare,
To þe temple Nichodeme þam soght,
To speke he wald noght spare,
He said: “yhe wers þan wode,
How dar yhe negh þis stede
And yhour handes full of blode
Of ryghtwys Ihesus dede?”

63

Þe Iewes þan answerd all in fere:
“þou outcast of all men,
How dar þou negh þis temple nere,
His frend se we þe ken?
Sen þat þou held his dedes so dere,
His pese we þe byken,
And his lare lyght opon þe here.”
He answerd & said: “ameN!”
when all þir sawes war sayd,
Ioseph of Aramathy
þat him in graue had layd
Come in all openly;

64

He said: “lordynges, als god yhow saue,
whi er yhe wrathe with me?
ffor I layd Ihesus in his graue
þat yhe hanged on rode-tre?
with full gret wrang slane him yhe haue,
þat sall men here & se;
when yhe bifor sir Pilate straue,
Als yhe said sall it be;
when Pilate wesch his hend
Him gyltles forto make,
Yhe bad on yhow descend
His blode, vengance & wrake.”
72

65

Omang þam þare was Ioseph tane,
In presoune þai him kast,
Had no wyndow and dore bot ane,
And þat þai sperd full fast;
þai said halely he suld be slane
when þair sabot war past;
On þe dore þai sett þair seles ilk ane
with lokkes þat wele wald last.
“ffor he gan Ihesu graue,”
þai say, “fer in þe feld
His beriele sall he haue,
wyld bestes his banes to weld.”

66

After þair sabot day alssone
Of Ioseph haue þai thoght:
“He sall be ded be son & mone
ffor þat werk he has wroght.”
þai hyed þam withouten hone
And wend him furth haue broght,
þai bad þe dore tyte be vndone,
Bot Ioseph fand þai noght.
“Allas!” þan gan þai say,
“þis es a wonder thyng,
How myght he wyn oway
þus in our awen kepyng?”

67

Þan come a knyght of þam þat woke
Ihesus in þe monument:
“þat body þat yhe vs bitoke
Es rysen and fro vs went;
þe erth trembled & all toschoke,
Ane aungell doune was sent,
74

we dared for dred & durst noght luke,
Ne to him tak no tent;
þe mykell stane þat lay
His rysyng forto lett
þat aungell put oway
And þareopon him sett.

68

He bad wemen be noght affrayd
þat war of his meneyhe:
“ffor he es rysen, þarfor bese payd,
Comes nere þe soth to se!
þis es þe place whare he was layd,
Ga byddes his appestels be,
He sall be sene als he þam sayd
þis day in Galile.”
þe Iewes gret wonder thoght,
“Lyfes Ihesus?” gan þai say,
“Traytours, we trow yhow noght,
Sertes he es ded for ay.”

69

Þe knyghtes gaf answer full swythe
Till all þat company:
“what wonder werkes gan he yhow kythe
Here whils he wond yhow by!
He musterd miracles many sythe
Omang all þis Iewry;
How suld yhe leue or tyll vs lythe
þat left him so lyghtly?
When he was layd in graue,
we keped him, als yhe wate;
Schortly lorne him we haue,
He es rysen & gane his gate.

70

And als wele wate we yhisterday
How Ioseph presond was,
76

And how yhe keped him vnder kay
ffor þat he suld noght pas;
we wate wele he es went oway,
þarfor þis thing we ass:
Bydes þam bryng Ioseph if þai may
þat him in kepyng has,
And we sall bryng Ihesus
withouten langer threpe.”
þai say: “bryng him tyll vs,
And we sall bryng Iosepe.”

71

Þe knyghtes sayd: “warand will we
þarfor to lyf and dy
þat Ioseph es in his cete
At hame in Aramathy,
And Ihesus gase in Galile
with his appostels him by.”
when þe Iewes herd it þus suld be,
þai drowped & war drery;
Omanges þam sone þai say:
“Bot if þir wordes fall,
Our folk sall leue our lay
And trow on Ihesu all.”

