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JESUS
My brethren that sytten in companye,
with peace I greate you hartfullye.
I am hee that standes you bye;
ne dread you nothinge.
Well I knowe and wytterlye
that yee be in greate extacye
whether I be rysen verelye—
that makes you sore in longinge.
[You] ys no neede to be anoyed soo
neyther through thought to be in woo.
Your handes puttes nowe you froo
and feele my woundes wyde.
And leeves this, both all and one,
that ghoost hath neyther fleshe ne bonne
as yee may feele mee upon
on handes and on feete.

‘Spiritus quidem carnem et ossa non habet sic me videtis habere.’


PETRUS
A, what ys this that standeth us bye?
A ghoost meethinke he seemeth, wytterlye.
Meethinke lightned mych am I
this spryte for to see.


370

ANDREAS
Peeter, I tell thee prevelye
I dread me yett full greatlye
that Jesu should doe such maystrye,
and whether that this be hee.

JOHANNES
Brethren, good yt is to thinke evermore
what wordes he sayd the daye before
he dyed on roode—gonne ys not youre—
and bee we steadfast aye.

JACOBUS MAJOR
A, John, that makes us in weare
that alwaye when he will appere—
and when us lyst beste to have him here,
anonne hee ys awaye.

JESUS
I see well, brethren, sooth to saye,
for any signe that I shewe maye
yee be not steadfast in the faye,
but flittinge I you fynd.
Moe signes therfore yee shall see.
Have you ought may eaten bee?

SIMON
Yea, lord, here—meate innough for thee,
and elles we were unkynd.

JESUS
Nowe eate we then for charitie,
my leeve brethren fayre and free,
for all thinges shall fullfilled bee
wrytten in Moyses lawe.

371

Prophetes in psalmes sayden of mee
that death I behoved on the roode-tree,
and ryse within dayes three
to joye mankind to drawe
and preach to folke this world within
pennance, remyssion of there synne;
in Jerusalem I should begynne,
as I have donne for love.
Therfore, beleeve steadfastlye
and come ye with mee to Bethanye.
In Jerusalem yee shall all lye
to abyde the grace above.

Tunc commedet Jesus cum discipulis suis, et postea dicat
PHILIPPUS
Lord, from us thou nought conseyle!
What tyme that thou art in thy weale,
shalt thou restore Israell
agayne her realme that daye?

JESUS
Brother, that ys not to thee
to knowe my Fathers privetie
that towcheth to his owne postie—
wytt that yee ne maye.
But take ye shall, through my beheste,
vertue of they Holye Ghoste
that send shalbe to helpe you moste
in world where ye [shall] wend.
My wytnesse all yee shalbee
in Jerusalem and Judee,
Samarye also, and eych countree
to the worldes end.

372

Goe yee all the worlde, and through my grace
preach my word in eych place.
All that steadfast beleeffe hasse,
and fullye, save shall [be].
And whoeso beleeveth not in your lore,
the wordes ye preach them before,
dampned shalbe evermore;
that payne may them not flee.
By this thinge ye shall well knowe
whoso leeveth steadfastlye in you;
such signes, soothlye, the shall shewe
whersoever the tyde to goe.
In my name well shall they
devylles powers to putt awaye;
newe tonges yee shall have to preach the faye,
and edders to mayster also;
and though the poyson eate or drynke,
yt shall nye them nothinge;
sycke men with ther handlinge
shall healed redelye bee,
such grace shall be in there doinge.
Nowe to my Father I am goinge.
Yee shall have, brethren, my blessinge,
for to heaven I must stee.

Tunc adducet discipulos in Bethaniam; et cum pervenerit ad locum, ascendens dicat Jesus, stans in loco ubi assendit. Dicat Jesus, ‘Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra.’

373

JESUS
My sweete brethren leeffe and deare,
to mee ys granted full powere
in heaven and yearth, farre and neare,
for my godhead is moste.
To teach all men nowe goe yee
that in world will fullfilled bee
in the name of my Father and mee
and of the Holy Ghooste.

Tunc Jesus ascendet, et in ascendendo cantet (God singeth alonne).
JESUS
Ascendo ad Patrem meum et Patrem vestrum, Deum meum et Deum vestrum. Alleluya.
Cum autem impleverit Jesus canticum, stet in medio quasi supra
nubes, et dicat major angelus minori angelo.

