A fourteenth century English Biblical version, edited by Anna C. Paues ...

[verse 1] Ande [in marg. C ^m 25 in a later hand, C. xxv c ^o on erasure in a XVI^th century hand, S.] whanne Festus þanne come into þo contre, efter þo þridde daye he wente vnto [to S.P.D.] Ierusalem fro Cesarye. [verse 2] Ande þo princes of prestes come vnto [to S.P.D.] hym, and þo firste & þo moste worþi of þo Iewes, agayne Poule. Ande þei preyde [verse 3] hym, aschande grace agayn hym, þat he schulde bidde hym be broghte into Ierusalem, settande waytynges forto slee hym in þo waye. [verse 4] Ande Festus ansuered, þat Poule schulde be kepped in Cesarye, ande þat hymseluen [he h. S.P.] schulde hastily go þider. [verse 5] Ande [om. P.] þerfore, he saide, þoo þat ben myghty [C folio 66] in ȝowe [in ȝowe om. S.P.D.] , kome þei [om. S.P.D.] alsso. Ande if [om. P.] þer be any cryme in þo man, accuse þei hym. [verse 6] And he dwelled amonge hem days no mo bot eghte or tenne. Ande he wente into Cesarye,

ande þo toþer daye he sate in his sete of dome, ande bade þat Poule be broghte forþe. [verse 7] Ande whanne he was broghte forþe, Iewes [þe i. S.P.] þat komen fro Ierusalem stoden aboute hym, castande agayne hym many grete causes, þo whiche þei myghte noghte [verse 8] proue; for Poule made his skille agayne, sayande, þat nouper I haue synned agayn þo lawe of þo Iewes, nor agayne þo temple, nor agayne þo Cesar. [verse 9] Ande Festus, in wille forto gife grace vnto [to S.P.D.] þo Iewes [nor aȝen þe pepel follows, expunged, S.P.] , ande forto haue þanke of hem, ansuered vnto [to S.P.D.] Poule and saide, Wilte þou go vnto [to S.P.D.] Ieru|salem, ande þer be iuged of þise bifore me? [verse 10] Ande Poule saide, I stonde atte þo demynge-place of þo Cesare, where hit behoues [S folio 128] me forto [to S.P.D.] be demed. I haue noghte noyed vnto [to S.P.D.] þo Iewes, as þow wele knowes. [verse 11] Ande if I haue noyed or done any þinge worþi þo deþe, I recuse [refuse S.P.D.] noghte to dye. Bot if I haue done no þinge þat þei accuse me of, none may gife me vnto [to S.P.D.] hem. [verse 12] Vnto [to S.P.D.] þo Cesar I appele. Þanne Festus spake wiþ hise cownseyle, and ansuered, Þow haues appeled vnto [to S.P.D.] þo Cesar, ande to þo Cesar schalte þow go. [verse 13] Ande whanne [C folio 66b] summe days wore passed, þo kenge Agrippa ande men of Baronye [Vulg. Agrippa rex et Bernice.] come vnto Cesarie to Festus, forto hayls hym. [verse 14] And whanne þei hade ben þore many dayes, Festus tolde vnto [to S.P.D.] þo kenge of Poule, & sayde, þer was a man lefte [verse 15] bownden of Felix: for [in marg. C.] whom, whanne I was at Ierusalem, þo princes of prestes ande þo elders come vnto [to S.P.D.] me, aschande dampnacione agaynes hym. [verse 16] To whom I ansuered, þat hit es noghte custome vnto [to S.P.D.] þo Romayns to [for to S.P.] dampne any man, to [til (on erasure, S.) P.] he þat es accused haue presente hise accusars, and alsso þat he haue place forto defende hym, forto ansuere vnto [to S.P.D.] þo crymes þat ben putte vpon [on S.P.] hym. [verse 17] Ande whanne þei come hider wiþouten any taryynge, I sate on þo toþer day forto deme, and I bade hym forto be broghte forþe [to us S.P.D.] . [verse 18] Of whom, whanne hise accusars stode bifore me, I fonde no cause of þo whiche I supposed ille [yuel S.P.D.] . [verse 19] Bot summe questions [questyoun S.P.D.] of his super|sticione þei hade agayne hym, and specially of one Iesu, þat

es deed, whom Poule affermed forto life. [verse 20] Ande for I was in doute of þis question, I asched if he wolde go vnto [to S.P.D.] Ieru|salem and be iuged þore of þise [hym, crossed through, with þese þynges in marg. 1st corr. S. þese þinges, P.] . [verse 21] Ande Poule appeled, & forto kepe hit vnto [to S.P.D.] þo knowynge [S folio 128b] of þo Auguste, I bade kepe hym [om. S.P.] to I sende hym [C folio 67] vnto þo [om. S.P.D.] Cesar. [verse 22] Ande Agrippa saide to Festus, I wolde alsso here þat man. ⁷Ande Festus ansuered⁷ [^7-7 om. S.P.] , Tomorne þow schalte here hym. [verse 23] Ande vpon [on S.P.D.] þo toþer daye, whanne Agrippa ande þo men of Beronye wore comen with grete ȝerneynge [ȝernynges P.] , ande wore enterd [to, expunged, follows, S.] þo audy|torye, wiþ þo tribunes ande þo principal men of þo cyte, at þo [om. P.] bidynge of Festus Poule was broghte forþe. [verse 24] Ande Festus saide, Kenge Agrippa, ande ȝhe alle þat ben here wiþ vs, ȝhe sene þis man, of whom alle þo multitude of þo Iewes speke vnto [to S.P.D.] me at Ierusalem, aschande & criande þat he schulde no lenger life. [verse 25] Ande I fonde no þinge þat he wore worþi þe deþe fore. Ande for he haues appeled, I haue demed to sende hym vnto [to þe S.P.D.] Auguste. [verse 26] Bot in certayne what I may write to my lorde haue [I haue S.P.D.] I noghte. Ande for þis cause I haue [om. P.] broghte hym forthe vnto [to S.P.D.] ȝowe, and specially vnto [to S.P.D.] þo kenge Agrippa, þat I [haue, expunged, follows, P.] may asche hym bifore ȝowe, ande þat I may knowe what I schal write. [verse 27] For wiþouten resone me þenke [þynkeþ S.P.D.] to sende hym bownden, ande noghte forto telle þo cause.