University of Virginia Library

Passio domini nostri ihesu Christi secundum Marcum. Matheum. Lucam & Iohannem.

All cristen men both more and les
Þat in þis werld here wonand es,
Aw forto think both day and night
And to haue minde with mayn & might,
How ihesu crist, oure god so gude,
Boght vs with his precius blude,
And sufferd ded for oure misdede.
Herto suld ilkaman tak hede,
And loue him euer both loud & still,
Þat slike kindnes wald schew vs till.
And for þe passioun of ihesu crist
Es medeful forto be puplist,
And nedful to all cristen men
Clerely forto kun and ken,
Þarfore þus es it ordand here,
In iglische land men forto lere.
Als haly writ witnes & sais,
Ihesus fasted fourty days,
Ensample forto teche vs to
fflesly penance forto do.
Þan þe fende þat es oure fa
ffand þat he had fasted swa,
He hoped þat he had hunger grete
And sune suld faly for faut of mete.
To wildernes he went in hy
And temped oure lord god almighty;
He knew no thing of his godhede,
Þarfore he went with owten drede,
To ger him wirk sum werkes wrang,
By cause þat he had fasted lang.
Bot he þat gouernes gude and ill,
And all þis werld may weld at will,
Sufferd fanding of þe fende
And answerd euer with wordes hende,
To gif vs cause and enchesoune
To suffer here sere temptacioune
Of þe fende and of oure fless
And of þe werld þat wikked es,
And euer stabilly forto stand
And noght faintly to be failand.
So sal we get þe victory
Of þe fende oure fals enmy,
Als ihesus þare ouer come þe fende
And at his will þeþin gert him wende.
Efterward þan þus bifell,
Als witnes beres in oure godspell;
It neghed nere þe tyme sertayne
Þat crist in erth suld suffer payne.
Þe wordes wex ful wonder wide,
Of his werkes on ilka syde,
ffor ouer all in þat cuntre
He gert dom speke & blind men se,
And drafe out deuils fra men bidene,
And oþer signes þat oft war sene;
And als for lazar þat he raised,
Many of þe folk ful fast him praysed.
Bot þe iews had grete enuy
And said he ferd all with foly,
And fast þai ordand þam omell
How þai might best his ferlis fell.
Þe iews gert to geder call
Þe pharisews and princes all,
And all þe maisters of þaire laws,
And þus þan said þai in þaire saws:
Si dimittimus eum sic ‘omnes credent ei’
Þai said omang þam euer ilkane:
“If we lat him þus furth gane,
Al þe folk sal trow him in,
And þan sall oure laws blin;
Romanes and folk of vnkouth land
Sall fetche oure folk out of oure hand
And do vs dole till we be dede,
And mak maistries here in oure stede.”
Cayphas was þaire bisschop þan;
Thurgh prophecy þus he bygan
And said vnto þe princes all:
“Ne wate ȝe noght what will byfall?
A man bus vnto dede be broght
So þat all folk peris noght.”
Þus he said thurgh prophecy
Þe ded of crist to signify,
Bot of him self he said it noght;
Þe haly gaste þir wordes wroght
To proue þat crist, god sun mighty,
ffor sinful man in erth suld dy.
A grete feste þan come nere hand,
Þat pash was named in þat land,
And all þai said he suld be slane
Als sune als þaire fest war gane;
And all assented to habide
Till it war passed þat high tide,
So þat nonkins noys suld rise,
Ne no wonder on [non vise,
ffor in þat time it wald noght seme
Any man to ded at deme.
And when þe fest dais war fulfild,
Right als crist him self wild,
He drogh him to þe same cete
Whare he wist he suld demed be.
He cald of his desciples twa
And bad þat þai suld smertly ga
To þe cete þat bifor þam stode,
And þus he said with milde mode:
“Twa bestes bifor ȝow sall ȝe finde
And baldly sall ȝe þam vnbind,
And vnto me þat þai be broght;
And if any say to ȝow oght,
Sais ȝowre maister of þam has nede,
Þan sall þai suffer ȝow gude spede.”
Þe apostels went with hert glad
And all þai fand als ihesu bad;
Þai broght vnto him bestes twa
Ane asse with hir fole alswa,
Þaire clathes þai laid with owten lett
And ihesu seþin obouen þai sett,
And he rade vnto þe towne;
Þai kepid him with processioune
And did vnto him grete honowre,
Als þaire souerayne and sauiowre.
Bot in all wirschip þat þai did
Enuy ay in þaire hertes war hid.
Bot neuer þe les, in þat ilk day,
With owten harme he went oway
ffra þe folk full of enuy,
And toke þe way to bethany.
Crist and his menȝe mild & meke
Went to þe toun rest forto seke.
Þai come vntill a gude mans hows,
Þat named was symon leprows,
And als þai at þaire supere sat,
Mari maudlayne come in þat,
And vnto crist fast gan scho cry
And for hir misdedes asked mercy.
Doune scho fell and wesche his fete
With þe teres þat scho grete,
And seþin scho dried þam with hir hare,
And for hir sins scho murned sare.
Ane oynement with hir scho broght,
Þat was of precius thinges wroght;
And þarwith scho enoynted him,
Als men may find bifor þis time
In þe last godspell saue ane to luke,
Þat sett es bifore in þis buke;
Bot proces clerely to declare,
Here I sall ȝit muster mare.
Als scho enoynt him, heued & fete,
And honord him hir bales to bete,
Þe oynement went obout full wide
In þe hows on ilka side.
And ane of þam þat was þare in
Cumberd was in sorow and syn;
Iudas scariot was his name,
Þat seþin soght his lord with schame;
He wald þat vnement sald had bene,
And þus he said to þam in tene:
“Me think,” he said, “we do right ill
Þis oynement þusgat forto spill.
We might haue salde sone onane
And thre hundreth penis tane,
And þat might haue done mekill gude
To be gifen to pouer men fode.”
Bot for pouer men said he it noght,
On his awin winyng was his thoght;
ffor he hade all þaire tresore hale
And þe tende to him self he stale;
Þarfore him thoght bath scath & scorn
Þat þis oynement so was lorn.
Ihesus þat can all kounsail knaw,
Answerd softly to þat saw:

Pauperes semper habetis me autem non semper habebitis.

“Pouer men,” he said, “sall ȝe haue,
Almus of ȝow forto craue;
Att ȝowre will ȝe may þam gif,
And I sal noght lang with ȝow lif.
Þe werk þat þis woman has wroght
Euer mare sall be on thoght;
Scho dose ful wele, lat hir allane,
Hir dede in minde sal euer be tane.”
When iudas herd þir wordes meke,
His awin sorow fast gan he seke,
And vnder in his hert he thoght:
“Al þis sal availe þe noght,
Vnto þe iews I sall þe sell
ffor al þe tales þat þou can tell.”
Vp fra þe supere right he rase,
And graithly to þe iews he gase,
and al togeder sune he fand
Þe maisters of þe iews land,
And of þaire princes grete plente,
And vnto þam al þus said he:

Quid uultis michi dare & ego eum uobis tradam‘

“What will ȝe gif me vnto mede,
And to ihesu I sall ȝow lede?
Vnto ȝow now sell him will I,
Sais if þat ȝe will him by.
I wate with him ȝow greues sare,
And I wald þat ȝe venge ware.”
Þe iews vnto him wele gan lith,
And in þaire hertes þai warful blith,
And sune þai said þai vowched saue
To gif him what so he wald craue;
He asked of þam in þat stownde
Threty plates of penis rownde;
Vnto his saw þai all assent
And hastily made þai his payment.
Þus for his lord þat tyme toke he
Threty plates of þaire mone,
He was wele paid and so war þai,
When þis was done he went his way.

Quare ihesus uendebatur: pro xxx denariis.

Here may men þe enchesun here,
whi it bifell on þis manere,
Þat oure lord ihesu was salde
ffor threty penis plainly talde,
And nowþer for les ne for mare;
Þe verray cause I will declare.
Iudas, als we haue herd here,
When þai sat at þaire sopere
Al samen in symondes leprows hall,
And mari to ihesu fete gan fall
With her vnement precyows,
(Þe odore went ouer al þe hows)
Þan iudas thoght, als it es kend,
Þat þis vnement was euill despende,
And said þat it suld haue bene salde
Thre hundreth penis to haue talde.
He was cumberd in couatyse
And þarfore said he on þis wise;
ffor al þat þai had forto spend
was halely gifen in to his hend,
And in his bagges obout he bare
Al þaire tresore les and mare,
And of all þat come to þam twelue,
Þe tende euer toke he to him selue.
In litel purses euer he stale
Þe tende of þaire tresore bi tale,
Þat broght he euer vnto his wife;
Þus cursedly he led his life.
And if þe oynement les & mare
Had bene sald, als he said are,
ffor thre hundreth plates fully,
Þan suld him self haue had threty,
Þat of thre hundreth es þe tende.
Þat thoght he wele with him suld wende,
ffor þe tende to him self he toke
Of all þaire siluer, so sais þe boke;
And for þe tende cumes to no mare
Of thre hundreth, als I said are,
Bot to threty, als es said biforn,
So mekill thoght [him þat he had lorn
Þat suld haue cumen into his walde.
Þarfore his maister so he salde
And asked nowþer more ne les,
Bot þat þe tend of thre hundret es,
Þat es threty, trewly to tell.
When þis was done he wald noght dwell,
Bot to his felows he went ogayne,
ffor þai suld trow in him no trayne.
Bot oure lord ihesu wist full wele
How he had done euer ilka dele;
Ȝit said he noght, bot held him still,
fforto perfourne his fader will.
Þe fest of pasch come nere at hand
And ihesu crist was trauailand,
And sum of his desciple dere
Said to him on þis manere:
Ubi uis paremus tibi pascha.
“Whare wiltou we puruay a place
In forto hald þe fest of pasch?
Say till vs, & we sall wende
To mak redy whare þou will lende.”
Þan ihesus answerd sune onone,
And cald vnto him peter & iohn:
“Wendes,” he said, “& ȝe sall mete
A man with water in þe strete;
Waites whare he beres þe water in
And folous him, for no thing blin.
Þe lord of þe hows sall ȝe finde,
A rightwis man of nobill kinde,
And vnto him þan sal ȝe say
Þat I cum walkand in þis way.
And sais þat I will in his hall
Rest me and my menȝe all,
ffor þe tyme now neghes nere
Omang my frendes to mak sopere;
Now with my menȝe will I make
Þis fest of pasch my leue to take.
Gose þeder now and graithes oure mete
Of slike gude als ȝe may gete.”
Þan þe apostels peter & iohn
Vnto þe cete went onone.
Al þai fand als ihesu bad,
And graithed þaire mete with hert glad,
Swilk als þai fand in þe cete
ffor þaire maister and his menȝe.
Þan ihesus and his men ilkane
In þat hows þaire ins has tane.
Ihesus bad þam all sit doune
And to his biding war þai bowne;
Als he ordand with his worde,
Doune þai sat all at a burde,
And iudas wald no langer lett,
Bifor his lord euyn he him sett.
When þai war sett at his biding,
Mete he bad þai suld furth bring.
Mete and drink þan furth þai broght
And ete and drank whils þam thoght.
Al if iudas with ihesu satt,
His treson no thing he forgat,
Bot euer more he thoght on ane
Þat he suld [be his maister bane.
Ihesus toke brede þat lay him by
And blisced it ful bowsumly,
And seþin he brac it with his handes
And to his men þus he cumandes:
“Ettes,” he said “now of þis brede,
It sall ȝow saue fra euill ded.
It es my fless þat I ȝow gif,
Whar thurgh ȝe may þe better lif.”
Seþin he toke þe wine clere
And blisced it with milde chere,
And when he had gifen his blising,
He said þus to þam ald and ȝing:
“Drinkes of þis drink, it dose ȝow gude.
Þe drink of life, it es my blode.
Þis body þat ȝe here se,
ffor ȝow sall bitraied be,
fforto clens ȝow clene of syn
And oþer mo þat er þare in.
Als oft als ȝe þis fude sal take,
Minde of me þan sall ȝe make
A law vnto ȝow sall it be,
Þat I will ȝe lere of me.
With ȝow now sall I ett no mare
Vntill I haue bene wide whare,
Ne of þis drink I sall noght taste
Till I haue walked waies waste,
And till I drink with ȝow ful euyn
In þe kingdom of my fader in heuyn,
ffor nedes it bus fulfilled be
Als haly writ witnes of me;
With tresun sall I be bitrayd,
And seþin ded and in laire laid
And to life sall I rise ogayne;
So sal men se þe suth sertayne.
Sum of ȝow has bene to balde,
Þat vnto þe iews has me salde,
Ane of ȝow has me forsaken
And for me er þe penis taken,
And wa bese done vnto þe man
Þat þis treson first bigan.
I warn him now fully biforn
Him war better haue bene vnbron.”
When his desciples herd þis tale,
In þaire hertes bred mekill bale,
And fast þai loked omang þam all
On wham þis foul defaut suld fall,
And ilkone by þam self serely
Said þusgat: “lord, es it oght I
Þat swilk treson has puruaid?”
Þan Ihesus answerd sune and said:
“Ane of ȝow þat with me ettes,
To fill his wamb he noght forgetes,
He sittes here, als ȝe may se,
Thurgh wham I sall bitraied be.”
Iudas, when he herd þis worde,
Vp he rase right fra þe burde,
And all on heght þus gan he cry,

With grete voice þus cried he:
“Maister, menes þou oght by me?”
Ihesus said, “þi wordes witnes,
And þi self sais þat þou it es.”
At þa wordes was iudas tene,
And furth he went fra þam bidene
Vnto þe iewes with wikked will,
His first falshede to fulfill.

