prophetis, we han founden, Jesus, Josepis sone, of Naȝareþ. And Nathanael seide to Philip, Of Naȝareþ mai sum good be? And Philip seide to Nathanael þat he shulde come and se Jesus. Jesus saw Nathanael comyng to him, and seide of him: Lo, verili, a man of Israel in whom is noo gile. And Nathanael seide to Crist: Wher|of hast þou knowe me? Jesus answeride and seide to him, Bifore þat Philip clepide þee, whanne þou was undir þe fige tree, Y saw þee. And here Crist techiþ his Godhed in a maner bi his speche þat he seiþ here. Nathanael was a wise man, and þerfor spak more sutilli. For as Poul seiþ, we speken wisdom among wise men. Crist telliþ here to Nathanael how he saw him undir þe fige tree. Þat mote be bi his Godhede; for bodili siȝt cam not þanne. And þus þat Crist knewe þe hert of Nathanael was bi his Godhede. And þus Crist telliþ, but privyly, whereof he knewe Nathanael,—for of his Godhede he knewe him, as Crist mente in hise wordis. And Nathanael answeride and seide to Crist: Maister, þou art Goddis sone, and þou art king of Israel. Jesus answeride and seide to him, For Y seide to þee þat Y saw þee undir þe fige tree, þou bilevest; þerfore þou shall se more þan þese. And Crist seide to þes men togider, Soþeli, I seie to ȝou, ȝe shal se hevene open, and aungels of God steynge up and comynge doun upon me, al if Y be, mannis sone.
In þis story mai we see many treuþis þat we shulden trowe. First, how proctours of Crist shulden gete disciplis to him bi skilful mevyng [movyng, E.] of Goddis lawe, þat þei miȝten freeli come to Crist, and not bi chaffaryng of erþeli þingis, as þese newe ordris chaffaren. Men þat comen to þes dowid ordris [and] [om. E; rightly.] bringen þer cloþing wiþ hem, boþe for her bedde and bak; for richesse lettiþ to ȝyve hem þese; and over þis þei moten bringe boþe a cuppe and spone to drynke and ete þeir potage; for on þes þingis is þer þouȝt. In þes ordris of þese beggaris þei have contrarie maner; for þei, al ful of disseit, not wiþouten gile as Naþanael, wiþ divers and litil ȝiftis, and false wordis, disseyven children. For þei abiden not to ful age, as weren Andrew, Peter, and Philip; but bifore men have discrecioun in þeir childhode þei ben þus begilid. And so þe first part of þes ordris telliþ