72

A sowme of tresore haue þai tane
And to þe knyghtes þai pay,
And charges þam by ane & ane
þat þai sall allgate say,
þat when þai war to slepyng gane
And in þair beddes lay,
His appostels put oway þe stane
And stale þe cors oway;
þe mone made þam fayne,
þai toke it ilka dele,
And furth þai tald þis trayne,
And ilk man trowed þam wele.
78

73

TO Ierusalem þat ryche cete
Thre prestes þair way has tane,
vnto þe temple þai went all thre
And called þe clerkes onane,
þai said: “Ihesus, þis warand we,
þat yhe with wrang haue slane,
On þe mount of Oliuete þis day satt he
And his appostels ilk ane;
we saw þam in a rowt
þat he was won to teche,
þai satt all him obout
And þir wordes gan he preche:

74

‘Thurgh all þe werld I will yhe wende,
And wysely luke yhe wake
And baptyss all men with yhour hende
þat trowth trewly will take;
þat trowes & er for cristen kend
Safe I sall þam make;
And all bese damped withouten end
þat ryght trowth will forsake.’
In þat stede þam omang
He steghe tyll heuen vpryght,
And we luked after him lang
Till clowdes reft vs þe syght.”

75

Hereof þe Iewes awondred ere,
þai say: “þus sall noght blyn,
þis þat yhe say all sall yhe swere.”
A boke þai byd bryng in,
þai said: “þat may do vs no dere,
Gladly we will bigyn;
Bot we wald þareof witnes bere,
ffor soth we suld haue syn.”
80

Handes on þat boke þai layd
And sware all with a voyce:
“All es soth þat we sayd
Of him yhe hanged on croyce.”

76

Þe Iewes a boke in handes hent
And gert þam eft on lay:
“þis þat yhe speke in our present
yhe sall layne forward ay.”
Sone fro þat cete er þai sent,
ffor þai no soth suld say,
And armed men with þam er went
To wyss þam fast oway.
In [dred] þir Iewes þus dwell
And says: “what may þis mene?
In þe land of Israel
was neuer slyke selcowthes sene.”

77

To þis spak Annas & Cayphas:
“we sall noght trow,” þai sayd,
“þe knyghtes þat him myskeped has,
Sen he in graue was layd;”
“þat he rase vp,” þare wordes was,
“And made þam all affrayd;
Bot how sone gan þat speche ouerpas
ffro we þam syluer payd.
His men, full wele may be,
Come his cors forto stele
And made þe knyghtes gre,
Als we dyd, forto hele.”

78

All þe Iewes þan þat þare ware
Answerd & sayd þus:
“whether war our knyghtes halden mare
vntyll his men or tyll vs?”
“Sertainly yhe say wele þare,”
þus said Nichodemus,
82

“ffor his men saw þai neuer are,
Ne noght þai lufed Ihesus;
þir two men þat sware ryght
How þai saw him lyfand
And stegh to heuen on hyght
with wrang er flemed of land.

79

We rede when þe prophete helyas
vp vnto heuen was tane,
Elisius, his discipell was,
Men asked whyder he was gane;
He sayd: ‘tyll heuen I saw him pas,’
Men for him made gret mane.
‘Som spirit,’ þai said, ‘him rauyst has
Into þe mountes allane.’
þai gert seke north & sowth
þe mountes of Israel,
þai fand no man þat couth
þam tale of Hely tell.

80

Yhe childer of Israel, lystens me,
þat has þis sakles slayne,
In case þat crist so rauyst be
with spirites to som mountayne,
Sendes furth men bylyue lat se,
To seke with all þair mayne;
He sall forgyf & haue pete,
When he es fonden ogayne.”
ffor he suld noght be schent,
Þir tales he gan þam tell,
And wight men furth er went
To þe mountes of Israel.

81

In þe land of Israel haue þai soght
þe mountanes fer & nere;
84

þai come & said þai saw him noght,
Ne noght myght of him here;
“Of Ioseph bodword haue we broght
þat yhe presond to yhere,
In Aramathy his wanes er wroght
Als lord of gret powere.”
When þai herd sertainly
þat Ioseph was in qwert,
þai thanked god forþi
And war ioyfull in hert.

82

Sone þai made a gret gaderyng
And counsayled þam bitwene
How þai myght Ioseph to þam bryng,
Als he before had bene.
A letter dyd þai to wrytyng
And said þus als I wene:
“Pese, frendschip & godes gretyng
On þe, sir, mot be sene.”
þai said: “we knaw & wate
Our tryspas & our gylt
In god onence þi state,
þat we þe wald haue spylt;

83

Sir, vouchesaue to com vs tyll,
All halely we þe pray,
And largely mak amendes we will,
Whatso þiself will say;
fful oft we stody opon þis skyll
How þat þou wan oway,
Bot god wald þat þou had none ill,
þi dedes war to his pay;
Haue pese with wirchipyng,
Ioseph of Aramathy.”
þai close it & þai hyng
þair aller seles þareby.
86

84

Of Ioseph frendes sythen haue þai sent
þe message forto make;
when þai wist what maters þai ment,
þai wald it noght forsake;
Till Aramathy wightly þai went,
fful wynly gan þai wake;
þai tald to Ioseph þair entent,
þe letter to him þai take.
Sone when he had it red,
He thanked god of heuen;
He kyssed þam & sythen led
vntyll his hows full euen.