Iohannes videbat secreta celestia‘

Als saint iohn at þe soper sat,
Mete & drink both he forgat;
He lened doun to ihesu breste,
ffor he sat him alþer neste,
Vnto carping he toke no kepe,
Bot hastily he fell on slepe.
Ane angell toke his gast ful euyn
And bare it to þe blis of heuyn,
And þare þe angell lete him se
Many a selkuth preuete.
Of god him self he had a sight
Whare he was in blis ful bright,
And in þat sight he had knawing
Of many a preue heuynly thing.
He was ful wise of wittes gude,
Al þat he saw he vnder stode,
And when he wakend of his slepe,
Vnto it all he toke gude kepe,
And all he wrate it in a buke,
Clerkes clerely opon to luke;
Al þe wonders he wrate I wis,
Þe buke es cald apocolipsis,
Þat es, þe buke of preuete,
Als saint iohn gan in heuyn se.
Now [of þe buke we speke na mare,
Bot turn ogain þar we left are.
Als ihesus sat þare at þe clath,
His desciples wex all wrath.
Omang þam made þai contek grete
And fast bigan to striue and threte,
Whilk of þam suld maister be
Omang þam moste of dignite
fforto rewl þam euer ilkane,
If ihesus suld be fra þam tane.
Ihesus wist wele al þaire will,
And all þaire striueing wald he still,
Bifor þam gert he bring a childe,
Þat ȝong was and of maners milde.
And when þe childe stode þam omang,
“Me think,” he said “ȝe wirk all wrang
Þis striueing helpes ȝow right noght,
Put slike pointes out of ȝowre thogh[t]
Als milde and meke bihoues ȝow be
Als es þis childe þat ȝe here se.
He þat him haldes highest of all
Titest sall fra his power fall,
And he þat beres him law & still
In werld he sall haue all his will;
ffor no man may here with maistri
Bere him high with owten enuy.
I am redy to serue ȝow all
Als ȝowre seruand and ȝowre thrall.
Ensawmple sall ȝe tak by me
Ilkone till oþer bowsun at be.
Ȝe sal haue anger, hete I ȝow,
Als I sall suffer for ȝow.”
Þan said he more with milde mode
Vnto saint peter þare he stode:
“Peter,” he said “þou ert ful meke,
A milder man thar no man seke,
When þou sall se þat I am taken
And with all my frendes for saken
And sent furth to suffer payne
And þou be turned fra me ogayne,
Conforth þou þi breþer all
Þat none of þam in fanding fall.”
Al þis he talde to þam in fere
Als þai sat at þaire sopere.
Lauacio pedum discipulorum‘
Sune when ihesu had said þis worde,
Vp he rase right fra þe burde
And toke a clath with milde chere
And a bacyn with water clere;
Þe clath he girded him with all
And on his knese down gan he fall
Bifor peter with wordes swete,
And said þat he wald wass his fete.
Peter answerd and said, “nay,
Þat will I noght by none kins way,
It fals noght maister vnto me
Slike seruise forto tak of þe.”
Þan said ihesus: “bot I do þis,
Þou gettes no part with me in blis.”
Þan said peter and oþer ma:
“Þat blis, lord, lat vs noght forga,
Wasche heuid and hend lord pray we þe,
So þat no thing vnwaschen be,
Bot all clene þat bifore was filde,
So þat we in þi blis may bilde.”
Þan ihesus þam wesche and wiped bath,
And seþin dried þam with þe clath.
When þai war [waschen albidene,
He sett him doun þam al bitwene.
When he was sett þan said he sone
“Noght ȝe knaw what I haue done,
Ne noght ȝe wate what will bifall.
Maister and lord now ȝe me call
And wele ȝe say for I am so.
And ȝit I haue kneled ȝow vnto
And wasschen ȝowre fete all on raw,
So þat ȝe sall ensample knaw
Meke and bowsun forto be,
Ilkone till oþer with hert fre,
And serue ilkone vntill oþer
Als to ȝowre fader or ȝowre broþer.
Ensaumple þus to ȝow I gif
fforto be meke ay whils ȝe lif;
Luf ilkone oþer in word & dede,
And in heuyn sall ȝe haue ȝoure mede.
Al þat suffers here for me
Sorow [ore or bale, what so it be,
He sall haue welth with owten end,
In lastand life with me to lend.”
Þan spak ihesus þam vntill:
“Þe tyme es cumen I sall fulfill
Als prophettes has witnest of me;
Now bus it all fulfilled be.
ffor ȝowre sake suffer sall I
Sorowes sere and seþin dy.
And þis day sall ye be adred,
When I sal be fra ȝow led;
ffra me ful fast sal ȝe fle
And sum of ȝow forsake me.
ffor prophettes in þaire bukes write
And sais, ‘þe hirdman sall I smyte
And al þe folk oway sal fle.’
Þis es all ment by ȝow and me,
I am þe hird and ȝe my schepe,
I sall be tane or tyme of slepe;
ffor ȝow now sall I suffer ded
Thurgh iudas and þe iews rede;
And wit ȝe wele þan on all wise
Þat þe thryd day I sall vp rise,
And hale and sownde ȝe sall me se
In þe land of galyle;
And when it falles on þis manere,
Thinkes how I haue said ȝow here.”
Peter, when he herd þis tale,
In his hert had mekill bale.
He said, “sertes, þat sall noght be,
Lord, we sall neuer fra þe fle.
I sall wende with þe whare þou gase
And nowþer leue for frendes ne fase,
Al trauaile with þe will I take
And wende to presoun for þi sake,
And with þe will I suffer dede;
No man sall reue me þat rede.”
On þis wise said þe apostels all
Þat with him war þare in þat hall.
When ihesu all þaire wordes herd,
Vnto peter þus he answerd:
“Þou sais þat þou sal folow me,
And, peter, þus I say to þe
Þat, or þe kok haue krawin thrise,
Sall it worth opon þis wise,
Þat my name saltou deny
And fast forsake my cumpany,
And so sall all þat with me ere.
Bot þou þi self sall athes swere
And witnes take with tales vntrew
Þat þou neuer bifore me knew.”
Peter þan held him ful still
And no thing durst he say þar till,
Bot in his hert he had grete thoght
How swilk wonders suld be wroght.
Ihesus þan with wordes fre
Said vnto all his menȝe:
“ffor dout of þam þat will ȝow dere,
Swerdes sall ȝe all bere,
He þat hase nane his kote he sell,
And by a swerde kontek to fell.”
Þan answerd ane þat stode him nere:
“Lord, lo, twa swerdes er redy here,
And oþer wappins redy graide.”
Þan ihesus answerd sune and saide:
“Þat es inogh, vs nedes no mare.
Bot cumes now furth and lat us fare.”
Þan oure lord ihesu mighty
Toke þe way toward bethany,
And als þai went vnder a hill,
Ihesus said his desciples vntill,
“Here I bid þat ȝe habide,
Whils I wend here a l[i]tell biside.
Þare haue I sum dele forto sayne,
When I haue said I cum ogayne.”
De oratione christi super montem‘
Ihesus left his menȝe þare,
And fra þam furth þan gan he fare;
With him he toke desciples thre,
And no ma of all his menȝe,
Peter and Iohn & Iamis, his broþer,
Ilkone lufed he more þan oþer.
ffurth he led þam by þat strete
Vnto þe mownt of oliuete,
And when þai come nerehand þe hill,
Als it was his awin will,
Þan he sayd vnto þam thre:
“Here ȝe sall habide me
And slepes noght, bot luke ȝe wake,
Þat no temptaciounes ȝow take.
My hert has dout & dredes ill,
ffor angers þat er cumand me till.”
He went and left þam þare allane,
Þe lenkith of kasting of a stane,
And on þat hill fer fra þe toune
Opon his knese he kneled doune,
And þare he prayed with milde steuyn
Vnto his fader highest in heuyn:
“ffader,” he said, “if it may be,
Lat þis paines pas fra me.
And noght anly als I will craue,
Bot, fader, als þou vowches saue;
ffor I am redy loud and still,
In worde and werk to wirk þi will.”
ffor dout of ded he had slike drede
Þat angers vnto his hert ȝede,
And for grete greuance he grett
And both water and blude he swett.
Þe dropes fell doun on þe grounde,
So was he angerd in þat stownde.
Þan come þare doun ane angell bright
ffleand fra þe heuyn on hight,
To comforth him opon þat hill,
Als it was his faders will.
When þis was done, þan gan he wende
Ogayne to his desciples hende.
To his trauail toke þai no kepe,
Bot ilkone war þai fallen on slepe,
And when he saw þai sleped all,
Peter first he gan vp call.
“Þis,” he said, “es noght þe dede
Þat I ȝow cumand when I ȝede.
Might ȝe noght ane oure with me wake,
Sum of my sorow forto slake?
Wakes and prayes to heuyn king,
So þat ȝe fall noght in fanding.”
When he had said þir wordes sertayne,
Vnto þe hill he went ogayne,
Þat he [by fore was cumen fra,
His prayers eftsones forto ma.
He kneled and prayed with heuy clere,
ffor his tyme was cumand nere,
Vnto his fader of heuyn he prayde
Þe same wordes he byfore had said,
Þat þe paynes might flit him fra,
If his fader wald suffer swa.
Seþen he rase and went onane
To his desciples, þai slepid ilkane.
Þan he wald noght on þam call,
Bot went and left þam slepeand all.
Þe thrid tyme ogayne he ȝede,
His erand fully forto spede,
Doun he kneled on þe hill
And þus he said his fader vntill:
“ffader, I haue serued no ded,
Bot wirk I will efter þi rede.
If it may none oþer be,
Do now all þi will with me.”
Þan rase he vp and toke þe way
To his desciples þare þai lay,
And vnto þam he said in hy:
“Slepes and restes now hardily,
ffor þe tyme es cumand nere
Þat ȝe sall suffer sorows sere
And all if ȝe haue sleped wele,
Iudas has sleped neuer a dele.
To sinful men he has me salde
To suffer bale, þat be ȝe balde.
Rises vp now for my sake,
Þai er cumen þat me sal take.
And peter now I kounsail þe
Þat þou be redy forto fle,
ffor sathanas es noght ȝowre frende,
He will ay seke ȝow forto schende.
Bot I haue praied my fader fre,
Þat mekill es feld of his powste;
And þarfore, peter, haue no drede,
He sall noght dere þe in þi dede.
Þarfore of me what so bifall,
Comforth þou þi breþer all.”

Capcio christi cum iudeis‘

Ivdas, ful of fraud and gile,
was with þe iews all þat while,
And ordand by þam self allane
How þat he might best be tane.
And [iudas said: “I sall ȝow lede
To find him wele with owten drede,
And when I haue broght ȝow him till,
Þan may ȝe wirk with him ȝowre will.”
Þan þe iews so fell and kene
Spac to iudas þam bitwene:
“Say vs how we sall him knaw,
ffor sum of vs him neuer saw,
And if he be omang his men,
Say vs how we sall him ken.
Þan þe traitur kene and balde
Þis taken vnto þam he talde
And said: “of him ȝe sall noght mis,
Takes þe man þat I sall kis.
Laies ȝowre handes on him in hy
And ledes him [fast furth preuely.”
Þan þai come with ful grete rowte
And vmsett ihesus all obout
With swerdes & maces & glaues gude;
Þai blew hornes als þai war wode
And in lanternes bare þai light,
And sum bare brandes brinand bright
Þat þai might graithly se þe gat,
ffor it was in þe euenig late.
Ihesus wist alway full wele
Þat was to cum euer ilkadele.
To wende with þam it was his will
And on þis wise he said þam till:
“Tels vnto me al in fere
Wham ȝe seke on þis manere?”
Þai answerd and said albidene:
“We seke all ihesu nazarene.”
Þan ihesu said with wordes fre,
“I say ȝow suthly I am he.”
And als he said þir wordes right
He schewes þare sum dele of his might,
And so [he stond þam in þat stownde
Þat doun þai fell all to þe grownde,
And still þai lai and dared for drede
Vntill he withdrogh his godhede.
Þan rase þai vp and stude full still
And ihesus said eftsones þam till:
“Wham seke ȝe þus als ȝe haue gane?”
And eft þai answerd euer ilkane:
“Ihesus nazarene we seke.”
Þan answerd he with wordes meke:
“I said ȝow suthly I am he,
ffra ȝow I will no ferrer fle.”
Þan godhede to þam schewed he nane,
ffor tyme was cumen he wald be tane,
And vnto þam þan þus said he:
“Sen it es so þat ȝe seke me
And of ȝowre seking will noght ses,
Lattes my menȝe pas in pese.”
Iudas come þan vnto him right
And kissed him als he had hight;
“Haile, maister,” vnto him he said.
Þan handes sune on him þai laid
And omang þam stode he still
And lete þam wirk with him þaire will.
Þan said ihesus vnto Iudas:
“Sen þou þis treson procurd has,
And sen þi self ordand all þis,
Wharto cums þou me to kis?
Þou bitrais thurgh þi kising
Mans sun þat may weld al thing.”
When his desciples saw þis fare,
In þaire hertes þai had grete care;
Ilkone said oþer vnto:
“Allas what es vs best to do?
Better bote es none þan fle,
ffor if we dwell here dede be we.”
And so þai fled fra him ilkone,
Al bot saint peter and saint iohn.
Peter wend wele to haue done
And out he drogh his swerd sone,
Vntill a iew þan smate he þare
And his right ere of he schare;
And þat same iew was seruand
Vnto þe bisschop of þe land,
And malcus sais men þat he hight
And in a lantern bare he light.
When ihesus saw þis dede was done,
Vnto peter þus said he sone:
Mitte gladium tuum in uaginam.
omnis enim qui gladio percutit gladio peribit.
“Put vp,” he said, “þi swerd ogaine,
ffor he þat slase he sall be slane,
And he þat smites with swerd, Iwis
Thurgh swerd he sall peris.
Wenes þou noght and I wald craue
Þat I fra heuyn might helping haue?
Haue I might, and I wald send,
ffra my fader me to defend
Sexty thowsand of angels bright.
Þan suld þir men haue litill might,
My party þan I might maintene
Ogains þir iews þat er so kene;
Bot þan might noght fulfilled be
Þe wordes þat er wretin of me,
Als witnes beres þe prophecy
Þat sais of me þat I sall dy,
And sen so es my fader will,
Al þat þai said I sall fulfill.”
Ihesus þan stowped doun þam biforn
And toke þe ere þat was of schorn,
He went to him þat was bledand,
And helid it with his haly hand,
He made it hale als it was are.
Bot þarfore ȝit wald þai noght spare,
Tite þai toke him þam bitwene
And band him als he thef had bene.
Þan ihesus said to þam in fere,
“Als a thef ȝe bind me here,
And cumes with swerdes & glauies grete
Als a thef me forto bete,
And forto dere me þat ȝe may.
ffairer it war haue done by day,
ffor ilka day ȝe haue me sene
In ȝowre temple ȝow bitwene
Techand þe law to ilka man;
Whi wald ȝe noght tak me þan?
Bot þis tyme falles vnto ȝow right
In mirknes forto proue ȝowre might.”
Vnto his wordes toke þai no hede,
Bot furth with him þai went gude spede
And led him so omang þam all
Vntill þai come to kaiphas hall,
ffor þare þe iews abad all still
Till ihesus was broght þam vntill.
ffor ferd all his desciples fled,
When þaire lord was fra þam led,
Þai fled and left þaire lord allone
Al bot saint peter & saint iohn;
And ȝit þai durst noght negh him negh,
Bot folowd efter euer on dregh,
And graithly held þe same gate
Vntill þai come to cayfas ȝate.
Saint iohn sune was laten in þore,
ffor he was knawin lang bifore,
and peter stode allane þar out,
In his hert he had grete dout.
Saint iohn spak to vsscher þan,
ffor he was knawen wele with þat man,
And so þai spak bitwene þam two
Þat peter was laten in also,
And both biheld with dreri mode
Vnto þaire maister þare he stode,
Bihind þe folk ay gan þai hone
To wait what suld with him be done.
Þus als þai stode omang þe rout,
Iohn had a mantell him obout,
Þe iews thoght it was all wrang
Þat he stode so þam omang,
Sum of þam hent him by þe lap
Þat he suld noght oway schap.
And when he saw þai wald him take,
His mantell was him leuer forsake,
ffra þam stert he in a tene
And left þe mantell þam bitwene.
Vnto þe dore he toke þe gate
And preuely he past þe ȝate,
ffurth he went with hert sore,
Þarin durst he cum namore.

Acusacio iudeorum contra Ihesum

All þis tyme þan ihesus stode
Omang þe iews ful milde of mode,
And none of þam might find him in
Thing þat suld sown in any sin.
And sum þat stode þare him biside
Said þus in grete tene þat tide:
“Þis man þat standes omanges ȝow
Has said þat he may neuer awow,
Þat if men kest doun in a thraw
Oure mekill temple þat ȝe wele knaw,
He sais þat him self suld it raise
Righ vp ogayne within thre dayse
Hale to be bath tre and stane,
Þis will we witnes euer ilkane.”
Cayfas, when he herd þis saw,
And oþer, als þai sat on raw,
Said to ihesu þar he stode:
“Think þe þat þis plaint es gude?
What answer willtou gif till vs
Of þam þat þe acuses þus?”
Ihesus stode still and answerd noght,
ffor he was angerd in his thoght.
Caiphas þan bigan to cry
And spac to him despitusly:
“I coniore þe thurgh god lifand
Þat þou me tell to vnderstand
If þou be god sun of heuyn.”
Ihesus answerd with milde steuyn:
“Þou sais þi self þat I am he,
And sertanly I say to þe
In heuyn blis men se me sall
With my fader þat weldes all,
To deme ilk man efter þaire dedes,
He es noght wise þat dome noght dredes.
Bot all if I þus to ȝow say
Þat I am goddes sun verray,
Ȝe er so ful of enuy now
Þat my tales ȝe will noght trow;
And also if I it deny,
Ȝe will noght leue me now forþi.”
Þe iews answerd and said on raw:
“Þan ertow god sun bi þi saw?”
He answerd and said mildely:
“Ȝe say þat goddes sun am I.”
When cayphas herd þat he so said,
Of þa wordes he was noght paid,
His awin clathes he rafe for tene,
And seþin he carped wordes kene.
Quid ad huc desideramus testimonium
He said vnto þe iews all:
“Wharto suld ȝe more witnes call?
He grantes omang vs all full euyn
And sais he es god sun of heuyn.
Sen he it grantes till vs ilkane,
Oþer witnes nedes vs nane;
And þarfore sais, what es ȝowre rede?”
Þai said all he had serued dede,
And in þe face þai gan him smite
And spit opon him for despite,
And euer ilkone on sides sere
Missaid him on fowl manere.
Peter stode ay in þe flore
And saw how foul þai with him fore,
To buffet him war þai ful balde.
And þe weder was wonder calde,
Þarfore þe iews had made a fire
In þe flore brinand ful chire.
When peter saw þe fire so clere,
Als he durst he drogh him nere,
Omang þe iews he stode ful still
And warmed him at his awin will.
Þan sum of þam þat stode biside
Spac to peter in þat tide
And said: “felow, whare had we þe
Ertou noght ane of his menȝe?”

