University of Virginia Library

Now here eftyre will I schaw
of þe apostil sanct mathew,
þat had ane vthire nam þar-by,
þat wes men sad callit lewy,
as rede is in lukis gospell.
quhene cryste in-to þis ȝerd [cane dw]el,
In til a towne he come forby,
quare in þe tolbuth set lewy,
þat as a tollare þare wes sate,
vnlessume wynnynge for to get.
& quha in hopyne syne is tane,
þe ewangell callis “publicane.”
þane criste beheld to þis lewy,
& bad hyme folow hym in hy.
þane rase he vpe but abade,
& a gret feste to criste he mad,
& lewyt þe warld & al his thing,
& went with criste but mar byddyng.
& sa wes mathew mad rycht þane
quyte, & lewi a haly mane.
þis sammyne mathew, of quham we
makis euire ȝere solempnyte,
& þat wes fyrste commovne tollere,
god mad [h]is chosine apostil dere,
& of appostil & ewangelyste
god chesyt hyme to be þe fyrste,
& in-to þat wark sa wel spede,
þat It in haly buke Is rede
oftyre þane vthire commownly,
as I thinke to tel here quhy,
ore I make endynge of þe tale.
& quhene mathew had mad hale
his ewangele, þane he tuk his va
til ethiope but mare delay.
& þame kynde blak had made.
be he a quhile vith þam dwelt had,
he mad þare hartis quhyt as snaw,
& gert þam god & his law knaw,
as þai ma fynd wele be his ded,
at lykis forthyr for to rede.
In ethiope þan prechyt he,
& come one case til a citte,
þat mekile wes & of gret fame,
& nadabar It had to name;
& twa full vikyt men fand þare,
In sorcery þat richt sle ware:
þe tane arphaxat callit wes,
& his companyone zarroes.
& eglippus men callit þe kinge,
þat had þat land in sterynge.
& þire twa can hym sa bewile
thrw sorcery & felone gyle,
þat he trewit quhat þa suld sa,
& at þai goddis vare verray.
& sa did men of þat towne
& of þe kynryk vpe & downe;
sa þat men come of fare land,
to þame to pray & mak offerand.
& with þare sorcery wald þa
lat men to gange a fute away.
als þai tuk fra men þe sycht,
& for to here to haf na mycht,
& sere men ger þe fyfe vittis tyne,
& quhen þame leste, restore þam syne.
& quhene þai set wald þar entent,
þai cuth, be þare enchawnment,
ger serpentis strik men ful sare,
as befor-tyme wechis vont ware;
& sum þat semyt ded to lay,
vald rase vpe thru þar sorcery.
as men in proverbe sais,
mare reuerens Is gewine always
to vekyt men fore dred & dowte
þane to gudmen for luf al-owte.
for-þi god, þat has cur of men,
to þat towne send sancte mathew þan,
þat al þe Ivglery vnhyd,
þat þai twa, be þare craftis, ded;
fore al þat þai gert stand stane-stil,
to gange he gef þam ful fre will,
as to defe men þe herynge,
& to blynd men þe seynge;
& quham þat þai had euir marryte
In þare wittis or differryte,
sancte mathew gaf þe heile parfyte,
of goddis grace & his meryte;
& quhame þat þe serpentis hurte had,
In goddis name hale he mad,
& gerte þai serpentis ly al still,
as slepande, & do na mane Ill.
þe eunvk þane of quene candas,
þat be sanct philpe cristine mad ves,
fel to his fete, and sad: “thru þe
god now has visyt þis citte,
fore to deliuere It owte of care,
þat be þire wechis here wrocht are,
þat gere fele men wene þat þai
throw tryget are goddis verray.”
þe ewinuke [tuke] & led hym blythly
til [his] howse to þe herbery.
þane til þe house come mare & les,
þat frendis to þe ewnike was,
& harde þe apostil sermone say,
þat fele of þame cane baptisym ta,
seand þat he vnhid þe hill,
þat þai twa ded þe puple till.
fore þai wald grewe men on sic wis,
þat It semyt be þare quentyce
þat, quhen þai cesss wald to do Il,
þe hele þai gaf þe sekmen til.
bot þe apostil nocht anerly
helpyt þame þat thru sorcery
þire wekit men mad sek & sare,
bot al þe lawe quhat-euir þai vare,
& to þame þat ware lunatyke,
& brayne woude þat ware lyke,
he restoyrit ferlyfully
til þare estate ful happely.