Primus Angelus
cantat:
Quis est iste qui venit de Edom, tinctis vestibus de Bosra?

Minor Angelus
respondens cantat:
Iste formosus in stola sua, gradiens in multitudine fortitudinis suae?

Jesus
cantat solus:
Ego qui loquor justitiam et propinquator sum ad salvandum.

Chorus
cantat:
Et vestimenta tua sicut calcantium in torculari.


374

Jesus
cantat solus:
Torcular calcavi solus, et de gentibus non est vir mecum.

Primus Angelus
dicat in materna lingua:
Who ys this that cometh within
the blysse of heaven that never shall blynne,
bloodye, owt of the world of synne—
and harrowed hell hath hee?

SECUNDUS ANGELUS
Comely hee ys in his clothinge,
and with full power goinge,
a nomber of sayntes with him leadinge.
Hee seemeth great of postee.

Jesus autem pausans eodem loco dicat.
JESUS
I that spake rightwisenesse
and have brought man out of distres,
forbyer called I am and was
of all mankynd through grace.
My people, that were from me rafte
through synne and through the dyvelles crafte,
to heaven I bringe—good never one lafte—
all that in hell were.

TERTIUS ANGELUS
Whye ys thy cloathinge nowe so reedd,
thy bodye bloodye and also head,
thy clothes also, all that binne ledd,
like to pressars of wyne?


375

JESUS
For the devill and his powere
that mankynd brought in great dangere.
Through death one crosse and blood so clere
I have made them all myne.
These bloodye droppes that yee nowe see
all the freshe shall reserved bee
tyll I come in my majestie
to deame the laste daye.
This blood I shedd, wytnes bere to mee,
and dyed for man on roode-tree,
and rose agayne within dayes three—
such love I loved thee aaye.
Theise droppes nowe with good intent
to my Father I will present
that good men that on yearth be lent
shall knowe appertlye
howe gratiouslye that I them bought;
and for good workes that I have wrought
everlastinge blysse that they sought,
to preeve the good worthye;
and that the wycked may eychone
knowe and see all one
howe worthelye they [forgone]
that blysse that lasteth aye.
For theise causes, leeve yee mee,
the droppes I shedd on roode-tree.
All fleshe shall reserved bee
ever, tyll the laste daye.


376

Tunc ascendet, et in ascendendo cantent angeli canticum subscriptum. Cantent ‘Exaltaremus, domine, in virtute tua; cantabimus et psallemus virtutes tuas.’
Tunc descendent angeli, et cantent ‘Viri Gallilei, quid aspicitis in caelum?’
QUARTUS ANGELUS
Yee men that binne of Gallilee,
whereupon nowe wonder yee,
waytinge him that through postye
ys nowe gonne you froo?

PRIMUS ANGELUS
Jesu Christe, leeve yee mee,
that steede to heaven, as ye see,
right so come agayne shall hee
as yee seene him goo.

PETRUS
Loo, brethren, what these angelles sayen,
that Jesu, that through his great mayne
to heaven ys gonne, will come agayne
right as he forth went.

ANDREAS
Manye sethen so height hee
to send his Ghooste, with hart free,
and in Jerusalem we shalbee
tyll yt were to us sent.


377

SIMON
Brethren, I read us, in good faye,
that we thether take the waye
and with devotion night and daye
lenge in our prayer.

PHILIPPUS
For knowe we mone by sygne vereye
that hee ys Godes Sonne, sooth to saye.
Therfore yt ys good we goe to praye
as he commanded here.

JOHANNES
Nowe mon we leeve yt no leasinge,
for both by syght and handlinge,
speakinge, eatinge and drinkinge
hee prooves his deitee.

JACOBUS MAJOR
Yea, also by his uppsteyinge
hee seemes fully heaven-kinge.
Whoe hasse therin full leevinge,
saved liffe and soule ys hee.

PETRUS
Goe we, brethren, with one assent
and fullfill his commandement;
but looke that none through dread be blent,
but leeves all steadfastlye.
Praye we all with full intent
that hee to us his Ghoost will sent.
Jesu, that from us nowe ys went,
save all this companye! Amen.

Finis