University of Virginia Library

XII.—MATHIAS.

ande quhene al in þis vyse
wes done as I ȝow devyse,
þe quene consawit of þe kynge;
& quhene tyme wes, furth can bryng
a fare knafe chyld fore to se—
ware richt blyth bath scho & he.
& þane þis chyld ay fosteryt wes
of scaryothe with þis Iudas,
& In a vice to-gyddyr fede
& in ane aray in bak & bede.
& syne quhen þai cuth spek & gange,
þai oysit plays þame amange.
bot ȝet þe sone of þe kynge ay
had þe bettyr parte of þe play.
quhare-of Iudas had oft invy,
& wald hyme stryk felloun[l]y.
& namely quhen na man mycht se,
þane wald he oyse sic cruelte;
& wald nocht lefe for luf na thret,
þus þerfor þe quene gert hym bet.
bo[t], fra scho saw scho na mycht
chasty hyme for aw na flycht,
scho let hym wyt þe vtmast thinge,
þat he wes but a fundlynge.
& quhene he vyst wtrely,
þat it wes swa, he wes sary;
þan þocht he wald be na vay be
knawyne sik in þat cunttre,
bot, as a lurdane, for Inwy,
þe kyngis sone slew priwely.
& for he dred þar-for þat he,
as resone wald, slayne suld be,
with trybvtaris he fled þane
to þe towne of Ierusaleme,
quhare pylat presydent was,
& had in gouernance þe place.
Iudas þane be-come his mane,
& mad his dwelling vith hym þane;
& sa gud seruice hyme mad
þat he of hyme gret dut had.
for þai war bath of fellone wil
& euir redy to do al Ill,
& in proverbe I haf hard say
þat lyk to lyk drawis ay.
þar-for pylat þis Iudas had
In sic daynte þat he hyme mad
hale kepare of al þe thinge,
þat he had in-to gowernynge,
& þat quhat Iudas vald be done,
It worth be but ony howne.
syne It fel apone a day
þat pylat in his palace lay
In a wyndow & to þe towne
be-held radly vpe & downe.
& as he was lukand forthyrwart,
he saw fare appolis in a ȝarde,
& had gret desyr for till ete
of þame gyf he mycht [ony] get.
& þat þe ȝard of rubene wes,
þat was þe faddyre of Iudas.
bot Iudas weste nocht þat rubene
ves his faddyr, na he þat þane
þat Iudas wes his sone, kend nocht,
þo It rane hyme of[t] to thocht
þat his a[wn] barn he in þe flud
gert drowne, for he suld nocht be gud;
na Iudas kennyt nocht þe cunctre,
quhare he wes borne, na quhen þat he
Come. bot pylat tald to Iudas
how his ȝarning hale set was
of þai fare happlis for to het,
&, bot he of þame mycht get,
hyme worthyt de—syk wes his wil.
þane Iudas sad his master til:
“master, þare-for dycesss þe nocht!
for of þat froyt sal sone be brocht
to þe, to fulfil þi ȝarnynge.”
þane went he furth in til a lynge,
& schonge done aplys of þe tre,
þe farreste þat he þare mycht se.
and as he wes beste dowande,
rubene come in þare stepande,
& fand hyme sa takand his froyte.
quhare-for [he] cane hyme faste reboyte;
& he hyme with wordis fell
answerte, fore bath war cruel;
& sowne eftyre sic flytynge
athyre of þame cane vthyr dynge.
bot at þe laste Iudas for wrake
rubene in þe nek sa strake
with stane til he fel deyd.
þane þe beste aplis of þat sted
he gadderyt & to pylat bare,
& tald quhat hapnyt, les & mare.
& sone, quhen ewyne com, tyberea
In til hyre ȝarde of chance can ga,
& fand hyr husband al dedly,
& wend he had deyt sudandly.
& [of] þat sad ded þe ranowne
sowne rane throw al þe towne.
þane pylat gef tyberea
to Iudas, & hyre gud alsa,
aschet. & þo scho wa wes,
ȝet maryte hyr þe sammyn Iudas,
& brukyt hyre & al hyre gud,
& lange tyme sa with hyre stud.
syne hapnyt It one a day,
as þai in þare bed lay,
þat tyberya gret dule had,
bannand þe tyme þat scho wes mad,
menand hyre husbane þat scho had,
for he sa mekil of hyre mad.
& als scho menyt ofte rycht sare
hyr a sowne þat scho til hym bare,
þat scho, til eschewe destyne,
In a cophyne kest in þe se;
regratand alswa hyr husband
þat ded in hyre ȝard scho fand,
& sad þat al hyr mekil car
pylat had ekyte & mad mare,
þat a mane had gewyne hyre til
maugre hyrris & aganis his wil.
& quhene he al þe tale had hard,
how fortowne with þat vyf had ferd,
be hyr tale he weste al playne
þat he is awne faddir had slane,
& alsa þat scho his modir was,
þat he weddyt for fawt of grace;
& alsa rane hyme þane to mynd,
þat he, as a wykyt man & vnkynd,
had slane hyr sone, þat of þe flud
hyme tuke & dyd sa mekile gud.