& he sik grace had in prechinge,
þat all þat harde hyme, ȝald or ȝynge,
had wondyre þat sik grace suld be
In ony manne as þane had he.

the ewynike þane til hym can say:
“þu goddis seruande, I þe pray,
quhow þu all lede spek cane,
& vndirstande euire-ilke manne,
sene þu a manne Is of hebrew?”
sad mathow: “I sal sa þe now.
eftyre cristis ascencione,
þe haly spyrit of criste come done,
as before till ws [he] hechte,
& in ilkane of ws cane lycht,
& gerte vs con al menys lede,
to speke quhare-sa-euire we ȝede.
& as men quhyle in pryd thocht had
to gere a toure say he be mad
þat þe hicht of It suld ewyne
be manis traste rek to þe hewyne;
bot þare pryd & presumpcione
ferlefully þane god put done,
of a langage makand a lede,
as men oysis now to rede,
& sa þare warke lewit vnwrocht,
fore vndire-stand vthire þai na mocht;
sa god knawlage of al leyde
gafe ws, to preche quhare we ȝed,
how men suld make a toure to wyn
hewyne & þare to dwell In,
þat is, be treutht & baptysme, tane,
& nocht be warke of lyme & stane.”
& as þe apostil wes prechand,
ane sad, þe wechis war cumand
with twa dragonyse, þat awful ware
one to luke, for-owtyne mare,
for athire had a helme one tane,
& blessis of fyre with brynt-stane
at nese & mowthe þai schote owte,
þat slew mony but ony dowte.
þe apostil furth þane wald [haf] gane;
bot þe ewnuke sad hyme on ane:
“ȝe lat þe dure stand rycht & still;
at þe wyndow spek þame till!”
sad he: “þe dure þu opyne me,
& at þe wyndow þu ma se
quhat maner þat we [sal þame] do.”
þane he þe dure opnyt hym to.
& he þe croyce one hyme mad
& went furthe but ony bad.
& quhene þe dragonys þat war kene,
þe apostil sa taknyt had sene,
downe at his fete sone þai fele,
& slepand þare, stil cane þai dwel.
þe apostil sad þe wechis to:
“quhare is ȝoure crafte, quhat can ȝe do?
ger þame lif vpe, gyf ȝe may!”
þane þare crafte þai cane assay,
& þai mycht do na thinge suthly.
quod he: “gyf na ware þat I
had prayt to myne lord for ȝov,
þe sammyne ȝe wend þai suld nov
haf done to me, þat Ilk suld þai
haf done til ȝow foroute delay.”
þe puple þane þat þis had sene,
prayt þe apostil al bedene,
to delyuire þat cite
of þai fel bestis. & þane he
In name of god bad þam rathe
ryse, & do naman schat[h]e,
& pase to þe stede quhare þai vare.
& sa þai did but ony mare.

and quhene þe apostil þis done had,
to þe puple sermon he mad
of ȝerdly paradyce a fyte,
& quhat delyt is in Ite
of al thinge þat suld men plese,
& lyfe but dede, with harte ese;
bot quhen men wes castine owte
of It, & lewit in-to dowte,
merciful god ȝete þane rychtvise
brocht hyme til hewyne-lyk paradyse
of criste be þe natiuitate,
quhare he in blyse suld euire be.
It hapnyt þe kingis son be ded;
&, quhare he lay in þe sted,
þir twa wechis com, to prefe
gyf þai mycht gere hym þan lyfe.
& quhene þai saw þat þai na mycht
hyme rase be þare fals slycht,
þai tald þe kynge þat goddis had
rawist hyme; for-þi but bad
It nedyt þat he suld mak
a tempil for his sonnis sake,
& a mawment, quhare-thru he
mycht as ay god ay honoryt be.
þane com þe ewnuke of quen candas
to þe quene of þat place,
& sad: “laydy, ger þire wechis ȝeme,
þat makis þame goddis to seme,
& [send] for þe apostil to cum þe till;
for he ma wele, gyf he will,
resuscit þi sowne.” & þane scho
of hyr frendis send hyme to;
& he come sone but abad.
to quham quene ewfanissa request mad,
sayand: “I knaw wele, þu
Is apostil þat send Is now
fra criste, þat raisit fra ded
ful mony man in syndry sted,
& to defe men to here gef mycht,
& to stane blynd gef als þe sycht;
& in his name I traste þat þu
ma do þe sammyne-lyk vertu;
fore his sake þar-for I pray þe
þat þu myn sone gyf quyke to me!”
