The Middle-English Harrowing of hell and Gospel of Nicodemus. Now first ed. from all the known manuscripts, with introduction and glossary, by William Henry Hulme.

The Gospel of Nicodemus.

Galba MS. TEXT G.

Hic incipit euangelium Nichodemi.

(1)

BItid þe time Tiberius [leaf 57 bk.] rewled Rome with realte, þat same tyme Theodosius was proued prince in Galile, [ 4] þis stori wrate Nichodemus in ebreu for ful grete dainte; seþin þe emperoure Theodosius gert it þus translated be [ 8] þat men may vnderstand, both lered and lawed in ledes; a clerk of ingland in his remail þus redes: [ 12]

(2)

Simon, Zayrus and Caiphas, datan and Gamaliell, Neptalim, Leui and Iudas, With þaire accusinges fals and fell, Alexander and als annas, [ 17] Ogaines Ihesu þai speke and spell; bifore sir pilate gan þai pas, þaire tales vntill him gan þai tell: "þis mopp þat merres oure men, [ 21] kalles him god sun of heuyn, his sire, his dam we ken, bi name we kan þam neuyn; [ 24]

(3)

We wate wele Ioseph was a wright, suthly he was his sire, and mari vs menes his moder hight, we, whatkin goddes er þise? [ 28] he es þaire sun, þis weried wight, þat egges vs all till ire; oure lawes to breke both day & night, þat es his moste desire," [ 32] Sir pilate answerd þan: "sais me whilk er his sawes, on what maner þis man aleges ogaines oure lawes." [ 36]

(4)

"Oure law vs leres," þan said a Iew, "þe sabot to do no thing; þan wirkes he wonder werkes new, heles al þat askes heleing, [ 40] þe croked cripilles þat we knew, þis es a wonder thing;

he makes þam hale of hide & hew thurgh his fals charmeing." [ 44] to pilat said þai all: "for soth slike er his dedes, slike fare he fares withall, with fendes craft he him fedes." [ 48]

(5)

Þan said pilat: "ȝe have no right to blame him by no way; his miracles musters his might, it es noght als ȝe say; [ 52] sen he to blind has gifen þe sight and raised þat beried lay, whi suld he vnto ded be dight þat mendes all þat he may?" [ 56] þan all þe iewes cride: "sir pelate, we þe pray, bring him to bar þis tide þat makes vs all þis dray." [ 60]

(6)

A bedell to bring him gan he bid, Romayne he hight, we rede, and he þat was for curtais kid did it sone in dede; [ 64] a wonden wrethe þat his heuid hid spred he all furth on brede: "lord, þe to call domesman me did, bot walk in on þis wede." [ 68] þe iewes all of þat gate wex all ful gul and grene and said to sir pilate: "a deuil, what may þis mene? [ 72]

(7)

Þe bedel suld to þe be trew [leaf 58] and do þi comandment;

on knese here knelid he to ihesu right in þine auwen present; [ 76] vs noyes gretly þir notes new, we toke þarto gude tent, slike curtaisy vnto him he knew, right on his wreth he went." [ 80] þai asked him whi he kid ihesu slike curtaysy; and he said: "þat I did I had encheson whi; [ 84]

(8)

Til Alisander, wele ȝe wate, in message was I made, to Ierusalem I come so late þat till þe morn I bade; [ 88] þis ihesus on ane Ass þare sate and thurgh þe toun he rade; childer byfore him in þe gate spred þaire clothes obrade, [ 92] to him all gan þai bow; 'Osanna,' was þaire sang, 'blisced be he þat cumes now in goddes name vs omang.'" [ 96]

(9)

Þan said þe iews: "traytur vntrew, with lies þou has vs led, þaire carping þare no thing þou knew, we lay oure heuiddes in wed; [ 100] iherusalem langage es ebrew, ful fer þeþin was þou fed." he said: "I spirde at men inowe þat in þat burgh war bred." [ 104] "Osanna," quod pilate, "what es þat forto say?" þai said: "it menes algate, 'Lord, saue vs, we þe pray.'" [ 108]

(10)

Þan said pilate: "me think in thoght þe bedell wrang ȝe blame; Ȝowre childer sawes forsake ȝe noght, Ȝowreseluen sais þe same; [ 112] bot, bedell, to bar sen þou him broght to schilde þiself fro schame, haue him furth þat þou wirschip wroght and call him in by name." [ 116] Out of þat rout romayne oure lord Ihesu he ledes, and calles him in ogayn, als he þat domesman dredes. [ 120]

(11)

Of Emperoures þat are had bene þis was used in þat land, for folk suld on þair menskes mene, men suld hald in þaire hand [ 124] þaire armes set on schaftes schene, graythed of gold gleterand; so did þai þare þat day bidene, and stabilly gan þai stand; [ 128] when he þat all sall welde was led into þe hall, þe heuides haly gan helde and did him honors all. [ 132]

(12)

Þan þe iews ful sterne and stout said: "þis es hard hething, þir lurdans lattes þaire schaftes lout and wroght him wirschiping." [ 136]

þan pilat asked þam all obout: "Whi did ȝe swilk a thing?" þai said: "we do ȝow out of dout, it was noght oure witing, [ 140] we toke no tent him till, þe baners gan him bow; it was ogains oure will, þat sall ȝe trewly trow." [ 144]

(13)

Þai said þat it was weterly Ogains þaire will algate; þe iews þan ful loud gan cry and pleinde þam to pilate; [ 148] he bad þam tak men more mighty, strang and stabill of state, and lat þam hald þe schaftes in hy, þaire baret to abate. [ 152] In þaire iewry aiwhare on ilk side haue þai soght, of men þat mighty ware þe boldest haue þay broght. [ 156]

(14)

Sir pilat to þase iews þan sware, suld hald þo schaftes in hand: "if þai lout vnto ihesu mare, ȝe sall lose life and land." [ 160] þe men þat wight and willy ware said: "to þi steuin we stand; whas heuid so heldes brede of ane hare, hardily hag of his hand." [ 164] "haue ihesus out of þe hall," said pelat þe bedell vntill, "and eft in þou him call, on what wise so þou will." [ 168]

(15)

[lf. 58, bk.] His heuid vnhild on knese he knelid, his clathes on brede he spred, with all wirschip þat he kouth welde oure lord eft in he led; [ 172] þe heuides on heght halely gan helde and bowing to him þai bed; þe men when þai þam failand feld drowpid and war adred. [ 176] when pilat saw in sight how þe baners gan bow, for drede he rase vpright ogans oure lord ihesu. [ 180]

(16)

Broght was he þus to bar ogain, þe king of all mankin; þe fende þan thoght: "if he war slayn, he suld saue men of sin, and sawles þat he had tane with traine fro him þat tyme suld twin." forþi he dose his might & mayn to ger þat bargan blin; [ 188] on þe night als ane angell he appered to pilates wife: "vnto þi lord þou tell he lett noght ihesus life." [ 192]

(17)

Sir pilates wife, dame procula, till hir lord þus gan say: "deme ȝe noght ihesus till ne fra, bot mensk him þat ȝe may, [ 196] I haue bene drechid with dremis swa þis ilk night als I lay; if ȝe him deme to ded at ga, oure welth mun wend oway." [ 200]

pilat als man amayde stode in a grete stody, seþin to þe iewes he sayd: "ȝe wrigh him wrangwisly; [ 204]

(18)

My wife, ȝe wate wele, es no iew, scho es a sarizene; mynsters has scho made ȝow new and done gude dedis bidene; [ 208] scho sais Ihesus es gude and trew, slepand þus has scho sene; if we him reyne, it mun vs rew euermore þaron to mene." [ 212] þai said: "þis wist we are, ilk man þe suth may se; he fares with fendes fare, witched þi wife has he." [ 216]

(19)

Sir pilat said: "it meruailes me þat þou standes so still, sen þat þiself þe suth may se what þai tell þe vntill." [ 220] crist said: "ilk man a mowth has fre to welde at his awin will; þaire wordes ful wide sall witen be wheþer þai be gude or ill." [ 224] "Ihesus, lat be þi dyn!" said all þe iews on raw, "a horcop born in syn ilkane wele we þe knaw; [ 228]

(20)

We wate wele for þi sake was slayne all þe barnes in Bedlem born; to fle with þe þi frendes war fayn, and els had þi life bene forlorn; [ 232]

when herod died, es noght at layn, þat þi ded hertly had sworn, till ȝowre cuntre ȝe come ogayn þat ȝe war fled fro byforn." [ 236] pilat said: "es þis he þat herod soght to sla?" þai said: "sir, ȝa parde, bot þus he passed him fra." [ 240]

(21)

Pilat when he herd how it was, he dred mekill þe mare; he chesed a quest on him to pas and by þaire law þai sware, [ 244] þai said to pilat and to Cayfas: "þe soth we will noght spare, mary with ioseph wedid was, at þaire weding we ware." [ 248] pilat said to þam þan þat had blamed him biforn: "with wrang ȝe wrigh þis man, in wedlayk was he born." [ 252]

(22)

Þan stirt vp iews bitter and bald and said to sir pilate: "þe tales þat we haue of him talde will we avow algate; [ 256] at þir men es ful litell halde, sir, þai say als þai wate, þai er bot barnes, sir, be ȝe balde, cumen till oure law now late." [ 260] þis quest stedfast als stele said to þase oþer twelue: "we er Iews, wit ȝe wele, born frely als ȝowreselue." [ 264]

(23)

[[leaf 59] Sir pilat to bar a boke has broght þir two questes to twin; with swering sal þe suth be soght, first quest he biddes bigin; [ 268] and þai say: "nay, þat falles vs noght, we say swering es syn; lat þam swere þat þis wrang has wroght, all knew we ihesus kyin; [ 272] if we be fun gilty in þis thing þat we say, we oblis vs forto dy bifor domesmen þis day." [ 276]

(24)

Þan spac annas and Cayfas and said to sir pilate: "we trow wele mari wedded was and þat ioseph him gate; [ 280] bot till anoþer point we pas þat sall hald him ful hate: we say a spirit enclosed he has, wharthurth all thinges he wate." pilat gert haue out all [ 285] þat þan war in þat hows, and þat quest gert he call þat proued him born in spowse;

(25)

He said: "I fand ȝow trew langare, telles me now ȝowre rede, whi hate þir iews ihesu so sare and will þus haue him ded?" [ 292]

þai say: "his lessons passes þaire lare, þarfore þai haue hatred, and als his miracles moues þam mare, þat standes þam mekill in stede." wrath es sir pilat þan [ 297] and sais: "þis es enuy; will þai þus deme a man for his gude dedes to dy?" [ 300]

(26)

Sir pilat highed out of þe hall and said þe iews vntill: "I witnes here byfor ȝow all I find in him none ill." [ 304] and þai answerd both grete & small: "syr, ift it war þi will, we gert him noght bifor þe call to deme withowten skill." [ 308] he sais: "þan bus him dy, I se wele by ȝowre saws; takes him to ȝow forþi and demes him by ȝowre laws." [ 312]

(27)

Þan said þe iews: "syr, wele þou wate, god biddes vs sla no man." vnto þam þus answerd pilate: "biddes god me sla men þan? [ 316] I haue wele herd whi ȝe him hate and whi ȝowre grefe bigan; with my will bese he ded nonegate by no craft þat ȝe can; [ 320] it sall noght stand in stede, for sertes it war no reson at deme a man to ded, bot ȝe had more encheson." [ 324]

(28)

He led ihesus þe iewes fra þat bifore stode him by and said till him bitwix þam twa: "þou es king of iewry?" [ 328] Ihesus sais: "oiþer was it tald þe swa, or þou red rightwisly?" þan said pilat: "me war full wa þi folk suld ger þe dy; [ 332] þou ert bytane to me forto be demid þis day; king of iews if þou be answer to þat, I say." [ 336]

(29)

Ihesus sayd þan to him ogayne: "my kingdom es noght here; if my kingdom, es noght at layn, within þis werld now were, [ 340] or I omang þir iews war slaine, my men þat er me dere wald put þam fro þaire purpos playn with ful grete powere." [ 344] "þan ertou king algate," says pelate, "sikerly?" Ihesus said to pilate: Þou sais it and noght I; [ 348]

(30)

Cumen I am to þis cuntre and þarto was I born, of suthfastnes witnes to be þat was noght sene biforn; [ 352] al þat suthfast lithes me lely both euyn and morn; þai sal be demed in þaire degre þat suthfastnes has lorn." [ 356]

pilat þan asked him eft: "what thing es suthfastnes?" with þat Ihesus he left als man þat stonayd es. [ 360]

(31)

[[lf. 59, bk.] He said vnto þe iewes al þus: "sirs, if it war ȝowre will, I haue enquered more of ihesus, I find in hym none ill." [ 364] þai sayd: "he was noght wrighed for vs withowen sertayn skill." sir pilat said: "dy sen him bus, I consent noght þartill, [ 368] I am withowten gilt, to proue in ȝowre present; his blude sal noght be spilt forsoth by myne assent." [ 372]

(32)

To þis answerd þe iewes all and made þam wonder wrath, þai say: "his blude mot on vs fall and on oure childer bath." [ 376] sir pilat said: "parchance so sall, þat es ful mekill wath; þarfore lat haue him out of hall and skape withowten skath." [ 380] þai say: "sir, wele þou wate, we say bot lawfully; wha blemis Kinges astate es wele worth forto dy; [ 384]

(33)

And whoso sklandres þe godhede es more syn þan swilk seuyn;

he þat es man withowten drede als god sun will him neuyn, [ 388] he hetes to sit, whoso tase hede, on goddes right hand in heuyn, to deme ilk man efter his dede at his awin ordinance euyn." [ 392] out of þat company pilat went Ihesu vnto and said: "syr, sekerly, I ne wate what es to do." [ 396]

(34)

Crist said: "als gifen þe and me, so bus be done alwise." pilat sais: "how?" and þan sais he: "als proues þe prophecise, [ 400] Moyses, dauid and Iosue, and oþer mo þan þise; als þai said, bese fulfild in me to suffer and dye and rise." [ 404] þan pilat went to hall als man þat was amayd and tald to þe iews all how þat Ihesus had sayd. [ 408]

(35)

Þan said þe iews to pilat: "lo, in swilk errowre he dwelles, with more witnes what suld we do? himself ful trewly telles." [ 412] pilat said: "takes him ȝow vnto, sen ilk man þus him melles, and demes als ȝe bigan þis bro, for I will say noght els." [ 416] þai say: "wha melling makes to man, þis find we wretyn, 'ane wane of fourty strakes with ȝerde he sal be smeten;' [ 420]

(36)

Wha sklanders god, ȝe wate he mon be staned to ded for syn; he telles ȝow þat he es god son, and we knaw all his kyn; [ 424] he sais þat he sall sit in trone, þarfore or euer we blin, we will þat he on cros be done and ded for all his dyn; [ 428] if he regne sekerly, all sall turn to his lare; and better es þat a man dy þan all þe folk forfare." [ 432]

(37)

In come sir nicodeme by þan, was prince of þe iewry, he said: "I rede ȝe do þis man no maner of velany; [ 436] slike sotell talkinges als he can and schewes vs opinly was neuer ȝit sene þe werld bigan sene in prophecy; [ 440] and if his fare war fals, it suld be sene ful sone; his sawes and his dedes als suld dy and be vndone. [ 444]

(38)

When signes war schewed thurgh Moises vntill pharao þe kyng, two witnes, Iamnes and mambres, did him ful grete hething; [ 448] signes þat he schewed made þai lese with þaire fals enchaunting, als goddes þam held all hathenes; bot lithes þe last ending; [ 452]

for his dedes war suthfast and þaires bot sorcery; his dedes sall euermore last, and þaires bud nedely dy. [ 456]

(39)

[leaf 60] And parchance þis man may be sent a prophet vs forto lere; i n[e] wat by wham þat moises ment [459. MS. in what for i ne wat.] þat telles on þis manere: [ 460] 'a prophet till oure lawes bese lent and born omanges vs here;' he said þai sall be schamely schent þat him þis will noght here." [ 464] þe iews bifor pilate sayd vnto nichodeme: "his lare be þine algate, and his pese might þe ȝeme." [ 468]

(40)

Nichodeme answerd and said "a∣men," and held up bath his hend, "vnto his lare I tak me þen, his pese in me might lend." [ 472] into þe hall þan come þare ten þat for lazars war kend, þai said: "we war vnclene, ȝe ken, hale thurgh his word we wend." [ 476] in come anoþer and said: "sir, blind born was I, handes on mine eghen he layd, þus sagh I sekerly." [ 480]

(41)

Anoþer said: "sirs, seke I lay fourty ȝere al bot twa,

I asked mercy, and he gan say: 'tyte tak þi bed and ga!' [ 484] sone was I helid and went my way." þus come ay ma and ma, þai said: "sirs, no man nowmber may how many he has helid swa." [ 488] all haly say þai þus: "a grete prophet es he, oure sauiore dere Ihesus, blisced ay mot he be." [ 492]

(42)

"Ȝowre prestes, ȝowre bisschoppes," quad pilate, "þusgat why hele noght þai?" and þai answerd and said: "we ne wate, bot þus wirkes he alway; ane lazar þat was ded now late [ 497] and in his graue lang lay, he lifes ogain in ful gude state, þis es suth þat we say." [ 500] hereof had pilat drede and said: "whi will ȝe spill þe man þat helpis in nede all þat will call him till?" [ 504]

(43)

He cald nichodeme and þat quest þat he fand trew algate and said: "lordinges, how hald ȝe best? þir folk falles in debate." [ 508] and þai said: "sir, als haue we reste, what es to do we ne wate; þam forto pay er we noght prest, forto les his astate; [ 512] we pray god þat he send right dome þam omang, on þam self moght it lend [ 515] wha dose right and who wrang."

(44)

At pasch of Iews þe custom was ane of preson to slake, withowten dome to lat him pas for þat high fest sake. [ 520] a prison þai had hight barabas þat many murthers gan make; wheþer him or ihesu, pilat ass, þai will fro presoun take, [ 524] þai cried fast: "baraban!" and pilat askes þam all: "what sall Ihesus do þan?" þai say: "cros him þou sall; [ 528]

(45)

Bot þou do so, it es wele sene þou es noght Cesares frende; who makes þam kyng, withowten wene ogains cesar þai wende." and pilat said þan in a tene: [ 533] "ȝe folk ful of þe fende, till ȝowre belders ay haue ȝe bene schrewes and ill at þe ende." [ 536] for wroth þai wex nere wode and said: "why says þou so? who did vs euer ȝit gude, [ 539] [þ]at we ne did þam slike two?"

