University of Virginia Library

Swme men wenis þat barnabas
ane of þe apostolis was;
bot þai wene wrang, gyf þa red
quhat þai ware þat mad þe cred,
of þe quhilk þe apostolis twelf
Ilkane ane article be It-selfe
mad, & in þe cred are
twelfe articulis, les na mare.
for mathow wes tane of godis wil
þe place of Iudas to fulfill.
þo eftir cristis passione
& in hewyne his ascencione,
to sic honour he callit paule
to safe & succur syndry sawle,
& mad hyme doctor generale,
to preche in þis varld hale,
& to ber leile witnes, ewyne
of It he had sewyn in hewyn,
quhene he wes fellit in þe way
& thre dais blynd in damask lay.
& for þat he was nocht dwelland
with criste, na in þis warld vakand,
na hard nothire, na saw his ded,
þare-for he mad nocht of þe cred.
bot suthe It is, mark, & lucas,
& þe worthy barnabas
of dyscipilis thre ware þa,
þat in nomir war lxx & twa,
þat criste assignit for to be
In helpe his wark to suple,
as in þe ewangel ȝe ma red
of luk, wil ȝe tak hed,
& send þame furth twa & twa
in al place, quhare he wes vont to ga,
& sad to þame, þare wes corne mekil
bot few war to set It in sekil;
“pray ȝe þare-for þe lord of corne
to send wark-mene, ore it be lorne!
gais furth, I send ȝou, I ȝou tel,
as wolfis amaung lammys vnsel;”
& vthir sere thing can þame say,
as in þe ewangel ȝe se ma.
quhare-to for now me lest nocht rek,
bot of barnabas I wil speke.

barnabas in til hebrew
“þe sone of solace” we cal nov,
þat dwelt with þe apostolis ay
& conforte þame in hard assay.
& eftyr cristis passione
& in hewyne his ascencione,
þe apostolis send hyme to teche
goddis word, & þe fol[k] preche.
& he went furth with his printece,
Iohnne, þat was [war] & vyse,
& to þe citte fyrste cane ga,
þat callit was anemoria,
& sum rycht-wyse & vysmen þare
he fand, þo þai payanis vare.
& quhene þai paianis þam sene had,
þai askit þame but abad,
quhat men þai war, & quhen þai
var cumyne, prad þame to say,
& als þe cause of þare cummynge,
þat barnabas had persawynge
þat þai in sume part sutel ware;
for-þi he mad worthy ansuere
& sad: “sene ȝarnit haf yhe
to wit quhat-kyn men ve be,
& quare-for we cum her,
we lat ȝow wyt, but ony ver,
þat of lord criste Ihesu,
þat mad þe warld as ȝe se nov,
we are þe seruandis & mene,
& cummys fra Ierusaleme
for to preche goddis word,
as is gefyne vs in til hurd,
& for to gere men kene his name.
&, bot he, god is þare nane,
& quha þat trewis trewly,
sal lyfe euire-lestandly.
& gyf ȝe wil kene þis thinge,
clethe ȝow in nov clethynge,
þat neuire sal rot, bot schen sal ay.”
& quhen þe paianis hard þis sa,
þai sad: “sik merwal neuir befel
as we here ȝow of tel;
for quhat god ma be sa mychty?”
þane sad barnabas þame In hy:
“gyf ȝe will wit quhat ve meyne,
ȝe schryfe ȝow of ȝoure synis cleyne
& trewly trow & baptist be:
& þat we hycht þan tak sal ȝe.”
& sad þai, þat þai vald do
quhat-euir thing þa sad þam to.
& forthire to þame prechit he
þe haly treutht of þe trinite,
& bapstit þame in þat sted,
& in now haly clathis þam cled.
& fra þai wyste þat þai vare
mad cristine, vith gladsum fare
þai lowyt god of his grace,
& gret gold to barnabas
þai gaf, þat he but abad
gafe to þe powre þat mister had,
& commawndit þame to dwel Ilkane
in cristis grace þat þai had tane.

