University of Virginia Library

As we find wrytine in þe cred,
gud cristine men mon trew of ned,
fra ded haf tane ws al awa,
we sal ryse one domys day
In þe sammyne flesch we haf now.
þis is þe treutht, þat we in trew,
& [þ]is of oure treutht is grond-wal,
þocht sume fulis be with-al,
þat wil trew nane bot þat þai
be verray prowe here ore se may.
bot sich treuth has na med
þat kyndly sckil profit of ned.
bot [be] oure treutht ma we treu be skil,
þat god ma do quhat-euir he wil,
as be a sampil I sal tel
of flesche-rysing hou befel,
þat mony wist be prowe of sycht,
for to conferme godis mycht,
in þe sewine sleparis as kid he
þat borne ware in ephese.

as haly wryt recordis ws,
ane emperoure, callit decius,
þat michty was of landis sere
& regnyt th[r]e moneth & a ȝere,
fra crist tuk flesche of oure lady
twa hundir ȝere thre & fyfty;
to cristine men he was fel fa,
& but pyte gert þame sla,
quhare-sa mycht þai fundyne be.
sa hapnyt a tyme þat he
come to þe towne of ephysy,
quhare he gert byg ful richely
In þe mydis of þe cite
a tempil, rycht fare to se.
at his dewyse quhene It was mad,
he bad his badalis ga but bad,
& gere þe puple of þe towne
one þe morne be redy bowne,
& come ilkane in þare degre
to sacryfy lyk as he,
his mawmentis til emples,
thru quham he had honoure & es,
as he trewyt be mysknawine,
þat let hyme wyt na suthtfast thing.
& one þe morne but delay,
rycht as he bad, sa did þay
& gert men cum mony wyse,
til ydolis to do sacryfice.
& cristine men þat come nocht þare,
straytly gert he punyse but mare,
þame manesand ded in þat place
but respyt ore ony grace.
In sik dout ware þe cristine men,
þat in þai landis ware þene,
þat na frend durst vthyre knaw,
na þe fadir þe sowne, fore aw
or dout It ware one þam tald
cristis fereme treutht þat þai hald.

the sammyne tyme in þe cite
war sewine men, in þare degre
In þe cuntre with þe best
haldine & [þe] vorthyeste,
riche, ȝunge, and wele tawcht,
& cristis treutht al had þai acht:
fyrst malcus, & maxymyane,
Iohnne, denyse, martymyane,
sarapione, & constantyne;
þer drew ful ewine in a lyne.
þire sewine þane soroful ware,
seand þe paynis & þe care
þay tholyt, þat wald deny
til ydolis to sacryfy.
& for þai walde nocht criste forsake,
& sacrifice til ydolys mak,
& for þai dred fore ded be kyd,
In til a house þai þame hyd,
quhare þai liffyt in fastinge
deuotly, & in prayinge.
sa priwely was þis nocht done
na þai ware wreyt alsone
til decius, & til hyme brocht.
& til peruert þame sone his thocht
wes, & in mony wyse
to gere þame mak foule sacrifice.
& quhene þai wald bow na way
til hyme, fore ocht he do may,
he thocht þat he wald spare
to þame a lytil forthyrmare,
In hope þat he suld bow þare wil,
& gere þame trew his godis til;
& for þat he was fare to fare
of þe cyte vthyre-quhare,
he gaf þame respyt, til þat he
come agane til þe cite.
& als sone as he was gane,
þe sewine al þare gudis has tane
& sald, & gafe largely
til al þat pouere ware & nedly.
syne of consent & of a wil
þai passyt nere by til a hil
of celyone, & rest has tane
In a hol cowe vndir a stane,
to byd þare priwely,
til þe wodnes ware gane by,
þat decius in cristine mene
ful fellely ȝet oysyt þene.
& as þai thocht, sa þai dyd,
& þare lang tyme ware hyd.
& of þare folowis ilke day,
to by þare met, ane send þay,
In begaris wed, þat he mycht sa
vnkennyt wel cume & ga.
quhene decius a-gane was cummyne,
þe sewine fane he wald haf nomyne,
to strenȝe þame to sacryfy,
& fore þat cause gert þame espy.
þane malchus, ane of þaim, was þare,
to by þare met, in þe sychtware,
& þat aspyit, & was agaste,
& til his folowys sped hyme fast,
& tald þame fra tope to ta
quhow decius þame socht to sla.
sary ware þai þane ilkane.
bot malchus furth þe met has tane,
& layd to þame, & þai cane ete,
to ma þame stark, confort to get
to þat end, & in entent
þat starklyare to thole þe torment.
& eftyre met spek held þai
of cryst, & til hyme cane pray,
& fel one slepe sudanedly.
& one þe morne wele ayrly
sir decius þame fast has socht,
& teyne was, [quhen] he fand þam nocht.
& sowne [þan] was tald hyme til
þat þai ware sculkand in þe hil
of chelyone, & quhou þat þai
to pouer had gefine þare gud a-way,
& cristine treutht wald nocht forsak.
þane al þare kine he gert tak,
& sad þai suld de but mare
bot þai tald hyme quhare þai ware.
þane set þai al þare payne
to sawfe þame-selfe, to be nocht slane.
þai sad: “of þame we wat nocht,
na of þare ded na of þare thocht,
bot at we here syndry say
þat þai haf put þare gud a-way,
& gewine It to pouer, & gane,
quhare-to, wyt haf we nane.”
Ȝet cesare sa warly wrocht,
& þai sewine sa slely socht,
& has gotine witting quhare þai ware.
þane thocht he þai suld nomare
cristis treutht mantene na wyse,
na let mene to mak sacrifice.
þane til his mene cane he byd,
þat þai suld ga quhare þai þaim hyd,
& þe cawe mowth stope, sa þat þai
suld neuire fra þine come away,
bot for hungyre de wrechly.
& his byding þai did in hy,
& of þe cawe þe mouth of stane
stopyt wele, or þai fane.
& þis has sene theodorus,
þat cristine ware, & raphynus,
quhou playnely þat he had wrocht
with þai sewine men þat he had socht,
& wrat þar gestis in-to led,
& priwely þane in þat sted
layd It ymang þe stanis gret,
In hope þat cristine suld It get.