(46)

"Fro egipt," said he, "war ȝe led with moyses þe trew prophete, fro pharao thurgh þe se ȝe fled and filed noght ȝowre fete; [ 544] in wildernes, when god ȝow fed with angell mete ful swete, owles to ȝowre fode þat neuer war bred and rayn fro heuyn he lete; [ 548]

out of þe stane he sent fress water weterly; Ȝe brac his cumandment and lifed on maumetry; [ 552]

(47)

[[lf. 60, bk.] Bot þat moyses gan for ȝow pray, god had fordone ȝow þare; and here þis man þat ilka day heles ȝow seke and sare, [ 556] for I deme noght vnto ȝowre pay bot wald þe giltles spare; I am noght Cesars frende, ȝe say, þis es vnrightwis fare." [ 560] þai sai: "we haue no king bot þe Emperoure of rome; to trow on þis tratilling þat war no rightwis dome. [ 564]

(48)

We find how thre kinges her biforn fro perse to bedlem soght, þai asked whare þe king of iews was born and till him ofrandes broght; [ 568] bot when herod wist on þe morn on what wise þai had wroght, þat he and þai both suld be lorn, þis was in herodes thoght; [ 572] for he knew noght him þis, al childer bad he sla þat of twa ȝere oght mys, and ȝit he scapid him fra." [ 576]

(49)

Pilat hereof had grete pete and bad all men be still: "withowten caus þa kinges thre soght noght so fer him till." [ 580]

water wighty askes he and wesse his hend by skill: "I am giltles, als ȝe sall se, þis rightwis blode to spill." [ 584] þan cried þe Iews all: "þareof haue þou no dout, his blode on vs might fall, put vs in and þe out." [ 588]

(50)

Þan gert pilat vnto bar bring knightes ful grete plente, he sais: "his folk vnproues him king, and kingdom claymes he; [ 592] þarfore with scowrges ȝe sall him ding, þus byd I þat it be, seþen on a cros ȝe sall him hing high þat þe men may se; [ 596] a thef on aiþer syde ȝo do at my biding, als king of mekill pride in middes ȝe sall him hing." [ 600]

(51)

Þase knightes kene laid hand him on and led whare he suld dy, his clathes of him þai don, [603. þai erased before of; on erased before don.] a white towayle in hy, [ 604] a purpure mantell þareopon and hid his eghen hastily; þare þai defouled him als a fon and king of iews gan cry; [ 608]

a crown of thorn ful sare to threst þai haue bygun on his heuid, till þe hare was all of blude biron; [ 612]

(52)

On rode þai raised him þan gude spede, a thef on ayther syde; aysell and gall raised on a rede within a spounge þai hide, [ 616] vntill his mowth at drink þai bede, and ihesus sayd þat tyde: "fader, forgif þir men þaire dede of þis bale þat I byde." [ 620] þe Iews þan þat þare stode said: "god sun if þou be, cum doun now fro þat rode, and we sall trow in þe." [ 624]

(53)

A blind knight, so thoght þam best, a spere þai gaf gude spede; to ihesu side þai gan it threst, and blude and water out ȝede. [ 628] pilat, for folk bi est and west suld haue mynde of þat dede, a bill obouen his heuid he fest þat ilka man myght rede, [ 632] latin, Ebrew and gru; his titill was þusgate: "þis ilk man es Ihesu, king of iews," þus he wrate. [ 636]

(54)

On his left side hanged Iestas and said to him bi name: "if þou be god, hethin lat vs pas, saue þe and vs fro schame!" [ 640]

and on his right hand hanged dismas, his fere fast gan he blame: "als þou haues serued so þou has, and I may say þe same; [ 644] ouer litill god þou dredes, we haue þis for oure gilt, and he for his gude dedes full wrangwisly es spilt." [ 648]

(55)

Vnto Ihesu þan gan he pray: [leaf 61] "als þow es high Iustise, when þou cumes in þi regne for ay, mend me with þi mercyse." [ 652] and Ihesus sone to him gan say [653. Last stroke of h in Ihesus omitted.] ane answer on þis wise: "I hete þe forto be þis day with me in paradyse." [ 656] at vnderon was þis done, omang þam wex it mirk, þe son wex dim ful sone, þe vail rafe in þe kirk. [ 660]

(56)

In þis ilk stori als we rede, who will it vnderstand, ane angell was sene do þat dede with a swerd bright brinand, [ 664] he said: "I cum, whosom tase hede, als witnes and warand of Ihesu ded þat ȝe se blede, nayled thurgh fote and hand." [ 668] Ihesus said: "in þi hend, my fader of mightes maste, my saul now sall I send." with þis he gaf þe gaste. [ 672]

(57

Centurio said, when he suld dy, vnto þe iews ful right: "þis ilk was god sun sekerly, þat þus to ded es dight." [ 676] and many oþer þat stode him by and saw þis selkuth sight knocked on þaire brestes & cried mercy and mendid þam at þaire might. [ 680] of þis wonderful dede when sir pilate herd say, for dole and als for drede he ette no mete þat day. [ 684]

(58)

Þan pilat sembled þe Iews all and said: "what es ȝowre rede? swilk ferlis wist we neuer bifall als fell in Thesu ded." [ 688] þai said: "þir clerkes þe clippes it call þat made þe sun so rede." he asked: "what made þe stanes so small þat none might stir of þe stede? [ 692] also, what raf þe vayl þat in ȝowre temple hang? vs all to wrotherhail I dout we haue done wrang." [ 696]

(59)

Centurio come furth by þan and oþer þan with him ware; till all þe iews þus þai bigan to tell þis ferly fare: [ 700] "of wreghing of þis rightwisman Ȝe may ȝow drede ful sare; þe sun at his ded wex all wan wele thre mile way or mare, [ 704]

þe stanes in sunder brac, þe erth trembild and quaked, with noyse als man it spac, slike mane for him it maked; [ 708]

(60)

Ded men er risen out of þaire graue right in oure aller sight; þarfore we trow and hope we haue he was god son ful right." [ 712] als þai all þus togeder straue, to pilat come a knyght, and ihesu cors fast gan he craue þat þus to ded was dight; [ 716] Pilat granted þat bone till ioseph of aramathy; and he fra cros ful sone toke done þat blisced body. [ 720]

(61)

He wand þat cors with gude entent in sendell new and clene and layd it in his monument whare nane byfore had bene. [ 724] þan said þe iews with ane assent: "als ill we sall him tene." men forto seke him haue þai sent, and he dar noght be sene. [ 728] þat quest þat gan him deme trew in sposage born, and rightwis nichodeme, to sla all haue þai sworn; [ 732]

(62)

And forto sla all haue þai thoght þat helid of ihesu ware; þai bad sone þat men spare þam noght, so war þai greued sare. [ 736]

Sone when þai war togeder broght, þe maysters of þaire lare, to þe temple nichodem þam soght, to speke he wald noght spare, [ 740] he said: "ȝe wers þan wode, how dar ȝe negh þis stede and ȝowre handes ful of blode of rightwis ihesus ded?" [ 744]

(63)

[lf. 61, bk.] Þe iews þan answerd al in fere: "þou outcast of all men, how dar þou negh þis tempill nere, his frend se we þe ken? [ 748] sen þat þou held his dedis so dere, [749. dedis: first d like b.] his pese we þe biken, and his lare light opon þe here." he answerd and said: "amen!" when all þir saws war said, [ 753] Ioseph of Aramathy þat him in graue had laid come in al opynly; [ 756]

(64)

He said: "lordinges, als god ȝow saue, whi er ȝe wrath with me? for I layd ihesus in his graue þat ȝe hanged on rode-tre? [ 760] with ful grete wrang slane him ȝe haue, þat sal men here and se; when ȝe bifor sir pilat straue, als ȝe said sall it be; [ 764] when pilat wesch his hend him giltles forto make, ȝe bad on ȝow decend [ 767] his blude, vengance and wrake."

(65)

Omang þam þare was Ioseph tane, in presoun þai him kast, had no window and dore bot ane, and þat þai sperd ful fast; [ 772] þai said halely he suld be slane when þaire sabot war past; on þe dore þai set þaire seles ilk ane with lokkes þat wele wald last. "for he gan ihesu graue," [ 777] þai sai, "fer in þe felde his beriele sall he haue, wilde bestes his banes to welde."

(66)

Efter þaire sabot day alssone of iosep haue þai thoght: "he sal be ded bi son and mone for þat werk he has wroght." [ 784] þai hied þam withowten hone and wend him furth haue broght, þai bad þe dore tite be vndone, bot Iosep fand þai noght. [ 788] "allas!" þan gan þai say, "þis es a wonder thing, how might he win oway þus in oure awin kepyng?" [ 792]

(67)

Þan come a knight of þam þat woke ihesus in þe monument: "þat body þat ȝe vs bitoke es resin and fro vs went; [ 796] þe erth trembled and al toschoke, ane angell doun was sent,

we dared for drede and durst noght luke, ne to him tak no tent; þe mekill stane þat lay his rising forto let þat angell put oway and þareopon him sett. [ 804]

(68)

He bad wemen be noght affraid þat war of his menȝe: "for he es resen, þarfore bese payd, Cumes nere þe suth to se! [ 808] þis es þe place whare he was laid, go biddes his appostels be, he sal be sene als he þam said þis day in galile." [ 812] þe iews grete wonder thoght, "lifes Ihesus?" gan þai say, "trayturs, we trow ȝow noght, sertes he es ded for ay." [ 816]

(69)

Þe knightes gaf answer ful swith till all þat cumpany: "what wonder werkes gan he ȝow kith here whils he wond ȝow by! [ 820] he musterd miracles many sith omang all þis Iewry; how suld ȝe leue or till vs lyth þat left him so lightly? [ 824] when he was laid in graue, we kepid him, als ȝe wate; schortly lorn him we haue, he es resen and gane his gate. [ 828]

(70)

And als wele wate we ȝisterday how ioseph presond was,

and how ȝe kepid him vnder kay for þat he suld noght pas; [ 832] we wate wele he es went oway, þarfore þis thing we ass: bides þam bring Ioseph if þai may þat him in kepeing has, [ 836] and we sall bring ihesus withowten langer threpe." þai say: "bring him till vs, and we sall bring Ioseph." [ 840]

(71)

[leaf 62] Þe knightes said: "warand will we þarfore to lyf and dy þat Iosep es in his cete at hame in aramathi, [ 844] and ihesus gase in Galyle with his appostels him by." when þe iews herd it þus suld be, þai drowped and war drery; [ 848] omans þam sone þai say: "bot if þir wordes fall, oure folk sall leue oure lay and trow on ihesu all." [ 852]

(72)

A sowm of tresore haue þai tane and to þe knightes þai pay, and charges þam by ane þat þai sall algate say, [ 856] þat when þai war to sleping gane and in þaire beddes lay, his appostels put oway þe stane and stale þe cors oway; [ 860] þe mone made þam faine, þai toke it ilka dele, and furth þai talde þis traine, and ilk man trowed þam wele. [ 864]

(73)

[This letter is ver•• large and red.] To ierusalem þat riche cete thre prestes þaire way has tane, vnto þe temple þai went al thre and cald þe klerkes onane, [ 868] þai said: "Iesus, þis warand we, þat ȝe with wrang haue slane, on þe mount of oliuet þis day sat he and his appostels ilk ane; [ 872] we saw þam in a rowt þat he was won to teche, þai sat all him obout and þir wordes gan he preche: [ 876]

(74)

'Thurgh all werld I will ȝe wend, and wisely luke ȝe wake and baptiss all men with ȝowre hend þat trowth trewly will take; [ 880] þat trowes and er for cristen kend safe I sall þam make; and all bese dampned withowten end þat right trowth will forsake.' [ 884] in þat stede þam omang he stegh till heuyn vpright, and we loked efter him lang till clowdes reft vs þe sight." [ 888]

(75)

Hereof þe iews awonderd ere, þai sai: "þus sall noght blin, þis þat ȝe say all sall ȝe swere." a boke þai bid bring in, [ 892] þai sayd: "þat may do vs no dere, gladly we will bigin; bot we wald þarof witnes bere, for soth we suld haue syn." [ 896]

handes on þat boke þai laid and sware all with a voice: al es suth þat we sayd of him ȝe hanged on croyce." [ 900]

(76)

Þe iews a buke in handes hent and gert þam eft on lay: "þis þat ȝe speke in oure present ȝe sall layn forward ay." [ 904] sone fro þat cete er þai sent, for þai no suth suld say, and armed men with þam er went to wis þam fast oway. [ 908] in [dred] þir iews þus dwell and sais: "what may þis mene? in þe land of irraell [ 911] was neuer slike selkuthes sene."

(77)

To þis spak annas and chaiphas: "we sall noght trow," þai said, "þe knightes þat him miskepid has, sen he in graue was layd;" [ 916] "þat he rase vp," þaire wordes was, "and mad þam all affraid; bot hou sone gan þat speche ouerpas fro we þam siluer payd. [ 920] his men, ful wele may be, come his cors forto stele and made þe knightes gre, als we did, forto hele." [ 924]

(78)

All þe iews þan þat þar ware answerd and said þus: "wheþer war oure knightes halden mare vntill his men or till vs?" [ 928] "sertainly ȝe say wele þare," þus said nichodemus,

"for his men saw þai neuer are, ne noght þai lufed ihesus; [ 932] þir two men þat sware right how þai saw him lifand and stegh to heuyn on hight with wrang er flemid of land. [ 936]

(79)

[leaf 62, bk.] We rede when þe prophet Elias up unto heuyn was tane, Elisius, his descipell was, [ 939] men asked wheder he was gane; he said: 'till heuyn I saw him pas,' men for him made grete mane. 'sum spirit,' þai said, 'him rauist has into þe mountes allane.' þai gert seke north and sowth [ 945] þe mowntes of israell, þai fand no man þat kowth þam tale of hely tell. [ 948]

(80)

Ȝe childer of irraell, listens me, þat has þis sakles slayne, in case þat crist so rauist be [ 951] with spirites to sum mowntayne, sendes furth men bilyue lat se, to seke with all þaire mayne; he sall forgif and haue pete, when he es funden ogayne." [ 956] for he suld noght be schent, þir tales he gan þam tell, and wight men furth er went to þe mountes of irraell. [ 960]

(81)

In þe land of irraell haue þai soght þe mowntaynes fer and nere;

þai come and said þai saw him noght, ne noght might of him here; [ 964] "Of Iosep bodword haue we broght Þat ȝe presond to ȝere, in Aramathi his wanes er wroght als lord of grete powere." [ 968] When þai herd sertaynly þat Iosep was in quert, þai thankid god forþi and war ioyful in hert. [ 972]

(82)

Sone þai made a grete gadering and kownsailed þam bitwene how þai might iosep to þam bring, als he bifore had bene. [ 976] a letter did þai to writeing þat said þus als I wene: "pes, frendschip and goddes greting on þe, sir, mot be senene." [ 980] þai said: "we knaw and wate oure trispas and oure gilt in god onence þi state, þat we þe wald haue spilt; [ 984]

(83)

Syr, vowchesaue to cum vs till, all halely we þe pray, and largely mak amendes we will, whatso þiself will say; [ 988] ful oft we stody opon þis skill how þat þou wan oway, bot god wald þat þou had none ill, þi dedes war to his pay; [ 992] haue pese with wirschiping, iosep of Aramathy." þai close it and þai hing þaire aller seles þarby. [ 996]

(84)

Of iosep frendes seþin haue þai sent þe message forto make; when þai wist what maters þai ment, þai wald it noght forsake; [ 1000] till aramathi wightly þai went, ful winly gan þai wake; þai tald to Iosep þaire entent, þe letter to him þai take. [ 1004] son when he had it red, he thankid god of heuyn; he kissed þam and seþin led vntill his hows ful euyn. [ 1008]

(85)

Sone on þe morn when it was day, Iosep was dight ful tyte, with þe messangers he went his way withowten more respite. [ 1012] of his come when þe iews herd say, withowten lenger lite with all þe wirschip þat þai may ogaynes him went þai quit, [ 1016] þai said: "at þi cuming, [1017. said above line.] Iosep, be pese and grith." and he sais: "goddes bliscing be all his puple with." [ 1020]

(86)

Nichodeme þat I are of spak at his hows gert him ly, and made grete festes for his sake to folk of þe iewry; [ 1024] and sone a gadering gan þai make in þe temple opynly; a boke in hand Iosep þai take and bad him swere þarby [ 1028]

þat he þe suth sall say; ful depely þai him charge how þat he wan oway fro preson vnto þe large. [ 1032]

(87)

[leaf 63, bk.] He said: "on gude friday at night when I to preson ȝode, till þe saterday at midnight right in my prayers I stode; [ 1036] þe preson in ayre was hinged on hight, þat meruaild all my mode; I luked and saw byfor my sight ihesus þat died on rode; [ 1040] till him gude tent I toke, his visage schane ful bright, I might no langer loke, for drede I fell doun right. [ 1044]

(88)

He bad me þan rise vp in hy and toke me by þe hand, my mowth he kissed curtaisly, ful dredeful gan I stand, [ 1048] I said to him: 'my lord Ely, wher þou be here lifand?' and he sayd: 'ȝa, ful faithfully, þat sall þou vnderstand; [ 1052] of me no drede þou haue, Iosep, I am þat ilk þat þou laid in þi graue in sendell and in silk.' [ 1056]

(89)

I answerd þus: 'if þou be he, of a thing I þe pray, þe monument þou lat me se wharein þi body lay.' [ 1060]

out of that preson þan went we, bot how I can noght say, his sepulcre sone schewed he me, þe body was oway; [ 1064] þan trowed I stedfastly when I had sene þat sight, I asked þat milde mercy [ 1067] and thanked him at my might.

(90)

In aramathi he set me seine, and þare I saw him last; he bad: 'nonegate luke þou go hein till fourty dais be past;' [ 1072] he said me ȝe suld noght ȝow fein to pursu cristen fast; [1074. fast: st almost faded out.] Sirs, oþerwise went I noght þeine, right on þis maner wast." [ 1076] þan said þe ihews halely: "þis es a ferly fare to seke all oure iewry, slike ferlis fell neuer are." [ 1080]

(91)

"Ely þe prophet in ful gude state," þai said, "quik to heuyn ȝede, [1082. heuyn: e added above line in different hand.] and moyses alswa, wele ȝe wate, of his dede neuer we rede; [ 1084] bot Ihesus was done to ded now late and dampned for his misdede, he may noght lif ogayne nanegate, þis es withowten drede." [ 1088] Iosep sais: "meruail ȝe þat he es risen to liue? to speke of his pouste, ȝe may meruail slike fiue. [ 1092]

(92)

Of saint Simion wele may þe mene, þat kepid ȝowre laws ful right, and his two suns al haue ȝe sene, þat Caryn and Lentin hight; [ 1096] ȝe wate þai war bath ded bidene and grauen in ȝowre sight; þaire bodis, I wate withowten wene, er raysed thurgh Ihesu might; [ 1100] I warand þat þai both ere lifand in aramathi, ay kneleand in praiere and spekes noght sekerly; [ 1104]

(93)

We will wend to þam, if ȝe rede, and pray þam, if þai will, tell vs how þai er raised fro ded. and eft life lent þam till; [ 1108] parauenture þai sall in þat stede schew vs sum sertaine skill, if þai war raised thurgh his godhed, and what thing to fulfill." [ 1112] vnto þaire graues went þai, whare þaire bodis war layd, and fand þam bath oway, als Iosep had þam said. [ 1116]

(94)

Iosep, Annas and Caiphas, and nichodeme alswa, þaire kownsail halely taken has till aramathi to ga; [ 1120] and on þe morn furth gan þai pas, to þaire iorne þai ta; fro þeþin sexti mile it was, and nowþer myn ne ma; [ 1124]

þir two men in þat toune fand þai at þe last on bare erth kneland doun, praiand till god ful fast; [ 1128]

(95)

[lf. 63, bk.] Þai kissed þam als men þat þai kend [1129. Initial letter flourished in yellow and black representing faces of two cherubs.] and of þam war ful fayne, to iherusalem þai gert þam wend wightly with þam ogayne; [ 1132] right in þe temple þai gert þame lend and þare of þam þai fraine, þe halidom put þai in þaire hend to swere þe suth to sayne: [ 1136] "by god of israell and by god adonay, þe suth of þis thing vs tell þat we ask, if ȝe may; [ 1140]

(96)

Alswa bi grete god we ȝow ath, þat till oure faders spak, if þat war ihesus þat raised ȝow bath, sertayne ȝe vs mak; [ 1144] how ȝe war raised ȝe schew vs rath, þat we right trowth may tak." and for þir wordes þai wex ful wrath, both gan þai tremble and quake; till heuyn vp gan þai stare, [ 1149] and þan takin of þe croyce on þaire mowthes mak þai þare and spak with symple voyce: [ 1152]

(97)

"Lordinges," þai said withowten lite, "tak vs parchemyn and pen;

þe preuetese we sall ȝow write þat we for suthfast ken." [ 1156] and sone withowten more respite serely þai sett þam þen, and þusgat bigan þai to write: "In þe name of god, amen! [ 1160] to þe, Ihesu, we pray, rayser till life fro ded, lat vs witnes þis day þe might of þi godhed; [ 1164]

(98)

Sen we er coniord forto tell þat we saw thurgh þi might, þe selkuths þat oftsithes byfell we sall reherce ful right. [ 1168] al Adams kind we war in hell, ful many a waful wight, till on a time it so bifell of sun we had a sight; [ 1172] when we in mirknes ware, a light gan on vs leme, till vs it semid þare like a bright suns beme. [ 1176]

(99)

Oure form faders þat was in wa, Adam and Eue his wife, and patriarkes and prophettes ma, spak all þaire resons rife: [ 1180] 'þis light es cumen oure sorow to sla, oure dirknes downe to drife, als oure lord ihesus schewed vs swa whils we war in life.' [ 1184] 'þis light,' said ysai, 'es sun of þe fader of heuyn, in my lif so said I omang mi sawes ful euyn; [ 1188]