fra þine to cypre saylit þai,
& fand twa men of cristis lay,
arysteone & thymonen,
þat suthfastly vare cristine mene.
bot thymone þe fel fewire sa
trawalyt þat he mycht nocht ga.
þan barnabas tuk þe ewangele,
þat sancte mathew vrat hym sum-quhile,
& lad it apone thymonene
In goddis name; & he richt þane
sa hale wes of þe fewire mad
as he newire before had had,
& folowit þame in gret gladnes.
& barnabas, quhare-euire he was,
mathowis ewangele had in his hand,
& ay, quhare he sek men fand,
lad it one þame, & þai alsone
ware hale, fra þat wes done.
þane vent þai furth, & sune fand ane
þat eraclyus had to name,
þe quhilk be-for be barnabas
& paule to þe treutht wonnyn was.
& hyme, helpand þe haly gaste,
byschape þai ordynit þare in haste
of cristyne trewtht in þe ekyne.
& he ves fayne of þ[a]re cumyne.
fra þine forthire passit þai,
& fand a mane in þare way,
þat rodanus hicht, & ȝet þane
payane he wes & nocht cristine man.
debonare wes he nocht-þe-les,
rychtvyse & of gud wil he was.
& fra barnabas had tauchte
þe trewtht to hyme, he it son lacht,
& lewit his syne, & howyn vas,
& folouyt hyme fra place to place.
quhene þis was downe, þa met in hy
a Iow þat delte vith sorcery,
& to name had bariene;
þe quhilk sancte paule before þan,
for til haf mend hym of his plicht,
for a tyme tuk fra hym þe sycht;
þe quhilk, fra he knev barnabas,
of paphum, þar he vald pase,
lettyt hyme for til haf entre.
for-þi agane þare turnyt he.
fra þine he come to a place quhare
men & women playand ware
al nakit as þai vare borne;
quhare-of barnabas thocht scorne,
& þare tempyl waryt he,
quhare-in sik men had entre.
& þane a part of It fel done,
& mad a gret distruccione
of ethnykis, þat oysit sa
nakit one-schamely to ga.
& þai þat chapit þat ruyne,
fled to þe tempil apolyne,
quhare þa of Iowis a gadringe
fand; & but mare byddinge
to þame sa prechit barnaba,
þat fele of þame þe trutht can ta.
bot þat wikyt baryene,
haffand gret dowt þat mony men
suld turne throw hym to cristis lav,
his vikitnes furth can schaw,
& mowit sic sedicione
in-to þe foule folk of þe towne,
þat þai tuk sone sancte barnaba,
& pynyt hyme, & wrocht hyme wa.

and as þai led hym to þe place,
quhare to deme hym ordinit vas,
It hapnyt þat a nobil mane
owt of cypre com richt þane,
þat eusebius had to name,
& ves a man of gret fame,
of gret stat & of honoure,
& nere sib to þe emprioure.
& quhene þe Iowis persavinge
had of þat lordis cummynge,
for dowt he tuk hym þam fra,
a royd rape þai cane ma,
& drew hyme til a preve place,
til þat þe nycht cumynge was.
þane ful fele of þame ves bone,
& harlyt hym sone of þe towne,
& þare felly, or þai stynte,
In a bale fyre þai hym brynte.
& of his lyfe sic end mad he,
for hym þat boucht ws one þe tre,
& full Ioyful raringe mad,
þat for sik schort payne he had
þe blyse ay-lestand, & brukis nov
hey in hewine with dere Ihesu.
ȝet war nocht þe Iowis content,
þat þai had done hym sic turment,
bot repentyt þame rycht þare,
þat þai torment[it] hym na mare,
& al þe fyre left in þat stede
þai wepyt in a clath of lede,
& In þe sey to castit thocht.
bot nocht-þane god tholyt nocht;
for Iohnne, his printece, & thymon
þat nycht come, & vith þame redone,
& It a-way bare priwaly,
& dalf It quhare It lange cane ly,
ner quhare gebeseis hade
In ald tyme dwellinge to þam made.
& þare þat relyke lang lay hyde.
bot god fore it sic merwale kyde
þat it wes tane vpe in honoure,
quhene þat ȝenone was emperoure;
& gelaȝius pape wase,
quhene þis vnhyd wes barnabas,
quham I Requere hartly now,
þat he for me pray Ihesu,
owte of þis warld þat I ma twen
but schame, det, & dedly syne.