85

Sone on þe morn when it was day,
Ioseph was dyght full tyte,
with þe messangers he went his way
withouten more respyte.
Of his come when þe Iewes herd say,
withouten lenger lyte
with all þe wirschip þat þai may
Ogayns him went þai tyte,
Þai said: “at þi comyng,
Ioseph, be pese and gryth.”
And he sais: “godes blyssyng
Be all his pople with.”

86

Nichodeme þat I are of spake
At his hows gert him ly,
And made gret festes for his sake
To folk of þe Iewry;
And sone a gaderyng gan þai make
In þe temple openly;
A boke in hand Ioseph þai take
And bad him swere þareby
88

þat he þe soth sall say;
ffull depely þai him charge
How that he wan oway
ffro presoune vnto þe large.

87

He said: “on gud fryday at nyght
when I to presone yhode,
Till þe saterday at mydnyght ryght
In my prayers I stode;
þe presone in ayre was hynged on hyght,
þat meruayld all my mode;
I luked & saw bifor my syght
Ihesus þat dyed on rode;
Till him gud tent I toke,
His visage schane full bryght,
I myght no langer luke,
ffor dred I fell doune ryght.

88

He bad me þan ryse vp in hy
And toke me bi þe hand,
Mi mowth he kyssed curtaisly,
ffull dredfull gan I stand,
I said to him: ‘my lord hely,
wher þou be here lyfand?’
And he said: ‘yha, full faythfully,
þat sall þou vnderstand;
Of me no drede þou haue,
Ioseph, I am þat ilk
Þat þou layd in þi graue
In sendell and in sylk.’

89

I answerd þus: ‘if thou be he,
Of a thing I þe pray,
þe monument þat lat me se
wharein þi body lay.’
90

Out of þat presone þan went we,
Bot how I kan noght say,
His sepulcre sone schewed he me,
þe body was oway;
þan trowed I stedfastly
When I had sene þat syght,
I asked þat mylde mercy
And thanked him at my myght.

90

In Aramathy he sett me sethen,
And þare I saw him last;
He bad: ‘nogate luke þou go hethen
Till fourty days be past;’
He said me yhe suld noght yhow feyne
To pursu cristen fast;
Syrs, otherwise went I noght þethen,
Ryght on þis maner wast.”
þan said þe Iewes halely:
“þis es a ferly fare
To seke all our Iewry,
Slyke ferlyse fell neuer are.”

91

“Ely þe prophete in full gud state,”
þai said, “whik to heuen yhede,
And moyses allswa, wele yhe wate,
Of his dede neuer we rede;
Bot Ihesus was ded now late
And damped for his mysdede,
He may noght lyf ogayne nonegate,
þis es withouten drede.”
Ioseph says: “meruayle yhe
þat he es rysen to lyue?
To spek of his pouste,
yhe may meruaile slyke fyue.
92

92

Of saint Symon wele may yhe mene,
þat keped yhour lawes full ryght,
And his two sons all haue yhe sene,
þat Caryn & Lentyn hyght;
yhe wate þai war both ded bidene
And grauen in yhour syght;
þair bodyse, I wate withouten wene,
Er raysed thurgh Ihesu myght;
I warand þat þai both ere
Lyfand in aramathy,
Ay kneland in prayere
And spekes noght sykerly;

93

We will wend to þam, if yhe rede,
And pray þam, if þai will,
Tell vs how þai er raysed fro dede
And eft lyfe lent þam tyll;
Parauenture þai sall in þat stede
Schew vs som sertayne skyll,
If þai war raysed thurgh his godhede,
And what thyng to fullfyll.”
vnto þair graues went þai,
whare þare bodyse war layd,
And fand þam both oway,
Als Ioseph had þam sayd.