(100)

I prechid and said: "all neptalym land and Zabulon land withall, þat es als mekill to vnderstand als fre bicomen es thrall, [ 1192] men in mirknes of ded walkand light vnto þam schine sall." þus I said whils I was lifand, I se it now bifall; [ 1196] now all fulfild it es in vs, þat prophecy: "light schines in oure mirknes oure thraldom forto by."' [ 1200]

(101)

Omang vs mekill mirth made we and grete ioy for þis thing. oure fader Simion þan come he and tald vs new tything, [ 1204] he said: 'ȝe mai mak gamyn & gle, gude bodword I ȝow bring, he cumes þat oure bier sall be oway fro þis woning; [ 1208] right in þe temple I toke þat barn in bath my handes, myne eghen gan on him loke þat sall vs bring of bandes; [ 1212]

(102)

Thurgh þe haly gaste þus gan I say: "lord, leue þi seruand lele in pese to rest, lord, I þe pray, for myne eghen saw þi hele [ 1216] þat þou ordand for euer and ay omang mankinde to dele light to schew folk night and day and ioy to all irraele."' [ 1220]

þe saintes þat ful ill ferd, ilk one in þaire degre, when þai þir tithinges herd, made grete solempnite. [ 1224]

(103)

[leaf 64] Ane said þan þat semyd bi liknes ane hermyt in pouer state, what he was spird we more and les, and he answerd þusgate: 'a voice criand in wildernes, [ 1229] and Iohn þe Baptist I hate, of syns I prechid forgifnes thurgh baptyme gifen now late; when þat he come me by [ 1233] þat vs fro wa sall wyn, "þis es goddes lamb," said I, "þat wastes þe werldes sin." [ 1236]

(104)

I baptist him right with my hend in þe water of flom Iordan, þe haly gaste on him gan lend in a dowue liknes þan, [ 1240] þe voice of þe fader doun was send and þus to speke bigan: "þis es my son withowten end, herkins him ilk man, [ 1244] in whilk sun me likes best." þus am I foreriner to schew ȝow signes of rest, bese faine, he es noght ferr.' [ 1248]

(105)

And sone when Adam herd him say of þe flum baptissing, he said: 'my son seth, I þe pray, tell vs a litill thing; [ 1252]

in erth lifand, seke when I lay, I had a grete langing; till paradis þou toke þe way oile of mercy me to bring; [ 1256] all if þou gat none þare, vntill vs ȝit may þou tell what þou had to answare of mighell, goddes angell.' [ 1260]

(106)

Þan said seth: 'I stode lang and praid at þe ȝates of paradise, and ane angell þan to me said þir wordes on þis wise: [ 1264] "trauell þe noght on þis manere, herof no help may rise, þe oile of þe tre of mercy here gettes þou by nonkins prise; [ 1268] bot if it be at þe last þat þe nowmber may fulfill, fiue thowsand ȝeres be past and fiue hundreth þartill, [ 1272]

(107)

Goddes sun sall þan vntill erth cum to mend þi faders mys, he sall be baptist in þe flom and bring ȝowre bale to blis; [ 1276] of þe oile of mercy þai sall haue sum þat he haldes for his, þai þat with noy er now bynom sall win to welth Iwis."' [ 1280] both patriark and prophete all thanked þai god at anes þat cumes, als he gan hete, to win vs fro þir wanes. [ 1284]

(108)

Sone efter þat spak satanas, þat mayster was in hell, and said till him þat porter was whare we presons gan dwell: [ 1288] 'opin ȝowre ȝates, lat him in pas, ihesus of irraell! sen he him god sun maked has, in wa here sall he well; [ 1292] he es made of manhede for all his frankis fare, in my hert haue I drede for dedis he has done are; [ 1296]

(109)

[Large flourish above in yellow and black in form of oak leaf, with comic face at lower end of leaf.] He has oft put me fro my pray, ful dere now bese it boght, þam þat I turned vntill oure lay has he gert chaunge þaire thoght, he has me tenid and trauerst ay in all þe werkes I haue wroght, and many sawles gert wend oway þat I till vs had broght.' [ 1304] he asked whethir þis be he þat cald lazar vs fra, þat we had in powste, and þai said ilk ane, 'ȝa.' [ 1308]

(110)

'Satan,' þai said, 'we þe forbede in all thinges þat we may, bring him noght hider for no nede, bot haue him heþyn oway; [ 1312] for cum he here, we haue grete drede þat alls sall we say;

all þat him likes heþin will he lede and we be pined for ay; [ 1316] he es a strenkithi swayn, when we all might noght hald a wofull sawl ogayne, when he did noght bot cald. [ 1320]

(111)

[leaf 64, bk] Sen he was slike and was bot man, to þe, satanas, we say, wenes þou, wrtht, to maister þan both god and man verray? [ 1324] trowes þou þat þou close him can þat he ne sall win oway, þat his pouer seruand fro þe wan and was dampned for ay?' [ 1328] þan answerd satanas: 'of him haue I no drede, I knaw wele what he was and what life he gan lede; [ 1332]

(112)

His fourty dayes when he had fast, þat tyme him tempid I; and to þe iews counsailes I cast þat þai suld ger him dy; [ 1336] when pilat wald þat he had past, I egged him egerly, till he was hanged at þe last with oþer theues him by; [ 1340] and þarfore als I ȝow say, ordans for him a stede, he cumes heder þis day, by þis I hald hym dede.' [ 1344]

(113)

Þus als þai gan togeder chide, a voice spak loud and clere:

ȝe princes, I bid ȝe opin wide ȝowre endles ȝates here, [ 1348] þe king of blis now in sall glide.' and þan spac lucifere: 'satanas, turn him ogayn þis tide, als þou lufes me dere.' [ 1352] þan satanas sperd þe ȝates and his felows he cald: haldes him þareout algates, or we foreuer be thrald.' [ 1356]

(114)

þan said saint dauid þare he lay vnto þai sayntes all: 'in erth lifand þus gan I say als I se now byfall; [ 1360] þat god has made, þis es þe day, mak ioy þarin we sall; brasen ȝates he brac for ay and Iren barres ful small; [ 1364] fro waies of wilsumnes, I tald, he has þam taken; I se now suth it es, he has vs noght forsaken.' [ 1368]

(115)

[Large flourish in yellow and black with bearded face of man.] Þan on þis wise said ysai: 'whils I had life in land, on þis same maner þan said I, whoso kowth vnderstand: [ 1372] "ded men þat in þaire graues ly sall rise and be lifand, al sall mak Ioy and melody þat erth has in his hand." [ 1376] eftsones I said alwa to ded: "whare es þi might, sen he fetches vs þarfra?" now se I all þis right.' [ 1380]

(116)

A voice spak þan ful hidosely, als it war thonors blast: 'vndo ȝowre ȝates biliue, bid I, þai may no langer last, [ 1384] þe king of blis cumes in ȝow by.' þan hell a voice vpkast: 'what es he þat þai say in hy? he sall be set ful fast.' [ 1388] þan said dauid: 'ȝe ne wate how þat I said þus right, "he es lord of grete state, in batayle mekill of might;" [ 1392]

(117)

Þe king of blis, trewly I tell, right at þi ȝates standes, he has bihalden fro heuyn to hell þe sorow of his seruandes. [ 1396] þarfore vndo, þou fende so fell, þi ȝates right with þi handes, þe king of blis cumes in ful snell to bring vs fro þi bandes [ 1400] thurgh might of his godhede.' þan ihesus strake so fast, þe ȝates in sunder ȝede and Iren bandes al brast. [ 1404]

(118)

He kyd þat he was mekill of might, þe fendes pouste he felled, all lemid þat lathly lake of light þat with mirknes was melled. [ 1408] when all þe saintes saw þat sight þat in þat dongon dwellid, none durst speke a word on hight, bot ilk one softly tellid: [ 1412]

'welkum, lord, vntill vs, ful lang here has vs thoght; blisced mot þou be, ihesus, ful dere þou has vs boght.' [ 1416]

(119)

He lowsed þan þaire bandes all [lf. 65] þat lang had bunden bene, he made þam fre þat are war thrall, of care he clensed þam clene; [ 1420] þe fendes þat saw slike light bifall ware none bifore was sene said: 'we er clomsed grete and small with ȝone caytef so kene.' [ 1424] ane sais þat mikel him dredes: 'what ertou schewes slike might and es so mekill in dedes and semes so litell in sight? [ 1428]

(120)

Sen þou was man, on what menere was godhede in þe hid? was þou noght ded? what dose þou here? slike maistris neuer was kyd; [ 1432] we fendes war all ful fayn in fere when þe iews to ded þe did; how ertou put to slike powere, and slike tene vs bytid? [ 1436] þe sawles þat vs war sent has þou won heþin oway, þou has vs schamly schent and priued vs of oure pray.' [ 1440]

(121)

Þan ihesus sone toke satanas, þat are was lord and sire, and him in thraldom bunden has to brin in endles fire. [ 1444]

þan said þe fendes þat with him was ful of anger and of ire: 'satan, þou has vs lorn, allas, þou did noght oure desire; [ 1448] we bad þe lat him ga and noght to cum herein, oure he feches vs fra, oure court waxes ful thin; [ 1452]

(122)

Þou duke of ded, leder fro liue, hething of goddes angels, ogains þat strang how durst þou striue þat vs þus frekly felles? [ 1456] þou hight to bind him here biliue, it es noght als þo telles; till endles ded he will þe driue and all þat with þe dwelles; [ 1460] when þou þe iews gan stir þat þai suld ger him dy, þou suld enquere and spir first if he war worthi; [ 1464]

(123)

[Large initial, ornamented in yellow and black.] And if þat he had done none ill, þou suld haue gert þam blin; whi suld þou bring a man vs till in wham was sene no syn? [ 1468] all has þou lost now by þis skill þe wightes þat war herein, and þou þaire paines sall ay fulfill with wo neuer out to wyn; [ 1472] þat we wan thurgh þe tre when eue þe fruit had etyn, ilk dele ogayn has he now with þe rode-tre getyn.' [ 1476]

(124)

[Large flourish of leaves in black and yellow, extending to seventh line below.] Ihesus þan spac with voice ful clere to þe sayntes þat he has soght: 'cumes vnto me, my childer dere, þat my liknes war wroght; [ 1480] ȝe þat for syn war presond here, to blis ȝe sall be broght.' þan all þa saintes drogh to him nere and þanked him in þaire thoght; on Adam his hand he laid, [ 1485] and he on knese gan fall, 'pese be to þe,' he sayd, 'and to þi childer all.' [ 1488]

(125)

Adam said þan and for ioy gret: 'lord, I sall wirschip þe, fro my famen þou has me fett in blis to bide and be, [ 1492] in sorows sere whare I was sett to my sare wald þou se; me will þou lede withowten let fro pine thurgh þi pete; [ 1496] þou fendes vs þat we ne fall till pine þat es pereles; makes ioy, ȝe saintes all, [ 1499] and thankes his grete gudenes.'

(126)

All patriarkes and ilk prophete and oþer saintes all fell doun on knese bifor his fete smertly both grete and small: 'lord, þou es cumen oure bales to bete, euermore serue þe we sall, þat þou thurgh prophecy gan hete we se it now bifall, [ 1508]

ded thurgh ded es destroid; lord, louyng be vnto þe, all es noght þat vs noyed, þat war thralles er made fre.' [ 1512]

(127)

[leaf 65, back. Flourish of yellow and black with bearded face and foliage where back of head should be.] By þe right hand gan he adam take and blisced him right þare, he led him fro þat lathly lake and all þat with him ware. [ 1516] Saint dauid þan ful baldly spake, als þai fro hell gan fare: 'a new sang till oure lord ȝe make, als I myself said are; [ 1520] he þat has bene wirkand meruailes omang vs here, he has saue his right hand to him and his powere; [ 1524]

(128)

Ful mekely has he schewed his might omang all cristen men, he has techid ilka werldly wight his rightwisnes to ken.' [ 1528] þus all þa sayntes thanked him right þat slike lane wald þam len: 'blisced be he þat cumes als he hight in þe name of god, Amen.' [ 1532] ilk prophet þus gan tell of þaire awin prophecy how he suld hery hell, how he suld for þam dy. [ 1536]

(129)

Þus als þai vnto welthis went þat war won out of wa,

a sang þai said with ane assent þat was þis, 'Alleluya.' [ 1540] by þe hand oure lord has Adam hent, with michell he bad him ga; þai toke þe way with gude entent vnto paradis ful thra. [ 1544] Michaell resaiued þam sone þat war to him bikend, in blis he has þam done þat lastes withouten end. [ 1548]

(130)

In paradis with ioyes sere when all þir saintes war set, two graihared men with face ful klere mildely þare with þam met; [ 1552] þir saintes asked al what þai were, how þai fro hell war fett, in body and saul: 'how come ȝe here? fand ȝe none ȝow to let?' [ 1556] 'oure names er,' þai answerd, 'Ennoc and als Ely, we er broght fro midlerd to be witnes worthy; [ 1560]

(131)

[Large flourish in yellow and black representing two bearded faces with backs of heads together.] We died noght ȝit, bot er olyue with antcrist forto fight, in iherusalem þan sall we striue and we to ded be dight; [ 1564] bot right fro ded god sal vs driue on þe thrid day thurgh his might, at þe dome þan sall we rede ful riue who dose ill and who right.' [ 1568] anoþer come þan þare, als þai so spac togeder; þe saintes awonderd ware how þat þai so come þeder; [ 1572]

(132)

Meruail þai had omang þam all and said: 'what man es þis?' he said: 'þe soth say ȝow I sall, al my life lifed I mys, [ 1576] on þe cros cristes mercy gan I call, he sayd þir wordes Iwis: "þis same day, son, be þou sall with me in paradis." [ 1580] his takin he made on me and þir wordes gan he say: "when michaell sall þe se, he sall noght say þe nay." [ 1584]

(133)

Anoþer word of him I had, he said: "sun, I þe rede, if þat þe angel be noght glad þat þou cumes in þat stede, [ 1588] þou sall say þat Ihesus þe bad, þat now was done to ded, þat þou suld in þat stede be stad, till he come in godhede." [ 1592] till þe angell sayd I þus, he opind þe ȝates ful ȝare.' and all þai thank ihesus haly both les and mare: [ 1596]

(134)

'God of gudenes, gifer of grace, blisced be þou euer and ay, þat gifes lif in so litill space to cristen sawles;' þai say, [ 1600] 'þai þat will trewly tak þi trace and mend þam whils þai may, in lastand liking þou þam laces, þai wend no wilsom way; [ 1604]

þou þat has broght vs all fro pain in light to lend, loue þe lely we sall euer withowten end.'" [ 1608]

(135)

[lf. 66] Þir childer said: "al þis saw we, wonand with sayntes in hell, it es anly goddes preuete þat in þis tyme bifell; [ 1612] and mekill more ȝit gan we se þat we may no man tell, we war biden it suld layned be with michaell, goddes angell; [ 1616] he bad vs tell no thing bot þis þat here wretin es; we rase of his rising þus forto bere witnes. [ 1620]

(136)

And with vs er resin many ane þat ded and doluen lay; þai dwell byȝond þe flum iordane in prayers nyght and day; [ 1624] bot vntill þir thre dayes be gane no langer lif we may, to blis þan sall we all be tane and won in welthis ay; [ 1628] on þis wise er we sent to schew ȝow in þis stede þat ȝe may ȝow repent þat did Ihesus to ded." [ 1632]

(137)

Þat Carin wrate he it bytoke till nichodem and annas, and Lentyn also gaf his boke till Iosep and till Cayphas; [ 1636]

togeder þan þai gan þam luke þat serely wretin was, and þat one wrate noght a letter noke, bot euyn als þat oþer has. [ 1640] when þe iews had of þam tane þa rolles þat wreten ware, þai vanist oway onane, of þam þai saw no mare. [ 1644]

(138)

When þai had red þa rolles, alssone þe iews haly gan say: "of grete god þat sites in trone es þis werk wroght þis day, [ 1648] and ilka dele þat here es done aledies ogaynes oure lay; þat þis ilk ihesus was goddes sun ful sare drede vs we may." [ 1652] goddes forbod þan þai fend þat euer it suld be swa; and so þaire waies þai wend, ilk one partes oþer fra. [ 1656]

(139)

When þis was tald vnto pilate, he dred him þan ful sare; als a dome haly he it wrate forto last euermare; [ 1660] vnto þe temple he toke þe gate and gert send efter þare bisschoppes and all þat he wate war best lered on þaire lare. [ 1664] omang þam sett was he and said till all at anes: "ȝowre bibill lattes me se þat es within þir wanes." [ 1668]

(14)

Foure prestes furth þe bibill broght, a boke of grete bounte; Annas and Cayphas sone war soght, and pilat sais: "lat se, [ 1672] all þat es written here wate ȝe noght?" þai say: "sir, ȝis parde." "a thing," he said, "es in my thoght þat I will clerid be." [ 1676] þan by þat boke swere þai, þai sall leue for no drede, bot þe suth sal þai say of þis note als es nede. [ 1680]

(141)

He sais: "by þe faith till god ȝe aw, of þis þing ȝow avise, if ȝe find oght wreten in ȝowre law omang ȝowre prophecise, [ 1684] or kan ȝe any witnes draw by kasting of clergise, if Ihesus war als was his saw, god sun by any wise; [ 1688] Also if ȝe oght ken, hereof tell vs ȝe sall in whilk ȝeres and when þat cristes cuming suld fall." [ 1692]

(142)

Þus when þat þai charged were, þai said to sir pilate: "sir, we will noght þat all men here of þis thing þat we wate." [ 1696] he gert haue out þe folk in fere, and to þam sperd þe ȝate;

þai say: "sir, we war athed ful nere and we answer þusgate: [ 1700] we wate withouten wene þat goddes son was he right; we wend wichecraft had bene þat he did thurgh his might; [ 1704]

(143)

Also we wate by sere witnes [lf. 66, bk.] here of oure awin kinred, þat he ogayn eft lifand es sen he was done to dede. [ 1708] two þat he raysed grete halines haues schewed vs in þis stede, whilk we wele wote both more and les es done thurgh his godhed; [ 1712] ilk ȝere a tyme we bring þis haly boke in hand to luke of his cuming, and þus þarof we fand: [ 1716]

(144)

In þe first buke of sexty and ten þat er all contened here, till Adam son seth, telles it þen, was spoken on this manere: [ 1720] 'þi fader and all oþer men sall crist gif grete pouere efter fiue thousand, we ken, and als fiue hundreth ȝere.' [ 1724] þan rekin we þus oureselue: twa thowsand ȝeres suld be and twa hundreth and twelue fro Adam till noe; [ 1728]

(145)

And fro noe flude till Abraham es nyen hundreth and twelue ȝere; fro Abraham þan vntil moyses foure hundreth and threty were; fro moyses vntill god dauid chese king of grete powere, fiue hundreth and ten withouten lese, þus telles oure bibill here; [ 1736] vntill þe transmigracione, fiue hundreth ȝere fro þeþin, and till cristes incarnacione [ 1739] foure hundreth ȝere was seþin.

(146)

Þus oure law if we lely luke, þis proues oure prophecy, þat Ihesus flessch and blude bath toke of his moder mary [ 1744] V thowsand ȝere, als sais þis boke, and fiue hundreth þarby, sen þis werld was wroght ilka noke. and ouer sais ysai: [ 1748] 'of þe rotes of Iesse,' he sais, 'a wand sall spring and a flowre faire and fre þat sall gouern al thing;' [ 1752]

(147)

'And on þat flowre,' he sais, 'sal rest with al gudenes þe haly gast.' þan may we se, sir, þusgates est, he was god sun of mightes maste." þan said sir pilate: "what es best? oure werk, I wene, be all in waste."

þan langer þare wald þai noght rest, botilk one hame sone gan him haste. þus beres þaire bokes witnes [ 1761] to þam þe soth will ken. to won whare welth euer es, God grant vs grace, amen. [ 1764]

A—M—E—N.

Harley MS. TEXT H.

Hic incipit euangelium Nichodemi.