and fra deid was decius,
þe fellone tyrand þat wrocht þus,
& his Il generacione,
& als al þat successione,
& runnyne was of tyme but were,
th[r]e hundir sewinty & sewine ȝere,
& þe threty-tyd ȝere ewinely
of theod[o]sis seygnery,
þat was mast cristine emperoure,
þat was ȝet one to þat oure,
ful fele mene held þat herysy,
rysing of flesch þat can deny.
bot þai þat ware gud cristine men,
ful gret disputacione hald þan
to confond þis gret errore.
& namely þis gud emperoure
sa sorowful was fore þis strife,
þat he in sorow led his lyf,
sytand in askis & gled in hare,
putand a-way purpure & chare,
with wak fud, gretand ay
with mekil wa to god cane pray,
þat noyus stryfe til debat,
& to schaw hyme þe suthfast get.
þane god, þat is al merciful,
& confortis þame al soroful,
& helpis þame fra wa to wine,
þat þare ferme hope wil set hym In,
to þis emperoure cane se,
thru his inborne gret pyte,
& eftyr ded of flesch-rysing
scheu hyme suthfast taknying
In-to þire sewine, I spak of are,
as I sal tel ȝou forthyrmare.

god steryt þe hart of a burches,
In ephysy þat dwelland was,
a house to byg in-[to] þat hil,
þat gaynand ware his hyrdis til.
& as he thocht, sa has he done.
& quereouris gadryt sone
stanis to wyne. & tid þat þai
begane til hew quhare þire men lay,
& of þe cawe þe entre fand,
& syne al opine let It stand.
þire sewine men, þat I of mene,
þat in þe cawe sa lang had bene,
ras vpe, as It was godis wil,
Ilkane vthyre spekand til;
& quhene þai saw þe dais lycht,
wend þai had slepyt bot a nycht,
& fel þane In þe new carpyng
of þe gret noy and pyne,
þat, as þai wend, fore-owt more
þai tholit one þe day before;
& at malchus of new can frane,
gyf cesare thocht þame to payne.
sad he: “ȝystrewine wele lat,
gyf ȝe think one, I tald how-gat
he thocht to put ws to torment
bot gyf we wil to hyme consent.”