þane hyme for-thocht he had done Ill,
& al his deydis tald hyre till,
& askyt at hyre hyre consele,
quhow he suld do for his sawle-hele.
þane sad til hyme tyberea:
“myn consale is þat sovne þu ga
to Ihesu criste, þe prophet dere,
þat mony wonderis workis here.”
þane cuth Iudas to Ihesu seke,
þat kethit wele þat he wes mek;
for he for-gafe hyme þe syne
þat he had done, mare & myne;
& for to kyth þe gret grace,
þat in hyme ay habundand wes,
his discipil he mad hyme fyrste;
& syne apostil, as hyme lyste,
he chesit hyme with hyme to be,
for þe mare famuliaryte,
he mad hyme his procuratore,
þo he wyste he suld be traytore;
for quhat thing euir gyffyne was
to criste, vthyre mare or lese,
cryste gefit hyme ay in ȝemsele,
þo he wes thefe & ay wald steyle.
syne before criste tholyt payne,
hym til come þe magdalayne,
& brocht a preciuse vnyment,
til ennownte hyme in entent,
& apone cristis hed it ȝete,
as he wes sittand at þe mete.
quhene Iudas saw it wes swa,
þe vngymente wes vastit swa,
“fare bettir had bene,” he sad þane,
“hafe sald yt, & to pur mene
gyffyne, þat worthe wes thre hundreth
of þare mone.” & þat na wondyre
wes; þare-of þat he wald hafe
þe teynd, as he had of þe lafe,
þat gefyne wes his master til,
his cowatice for to fulfill;
bot of þe powere na compaciens
he had. bot þat he mycht compense
of thre hundir þe teynd leyly,
þat cumys be raknyne to thretty;
þar-for þane in ane lynge
he with Iowis mad syk warmynge,
þat he is master to þame sald,
for thretty pennys to hym talde.
nocht-þane, quhen he saw criste wes
condampnyt to þe dede saklace,
of þat ded he cane repent,
& gafe a-gane þare payment,
grauntand but ony cause mad
rycht-wyse blud betraisit he had;
& went furtht & hyme-self can hynge
with a cord bath styth & strange.
& quhene þat he wes hangit swa,
his balful bayly byrste in twa,
& al his guttis, les & mare,
owt þai ruschit in þat place þare,
& in til his mowthe differryt,
þat sa fullely suld nocht be marryt
for cristis awne mowthe he can kyse,
þat [a-]beoufe al mast worthy is.
& resone wald þat his throt ware
vith a snar cord hangyt ful sare,
fra quham be tresone com þat voice,
þat gerte his mastere hang on þe croice.
& he hyme hangyt in þe ayre,
quhare þe feyndis has mast repare,
as in myd place, men ma kene,
be-twene þe angelis & þe mene;
for he þe angelis wrethit had
& mene als þat in erd bad;
& þare-for walde resone, þat he
befor þame suld punyste be.
& syne be-twene þe ascencione
of criste & þe spryte sendynge-done,
all þe apostolis semblyt vare
In til a howse forovtyn mare.
þane petyre saw þare wantyt ane,
þat for apostil suld be tane
yn-sted of Iudas, þat tynt had
sik dingnite, fore he cause mad.
bot sa to be in nowmyre ode,
It wes nocht til þai dwelte with god;
for-thy he wald þai vare twelfe ewyn,
& nocht to be in nowmyre lewyne,
for twelfe foure tymis partyt in thre
betaknis þe treutht of þe trinyte
þat þa foure thryse to purchas suld fond
In foure partis of þis warld rond.
þane petyr vpe a-maunge þam stud
& sad: “spedful thinge vare & gud,
þat we stablyste ane in þe place,
þe quhyle to supple of Iudas,
þat ma with ws bere lele vitnes
of cristis werkis, mare & les,
& of his vprysinge þat may
be wytnes; for he ws cane say,
‘ȝe sal of me be wytnes-mene
In þe towne of Ierusalem,
and als in Iudea,
and eke in all samaria,
& ȝoure wytnes sal be kend
of þis warld to þe farrest end.’
for men suld nocht wytnes bere
bot of thinge sene & hard with here,
þar-for is to be chosyne ane
of þire men þat has al tyme gane
with ws, & syndry tymis saw all
cristis maraklys gret & small,
& ythandly hard his lare.”
þane tuk þai twa discipulis þare
of discipulis sewynty & twa,
þat with criste in þis ȝerd cane ga—
Iosephe, þat for his halynes
to swrname Iustus callit was,
þat ves þe bruthire of Iacoby
þat sone wes of alphey,
& mathias, þo I na-thynge
spek forthire her of his lowynge:
for It for lof Inuch suld be,
þat in apostil chosyne wes he—
& prayand to god þai can knele
& sad: “lorde, þu knawis wele
menis hartis, & thochtis seis,
s[ch]aw quhilk of þire twa sa[l] ve ches
to supple þe quhyle of Iudas,
quhilk he tynt for his trespas!”
