þe false ymages bi gunne to breke
þat þe feondes weren inne i steke.
Here cam heroudes þe king of egypte lond and criede ore louerd merci and bad for ȝiuenesse of is wicke dedes, and Jhc it him grauntede and to his folke, and þer to is beneiscoun.
HEroudes, þo he hadde þis iherd,
In his heorte he was a ferd,
Line 260
For is godes he was sori
And for is folk also witterli.
Ake sethþe þo he wel vnder stod
þat swete Jhu milde of mod
Was miȝhti king and poustifs
Line 265
And destruyde is enemis,
Of ȝwam þe prophetes tolden with toungue [Ms. pphetes ohne Zeichen der Abkürzung.]
And in write of him soungue
þe dedes þat ihus þare wrouȝhte,
Hit was wilninde in is þouȝte:
Line 270
Pharaon þat was Aumperour
Of egypte with muche honour,
He nolde i leue for none lore
þat Jhc on eorþe wolde beo bore,
Ne he nolde merci crie
Line 275
For nouȝt þat he saiȝh with eiȝe;
Bote pruyte he hauntede euere faste;
In þe se he Dreinte atþe laste
And to helle wende he,
þare he schal euere be.
Line 280
Heroudes was ai in doute,
And so is come with grete route
To Jhu þat childe so swete,
Hise sunnes forto bete.
Jhesus of him hadde reuþe
Line 285
And wuste his þouȝt and is treuþe,