maxymyanus sad þane hyme to:
“god wat þat we wil nocht [sa] do.”
Ilkane vthyre þane confourt mad
In cryst, as þai gud cause had,
& bad malchus he suld hyme taile,
& pas to þe towne fore vitale,
mare plentuisly be ony way
þane he did ȝistirday;
& þai bad [þat] he suld spere
quhat cesare did, & lat þame here.
fywe schilling þane has he tane,
& one to þe towne Is he gane.
bot ferly gret wondir had he,
þe gret stanis quhen he cane se,
þat þe mouthe lyand of þe cawe.
þat gert hyme fast muse & gowe.
ȝet þane lytil he rocht,
for vthyr ways was set his thocht.
þane to þe ȝet of þe cite,
with gret redure, approchit he,
& lukit vpe & saw alsone
ane ymag of þe cors þare done.
& wenand þat he had gane wil,
ane vthyre ȝet þane ȝed he til,
& lukyt vpe, & saw þare
þe sammyne takine he saw yare.
þat he had wil gane hafand dout,
[he] passit al þe tow[n]e abowt,
& þe sammyne takine al-way fand
abeoufe þe ȝettis ay stannand.
þane ferlyt he, & wald nocht ryst
til he agane come to þe fyrst,
& vmbethocht hyme ay betwene
þat he in til a dreme had bene.
bot at þe last he sanyt hyme,
& confort tuk, & entryt In,
& kist his hud done oure his face,
& held furth one to þe place,
quhare þai set þat þe bred can sel,
& herd þaim mony talis tel
of Ihesu crist, & of oure cred,
& of decius, but ony dred.
þane was he wondryt al,
fra he hard gret & smal
spek þane of criste sa opinly,
& ȝystyre-day was nan hardy,
þat anys he durst nemmyn þat nam,
of decius for dout of blame.
þane sad malchus: “gret ferly haf I
gyf þat þis be ephesy,
bot erare ane vthyre cite,
bygyt quhare It was wont to be.”
ful archtly þane with heldand hed
he speryt þat þame þat sal[d] þe bred,
quhat was þe name of þat cite.
sad þai: “It is callyt ephysy.”
ȝet þane he thocht he had gane wil,
& thocht to turne his falouys til,
& tel þame of þis gret ferly;
& nocht-þane [he] ȝed bred to by.
of his purse he tuk money,
þe quhilk quhen þai saw, þai can say:
“þis man has fundine sum-kine hurd.”
& of þis sowne sprang þe word,
& malchus has sowne persawing
þat þai of hyme had spekine.
þane decium sare cane he dred,
wenand til hyme þai suld hyme led;
fore-þi he prayt þame þat þai
wald tak þe bred & þe monay,
& lat hyme frely pase his gat
but tarying or debat.
bot euire trewyt þai þat he
wist quhare sume tresoure hid suld be.

thane one hyme þai handis layd,
& til hyme syne þis þai sad:
“be lawty þu telis ws now
quhene þu art, & quhare þat þu
has stowine þis tresoure ore reft,
þat sume emperoure has here left,
& we sal frendis to þe be,
& cosele þi dede & þe.”
malchus sa abaysit was & wil,
þat he ne wist quhat to sa þam til.
& quhene þai saw he cuth nocht say,
þane handis one hyme can þai lay,
and bundine thru þe towne
þai drew hyme vpe & downe.
þane rane tyþandis wyd-quhare
þat a ȝu[n]g man fundyne wes þare,
þat fele auld tresoure had fundyne,
& for þat cause was led & bundyne.
þane gadryt mony hyme to se,
to quham sadly ay sad he,
þat he fand neuir hurd na tresoure
of king na prince na emperoure.
a-bout hyme fast þan gowit he,
gyf he mycht ony þane se,
þat ocht teyndir ware hyme til;
& nane he saw. þane lykit hym Il,
& sad: “ȝistyrday in þis towne
fele kine I had of renowne,
& þis day nane cane me kene,
na I kene nane of al þire mene.”
þane wondyr gret ferly had he
of al þat he cane here & se.
þane was þe byschape cumyne þare,
& þe proconsul in þat sithware,
& gert be brocht to þame rath
þis malchome & þis mony bath.
þane to þe kirk quhen þai hym led,
fore decius ful sare he dred,
wenand he had bene þare
to sacrify as he dyd ayre.
þe byschope & þe proconsul,
as þai þat sicht saw ferlyful
of malchus & of his mone,
þai askit sone quhen was he,
& in quhat place he gat þe hurd.
þane answert he to þat word:
“In ephysy, siris, was I borne,
& myn eldris me beforne;
& þis mone my kine gaf me
ȝestrewine lat in þis cite.”
þe byschape sais: “bryng þi kine
þat þu sais dwellis þis towne In,
þat þai witnes bere fore the.”
bot quhen þare namis tald he,
wes nane þat euire hard tel
of ony of þame in red na spel.
þe byschape sad: “but were
þis monay is auld thre hundir ȝere,
& þu art ȝu[n]g, & sais þat þai
þe It gaf ȝistyrday?
& til oure mony It is nocht lyk,—
quhas menis þu ws to beswyk?
fore of It figure & wryt
ful wondyr auld semys of It.
quhas wenis þu begylis vs al,
& we wyse mene þat sal nocht fal!
þare-fore but mare I commavnd þe,
þe suthfastnes þu tel to me!
fore to paynis sal þou pas fel,
þe suthfastnes til [þat] þu tel.”