þe apostil sad: “ȝete has nocht þu
hard myn prechinge, & sais þat þu
þi sone queke se þu ma?”
he tuke his hand & cane say:
“In name of myn god Ihesu,
ewfratome, I byd þe now
þu ryse vpe.” & sa did he.
& fra þe kynge þat sycht can se,
þane bad he his frendis cum þar in hy
In mannis four[m]e god til aspy,
& bad þame sic worschipe do
til hyme as afferit to god to do.
& at his biddinge fele vare ȝare
to mak hyme sacrifice rycht þare,
vith incense & lampis lycht
& tortyse al brynnand brycht,
& sere thingis in syndry vyse,
þat oysyt vare in sacrifice.

eglippus þan, þe for-sad kinge,
gert his men gold & siluer bringe,
& cronis sat vith preciuse stanys,
& mykil tresour for þe nanyse,
to gyfe þe apostil as offerande.
bot he one It vald lay na hande.
bot qu[h]ene þai var al redy,
as þe kinge had biddyn, to sacrify,
þe apostil gerte þame al be stil
and on þis wyis sad þame til:
“Gudmen, [h]ald ȝow al in pese,
& to do me sik honoure cese,
þat is a flesclyk man, as ȝe,
gyf ȝe behald me, vele ma se,
& is a serwand, as ȝe trew,
of myn blissit lord Ihesu,
þat, to kene ȝov, hiddir send me,
ȝour symulacris for to fle,
þat ar but kistis, quhare-in ȝour fa
Is herbryt, for to do ȝow wa,
& for [to] lef al ȝoure erroure
& hym [to] worschipe & honour;
for resone wald erare þat ȝe
til hyme honoure [do] þane to me,
þat na gud ma do, na vertu,
bot of his gyfte, wel ȝou treu.
for I as man mycht be na wyse
þe kingis sone fra ded ger ryse,
bot in þe name of dere Ihesu,
one quhais name I pra to ȝov,
þat [ȝe] til hyme, as god verray,
mak sacrifice euir-ilke day;
& with þe riches ȝe gere mak
a mykil kirke for goddis sake,
quhare ȝe ma assemblyt be,
goddis wordis to here of me.”
þane went þai furthe but abad,
ma þane twenty thousand, & mad,
of thretty dais in þe tyme,
a costlyke kirke of stane & lyme,
quhare-in sanct matho þe treutht clere
tawchte þam thre & thretty ȝere,
& throw his prechinge sa wrocht þan,
þat ethiope al hale he wane
to cristyne treutht, & baptisym tuk,
& þar mawnmentis al forsuk.
& þe kyng, & þe quene alsa,
þat to name had ewfanissa,
trewit & baptyste var rycht þare.
& þar dowchtyre als thru his lare,
& hecht als ephigenea,
trewit & cane þe baptysym ta;
& of his hand þe vail scho tuk
& come chaste, as sais þe buke,
& wes mad proves but wene
of twa hu[n]dricht virginis clene.
þane þai weches had gret care,
& fled to perese & stil dwelt þare.
& eglippus in til gud elde,
to god of hewyne, þe sawle can ȝeld.

and yrtacus wes syne mad kinge,
þat ȝarnite maste of ony thinge
þe kingis dowchtir for to wed,
þat wes þane dede, & brynge to bed.
bot hyre consent he mycht nocht get
for gyfte, gud, luf, na threte;
for schow awouyt chastyte.
& to sanct mathow son went he,
wenand be hym wele til eschewe,
& for to wed hyr get hyr leyfe,
& halfe his kinryk hycht hym sone,
sa he wald ger þat be done.
þe apostil þan sad hym till:
“of þi predecessare eftir þe wil,
þat to þe kirk ilke setre-day
vald cum me til, to her me say
goddis word, sa ma þu do;
& scho alsa come þare-to
of hyr madynis, & here with-all
quhat gud of spousale spek I sall;
for gud spousale is plesand thinge
to god, þat of hewyne is kinge.”
þan yrtacus wes rycht blyth,
& þe next setret-day alswyth
a congregacion has gert ma;
& hyddir come ewphigenea,
& hyr madynnis with hyr war bowne,
for to her þat sermone.
þe apostil þane bad al be stil
þe tyme he suld preche þam til.
he bad þame fyrst ȝarne hewynly thinge.
syne sad he þus of maryinge:
of all þe sacramentis sewyne
mariage was fyrste þat god of hevine,
to cople man & vemene, mad,
& blyssit þat band but ony bad,
& bad þat gud luf suld be
betwene þame in þare degre,
& als for sic cause mad þat band
þat vomane suld luf hire husband
atoure al, & he his vyfe,
to dwele sammyne but ony strife.