(1)

Bytyd þe tyme Tyberius [leaf 206] Rewled rome with realte, þe same tyme theodosius was proued prynce in galile, [ 4] þis story wrote Nichodemus In ebrew for full gret daynte; Sythen þe Emperoure Theodosius Gert it þus translate be [ 8] þat men may understand, Both lered & lawed in ledes; A clerk of yngland In his remaile þus redes: [ 12]

(2)

Symon, Zayrus & Cayphas, Datan & Gamaliel, Neptalim, Leui and Iudas, with þair accusynges fals & fell, [ 16] Alexander and als Annas, Ogayns Ihesu þai speke & spell; Bifor sir Pilate gan þai pass, þair tales vntyll him gan þai tell: [20. trew marked for erasure between vn and tyll.] "þis mopp þat merres our men, [ 21] Calles him god son of heuen, His syre, his dam we ken, Be name we kan þam neuen; [ 24]

(3)

We wate wele Ioseph was a wryght, Sothly he was his syre, And mary vs menes his moder hight, we, whatkyn godes er þire? [ 28] He es þair son, þis weryed wight, þat egges vs all tyll ire; Our lawes to brek both day & nyght, þat es his most desyre." [ 32] Sir Pilate answerd þan: "Says me whilk er his sawes, On what manere þis man Alegges ogayne our lawes." [ 36]

(4)

"Our law vs leres," þan said a Iew, "þe sabot day to do no thing; þan wirkes he wonder werkes new, Heles all þat askes heleyng, [ 40] þe croked crypels þat we knew, þis es a wonder thing;

He makes þam hale of hyde & hew Thurgh his fals charmyng." [ 44] To Pilate said þai all: "for soth slyke er his dedes, Slyke fare he fars withall, With fendes craft he him fedes."

(5)

Þan said Pilate; "yhe haue no ryght To blame him bi no way; His miracles musters his myght, It es noght als yhe say; [ 52] Sen he to blynd has gyfen þe syght And raysed þat byried lay, whi suld he vnto ded be dyght þat mendes all þat he may?" [ 56] þan all þe Iewes cryde: "Sir Pilate, we þe pray, Bryng him to barr þis tyde þat makes vs all þis dray." [ 60]

(6)

A bedell to bryng him gan he byd, Romayne he hight, we rede, And he þat was for curtays kyd Dyd it sone in dede; [ 64] A wonden wrethe þat his heued hyd Spred he all furth on brede: "Lord, þe to call domesman me dyd, Bot walk in on þis wede." [ 68] þe Iewes all of þat gate wex all full gull & grene And said to sir Pilate: "A deuell, what may þis mene? [ 72]

(7)

Þe bedell suld to þe be trew And do þi comandment;

On knese here kneled he to Ihesu Right in þine awen present; [ 76] vs noyes gretely þir notes new, we toke þarto gud tent, Slyke curtasy vnto him he knew, Ryght on his wreth he went." [ 80] þai asked him whi he kyd Ihesu slyke curtasy; And he said: "þat I did I had encheson why; [ 84]

(8)

Tyll alexander, wele yhe wate, In message was I made, To Ierusalem I come so late þat tyll þe morn I bade; [ 88] Þis Ihesus on ane Ass þare sate And thurgh þe toune he rade; Childer bifor him in þe gate Spred þair clothes on brade, [ 92] Tyll him all gan þai bow; 'Osanna,' was þair sang, 'Blyssed be he þat comes now [lf. 206, bk.] In godes name vs omang.'" [ 96]

(9)

Þan said þe Iewes: "traytour vntrew, with lyes þou has vs led, þare carpyng þare no thing þou knew, we lay our heuedes in wed; [ 100] Ierusalem langage es hebrew, ffull fre þethen was þou fed." He said: "I spyrd at men Inoghe þat in þat burgh war bred." [ 104] "Osanna," quad Pilate, "what es þat forto say?" þai said: "it menes allgate 'Lord, saue vs, we þe pray.'" [ 108]

(10)

Þan said Pilate: "me think in thoght þe bedell wrang yhe blame; yhour childer sawes forsake yhe noght, yhourseluen says þe same; [ 112] Bot, bedell, to barr sen þou him broght To scheld þiself fro schame, Haue him furth þat þou wirschip wroght & call him in by name." [ 116] Out of þat rout Romayne Our lord Ihesu he ledes, And calles him in ogayne, Als he þat domesman dredes. [ 120]

(11)

Of Emperours þat are had bene þis was vsed in þat land, ffor folk suld on þair menskes mene, Men suld hald in þair hand [ 124] þair armes sett on schaftes sene, Graythed of gold gleterand; So did þai þare þat day bidene, And stabilly gan þai stand; [ 128] when he þat all sall weld was led into þe hall, þe heuedes halely gan held And did him honoure all. [ 132]

(12)

Þan þe Iewes full sterne & stout Said: "þis es hard hethyng, þir lurdans lattes þair schaftes lout And wroght him wirschipyng." [ 136]

þan Pilate asked þam all obout: "whi did yhe swilk a thing?" þai sad: "we do yhow out of dout, [139. Horst. sa(i)d.] It was noght our wyttyng, [ 140] [140. Horst. wytting.] we toke no tent him tyll, þe baners gan him bow; It was ogayns our will, þat sall yhe trewly trow." [ 144]

(13)

Þai said þat it was witerly Ogayns þair will allgate; þe Iewes þan full loud gan cry And pleyned þam to Pilate; [ 148] He bad þam tak men more myghty, Strang & stabyll of state, And lat þam hald þe schaftes in hy, þair barett to abate. [ 152] In þair iewry aywhare On ilk syde haue þai soght, Of men þat myghty ware þe boldest haue þai broght. [ 156]

(14)

Sir Pilate to þase Iewes þan sware, Suld hold þa schaftes in hand: "If þai lout vnto Ihesu mare, yhe sall lose lyfe and land." [ 160] þe men þat wyght & willy ware Said: "to þi steuen we stand; Whase heued so heldes brede of ane hare, Hardily hag of his hand." "Haue Ihesus out of þe hall," [ 165] Said Pilate þe bedell vntyll, "And eft in þou him call, On what wise so þou will." [ 168]

(15)

His heued vnhyld on knese he kneled, His clathes on bred he spred, with all wirschip þat he couth weld Our lord eft in he led; [ 172] þe heuedes on heght halely gan held And bowyng to him þai bed; þe men when þai þam fayland feld Drowped & war adred. [ 176] when Pilate saw in syght How þe baners gan bow, ffor dred he rayse vpryght Ogayns our lord Ihesu. [ 180]

(16)

Broght was he þus to barr ogayne, þe kyng of all mankyn; þe fende þan thoght: "if he war slayne, He suld saue men of syn, [ 184] And sawles þat he had tane with trayne ffro him þat tyme suld twyne." fforþi he dose his myght & mayne [187. fforþi: Horst. þe.] To ger þat bargan blyn; [ 188] On þe nyght als ane aungell He appered to Pilates wyfe: "vnto þi lord þou tell [leaf 207] He lett noght ihesus lyf." [ 192]

(17)

Sir Pilates wife, dame procula, Till hir lord þus gan say: "Deme noght ihesus tyll ne fra, Bot mensk him þat yhe may, [ 196] I haue bene dreched with dremes swa þis ilk nyght als I lay; If ȝe him deme to ded at ga, Our welth mon wend oway." [ 200]

Pilate als man amayde Stode in a gret stody, Sythen to þe Iewes he said: "yhe wregh him wrangwisly; [ 204]

(18)

My wife, yhe wate wele, es no Iew, Scho es a sarizene; Mynsters has scho made yhow new And done gud dedes bydene; [ 208] Scho sais es gud & trew, Slepand þus has scho sene; If we him reyne, it mon vs rew Euermore þaron to mene." [ 212] þai said: "þis wist we are, Ilk man þe soth may se; He fars with fendes fare, wyched þi wyf has he." [ 216]

(19)

Sir Pilate said: "it meruayles me þat þou standes so styll, Sen þat þiself þe soth may se what þai tell þe vntyll." [ 220] Crist said: "ilk man a mowth has fre To weld at his awen will; þare wordes full wyde sall wyten be whether þai be gud or ill." [ 224] "Ihesus, lat be þi dyn!" Said all þe Iewes on raw, "A horcop born in syn Ilkane wele we þe knaw; [ 228]

(20)

We wate wele for þi sake was slayne All þe barnes in bethleem born; To fle with þe þi frendes war fayne, And els had þi lyfe bene lorn;

when Herode dyed, es noght at layn, þat þi ded hertly had sworn, Till yhour contre yhe come ogayn þat yhe war fled fro byforn." [ 236] Pilate said: "es þis he þat Herode soght to sla?" [þ very large and ornamental.] Þai said: "sir, yha parde, Bot þus he passed him fra." [ 240]

(21)

Pilate when he herd how it was, He dred mykell þe mare; He chesed a quest on him to pas And bi þair law þai sware, [ 244] þai said to Pilate & to Cayphas: "þe soth we will noght spare, Mary with Ioseph wedded was, At þair wedyng we ware." [ 248] Pilate said to þam þan þat had blamed him biforne: "with wrang yhe wregh þis man, In wedlake was he borne." [ 252]

(22)

Þan styrt vp Iewes bytter & bald And said to sir Pilate: "þe tales þat we haue of him tald will we avow allgate; [ 256] At þir men es full lytell hald, Sir, þai say als þai wate, þai er bot barnes, sir, be yhe bald, Comen tyll our law now late." [ 260] þis quest stedfast als stele Said to þase other twelue: "we er Iewes, witt yhe wele, Born frely als yhourselue." [ 264]

(23)

Sir Pilate to bar a boke has broght þir two questes to twyn; with sweryng sall þe soth be soght, ffyrst quest he bydes bygyn; [ 268] And þai say: "nay, þat falles vs noght, [269. falles: s above line.] we say sweryng es syn; Lat þam swere þat þis wrang has wroght, [271. has: s above line.] All knew we Ihesus kyn; [ 272] If we be fon gylty In þis thing that we say, we oblysch vs forto dy Bifor domesmen þis day." [ 276]

(24)

Þan spak Annas & Cayphas And said to sir Pilate: "we trow wele Mary wedded was And þat Ioseph him gate; [ 280] Bot tyll aneother poynt we pas þat sall hald him full hate: we say a spyrit enclosed he has, wharethurgh all thynges he wate." Pilate gert haue out all [ 285] þat þan war in þat hows, And þat quest gert he call [leaf 207, bk.] þat proued him born in spowse;

(25)

He said: "I fand yhow trew langare, Telles me now yhour rede, whi hate þir Iewes Ihesu so sare And will þus haue him dede?" [ 292]

þai say: "his lessons passes þair lare, þarfore þai haue hatred, And als his miracles moues þam mare, þat standes þam mykell in stede." wrathe es sir Pilate þan [ 297] And sais: "þis es envy; will þai þus deme a man ffor his gud dedes to dy?" [ 300]

(26)

Sir Pilate hyghed out of þe hall And said þe Iewes vntyll: "I witnes here bifor yhow all I find in him none ill." [ 304] And þai answerd both gret & small: "Sir, if it war þi will, we gert him noght befor þe call To deme withouten skyll." [ 308] He says: "þan bus him dy, I se wele be yhour sawes; Takes him to yhow forþi [ 311] And demes him be yhour lawes."

(27)

Þan said þe Iewes: "sir, wele þou wate, God byddes vs sla no man." vnto þam þus answerd Pilate: "Byddes god me sla men þan? [ 316] I haue wele herd why yhe him hate And whi yhour grefe bigan; with my will bese he ded nonegate Bi no craft þat yhe kan; [ 320] It sall noght stand in stede, ffor certes it war no resoune At deme a man to ded, Bot yhe had more enchesoune." [ 324]

(28)

He led Ihesus þe Iewes fra [325. Horst. Ihu.] þat bifore stode him by And said tyll him bitwix þam twa: "þou es kyng of Iewry?" [ 328] Ihesus sais: "owther was it tald þe swa, Or þou red ryghtwisly?" þan said Pilate: "me war full wa þi folk suld ger þe dy; [ 332] þou ert bitane to me fforto be demed þis day; Kyng of Iewes if þou be Answer to þat, I say." [ 336]

(29)

Ihesus said þan to him ogayne: "My kyngdom es noght here; If my kyngdom, es noght at layne, within þis world now were, [ 340] Or I omang þir Iewes war slayne, My man þat war me dere wald putt þam fro þair purpose playne with full gret powere." [ 344] "þan ertow kyng allgate," says Pilate, "sykerly?" Ihesus said to Pilate: "þou sais it & noght I; [ 348]

(30)

Comen I am to þis contre And þareto was I born, Of sothfastnes wytnes to be þat was noght sene biforn; [ 352] All þat sothfast lythes me Lely both euen & morn; þai sall be demed in þair degre þat sothfastnes has lorn." [ 356]

Pilate þan asked him eft: "what thing es sothfastnes?" with þat Ihesus he left Als man þat stonayd es. [ 360]

(31)

He said vnto þe Iewes all þus: [361. Horst. al.] "Sirs, if it war yhour wyll, I haue enquered more of Ihesus, I fynd in him none ill." [ 364] þai said: "he was noght wreghed for vs Withouten certayne skyll." Sir Pilate said: "dy sen him bus, I consent noght þaretyll, [ 368] I am withouten gylt, To proue in yhoure present; His blode sall noght be spylt fforsoth be myne assent." [ 372]

(32)

To þis answerd þe Iewes all And made þam wonder wrathe, þai say: "his blode mot on vs fall And on our childer bathe." [ 376] Sir Pilate said: "parchaunce so sall, þat es full mykell wathe; þarfor lat haue him out of hall And schape withouten skathe." þai say: "sir, wele þou wate, [ 381] we say bot lawfully; Wha blemys kynges astate [leaf 208] Es wele worth forto dy; [ 384]

(33)

And whoso sklaunders þe godhede Es more syn þan swilk seuen;

He þat es man withouten dred Als god son will him neuen, [ 388] He hetes to sytt, who takes hede, On ryght hand in heuen, To deme ilk man after his awen dede At his awen ordenance euen." [ 392] Out of þat company Pilate went Ihesu vnto And said: "sir, sykerly, I ne wayte what es to do." [ 396]

(34)

Crist said: "als gyfen þe & me, So bus be done allwyse." Pilate sais: "how?" & þan says he: "Als proues þe prophecyse, [ 400] Moyses, Dauid & Iosue, And other mo þan þese; Als þai said, bese fullfyld in me, To suffer & degh & ryse." [ 404] Þan Pilate went to hall Als man þat was amayd And tald to þe Iewes all How þat Ihesus had said. [ 408]

(35)

Þan said þe Iewes to Pilate: "lo, In swilk erroure he dwelles, with more witnes what suld we do? Himself full trewly telles." [ 412] Pilate said: "takes him yhow vnto, Sen ilk man þus him melles, And demes als yhe bygan þis bro, ffor I will say noght elles." [ 416] Þai say: "wha mellyng makes To man, þis fynd we wryten, 'Ane wane of fourty strakes [ 419] with yherd he sall be smyten;'

(36)

Wha sklaunders god, yhe wate he mon Be staned to ded for syn; He telles yhow þat he es god son, And we knaw all his kyn; [ 424] He says þat he sall sytt in trone, Þarfore or euer we blyn, we will þat he on cross be done And ded for all his dyn; [ 428] If he regne sykerly, All sall turne tyll his lare; And better es þat a man dy þan all þe folk forfare." [ 432]

(37)

[I: very large ornamental.] In come syr Nichodeme by þan, was prynce of þe Iewry, He said: "I red yhe do þis man No manere of vylany; [ 436] Slyke sotell talkynges als yhe can And schewes vs openly was neuer yhit sen þe world bygan Sene in prophecy; [ 440] And if his fare war fals, It suld be sene full sone; His sawes & his dedes als Suld dy and be vndone. [ 444]

(38)

When sygnes war schewed thurgh Moyses [445. Moyses: last s above line.] Vntyll Pharao þe kyng, Two witnes, Iamnes & mambres, Did him full gret hethyng; [ 448] Signes þat he schewed made þai lese with þair fals enchauntyng, Als godes þam held all hathenes; Bot lythes þe last endyng; [ 452]

ffor his dedes war sothfast And þaires bot sorcery; His dedes sall euermore last, And þaires bot nedely dy. [ 456]

(39)

And parchaunce þis man may be sent A prophet vs forto lere; I ne wate by whame þat moyses ment þat telles on þis manere: [ 460] 'A prophet tyll our lawes bese lent And borne omanges vs here;' He said þai sall be schamely schent Þat him þis will noght here." [ 464] Þe Iewes byfor Pilate Said vnto Nichodeme: "His lare be þine allgate, [ 467] And his pese myght þe yheme."

(40)

Nichodeme answerd & said "amen," And held vp both his hend, "vntyll his lare I tak me þen, His pese in me myght lend." [ 472] Into þe hall þan come þare ten þat for Lazars war kend, þai said: "we war vnclene, yhe ken, Hale thurgh his word we wend." In come aneother & sayd: [ 477] "Sir, blynd borne was I, [leaf 208, bk.] Handes on myne eghen he layd, Þus saw I sykerly."

(41)

Aneother said: "syrs, seke I lay ffourty yhere all bot twa,

I asked mercy, & he gan say: 'Tyte tak þi bed and ga!' [ 484] Sone was I heled & went my way." Þus come ay ma and ma, þai said: "syrs, no man nowmbre may How many he has heled swa." [ 488] All halely say þai þus: "A gret prophet es he, Our sauyour dere Ihesus, Blyssed ay myght he be." [ 492]

(42)

"Yhour prestes, yhour bysschopes," quad Pilate, "þusgate whi hele noght þai?" And þai answerd & said: "we ne wate, Bot þus wirkes he allway; [ 496] Ane Lazar þat was ded now late And in his graue lang lay, He lyfes ogayne in full gud state, þis es soth þat we say." [ 500] Hereof had Pilate dred And said: "whi will yhe spyll þe man þat helpes in nede All þat will call him tyll?" [ 504]

(43)

He called Nichodeme & þat quest þat he fand trew allgate And said: "lordynges, how hald yhe best? þir folk falles in debate." [ 508] And þai said: "syr, als haue we rest, what es to do we ne wate; þam forto pay er we noght prest, fforto less his astate; [ 512] we pray god þat he send Ryght dome þam omang, On þam self mot it lend [ 515] wha dose ryght & wha wrang."

(44)

At Pasch of Iewes þe custom was Ane of preson to slake, withouten dome to latt him pas ffor þat hegh fest sake. [ 520] [520. hegh: gh inserted above line.] A pryson þai had hight Barabas þat murthers gan make; Whether him or Ihesu, pilate ass, þai will fro presone take, [ 524] þai cryed fast: "Baraban!" And Pilate askes þam all: "What sall Ihesus do þan?" þai say: "cross him þou sall; [ 528]

(45)

Bot þou do so, it es wele sene þou ert noght Cesares frende; who makes þam kyng, withouten wene Ogayns Cesare þai wende." [ 532] And Pilate said þan in a tene: "yhe folk full of þe fende, Tyll yhour belders ay haue yhe bene Schrewes & ill ay at þe ende." ffor wroth þai wex nere wode [ 537] And said: "whi says þou so? who did vs euer yhit gud, [ 539] þat we ne dyd þam slyke two?"

