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Cayphas
Now serys þe nyth is passyd þe day is come
it were tyme þis man had his jewgement
And pylat Abydyth in þe mothalle Alone
tyl we xuld þis man present.
And þer-fore go we now forth with hym in hast.

ius judeus
it xal be don and þat in short spas.

ijus judeus
ȝa but loke yf he be bownd ryth wel and fast.

iijus judeus
he is saff A-now go we ryth A good pas.

here þei ledyn jhesu A-bowt þe place tyl þei come to þe halle.
Cayphas
Sere pylat takyht hede to þis thyng
jhesus we han be-forn þe browth
wheche oure lawe doth down bryng
and mekyl schame he hath us wrowth.

Annas
ffrom þis cetye in to þe lond of Galyle
he hath browth oure lawys neyr in-to confusyon
with hese craftys wrowth be nygramancye
shewyth to þe pepyl be fals symulacyon.

ius doctor
Ȝa ȝet ser A-nother and werst of Alle
Aȝens sesare oure emperour þat is so fre
kyng of jewys he doth hym calle
So oure emperourys power nowth xulde be.

ijus doctor
Sere pylat we kan not telle half þe blame
þat jhesus in oure countre hath wrowth
þerfore we charge þe in þe emperorys name
þat he to þe deth in hast be browth.

Pylat
What seyst to these compleyntys jhesu
these pepyl hath þe sore acusyd
be-cause þou bryngyst up lawys newe
þat in oure days were not vsyd.


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Jhesus
Of here A-cusyng me rowth nowth
so þat þei hurt not here soulys ne non mo
I haue nowth ȝet founde þat I haue sowth
ffor my faderys wyl fforth must I go.

Pylat
Jhesus be þis þan I trowe þou art A kyng
and þe sone of god þou art Also
lord of erth and of All þing
telle me þe trowth if it be so.

Jhesus
In hefne is knowyn my faderys intent
And in þis werlde I was born
be my fadyr I was hedyr sent
for to seke þat was for-lorn.
Alle þat me heryn And in me belevyn
And kepyn here feyth stedfastly
þow þei weryn dede I xal þem recuryn
and xal þem bryng to blysse endlesly.

Pilate
Lo serys now ȝe An erde þis man how thynk ȝe
thynke ȝe not All be ȝoure reson
but as he seyth it may wel be
and þat xulde be be þis incheson.
I fynde in hym non obecyon
of errour nor treson ne of no maner gylt
The lawe wele in no conclusyon
With-owte defawth he xuld be spylt.

ius doctor
Sere pylat þe law restyth in þe
and we knowe veryly his gret trespas
to þe emperour þis mater told xal be
yf þou lete jhesus þus from þe pas.

Pylat
Serys þan telle me o thyng
What xal be his A-cusyng.

Annas
Sere we telle þe al to-gedyr
Ffor his evyl werkys we browth hym hedyr
And yf he had not An evyl doere be
we xuld not Abrowth hym to þe.


282

Pylat
Takyth hym þan Aftyr ȝour sawe
and demyth hym Aftyr ȝour lawe.

Cayphas
it is not lefful to vs ȝe seyn
no maner man for to slen.
þe cawse why we bryng hym to þe
þat he xuld not oure kyng be.
weyl þou knowyst kyng we haue non
but oure emperour Alon.

Pylat
Jhesu þou Art kyng of jure.

Jhesus
So þou seyst now to me.

Pylat
Tel me þan
where is þi kyngham.

Jhesus
my kyngham is not in þis werld
I telle þe At o word.
yf my kyngham here had be
I xuld not A be delyveryd to þe

Pylat
Serys A-vyse ȝow as ȝe kan
I can fynde no defawth in þis man.

Annas
Sere here is a gret record take hed þer to
and knowyng gret myschef in þis man
And not only in o day or to
it is many ȝerys syn he began
We kan telle þe tyme where and whan
þat many A thowsand turnyd hath he
As All þis pepyll record weyl kan
from hens in-to þe lond of galyle

et clamabunt ȝa. ȝa. ȝa.
Pilat
Serys of o thyng than gyf me relacyon
if jhesus were out born in þe lond of galelye
ffor we han no poer ne no jurediccyon

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of no man of þat contre
Ther-fore þe trewth ȝe telle me
And A-nother wey I xal provyde
if jhesus were born in þat countre
þe jugement of herowdys he must A-byde.

Cayphas
Sere as I am to þe lawe trewly sworn
to telle þe trewth I have no fer
in galelye I know þat he was born
I can telle in what place and where
Aȝens þis no man may Answere
for he was born in bedlem jude
and þis ȝe knowe now All and haue don here
þat it stant in þe lond of galelye.

Pylat
Weyl serys syn þat I knowe þat it is so
þe trewth of þis I must nedys se
I vndyrstand ryth now what is to do
þe Jugement of jhesu lyth not to me
herowde is kyng of þat countre
to jewge þat regyon in lenth and in brede
þe jurysdyccyon of jhesu now han must he
þer fore jhesu in hast to hym ȝe lede
In hall þe hast þat ȝe may spede
lede hym to þe herownde A-non present
and sey I comawnde me with worde and dede
And jhesu to hym þat I haue sent.

ius doctor
This erand in hast sped xal be
in all þe hast þat we can do
We xal not tary in no degre
tyl þe herowdys presens we com to