University of Virginia Library

(1)

Thomas.
Brethere all, that now here bene,
fforgett my lorde yit may I noght;
I wote not what it may mene,
Bot more I Weyn ther will be wroght.

Iohannes apostolus.
My lord ihesus will wyrk his will,
pleatt we neuer agans his thoght,
ffor vs ne wyrkes, as it is skyll,
his hand-warke that he has wroght.

symon.
Apon his wordes will I ryst
that he his self saide vs vntill,
As stedfastly on hym to tryst,
Mystrust we neuer for goode ne ill.

(2)
petrus.
In heuen and erthe his myght may be,
his wytt and his will also;
The holy gost, brethere, ment he,
thus will he neuer fro vs go.
(3)
ffourty dayes now drawes nere
sen his resurreccyon complete;
Afore that will he appere,
thus sodanly not lefe vs yett.

354

(4)
In bethany here let vs abyde,
We knaw not yit what may befall;
peraventur it may betyde,
he shall full well comforth vs all.

(5)
Ihesus.
peasse now, my dere freyndys!
peasse be with you euer and ay!
ffor it all wrangys amendys;
peasse brethere, sam I say!
(6)
Brethere, in hartes be nothyng heuy
what tyme that I from you am gone,
I must go from you sone, in hy,
bot neuer the les make ye no mone;
ffor I shall send to you anone
the holy gost, to comforth you,
you to wysh in euery wone
I shall you tell what-wyse and how.
It shalbe for youre prow
that I thus-gatys shall do;
It has been saide or now
My fader must I to.
(7)
with hym must I abide and dwell,
ffor so it is his will;
ffor youre comforth thus I you tell,
be ye stedfast for good or ill.
Abide me here right on this hill
to that I com to you agane,
this forwarde must I nedys fulfill,
I will no longer fro you lane;
And therfor loke that ye be bayn,
and also trew and stedfast,
ffor who soeuer you oght frayn
when that I am past.

hic recedit.

355

(8)
petrus.
ffull heuy in hart now may we be
that we oure master sall forgo,
Bot neuer the les yit saide he
he wold not dwell full lang vs fro.
What wonder is if we be wo,
thus sodanly shall oure master mys,
And masters on lyfe haue we no mo
that in this warld shuld vs wys.
he will pas furth to blys,
and leyfe vs here behynde,
No meruell now it is
if we mowrne now in oure mynde.

(9)
Andreas.
In oure mynde mowrne we may,
as men that masyd ar and mad,
And yit also, it is no nay,
we may be blythe and glad,
Because of tythyngys that we had,
that his self can vs say;
he bad be blythe and noght adrad,
ffor he wold not be long away.
Bot yit both nyght and day
oure hartes may be full sore,
As me thynk, by my fay,
ffor wordes he saide lang ore.

(10)
Thomas.
lang ore he saide, full openly,
that he must nedys fro vs twyn,
And to his fader go in hy,
to Ioy of heuen that neuer shall blyn;
Therfor we mowrne, both more and myn,
And mery also yit may we be;
he bad vs all, both outt and in,
be glad and blythe in ich degre,
And saide that com shuld he
to comforth vs kyndly;
Bot yit heuy ar we
to we hym se truly.


356

(11)
Iacobus.
With ee wold we hym se oure saveoure crist, goddys son,
That dyed apon a tre yit trewe I that we mon:
Now god grauntt vs that boyn that with his bloode vs boght,
To se hym in his throne as he maide all of noght;
his will now has he wroght and gone from vs away,
As he noght of vs roght and therfor mowrne we may.

(12)
philippus.
We may mowrne, no meruell why for we oure master thus shall mys,
That shall go fro vs sodanly and we ne wote what cause is,
Neuer the les the sothe is this he saide that he shuld com agane
To bryng vs all to blys therof may we be fane.
That commyng will vs mych gane and oure saules all saue,
And put vs fro that payn that we were lyke to haue.