94

Ioseph, Annas and Cayphas,
And Nichodeme allswa,
þair counsayle halely taken has
Till Aramathy tyll ga;
And on þe morn furth gan þai pass,
To þair iorne þai ta;
ffro þethen sexty myle it was,
And nowther myn ne ma;
94

þir two men in þat toune
ffand þai at þe last
On bare erth kneland doune,
Prayand tyll god full fast;

95

Þai kyssed þam als men þat þai kend
And of þam war full fayne,
To Ierusalem þai gert þam wende
wightly with þam ogayne;
Ryght in þe temple þai gert þam lend
And þare of þam þai frayne,
þe halydom putt þai in þair hend
To swere þe soth to sayne:
“Bi god of Israel
And bi god Adonay,
þe soth of þis thing vs tell
þat we ask, if yhe may;

96

Allswa bi gret god we yhow athe,
þat tyll our faders spak,
If þat war Ihesus þat raysed yhow bathe,
Sertayne yhe vs make;
How yhe war raysed yhe schew vs rathe,
þat we ryght trowthe may take.”
And for þir wordes þai wex full wrathe,
Both gan þai tremble & qwake;
Tyll heuen vp gan þai stare,
And þan taken of þe croyce
On þair mowthes mak þai þare
And spak with symple voyce:

97

“Lordynges,” þai said withouten lyte,
“Tak vs parchemyn & pen;
96

þe preuetese we sall yhow wryte
þat we for sothfast ken.”
And sone withouten more respyte
Serely þai sett þam þen,
And þusgate bygan þai to wryte:
“In þe name of god, amen!
To þe, Ihesu, we pray,
Rayser tyll lyfe fro ded,
Lat vs witnes þis day
þe myght of his godhed;

98

Sen we er coniornd forto tell
þat we saw thurgh þi myght,
þe selcouthes þat oftsythes bifell
we sall reherce full ryght.
All Adams kynd we war in hell,
ffull many a wafull wight,
Till on a tyme it so bifell
Of sun we had a syght;
when we in myrknes ware,
A lyght gan on vs leme,
Till vs it semed þare
Lyke a bryght sons beme.

99

Oure form faders þat was in wa,
Adam and Eue his wife,
And Patryarkes & prophetes ma,
Spak all þair resons ryfe:
‘þis lyght es comen our sorow to sla,
Our dyrknes doune to dryue,
Als our lord Ihesus schewed vs swa
whils we war in lyfe.’
‘þis lyght,’ said ysai,
‘Es son of þe fader of heuen,
In my lyfe so said I
Omang my sawes full euen;
98

100

I preched & said: “all Neptalim land
And Zabulon land withall,
þat es als mykell to vnderstand
Als fre bicomen es thrall,
Men in myknes of ded walkand
Lyght vnto þam schyne sall.”
þus I said whils I was lyfand,
I se it now bifall;
Now all fullfyld it es
In vs, þat prophecy:
“Lyght schynes in our myrknes
Oure thraldom forto by.”’

101

Omang vs mykell myrthe made we
And gret ioy for þis thing.
Our fader Symon þan come he
And tald vs new tythyng,
He said: ‘yhe may mak gamen & gle,
Gud bodword I yhow bryng,
He comes þat our bier sall be
Oway from þis wonyng;
Ryght in þe temple I toke
þat barn in bath my handes,
Myne eghen gan on him luke
þat sall vs bryng of bandes;

102

Thurgh þe haly gast þus gan I say:
“Lord, leue þi seruand lele
In pese to rest, lord, I þe pray,
ffor myne eghen saw þi hele
þat þou ordand for euer and ay
Omang mankynd to dele
Lyght to schew folk nyght & day
And ioy to all israele.”’
100

þe saintes þat full ill ferd,
Ilk one in þair degre,
when þai þir tythynges herd,
Made gret sollempnite.

103

Ane said þan þat semed by lyknes
Ane hermyte in pouer state,
What he was spyrd we more & les,
And he answerd þusgate:
‘A voyce cryand in wildernes,
And Iohan þe baptyst I hate,
Of synnes I preched forgyfnes
Thurgh baptym gyfen now late;
when þat he come me by
þat vs fra wa sall wyn,
“þis es godes lamb,” said I,
“þat wastes þe worldes syn.”

104

I baptyst him ryght with my hend
In þe water of flom Iordan,
þe haly gast on him gan lend
In a dowfe lyknes þan,
þe voyce of þe fader doune was send
And þus to speke bygan:
“þis es my son withouten end,
Herkens him ilk man,
In whilk sun me lykes best.”
þus am I forthermer
To schew yhow signes of rest,
Bese fayne, he es noght fer.’