[t]hane malchus fel one kneis don
befor þe gud mene of þe towne,
& þane pytuisly cane pray
þat þai þe suth wald [til] hyme say:
“quhare is decius, tellis me,
þat cesar was in þis cite?”
þe byschape sad: “myn sone dere,
In þis warld is nane but were
þat decius cesare is callit þis day,
bot sik ane [was], we here wel say,
gane syne thre hundyr ȝere.”
þane sad malchus: “myn swet sone dere,
abaysit I ame & ferlys now,
þat na man wil to me trew.
fore-þi, dere sir, folouyse me,
& al myn falowis ȝe sal se—
for þocht na fath to me ȝe gefe,
ma fal to þame ȝe wil be-lif—
& I sal haf ȝow þame til,
quhare þai sit, in-to þe hil
of chelyone, & þane ma ȝe
trew þame, gyf ȝe trew nocht me.
for I wat we sewine fled away
fra decius, and ȝystyrday
to þis towne come he rydand lat,
& I fore rednes fled my gat.”
þe byschape vmbethocht hyme sone,
& to þe proconsul sad but hone:
“a vysione þis ma be;
In þis ȝung man god wil we se.”
þane passit þai furth but mare,
with al þe puple þat was þare,
& malchus in þe byschopis hand.
& þe wryt closit in led þai fand,
with twa selis selyt rycht wele
of siluir fine Ilke dele,
ymang þe stanis, & tuk It
& let þe puple se þe wryt,
& red þame al þat was þare-In.
þane ware forwonderyt mare & myne.
þai enteryt al þat mycht elyne,
& in þe cawe þai fand sewine
sittand with facis mare clere
þane þe floure of a rosere.
þane knelyt al, seand þat sycht,
& lowyt god of his gret mycht.
þane send þai til theodos[iu]me,
þe emperoure, & bad hyme cume
In al þe hast þat he mocht,
to se þe ferly god had wrocht
In his tyme. & he with þat,
cled in hayre & one erd sat,
gat vpe, and sped hyme in al hy
to þe cyte of ephysy.
þane come he to þe cawe, & fand
þire sewine al sammyne þare sittand.
þe emperoure þane fel to þe grond,
& Ilkane of þame in þat stownd
In armys he hynt, & kyssit fele syth
fore Ioy: sa was he wondir blyth,
& sad: “I se ȝow now but wene
self laȝare rycht as I had sene,
god rasit to lyf quhare he ded lay.”
maximianus þane cane say
til hyme: “trewis þat for þe
god has raysit ws, to lat þe se
þe thing quhare-of þu had dout,
& of al were to put þe owt;
god has ws raysit before þe day
of þe gret rysing, þat þu treu may.”
quhene þis was sad, before al
þat þar war, gret & smal,
til erde þai lad þe hedis done,
as quha to slepe suld mak hym bon,
& ȝald þe spryt, as god wald,
þat he resawit in his hauld.
þe emperoure ȝet fele one þame,
& kyssit, & gret, as man fayne,
& lowit god þat sa mad clere
þe heresy þat mene in were.
þane command[it] he men to tak
tresoure habundanly, & mak
Ilkane of þame a fertre sere,
to lay þame in, as worthy vere.
& þat nycht apperyt þai
to þe emperoure quhare he lay,
In vysione, & bad þat he,
rycht quhare þai lay, suld lat þam be;
for rycht as þai al in erde lay
& of erd rysine ware þai.
þane bad þai þat sa suld he
thole þame stil in erde to be,
til god a-pone domysday
þame raysit agane owt of clay.
þe emperoure na mare wald do,
fra þai had spokine sa hyme to,
bot gert portura þare þe story
of þe sanctis þat þare cane ly,
þat standis ȝet & sal do ay
In mynd of þame til domysday.
& sume men sais, þe emperoure
gert gilt þare bare with gret cure.
& al þe byschapis þat takine was
& presonit fore suthfastnes
mantenyng agane sic heresy,
he gert deliueryt be in hy;
& resurreccione gert þane
preche of al ded mene,
& quha þe contrar wald defend,
to bryne in fyre he bad be send,
& ekyt wele þe cristine fay
of his tyme til þe last day,
& now in hewine fore his gud ded
gud reward has til his med.