Peter answerd sone onane
And said: “gude man, þou has misgane,
In þi wordes wrang þou wenes,
I am noght þe man þat þou of menes,
Ne, sir, I wate noght what þou sais
Of þis thing þou to me lays.”
A maiden stode þare þam biside
And herd þam so to geder chide;
When scho saw peter in þe face,
Þir wordes said scho in þat place:
“Sertanly he þis es ane
Þat with ihesu was wont to gane.”
And vnto peter said scho þen:
“Þou ert ane of þe prophettes men,
And bi þi sembland may we se
Þat þou ert man of galile,
And by þi speche men may þe knaw.”
Þan peter answerd with grete aw,
And athes vnto þam he sware
Þat he saw ihesu neuer are.
He saw his gabing might [not gain,
He wald haue bene oway ful fayn,
And preuely he toke þe gate
Bitwene þe seruandes and þe ȝate.
And sone þat man come him biforn
Þat he had his ere of schorne,
He was ane of þe bisschop men.
Him thoght þat he suld peter ken,
And fast bigan he forto threte
And spak vnto him wordes grete:
“ffelow,” he said “ertou noght he
Þat my right ere reft fra me
when we come þi maister to take?
Þis mater may þou noght forsake,
Þi maister helit it als it was,
ffor he wend so oway to pas.
By þis cause right wele I ken
Þat þou ert ane of his men,
And now it sal wele ȝolden be,
Þe dede þat þou did þare to me.”
Þan peter stode and dred him sare,
Euel him thoght þat he come þare
And þus he said with sorow strang:
“Man of me þou menes wrang,
fful wrang on me here þou þe wrekes,
I knaw him noght þat þou of spekes.”
And sune, when he had said þis sawe,
Þe kokkes onone bigan to crawe,
And ihesus, als he bunden stode,
Biheld peter with milde mode,
ffor þi þat he suld vnder take
How he said he suld him forsake.
And sune, when peter persaiued so
Þat his lord luked him vnto,
In his hert als sune it braid
How þat ihesus had to him said
Þat he suld deny him on þat wise
Or þe kok had crawin thrise.
And when he wist how he had wroght,
He was ful drery in his thoght,
And fra his enmis þat þar ware
He wan þar out and weped sare;
And furth he went with simple chere,
And more he durst noght negh þam nere.
Ihesus þan with milde mode
Bifor sir cayphas bunden stode,
And he oposed him of his lare
And of his meruailes les & mare,
Of his desciples he spird alswa,
Wheder þai war went him fra.
He said: “tell here in oure present
Of þi werkes als þou has went,
ffor þe techeing suld noght be hid,
Þat aght forto be knawen and kyd.”
Þan ihesus answerd in þat tide
And said: “my wordes walkes wide,
ffor I haue spoken in ilk cuntre
Plainly and noght in preuete,
And in þe temple haue I bene
Oft siþes, als ȝowre self has sene,
Whare þe iews all and sum
Comunly vses forto cum;
Of my werke may þai witnes bere,
Ill or gude wheþer þai ere.
Wharto askes þou me þis thing?
Ask þam þat has herd my techeing,
ffor þai wate what my wordes ware
And forto tell þai will nogh spare,
And þarfore ask þam of my lare,
ffor me saltou wit nomare.”
A lurdan þan of [þe iews lay
And herd ihesus þir wordes say,
Vp he stirt þare strif to eke
And smate ihesu opon þe cheke;
With grete bir to him he brayd
And þir wordes to him he said:

Sic respondis pontifici ‘

He said, “whi answers þou so
Þe bisschop þat spekes þe vnto?
Lad, we sal þe lere nurtoure
To answer men of grete honoure.”
Ihesus stode als it es wreten
And luked on him þat had him smeten;
He said to him: “what ailes þe?
fful wrangwisly þou smites me;
If þat my wordes be out of skill,
Þan may þou bere witnes of ill;
And if my wordes rightwis ware,
Whi suld þou þan smite me so sare?”
Þan sir cayphas and Anna
And oþer maisters many ma
Spac to ihesu all in fere,
And asked of him ensamples sere;
Þai said all to him: “tell vs þis,
If þou be cumen fra heuyn blis?”
Ihesus said: “it es no bote:
Ogains so many forto mote,
Or to mak speking ȝow omell,
ffor ȝe trow nothing þat I tell.
Bot men sall se, so may bitide,
Me sitand [bi my fader side,
And all þe powste sall be myne
At deme men to ioy or pine;
Þan I sall þaire dedis deme
Þat now er faine me forto fleme.”
Þus when he had þir wordes said,
Þe iews war all ful euill paid.
Sum of þam fell doun him biforn
And made grete hething him to scorn;
Þat þai war kene ful fast þai kid,
ffor with a clath his face þai hid
And buffet him full bitterly.
And þus þai said with grete enuy:

Prophetiza nobis Christe: quis est qui te percussit .

Þai said þus: “tell vs, if þou wate,
Whilk of vs es þat þe smate;
If þou kan oght of prophecy,
Tell þe suth till vs in hy,
Rede whilk of vs smate þe now,
If þou will we on þe trow.”
Ihesus sufferd with gude will
Al paines þat þai wald put him till;
And so þai fore with him þat night
Vnto þat it was day full light,
And þan þai said he suld be ded.
Bot þe maisters gaf to rede
Þat þai suld graithly tak þe gate
Vnto þaire prince hows, sir pilate;
With owten him þai durst noght do
Thing þat touched þe corun to,
ffor he was man of grete maistri
And domes man in þe iury.
Vnto þis sune þai all assent,
And furth to sir pilate þai went.
Now of iudas will I tell,
Of his falshede how it bifell.
He folowd euer, als he moght,
To wit what þai with ihesu wroght.
And when þai him to pilate led,
Þan wist he wele he had euill sped;
And in his hert þan wele he thoght,
Þat he ful wikkedly had wroght,
And in wan hope he fell ful sone
ffor þe dede þat he had done.
Mercy of crist wald he nane craue,
ffor whi he hopid nane forto haue;
Bot in his hert wele he thoght
To les his payn if þat he moght,
And forto saue his maister life,
Þat he had made so mekil strife,
And al þat bale forto abate.
Sune he went to sir pilate,
When all þe iews war [sammen sett,
To luke if he þat strif might lett.
Þat crist suld pas, ful fast he prayd,
And on þis wise to þam he sayd:
Peccaui; tradens sanguinem iustum.
“Sirs, suthly I haue sind,” he said,
“A rightwis blude I haue bitrayd,
Mi maister falsly I forsoke
When I of ȝowre mone tok;
Here bifor ȝow all grant I,
I haue bitrayd him tratursly
And all sakles I haue him salde.
My tene es turned many falde;
Þarfore I pray ȝow lattes him pas,
And here ȝowre mone als it was
I gif it here to ȝow ogayne,
So þat he be noght sakles slayne.”
Þan answerd þe iews kene
And said vnto him all in tene:
“If þou haue trispast him vnto,
Þar of haue we no thing at do.
Byse þi self als þou has wroght
And cheuis þe we charge it noght.
If þou haue done till him vnright,
On þi self mun fall þe plight;
We wist noght whare obout þou went,
Ne here was nane þe efter sent.
And when þou him vntill vs salde,
ffaire mone for him we talde,
Þan was þou paid and so war we,
Now may þare none amendis be.”
When iudas saw it was no bote
More of þis mater for to mote,
Als he þare bifor þam stode,
He quoke for wa als he war wode;
ffor bale he thoght þat he might brest
And noght he wist what bote war best.
Þe plates of payment þat he toke,
Out of his lap sone he þam schoke,
And kest þam doun bifor þaire fete,
ffor he wend so his bale to bete.
Bot all his speking was in vaine,
Þai said all ihesu suld be slaine.
And he saw þai wald noght spare,
He went and left his mone þare,
Preuely he past þam fra
And thoght him seluen forto sla,
He thoght his wikkednes was so grete
Þat forgifnes might he none gete.
Þe fende entyred him fast þar till;
So in despaire him self to spill,
Vntill a place he went allane
Whare he might be his awin bane,
And in þat place of preuete
He hanged him on a hillir tre.
His wambe clef þan euyn in twa,
And his entrailes so fell him fra,
And þare his gast so ȝolden was,
ffor at his mowth it might noght pas.
Þis was þe caus, als clerkes wist,
ffor þi þat his mowth [had crist kist,
Þarfore it was with owten dout
Þat his saul at his wambe went out.
And life and saule bath was forlorn,
Better him war haue bene vnborn;
Þus for his sin his saule was schent,
To wa with owten ende he went.
Þus when iudas hanged was
And his saule to pine gan pas,
Þe iews saw þe plates rownd
Þat he had kasten on þe grownd.
Vnto þam þai went full right
And toke þam vp with hert light.
Sight of þe mone made þam glad,
ffor wele þam thoght þai won it had.
And what profet þarof might rise,
Ilka man said on his wise,
What þai suld with þe siluer do.
Sum said so and sum said so,
Þat it suld sauely be vp laid;
Sum answerd þarto & þus said:

Non licet mittere in corbanan; quia precium sanguinis est.

“It aw noght to be done þan
Omang oure tresore in corbanan,
Ne to be halden in tresori,
ffor it prise of felony.”
Þan þai toke þaire hale consail
To luke how it might moste avail,
And hastily þai euer ilkane
Sune assented all on ane
With þat mone to by a land,
Euer more to hald in þaire hand,
fforto do iews to ded þar in,
Al þat suffer ded for sin,
And pilgrims þar in forto graue,
And oþer þat þai vowched saue.
When þai had ordand on þat wise
Sune þai made marchandise,
Þai boght þe mount of caluery
Ay forto be in þaire baily,
And als sune in þat ilk place
To hang men þai made a space.
Þat siluer was ful wabigane,
So ful of syn was neuer nane;
ffirst it was for ihesu talde,
When iudas to þe iews him salde,
And seþin a felde þar with was boght
Whare on ihesus to ded was broght.
Þat ilk place with mayn and mode
Þe iews gert call þe felde of blude,
And so þat ilk place cald þai
ffro þat tyme ȝit vnto þis day.
Now of iudas lat we be,
And of ihesu more speke we,
How he with enmis was vmsett
And furth bifor sir pilat fett.

Acusacio iudeorum ante pilatum‘

Þe iews bigan ihesu to wreghe
Vnto pilate with many a lighe;
Þai said: “we haue bifor þe broght
A man þat mekill wa has wroght,
And with his wonders warn we ȝow
He turnes þe folk on him to trow.
And ȝit þare es anoþer thing,
He sais þat he es iews king,
And þat es ogains þe honoure
Of sir Sesar oure emperoure.
And he sais þat he es god sun
And þat he sal in heuyn won.
Swilk er his wordes, wele we knaw.”
Þus þai said ilkone on raw;
Sir pilate þan with milde mode
Said vnto ihesu þare he stode:
“Þou ert king þan, wele wate I,
Of vs and of all þis iewry?”
Ihesus answerd him vnto:
“Þou sais þi self þat I am so.”
And when þe iews þir wordes herd,
ffell als any fire þai ferd,
And ilkone of þam on sere side
Accused him kenly in þat tide.
He answerd noght, bot held him still
And lete þam say of him þaire will.
When pilat saw he answerd noght,
He was ameruailed in his thoght
And vnto ihesu þus said he:
“Heres þou noght how þai sai to þe,
And how þai wregh þe ilkaman?
Excuse þi self now if þou can.”
Ihesus stode still and answerd noght,
So þat pilat grete meruail thoght,
And þus he spac with voice stowt
Vnto þe iews þat stode obout:
“What can ȝe tell vnto þis man?
Defaut in him none find I can
Ne caus in him can I find nane
Wharfore þat he suld be slane.”
Þan þe iews bigan to cry
To him ogaine with grete enuy
And said, “he turnes oure folk vs fra
In þis land and in oþer ma,
So þat fra vs þai went oway,
And turnes þam to trow his lay,
So þat oure laus he loses clene
Ouer all whare he has bene.
Slike wonder werkes he wirkes ay,
And moste opon oure sabot day;
And he defendes þe folk ayware
Trouage to pay to sir sesare;
Þat has he done fra þis cete
Right to þe land of galile.”
Þan pilat cald þe princes all,
And all þe consail gert he call
fforto enquere of þam ilkane
If crist fra galile war gane.
“Wittes,” he said, “and warnes me
If he be gane fra galile,
ffor sertainly, if it be so,
Þan wate I what I haue to do:
Sir herod es lord of þat land
And haldes þe kingdom in his hand;
And if he come fra þat cuntre,
His demeing falles noght vnto me,
ffor I will do no pregidise
Vnto heroude on none wise.”
Þan said þe folk: “we vnderstande
Þat he es cumen out of þat land
And þare he soiourned for sertayne.”
Þan said pilat to þam ogayne:
“Vnto sir herod sall ȝe wende
And gretes him wele with wordes hende
And sais him how þat I him send
Þis man oure frenschip forto mend,
And forto deme effter his will,
Wheþer him likes to spare or spill.”
Þan [armed men has vnder tane
Till herod graithly forto gane.

Misso ad herodem

Þe men þan letted for no thing
Vnto þai come to herod king;
And when herod might vnderstand
Þat þe prophet was cumand,
And þat he wist he suld him se,
Grete liking in his hert had he;
ffor he had couait of lang tyme
ffully forto speke with him,
And forto wit how þat it ferd
Of ferlis he bifore had herd.
Þe knightes come to herodes hall,
And on þaire knese doun gan þai fall,
Þaire message to him forto tell
Of all þe fare, how þat it fell.
When herod herd he was full glad
And ioyful þat he ihesu had;
He said: “sir, welkum in all thing,
I haue oft couait þi cuming.
I thank him þat þe heþer send,
ffor mekill þou may my mirth amend;
And als his menȝe wisely wate,
We haue full lang bene at debate;
Now [all my greuance I for gif,
In luf to last ay whils we lif.
And sen þou ert so sent to me,
Schew me sum point of þi pouste;
ffor oft I haue herd tell tithing
Þou has done many selkuth thing:
Þou gers blind se on sides sere,
Þe dom to speke, þe defe to here,
Croked men þou has gert gang,
And raised ded men oft omang;
Do now for þe luf of me
Sum selkuth singne þat I may se.”
Ihesus stode still and answerd noght,
Of herodes rede no thing he roght;
What so euer he said him till,
He wald noght speke, bot stode ay still.
And at þe last had herod tene,
And meruailed him what it might mene,
And sone he sayd: “bot if þou speke,
With wa I sal me on þe wreke.”
Þus with wordes he gan him threte,
And seþin he bad þai suld him bete.
Þan þai bet him in þat stede
And said ilkane he suld be dede.
When he was bet so in þat hall,
And scorned both of grete and small,
He sufferd all þaire werkes ill,
And no word wald he say þar till.
Þan herod gert for grete despite
Cleth him all in clathes white,
And seþin he said: “I him forsake,
Ȝe þat him broght ȝe sal him take,
And sune ogayne ȝe sal him lede.
Here schewes he nowþer word ne dede,
And þarfore in þis tyme for me
To ded sal he noght demed be;
Bot bid sir pilat wirk his will,
Wheþer he will him saue or spill,
Luke him self what him es leuir,
My gude will grant I him for euer.”