þane yrtacus wes ryicht blyth,
venand to get his wil swyth;
trewand he had prechyt sa
for to ger eufenea
consent to hyme but mare abad,
for-quhy a quhyle noys he mad,
þe apostil lowand alway
of þat þat he had harde hym say.
þane matrimone he can commend,
þat mad wes to sa gud ane end,
gyf þat It will anowrnyt be
vith gud werk & with honeste,
& but reprufe kepit alsa.
“bot gyf a seruand now vald ta
his kingis wyfe succudrusly,
he seruit sik blame, sekyrly,
þat he ware worth to bryn in fyr,
þat þat did fore ful desyre;
bot nocht, for þat he vedit wyf,
gyf it war leful & but strife,
bot, for he mystuk for to wed
his lordis wyfe & bring to bed.
kinge yrtacus, myn sone dere,
I say þe one þe sammyn manere,
knawand þat eufagen[e]a,
throw a wou & halowit vaile alsa,
Is spousit to þe kinge of hewyn;
how dar þu þane for hod or ewyn
fra þi lorde tak hyre to þe,
vnlefully to wedyte be?”

uIthe þat þe kinge, þat lovit had
þe apostil, but abade
with harte enflammyt as ony fyre,
owte of þe kyrk went in gret Ire.
bot þe apostil wes nocht rade,
bot sad furthe as be-fore he had,
& forthir syne sad he þus:
“Gud men, wit þat yrtacus
of lordschepe sal schorte tyme hafe,
þocht he vnlelful ȝarnynge crafe.
& god oure lord ws prechand
sad: ‘quhene It hapynnis ȝov to stand
be-fore þe precedent ore kynge,
þat sal gere felloun[l]y ȝov dynge
& scla percase, ore pyne ȝow sare,
bot eftire þa ma do nomare—
þare-for be ȝe of stedfast wil,
þocht wyld men wil ȝov do Il;
for tholand trybulacione,
god in his blysss sal ȝov crowne.’”
þan ewfegenia and all
hyr madynnis can til hys fet fall,
& sad: “þu apostil of Ihesu,
for his dere name we pray [þe] now,
þat þu þi handis one ws lay,
& bles ws, sa we eschape ma
of hyme þat cessis nocht to t[h]rete
ws al bot gyf his wil he gate.”
ewfegenia [sad]: “men wat
In-to myn faddyre tym, howgate
he fawndyt myn wil for to gate,
quhile be flatryne, quhyl be thret;
quhat wene ȝe þat he sal do now
to me, þat has na helpe bot ȝow?”
þe apostil þane, þat sat had hale
his traste in god, & gef na tale
of yrtacus, þai madynnis all
blyssit, & gefe þam waile & pall.
syne, quhen he had sad þe mes,
& all went hame, þat þar wes,
þe In-kyre luf he had god til
held hym in-to þe kyrk al stil,
þat, quhare he had goddis body
sacri[fy]te one altar ner-by,
þat he mycht for goddis sake
þar martyrdome þar cane take;
& fore þat cause he knelyt done,
& to god mad his orysowne.
þe kinge þane send a felone freke,
on þe apostil hyme for to wryke,
þat come be-hynd [hyme] at þe bake,
& owt-throw with a swerd hym strake.
& quhene þe puple þat has harde,
as woud men for doule þai ferde,
& went towarte þe kingis Ine,
his palace & hym-self to bryne.
bot þane þe clergy com wel rathe,
& gat be-for þam þat ware wrathe,
& sobryt þam, þat nere woud wes,
vith softnes & vith sobrenes,
& with lythnes [bad] byde goddis wrake,
& with honoure sped þame to make
his sepulture. & þai alsone
richt sa blithly has downe.
þane com furth ewfagenea,
& al hire tresur hale can ta
& gef þe clergy for to make
a kirke for þe apostillis sakk,
& It þat remanyt to gyfe
to poure folke, þame to relefe.

yhete yrtacus lewit nocht for þat
þat he na sere women gat,
& wechis als, fore he wes thra,
& send to ewfegenea,
wenande for þame scho wald consent
til hyme & fulfil his entent.
bot quhen he saw þat he na mocht
eschewe þare-of eftyr his thocht,
he gert Inwirone al hyre In
with mekil fuel, It to bryne,
& It & hyrris fore hyre sake;
sa wes he besy to tak wrak.
bot þe fyre as It brynt brycht,
a frawarte wynd, be goddis mycht,
ger[t] þe fyre þat bald can bryne
turne apone yrtacus In,
& brynt his palace sa clene,
þat nocht wes lewit þat mycht be sene.