105

And sone when Adam herd him say
Of þe flum baptyssyng,
He said: ‘my son Seth, I þe pray,
Tell vs a lytell thing;
102

In erth lyfand, seke when I lay,
I had a gret langyng;
Till Paradyse þou toke þe way
Oyle of mercy me to bryng;
All if þou gat none þare,
vntyll vs yhit may þou tell
What þou had to answare
Of Michael, godes aungell.’

106

Þan said Seth: ‘I stode lang & prayd
At þe yhates of Paradyse,
And ane aungell þan to me said
þir wordes on þis wyse:
“Trauell þe noght on þis manere,
Hereof no help may ryse,
þe oyle of þe tre of mercy here
Gettes þou by nonkyns pryse;
Bot if it be at þe last
þat þe nowmbre may fullfyll,
ffyue thowsand yheres be past
And fyue hundreth þaretyll,

107

Godes son sall þan vntyll erth com
To mend þi faders mys,
He sall be baptist in þe flom
And bring yhour bale to blys;
Of þe oyle of mercy þai sall haue som
þat he haldes for his,
þai þat with noy er now bynom
Sall wyn to welth Iwys.”’
Both Patryarke and prophete
All thanked þai god at anes
þat comes, als he gan hete,
To wyn vs fro þir wanes.
104

108

Sone efter þat spak Sathanas,
þat maister was in hell,
And said tyll him þat Porter was
whare we presons gan dwell:
‘Open yhour yhates, lat him in pas,
Ihesus of Israel!
Sen he him god son maked has,
In wa here sall he dwell;
He es made of manhede
ffor all his frankys fare,
In my hert haue I dred
ffor dedes he has done are;

109

He has oft put me fro my pray,
fful dere now bese it boght,
þam þat I turned vntyll our lay
Has he gert chaunge þair thoght,
He has me tende and trauerst ay
In all þe werkes I haue wroght,
And many saules gert wend oway
þat I tyll vs had broght.’
He asked whether þis be he
þat called Lazar vs fra,
þat we had in pouste,
And þai said ilk ane, ‘yha.’

110

‘Sathan, þai said, ‘we þe forbede
In all thynges þat we may,
Bryng him noght hyder for no nede,
Bot haue him hethen oway;
ffor come he here, we haue gret drede
þat all sall we say;
106

All þat him lykes hethen will he lede
And we be pyned for ay;
He es a strenkithy swayne,
when we all myght noght hald
A wafull saule ogayne,
when he did noght bot cald.

111

Sen he was slyke & was bot man,
To þe, Sathanas, we say,
wenes þou, wreche, to maister þan
Both god & man verray?
Trowes þou þat þou close him kan
þat he ne sall wyn oway,
þat his pouer seruand fro þe wan
And was damped for ay?’
þan answerd Sathanas:
‘Of him haue I no drede,
I knaw wele what he was
And what lyfe he gan lede;

112

His fourty days when he had fast,
þat tyme him temped I;
And to þe Iewes counsayles I kast
þat þai suld ger him dy;
when Pilate wald þat he had past,
I egged him egerly,
Till he was hynged at þe last
with other theues him by;
And þarfore als I yhow say,
Ordayns for him a stede,
He comes hyder þis day,
Be þis I hald him dede.’

113

Þus als þai gan togyder chyde,
A voyce spak loud & clere:
108

‘yhe princes, I byd ye open wyde
yhour endeles yhates here,
þe kyng of blys now in sall glyde.’
And þan spak Lucifere:
‘Satanas, turn him ogayne þis tyde,
Als þou lufes me dere.’
þan sathanas sperd þe yhates
And his felawes he cald:
‘Haldes him þareout allgates,
Or we foreuer be thrald.’

114

Þan said saint Dauid þare he lay
vnto þa saintes all:
‘In erth lyfand þus gan I say
Als I se now bifall;
þat god has made, þis es þe day,
Mak ioy þarein we sall;
Brasen yhates he brak for ay
And Iren barres full small;
ffro wayes of wilsomnes,
I tald, he has þam taken;
I se now soth it es,
He has vs noght forsaken.’