(13)
Ihesus.
herkyns to me now, euer ichon and here what I will say,
ffor I must nedys fro you gone for thus my fader will allway,
And therfor peasse be with you ay where so ye dwell in wone,
And to saue you fro all fray my peasse be with you blood and bone.
I lefe it you bi oon and oone noght as the warld here dos,
It shalbe true as any stone to defende you fro youre foos.
(14)
let not youre hartes be heuy drede not for any kyns thyng,
ye haue harde me say full playnly I go, and to you am I commyng.
If ye luf me, for-thi ye shuld be glad of this doyng,
ffor I go full securly to my fader, heuyns kyng;
The which, without lesyng is mekill more then I,
Therfor be ye thus trowyng when all is endid fully.

357

(15)
ye haue bene of mysbilefe hard of harte and also of will;
To theym that my rysyng can prefe no credence wold ye gif theym till;
Mary mawdlayn saide you till that I was rysyn, bot ye ne wold
hir trow for good or ill the trouth all if she told.
sich harmes in hartes ye hold and vnstedfast ye ar,
ye trowid no man of mold witnes of my rysyng that bare;
(16)
Therfor ye shall go tech in all this warld so wyde,
And to all the people preche Who baptym will abyde,
And trowe truly
Mi dethe and rysyng,
and also myn vpstevynyng,
And also myn agane-commyng,
thay shalbe saue suerly.
(17)
And Who trowys not this
That now rehersyd is,
he shalbe dampned, Iwys,
ffor veniance and for wreke.
Tokyns, for sothe, shall bene
Of those that trow, withoutten weyn;
Devyls shall thay kest out cleyn,
And with new tongys speke.
(18)
Serpentes shall thay put away,
And venymus drynk, bi nyght and day,
Shall not noy theym, as I say;
And where thay lay on handys
Of seke men far and nere,
Thay shalbe hole, withoutten dere,
Of all sekenes and sorowes sere,
Euer in alkyn landys.

358

(19)
And therfor now I byd that ye
Go not from ierosolyme,
Bot abide the behest of my fader fre
In land ay whore,
That ye haue hard here of me;
ffor Iohn baptist, dere in degre,
In water forsoth baptysid me
Now here before;
(20)
And ye certan in euery coste
shall baptise in the holy goost,
Thrug vertue of hym that is the moost
lord god of myght,
within few dayes now folowyng;
And herof meruell ye nothyng,
ffor this shalbe his awne wyrkyng,
shewyd in youre sight.

& recedit ab eis.
(21)
petrus.
ffarlee may we fownde and fare
for myssyng of oure master ihesus;
Oure hartys may sygh and be full sare,
thise Iues with wreke thay waten vs.
(22)
Vs to tray and teyn
ar thay abowte bi nyght and day;
ffor ihesu that is so seldom sene,
as masid men mowrne we may.

(23)
Andreas.
Mowrnyng makys vs masid and mad,
as men that lyff in drede;
ffull comforthles ar we stad
for myssyng of hym that vs shuld lede.

(24)
Iacobus.
Thise Iues that folow thare faythles will,
and demed oure master to be ded,
With mayn and mode they wold hym spill,
if thay wist how, in towne or sted.


359

(25)
Iohannes.
let keep vs fro thare carpyng kene,
and com bot lytyll in thare sight;
Oure master will com when we leest weyn,
he will vs rewle and red full right.

(26)
Thomas.
Of this carpyng now no more,
It drawes nygh the tyme of day;
At oure mette I wold we wore,
he sende vs socowre that best may.

(27)
Maria.
socowre sone he will you sende,
If ye truly in hym will traw;
youre mone mekely will he amende,
My brethere dere, this may ye knawe.
(28)
The hestys hyghly that he me hight
he has fulfillid in worde and dede;
he gabbyd neuer bi day nor nyght,
ffor-thi, dere brethere, haue no drede.

(29)
Matheus.
Certys, lady, thou says full wele;
he will vs amende, for so he may;
we haue fon sothe euerilka dele
All that euer we hard hym say.

(30)
Ihesus.
peter, and ye my derlyngys dere,
As masid men me thynk ye ar;
holly to you I haue shewyd here
To bryng youre hartys from care;
(31)
In care youre hartys ar cast,
And in youre trowth not trew;
In hardnes youre hartys ar fast,
As men that no wytt knew.
(32)
sende was I for youre sake fro my fader dere,
fflesh and blode to take of a madyn so clere;
sythen to me ye soght and holly felowid me,
Of wonders that I haue wroght som haue I letten you se.