(46)

"ffro Egypp," said he, "yhe war led with moyses þe trew prophete, ffro Pharao thurgh þe cee yhe fled And fyled noght yhour fette; [ 544] In wildernes, when god yhow fed With aungell mete full swete, ffowles to yhour fode þat neuer war bred And rayne fro heuen he lete; [ 548]

Out of þe stane he sent ffressch water wyterly; yhe brak his comament & lyfed on mawmetry; [ 552]

(47)

Bot þat Moyses gan for yhow pray, God had fordone yhow þare; And here þis man þat ilka day heles yhow seke and sare, [ 556] ffor I deme noght vnto yhour pay Bot wald þe gyltles spare; I am noght Cesars frend, yhe say, Þis es vnryghtwyse fare." [ 560] þai say: "we haue no kyng Bot þe Emperoure of Rome; To trow on þis tratylling þat war no ryghtwys dome. [ 564]

(48)

We fynd how thre kynges here biforne ffro Perse to bethleem soght, þai asked whare þe kyng of Iewes was borne And tyll him offrandes broght; [ 568] Bot when Herod wist on þe morne On what wise þai had wroght, þat he & þai both suld be lorne, þis was in herodes thoght; [ 572] ffor he knew noght him þis, All childer bad he sla [þ very large and ornamental.] Þat of twa yhere oght mys, [leaf 209] And yhit he skaped him fra." [ 576]

(49)

Pilate hereof had gret Pete And bad all men be styll: "withouten cause þa kynges thre Soght noght so fer him tyll." [ 580]

water wightly askes he And wessch his hend by skyll: "I am gyltles, als yhe sall se, þis ryghtwys blode to spyll." [ 584] þan cryed þe Iewes all: "þareof haue þou no dout, þis blode on vs myght fall, Put vs in & þe out." [ 588]

(50)

Þan gert Pilate vnto bar bryng Knyghtes full gret plente, He says: "his folk vnproues him kyng, And kyngdom claymes he; [ 592] þarfore with skourges yhe sall him dyng, þus byd I þat it be, Sythen on a cross yhe sall him hyng Hegh þat þe men may se; [ 596] A thef on ayther syde yhe do at my byddyng, Als kyng of mykell pryde [ 599] In myddes yhe sall him hyng."

(51)

Þase knyghtes kene layd hand him on And led whare he suld dy, His clothes þai dof, on him þai don A whyte towayle in hy, [ 604] A purpure mantyll þareopon And hyd his eghen hastily; þare þai defouled him als a fon And kyng of Iewes gan cry; [ 608]

A crowne of thorne full sare To threst þai haue bygon On his heued, tyll þe hare was all of blode byron; [ 612]

(52)

On rode þai raysed him þan gud spede, A thefe on ayther syde; Aysell & gall raysed on a rede within a spownge þai hyde, [ 616] vntyll his mowthe at drynk þai bede, And Ihesus said þat tyde: "ffader, forgyf þir men þair dede Of þis bale þat I byde." [ 620] þe Iewes þan þat þare stode said: "god son if þou be, Come doune now fro þat rode, And we sall trow in þe." [ 624]

(53)

A blynd knyght, so thoght þam best, A spere þai gaf gud spede; To Ihesu syde þai gan it threst, And blode and water out yhede. Pilate, for folk by est & west [ 629] Suld haue mynde of þat dede, A byll obouen his heued he fest þat ilka man myht rede, [ 632] Latyn, Ebrew and grew; His tytell was þusgate: "þis ilk man es Ihesu, kyng of Iewes," þus he wrate. [ 636]

(54)

On his left syde hang Iesmas And said to him bi name: "If þou be god, hethen lat vs pas, Saue þe & vs fro schame!" [ 640]

And on his ryght hand hynged Dismas, His fere fast gan he blame: "Als þou has serued so þou has, And I may say þe same; [ 644] Ouer lytell god þou dredes, we haue þis for our gylt, And he for his gud dedes fful wrangwisly es spylt." [ 648]

(55)

Vnto Ihesu gan he pray: "Als þou es heghe Iustyse, when þou comes in þi regne for ay, Mend me with þi mercyse." [ 652] And Ihesus sone to him gan say And answer on þis wyse: "I hete þe forto be þis day With me in paradyse." [ 656] At vnderon was þis done, Omang þam wex it myrk, þe son wex dyme full sone, þe vaile rafe in þe kyrk. [ 660]

(56)

In þis ilk story als we rede, who will it vnderstand, Ane aungell was sene do þat dede with a swerd bryght brynand, [ 664] He said: "I come, whasom takes hede, Als witnes and warand Of Ihesu dede þat yhe se blede, Nayled thurgh fote & hand." [ 668] Ihesus said: "in þi hend, My fader of myghtes mast, My saule now sall I send." [leaf 209, bk.] with þis he gaf þe gaste. [ 672]

(57)

Centurio said, when he suld dy, vnto þe Iewes full ryght: "þis ilk was god son sykerly, þat þus to ded es dyght." [ 676] And many other þat stode him by And saw þis selcouth syght Knocked on þair brestes & cryed mercy And mended þam at þair myght. Of þis wonderfull dede [ 681] when sir Pilate herd say, ffor dole and als for dred He ette no mete þat day. [ 684]

(58)

Þan Pilate sembled þe Iewes all And said: "what es yhour rede? Swilk ferlies wist we neuer bifall Als fell in Ihesu ded." þai said: "sir, clerkes þe clyppes it call þat made þe son so red." He asked: "what made þe stanes so small þat none myght styr of þe stede? Allso, what raue þe vayle [ 693] þat in yhour temple hang? vs all to wrotherhail I dout we haue done wrang." [ 696]

(59)

Centurio come forth bi þan And other þat with him ware; Till all þe Iewes þus þai bigan To tell þis ferly fare: [ 700] "Of wreghyng of þis ryghtwisman yhe may yhow dred full sare; þe sonne at his ded wex all wan wele thre myle way or mare, [ 704]

þe stanes in sonder brak, þe erth trembled & quaked, with noys als man it spak, [707. Horst. uoys.] Slyke mane for him it maked; [ 708]

(60)

Ded men er rysen out of þair graue Ryght in our aller syght; þarfore we trow & hope we haue He was god son full ryght." [ 712] Als þai all þus togyder straue, To Pilate come a knyght, And Ihesu cors fast gan he craue þat þus to ded was dyght; [ 716] Pilate graunted þat bone Till Ioseph of Aramathi; And he fra þe cross full sone Toke doune þat blyssed body. [ 720]

(61)

He wand þat cors with gud entent In sendell new & clene And layd it in his monument whare nane bifore had bene. [ 724] Þan said þe Iewes with ane assent: "Als ill we sall him tene." Men forto seke him haue þai sent, And he dar noght be sene. [ 728] þat quest þat gan him deme Trew in sposage borne, And ryghtwise Nichodeme, To sla all haue þai sworne; [ 732]

(62)

And forto sla all haue þai thoght þat heled of Ihesu ware; þai bad sone þat men spare þam noght, So war þai greued sare. [ 736]

Sone when þai war togyder broght, þe maisters of þair lare, To þe temple NIchodeme þam soght, To speke he wald noght spare, [ 740] He said: "yhe wers þan wode, How dar yhe negh þis stede And yhour handes full of blode Of ryghtwys Ihesus dede?" [ 744]

(63)

Þe Iewes þan answerd all in fere: "þou outcast of all men, How dar þou negh þis temple nere, His frend se we þe ken? [ 748] Sen þat þou held his dedes so dere, His pese we þe byken, And his lare lyght opon þe here." [751. MS. possibly apon.] He answerd & said: "ameN!" when all þir sawes war sayd, [ 753] Ioseph of Aramathy þat him in graue had layd Come in all openly; [ 756]

(64)

He said: "lordynges, als god yhow saue, whi er yhe wrathe with me? ffor I layd Ihesus in his graue þat yhe hanged on rode-tre? [ 760] with full gret wrang slane him yhe haue, þat sall men here & se; when yhe bifor sir Pilate straue, Als yhe said sall it be; [ 764] when Pilate wesch his hend Him gyltles forto make, Yhe bad on yhow descend [leaf 210] His blode, vengance & wrake."

(65)

Omang þam þare was Ioseph tane, In presoune þai him kast, Had no wyndow and dore bot ane, And þat þai sperd full fast; [ 772] þai said halely he suld be slane when þair sabot war past; On þe dore þai sett þair seles ilk ane with lokkes þat wele wald last. "ffor he gan Ihesu graue," [ 777] þai say, "fer in þe feld His beriele sall he haue, wyld bestes his banes to weld."

(66)

After þair sabot day alssone Of Ioseph haue þai thoght: "He sall be ded be son & mone ffor þat werk he has wroght." [ 784] þai hyed þam withouten hone And wend him furth haue broght, þai bad þe dore tyte be vndone, Bot Ioseph fand þai noght. [ 788] "Allas!" þan gan þai say, "þis es a wonder thyng, How myght he wyn oway þus in our awen kepyng?" [ 792]

(67)

Þan come a knyght of þam þat woke Ihesus in þe monument: "þat body þat yhe vs bitoke Es rysen and fro vs went; [ 796] þe erth trembled & all toschoke, Ane aungell doune was sent,

we dared for dred & durst noght luke, Ne to him tak no tent; [ 800] þe mykell stane þat lay His rysyng forto lett þat aungell put oway And þareopon him sett. [ 804]

(68)

He bad wemen be noght affrayd þat war of his meneyhe: "ffor he es rysen, þarfor bese payd, Comes nere þe soth to se! [ 808] þis es þe place whare he was layd, Ga byddes his appestels be, He sall be sene als he þam sayd þis day in Galile." [ 812] þe Iewes gret wonder thoght, "Lyfes Ihesus?" gan þai say, "Traytours, we trow yhow noght, Sertes he es ded for ay." [ 816]

(69)

Þe knyghtes gaf answer full swythe Till all þat company: "what wonder werkes gan he yhow kythe Here whils he wond yhow by! He musterd miracles many sythe [ 821] Omang all þis Iewry; How suld yhe leue or tyll vs lythe þat left him so lyghtly? [ 824] When he was layd in graue, we keped him, als yhe wate; Schortly lorne him we haue, He es rysen & gane his gate. [ 828]

(70)

And als wele wate we yhisterday How Ioseph presond was,

And how yhe keped him vnder kay ffor þat he suld noght pas; [ 832] we wate wele he es went oway, þarfor þis thing we ass: Bydes þam bryng Ioseph if þai may þat him in kepyng has, [ 836] And we sall bryng Ihesus withouten langer threpe." þai say: "bryng him tyll vs, And we sall bryng Iosepe." [ 840]

(71)

Þe knyghtes sayd: "warand will we þarfor to lyf and dy þat Ioseph es in his cete At hame in Aramathy, [ 844] And Ihesus gase in Galile with his appostels him by." when þe Iewes herd it þus suld be, þai drowped & war drery; [ 848] Omanges þam sone þai say: "Bot if þir wordes fall, Our folk sall leue our lay And trow on Ihesu all." [ 852]

(72)

A sowme of tresore haue þai tane And to þe knyghtes þai pay, And charges þam by ane & ane þat þai sall allgate say, [ 856] þat when þai war to slepyng gane And in þair beddes lay, His appostels put oway þe stane And stale þe cors oway; [ 860] þe mone made þam fayne, þai toke it ilka dele, And furth þai tald þis trayne, [leaf 210, bk.] And ilk man trowed þam wele. [ 864]

(73)

[This letter made with a great deal of colour and flourish.] TO Ierusalem þat ryche cete Thre prestes þair way has tane, vnto þe temple þai went all thre And called þe clerkes onane, [ 868] þai said: "Ihesus, þis warand we, þat yhe with wrang haue slane, On þe mount of Oliuete þis day satt he And his appostels ilk ane; [ 872] we saw þam in a rowt þat he was won to teche, þai satt all him obout And þir wordes gan he preche: [ 876]

(74)

'Thurgh all þe werld I will yhe wende, And wysely luke yhe wake And baptyss all men with yhour hende þat trowth trewly will take; [ 880] þat trowes & er for cristen kend Safe I sall þam make; And all bese damped withouten end þat ryght trowth will forsake.' [ 884] In þat stede þam omang He steghe tyll heuen vpryght, And we luked after him lang Till clowdes reft vs þe syght." [ 888]

(75)

Hereof þe Iewes awondred ere, þai say: "þus sall noght blyn, þis þat yhe say all sall yhe swere." A boke þai byd bryng in, [ 892] þai said: "þat may do vs no dere, Gladly we will bigyn; Bot we wald þareof witnes bere, ffor soth we suld haue syn." [ 896]

Handes on þat boke þai layd And sware all with a voyce: "All es soth þat we sayd Of him yhe hanged on croyce." [ 900]

(76)

Þe Iewes a boke in handes hent And gert þam eft on lay: "þis þat yhe speke in our present yhe sall layne forward ay." [ 904] Sone fro þat cete er þai sent, ffor þai no soth suld say, And armed men with þam er went To wyss þam fast oway. [ 908] In [dred] þir Iewes þus dwell And says: "what may þis mene? In þe land of Israel [ 911] was neuer slyke selcowthes sene."

(77)

To þis spak Annas & Cayphas: "we sall noght trow," þai sayd, "þe knyghtes þat him myskeped has, Sen he in graue was layd;" [ 916] þat he rase vp," þare wordes was, "And made þam all affrayd; Bot how sone gan þat speche ouerpas ffro we þam syluer payd. [ 920] His men, full wele may be, Come his cors forto stele And made þe knyghtes gre, Als we dyd, forto hele." [ 924]

(78)

All þe Iewes þan þat þare ware Answerd & sayd þus: "whether war our knyghtes halden mare vntyll his men or tyll vs?" [ 928] "Sertainly yhe say wele þare," þus said Nichodemus,

"ffor his men saw þai neuer are, Ne noght þai lufed Ihesus; [ 932] þir two men þat sware ryght How þai saw him lyfand And stegh to heuen on hyght with wrang er flemed of land. [ 936]

(79)

We rede when þe prophete helyas vp vnto heuen was tane, Elisius, his discipell was, [ 939] Men asked whyder he was gane; He sayd: 'tyll heuen I saw him pas,' Men for him made gret mane. 'Som spirit,' þai said, 'him rauyst has Into þe mountes allane.' [ 944] þai gert seke north & sowth þe mountes of Israel, þai fand no man þat couth þam tale of Hely tell. [ 948]

(80)

Yhe childer of Israel, lystens me, þat has þis sakles slayne, In case þat crist so rauyst be [ 951] with spirites to som mountayne, Sendes furth men bylyue lat se, To seke with all þair mayne; He sall forgyf & haue pete, When he es fonden ogayne." [ 956] ffor he suld noght be schent, Þir tales he gan þam tell, And wight men furth er went [lf. 211] To þe mountes of Israel. [ 960]

(81)

In þe land of Israel haue þai soght þe mountanes fer & nere;

þai come & said þai saw him noght, Ne noght myght of him here; [ 964] "Of Ioseph bodword haue we broght þat yhe presond to yhere, In Aramathy his wanes er wroght Als lord of gret powere." [ 968] When þai herd sertainly þat Ioseph was in qwert, þai thanked god forþi And war ioyfull in hert. [ 972]

(82)

Sone þai made a gret gaderyng And counsayled þam bitwene How þai myght Ioseph to þam bryng, Als he before had bene. [ 976] A letter dyd þai to wrytyng And said þus als I wene: "Pese, frendschip & godes gretyng On þe, sir, mot be sene." [ 980] þai said: "we knaw & wate Our tryspas & our gylt In god onence þi state, þat we þe wald haue spylt; [ 984]

(83)

Sir, vouchesaue to com vs tyll, All halely we þe pray, And largely mak amendes we will, Whatso þiself will say; [ 988] fful oft we stody opon þis skyll How þat þou wan oway, Bot god wald þat þou had none ill, þi dedes war to his pay; [ 992] Haue pese with wirchipyng, [993. with repeated in MS.] Ioseph of Aramathy." þai close it & þai hyng þair aller seles þareby. [ 996]

(84)

Of Ioseph frendes sythen haue þai sent þe message forto make; when þai wist what maters þai ment, þai wald it noght forsake; [ 1000] Till Aramathy wightly þai went, fful wynly gan þai wake; þai tald to Ioseph þair entent, þe letter to him þai take. [ 1004] Sone when he had it red, He thanked god of heuen; He kyssed þam & sythen led vntyll his hows full euen. [ 1008]

(85)

Sone on þe morn when it was day, Ioseph was dyght full tyte, with þe messangers he went his way withouten more respyte. [ 1012] Of his come when þe Iewes herd say, withouten lenger lyte with all þe wirschip þat þai may Ogayns him went þai tyte, [ 1016] Þai said: "at þi comyng, Ioseph, be pese and gryth." And he sais: "godes blyssyng Be all his pople with." [ 1020]

(86)

Nichodeme þat I are of spake At his hows gert him ly, And made gret festes for his sake To folk of þe Iewry; [ 1024] And sone a gaderyng gan þai make In þe temple openly; A boke in hand Ioseph þai take And bad him swere þareby [ 1028]

þat he þe soth sall say; ffull depely þai him charge How that he wan oway ffro presoune vnto þe large. [ 1032]

(87)

He said: "on gud fryday at nyght when I to presone yhode, Till þe saterday at mydnyght ryght In my prayers I stode; [ 1036] þe presone in ayre was hynged on hyght, þat meruayld all my mode; I luked & saw bifor my syght Ihesus þat dyed on rode; [ 1040] Till him gud tent I toke, His visage schane full bryght, I myght no langer luke, ffor dred I fell doune ryght. [ 1044]

(88)

He bad me þan ryse vp in hy And toke me bi þe hand, Mi mowth he kyssed curtaisly, ffull dredfull gan I stand, [ 1048] I said to him: 'my lord hely, wher þou be here lyfand?' And he said: 'yha, full faythfully, þat sall þou vnderstand; [ 1052] Of me no drede þou haue, Ioseph, I am þat ilk Þat þou layd in þi graue [leaf 211, bk.] In sendell and in sylk.' [ 1056]

(89)

I answerd þus: 'if thou be he, Of a thing I þe pray, þe monument þat lat me se wharein þi body lay.' [ 1060]

Out of þat presone þan went we, Bot how I kan noght say, His sepulcre sone schewed he me, þe body was oway; [ 1064] þan trowed I stedfastly When I had sene þat syght, I asked þat mylde mercy [ 1067] And thanked him at my myght.