Et facti sunt amici herodes & pilatus nam inimici erant adinuicem‘

ffrendschip was made þus þam bitwene
Þat fase ful lang bifore had bene.
Þe kneghtes þan þai toke þe gate
Plainely vnto sir pilate;
With gude tithinges þai made him glad,
How þat he herodes frendschip had,
And all þai tald him les and mare,
How þat þai war welcumd þare;
Þai said: “he sendes ihesus ȝow to,
All ȝowre will with him to do,
And sais he fendes in him no gilt,
Wharfore þat he suld be spilt.”
When pilate herd all how þai said,
In his hert he was wele paid,
And sune he gert to geder call
Þe princes and þe maisters all,
And said: “for soth, ȝe er to blame,
Þat ȝe do ihesu all þis schame,
ffor no cause can I in him find,
Wharfore men suld him bete & bind;
And lo, ȝe se I haue him sent
Till herod forto tak iugement,
And cause in him can he find nane
Wharfore þat he suld be slane,
Þarfore me think it war foly
So giltles forto ger him dy.
ffor þi I rede, if ȝe will swa,
We chastise him and lat him ga.
Ȝe knaw þe custum in þis land
Of þis pasch þat es cumand;
If any man be in presoune
ffor manslaghter or for tresoune,
Oure custum will þat he go fre
ffor þis grete solempnite.
Þarfore I rede we vnder take
Ihesu deliuerance forto make,
And lat him wende whare so he will,
Sen in him es funden none ill;
Bot first now sall he beten be,
And seþin ger him of land [to fle.”
Þan þe iews so kene and proud
Cried and said þus all oloud:
“If þis ilk man had noght done ill,
We had noght broght him þe vntill;
His [euill werkes will witnes
Of his condiciowns what he es.”
Þus leþerly on him þai lied,
And all at anes on him þai cried.
Sir pilate was aparty greued,
ffor þai cried so in his heuid;
Þarfore he led ihesu þarout
And asked him thinges þat war in dout,
And ihesus answerd him alway
To ilka thing þat he couth say;
Þai spac of maters more & myn.
And þan þe iews þat war with in,
Þe maisters and þe princes all
Þat still war leued in þe hall,
Toke a counsail þam bitwene,
How þai might do ihesu tene,
Þat þai wald a deliuerance haue
Of a man whilk þai wald craue.
Þai had in presoune ane barabas,
Þat man mortherer and traitur was;
“Deliuer we him,” þai said ilkane,
“And so sall ihesu sune be slane.”
Þus þai assented more and myn;
And sone by þis come pilat in,
Ihesu also he broght in þan,
And doun he sat als domes man,
And þan he said þe iews vnto:
“What will ȝe with ihesu do?
Lo, I haue led him furth ȝow fra,
Allane forto asay him swa,
And in him can I find right noght,
Wharfore he suld to ded be broght
ffor þi, if ȝe do efter me,
Ihesus sall deliuerd be.”
Þan þe iews war euil paide,
And þus þai answerd sone & said:
Non hunc sed baraban
Þai cried and said, “sertes, nay,
Ihesus sall be ded þis day.
We haue ane baraban þe thef,
Deliuer him þat es vs lefe,
And by oure custum him we ass,
ffor ihesu sall on none wise pas.”
Þus þai cried euer ilkane,
And said þat ihesu suld be slane.
Þan pilat herd þaire hedose cri,
And still he sat in a stody,
He wist noght what war best to do,
Ne what he suld answer þam to.
De diabolo & vxore pilati‘
Þe fals fende ful of enuy
Persayued and wist þan weterly
Þat if ihesus to ded war broght,
Man saul suld with his blude be boght,
And wele he hoped þat he suld tine
All þat war with him in pine.
Þarfore fast he him bithoght
fforto lett it if he moght;
A treson thoght he forto do,
If he might cum wele þarto.
Als ane angell he went bi night
Preuely to proue his might,
And forto saue so ihesus life
He went vnto sir pilat wife,
In hir bed als scho slepeand lay,
And vnto hir þus gan he say:
“Wakin dame & speke with me,
Of þi harm I will warn þe,
And als I bid, luke þat þou do,
So þat no harme cum þe vnto.
Go bid þi lord for any rede
Þat ihesu be noght done to ded,
ffor sertes þai sall be schent ilkane
Þat procures now to haue him slane;
Tane he es ogains resoune,
With wrang þai hald him in presoune;
Þe wa with owten end he wan
Þat þis treson first bigan;
And þarfore warn þi husband now
Þat no harm cum vnto ȝow.”
When þis was said to pilates wiue,
Out of hir slepe scho rase biliue,
Vntill hir lord scho toke þe way,
All þe soth to him at say;
In to þe halle biliue scho come,
Als sir pilat sat in dome.
“Sir,” scho said, “take tent to me,
ffor I am sent to warn þe
Þat þow trow noght þe iews rede
fforto do ihesu to ded.
He es a man of mekill might,
Þat has bene tald to me þis night;
Ane angell full greuose and grim
Has turment me to night for him,
And bad þat þou no thing suld do
Þat in euil towches him vnto,
Bot ordan in al þat þou may
Þat he be safe and wend his way.
So bad he þat me warned has,
(þe fende I wate full wele it was)
fful hidosly he manast me
ffor ihesu sake, so did he þe,
And said he suld be þaire enmy
Þat procurd ihesu forto dy;
And sir, I was neuer so adred
Sen I was of my moder fed.
Þarfore sen we er warned bath,
Lat ihesu scap with owten scath
And wend his way whare so he will
With owten drede, els dose þou ill.”
When pilat herd þir wordes all,
Al þe maisters gert he call,
And þe bisschoppes of þaire law,
And vnto þam he said þis saw:
“I se ȝe er obout to spill
A man þat es with outen ill,
And lat se, sais vnto me sone
What euil dedes he has done.”
Þan answerd þai euer ilkane
And said vnto him sone onane:
“With his word þis fals ihesus,
Ouer all he sclanders vs,
And sais to ilk man opinly
Þat he has of vs maistry,
ffor king of iews he gers him call;
Þat semes als we suld be his thrall,
And, sir, þat gase noght wele obout,
To mak vs all his vnderlout.”
Pelat, when he þaire malice knew,
Þus he said vnto ihesu:
“Þai luf þe noght, þat se I now,
Bot to þaire sayinges what sais þou?
Þine awin folk, als þou may se,
Has bitraied þe vnto me,
And for me might þou pas in pese
If þai wald of þaire saws sese;
Þine awin folk and þi bisschoppes bath
Er most about to do þe scath,
And þat it es noght lang on me,
Þat saltou sone þi seluen se.”
Sone he sþac till a squiere,
And bad he suld bring water clere;
And when þe water was to him born,
He wesche his hend þe folk biforn,
And seþin dried þam on a clath,
fforto excuse him self of scath.
Bot all if he þis werk so wroght,
Anoþer in his hert he thoght;
And when he had on þis wise done,
Vnto the iews he said ful sone:
“I schew vnto ȝow albidene
Þat in þis cause I will be clene,
And of þe spilling of his blode;
ffor he es rightwis man and gude.”
Þan þe iews with grete debate
Answerd þus to sir pilate:

Sanguis eius super nos & super filios nostros

“His blude,” þai said, “on vs be sene,
And on oure childer all bidene;
We pray þat all þe perill fall
On vs and on oure childer all.”
When pilate herd all how þai said,
He lete als he war euil paid,
And vnto ihesu þus he spac:
“How likes [þe þis þai mak?
Al halely hald þai þe ogain,
To sla þe es þaire purpose plain;
ffor þou vses oþer lawes
Þan has bene vsed in are dawes.”
Ihesus þan answerd als him thoght:
“Of all þaire greuance gif I noght;
Bot here I will mak no maistri,
In oþer stede es my baily,
Mi regne es in þe heuyn light,
And þarof sal ȝe neuer haue sight,
My regne es noght of þis werld here,
Whare noght es sene bot sines sere.
And if my regne in þis werld ware,
With angels þat in heuyn er þare
I might haue help þan at my will
To wreke me on ȝowre werkes ill;
Bot þan might noght fulfilled be
Þe wordes þat er wreten of me,
And als it es my faders will
And his asent I sall fulfill.”
Sir pilat said: “þan ertou king,
Þat se I wele by þi saying,
And in þis werld þou has maistri.”
Þan answerd ihesus to him in hy:
“Sir, sen þou sais þat I am so,
Here in þis werld I haue to do,
ffor in þis werld here was I born;
I come to seke þat war forlorn,
And no fals athes forto swere,
Ne no fals witnes forto bere,
Bot [all falsshed forto refuse,
And alkins rightwisnes to vse.
And al þat lufs here rightwisnes,
Lufes my waies both more and les.”
Pilat þan, als man amaid,
Answerd to him þus and said:
Quid est veritas
“Sen þat þou so suthfast es,
Say me what es suthfastnes.”
Ihesus þan ful still he stode,
And answerd nowþer ill ne gude,
So þat pilate grete wonder thoght.
What he might say þan wist he noght,
Bot wele he thoght so als he sat
Þat he to þe iews bud say sumwhat.
He said: “I rede ȝe lat him ga
To his cuntre þat he come fra,
And lat þam iustifi him þare,
And moue vs now with him nomare.”
Þan þai cried all to pilate:
“And þou lat him gang þusgate,
Sen he so wikkedly has wroght,
Cesare frend þan bese þou noght;
ffor wha so makes him self a king,
He gainsaise cesar in all thing.
Deliuer vnto vs barabas,
And do him als he serued has.”
When pilate herd þaire grete enuy,
Þat [þai toke cesar to party,
Þan he dred him mekill mare
To liuer him þan he did are.
All þe folk on ilka side
ffast vnto sir pilate cried,
And said þat ihesus hy suld hang,
And barabas all qwite suld gang.
Þan pilat gan a falsshede feine,
Als he wald þaire will ateyne;
Ihesu to þam deliuerd he,
And bad þat he suld beten be.
Þan þai toke him þam bitwene,
And [band him als he thef had bene;
Al his clathes fra him þai kest,
And till a peler fast him fest,
And scourges kene þai ordand þare
To bete opon his body bare.
Ilkone obout þai bete him fast
Ay whils [any scourge might last,
Vntill his body als he stode
Was couerd all ouer in blode.
And so when he was al for bled,
With clathes of purper þai him cled,
So forto scorne him þar with all,
And on þaire knese doun gan þai fall,
Sayand to him in þaire hething:
“Haile ihesus, of iews king.
Ȝe er araid in riche atyre,
ffor ȝe say ȝe er lord and syre.”
Þan þai gederd thornes kene,
And made a corowne þam bitwene,
And on his heuid þai it thrast,
On ilka side þe blude out brast;
With staues of rede þai set it doun,
And clapped it fast [vntill his crowne,
So þat þe thornes went in þan
Till þai perced þe hern pan;
Þe thornes made þe woundes wide,
Þe blude ran doun on ilka side,
And þan als sone þe blude keleing
Gert his clathes fast to him cling.
When he was þus with rewth araid,
Þan pilat to þe puple said:
“Vnto ȝow furth I sall him bring,
So þat ȝe sall haue knawing
Þat I in him can find right noght,
Wharfore he suld to ded be broght.”
Als ihesus þare bifor þam stode,
ffra heuid to fete all famed of blode,
Þan said pilat to þam bidene:
“Lo, here þe man þat ȝe of mene.”
And þan þe iews so kene and prowd
Answerd and cried all full loud,

Crucifige crucifige eum

Þat es to mene all with a voyce
Þai cried: “deme him to hang on croyce.”
When pilate all þaire wordes herd,
Vnto þam sone þus he answerd
When pilate herd how þe tale ȝede,
In his hert þan had he drede,
And, for þai on him set slike schout,
Eft he led ihesus þar out,
And said to him: “I meruaile me
Þat þou biddes no man help þe.
Wheþin ertow? what es þi name,
Þat may suffer so mekill schame?
And sen þou sese we may þe saue,
Mercy of vs may þou craue,
And ask forgifnes of vs all,
Þe better þan may þe bifall.”
Ihesus vnto þis answerd noght.
Þan said pilate: “what hastou thoght?
Deynes þe noght to answer me?
Whils þou es in my pouste?
Wate þou noght wele þat I may
Ger þe be ded þis ilk day?
I may anely with my voyce
Deme þe to be hanged on croice,
And als it es in my powere
To lat þe pas and mak þe clere,
So þat þou sall noght be slaine;
Al þis es in my power playne.”
Ihesus þan answerd als him thoght:
“Of all þi powere rek I noght,
ffor power hastou nane of me,
Bot þat es granted vnto þe,
Þi might es gifen to þe ful euyn
ffra my fader þat es in heuyn;
ffor þi to me þou has no might,
Bot þat es gifen vnto þe right.
Þarfore þou es gretely to blame,
Þat þou dose me so mekill schame,
Bot his sin es mekill mare,
Þat me bitraied vnto þe are.”
When pilat herd þir wordes all,
He led ihesus in to þe hall,
And at his might ymagind he
Þat ihesus suld deliuerd be;
And doun on sege he sett him þan
Omang þam all als domes man.
Þe stede whare þai suld domes hald,
Lichostratos þe iews it cald,
In þaire tong þai named it swa,
And in ebrew, golgatha.
Þan said pilat to þam in hy:
“Lo, here ȝowre king of ȝowre iewry.”
Þai cried ogaine all with a voyce:
“Deme him tite to hang on croyce.”
Þan said pilat on his hething:
“Will ȝe þat I cros ȝowre king?”
Þan answerd al þe iews kene
And said [vnto him al in tene:

Nos non habemus regem nisi cesarem.

Þai said: “we wate wele euer ilkane
Þat king bot cesar haue we nane.
And grante vs now for cesar sake
Baraban fra presoune forto take,
And lat him quit of oure hand,
ffor þis fest þat es cumand.”
Pilat said: “sen ȝe will so,
What will ȝe þan with ihesu do?”
Þan answerd þat euil menȝe
And said all: “he sall hanged be;
Gif him dome al we þe pray,
ffor sertes he sal be ded þis day.”
Pilat forgat his awin astate
And ferd he was for þaire debate,
(His state was rightwisnes to ȝeme
And rightwisli ilk man to deme)
His state he toke no tent vntill,
Bot demid al efter þaire will;
And all efter þaire wordes wrang
He demid him on rode to hang,
And barabas þan cumanded he
ffra presoun suld deliuerd be.
Þan als ihesu stode in þe rout,
fful sternely stirt þai him obout;
Þe purper clath þat he in stode,
Was hardend all with his awin blude,
So þat it cleued on ilka side
fful fast both vnto flessche & hide;
Þai rugged it of with outen rest,
When it so to þe fless was fest,
Þat with þaire tuging in þat tide
Al bled eft sones both bak and side,
And so þan was þis secund paine
ffeller þan þe first for sertayne.
His awin clathes þan gan þai take,
And kled him in for schame sake.
Þan þai swore als þai war wode
Þat he suld hing high on a rode.
Þe dome es gifen dampned es he,
And ȝit haue þai no rode tre;
Ilkone of þam till oþer spak,
Whare of þai a cros might mak,
And how it of þat cros bifell,
Al þe suth I sall ȝow tell,
And how þat it come first in place,
Listens now a litell space.