þane kyste þai cuttis til assay;
& one mathi þa fel ay.
sa tuk þai hyme for þe twelf to be,
þe parfyt nowmyre for to suple.
thane mathi til his part can ta
alhale þe land of Iudea,
& prechit þare ful stedfastly,
& wrocht als mony gret ferly;
& þare, as sum story vs says,
In-to gud pece endyt his dais.
& in sum buke it is talde,
þat one þe croice þe gast he ȝalde,
& endyt thru sic martyrdome.
& his banis now are in rome,
quhare þai lat þe puple se
his hewyd sum-tyme in gret daynte.
mathias wes of Iuda kyne,
þe towne of bethleem borne In,
gentil man on al half he
wes, & nobil in al degre;
& in his ȝow[th]ed sa can lere
þat he þe knawlage van vel nere
as he harde of all þe lawis,
& of þe prophetis þe sawys.
fleschly lustis he lefyt ay,
& plesit to god nycht & day.
& as he prechand syne can ga
In-to þe land of Iudea,
crippolis he gert gange vpe-rycht,
& to blynd he gaf þe sycht,
& alkine lepyre heylyt þane,
& put feyndis owte of mene,
& defe men he gaf herynge,
alsa to dum þe spekyne,
& alswa in mony stede,
he raysit þame þat war ded.
þe Iowis, þat tuk tent here til,
for Inwy & gret ill-wyll
for his gud ded, [hyme] felly socht,
& hyme befor þare byschope brocht,
& in mony thingis hyme wreit,
as þai falsly one hyme leyt;
bot ane þat þai callyt trespace,
he tuk with þat he cristine wes.
þe byschope sad: “gyf men delay
wil gyf þe, sal þu leyf þat lay?”
þane sad he: “god forbed þat I
for-sak criste throw apostecy!”
þane, for he criste nyt wald nocht,
In-to þare consale þai hyme brocht:
quhare twa fals witnes had hym tane,
& gert þe layfe to dede hyme stane.
þe quhilk stanis, in-to vitnes
of þar fals sentence, þat fals ves,
he þame prayt to lay þame by
In þe grawe, quhare he suld ly.
syne with ane ax his hewyde
þai strak of, & put to dede
ande [in] sum bukis, quhare men redis
of haly men & of þare dedis,
þai fynde: quhene mathias
In massedone cumyne was,
& cristis treutht prechyt þare,
þe folk wald nocht tak to his lare,
bot erare to sla hyme þa thinke;
for-þi þa gaf hyme sic a drynk
þat quha-euire of It cane taste,
he worde stane-blynde in-to haste.
bot he drank it & na skathe hade,
þo with [it] vthyre blynde [war] made
wel twa hundyre & fyfty,
þat he gert se þare clerly
of his handis thru þe twechinge.
sa þat drink grewit na thinge.
þe fals feynde, þat wattis al-wa
gudmen fra cryste to draw ay,
in lyknes of a litil barne
aperyt þare, & bad þam ȝarne
þat þai suld mathi tak & sla,
or ellis he suld do þam gret wa.
þane socht þai hyme dais thre,
bot in þe myddis of þame ay ves he,
& cuth fynde hyme be naway,
til hyme-self one þe thryd day
askyt þare sekyne. þa sad: “mathi.”
quod he agane: “lo, here ame I.”
þane tuke þai hym & vith sare bandis
be-hynde his bake þai band his handis,
& in ane rape for-owte chesone
þai harlyt hyme one to presone,
& cloisit it quhene þat wes done.
þane þe feynd apperit sone,
&, grynnand one hyme, mad fule bere,
bot he durste nocht til hyme cum nere.
þane oure lorde in to gret lyicht
come, & aperit to his sycht,
& tuke hyme vpe þare quhare he lay,
& al his bandis brak in twa,
& confort hyme, & bad hyme ga
quhare he vald. & he did sa.
& quhene he ves sa þat fre wil,
he prechit faste þe puple til;
bot sum sa hardnyt ware þat þai
vald trew til hyme be na way;
& to þame he sad: “I ȝow tel,
þat þai all quyke sal sink to hel.”
vith þat þe erde hopnyt richt þare,
& þai fel done, as he sad ayre.
& al þat euire had sene þat sycht,
fra merknes þai come to þe licht,
& turnyt to god, & baptisme tuke,
& vare gud men, as sais þe buk.
bot anent þis mathias,
quhat ded he deit or in quhat place
he restis, as ȝe se wele heyre,
for syndry men sais thingis sere;
bot quhilke of þam men sal trow til,
to say here is nocht myn will.
bot I pray hyme for þat gret grace
quhare-throw þat he chosine wes,
þat be his prayer I ma be
chosine to god in sik degre,
ovte of þis lyf þat I ma twyne
but schame, or det & dedly syne.