(90)

In Aramathy he sett me sethen, And þare I saw him last; He bad: 'nogate luke þou go hethen Till fourty days be past;' [ 1072] He said me yhe suld noght yhow feyne To pursu cristen fast; Syrs, otherwise went I noght þethen, Ryght on þis maner wast." [ 1076] þan said þe Iewes halely: "þis es a ferly fare To seke all our Iewry, Slyke ferlyse fell neuer are." [ 1080]

(91)

"Ely þe prophete in full gud state," þai said, "whik to heuen yhede, And moyses allswa, wele yhe wate, Of his dede neuer we rede; [ 1084] Bot Ihesus was ded now late And damped for his mysdede, He may noght lyf ogayne nonegate, þis es withouten drede." [ 1088] Ioseph says: "meruayle yhe þat he es rysen to lyue? To spek of his pouste, yhe may meruaile slyke fyue. [ 1092]

(92)

Of saint Symon wele may yhe mene, þat keped yhour lawes full ryght, And his two sons all haue yhe sene, þat Caryn & Lentyn hyght; [ 1096] yhe wate þai war both ded bidene And grauen in yhour syght; þair bodyse, I wate withouten wene, Er raysed thurgh Ihesu myght; I warand þat þai both ere [ 1101] Lyfand in aramathy, Ay kneland in prayere And spekes noght sykerly; [ 1104]

(93)

We will wend to þam, if yhe rede, And pray þam, if þai will, Tell vs how þai er raysed fro dede And eft lyfe lent þam tyll; [ 1108] Parauenture þai sall in þat stede Schew vs som sertayne skyll, If þai war raysed thurgh his godhede, And what thyng to fullfyll." [ 1112] vnto þair graues went þai, whare þare bodyse war layd, And fand þam both oway, Als Ioseph had þam sayd. [ 1116]

(94)

Ioseph, Annas and Cayphas, And Nichodeme allswa, þair counsayle halely taken has Till Aramathy tyll ga; [ 1120] [1120. tyll: Horst. till.] And on þe morn furth gan þai pass, To þair iorne þai ta; ffro þethen sexty myle it was, And nowther myn ne ma; [ 1124]

þir two men in þat toune ffand þai at þe last On bare erth kneland doune, Prayand tyll god full fast; [ 1128]

(95)

Þai kyssed þam als men þat þai kend And of þam war full fayne, To Ierusalem þai gert þam wende wightly with þam ogayne; [ 1132] Ryght in þe temple þai gert þam lend And þare of þam þai frayne, þe halydom putt þai in þair hend To swere þe soth to sayne: [ 1136] "Bi god of Israel And bi god Adonay, þe soth of þis thing vs tell þat we ask, if yhe may; [ 1140]

(96)

Allswa bi gret god we yhow athe, þat tyll our faders spak, If þat war Ihesus þat raysed yhow bathe, Sertayne yhe vs make; How yhe war raysed yhe schew vs rathe, þat we ryght trowthe may take." And for þir wordes þai wex full wrathe, Both gan þai tremble & qwake; Tyll heuen vp gan þai stare, [ 1149] And þan taken of þe croyce On þair mowthes mak þai þare [lf. 212.] And spak with symple voyce: [ 1152]

(97)

"Lordynges," þai said withouten lyte, "Tak vs parchemyn & pen;

þe preuetese we sall yhow wryte þat we for sothfast ken." [ 1156] And sone withouten more respyte Serely þai sett þam þen, And þusgate bygan þai to wryte: "In þe name of god, amen! [ 1160] To þe, Ihesu, we pray, Rayser tyll lyfe fro ded, Lat vs witnes þis day þe myght of his godhed; [ 1164]

(98)

Sen we er coniornd forto tell þat we saw thurgh þi myght, þe selcouthes þat oftsythes bifell we sall reherce full ryght. [ 1168] All Adams kynd we war in hell, ffull many a wafull wight, Till on a tyme it so bifell Of sun we had a syght; [ 1172] when we in myrknes ware, A lyght gan on vs leme, Till vs it semed þare Lyke a bryght sons beme. [ 1176]

(99)

Oure form faders þat was in wa, Adam and Eue his wife, And Patryarkes & prophetes ma, Spak all þair resons ryfe: [ 1180] 'þis lyght es comen our sorow to sla, Our dyrknes doune to dryue, Als our lord Ihesus schewed vs swa whils we war in lyfe.' [ 1184] 'þis lyght,' said ysai, 'Es son of þe fader of heuen, In my lyfe so said I Omang my sawes full euen; [ 1188]

(100)

I preched & said: "all Neptalim land And Zabulon land withall, þat es als mykell to vnderstand Als fre bicomen es thrall, [ 1192] Men in myknes of ded walkand [1193. Horst. my(r)knes.] Lyght vnto þam schyne sall." þus I said whils I was lyfand, I se it now bifall; [ 1196] Now all fullfyld it es In vs, þat prophecy: "Lyght schynes in our myrknes Oure thraldom forto by."' [ 1200]

(101)

Omang vs mykell myrthe made we And gret ioy for þis thing. Our fader Symon þan come he And tald vs new tythyng, [ 1204] He said: 'yhe may mak gamen & gle, Gud bodword I yhow bryng, He comes þat our bier sall be Oway from þis wonyng; [ 1208] Ryght in þe temple I toke þat barn in bath my handes, Myne eghen gan on him luke þat sall vs bryng of bandes; [ 1212]

(102)

Thurgh þe haly gast þus gan I say: "Lord, leue þi seruand lele In pese to rest, lord, I þe pray, ffor myne eghen saw þi hele [ 1216] þat þou ordand for euer and ay Omang mankynd to dele Lyght to schew folk nyght & day And ioy to all israele."' [ 1220]

þe saintes þat full ill ferd, Ilk one in þair degre, when þai þir tythynges herd, Made gret sollempnite. [ 1224]

(103)

Ane said þan þat semed by lyknes Ane hermyte in pouer state, What he was spyrd we more & les, And he answerd þusgate: [ 1228] 'A voyce cryand in wildernes, And Iohan þe baptyst I hate, Of synnes I preched forgyfnes Thurgh baptym gyfen now late; when þat he come me by [ 1233] þat vs fra wa sall wyn, "þis es godes lamb," said I, "þat wastes þe worldes syn." [ 1236]

(104)

I baptyst him ryght with my hend In þe water of flom Iordan, þe haly gast on him gan lend In a dowfe lyknes þan, [ 1240] þe voyce of þe fader doune was send And þus to speke bygan: "þis es my son withouten end, Herkens him ilk man, [ 1244] In whilk sun me lykes best." þus am I forthermer To schew yhow signes of rest, [lf. 212, bk.] Bese fayne, he es noght fer.' [ 1248]

(105)

And sone when Adam herd him say Of þe flum baptyssyng, He said: 'my son Seth, I þe pray, Tell vs a lytell thing; [ 1252]

In erth lyfand, seke when I lay, I had a gret langyng; Till Paradyse þou toke þe way Oyle of mercy me to bryng; [ 1256] All if þou gat none þare, vntyll vs yhit may þou tell What þou had to answare Of Michael, godes aungell.' [ 1260]

(106)

Þan said Seth: 'I stode lang & prayd At þe yhates of Paradyse, And ane aungell þan to me said þir wordes on þis wyse: [ 1264] "Trauell þe noght on þis manere, Hereof no help may ryse, þe oyle of þe tre of mercy here Gettes þou by nonkyns pryse; Bot if it be at þe last [ 1269] þat þe nowmbre may fullfyll, ffyue thowsand yheres be past [1271. on margin of MS. in later hand: ffyve thousand V. honderde.] And fyue hundreth þaretyll, [ 1272]

(107)

Godes son sall þan vntyll erth com To mend þi faders mys, He sall be baptist in þe flom And bring yhour bale to blys; Of þe oyle of mercy þai sall haue som þat he haldes for his, þai þat with noy er now bynom Sall wyn to welth Iwys."' [ 1280] Both Patryarke and prophete All thanked þai god at anes þat comes, als he gan hete, To wyn vs fro þir wanes. [ 1284]

(108)

Sone efter þat spak Sathanas, þat maister was in hell, And said tyll him þat Porter was whare we presons gan dwell: [ 1288] 'Open yhour yhates, lat him in pas, Ihesus of Israel! Sen he him god son maked has In wa here sall he dwell; [ 1292] He es made of manhede ffor all his frankys fare, In my hert haue I dred ffor dedes he has done are; [ 1296]

(109)

He has oft put me fro my pray, fful dere now bese it boght, þam þat I turned vntyll our lay Has he gert chaunge þair thoght, He has me tende and trauerst ay In all þe werkes I haue wroght, And many saules gert wend oway þat I tyll vs had broght.' [ 1304] He asked whether þis be he þat called Lazar vs fra, þat we had in pouste, And þai said ilk ane, 'yha.' [ 1308]

(110)

'Sathan,' þai said, 'we þe forbede In all thynges þat we may, Bryng him noght hyder for no nede, Bot haue him hethen oway; [ 1312] ffor come he here, we haue gret drede þat all sall we say;

All þat him lykes hethen will he lede And we be pyned for ay; [ 1316] He es a strenkithy swayne, when we all myght noght hald A wafull saule ogayne, when he did noght bot cald. [ 1320]

(111)

Sen he was slyke & was bot man, To þe, Sathanas, we say, wenes þou, wreche, to maister þan Both god & man verray? [ 1324] Trowes þou þat þou close him kan þat he ne sall wyn oway, þat his pouer seruand fro þe wan And was damped for ay?' [ 1328] þan answerd Sathanas: 'Of him haue I no drede, I knaw wele what he was And what lyfe he gan lede; [ 1332]

(112)

His fourty days when he had fast, þat tyme him temped I; And to þe Iewes counsayles I kast þat þai suld ger him dy; [ 1336] when Pilate wald þat he had past, I egged him egerly, Till he was hynged at þe last with other theues him by; [ 1340] And þarfore als I yhow say, Ordayns for him a stede, He comes hyder þis day, [leaf 213] Be þis I hald him dede.' [ 1344]

(113)

Þus als þai gan togyder chyde, A voyce spak loud & clere:

'yhe princes, I byd ye open wyde yhour endeles yhates here, [ 1348] þe kyng of blys now in sall glyde.' And þan spak Lucifere: 'Satanas, turn him ogayne þis tyde, Als þou lufes me dere.' [ 1352] þan sathanas sperd þe yhates And his felawes he cald: 'Haldes him þareout allgates, Or we foreuer be thrald.' [ 1356]

(114)

þan said saint Dauid þare he lay vnto þa saintes all: 'In erth lyfand þus gan I say Als I se now bifall; [ 1360] þat god has made, þis es þe day, Mak ioy þarein we sall; Brasen yhates he brak for ay And Iren barres full small; [ 1364] ffro wayes of wilsomnes, I tald, he has þam taken; I se now soth it es, He has vs noght forsaken.' [ 1368]

(115)

Þan on þis wise said Isay: 'whils I had lyf in land, On þis same manere þan said I, whoso couth vnderstand: [ 1372] "Ded men þat in þair graues ly Sall ryse & be lyfand, All sall mak ioy & melody þat erth has in his hand." [ 1376] Eftsones I said allswa To ded: "whare es þi myght, Sen he fecches vs þarefra?" Now se I all þis ryght.' [ 1380]

(116)

A voyce spak þan full hydusly, Als it war thonours blast: 'vndo yhour yhates bilyue, byd I, þai may no langer last, [ 1384] þe kyng of blys comes in yhow by.' þan hell a voyce vpkast: 'what es he þat þai say in hy? He sall be sett full fast.' [ 1388] þan said Dauid: 'yhe ne wate How þat I said þus ryght, "He es lord of gret state, [ 1391] In batayle mykell of myght;"

(117)

Þe kyng of blys, trewly I tell, Right at þi yhates standes, He has bihalden fro heuen to hell þe sorow of his seruandes. [ 1396] þarfore vndo, þi fende so fell, [1397. þi: Horst. þu.] þi yhates ryght with þi handes, þe kyng of blys comes in full snell To bryng vs fro þi bandes [ 1400] Thurgh myght of his godhede.' þan Ihesus strake so fast, þe yhates in sonder yhede And Iren bandes all brast. [ 1404]

(118)

He kyd þat he was mykell of myght, þe fendes pouste he felled, All lemyd þat lathly lake of lyght þat with myrknes was melled. When all þe saintes saw þat syght þat in þat dongeon dwelled, None durst speke a word on hyght, Bot ilk one softly telled: [ 1412]

'welcom, lord, vntyll vs, ffull Iang here has vs thoght; Blyssed mot þou be, Ihesus, ffull dere þou has vs boght.' [ 1416]

(119)

He lowsed þan þare bandell all þat lang had bonden bene, He made þam fre þat are war thrall, Of care he clensed þam clene; þe fendes þat saw slyke lyght bifall whare none before was sene Said: 'we er clomsed gret & small with yhone kaytyf so kene.' [ 1424] Ane says þat mykell him dredes: 'what ertow schewes slyke myght And es so mykell in dedes [ 1427] And semes so lytell in syght?

(120)

Sen þou was man, on what manere was godhede in þe hyd? was þou noght ded? what dose þou here? Slyke maistryse neuer was kyd; we fendes war all full fayne in fere when þe Iewes to ded þe dyd; How ertow put to slyke powere, And slyke tene vs bityd? [ 1436] þe saules þat vs war sent Has þou won hethen oway, Þou has vs schamely schent [lf. 213, bk.] And pryued vs of our pray.' [ 1440]

(121)

Þan Ihesus sone toke Sathanas, þat are was lord & syre, And him in thraldom bonden has To bryn in endeles fyre. [ 1444]

þan said þe fendes þat with him was ffull of angre & of Ire: 'Sathan, þou has vs lorn, allas, þou dyd noght oure desyre; [ 1448] we bad þe latt him ga And noght to com herein, Or he feches vs fra, Our court waxes full thyn; [ 1452]

(122)

Þou duke of ded, leder fro lyue, Hethyng of godes aungels, Ogayns þat strang how durst þou stryue þou vs þus frekly felles? þou hyght to bynd him here bilyue, It es noght als þou telles; Till endeles ded he will þe dryue And all þat with þe dwelles; [ 1460] when þou þe Iewes gan styr þat þai suld ger him dy, þou suld enquere & spyr ffirst if he war worthy; [ 1464]

(123)

And if þat he had done none ill, þou suld haue gert þam blyn; why suld þou bryng a man vs tyll In whame was sene no syn? [ 1468] All has þou lost now by þis skyll þe wightes þat war herein, And þou þair payns sall all fullfyll with wo neuer out to wyn; [ 1472] þat we wan thurgh þe tre when Eue þe fruit had eten, Ilk dele ogayn has he Now with þe rode-tre geten.' [ 1476]

(124)

Ihesus þan spak with voyce full clere To þe sayntes þat he has soght: 'Comes vnto me, my childer dere, þat my lyknes war wroght; [ 1480] yhe þat for syn war presond here, To blys yhe sall be broght.' þan all þa saintes drogh to him nere And thanked him in þair thoght; On Adam his hand he layd, [ 1485] And he on knese gan fall, 'Pese be to þe,' he said, 'And to þi childer all.' [ 1488]

(125)

Adam said þan & for ioy gret: 'Lord, I sall wirschip þe, ffro my famen þou has me fett In blys to byde and be, [ 1492] In sorows sere whare I was sett To my sare wold þou se; Me will þou lede withouten lett ffro pyne thurgh þi pete; [ 1496] þat fendes vs þat we ne fall Till pyne þat es pereles; Makes ioy, yhe saintes all, And thankes his gret gudenes.'

(126)

All patryarkes and ilk prophete And other saintes all ffell doune on knese bifor his fete Smertly both gret & small: [ 1504] 'Lord, þou es comen our bales to bete, Euermore serue þe we will, þat þou thurgh prophecy gan hete we se it now bifall, [ 1508]

Ded thurgh ded es destroit; Lord, loueyng be vnto þe, All es noght þat vs noyed, þat war thralles er made fre.' [ 1512]

(127)

By þe ryght hand gan he Adam take And blyssed him ryght þare, He led him fro þat lathely lake And all þat with him ware. [ 1516] Saint Dauid þan full baldly spake, Als þai fro hell gan fare: 'A new sang tyll our lord yhe make, Als I myself said are; [ 1520] He þat has bene wirkand Meruayles omang vs here, He has safe his ryght hand To him and his powere; [ 1524]

(128)

ffull mekely has he schewed his myght Omang all cristen men, He has teched ilka werldly wight His ryghtwisnes to ken.' [ 1528] þus all þa saintes þanked him ryght þat slyke lane wald þam len: 'Blyssed be he þat comes als he hyght In þe name of god, Amen.' [ 1532] Ilk prophete þus gan tell Of þair awen prophecy How he suld hery hell, [leaf 214.] How he suld for þam dy. [ 1536]

(129)

Þus als þai vnto welthes went þat war won out of wa,

A sang þai said with ane assent þat was þis, 'Alleluya.' [ 1540] By þe hand our lord has Adam hent, with Michael he bad him ga; þai toke þe way with gud entent vntyll Paradyse full thra. [ 1544] Michael resayued þam sone þat war to him bikend, In blys he has þam done þat lastes withouten end. [ 1548]

(130)

In paradyse with ioyes sere When all þir saintes war sett, Two grayhared men with facefull clere Myldely þare with þam mett; [ 1552] þir saintes asked all what þai were, How þai fro hell war fett, In body & saule: 'how come yhe here? ffand yhe none yhow to lett?' [ 1556] 'Our names er,' þai answerd, 'Ennoc & als Ely, we er broght fro mydelerd To be wytnes worthy; [ 1560]

(131)

We dyed noght yhit, bot er olyue with anticrist forto fyght, In Ierusalem þan sall we stryue And we to ded be dyght; [ 1564] Bot ryght fro ded god sall vs dryue On þe thryd day thurgh his myght, At þe dome þan sall we rede full ryue who dose ill & who ryght.' [ 1568] Aneother come þan þare, Als þai so spak togyder; þe saintes awondred ware How þat þai so come þider; [ 1572]

(132)

Meruail þai had omang þam all And said: 'what man es þis?' He said: 'þe soth say yhow I sall, All my lyfe lyfed I mys, [ 1576] On þe cross cristes mercy gan I call, He said þir wordes Iwys: "þis same day, sun, be þou sall with me in paradys." [ 1580] His taken he made on me And þir wordes gan he say: "When Michael sall þe se, He sall noght say þe nay." [ 1584]

(133)

Aneother word of him I had, He said: "Sun, I þe rede, If þat þe aungell be noght glad þat þou comes in þat stede, [ 1588] þou sall say þat Ihesus þe bad, þat now was done to ded, þat þou suld in þat stede be stad, Till he come in godhede." [ 1592] Tyll þe aungell said I þus, He opend þe yhates ful yhare.' And all þai thank Ihesus Halely both less & mare: [ 1596]

(134)

'God of gudenes, gyfer of grace, Blyssed be þou euer & ay, þat gyfes lyfe in so lytell space To cristen saules;' þai say, [ 1600] 'þai þat will trewly tak þi trace And mend þam whils þai may, In lastand lykyng þou þam lace, þai wend no wilsom way; [ 1604]

þou þat has broght vs all ffro payn in lyght to lend, Luf þe lely we sall Euer withouten end.'" [ 1608]

(135)

Þir childer said: "all þis saw we, wonand with saintes in hell, It es anely godes preuete þat in þis tyme bifell; [ 1612] And mykell more yhit gan we se þat we may no man tell, we war byden it suld layned be With michael, godes aungell; [ 1616] He bad vs tell no thing Bot þis þat here wryten es; We rase of his ryseyng þus forto bere witnes. [ 1620]

(136)

And with vs er rysen many ane þat ded & doluen lay; þai dwell beyhond þe flum Iordane In prayers nyght & day; [ 1624] Bot vntyll þir thre dayes be gane No langer lyfe we may, To blys þan sall we all be tane And won in welthes ay; [ 1628] On þis wyse er we sent To schew yhow in þis stede [leaf 214, bk.] Þat yhe may yhow repent þat did Ihesus to ded."

(137)

Þat Caryn wrate he it bitoke Till Nichodeme and Annas, And Lentyn allso gaf his boke Tyll Ioseph and tyll Cayphas; [ 1636]

Togyder þan þai gan þam luke þat serely wryten was, And þat one wrate noght a letter note, Bot euen als þat other has. [ 1640] when þe Iewes had of þam tane þa rolles þat wryten ware, þai vanyst oway onane, Of þam þai saw no mare. [ 1644]

(138)

When þai had red þa rolles, alssone þe Iewes halely gan say: "Of gret god þat syttes in trone Es þis werk wroght þis day, [ 1648] And ilka dele þat here es done Aledies ogayn our lay; [1650. lay: law has been erased in MS.] þat þis ilk Ihesus was godes sone ffull sare dred vs we may." [ 1652] Godes forbod þare þai fend þat euer it suld be swa; And so þair wayes þai wend, [1655. wayes: s above line.] Ilk one partes other fra. [ 1656]

(139)

When þis was tald vnto Pilate, He dred him þan full sare; Als a dome haly he it wrate fforto last euermare; [ 1660] Vntyll þe temple he toke þe gate And gert send efter þare Bysschopes & all þat he wate war best lered on þair lare. [ 1664] Omang þam sett was he And said tyll all at anes: "yhour bybell lattes me se þat es within þir wanes." [ 166]

(140)

ffour prestes forth þe bybell broght, A boke of gret bounte; Annas & Cayphas sone war soght, And Pilate says: "lat se, [ 1672] All þat es wryten here wate yhe noght?" [1673. noght: o above line.] þai say: "sir, yhis parde." "A thing," he said, "es in my thoght þat I will clered be." [ 1676] þan by þat boke swere þai, þai sall leue for no dred, Bot þe soth sall þai say Of þis note als es nede. [ 1680]

(141)

He sais: "be þe fayth tyll god yhe aw, Of þis thing yhow avyse, If yhe fynd oght wryten in yhour law Omang yhour prophecyse, [ 1684] Or kan yhe any witnes draw By castyng of clergyse, If Ihesus war als was his saw, God son be any wyse; [ 1688] Allso if yhe oght ken, Hereof tell vs yhe sall In whilk yheres & when þat cristes comyng suld fall." [ 1692]

(142)

Þus when þat þai charged were, þai said to sir Pilate: "Sir, we will noght þat all men here Of þis thing þat we wate." [ 1696] He gert haue out þe folk in fere, And to þam sperd þe yhate;

þai say: "sir, we war athed full nere And we answer þusgate: [ 1700] we wate withouten wene þat godes son was he ryght; we wend wychecraft had bene [ 1703] Þat he dyd thurgh his myght;

(143)

Allso we wate by sere witnes Here of our awen kynred, þat he ogayne eft lyfand es Sen he was done to ded. [ 1708] Two þat he raysed gret halynes Haues schewed vs in þis stede, whilk we wele wote both more & les Es done thurgh his godhede; [ 1712] Ilk yhere a tyme we bryng þis haly boke in hand To luke of his comyng, And þus þareof we fand: [ 1716]

(144)

In þe first boke of sexty and ten þat er all contened here, Till Adam son seth, telles it þen, Was spoken on þis manere: [ 1720] 'þi fader & all other men, Sall crist gyf gret powere Efter fyue thowsand, we ken, [ 1723] And als fyue hundreth yhere.' þan reken we þus ourselue: Twa thowsand yheres suld be And twa hundreth and twelue [ 1727] ffro Adam tyll Noe; [leaf 215]

(145)

And fro Noe flude tyll Abraham es Neghen hundreth & twelue yhere; ffro Abraham þan vntyll Moyses ffour hundreth & thretty were; ffro Moyses vntyll god Dauid chese Kyng of gret powere, ffyue hundreth & ten withouten lese, þus telles our bybell here; [ 1736] vntyll þe transmygracione, ffyue hundreth yhere fro þethen, And tyll cristes incarnacione [ 1739] ffour hundreth yhere was sethen.