De morte primi parentis Ade & de incepcione crucis christi‘

When adam oure form fader dere,
Was of elde nyghen hundreth ȝere,
And þarto þan he kend
Þat his life drogh nere þe end;
Þan said he vntill eue: “þou sall
All my suns bifor me call,
Þat I may blis þam or I dy.”
And als he bad, scho did in hy;
Scho cald [þam] vnto him þat tide,
Þai come and stode all him biside,
Als he in his sekenes lay,
And vnto him þus gan þai say:
“ffader, what harm es þe on hand,
Þat þou es in þi bed ligand,
And wharto hastou cald vs heder?”
Þan said he to þam al to geder:
“Suns,” he said, “I far ful ill,
Of pine and sorow I find my fill.”
And þai answerd and said ogaine:
“ffader, tell vs what es payne,
And how it es sorow to haue,
Say vs þe suth, so god þe saue;
ffor whils we in þis werld haue bene,
Of sekenes haue we seldom sene.”
Þan said seth: “for suth I trow,
ffader, þat þou ȝernes now
Of paradis fruit forto ett mare,
Of þe whilk þou has etin are,
And þarfor ligges þou sorowand swa;
Bot say to me and I sall ga
Sone vnto paradis ȝate,
And I sall grete þare in þe gate;
I sall mak site and sorows sere,
And so I hope god sall me here,
And send sum angell me to gete
Sum of þat fruit þat þou wald ett.”
Adam vnto seth þan telles:
“I ȝerne no fruit, ne nothing els,
Bot I haue dole with owten dout,
And euil in al my lims obout.”
Þan said seth and þai all bidene:
“We wate neuer what euil es to mene;
Tell vs what thing þe greue þus,
Wharto suld þou laine fra vs?”
Als he lay þan þus said he:
[“Al my suns herknis to me.
When god had made me with his will,
Ȝowre moder þan he made me till;
In paradis sone he vs sett,
And gaf vs leue al fruit to ett;
He outtoke no thing bot a tre
Þat he forbed bath hir and me,
In middes of paradis it stode,
And was knawing of ill & gude.
Þe est he put in my powste
And þe north at my will to be,
And till ȝowre moder he toke þat tide
Bath þe west and þe sowth syde;
And twa angels he toke vs till,
Vs forto were fra alkins ill.
Till on a tyme, sons, suth to say,
Oure angels went fra vs oway,
Bifor god þaire wirschip to ma;
Þan [com] þe fende þat es oure fa,
And in ȝowre moder fand he stede,
And did hir do efter his rede;
Sone scho ette, als he hir red,
Of þe fruit god vs bath for bed;
Scho bed it me and I ette sum,
And þus bigan oure care to cum;
Þe gerrard þus gan hir bigile,
And me also, allas þat while.
Þan of oure werk was god il paid,
And als sone vnto me he said:
‘Adam, for þou has left my lare
And broken þe bode þat I bad are,
And mare wroght efter þi wife,
Þan efter me þat lent þe life,
Vnto þi bodi sal I send
Sexty wowndes & ten to lend,
Right fra þi heuid vnto þi hele,
Eghen and eres and ilka dele;
And all þi lims on ilka side
Witht sorows sall be ocupide.’”
He said: “suns, god has sent þis thing
Vntill vs and all oure of spring;
Bot oure lord god almighty
Said we suld haue oile of mercy,
In þe werldes end, if we wald craue,
Of all þis site vs forto saue.”
All on þis wise when he had talde,
He feled sorows ful many falde;
He cried and said him self vnto:
“Allas, caytif, what sall I do,
Þat slike sorows er to me send,
And has no medsin me to mend?”
When eue herd þat he said swa,
Scho wepid and had ful mekell wa,
And vnto god fast gan scho call:
“Lord, forgif me þir angers all;
I wroght þe werk, þat wate I wele,
Wharfore we haue þis dole ilk dele.”
Scho praied adam on þis manere:
“Lord, lat me haue þi sorow sere,
ffor sertes I did all þe syn
Wharfore þou es þir angers in.”
Þan adam answerd hir vntill:
“It may noght be wroght at oure will,
Oure lord of heuyn þat [has it send
Thurgh his might he may it mend.”

Adam þan vnto seth gan say:
“Sun, of a thing I sal þe pray,
fforto wend als I sall þe wys
Vnto þe ȝates of paradis,
And at þe ȝates, when þou cumes right,
Þou sal mak sorow in goddes sight,
ffall to erth and powder þe,
And pray god haue mercy on me;
ffor þan par auenture send sall he
Sum of his angels to þat tre,
Of whi[l]k springes þe oile of life,
Þat medcyn es to man and wife,
Þar forto send me sum dele,
Þan hope I þat my care sal kele.”
Þan answerd seth and said in hy:
“To do þi will I am redy,
Bot þe bus teche to me the way,
And what I sall to þe angell say.”
Adam said: “sun, tell him till
How þat I haue angers ill,
And tell him also of þis thing
How þat my life es nere ending;
And pray him me to certify
Of þe oile of mercy weterly,
Þe whilk god hight me of his grace,
When he me put out of þat place;
If he [now þat sand to me [will send,
Of all my sorow it sall me mend.
And sun,” he said, “I sall þe say
Wharby þou sall ken þe way:
Þou sall sone find a grene gate
Euyn vnto paradis ȝate;
Wend estward & for no thing let,
Vntill þou in þat way be set;
Þan many fotesteps saltou se,
Bath of þi moder and of me;
ffor by þat ilk way went we twa,
Þi moder and I with outen ma,
When we war put out of þat blis
To won in midelerth for oure mis;
And þe sin of vs twa allane
Was so grete and god with gane,
Þat in what stedes oure fete gan fall,
Þare groued neuer gres, ne neuer sall,
Bot euermore be ded and dri,
And falow, and fade, for oure foly;
Þus saltou find, with outen mis,
Right to þe ȝates of paradis.”
Seth es went, with sorows sad,
ffurth right, als his fader bad,
And hastily he fand þe way,
Als adam vntill him gan say,
With welkit steppes many ane,
Als his fader bifore had gane;
And euen he held þat ilk gate
vntill he come to paradis ȝate.
On his face þan fell he downe
And kest pouder opon his croune,
fful mekill, murnig gan he make
And sorowed for his fader sake;
And vnto god fast gan he cri
Of adam for to haue mercy,
And oile of mercy him to send,
So þat he might in liking lend.
So als he made his praiers fast,
god sent saint michael at þe last;
He bad [þat seth he suld vp rise
And said vnto him on þis wise:
“Seth,” he said, “what sekes þou here?
I am michaell [goddes messangere;
My lord of heuyn has ordand me
Ouer all his men keper to be.
And sertanly to þe I say,
Þat þe thar nowþer grete ne pray
Efter þe oile of mercy here,
ffor þou gettes it on no manere,
Vntill a tyme if þou tak tent
When fiue thousand ȝere er went,
Twa hundret and twenty þar till,
And also aght als es goddes will
Þan sal god send doun his sun
Crist in to þe werld at won;
ffor mannes sins þan sal he dy,
And so fra bale he sall þam by,
Grauen he sall be in a stede
And rise þe thrid day right fra [þe ded,
And lif ogayne, in lim and lith;
And adam þan sall rise him with;
Adam and all his of spring,
Þat god vntill his blis will bring;
With crist þan sall þai right vp ryght
And wende to won in lastand light;
Þan sal þi fader right vp rise
And wend to welth in paradis,
And þat same crist als I tell þe
In þe flum sal baptist be;
To saue man saules he sall be send
And all fals trowth he sall defende;
Þe oyle of mercy sal he gif
Till all þat in his law will lif;
And till all þat will sese of sin
Sal he gif blis þat neuer sal blin;
Þan sall þi fader cum fra paine
And dwell in paradis ogayne.
Þarfore if þou þi fader se,
Say him als I haue said to þe:
His daies er dreuen vnto þe end,
Langer in þis life may he noght lend.
Bot first now, or þou wend oway,
Sall þou do als I þe say;
Wende unto paradis ȝate
And put in bot þi heuid þarate,
And lat þi body stand þaroute,
And luke what þou sese þe obout;
And if þou any selkuth se,
Cum ogayne and tell to me.”
Seth went and did on þis manere,
And saw ful many selkuthes sere;
He herd þare noyse and nobill smell,
Swetter þan any tong might tell;
Gay herbes and trese þare gan he se,
And fowles sang ful grete plente;
In middes of paradis saw he right
A well þat was schinand ful bright,
Of þe whilk foure flodes ran out,
And went ouer al þe werld obout;
He saw of þa foure flodes clere
Come al þe water in þis werld here.
Obouen þe well persayued he
Whare þare stode a ful faire tre,
With branches þaron maniane,
Bot bark ne lefe ne had it nane;
Þan had seth meruail in his mode
Whi þat tre so naked stode;
And wele he hopid, his hert with in,
Þat it was for his fader sin,
Als þe steppes war þat he had sene,
Þat neuer bare none herbes grene,
And all for þe sin of þam twa,
þarfor he trowed þe tre was swa.
Al þis thoght when he had left,
In ogaine þan luked he eft,
And hastily þan gan he se
A meruaile of þe mekill tre.
Him thoght þat it stode vp ful euyn
And rechid on heght right to þe heuyn,
And bark inogh þar on was sene
With leues þat was gay and grene;
And in þe crop of þat tre on hight
A litill childe he saw full right,
Lapped all in clathes clene,
Als it right þan born had bene,
So till his sight it semed ȝing,
He had grete meruaile of þis thing;
Vnto þe erth þan luked he
And saw þe rotes of þat same tre,
Weterly him thoght þai fell
In to þe vtterest end of hell,
And þare him thoght he had a sight
Of his broþer saul ful right,
Abell þat was sakles slaine.
Þan to þe angell he went ogayne
And tald vnto him albidene,
Als he þare had herd & sene.
He pried þe angell tell him mare
Of þe childe þat he saw þare.
Þe angell answerd him in hy
And said what it suld signify:
“Þe childe þat þou saw in þe tre,
And hame also with him he had
Þe kirnels als þe angell bad.

De obitu primi parentis ade

When seth had wroght all on þis wise
And cumen hame fra paradise,
Vntill his fader fast gan he fare,
Als he lay in sekenes sare,
And tald vnto him albidene
How he had done, whare he had bene,
And how þe angell gan him hete
Þat he suld haue his bale to bete,
Oile of mercy fra god send
To saue him in þe werldes end.
When adam herd him sogat say,
Þa wordes ful gretely gan him pay,
And in his life þan anes he logh,
ffor he hopid forto win fra wogh,
And forto be saued sertainely.
Þarfore to god þus gan he cry:
“Lord, me list no langer lif,
Mi gaste in to þi hend I gif
fforto wis it at þi will,
In whilk stede so it sall go till.”
Þus he died with in [þe thrid day
Als þe angell vnto seth gan say;
Þan had he lifed in þis werld here
Nien hundreth and threty ȝere;
ffor mans kinde was þan so strang,
Þat þai moght wele lif so lang.
When he was ded þus als I tell,
Both wife and barnes opon him fell
And lay opon þe cors criand,
Heuid to heuid and hand to hand,
Þai trowed to turn life him vntill,
ffor þai kowth þan none oþer skill;
And als þai murned with dreri mode,
Michaell come and by þam stode,
And oþer angels gudely graid,
And vnto seth al þus he said:
“Wepes namore, bot bese still,
ffor þus it es my lordes will,
Þat I sal teche here ȝow vnto
How ȝe with þis cors sall do;
Takes him vp and wendes with me,
ffor in erth sall he bereed be.”
Þai toke þe cors vp þam omang,
And þe angels bifore gan gang
Singand all ful solempnely,
And makand nobill melody;
To þe vale of ebron þai him broght
And groue him þare als þam gude thoght.
Þan al his barnes a wonderd ware
Of þe sight þat þai saw þare;
Þe angel said þan to þam in hy,
“Of þis thing haues no ferly,
ffor als we now do him vnto,
So sal ȝe with ȝowre ded men do;
Gers beri þam in erth or stane,
ffor all sall di þat lifi has tane.”
Seth þan opon þa kirnels thoght,
Þat he fra paradis had broght;
In his fader mowth he þam did,
Als þe angell gan him bid.
Of þa kirnels thurgh goddes grace
Wex thre wandes in litill space,
And of þa wandes grete ferlis fell,
Als men may here me efter tell;
fful mekill sele was to þam sent,
Als men may here wha takes entent.

Detribus uirgis in ore ade crescentibus

In Adams mouth þir wandes stode,
Till tyme of noie efter þe flode,
Þat was to wit with outen were,
A thowsand sexty and twelue ȝere;
And furth ȝit groued þai in adam
ffra noie till tyme of abraham,
ffra abraham ȝit stode þai þen
Vntill þe cuming of moysen;
And nowþer flitted fer no nere
And ilkone groued by þam self sere;
Ane elne of lenkith þa wandes ware
And all þis time wex þai nomare,
Bot in a state ay war þai sene
And euer grouand in like grene.
Lang efter þat tyme þus bifell
Þat þe childer of israel
Went with moyses thurght þe se
ffra pharao and his menȝe,
Þat mekill wa had to þam wroght,
And in grete bondage had þam broght;
Þai past þe se bath hale and sound,
And pharao and his men war dround.
And when þaire fase war þus for done,
To þe vale of ebron come þai sone,
And als þai in þat dale gan dwell,
fforther mar þan þus bifell;
Opon ane euyn als moyses ȝode
He saw whare þir thre wandes stode,
Þat are in adams mowth was sett,
And with grete honore he þam grett.
“ffor suth,” he said, “þir wandes mene
Þe trinite þam thre bitwene,
Þat on þis wise er samin sett,
ffor in þe rote all war þai mett.”
Þa wandes þan thoght he forto take
Wirschip to þam forto make;
And fra þe erth when he drogh þam out
So nobil smell was þam obout,
And so gude sauore gan þai fele,
Þat his men wend wonder wele
Þat þai had bene cumen right,
To þe land of hest þat þam was hight;
Al his folk þai war ful fayne
And loued god with might & mayne.
Moyses toke þa wandes schene,
And lapped þam in clathes clene,
And als a relik obout þam bare,
With wirschip als þai worthy ware:
Ay whils þai dwelled so in fere,
And þat was foure & fourty ȝere,
And all þat war with wormes smeten
Or els with wilde bestes beten,
And þai might neght þa wandes nere
Þai suld als fast be hale and fere
So þat defaut suld þai find nane,
Thurgh towcheing of þe wandes allane.
So it bifell þe folk had care
ffor þat þam wanted water þare,
And in þaire hertes þai bigan
To be mis trowand ilka man,
To god þai groched al bidene;
And moyses said to þam in tene:
“Mistrowand men, herkins to me,
If ȝe in trowth will stedefast be,
We sall gett water grete wane
Here out of þis hard stane.”
ffor god had bidden him on þis wise
Þat he suld strike on þe flint twise,
And largely þan suld it gif
Water þat þai with might lif;
Þan with his wand þe stane strake he
And water went out grete plente,
Þat men and bestes had þaire fill
Of water at þaire awin will.
And for moyses toke all þe mede
And loued noght god for his gude dede,
Ne gert þe folk na louing make
To him þat sent it for þaire sake,
Þarfore oure lord god all mighty
Said vnto moyses opinly,
Þat he suld noght þa childer bring
Vnto þe land of his heteing,
Þat was þe land of promisiowne,
Þat he had made vnto þam boune.
Þan moyses wist and wele he kend
Þat his life drogh nere þe ende;
To þe hill of thabor þan went he
And þare he sett þir wandes thre,
[By side a water vnder þat hill,
ffor he hopid it was goddes will
Þat gude werk suld with þam be done;
Þan efter þis he died sune.