115

Þan on þis wise said Isay:
‘whils I had lyf in land,
On þis same manere þan said I,
whoso couth vnderstand:
“Ded men þat in þair graues ly
Sall ryse & be lyfand,
All sall mak ioy & melody
þat erth has in his hand.”
Eftsones I said allswa
To ded: “whare es þi myght,
Sen he fecches vs þarefra?”
Now se I all þis ryght.’
110

116

A voyce spak þan full hydusly,
Als it war thonours blast:
‘vndo yhour yhates bilyue, byd I,
þai may no langer last,
þe kyng of blys comes in yhow by.’
þan hell a voyce vpkast:
‘what es he þat þai say in hy?
He sall be sett full fast.’
þan said Dauid: ‘yhe ne wate
How þat I said þus ryght,
“He es lord of gret state,
In batayle mykell of myght;”

117

Þe kyng of blys, trewly I tell,
Right at þi yhates standes,
He has bihalden fro heuen to hell
þe sorow of his seruandes.
þarfore vndo, þi fende so fell,
þi yhates ryght with þi handes,
þe kyng of blys comes in full snell
To bryng vs fro þi bandes
Thurgh myght of his godhede.’
þan Ihesus strake so fast,
þe yhates in sonder yhede
And Iren bandes all brast.

118

He kyd þat he was mykell of myght,
þe fendes pouste he felled,
All lemyd þat lathly lake of lyght
þat with myrknes was melled.
When all þe saintes saw þat syght
þat in þat dongeon dwelled,
None durst speke a word on hyght,
Bot ilk one softly telled:
112

‘welcom, lord, vntyll vs,
ffull lang here has vs thoght;
Blyssed mot þou be, Ihesus,
ffull dere þou has vs boght.’

119

He lowsed þan þare bandell all
þat lang had bonden bene,
He made þam fre þat are war thrall,
Of care he clensed þam clene;
þe fendes þat saw slyke lyght bifall
whare none before was sene
Said: ‘we er clomsed gret & small
with yhone kaytyf so kene.’
Ane says þat mykell him dredes:
‘what ertow schewes slyke myght
And es so mykell in dedes
And semes so lytell in syght?

120

Sen þou was man, on what manere
was godhede in þe hyd?
was þou noght ded? what dose þou here?
Slyke maistryse neuer was kyd;
we fendes war all full fayne in fere
when þe Iewes to ded þe dyd;
How ertow put to slyke powere,
And slyke tene vs bityd?
þe saules þat vs war sent
Has þou won hethen oway,
Þou has vs schamely schent
And pryued vs of our pray.’

121

Þan Ihesus sone toke Sathanas,
þat are was lord & syre,
And him in thraldom bonden has
To bryn in endeles fyre.
114

þan said þe fendes þat with him was
ffull of angre & of Ire:
‘Sathan, þou has vs lorn, allas,
þou dyd noght oure desyre;
we bad þe latt him ga
And noght to com herein,
Or he feches vs fra,
Our court waxes full thyn;

122

Þou duke of ded, leder fro lyue,
Hethyng of godes aungels,
Ogayns þat strang how durst þou stryue
þat vs þus frekly felles?
þou hyght to bynd him here bilyue,
It es noght als þou telles;
Till endeles ded he will þe dryue
And all þat with þe dwelles;
when þou þe Iewes gan styr
þat þai suld ger him dy,
þou suld enquere & spyr
ffirst if he war worthy;

123

And if þat he had done none ill,
þou suld haue gert þam blyn;
why suld þou bryng a man vs tyll
In whame was sene no syn?
All has þou lost now by þis skyll
þe wightes þat war herein,
And þou þair payns sall all fullfyll
with wo neuer out to wyn;
þat we wan thurgh þe tre
when Eue þe fruit had eten,
Ilk dele ogayn has he
Now with þe rode-tre geten.’
116

124

Ihesus þan spak with voyce full clere
To þe sayntes þat he has soght:
‘Comes vnto me, my childer dere,
þat my lyknes war wroght;
yhe þat for syn war presond here,
To blys yhe sall be broght.’
þan all þa saintes drogh to him nere
And thanked him in þair thoght;
On Adam his hand he layd,
And he on knese gan fall,
‘Pese be to þe,’ he said,
‘And to þi childer all.’

125

Adam said þan & for ioy gret:
‘Lord, I sall wirschip þe,
ffro my famen þou has me fett
In blys to byde and be,
In sorows sere whare I was sett
To my sare wold þou se;
Me will þou lede withouten lett
ffro pyne thurgh þi pete;
þat fendes vs þat we ne fall
Till pyne þat es pereles;
Makes ioy, yhe saintes all,
And thankes his gret gudenes.’

126

All patryarkes and ilk prophete
And other saintes all
ffell doune on knese bifor his fete
Smertly both gret & small:
‘Lord, þou es comen our bales to bete,
Euermore serue þe we will,
þat þou thurgh prophecy gan hete
we se it now bifall,
118

Ded thurgh ded es destroit;
Lord, loueyng be vnto þe,
All es noght þat vs noyed,
þat war thralles er made fre.’