(146)

Þus our law if we lely luke, þis proues our prophecy, þat Ihesus flesch & blode both toke Of his moder Mary [ 1744] ffyue thowsand yhere, als says þis boke, And fyue hundreth þareby, Sen þis world was wroght ilka noke. And ouer says ysai: [ 1748] [1748. Horst. euer.] 'Of þe rotes of Iesse,' He sais, 'a wand sall spryng And a floure fayre & fre Þat sall gouern all thing;' [ 1752]

(147)

'And on þat flour,' he sais, 'sall rest with all gudenes þe haly gast.' þan may we se, sir, þusgates est, He was godes son of myghtes mast." þan said sir Pil[at]e: "what es best? Our werk, I wene, be all in wast."

þan langer þare wald þai noght rest, Bot ilk one hame sone gan him hast. þus beres þair bokes witnes [ 1761] To þam þe soth will ken. To won whare welth euer es, God graunt vs grace, Amen. [ 1764]

A—M—E—N.

Sion MS. TEXT S.

Of þe passioun of Crist, als wittenes Nichodeme.

(1)

BItide þe tyme þat Tiberius [leaf 13] Reweled rome with realte, þe same tyme theodosius was halden prynce in Galile, [ 4] Þis stori wrate Nechodemus In Ebru for grette daynte; Sythen þe emperoure theodosius gert itte al translated bee; [ 8] and sithen fra hande to hande, [9. and: as no instance of ande occurs in the MS., it may be considered very doubtful whether the scribe intended the flourish at the end of the d to be an abbreviation for e; Horst's e is accordingly always omitted.] ffor þere vnletterde ledes A clerk of Inglande In his rymaly þus redes: [ 12]

(2)

Symeon, zairus and cayphas, Datan and Gamaliele, Neptalym, leuy, Iudas, with þaire accusynges felle, [ 16] Alexander and annas, Ogayne Ihesu gun spelle; Byfore sire Pylate gun þai pas, Þaire tales þus forto telle: [ 20] "Þis moppe þat merres þe men, Calles hym Goddes sonne of heuen, Hijs sire, hijs dame we wele ken, By name we kan þayme neuen; [ 24]

(3)

Welle wate we Ioseph was a wighte, Sothely he was hijs sire, Hijs modir vs menes mary highte, [27. vs: above we, which is marked for erasure; menes: s above line.] We, whakyns goddes er þere? [ 28] Mare sary er we for a sighte Þat egges vs alle tille Ire; Oure lawes he brekes at alle hys myghte, Þat egges vs alle tille Ire." [leaf 13 bk] Pilate says til þam þan: [ 33] "Say me what er his saghe, On what manere þat man Alleges ogayne yhoure lawes." [ 36]

(4)

"Oure lawes vs Iuges," quode a Iowe, "Þe sabbotteday to do na thynge; [38. Horst. sabbot-day.] Þan wirkes he wonder werkes Inoghe, Heles alle þat askes helynge [ 40] Of criples and cruked þat we knowe, It es to here a grette wonderynge; [42. MS. to he here.]

Wilde and wode to his bydynge gun bowe, And alle thurgh his fals charmynge." Pilate sayde tille þayme alle: "how may yhe blame his dedes?" "With crafte he wirkes withalle, With fendes crafte he hym fedes." [ 48]

(5)

Þan sayd pilate: "yhe haue na righte To blame hym by nanekyn way, His miracles mustres his myghte, [51. MS. my myght.] It es noght als ye say; [ 52] Sythen he þus þe blynde has sent þe sight And raysed þat byriede lay, Wa suld deme hym to deede be dighte Þat mendes men als he may?" [ 56] [56. kan between he may marked for erasure.] "Sire pilate, we þe praye," Quod alle þere Iewes þan, "Brynge hym till barre þis day To coupe hym þare if we kan." [ 60]

(6)

A bedel he bad buske hym to bidde, Romayne he highte, we rede, [62. we: before he marked for erasure.] And he, als curtayse þat was kidde, þat erand did in dede; [ 64] Of wonden wrethes his heued vnhid, In space he gun it sprede: [leaf 14.] "Louerd, þe to kalle þe domesman me didde, Botte walk yn on þis wede." Þire Iewes þare þai satte [ 69] ffor gram wex gulle and grene And sayde to sire Pilate: "Ey dieux, what may þis mene? [ 72]

(7)

Bedels suld tille þi bidynge bowe And cry þi comandment;

On knese he knelede to Ihesu Righte in þine awen present; [ 76] Nedelynges us noyes þire notes newe, We toke þareto fulle gude tente, Swilke curtasy neuer yit we knewe, Vppon his wrethe he wente." [ 80] Pilate asked why he kidde Ihesu swilke curtasy; And he sayd: "þat þat I didde I hade enchesoun why; [ 84]

(8)

Tille Alexander, wele ye wate, Messagere was I made, Botte to Ierusalem come I late, vnto þe morn I habade; [ 88] þisse Ihesu on ane asse satte And thurgh þe toun he rade; Childer byfor his fete algate Spredde þaire clathes on brade, [ 92] Swilke wirchippe þare had he; 'Osanna,' was þaire sange, 'Þat comes blissed mot he be In goddes name vs omang.'" [ 96]

(9)

Þire Iewes sayde þan: "traytoure vn∣trwe, [97. First e in Iewes above line; Horst. þir.] [leaf 14, bk.] With leghes þou haues vs ledde, þayr carpyng þare nathyng þou knewe, We welle lay our lyfe to wedde; Ierusalem langage es Ebru, [ 101] ffulle ferre þethen was þou fedde." [102. fendde with n marked for erasure.] He sayde: "I spird at men Inowe Þat in þat burgh was bredde." [ 104] "Osanna," quod Pilate, "What es it forto say?" Quod þe Iewes: "it menes þusgate, 'Lord, saue vs, we þe pray.'" [ 108]

(10)

"Me thynk," quod pilat, "in my thoght, With wrange þe bedel yhe blame; Yhour childersaghes forsak yhe noght, Yhourseluen says þe same; [ 112] Bot, bedel, tille barre sithen þou hym broght At scheld þiself fra schame, Led hym forthe þat þou worschepe wroght, Calle hym eft in by name." [ 116] Oute of þat route Romayne Our lorde Ihesu he ledes, And calles hym ogayne, Als he þat domesman dredes. [ 120]

(11)

Of emperours þat þar had bene Þis was þe lawe in lande, ffor men suld of þair menskes mene, Men suld hald itte in þair hande Men heuedes sette on schaftes schene, Graythed of golde gliterande; [ 126] [leaf 15] Saunz doute swadide þai alle bydene, Stille stably gun þai stande; [ 128] When he þat alle salle welde Was had intil þat halle, [130. halden has been marked for erasure before had.] Þhe heuedes haaly gun helde At wirchipe hym withalle. [ 132]

(12)

Þan saide þere Iewes steren and stoute: "Þis hald we hard hethynge, Þire Iewes lete þaire schaftes loute [135. lele marked for erasure before lete.] At wirk hym worschipyng." [ 136]

And pilate asked þam alle aboute: "Why did yhe swylk a thyng?" Þai sayde: "we do yhow oute of doute, It was noght oure wittynge, We toke na tent þareto, [ 141] Þe baners gun hym bowe; What had we forto do To make reuerence to Ihesu?" [ 144]

(13)

"Lowte hym we sawe þam sykerly," Þe Iewes swore to pilate. Quod pilate: "þai say oppenly It was noght swa nenegate; [ 148] Bot take vs men mare myghty, Strang and stabil of state, To hald yhour schaftes tentifly, Þis barete alle to habate." [ 152] [152. barete corrected from basete (?)] Thurghout alle þe Iewery Sykyr men haf þai soght At stere þam strenghefully, þe best þan haf þai broght. [ 156]

(14)

Syr Pilate tille þa Iewes sware Þat suld halde þa heuedes in hande: "And louted Ihesu any mar, [leaf 15, bk.] [159. Horst. and (þai).] yhe sal loose bathe lyfe and lande." And þai þat wight and willy ware [ 161] Sayd: "to þi dome wille we stande; What heued helded þe bred of anne hare, hardly hagge of his hand." "Late haue hym out of halle," [ 165] Quod pilate þe bedel tille, "and eft in þou hym calle, On what wyse swa þou wylle." [ 168]

(15)

His heued vnhild on knese he kneled, His clathes byfor hym sprede, With alle þe worschepe þat he couthe welde In eft our lourd he ledde; Þair heuedes on heghe haalely gun helde, Bowyng tille Ihesu þai bedde; [ 174] þere Iewes þat þam in handes helde Ware drowpand and fordredde. When Pilate sawe þat sighte, [ 177] How þa baners gun bowe, ffor drede he ras vpryght Ogayne oure lorde Ihesu. [ 180]

(17)

Sire Pilate wyfe, dam procula, Sent hire lorde forto say: "Deme nouther Ihesu til na fra, Bot menske hym þat yhe may, [ 196] I haue bene dreched with dremes swa Þis ilk nyght als I lay; If he thurgh dome tille deede ga, Our welthe sal wende oway." [ 200]

Pilate als man amayed. [leaf 16] Stude in a greete study, He sayde: "I am noght payde, Yhe wreghe hym wrangwisly; [ 204]

(18)

My wyf, yhe wate wele, es na Iewe, Scho es a sarzine; Many mynsters has scho made yhow And done in gode dedis bydene; [208. Horst. omits in.] Þai say Ihesu of trouthe es trewe, [ 209] Slepand þus has scho sene; If we hym reyne, it sal vs rewe Euer þareof to mene." [ 212] Þai sayde: "þis sayde we are, Yhe may see suthe es þis, he fares with fendes fare, he has witched þi wif, Iwyse." [ 216]

(19)

Þan sayd pilate: "me thynk selcouthe Þat þou standes so stille; Tille þaire accusyngs aswer þou couthe [Horst. says (Archiv 68, 209): Nach 218 fehlt ein Verspaar, whereas there is only one line missing.] [ 220] Ihesu sayde: "ilk man has a mouthe At weld it at his wille; þair sawes mon be knawen and couthe Whethir þai be gode or ille." [ 224] "Ihesu, lat be þi dyn!" Sayde alle þere Iewes on rawe, "Ane horcop born in synne ffulle couthely we þe knawe; [ 228]

(20)

We wate wele for þi sake was slayne Alle þe barnes in betheleem born; At fle with þe þi frendes ware fayne, [[lf. 16, bk.] Elles had þi lyfe bene lorne; [ 232]

Aftir herodes, es noght to layne, Þat had þi deede sworne, Tille yhoure contre yhe come agayne Þat ye fore fra beforne." [ 236] Sayde Pilate: "es þis he Þat herode pursued swa?" Þai sayde: "syre, ya, parde, Botte yite he schape hym fra." [ 240]

(21)

When Pilate hard þat it was he, He dred hym mykil mare; He chees a queste on hym to pas Of Iewes þat suthefaste ware, [ 244] Þai saide tille pilate and cayfas: "Þe suthe botte we wille spare, Mary with Ioseph weddyde was, And at þaire weddynge we ware." Pilate sayde to þayme þan [ 249] Þat couped hym byforne: "yhe putte wrange on þis man, In wedlayke was he borne." [ 252]

(22)

Vppe stirte a Iewe bittir and balde And sayd to sire Pilate: "Þe tales þat we haue on hym talde we wille avowe algate; [ 256] [256. we marked for erasure between a and vowe.] At þayme es littille helpe or halde, Sire, þai say als þai wa, [258. Horst. wa(te).] Þai comlyngs of cunnynge calde Comen tille oure lawe nowe late." þis queste stedfast als stele [ 261] Sayde tille þe othir twelfe: "we er Iewes, witte yhe wele, Borne frely als yhoureseluen." [ 264] [264. h above line.]

(23)

Pilate tille barre a buke had broghte Þe twa questes to twynne; withe swerynge sal þe suthe by soghte, He bydes þe trewe bygynne; [ 268] [[leaf 17] And þai say þan: "þat falles vs noghte, We sai swerynge es synne; Latte þaime swere þat þis wrangh has wroghte, Alle knawe þai Ihesu kyn; [ 272] Yff we be funden gilty Yn þis thynge þat we say, [274. Yn: Horst. in.] We oblesse vs forto dye Byfore domesman to-day." [ 276]

(24)

Þan spacke Annas and Cayphas And sayd to sire Pilate: "We trowe wele mary weddide was Tille Ioseph þat hym gatte; [ 280] Botte tille anothir poynte we pas Þat hym halde ful hate: [282. Horst. þat(sall).] We say spirite inclosed he has, [283. Horst. (a) spirite.] Wharethurghe alle thynges he watte." [284. MS. thynges with es marked for erasure. Horst. thyng.] Pilate gartte haf oute alle Þat was within þat house, And þat queste gertte he calle [287. gan marked for erasure before gertte.] Þat proued hym borne in spouse; [ 288]

(25)

He sayde: "I fande yhow trowe lan∣gare, Say me qwate es yhowre rede, Whi hates þire Iewes Ihesu swa sare, Whi wille þai haue hym deede?" [ 292]

Þai say: "hys lerynge passes þaire lare, Þat gers þaime haue hattrede; His myrecles merres þaime mare, Þat standes mykel in stedde." [ 296] Wrathe es Pilate þan, He says: "þis es envy; Wille þai þus deme a man ffor his godde dedes to dye?" [ 300]

(26)

Pilate hym hyed oute of þe halle [301. MS. hym hym; Horst. hyld for hyed.] And sayde þe Iewes vntille: "Loo here wittnes byfore yhowe alle, In hym es funden nane ille." [ 304] Þan þai answerde bathe grette and smalle: "Sire, if it be þi wille, [[leaf 17, bk.] We gert hym noght come to þi calle To coupe hym withouten skylle." Pilate sayd: "hym byhoues dye, I see wele be yhoure saghes; Take hym tille yhow alle forþi [ 311] And deme hym be yowre laghes." [312. law marked for erasure before laghes.]

(27)

Þan said þire Iewes: "wele þou wate, God biddes vs sla na man." Vntil þire Iewes answerd Pilate: "Biddes god me slaa men þan? [ 316] I haue wele hard whi yhe hym hate And how yhoure hatred bygan; With my wille he bes deede nanagate [319. Horst. nanegate.] ffor na craft þat yhe can; [ 320] It es noght botte hatrede, þat ware ful lyttell resoune [322. Horst. lyttelle.] fforto deme a man to deede, [ 323] Botte þare ware mare enchesoun."

(28)

Pilate ledde Ihesu þe Iewes fra þat stode byfore hym by And saydetil hym bytwyx þaime twa: "Þou ert kynge of Iewery?" [ 328] Ihesu sayde: "outhir it was sayde þe swa, Or þou redde righwisly?" [330. Horst. righ(t)wisly.] And Pilate sayde: "me ware full wa Þi folke suld gar þe dye; [ 332] Þi folke haues taght þe me fforto be damned to-day; Kynge of Iewes if þou be Answer to þat, I say." [ 336]

(29)

Ihesu answard tille hym agayne: "My kyngdome es noght here; If my kyndome, sothely to sayne, Within þaire grethe were, [[leaf 18] Are I omange þire Iewes ware here tane, My men þat ware me dere Wald stande and stryfe fulle faste agayne [ 344] With fulle grette powere." "Þan ert þou kynge algate," Quod Pilate, "sykerly?" Ihesu sayde tille Pilate: "þou says for kynge am I; [ 348]

(30)

And I am comen to þis contre And þarto was I borne, Witnes of sothefastnes to be Þat was noght sene byforne; [ 352] Alle þat es sothefast lys in me, Leely bathe euen and morne; In erthe suthefastnes dampned by∣houes be Of þam þat has it lorne."

Pilate asked hym eft: "What es suthefastnes?" With þat Ihesu he left Als man þan stonayd es. [ 360]

(31)

Pilate sayde tille þire Iewes þus: "Syrs, if it be yhoure wille, I haf enquered mare of Ihesus, In hym es funden nane ille." [ 364] Þai sayde: "we wald noght coup hym þus Nanegates withouten skille." Quod pilate: "algate dye him byhoues, I consent noght þaretille, [ 368] I am withouten gilt, Clene als anne Innocent; His blode sal neuere be spilt Nanegates thurgh myne assent."

(32)

And þan answerd þire Iewes alle [[lf. 18, bk.] And made þam wondir wrathe, þai sayde: "hys blode mot vs falle [375. Horst. (on) vs.] And on our childer bathe." And pilate sayde: "perchaunce it salle, [ 377] And þat es mekel wathe; þarefore lat haf hym oute of halle And late hym haf na scathe." [ 380] þai sayde: "syre, wele þou wate, We say bot lawefully; Whaso blemysshe þe kyng state Es worthy forto dye; [ 384]

(33)

And whaswa sclaunders þe godhede Es mare syn þan swylk seuen;

He þat es made of pure manhed Goddes son he wille hym neuen, He says he has his sittyngestede [ 389] On goddes right hand in heuen, And says he sal deme bath quyk and deede After oure dedes fulle euen." Out of þat company [ 393] Pilate yhede Ihesu vnto And sayde: "sire, sykerly, I ne wate what I sal do." [ 396]

(34)

"Als it es gyfen tille þe and me," Quod Ihesu, "bes done allewyse." Pilate askes: "how?" and þan says he: "Als telles þe prophecyse, Moyses, Dauid and Iosue, [ 401] And othir many þan þise; þat þai say byhoues be fulfild in me T[o] suffir deede and ryse." [ 404] Pilate went oute of halle Als man þat was amayed And talde þire Iewes alle [leaf 19] How þat Ihesu had sayde. [ 408]

(35)

þire Iewes sayde alle tille syre Pilate: "loo In what erroure he dwelles, With mare wittenes what suld yhe do Bot als hymseluen telles?" [ 412] Pilate sayde: "tak yhow vnto, [413. Horst. tak (him); yhow, o above line.] Sithe ilk man þus hym melles, Deme forthe als yhe bygan þis bro, ffor I will say noght elles." [ 416] Þai say: "whaswa mellynge makes Tille man, þis fynde we written, 'Ane wane of fourty strakes With yherde falles hym be smyten;'

(36)

And he þat trespas god, alsone Hym falles be staned to deede; Sithen he says he es goddes sone, And we knawe hys kynrede, [ 424] And says þat he salle sitte in trone, Þarefore gyf we þis rede: We wille þat he on cros be done Are we passe of þis stede; [ 428] ffor if he regne sykerly, Alle sal trowe on his lare; Better it es þat a man dye Þan alle þe folke forfare." [ 432]

(37)

In come sire Nichodeme be þan, þat was Prince of þe Iewery, He sayd: "I rede yhow do þis man [435. yo marked for erasure before rede.] Na mare of vilany; [ 436] Swilke takyngs als he do kan And has schewed vs oppenly [438. swe marked for erasure after has.] Was neuer sene sithen þis warlde bygan [leaf 19, bk.] In alle our prophecy; And if þat he be fals, It sal be knawen fulle sone; His saghes, his takens als Salle dye and be fordone. [ 444]

(38)

When syngnes ware schewed thurgh Moyses Tille Faraon þe kynge, Twa witches, Iamnes and Mambres, Did hym ful grette hethynge; [ 448] Syngnes þat he schewed þai made þam les With þaire enchauntisyng, Als goddes þam helde alle haythenes; Bot lithe þe laste endyng; [ 452]

ffor his dedes ware suthefaste [453. Sorcery marked for erasure after ware.] And þairs ware sorcery; his dedes sall euermare last, And þairs byhoued nedelyngs dye.