Quomodo david tulit uirgas in Ierusalem

Still þan stode þa wandes þare
A thowsand ȝere, & wex nomare,
Bot in a state ay gan þai stand
Till dauid was king of Iews land;
And þat was a lang tyme bitwene,
And euer þai groued ilyke grene.
Þan dauid was thurgh þe haly gaste
Warned þat he suld wende in haste,
In to þe land of araby
Till þe hill of thabor hastily,
Þe thre wandes þare forth fett,
Þat moyses þe profett had sett;
To ierusalem þat þai war broght,
ffor thurgh þam suld be wonders wroght,
And diuers dedis done bidene,
And efterward so was it sene.
Þus when dauid warned was,
Till araby sone gan he pas,
To þe hill of thabor fast he ȝode,
Whare þir ilk thre wandes stode;
Vnto þe stede he went full euyn,
Als he was warned with god of heuyn;
And when he of þe wandes had sight,
He honord þam with all his might,
And toke þam vp out of grounde;
And swilk a smell þare was þat stounde,
And noise and nobill melodi
Of divers maners of minstralsy,
Þat dauid and his menȝe wend
Þe haly gaste had þare descend,
So mekill mirth gan with þam mete
Of nobill noyse and sauore swete;
Þan dauid laid þa wandes in fere
In a kase al of siluer clere;
He sang ful fast so was he faine,
And on þis wise he went ogayne,
And als þai went so by þe strete,
Seke men many gan þai mete,
All war þai helid in gude degre,
Thurgh vertu of þa wandes thre.
Dauid was ful glad and blith,
Vnto his cuntre come he swith;
Þe nyend day efter hame come he
To ierusalem þe riche cete,
Bot night it was thurgh goddes will
When þai come þe cete vntill,
On þe wandes had dauid thoght
With wirschip whare he sett þam moght,
And in a dike he did þam right
Biside his castell all þat night,
And seker men he sett to wake,
So þat þai suld no harmes take;
On þe morn he thoght to seke a space
To plant þa wandes in honest place,
fforto be keped honestly,
And wirschipd als þai war worthy.
To rest he went es noght at laine,
And sone at morn he come ogaine;
He fand his wandes hale and sownde
fful fast grouand on þe grounde,
And þar of grete wonder him thoght,
Bot remu þam þan wald he noght,
ffor in his hert he trowed right
Þat þai war sett thurgh godis might;
Þar fore he lete þam stand þare still,
And bad þat none suld negh þam till;
And forto dwell with outen dout
He made a stif wall þam obout,
Stalwurthly of lime and stane,
So þat negh to þam suld nane.
Þe same lenkith ȝet war þai þare,
Als moyses in desert þam bare;
Bot þus when dauid sett þam has,
Þan wex þai so þat wonder was,
Þe body wex in a hale tre
And þe crop was branches thre;
And for it wex so dauid made
A serkell al of siluer brade,
And bad þat it suld sawded be
All obout þe haly thre;
Þat he might wit, with outen were,
How mekill it wex ilka ȝere;
ffor it wex grete thurgh goddes grace
And also lang in litill space;
In þat stede þan stode it þare
Threty ȝere and sumdele mare,
And wex ful fast I vnder stand,
ffor þe tyme was nere cumand.
Þan dauid wex dreri in mode,
ffor in his hert he vnderstode
Þat a sinful man had bene
And vnt[o] god he gan him mene;
Sitand vnder þat haly tre,
Grete sorow in his hert had he,
And in his sorowing said he þus,
“Miserere mei deus” et cetera
And so he made his mis to mende
Þe sawter buke right to þe ende.
And in remission of his syn
To mak a kirk he gan bigin,
And þare obout he begged fast,
Till foure and thwenty ȝeres war past;
And bisid him both day and night
With werkmen þat war wise and wight;
And for he was synfull man
Of god þus was he warned þan:
“A hows to me saltou neuer make,
And þat es for þi sinnes sake.”
Dauid answerd and said in hy:
“Lord, wha sall make þi hows bot I?
Wha sall vnto þi werk tak tent,
Sen vnto me no sele es sent?”
“Salomon þi sun,” said he,
“Sall mak a temple vnto me,
Þat euer mare sal be in minde,
And in meneing omang man kinde.”
Þan dauid wist righ[t] wele inogh,
Þat his life fast till ende drogh,
Of þat cete gert he call
Þe eldest men & maisters all;
And hastily þai come him till
fforto wit what was his will;
Þan vnto þam al þus said he:
“Takes salomon my sun for me,
ffor, sirs, als sune I sal be ded,
And god has chosen him in my stede.”
His corown so he gaf oway
And so he died þat ilk day;
Þan in a grafe þai gan him graue,
Whare kinges suld þaire beriing haue,
With sang and grete solempnite,
Als fell to swilk a lord at be.

Quomodo salomon perfecit templum

Salomon was corond king,
And led þe land at his liking;
Moste sutile werkmen has he soght
And on þe temple fast þai wroght,
And endid it of masonry
In þe space of ȝeres twa & thretty;
fforto tell all his fader tyme
And efter þe wirking of him.
And when it suld till end be brogh[t],
Þe wrightes þat þe timber wroght
A mekill balk þam bud haue ane,
In þat cuntre þai kouth find nane,
Þai soght in toun and in cete,
And nowre whare might þai find a tre,
Þat wald acorde vnto þaire met,
Bot þat þat dauid king had sett;
It forto take þe king cumand
And bad it suld no langer stand.
Þan doun þai hewit þat haly tre
So þat þaire werk might endid be;
Þai caried it vnto þe kirk
And ordand werkmen it to wirk;
Þe maisters has þaire mesure tane,
Þe lenkith threty cubites and ane;
Þai polist it and made it plaine
Bot all þaire wirking was in vayne;
When it was made efter þaire merk,
Þai wand it vp vnto þe werk
And langer þan þai fand þe tre,
By a cubet þan it suld be;
Of þat fare þai war vnfaine,
And sune þai gat it doun ogayne.
Eft þai toke þaire mesures þan,
And kuttes it als wele als þai can;
“Do wind it vp biliue,” þai bid,
Bot al was in waste þat þai did;
Þan was it schorter þan þe assise,
Thrise wroght þai with it on þis wise;
Acorde to þat werk wald it noght,
Þar of þam all grete wonder thoght;
Þai cald þe king for he suld se
How þai had wroght with þat tre,
ffor mekill tene was þam bitid,
Sen þai war al so crafty kid.
When salomon saw it was swa,
In to þe temple he gert it ta,
And bad þat it suld honowrd be,
ffor sum might trowed he in þat tre;
Anoþer balk þan haue þai soght,
And al þe werk till end þai wroght.
Þe haly tre, on þis manere,
Lay in þe temple many a ȝere,
Twa pilers of þe kirk bitwene,
Þe king gert kepe it þare ful clene,
And made [þe custom in þat cuntre,
And bad þat ilka man suld be
In þat stede anes in ilka ȝere,
And ilkone on þaire best manere
Þat haly tre forto honowre
Þat seþin bare oure sauioure.
So it bifell opon a ȝere
Al þe cuntre, fer and nere,
Vnto ierusalem þai went
To honore þat tre with gude entent;
A woman was þare þam omang
Þat in hir hert ay hopid wrang;
Scho soght þeder þe sight to se
And trowed no vertu in þe tre;
Hir thoght it was scorne in hir wit
Þat oþer men so honord it;
Maximilla was hir name
Scho sat þaron hir self to schame,
And for scho trowed no might þarin.
Hir clathes biliue bigan to brin
Als herdes þat had bene right dry,
Þan cried scho loud thurgh prophecy,
And said: “my lord, mighty ihesu,
Haue mercy and on me þou rew.”
When þe iews herd hir on ihesu call,
Grete tene in hert þan had þai all;
Þai said: “scho sklanders oure goddes euyn,
ffor a new god we here hir neuyn.”
Þai bad þat bald men suld be boune
To haue hir tite out of þe toune,
And sune with outen oþer rede,
Þai staned hir vnto þe ded;
Scho was þe first þat suferd schame
ffor þe neuenig of ihesu name.
It was þaire custum, als men knew,
Þat who so neuind þat name ihesu,
He suld be staned to ded als sone,
And so was with þat woman done.

De probatica piscina

Ful many when þai saw þis sight
Honord þe tre with all þaire might,
And þarto made þai more loueing
Þan vntill any oþer thing;
Þarfore þe iews thoght grete despite,
And to þat tre þai went ful tyte,
Out of þe toun þai did it draw,
ffor men þar in no might suld knaw,
ffor þai saw grete worde of it went,
And men þarto toke mekill entent
And many men honord it mare,
Þan goddes þat in þe iewri ware;
Þarfore þai ordand þam omang
Þat na more worde of it suld gang,
Bot for vertu þat was þar in
Þai durst it nowþer breke ne brin;
In to a dike þai gan it kast,
So to be wasted at þe last.
Þarfore in þat dike þai it did.
Bot god wald noght þe might war hid,
Sen þat so grete word of it went,
Þarfore his sande þarto he sent;
Euer ilka day a sertaine tyme,
Bitwix þe vnderon and þe prime
His angels to þat haly tre
fful oft siþes men might þam se,
Þai moued þe water in þat tide
And wesche þe tre on ilka side;
And all men þat war seke and sare
If þai in þat tyme might be þare,
When þe water was moued swa,
Wha so might first in to it ga,
If he had neuer so mekill bale,
Hastily he suld be hale
Thurgh vertu of þat haly tre;
Þis was knawin in ilk cuntre,
ffor mani þat blind & croked ware
Hastily war þai helid þare.
So when þe iews persayued right,
Þat thurgh þe tre was schewid slike might,
Þai said it suld noght lang be swa;
Out of þe water þai gan it ta,
And ordand it to be a brig,
Ouer a noþer bek to lig,
ffor so þai trowed þat mens fete,
And bestes þat went by þe strete,
Suld cum and ga all ouer þat tre
So þat it suld wasted be;
ffor grete despite in hert þam thoght
Þat wonders thurgh it war wroght.
Þus lay þis tre þare, als I tell,
Vntill þe sage quene, dame sibell,
Come to ierusalem on a ȝere,
Wisdom of salomon to here,
And by þat side hir gate was graid
Whare þis haly tre was laid,
And sone when scho þar of had sight
Scho honord it with all hir might,
kneland doune on aiþer kne,
Swilk vertu trowed scho in þe tre;
Hir clathes gert scho þar on lig
And bare fete went scho ouer þe brig.
Thurgh prophecy þan þus scho said:
“Þis ilk tre þat here es laid
A verray signe wele may it seme
Of a domesman þat all sal deme,
Als lord and maister moste mighty,
Þus may þis signe wele signify.”
Scho lended þare ay whils hir list,
Grete wit of salomon scho wist;
And seþin ogayne gan scho ga
To hir cuntre þat scho come fra,
And þat tre euer scho gan honowre
Þat seþin bare oure sauiowre.
Þis haly tre lay in þat stede,
Vntill þat crist suld suffe[r] dede,
When dome was gifen ordand was he
fforto be hanged opon a tre,
Þat als a cros þan suld be wroght;
On swilk a tre þan had þai thoght,
Sone a iew stode vp in hy,
And þus he said thurgh prophecy:
“Þe kinges tre, I rede, ȝe take,
Þe whilk ȝe laid ouer þe lake,
To make a cros both large & lang
Þe kyng of iews [þar on to hang.”
To þis þai all assented þan,
And rathly out of [þe toune þai ran;
Þai toke þe tre þan þare it lay,
Þe thrid part þai hewed oway,
And of þe rembnand haue þai made
A large cros, bath lang and brade;
Viii cubites þai made it lang
With outen þat in þe erth suld gang,
And aþer side of cubites thre
Þat abouen þe heuid suld be;
When it was made þus at þaire will,
Þe cete sone þai broght it till,
To pilate went þai ful gude spede,
He held him wele paid of þaire dede.