127

By þe ryght hand gan he Adam take
And blyssed him ryght þare,
He led him fro þat lathely lake
And all þat with him ware.
Saint Dauid þan full baldly spake,
Als þai fro hell gan fare:
‘A new sang tyll our lord yhe make,
Als I myself said are;
He þat has bene wirkand
Meruayles omang vs here,
He has safe his ryght hand
To him and his powere;

128

ffull mekely has he schewed his myght
Omang all cristen men,
He has teched ilka werldly wight
His ryghtwisnes to ken.’
þus all þa saintes þanked him ryght
þat slyke lane wald þam len:
‘Blyssed be he þat comes als he hyght
In þe name of god, Amen.’
Ilk prophete þus gan tell
Of þair awen prophecy
How he suld hery hell,
How he suld for þam dy.

129

Þus als þai vnto welthes went
þat war won out of wa,
120

A sang þai said with ane assent
þat was þis, ‘Alleluya.’
By þe hand our lord has Adam hent,
with Michael he bad him ga;
þai toke þe way with gud entent
vntyll Paradyse full thra.
Michael resayued þam sone
þat war to him bikend,
In blys he has þam done
þat lastes withouten end.

130

In paradyse with ioyes sere
When all þir saintes war sett,
Two grayhared men with facefull clere
Myldely þare with þam mett;
þir saintes asked all what þai were,
How þai fro hell war fett,
In body & saule: ‘how come yhe here?
ffand yhe none yhow to lett?’
‘Our names er,’ þai answerd,
‘Ennoc & als Ely,
we er broght fro mydelerd
To be wytnes worthy;

131

We dyed noght yhit, bot er olyue
with anticrist forto fyght,
In Ierusalem þan sall we stryue
And we to ded be dyght;
Bot ryght fro ded god sall vs dryue
On þe thryd daythurgh his myght,
At þe dome þan sall we rede full ryue
who dose ill & who ryght.’
Aneother come þan þare,
Als þai so spak togyder;
þe saintes awondred ware
How þat þai so come þider;
122

132

Meruail þai had omang þam all
And said: ‘what man es þis?’
He said: ‘þe soth say yhow I sall,
All my lyfe lyfed I mys,
On þe cross cristes mercy gan I call,
He said þir wordes Iwys:
“þis same day, sun, be þou sall
with me in paradys.”
His taken he made on me
And þir wordes gan he say:
“When Michael sall þe se,
He sall noght say þe nay.”

133

Aneother word of him I had,
He said: “Sun, I þe rede,
If þat þe aungell be noght glad
þat þou comes in þat stede,
þou sall say þat Ihesus þe bad,
þat now was done to ded,
þat þou suld in þat stede be stad,
Till he come in godhede.”
Tyll þe aungell said I þus,
He opend þe yhates ful yhare.’
And all þai thank Ihesus
Halely both less & mare:

134

‘God of gudenes, gyfer of grace,
Blyssed be þou euer & ay,
þat gyfes lyfe in so lytell space
To cristen saules;’ þai say,
‘þai þat will trewly tak þi trace
And mend þam whils þai may,
In lastand lykyng þou þam lace,
þai wend no wilsom way;
124

þou þat has broght vs all
ffro payn in lyght to lend,
Luf þe lely we sall
Euer withouten end.’”

135

Þir childer said: “all þis saw we,
wonand with saintes in hell,
It es anely godes preuete
þat in þis tyme bifell;
And mykell more yhit gan we se
þat we may no man tell,
we war byden it suld layned be
With michael, godes aungell;
He bad vs tell no thing
Bot þis þat here wryten es;
We rase of his ryseyng
þus forto bere witnes.

136

And with vs er rysen many ane
þat ded & doluen lay;
þai dwell beyhond þe flum Iordane
In prayers nyght & day;
Bot vntyll þir thre dayes be gane
No langer lyfe we may,
To blys þan sall we all be tane
And won in welthes ay;
On þis wyse er we sent
To schew yhow in þis stede
Þat yhe may yhow repent
þat did Ihesus to ded.”

137

Þat Caryn wrate he it bitoke
Till Nichodeme and Annas,
And Lentyn allso gaf his boke
Tyll Ioseph and tyll Cayphas;
126

Togyder þan þai gan þam luke
þat serely wryten was,
And þat one wrate noght a letter note,
Bot euen als þat other has.
when þe Iewes had of þam tane
þa rolles þat wryten ware,
þai vanyst oway onane,
Of þam þai saw no mare.