360

(33)
The dombe, the blynde as any stone,
I helyd ther I cam by,
The dede I rasid anone,
Thrugh my myght truly;
(34)
And othere warkys, that wonderfull wore,
I wroght wisely befor you all;
My payn, my passion, I told before,
holly thrug outt as it shuld fall;
(35)
Mi rysyng on the thryd day,
As ye bi tokyns many oone haue sene;
youre trouth truly had bene away
had not my blissid moder bene.
(36)
In hir it restyd all this tyde,
youre dedys ye ow greatly to shame;
here may ye se my woundys wyde,
how that I boght you out of blame.
(37)
Bot, Iohn, thynk when I hang on rud
That I betoke the mary mylde;
kepe hir yit with stabull mode,
she is thi moder and thou hir childe.
(38)
loke thou hir luf, and be hir freynde,
and abide with hir in well and wo,
ffor to my fader now will I weynde,
thar none of you ask wheder I go.

(39)
philippus.
lord, if it be thi will,
shew vs thi fader we the pray;
we have bene with the in good and ill,
and sagh hym neuer nyght ne day.

(40)
Ihesus.
philipp, that man that may se me
he seys my fader full of myght;
Trowys thou not he dwellys in me
and I in hym if thou trow right?

361

(41)
In his howse ar dyuerse place,
I go to ordan for you now;
ye shall all be fulfillyd with grace,
the holy goost I shall sende you.
(42)
he shall you in youre hartys wyse
In worde and dede, as I you say;
With all my hart I you blys—
My moder, my brethere, haue all good day!
Tunc vadit ad ascendendum.
(43)
ffader of heuen, with good intent,
I pray the here me specyally;
ffrom heuen till erth thou me sent
Thi name to preche and claryfy.
(44)
thi will haue I done, all and som,
In erthe will I no longere be;
Opyn the clowdes, for now I com
In ioy and blys to dwell with the.

& sic ascendit, cantantibus angelis “Ascendo ad patrem meum.”
(45)
primus angelus.
ye men of galylee,
wherfor meruell ye?
hevyn behold and se
how ihesus vp can weynde
vnto his fader fre,
where he syttys in maieste,
With hym ay for to be
In blys withoutten ende.
(46)
And as ye sagh hym sty
Into heuen on hy,
In flesh and fell in his body
ffrom erthe now here,

362

Right so shall he, securly,
Com downe agane truly,
with his woundys blody,
To deme you all in fere.

(47)
secundus angelus,
Meruell haue no wight,
No wonder of this sight,
ffor it is thrugh his myght,
That all thyng may.
What so he will by day or nyght,
In hell, medyll-erth, and on hight,
Or yit in derknes or in light,
withoutten any nay;
(48)
ffor he is god all-weldand,
heuen and hell, both se and sand,
wod and water, fowll, fysh and land,
All is at his will;
he haldys all thyng in his hand
that in this warld is lyfand,
Then nedys ye noght be meruelland.

primus angelus.
And for this skyll,
(49)
Ryght as he from you dyd weynde
so com agane he shall,
In the same manere at last ende,
To deme both greatt and small.

secundus angelus.
Who so his byddyng will obey,
And thare mys amende,
With hym shall haue blys on hy,
And won ther withoutten ende.
(50)
And who that wyrk amys,
And theym amende will neuer,
shall neuer com in heuen blys,
Bot to hell banyshed for euer.


363

Maria.
A selcouth sight yonder now is,
Behold now, I you pray!
A clowde has borne my chylde to blys,
Mi blyssyng bere he euer and ay!
(51)
Bot, son, thynk on thi moder dere,
That thou has laft emangys thi foes!
swete son, lett me not dwell here,
let me go with the where thou goes.
(52)
Bot, Iohn, on the is all my trast,
I pray the forsake me noght.

Iohannes.
lefe marye, be noght abast,
ffor thi will shall ay be wroght.
(53)
here may we se and full well knaw
That he is god most of myght;
In hym is good, we trawe,
holly to serue hym day and nyght.

(54)
petrus.
A meruellous sight is yone,
That he thus sone is taken vs fro;
fro his fomen is he gone
with outten help of othere mo.