& a fende in hyme sone enteryt,
þat gert hym gange owt of his vyt,
& sa rane criyand roydly,
to quhare sanct matho cuth ly,
quhare he granttit his faddir gilt,
how he þat haly blud had spilt.
& yrtacus þane sa vgly
wes strekine als with mysalry,
þat nane wes to hym so dere
for fulnes wald cum hyme nere.
& he þat cane persawe, & se
þat his wlatsum Infirmyte
mycht be helpyne be na way,
tuk a scharpe knyf but delay,
&, his gret sorow for to slak,
hyme-selfe into þe stomak strak,
& ȝeld þe gaste to hyme in hy,
þat he had serwit Ithandly.
& quhene þe puple hard tythinge
how it wes fallyne to þe kinge,
beor, of ewfagenea
bruthyr, þai cane kinge ma,
þat befor baptysme had tane
of þe apostil at fonte-stane.
of his elde quhene rownyn war
be reknyne fyfe & thretty ȝere,
he tuk þe crone, & regnyt þare
twa & sexty ȝere & mare;
& with his wyf gat sonnis twa,
& ane of þame his ayre can ma,
& þe tothir in til hy
purchaste a mychtty duchery;
& vith þame of rome & perse ay
had fereme pece al his lyf-day.
& of cheryte, treutht, & hope
fulfillyt al ethiope,
þat to þis day cesis nocht
til honoure god in ded & thocht,
& als til ewfagenia
devote seruice al-va to ma;
bot next god to sanct matho
hartly deuocione þa schew,
þat wes þe firste þat in hebrew
wrat þe ewangel of der Ihesu,
to quham be Ioy & lowinge ay.
bot, sanct matho, to þe I pray
þat, as god reuthte had of þe
of his mekil Inborne pitte,
rycht swa þu helpe me hynne to twyn
bot schame, det, or dedly syne.

bot I hafe in þe begynnynge
of þis tale hecht to sa sum thinge;
& fyrste quhy þat þe prop[h]ecy
Is maste oysit of kinge davi,
& syne quhy matheus gospel
mene oysis maste in kirk to tel,
& laste quhy Paulis epistulis ar
maste oysyt in þe kirk ay-quhare.
þis resone is of It:
of sanct Iames in haly wryte,
þat of synnis kyndis are thre:
& þe formaste pride ma be,
þe tothire is lechory,
& þe thred auarice, sekyrly.
& in þe syne of pryd synnit sowle,
þat eftyrwart wes callit paule,
þat mad fel persecucione
agane þe kirk of presumpcione,
beand in wil to sla al,
þat [on] cristis name cane call.
syne davy in-to lychery
synnit with þe wyf of wry,
& syne, quhene he had done sa,
be slicht he gert hym-self sla.
& þis mathow alsa can syne
thru auarice, guddis to wyne;
for he wes tollar, & toll tuke,
& changeoure als, as sais þe buk,
& amange Iowis he wes ane
þat callit ves a publicane,
þat is, til vndirstand suthly,
a mane þat synnis opynly.
& þocht opynly þire thre
synnit, ȝet [god] of pitte
for-gaf it [þaim] nocht anerly,
bot ȝet his grace can þaim multiply,
þat of saule persecutore
wes syne mad paule defensoure
of cristis mene, & cristis name
be-for princis prechit but schame.
& of dauit, homycyde
& auster bath, in þat tyd
he mad a prophet til hym dere,
& makare of þe saltere.
& mathow, þat tollare was,
sa plentuysly he gaf his grace,
apostil mad & þe ewangeliste;
& of þe four wes al-thire fyrste.
for-þi þe sawis of þire thre
In haly kirke of[t]est red we.
& nane be suer to conuert
na lef his syne, til he his quert,
nothire for þe ennormyte
of þe syne, na þe quantyte,
na for his syne fal in dispare,
bot trew a trewly to be ayre
to god & of his mekil blyse,
þat he has wrocht to hym & his;
sa he be nocht þe mare hardy
to syne, but repentance vndirly.
& þo I mycht mekil thinge
of mathew sa in his lowynge,
gret eld & Infyrmyte
mare to sa now lattis me.
þare-for hartly I pray hym til
þat he considire myn gud vil;
& I requere hym for to pray
for me, þat I one domysday
ma trastly cum to Iugment,
and bruke þe Ioy þat hym is lent.