De fabrice clauorum

Þe cros es made, als it sall be,
Bot þan þam nedes nayles thre;
Þe iews war ful redy boune
And ran for nales in to þe toune;
Vnto a smith þai come ful sone
And bad, “belamy, biliue haue done
Make thre nayles stif and gude
At naile þe prophet on þe rode.”
When þe smith herd þaire entent,
How þat ihesu suld be schent,
In hert he had ful mekyll wa
Obout þe nayles forto ga,
ffor of ihesu he vnderstode
Þat was prophet trew & gude;
Þarfore wele in his hert he thoght
Þat for him suld no nayles be wroght;
He answerd þam with wordes fre
And said: “ȝe gett none nailes for me,
God has sent on me his merke
So þat I may wirk no werk.”
In his bosum he hid his hand
And said he hurt it on a brand,
“Þar on,” he said, “I haue slike pine
Þat I hope my hand to tyne.”
Þan answerd þe iews kene
And said vnto him all in tene:
“All for noght þou feynes þe,
All þi sarenes will we se,
And bot we find þi tales trew
fful sare it sall þi seluen rew.”
Þus thai thret him in þaire saw,
And gert him þare his hand out draw,
Þan was þare schewed in þat place
Grete gudenes thurgh goddes grace;
His hand semed als it war sare
And hurting had it neuer þe mare;
Þe iews saw þat it was so,
And namore said þai him vnto.
ffurth come þan þe smithes whife,
A fell woman and full of strife,
By þe iews þare þai stode,
Scho spac hir husband litill gude;
“Sir,” scho said, and loud gan cry,
“Sen when had þou slike malady?
ȝistereuen, when þe day was gane,
Euill on þi handes had þou nane,
And sen sekenes es sent to þe
Þir men sall noght vnserued be,
Þai sall haue nayles or þai ga,
Als sone my self sall þam ma.”
Scho blew þe belise ferly fast,
And made þe yren hate at þe last.
Þe iews helppid hir forto smite,
So þat thre nayles war made ful tite;
Hir husband saw and stode ful still,
He durst noght say þat scho did ill;
Þai war full grete and rudely wroght,
Bot þarfore þai forsuke þam noght,
Bot sone, when þai þir nailes had,
ffurth þai went with hert ful glad,
And hastily þai toke þe gate
Vntill þai come to sir pilate.
And in þis while þe iews kene
Sat and carped þam bitwene
On what maner best þai moght
Help þat crist to dede war broght;
And sone assigned sertain stede
Whare he suld be done to dede.
When þai war all redy boune
fforto trus with him of toune,
Þan þai strafe als þai war wode
Whilk of þam suld bere þe rode;
And sum said: “bere it sal he
Þat þar on suld hanged be.”
Þan þe maisters all on raw
Assented sone vnto þat saw.
Þai gert ihesus þan bere þe rode,
And so he did with milde mode.
Þai led him thurgh þat cete,
No mercy wald þai on him se.
Þare folowd him ful mekill rout,
[By fore, byhind and all obout;
Sum for him wepid ful sare
And sum war fain of his misfare.
Omang þam led þai theues twa
Þat with him vnto ded suld ga,
fforto mene on þaire manere
Þat he was thefe and theues fere;
ffor all despite þat þai might do
Thoght þam ouer litell him vnto.
Þus out of toune when he was led
All for betyn and all for bled,
Þan mary his moder dere
And oþer þat war to him nere,
Þat might noght pas omang þe prese,
Anoþer way full sune þai chese
By a lane es noght to layne;
Þat gate vnto þam was more gayne,
Þare þai thoght him forto mete,
ffor þai might noght pas by þe strete;
And when þai come with owten towne,
[ffull drerely þai sett þam doune,
With mekyll wa so gan þai wepe,
And sat in care crist forto kepe.
And when mari so meke & milde
Saw ihesu hir awyn childe
So toiled and tugged omang þe men,
ffor care scho kowth noght wele him ken,
So was he rugged raced and reuyn
And seþin with dust all was ouer dreuyn,
He stowped vnder þe heuy tre
Þat mekill sorow was to se;
And when mary his moder dere
Saw hir sun on þis manere,
Doune scho fell vnto þe grownde
And for sorow oft siþes scho swonde
Till scho might noght cum for thrang.
And vntill hir he loked lang,
His manhed sighed for hir sake,
ffor muring þat he saw hir make.
Wemen foloud maniane
Þat murned and made mekill mane,
ffor ihesu sake þai wepid sare,
Vnto him might þai do nomare;
When ihesu saw þaire simple chere,
He said to þam on þis manere:
ffilie ierusalem nolite timere
“Ȝe doghters of ierusalem
And wiues out of bedleem,
Nomore now ȝe murn for me,
ffor no sorow ȝe on me se;
Bot for ȝowre self wepe ȝe þis day
And for ȝowre childer murn ȝe may;
ffor þe daies er cumand fast
Þat all ioy sall be fra ȝow past;
Opon ȝowre faders sal ȝe cry
And on ȝowre moders and say in hy:
‘ffaders, wharto war we born?
Wikked werdes er vs byforn;
Moders, wharto war we wroght?
Bette[r] war vs haue bene noght.’
Vnto þe hillis þan sall ȝe say,
And vnto mountaynes in þe way:
‘Hilles, falles doune on vs in fere
And mowntaynes on þe same manere,
Doun opon vs fast ȝe fall
Out of þis care to couer vs all.’
And þus þan sall ȝe say sertayne:
‘Blisced be þe bodis þat er barayne,
Þat in þis werld neuer childer bare.’
Vnto ȝow sall cum þis care,
And so it may ȝit fall and be
Þat more meruailes sall ȝe se.”
Þe iews þat war fers and fell
Droght him furth and wald noght dwell,
Sir pilate went with mekill rout
And oþer maisters þat obout.
And so als þai went by þe strete,
Ane vncouth man þare gan þai mete,
Symon he hight, þe suth to say,
vnto þat cete was his way
ffor erandis þat he had to do
When he come þe cete vnto;
Þe iews saw by ihesu state
Þat he was wery of his gate
ffor bereing of þe hewy tre,
And of him had þai no pete,
Bot so forto spede þaire iornay
Vnto symon gan þai say:
“Maister,” þai said, “þou es wele mett
And wele [þou has þi trauail sett;
A man es here omanges vs led
Þat wery es and all for bled,
Him self beres þe same tre
Þat he on sall hanged be,
And þis grete birþin þat he beres
To gang with all mekill him deres;
And if þou will now for oure sake
Of þis man þe rode tre take
And bere it furth whare it suld be,
Mekill wald we thank þe.”
Symon answerd and said: “nay,
I may noght bere it by þis day,
And hasty thinges I haue to do
So þat I may noght tent þarto.”
Þan þe iews answerd in tene
And said vnto him [all by dene:
“ffor sakes þou to bere þe tre
When þat we haue bidden þe?
Tak it vp and tari noght
Or ful dere it sall be boght.”
Symon saw it was no bote
Ogaynes so many forto mote,
Till him he toke þe tre onane
And bare it on his schulder bane;
Þai gert him bere it with maistri
Vnto þe mownt of kaluery;
And þare on lang þai laid it doun,
And hastily þai made þam boun
Þaire wikked thoght forto fulfill.
Þan ihesu [full tyte went þai till,
His clathes fra him sone þai tugged
And all his hide in sunder rugged;
And lotes opon his clathes þai kest,
Wha suld haue whilk, so thoght þam best;
Sum said: “we sall his [clothe chere,
Ilk man his part oway to bere.”
Sum said: “we sall noght kerue his kote,
Bot luke wha sall it haue by lote.”
Non cindamus eam sed sorciamur cuius sit
Þus of his clathes þai wrogh þaire wyll
And scorned him withowten skilk.
Þai hasted þan als þai war wode
Þat he war hanged on þe rode,
And how þat he on rode was done
Now sall I say and þat ful sune;
Þai toke ihesu þat naked stode
And layd him doun opon þe rode,
Both his armis þai laid on brade
Till bores þat þai [by fore had made,
And furth also þai laid his fete;
Bot to þaire merkes was he noght mete,
Þe bores war bored so fer fro
His armes might noght reche þam to,
If þe tone hand at þe bore ware,
Þat oþer failed a fute and mare,
And his fete failed fer of þe bore,
So wide þan war þai made bifore.
Þe iews, when þai persayued þis thing,
In þaire hertes had grete hething,
Euil thoght þam oþer bores to make,
Þarfore grete rapes gan þai take,
Þai did a rape at aiþer hand,
Þe blude brast out at þe band;
On aiþer side þan gan þai draw
Vntill þai might þe bores knaw;
Þe sins brast, þat was no wonder,
And lith fro lith all rafe in sunder,
Sunder went both sins and vaine,
To fele þat was a ferly paine;
Twa grete nayles þai toke þat tide
And thurgh his handes þai gert þam glide.
Þan for þe paynes he feled so sare
His vaines and sins so schronken ware
Þat his fete war þan fra þe bore
fferrer þan þai war [by fore;
Þai toke a rape þat wald wele last
And fest obout his fete ful fast;
Þan all at anes on him þai droght,
Þai wald noght wand to wirk him wogh,
Þat sunder went both fless and skyn
And noght held bot allane þe scyn;
Bot þai wald noght fine þarfore
Vntill his fete passed þe bore
ffully þe space of a span;
A grete naile tite toke þai þan,
When he with þe bore was mete,
And draue it thurght out both his fete;
Þe blude brast out both bla and rede,
Wers was neuer none done to dede.
On þis wise when þai had done,
Þe rode tre þai raised sone
And sett it hight vp on þe hill,
ffor no man suld touche þartill;
And for þe fute þai made a pit,
ffor no man suld it þeþin flit,
And when þe pit was made wele depe,
Ilkone toke till oþer kepe,
And vp þai lifted þe cros all
And seþin fast þai tele it fall
Into þe pit to eke his paynes,
Þat sunder rafe both sins & vaynes;
And þai schogged it till and fra
On all manere to wirk him wa;
When it was sett so doune at anes,
Þai pinned it fast with mekill stanes.
Þe twa theues þan toke þai tite,
Þat with him war broght for despite,
And hanged him on aiþer syde.
And þan þai fell on knese & cried:

Vath qui destruit templum dei

“Lo, þus said þis thefe feloune,
Oure mekill temple he might cast doune,
And als he said with in thre days
Right ogayne he might it rayse;
Goddes sun if þat he be,
Lat him come doune now fra þis tre,
And if he may so help him now,
All we will opon him trow.”
And als þai bere witnes þat wate
Sir pilate þan a letter wrate,
With his awyn hand ilka worde,
And fested it on a playne borde
And sett it on þe rode tre
So þat ilkaman might se;
Grew ebrew and latyne
Was wretyn in þe parchemyne,
And on þis wise it was to mene:
“Þis es ihesus nazarene,
Þat king es of ilka iew.”
Þus was it wreten als men knew;
Nazarene was grew & ihesus ebrew
And king of iews was latyn trew.
Thesus nazarenus rex iudeorum
All þe iews þat it cowth rede
[Ware euill paid of þat ilk dede,
And to sir pilate gan þai cri:
“Sir, þou dose a grete foly,
Write noght þat he es iews king,
ffor hely þat es a lesyng,
He cald him self þe king of iews,
Þat saying now we hope him rews;
All if he [him self so cald,
None oþer men so sall him hald.”
Sir pilate said: “so mot I the,
Als it es wreten, so sall it be;
I cumand ȝow ȝe let it stande,
Þat no man negh it nere with hand.”
Þan of þe theues þat hang him by,
Þe tone of þam bigan to cry
And þus he said vnto ihesus:
“Lord, þou saue þi self and vs,
Sen we er all samin in þis stede,
Saue vs þat we be noght dede.”
Þe toþer blamed him for his saw
And said: “oure self [may clerely knaw
Þat we bath er wele worthy
ffor oure dedis here forto dy,
And for oure werkes withowten drede
Hider er we broght to haue oure mede;
And þis man þat es hider broght
In word ne werk he trispast noght,
Trayturly þai haue him tane
And sakles [here he sall be slane,
If he wald wele might he fle,
Bot his will es ded forto be,
Sen he will noght him seluen saue,
How suld we of him helping haue?”
When he had said on þis manere,
To ihesu made he his prayere:
“Lord,” he said, “I pray to þe
A bone þat þou wald grant to me:
When þou cums in to þi blis,
Þou think on me and mend [my mys,
And help, lord, þat I [migh come
With þe to won in þi kingdome.”
Þan ihesus oure lord so dere
Said to þe thefe on þis manere:

Amen dico tibi; hodie mecum eris in paradiso

“Þis day,” he said, “I hete þe þis,
To be with me in paradis.”
Þus þe thefe þat trowed right
Went to welth þat ilk night,
And he þat in mistrowing was
Hastily to payne gan pas.
By þan was mari his moder gude
Cumen right vnder þe rode,
And when scho saw hir sun so hang,
Doun scho fell in sorow strang,
Bot saint iohn, cristes cosyn dere,
He was euermore by hir nere
And oþer maries þam omell
Confort hir fast ay when scho fell;
Thre maries þan war þare
Þat for crist had mekill kare,
Ane was mari his moder clene,
Anoþer mari magdalene,
And also mari cleophe,
And saint iohn was ay with þam thre.
Ihesus luked sane onone
Vntill his moder and saint iohn,
And sune he sayd with simple chere
Vnto his moder on þis manere:
“Woman, in þe stede of me
Bihald to iohn, þi sun es he.”
And to iohn said he tiþinges new:
“Man, bihald þi moder trew,
Þou be hir sun when I am dede
And scho þi moder in ilka stede.”
When mari herd þis doleful tale,
In hert scho had ful mekill bale,
And so with [syte scho vmset
Þat water and blude both scho gret;
Saint iohn þan, als sais þe boke,
Mary vntill his moder toke,
fful mekill luf was þam bitwene,
ffor þai war both maidyns ful clene.
Þan spak ihesus ful mildely
Vnto þe puple þat past him by:
“Ȝe folk þat passes by þe strete,
Lukes vp and se my wondes wete
And whatkin turmentes I here take,
And suffers sorows for ȝowre sake;
Bihaldes if any oþer pine
May be likkind vnto myne,
Or if any oþer thing
Sufferd euer so hard pineing.”
[Also I say, þar was neuer nane
With so mekill sorows slane;
Haly writ sais it was slike,
Þat no payne may be to it like,
All oþer payn es bot a play
Till dole þat he sufferd þat day.
On þis wise als he hanged þare,
He said to þam: “me thristes sare.”
And when þai herd him say so þan,
Hastily ane of þam ran
And fild a spounge & broght it þeder
With aysell and with gall togeder,
Þai set it vp opon a rede
And till his mowth þai gan it bede;
“Drink,” þai said, “for no thing spare,
Efter þis þou sall haue mare.”
Ihesus wist how þai had wroght,
Of þat drink þan wald he noght;
His meneing was no drink to taste,
Bot to help man saul had he haste;
Þarfore he said with wordes hende:
“Þis dede es done and broght till ende.”
Obout þe midday was it þan,
Als þir clerkes declare it can,
Þe sun bemes ful bright schane,
Bot hastily it was ouer gane,
Mirk it was with owten light,
Þe day semed als it war night;
And þat tyme, als god vowched safe,
Þe vaile in þe temple rafe,
Þe stanes brak in diuers stede,
And bodis rase þat are war dede
And went obout on sides sere,
Þat was grete wonder forto here,
Men might þam se and with þam speke,
And all þis was in signe of wreke;
Þe erth trembled and al to schoke,
And halows in heuyn for ferdnes quoke;
And all ȝit war þir dedes done
Bytwix þe vnderon and none.
Þan ihesu so mild and gude,
Als he hang opon þe rode,
Loud he cried, “Ely, Ely;”
And als, “lamazabathany;”
Þat es to mene on þis manere
In oure tong, als ȝe sall here:
“My lord, my god, my fader fre,
Whi hastou forsaken me?”
Þe iews þan þat stode biside
Herd how þat he Ely cryde;
Þai wend þat he had cald ely,
Þat was a man of þaire iewry;
Þarfore þai war all euil paid
And ilkone þus till oþer sayd:
“Sen he has efter Ely cald,
Lat vs stand still and bihald,
ffor if he cum to tak him doune
With sorow sall he cum to toune;
He cals him for sum sertan scill,
Lat se what he will do þar till.”
Þan said ihesus with wordes still:
“ffader, I haue wroght þi will,
Done I haue efter þi rede,
Sakles here I suffer dede;
Bot, fader, forgif þam þaire gilt,
Þat sakles here my blode has spilt.
ffor whi þai wate noght what þai do,
Þarfore þai tak no tent þarto,
ffor gif þam if þi willes be
Þe dedes þai haue done to me.”
Þan his heuid on his schulder he laid
And þus vnto him self he said:
“ffox has den and fowles has nest
Whare in þai may tak þaire rest,
And I, þat am goddes sun so dere
Obouen all bestes & fowles in fere,
Place [vnto me es nane leuid
Whar on I may rest my heuid,
Bot anly on my schulder bane,
Oþer esment haue I nane.”
Þan spac he till his fader dere
And said to him on þis manere:
“ffader mine, þat all may mend,
I gif my gaste in to þi hend.”
Þan lowted he doune his heuid still
And ȝald þe gaste als was his will.
Centurio þan stode biside
And tuke ful gude tent in þat tide
How þat crist had gifen þe gaste
And on þis wise he said in haste,

Vere filius dei erat iste

“Suthly,” he sais, “with owten mis
“Werray god sun of heuyn was þis,
By signes þat he er sene on raw,
Þat he was god sum may we knaw.”
When crist was ded þus als I tell,
His godhed hastily went to hell,
And sune he brac þe ȝates strang,
Ogaines him war þai sperd with wrang;
Þe fendes war so sare adred,
If þai might, þai wald haue fled,
Bot ferrer may þai neuer fle,
Þaire heritage es þare to be;
Satanas he fested fast
With bandes þat sall euer last,
And so he sall be bunden ay
Vntill þat it be domes day;
With him he toke adam & eue
And oþer þat war to him leue,
Iohn þe baptist, moyses alswa,
Abraham, and oþer ma,
Þat he had boght with paines fell,
All he led þam out of hell
And put þam in to paradis,
Whare ioy es euer and endles blis,
And gaf þam ioy for euer mare
In þe welth whare þai war are.
Þus þat tre þat gan vs greue
Thurgh þe first mysdede of Eue,
Of þat same oure bote bygan
Now when it bare bath god &
Herd ȝe haue how þe rode tre
Was cumen first of kirnels thre,
And of þat ilk tre war þai tane
ffor whilk man saul with sin was slane,
And seþin it bare oure sauiowre,
Vnto wham be euer honowre.
Þus whils þe saul vnto hell ȝode,
Þe body hinged opon þe rode;
Centurio, als I said are,
To speke him gude walde he noght spare,
He said of crist ay als he knew,
Þat he was prophet gude and trew.
Þe iews had þarat despite,
Vnto presun þai toke him tyte,
In hard paynes þai him ponist,
ffor þat he carped gude of crist.
Þus when þai war hinged swa,
Ihesus and þe theues twa,
Heghest of þam hinged was he,
So þat all men suld him se.
When þai had made all þaire hething,
Hame þai went and lete him hing.

