The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXIII.

[verse 1] And Poul bihelde in to the counsel, and seide, Britheren, Y with al good conscience haue lyued bifore God, `til in to [til to b.] this dai. [verse 2] And Anany, prince of

prestis, comaundide to men that stoden nyȝ [nyȝ to hk sec. m.] hym, that thei schulden smyte his mouth. [verse 3] Thanne Poul seide to hym, Thou whitid wal, God smyte thee; thou sittist, and demest me bi the lawe, and aȝens the law thou comaundist me to be smytun. [verse 4] And thei that stoden niȝ, seiden, Cursist thou the hiȝest prest [prynce gk pr. m.] of God? [verse 5] And Poul seide, Britheren, Y wiste not, that he is prince of preestis; for it is writun, Thou schalt not curse the prince of thi [the xak pr. m.] puple. [verse 6] But Poul wiste, that o parti [part αβ.] was of Saduceis, and the othere [tothir CKQXabgkoα.] of Fariseis; and he criede in the counsel, Britheren, Y am a Farisee, the sone of Farisees; Y [and Y b.] am demyd of the hope and [Om. ah.] of the [Om. CEIK pr. m. MQRUXabch.] aȝen rising of deed men. [verse 7] And whanne he hadde seid this thing, dissencioun was maad bitwixe the Fariseis and the [Om. R.] Saduceis, and the mul|titude was departid. [verse 8] For Saduceis seien, that no `rysing aȝen [rising gk pr. m. aȝen rising k sec. m.] of deed men is, nether aungel, nether spirit; but Fariseis knowlechen euer eithir. [verse 9] And a greet cry was maad. And summe of [of the Kkα.] Fari|sees rosen [risen alii.] vp, and [Om. R.] fouȝten, seiynge, We fynden no thing of yuel in this man; what if a spirit, ether an aungel spak to hym? [verse 10] And whanne greet discencioun was maad, the tribune dredde, lest Poul schulde be to-drawun of hem; and he comaundide knyȝtis to go doun, and to take hym fro the myddil of hem, and to lede hym in to castels [a castel I. the castels Rk.] . [verse 11] And in the niȝt suynge the Lord stood niȝ to hym, and seide, Be thou stidfast; for as thou hast witnessid of me in Jerusalem, so it bi|houeth thee to witnesse also at Rome. [verse 12] And whanne the dai was come, summe

of the Jewis gaderiden hem, and maden `a vow [an avouȝ R. avow bcg.] , and seiden, that thei schulden nether eete, ne drinke, til thei slowen Poul. [verse 13] And there weren mo than fourti men, that maden this sweryng togider. [verse 14] And thei wenten to the princis of prestis, and eldre men, and seiden, With deuo|cioun we han a vowid, that we schulen not taste ony thing, til we sleen [han slayn k.] Poul. [verse 15] Now therfor make ȝe knowun to the tri|bune, with the counsel, that he bringe hym forth to ȝou, as if ȝe schulden knowe sum thing more certeynli of hym; and we ben redi to sle hym, bifor that he come. [verse 16] And whanne the sone of Poulis sister hadde herd the aspies [spies k pr. m.] , he cam, and entride in to the castels, and telde to Poul. [verse 17] And Poul clepide to hym oon of the centuriens, and seide, Lede this ȝonge man to the tribune, for he hath sum thing to schewe to hym. [verse 18] And he took hym, and ledde to the tribune, and seide, Poul, that is boundun, preide me to lede to thee this ȝonge man, that hath sum thing to speke to thee. [verse 19] And the tribune took his hoond, and wente with hym asidis half, and axide [askide O.] hym, What thing is it, that thou hast to schewe to me? [verse 20] And he seide, The Jewis ben acordid [it acordide, etc.; that is, Jewis maden acord ether a couenaunt. Lire here. ve.] to preye thee, that to morewe thou brynge forth Poul in to the counsel, as if thei schulden enquere sum thing more cer|teynli of hym. [verse 21] But bileue thou not to hem; for mo than fourti men of hem aspien [aspieden g.] hym, which han a vowid, that thei schulen not [nether k.] eete nether [ne Ik.] drynke, til thei sleen hym; and now thei ben redi, abidinge thi biheest. [verse 22] Therfor the tri|bune lefte the ȝonge man, and comaund|ide, that he schulde speke to no man,

that he hadde maad these thingis knowun to hym. [verse 23] And he clepide togidre twei centuriens, and he seide to hem, Make ȝe redi twei hundrid knyȝtis, that thei go to Cesarie, and horse men seuenti, and spere men twey hundrid, fro the thridde our of the nyȝt. [verse 24] And make ȝe redy an hors, for Poul to ride on, to lede hym saaf to Felix, the presydent. [verse 25] For the tribune dredde [For he dredde, etc.; al this sentense til this word, to taking money, be pass|id, is not of the text, neither is in bookis amendid, but first it was a glose ȝeldinge the cause whi the tribune sente Poul with so greet sykir|nesse, and aftir|ward this glose was set in the text bi vnkun|nyngnesse of writeris. Lire here. ve.] , lest the Jewis wol|den take hym bi the weie, and sle hym, and aftirward he miȝte be chalengid, as [as if k.] he hadde take money. [verse 26] And [He K sec. m.] wroot hym [to him CKMRXabk pr. m. Oβ.] `a pistle [epistle Ee.] , conteynynge these thingis. Clau|dius Lisias to the [thee ac sec. m.] beste Felix, president, heelthe. [verse 27] This man that was take of the Jewis, and bigan to be slayn, Y cam vp|on hem with myn oost, and delyuerede hym fro hem, whanne Y knewe that he was a Romayn. [verse 28] And Y wolde wite the cause, which thei puttiden aȝens hym; and Y ledde hym to [into bho.] the counsel of hem. [verse 29] And Y foond, that he was accusid of questiouns of her lawe, but he hadde no cryme worthi the deth, ethir boondis. [verse 30] And whanne it was teeld me of the aspies [spies k pr. m.] , that thei arayden for hym, Y sente hym to thee, and Y warnede also the accuseris, that thei seie at thee. Fare wel. [verse 31] And so the knyȝtis, as thei weren comaundid, token Poul, and ledde hym bi nyȝt into Antipatriden. [verse 32] And in the dai suynge, whanne the horsmen weren left, that schulden go with hym, thei turneden aȝen to the [Om. h pr. m.] castels. [verse 33] And whanne thei camen to Cesarie, thei token the pistle [epistle E.] to the president, and thei set|ten also Poul byfore him. [verse 34] And whanne he hadde red, and [he a.] axide [askide O.] , of what pro|uynce he was, and knewe that he was of

[verse 35] Cilicie, Y schal here thee, he seide, whanne thin accuseris comen. And he comaund|ide hym to be kept in [into b.] the moot halle of Eroude.