(55)
Matheus.
Where is ihesus, oure master dere,
that here with vs spake right now?

Iacobus.
A wonderfull sight, men may se here,
my brethere dere, how thynk you?

(56)
Thomas.
we thynk it wonder all,
that oure master shuld thus go;
After his help I red we call,
That we may haue som tokyn hym fro.

(57)
Bartholomeus.
A more meruell men neuer saw
then now is sene vs here emang;
ffrom erth till heuen a man be draw
With myrth of angell sang.

364

ffrom vs, me thynk, he is full lang,
and yit longere I trow he will;
Alas! my hart it is so strang
that I ne may now wepe my fill
Anone.
A wonder sight it was to se
When he stevyd vp so sodanly
To his fader in maieste,
By his self alone.

(58)
Matheus.
Alon, for sothe, vp he went into heuen till his fader,
And noman wyst what he ment nor how he dyd of no manere,
so sodanly he was vp hent in flesh and fell fro erth vp here;
he saide his fader for hym sent that maide vs all to be in dwere
This nyght;
Neuer the les full well wote we
As that he will so must it be,
ffor all thyng is in his pauste,
And that is right.

(59)
Maria.
All myghty god, how may this be?
a clowde has borne my childe to blys;
Now bot that I wote wheder is he,
my hart wold breke, well wote I this.
(60)
his stevynyng vp to blys in hy,
it is the sourc of all my Ioyes;
Mi blyssyng, barne, light on thi body!
let neuer thi moder be spylt with Iues.
(61)
Take me to the, my son so heynd,
and let me neuer with Iues be lorne;
help, for my son luf, Iohn, son kynde,
for ferde that I with Iues be torne.

365

Mi flesh it quakys as lefe on lynde,
to shontt the showres sharper then thorne;
help me, Iohn, if thou be kynde,
my son myssyng makys me to mowrne.

(62)
Iohannes.
youre seruande, lady, he me maide,
and bad me kepe you ay to qweme;
Blythe were I, lady, myght I the glad,
and with my myght I shall the yeme.
(63)
Therfor be ferd for nokyn thyng
for oght that Iues wold do you to;
I shall be bayn at youre byddyng,
as my lorde bad, your seruande lo!

(64)
Maria.
Glad am I, Iohn, Whils I haue the;
more comforth bot my son can I none craue;
so covers thou my care, and carpys vnto me,
whils I the se, euer am I safe.
Was none, safe my son, more trusty to me,
therfor his grace sall neuer fro the go;
he shall the qwyte, that died on a tre,
well mendys thou my mode, when I am in wo.

(65)
simon.
let hy vs fro this hill, and to the towne weynde,
for fere of the Iues, that spitus ar & prowde;
With oure dere lady, I red that we weynd,
and pray till hir dere son, here apon lowde.
To hir buxumly I red that we bende,
syn hir dere son fro vs is gone in a clowde,
And hertely in hast haylse we that heynde,
To oure master is she moder, semely in shrowde.
(66)
A, marie so mylde, the myssid we haue;
Was neuer madyn so menskfull here apon molde
As thou art, and moder cleyne, bot this wold we craue,
If this were ihesu, thi son, that Iudas has sold,

366

Shew vs the sothe, vs all may it saue;
we pray the, dere lady, layn that thou nold,
Bot spell vs oure spryng, or els mon we rafe,
Bot thou witterly vs wysh, so fayn wyt we wold.

(67)
Maria.
peter, andrew, Iohn, and Iamys the gent,
Symon, Iude, and bartilmew the bold,
And all my brethere dere, that ar on this bent,
Take tent to my tayll, till that I haue told
Of my dere son, what I haue mentt,
That hens is hevyd to his awne hold;
he taght you the trouthe, or he to heuen went;
he was borne of my bosom as his self wold.
(68)
he is god and man that stevynd into heuen;
preche thus to the pepyll that most ar in price.
Sekys to thare savyng, ye apostilles eleven,
To the Iues of Ierusalem as youre way lyse,
say to the cyte as I can here neuen,
tell the warkys of my son warly and wyse;
Byd theym be stedfast & lysten your steuen,
or els be thay dampned as men full of vyce.
[OMITTED]

Here is a gap of 12 leaves, in the MS