[I]oseph peciit corpus ihesu

Mari his moder with drery mode
Dwellid euer vnder þe rode,
And oþer þat war with hir in fere,
Sorowand euer with simple chere;
Þe trowth þan left in hir anely
Þat cristen saules er saued by,
ffor þat he suld rise trowed nane
When he was ded bot scho allane,
Scho trowed it euer in hert & will
Als he bifore had tald hir till;
And had scho noght bene trew thoght,
With dole scho had to ded bene broght.
So efter help þare gan þai hone
Vntill it was efter þe none;
Þan come þare vnto þat cete
A riche man of golod and fe
Þat lord was of aramathy
And in þat cuntre had maistri,
Ioseph was þat mans name,
fful mighty was he haldem at hame,
Ihesu lufed he wonder wele
ffor fait þat he in him gan fele;
And hastily when he herd tell
Of all þir ferlis how þai fell,
And how ihesu was done to dede
Wran[g]wisly with wikked rede,
Vnto him might he do nomare
Bot þat þe body biried ware;
And þarfore fast he toke þe gate
Vnto he come to sir pilate.
“Sir,” he said, “now pray I þe,
Ihesu body grante þou me;
Suffer me to tak it doune
And bere it sone vnto sum toune.”
Þan pilate asked sir cayphas
And anna what þaire consail was;
Þai said: “sir, ȝe sall vnderstand
Oure sabot day es nere cumand,
And hingand sall na bodise be
In tyme of þis solempnite;
Þarfore we rede ȝe gif þam leue
To tak him [doune it noght greue.”
Þus þai all assented ware,
Þan pilate said to ioseph þare:
“Ihesu body grant I þe,
Bot I will wit þat he ded be.”
Knightes cald he him vnto,
And bad þai suld with ioseph go
Vnto þe mount of caluery
To wit þe soth all weterly,
If he þat hanged in þat stede,
Þe fals prophet, war fully ded;
“And if he be ded on þat hill,
Lat ioseph wirk with him his will.”
Þe knightes went with ioseph þan
And so did mani ane oþer man,
And when þai come to caluery,
Þare fand þai oþer bydand him by,
His moder murnand with dreri chere
And oþer of his frendes in fere.
Vnt[o] þe theues first come þai;
If þai war ded forto assay,
Sum with staues and sum with stanes
Sunder brac þai þaire the banes.
Þan had mary mekill wo
Þat þai suld do with ihesu so;
Bot when þai come vnto ihesu,
By his countenance wele þai k[n]ew
þat he was ded with outen drede,
To brek his banes it was no nede.
Bot þare omang þam was a knight,
Longeus for suth he heght,
And if he war stif and strang,
Blind he was and had bene lang;
Vnder þe cros þai gert him stand,
And gaf him a scharp spere in hand,
Þe poynt þai set to ihesu side,
And bad him put fra him þat tide;
Þe knight, þat wist neuer what he wroght,
Putted fast and spared noght,
Þe scharp spere sune glide he gert
Vnder þe pap to ihesu hert,
Both water & blude biliue out ran;
Of þat ilk bale oure bute bigan,
Þe water wesche all oure wa oway,
Þe blude vs boght to blis for ay.
Bot mari, when scho saw þat sight,
ffor sorow lost both maine and might,
Doune vnto þe erth scho drafe,
Both hide and hare for rewth scho rafe,
Bot iohn hir cosin mild of mowth,
Comfort hir all þat he cowth;
Þus all his frendes in bale ware braste,
Bot hir muring was euer maste.
Als longeus stode, þat nobil man,
Þe blude vntill his fingers ran,
Þan till his eghen he towched right,
And hastily so he had his sight;
And when he wist how he had wroght,
In his hert sare him for thoght,
He hopid ihesus suld tak vengance sone
ffor þe dede þat he had done;
Þarfore on knese doune gan he fall,
And to crist gan he mercy call,
And loued god of all his grace
Þat so was puplist in þat place.
Þe body þai toke ioseph vntill
And bad him wirk þar with his will.
De cruce deponitur hora vespertina
Ioseph þan gat help ful gude
And toke cors doun of þe rode,
Þe nailes out of his hend þai drogh
And fra his fete with mekill wogh;
þai clensed þan his wondes wete
And dried þe holes in hend and fete;
Þai toke þe cors þan þam bitwene
And lapped it in clathes clene,
Obout þai band a sudary,
Als custum was in þe iury;
Þan in a graue þe cors þai laid
Þat ioseph had þarfore puruaid;
Coruen was it in a stane,
Þar in [by fore had liggen nane.
Þan mari his moder was ful fayne,
ffor scho hopid he suld rise ogayne,
And in þat trowth was oþer nane
Stedfastly bot scho allane.
Nichodeme was a man gude,
He helpid ioseph with mild mode,
And with him broght he spicery
To strew in þe graue whare crist suld ly,
And with ane vnement nobill of force
Enoynted he all cristes cors,
So þat þe cors might lig still
And þat no worme suld touche þartill;
And when it was dight albidene,
Þai lapped it in sendell clene
Þat ioseph had him seluen boght
And þeder with him he had it broght,
And so þai laid him in þe graue,
Þai hopid wele þaire mede to haue;
A heuy stane [þai toke in hy
And couerd þe graue ful kunandly,
Þai made it both ful fast and fit,
ffor no man suld it þeþin flit,
When it was made [all to þaire pay,
Þai lete it be and went þaire way.
Sune on þe morn þe iews kene
Toke a kounsail þam [by twene,
ffor it was tald in þaire presens
How ihesus was grauen with grete reu[er]ence,
And þarfore had þai grete enuy
Vnto ioseph of aramathy;
Þai gert seke him in þat sesoune,
And sone þai set him in presoune,
And said no siluer suld him saue,
ffor he had so laid crist in graue;
Þe presoun was all wroght of stane
And light of windows was þare nane
Ne dores on þe hows was none
Bot ane whare at he in was done,
And þat þai spered with lokkes grete,
ffor no man suld him þeþin gete;
And seþin þaire seles þai set also
Þat no sustenance suld cum him to.
And when þai had þir dedes done,
Vnto sir pilate went þai sone,
Alsamyn for a sertain scill
And on þis wise þai tald him till:

Seductor ille dixit & cetera

“Sir,” þai said, “we vnderstand,
Þis lurdan whils he was lifand
Said whare he went by ilka way
Þat [he] suld rise on þe thrid day,
So tald he his desciples all
Of ferlise þat suld efter fall;
He said: ‘luke þat ȝe trow ilkane,
When þe iews here has me slane,
Thurgh my might wele I may
Rise fra ded on þe thrid day.’
And þarfore, sir, now rede we all
Þat ȝe ȝowre knightes byfor ȝow call
And ger þam wake þe graue stane
Till thre dayes be cumen and gane;
ffor his desciples will be bowne
Vs to wait ay with tresoune,
Þe body ful faine wald þai stele
Oway fra vs it forto fele;
And if þai ordain men of might
To stele þe body oway by night
And bere it þeþin out of þe graue
Whider so þai will it haue,
On ilka side þan will þai say
Þat he es resin and went his way,
And þan þe folk sall trow ful right
Þat he es resin thurgh his awin might;
And so, sir, war þe latter dede
Wele more þan þe first to drede.”
Sir pilate said: “þat wald noght seme;
Ȝe haue ȝape men him forto ȝeme,
Ordans ȝe omang ȝow þan
To kepe him als wele als ȝe can,
O payn of lif þat ȝe noght let,
And all ȝowre gudes to be forfet.”
Þan þai ordand knightes foure,
Þe wightes[t] men þat þai wist oure,
And þai gert arme þam ful wele
In armurs of gude iren and stele,
And to þe graue þai gert þam wende
At ȝeme it till þe thrid daies ende.
And when þai þusgat charged ware,
ffurth þai went with outen mare;
When þai come þare, with wordes wise
Ilkaman said his a vise;
Ane of þam said: “herkins to me,
Bisy now bihoues vs be
And wisely rede I þat we wit
On ilka side how we sall sit;
Ane of vs at þe heuid sal wake,
An noþer to þe fete tent sal take,
And ane [sal sitt at aiþer side,
To tent what auenture will bitide;
If þai cum hider euer ilkane
Þat wont war with him to gane,
Hardyly, I haue no dowt,
Ane of vs suld ding all þat rowt;
And if þai bring with þam in fere
A hundreth men whils we er here,
Hastily sall þai heuided be
Omang vs foure, bot if þai fle.”
Þus þai bosted in þaire sow
And ilkone gan his swerd out draw;
When þai had waked al þat night
Manaceand with all þaire might,
Ogaynis þe day þai fel on slepe,
No power had þai þam to kepe.
And ihesus als he said biforn
Rase on þe thrid day at morn,
Langer he wald noght þare habide,
Þe oue[r] stane he put biside;
Þe knightes wele of him had sight,
Bot forto moue had þai no might.
He toke þe way to galile,
Þare his desciples might him se;
And als he went þe way bitwene,
He met with mari magdalene,
And to hir said he: “wend þou sall
Vnto my desciples all,
And say þam I am resen vp right,
Als I [be fore vnto þam hight;
And warn [mari my moder dere
And als saint iohn þat es hir fere,
Peter, [and andrew, and oþer ma,
And bid þam smertly þat þai ga
In to þe land of galile,
ffor þare suthly þai sal me se.”
Þe woman þan was wonder glad
And did biliue als he hir bad;
Vntill his mode[r] scho went in hy,
And his desciples þat war sary,
Scho comforth þam wele in þat stede
And how crist was resen fra dede:
“Mi lord,” scho said, “and ȝowres in fere
Es resen I wate with owten were.
I saw my self his wondes wete
And him quik walkand on his fete;
He bad ȝow wende to galile,
ffor þare he said ȝe suld him se.”
And sune when þai þis vnderstode,
ffull mekill mirth was in þaire mode;
To galile fast gan þai gang,
fful mekill mirth was þam omang
And with mekill ioy þai ferd
ffor þir tiþinges þai had herd,
Seþin war þai comfort wele in fere,
Als men efter ward may here
Of al þe ferlis als þai fell.
Bot of þe knightes now will I tell
Þat had ihesu in þaire kepeing;
Þai slepid vnto þe mornyng,
When crist was resin & þeþin gane,
Þan þai wakend euer ilkane
And in þaire hertes þai dred sum dele,
Bot ȝit þai wend all had bene wele;
Bot when þai toke entent þat tide
And saw þe stane was put bisyde,
And when þai luked in to þe graue,
He was noght þare þat þai suld haue,
Al was tome and he was gane
Þan þai war ful will of wane;
Noght bot þe clathes fand þai þare
Þat obout him wonden ware,
ffild þai war of dole bidene
And ilkone gan till oþer mene.
Sune þai saw ane angell bright,
Descendand down fra heuyn lyght
And rested on þe graue stane
Omang þam, als þai made þaire mane,
In whit clething all was he cled;
Þan þe knightes war ful adred,
Þai might noght stand þare in þat stede
Bot doun þai fell als þai war dede.
And so when þai had liggen lang
With mekill muring þam omang,
Ane of þam rase at þe last
And cald opon his felows fast:
“Rises vp, felows,” sone he said,
“We haue made a ful [sary brayd,
Allas what ailed vs forto slepe,
Þat we might noght þarfra vs kepe?
Ihesus es resin and gane his gate,
What sall we say to sir pilate?”
Anoþer said: “allas for wa,
What ailed vs to slepe swa?
Ban we may þat we war born,
[Al oure landes now haue we lorn,
And also haue lorn oure liues
And heritage fro childer & wiues.”
Anoþer said: “what es ȝowre rede?
Þare es no bute bot we be dede.
Mercy thar vs neuer craue,
ffor we hope nane forto haue.”
Anoþer said: “so mot I the,
Þar es no better bute bot fle,
ffor if we bide & þis be knawin;
Hastily [we be hanged and drawen
And þarfore go we heþin oure gate
Or tiþandes cum to sir pilate.”
Þan spak a knight of nobill will:
“ffelows, stintes and haldes ȝow still;
Þis dede we will noght hide ne hele,
ffor here come no man him to stele,
So sal we to sir pilate say.”
Sum oþer answerd and sayd: “nay.”
On þis manere þe knightes striues,
fful ferd þai war to lose þaire liues;
Bot on þis wise als þai stude þare
Meneand of þis ferly fare,
Gude herting hastily had þai,
And how it was here sal I say.

De liberacione ioseph a carcere

When þaire sabot day was done
Þe iews assembled all ful sune,
ffor ioseph of aramathy,
To luke what dede þat he suld dy;
In þaire preson done he was,
And all þai said he suld noght pas,
Bot hanged be with owten hone
ffor þe dede þat he had done,
ffor he laid ihesus in his graue,
þai said no thing his life suld saue:
“He sall be laid fer on þe felde
Þare wilde bestes his banes may welde.”
Vnto þe preson tite þai went
And said ilkone he suld be schent;
Þai opind þe lokes les and mare,
Bot ioseph þan fand þai noght þare,
Al fand þai still als þai had stoken
And nowþer lokkes ne seles broken.
Crist when he was resin fra dede
Come euyn to þat same stede,
And vp he toke þe hows all hale
And broght him þeþin with owten bale
And set him in his awin cete,
Aramathy, whare he suld be.
Þe iews wist no thing of þis,
Þai war all awonderd I wis,
And ilkone gan till oþer say:
“How might he euer win heþin oway
Þus out of oure awin kepeing?
Sertes þis es a selcuth thing
And als it es a foule despite
Þat he on þis wise suld ga quite.”
Omang þam þus was grete debate
And how it was no thing þai wate.
Þe knightes þan þat wakeand ware,
Herd of all þis ferly fare,
How ioseph was in presun fast,
And how þat he oway was past;
fful faine þai war þan of þat fare
And hardier þan þai war are,
And furth þai went with eger mode
Vnto þe iews þare þai stode,
Þai said þe suth and noght for soke:
“Þe body þat ȝe vs bitoke
Es resin out of þe monument,
And at his will he es furth went;
Þe mekill stane þat on him lay,
Ane angell putted it oway
And þaropon him self he set,
All men on liue might him noght let;
Þat angell said men suld him se
In þe land of galile,
We say ȝow men sal se him þare
Whik lifand als he was are.”
Þan þe iews grete wonder thoght
And said: “trayturs, so es it noght,
How suld he lif? lurdans ȝe ly,
With bitter bale þat sall ȝe by,
If ȝe haue laten his postels hane
Þe cors oway out of þe graue,
fful wele sall ȝe haue ȝowre mede,
Hanged and drawin for ȝowre dede.”
Þe knightes þan answerd in hy
And karpid to all þat cumpany,
Þai said: “for suth he rase vp right
Anely thurgh his awin might;
fful wonder werkes he has ȝow wroght
Oft tymes, all if ȝe trowed him noght;
How suld ȝe trow vntill oure saw
When ȝe wald noght his wonders knaw?
We tell ȝow suthly here bi mowth
We kepid him als wele als we kowth,
And by him self ful wele we wate
Resen he es and gan his gate;
And als we wate wele ȝisterday
How ȝe kepid ioseph vnder kay
And had ȝe kaies ilkane to ȝow,
Ȝit es he went and ȝe ne wate how;
And þarfore, al þis strif to stere,
Þis profer we vnto ȝow here,
Deliuers ioseph vntill vs
And we sall liuer ȝow ihesus.”
Þe iews þan thoght grete despite
And to þe knightes fast gan þai flite
And said: “by him þat au þis day,
Lurdans, ȝe ly, all þat ȝe say;
And wit ȝe wele it, [þat if we will,
We may bring ioseph ȝow vntill,
And þarfore ȝeld vs ihesus now
And we sall ȝelde ioseph to ȝow.”
Þe knightes said: “we will warand
Þat ioseph es in his awind land
And also warand will we
Þat ihesus gase in galile.”
When þe iews herd all þis tale
Omang þam bred ful mekil bale.
Þai said: “bot if þir wordes fall,
Oure folk sal turn to ihesu all,
ffor kownsail þat we wend war hid,
Now es it in þe cuntre kid;
We wend none oþer men had wist
On what wise we iosep mist,
Now wate þe knightes als wele als we
On what maner may þis be,
And þe folk here þusgate say,
Halely saltay leue oure lay;
Þarfore lat ordaine vs omell
Þir sawes sone how we may fell.”
Sir pilate anna and cayphas,
Þat maisters in þe iewry was,
Cald þe knightes þam vnto
And said: “if ȝe wene wele to do,
Vntill oure saws assent ȝow sone,
And all forgifen þat ȝe haue done;
And luke ȝe say whare so ȝe ga
Þat þe cors es stollen ȝow fra.”
A sum of tresore þan toke þai
And to þe knightes þai it pay,
And when þai haue þe tresore tane,
Þai charged þam bi ane and ane:
“Luke þat ȝe say vnto al men
On þis wise, als we ȝow ken,
Þat armed men with mekil might
Come vnto þe graue on night,
Sudanly als ȝe slepeand lay
And stale þe cors fra ȝow away;
So forto say it es no schame,
Þan may ȝe be with owten blame;
And tresore to ȝow we giff,
And help to haue ay whils ȝe lif.”
Þe knightes granted euer ilka dele
And ilk man trowed þaire wordes wele,
And aiþer party held þam paid;
Þus in þaire trowth þai war bitraid.