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28. Hic incipit passio apostolorum Simonis et Jude [S. Tib. fol. 266a 2—268a 1.] ).
Saint Simon and saint Judas
Samyn playnly gan þai pas
In sere cuntrese and sere land,
Þe passion of Crist ful fast precheand.
And þe wai right gan þai hald
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Vntill a land þat Pers was cald,
And þare þai baptist folk ful fele
And techid þam right way to wele.
And þa two mawmettes fand þai þare
Of þe whilk we spak langare,
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Þat wonid in Ethiopia [T wond.]
And seyn fled saint Mathew fra; [T seþin, H seyn.]
Now in Perse þai war wonand
And fobbed fele folk in þat lande.
A duke þare wond, hight Varadac,
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Þat grete maistri thurgh þam gan mak;
And he was duke vnder þe king
Þat Babiloyne had in kepeing.
A batayl had he vndertane—
Thurgh deming of þir deuils allane— [T demig.]
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To fight ogains þe folk of Ynde
Þat þare pople bifore had pinde.
Þan in þis ilk dukes cumpani
War many þat lifd on maumetri,
For þir ilk deuils said vnto sum
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Cases þat suld efter cum.
And when þai war to batail bown,
To þe mawmettes went þai wit renown
To wit at þam — for þan was nede—
How þai suld in þe batayl spede.
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Bot when þai come þair goddes unto, [T þaire, H þai mit übschr. r.]
Als þai bifore war won to do
Þai asked resons maniane;
Bot answer of þam had þai nane;
Ful still þai stode and answerd noght—
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Þareof þe folk grete ferly thoght.
And when þai saw no bote might be,
Þai went till anoþer cete,
Whare oþer deuils war halden in close
And tald þe pople sere purpose;
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Þai asked þam, when þai come þare:
Whi þaire goddes gaf none answare,
Sen þai had tald to þam biforn
Ful mani meruailes euyn and morn,
And now in þaire most nede þai fail
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When þai er boun unto batail.
Þan answerd þe fendes in hi [T hy,]
And sayd: "þis es encheson whi [why.]
Þat zowre god gifes to zow no rede: [H ne st. no.]
Þare are two appostels in þat stede,
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Simon a(n)d Judas hat þai right, [H ad.]
And þai er of so mikill might,
Þat, sen þai come in zowre cete,
Zowre goddes to speke has no poste".
Sone when þe duke herd þusgat say,
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Hame ogaine he toke þe way,
And grath men sone gert he ga
Forto seke þe appostels twa.
Vntill þai fand þam, haue þai soght,
Vntill þe duke þai both er broght.
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And hastily, when þai come þare, [folio 182]
He asked þam: was men þai ware [H was = whas.]
And wat cuntres þai war cumen fra [T what.]
And weder þai war boun to ga,
And for wat reson, asked he, [T what.]
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Þat þai war cumen to þat cete.
Þai answerd þan right, als þai knew,
And say: "sir, we er of Ebreu
And seruandes vnto Jhesu Crist,
Þat in flom Jordan was baptist
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And died on þe mount Caluary,
Man sawl vntill his blis at by;
And, sir, for zowre saluacioun
Þus er we cumen unto þis toune:
So þat ze may knaw by oure steuyn
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Þe might of oure lord god in heuyn".
Þe duke þan, when he herd þis saw,
Sumdele bigan he Crist to knaw