138

When þai had red þa rolles, alssone
þe Iewes halely gan say:
“Of gret god þat syttes in trone
Es þis werk wroght þis day,
And ilka dele þat here es done
Aledies ogayn our lay;
þat þis ilk Ihesus was godes sone
ffull sare dred vs we may.”
Godes forbod þare þai fend
þat euer it suld be swa;
And so þair wayes þai wend,
Ilk one partes other fra.

139

When þis was tald vnto Pilate,
He dred him þan full sare;
Als a dome haly he it wrate
fforto last euermare;
Vntyll þe temple he toke þe gate
And gert send efter þare
Bysschopes & all þat he wate
war best lered on þair lare.
Omang þam sett was he
And said tyll all at anes:
“yhour bybell lattes me se
þat es within þir wanes.”
128

140

ffour prestes forth þe bybell broght,
A boke of gret bounte;
Annas & Cayphas sone war soght,
And Pilate says: “lat se,
All þat es wryten here wate yhe noght?”
þai say: “sir, yhis parde.”
“A thing,” he said, “es in my thoght
þat I will clered be.”
þan by þat boke swere þai,
þai sall leue for no dred,
Bot þe soth sall þai say
Of þis note als es nede.

141

He sais: “be þe fayth tyll god yhe aw,
Of þis thing yhow avyse,
If yhe fynd oght wryten in yhour law
Omang yhour prophecyse,
Or kan yhe any witnes draw
By castyng of clergyse,
If Ihesus war als was his saw,
God son be any wyse;
Allso if yhe oght ken,
Hereof tell vs yhe sall
In whilk yheres & when
þat cristes comyng suld fall.”

142

Þus when þat þai charged were,
þai said to sir Pilate:
“Sir, we will noght þat all men here
Of þis thing þat we wate.”
He gert haue out þe folk in fere,
And to þam sperd þe yhate;
130

þai say: “sir, we war athed full nere
And we answer þusgate:
we wate withouten wene
þat godes son was he ryght;
we wend wychecraft had bene
Þat he dyd thurgh his myght;

143

Allso we wate by sere witnes
Here of our awen kynred,
þat he ogayne eft lyfand es
Sen he was done to ded.
Two þat he raysed gret halynes
Haues schewed vs in þis stede,
whilk we wele wote both more & les
Es done thurgh his godhede;
Ilk yhere a tyme we bryng
þis haly boke in hand
To luke of his comyng,
And þus þareof we fand:

144

In þe first boke of sexty and ten
þat er all contened here,
Till Adam son seth, telles it þen,
Was spoken on þis manere:
‘þi fader & all other men,
Sall crist gyf gret powere
Efter fyue thowsand, we ken,
And als fyue hundreth yhere.’
þan reken we þus ourselue:
Twa thowsand yheres suld be
And twa hundreth and twelue
ffro Adam tyll Noe;
132

145

And fro Noe flude tyll Abraham es
Neghen hundreth & twelue yhere;
ffro Abraham þan vntyll Moyses
ffour hundreth & thretty were;
ffro Moyses vntyll god Dauid chese
Kyng of gret powere,
ffyue hundreth & ten withouten lese,
þus telles our bybell here;
vntyll þe transmygracione,
ffyue hundreth yhere fro þethen,
And tyll cristes incarnacione
ffour hundreth yhere was sethen.

146

Þus our law if we lely luke,
þis proues our prophecy,
þat Ihesus flesch & blode both toke
Of his moder Mary
ffyue thowsand yhere, als says þis boke,
And fyue hundreth þareby,
Sen þis world was wroght ilka noke.
And ouer says ysai:
‘Of þe rotes of Iesse,’
He sais, ‘a wand sall spryng
And a floure fayre & fre
Þat sall gouern all thing;’

147

‘And on þat flour,’ he sais, ‘sall rest
with all gudenes þe haly gast.’
þan may we se, sir, þusgates est,
He was godes son of myghtes mast.”
þan said sir Pil[at]e: “what es best?
Our werk, I wene, be all in wast.”
134

þan langer þare wald þai noght rest,
Bot ilk one hame sone gan him hast.
þus beres þair bokes witnes
To þam þe soth will ken.
To won whare welth euer es,
God graunt vs grace, Amen.
A—M—E—N.
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