(39)

And perchaunce he may be sent A prophete vs to lere; I ne wate by wham þat moyses ment, He telles on þis manere: [ 460] 'A prophete till yhoure laghe be sent [461. be: Horst. be(s); s in sent corrected from l; Horst. lent.] þat bes born omang yow here;' He says alle þase bes schamely schent Of hym þat wille noght lere." [ 464] [464. Horst. here.] þire Iewes byfore Pilate Sayde vntille Nichodeme: "his strenghe be þin allegate, [ 467] And his pees mote þe yheme."

(40)

And Nichodeme aswered "amen," [469. Horst. a(n)swerd.] And helde vppe bathe his hende, "Vnto his strenghe I me byken, his pees mote on me lende." [ 472] Byfor Pilate þan come þar ten þat ware for lazars kende: "We ware lazars," þai sayde, "we ken, [leaf 20] Hale thurgh his word we wende." In come anothir and sayde: "loured, blynde born was I, [ 478] [478. MS. bore blynde born. Horst. blynde-bore.] Handes on myn eghen he layde, and sone saghe I þus sykerly."

(41)

Ane sayde: "Pilate, bedred I lay ffourty yhere alle bot twa;

I asked mercy, and he gun say: 'Tite ta þi bedde and ga!' [ 484] þare was I heled and went my way." þus come ay ma and ma, þai sayde: "it ware ful mekel at say How many he had heled swa." [ 488] Alle halely sayde þai þus: "A greete prophete es he, Our saueor Ihesus, Euer blissed mot he be." [ 492]

(42)

"yhour prestes, yhoure bisschope, þusgate why heele þai noght?" And aswerd: "sire, we wate, [495. Horst. þai a(n)swerd; we (ne).] Bot þis werk Ihesu wroght; [ 496] Ane lazare þat was deede nowe late And tille his berying broght, He leues ogayne in ful gude state, Hereof wonder vs thoght." [ 500] Hereof had pilate drede And sayde: "whi wille þai spille þe man þat helpes in nede Alle þat calle to hym wille?" [ 504]

(43)

He called Nichodeme and þe quest Þat he fand trewe algate, He sayd: "lordyng, qwhat hald ye best? [507. Horst. qwat.] Þise folk falles in debate." [ 508] And þai of answere ware ful prest And sayd: "syre, we ne wate; [leaf 20, bk.] Tille þaire counsayle, als haue we rest, We wille assent nanega; [512. Horst. ga(te).] We pray god þat he sende Ryghtwis dome þaime omange, On þaire saules mot it lende [ 515] Whethir þai do right or wrange."

(44)

Þire Iewes at Paches euer wont was Anne oute of prisoun take And withouten dome quyte late hym pas ffor þaire grette feste sake. [ 520] Ane was prisound hight Barabas ffor murthers þat he gun make; Whethir hym or Ihesu, Pilate asked has, Þai sall of prisoun take, And þai sayd all: "Baraban!" [ 525] And Pilate asked þayme alle: "Of Ihesu what sal be þan?" Þai sayde: "croyse hym þou salle;

(45)

And botte þou do, it es wele sene þou ert noght Cesar frende; ffor whaso makes þayme kynge, we wene, Ogayne Cesar þai wende." And Pilate saide right in a tene: [ 533] "Yhe folke fulle of þe fende, Tille yhoure ay haue ye bene Grotchant and ay schrewes at þe ende." ffore wrethe þai wex nere wode [ 537] And sayde: "why say þou swa? Wha dide vs euer any gode, [ 539] Botte we did þaime swilke twa?"

(46)

He sayde: "fra egipte when ware ledde [541. Horst. when (ye).] Thurgh Moyses þe prophete, Euen thurgh þe se euen yhe fledde And wette noghte anes youre fette; [leaf 21] In þe wildernes god yhow fedde [ 545] With aungel meete fulle swete, ffogheles til yhoure fode þat neuer was bredde, Rayne fra þe heuen he lete; [ 548]

Oute of þe stane he sent yhow water witerly; And yhe brak hys comandement And lyfed on mawmettry; [ 552]

(47)

Bot moyses gun for yhow pray, he had elles fordone yhow þare; And here es a man þat ilk day [ 555] [555. Horst. ilk(a).] heles yhoure seke and yhoure sare, ffor I deme hym noght tille yhoure paye Bot wald þe giltles spare; [558. þe: e above.] I am noght cesar frend, yhe say, þis es vnryghtwise fare." [ 560] Þai sayd: "we haf na kyng Bot emperoure of rome; To hald hym for hys Iangelyng ware na ryghtwyse dome. [ 564]

(48)

Bot for thre kynges of peers byforn ffra peers tille bethelem soght, Sayde: 'kynge of Iewes whare es he born?' And til hym offrandes broght; [ 568] [568. Horst. till.] When herod wiste sone on þe morn What wyrschipe þai hym wroght, [570. Horst. wyrshipe.] Omang othyr he suld haf bene lorn, þis was in herodes thoght; [ 572] ffor he neuer rome suld welde, Betheelem barnes gert he slaa, Alle withein twa yhere elde, Bot he eschapyd hym fra." [ 576]

(49)

when pilate hard, he had pite And gert alle men be stille, [[lf. 21, bk.] He sayde: "whethir þis þat Ihesu be Þat Horode pursued with ille?" [ 580]

Þai sayd: "ya." Water þan asked he And wesshe his hende by þat skille, He sayd: "I am giltles, ye se, [583. Horst. giltes.] þis rightwis man to spille." [ 584] þan cryed þire Iewes alle: "þareof haue þou na doute, þe gilte mote on vs falle, Putte vs In and þe oute." [ 588]

(50)

Þan gart Pilate til bar brynge Kynghtes ful grette plente, He says: "his folke vnproues hym kynge, ffor kyngdome claymes he; [ 592] Þarefore with scourges yhe him dynge, þus wille þe laghe it be, Sithen on croys yhe sal hym hynge Heghe þat alle men may see; [ 596] A thefe on ayther syde yhe hynge hym at my bedynge, Als kynge of mykel pride Imyddes heghe sal he hynge." [ 600]

(51)

þe kynghtes þan his clathes of hente And band hym tille a piler faste [602. Horst. bad.] And with scharpe scourges aboute hym went [603. scharpe: above.] [603. fast marked for erasure before went.] And dange hym alto þe hyde braste; A corked mantil þai hym þan lent And aboute hym lapped it at þe laste; Bott when it cleuede to þai it of rent, þusgate to pyne hym was þaire caste. [ 608]

Sone ogayne þai hym cledde, And a croun of thornes thrested on his heuede; And forthe þan þai hym ledde [ 611] Whare he sulde be demed to deede;

(52)

To raise hym on rode þai gun þaime sped [613. MS. þai hym þai gun, with hym marked for erasure.] And hyngede a thefe on ayther syde; [leaf 22.] Ayssel and galle raysed on a rede withIn a spounge þai gun hyde And tille his mouthe þat drynk gun bede, And Ihesu sayde þat tyde: "ffader, forgyf þam þis mysdede Þat I of þam habide." [ 620] þe Iewes þat þare stode Sayde: "goddes sone if þou be, Come now doun fra þe rode, And we sall trow on þe." [ 624]

(53)

þai gert longys a spere take, A blynd knyght of þat route; And euen tille his hert he strake, [ 627] And water and blode þan come oute. Pilate, of dome wittenes to make, A titel gert write to doute þat euen obouen his heued stake, þat alle myght rede aboute, [ 632] Latyn, Gru and Ebru; his titel was þusgate: "he þis, þis ilk es Ihesu, kyng of Iewes," þus he wrate. [ 636]

(54)

On goddes left hand hynges Iesmas þat sayd to Ihesu by name: "If þou be goddes sone, lat vs pas, saue þe and vs fra schame!" [ 640]

Opon his ryght hand hynges dismas, þat fast his felaghe gun blame: "Als þou has serued als þou has, And I may say þe same; [ 644] ffulle litel god þou dredes, We suffir for oure gilte, [leaf 22, bk.] And he for his gode dedes fful wrangwisly es spilte." [ 648]

(55)

And Dismas gun to Ihesu pray: "Als þou ert heghe Iustys, In þi regne when þou comes for ay, Thyngke on me, kynge rightwys." Ihesu agayne tille hym gun say [ 653] And answerde on þis wise: "Sothefastly þou sal be to-day With me In Paradise." [ 656] At vndren þis was done, þe son nyght wex myrke, Quyte insonder alsone þe vayle raue in þe kirke. [ 660]

(56)

And in þe stori als we rede, Wha wille it vndirstande, Anne aungel was sene done þat dede With a swerd brynnande, [ 664] And sayde þere wordes ar he yhede: "Here als wittnes I stande [666. Horst. stand.] Of Ihesu deede þat I see blede And nayled thurght fote and hande." Ihesu sayd: "in þi hende, [ 669] ffadir of myght maste, My saule to þe mote be bygend." With þat he gaf þe gaste. [ 672]

(57)

Centurio sayde, when he sulde dye And þe sone wex myrke als nyght: "He þis was goddes sone sykirly, þat þus to dede was dyghte." [ 676] And many other þat stode hym by, þat sawe þat selly sighte, Knockede on þaire brestes and cryede mercy [leaf 23] And amended þaime at þaire myghte. Of þis wondirfulle deede When sir Pilate hard say, ffor sorowe and for dreede He eete na mete þat day. [ 684]

(58)

Pilate yhede til þire Iewes alle And sayd: "what es yhoure rede? Swilke selcouthes wist we neuer by∣falle Als now at Ihesu deede." Þai sayde: "þire clerkes þe clippes calle þat þe sone made dym and rede." Quod Pilate: "what brak youre stanes swa smalle Þat nane myght stire of stede? [ 692] What raue intw yhoure wayle [693. Horst. intw(a).] Þat in yhoure temple hange? Vs alle till illerhayle I doute we haf done wrange." [ 696]

(59)

Centurio come forthe by þan And alle þat with hym ware; Tille alle þire Iewes þai bygan To telle of þis wondir fare: [ 700] "Of coupynge of þis rightwisman yhe may yhow drede fulle sare; þe sone at his deede wex dym and wan Wele thre myle way and mare, [ 704]

þe stannes in sundir brake, þe erthe tremelde and qwakede And made noys als man it spake, Swilke mane of hym it makede;

(60)

Deede men er rysen oute of graue Here in oure aller sight; Wharefore we trowe and hoope we haue He was goddes son full righte." [lf. 23, bk.] And als þai þus togyder straue, [ 713] [713. This line is repeated at top of next page (lf. 23 bk.), with gydir instead of gyder.] Tille Pilate come a knyghte, [714. kynge marked for erasure before knyghte.] And Ihesu body gun he craue þat þus tille deede was dight; [ 716] And Pilate graunted þat bone Tille Ioseph of Aramathi; And he fra croyce alson Tuke doun þat blyssed body. [ 720]

(61)

Sythen he wand hym withe gode en∣ten [721. Horst. enten(t).] In sendel newe and clene And layd hym in his newe moniment þare nane byfore had bene. [ 724] Þe Iewes sayde þan withe alle assente: "Als ille we sall hym tene." And hym to seke men had þai sent, Bot he durst noght be sene. [ 728] Þe quest þat gun hym deme Trewe in sposage born, And ryghtwyse Nichodeme, at slaa alle had þai sworn; [ 732]

(62)

And slaa alle þas had þai thoght þat helede thurgh Ihesu ware; Þai hidde þam þat þai fand þam noght, Þareat þaime tened sare. [ 736]

And when þai ware togeder broght, þe maysters of þaire lare, at þe temple Nichodeme þam soght, To speke wald noght spare, [ 740] [740. Horst. (he) wald.] He sayde: "yhe wors and wode, How dare yhe negh þis stede and yhoure handes fulle of blode Of rightwise Ihesu deed?" [leaf 24]

(63)

Þe Iewes hym answerde alle in fere: "Þa outecaste of alle men, [746. Horst. þou.] How dare þa neghe þis temple nere, [747. Horst. þou for þa.] His frende sithen we þe ken? [ 748] His pees motte light þe here." And he answarde: "Amen," And sayde "alswa;" and þai gun answer: "His pees we þe byken." And when þai had þus sayde, [ 753] Ioseph of Armathy þan hym in graue had layde Come forthe þan appertly; [ 756]

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He sayd: "lordynges, als god yhow saue, Why er yhe wrathe with me? ffor I layde Ihesu in my graue þat yhe hyngede on rode-tre? [ 760] with fulle grette wrange slayne hym ye haue, And that hereaftir sal men see; [762. Horst. after.] When yhe for hym with Pilate straue, Als yhe sayd mot it be; [ 764] When Pilate wesshe his hende Hym giltles forto make, Yhe sayd on yhow dessende His blode, vengaunce and wrake."

(65)

Omange þire Iewes Ioseph was tane, In prisoun þai hym kast, Þat wyndowles was and dore bot ane, And þat þai sperd ful faste; [ 772] Hard þai hym thrette he suld be slaane ffra þaire sabbaut ware past; Þe dore to kepe knyghtes ware gane, [775. knyghtes: n above line.] [775. gare marked for erasure before gane.] Meeteles þai gert hym fast. [lf. 24, bk.] "ffor he gun Ihesu craue," [ 777] þai sayde alle, "in þe felde Na beryels sal he haue, Wilde bestes his banes sald weld."

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When þair sabbaut was comen and gane, Ioseph foregat þai noght; Alle þai hym demed forto be slayne for þat werk þat he wroght. [ 784] Vntil þe presoun þai yhed onane And wende hym forthe haue broght; þai oppend þe dore, bot þare was nane, þai fand noght þat þai soght. [ 788] Ilk an til other gun say: "þis es a wondir thyng, how myght he wynne away þus in owre awune kepyng?" [ 792] [792. Horst. awine.]

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þan sayde a knyght of þam þat woke Ihesu in þe monument: [794. Horst, moniment.] "þe body to kepe þat yhe vs tuke, he ras and fra vs went; [ 796] þe erthe trembled and al toschoke, Ane aungel doun was sent,

We durked for drede, durst noght luke, Ne take tille hym na tent; [ 800] þe mekel stane þat lay his rysyng for to lette lyghtly he put oway And þaroppon hym sette. [ 804]

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[leaf 25] [On this page (as in page 1 of the piece) the initial letters of lines are touched with red.] Wemen þare was to þaime he sayde þat ware of his meynyhe, [806. his above line.] He bad þaime be noght for hym afrayde: "He es rysen, come nere and see! þis es þe place þare þai hym laude, [809. Horst. layde.] Ga byd hys appostels blithe be, He sal be sene als he þaime sayde þis day in Galile." [ 812] þise Iewes grette wonder thoghte, "Lyues Ihesu?" gun þai say, "Traytours, we trow yhow noghte, He es deede for euer and ay." [ 816]

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Þhire knyghtes gaf answare als swythe Tille alle þe company: "what wondir warkes gun he kythe whils he was here yhow by, [ 820] And mustred miracles many sithe Tille alle þe Iewery; How suld yhe trowe or tille vs lithe þat left hym lightly? [ 824] Ihesu was layd in graue, we kepyd hym, als yhe wate; Scortly lost hym we haue, [827. als marked for erasure before we.] He es noght þare nanegate. [ 828]

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And als wele wate we yhistirday How Ioseph prisounde was,

And how yhe kepyd hym vndir kay ffor he ne sulde fra yow þas; [ 832] we ne wate how he es wonden oway, Botte a thynge we yhow as: Latte þaime brynge Ioseph if þai may, þat hym in kepynge has, [ 836] And we salle brynge Ihesus." And hereon gun þai threpe: "And we graunt, brynge hym tille vs, And we wille brynge Ioseph." [ 840]

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Þise knyghtes sayde: "warand wille we Byfore alle þe Iewery, [lf. 25, bk.] Ioseph es in his Cete At hame in Aramathy, [ 844] And Ihesu es in Galile, þis wate we witterly." When þe Iewes herd it þus sulde be, þai dredde þaime grettly; [ 848] Ilk an tille othir gun say: "Botte if þire wordes falle, þis folke sal leue oure lay And trow on Ihesu alle." [ 852]

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þe Iewes had grette tresoure tane To þe knyghtes forto pay, And examynd þe knyghtes ane be ane And bad þaime algate say [ 856] How, when þai ware to slepe gane And in þaire beddes lay, [858. layde erased before lay.] His apostels putte oway þe stane And stale þe body oway; [ 860] Of þe mone ware þai fayne And toke it ilke a dele, And aquytte þaime be þis trayne, And alle men trowed þaime wele.

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To Ierusalem come on a day Thre prestes of þe Iewery, Tille þe temple held þai streke þe way And saluede þe clergy, [ 868] þai sayde: "Ihesu, schorly to say, þat yhe split wragwisly, [870. wragwisly: Horst. wra(n)g.] On þe mounte Olyuete satte þis day And his appostels hym by; [ 872] we saghe alle in a route þat he was wonte to teche, þai satte alle hym aboute [ 875] And þere wordes gun þai preche: [876. þai: Horst. he.]

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'Alle thurght þis werd so wide yhe wende [877. thurght: Horst. thurgh.] My message forto make [leaf 26] And baptize men with yhoure hende þat trowely trouthe wille take; whaso trowes and es for cristen kend saued I sal hym make; And alle bes dampned withouten end þat þe trouthe sal forsake.' [ 884] Als he stode þaime omang He steye til heuen vpryght, And we loked aftir lang [ 887] Tille þe cloudes reft vs þe sight."

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Hereof þe Iewes forwonderd ware, þai sayde: "þis sall noght blynne, If it be þus alle sall yhe swere." þe haly buke broght þai Inne, [ 892] And þai sayde: "þat may vs noght dere, Gladly wille we begynne; If we ne wald hereof wittenes bere, Suthely we had greete synne." [ 896]

Handes on þat buke þai layde And sware alle withe a voyce: "Alle es sothe þat we sayde Of Ihesu þat dyed on croyce." [ 900]

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þe Iewes a buke in handes hent And gert þaime swere eft þat day: "þat yhe haue sayde in oure present yhe sal layne euer and ay." [ 904] And fra þe cite þai had þam sent, ffor þai þe suthe suld say, And other men withe þaime was went fforto lede þaime oway. [ 908] In dred þire Iewes gun duelle And sayde: "what may þis mene? In þe land of Israelle Slyk selcouthe signes er sene." [ 912]

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þan spak Annas and cayphas: "we sall noght trow," þai sayde, "þe knyghtes þat hym keped has when he in graue was layde; [leaf 26, bk.] How he vp rase þe worde was, [ 917] And made þaime all afrayde; Botte how sone gunde þat worde ouer∣pas ffra yhe þaime siluer payde. His disciples als may be [ 921] His body oway gun stele, And þire knyghtes gree, Als we did, forto hele." [ 924]

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þan alle þe Iewes þat þare ware Answarde ogayn þus: "whethir wille oure knyghtes halde mare with his men or with vs?" þan spak a Iewe, was wise of lare, þat hight Nicodemus: [ 930]

"wele sayde þai saghe þaime neuer are And þai er funden of vs; [932. This line was omitted by Horst∣mann.] And þa thre men þat sware þai saghe Ihesu lyfande [ 934] And steye tille heuen right þare with wrange er flemed of lande.

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We rede when þe prophete elyas Vntil heuen vp was tane, Helysyus þat his disciple was [ 939] was askede whare he was gane; He sayde: 'tille heuen I saght hym pas,' Men for hym made grette mane And sayd: 'sum spirite hym rauyst has Vnto þe mountayns alane.' þai gertte seke northe and southe [ 945] þe mountayns of Iraelle, þai fand na man þat couthe Na tale of Ely telle. [ 948]

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Now, Iraelle childer, listens me, þat haues þis saule slane, In cas þat Ihesu rauest be [ 951] [lf. 27] By spirit tille some mountayne, Chese we vs men grette plente And seke with al þaire mayne; He sal forgif and haue pete, when he es funden ogayne." [ 956] þe Iewes with ane assent, Als Nichodeme gun telle, [958. say marked for erasure before telle.] At seke men haue þai sent þe mountes of Israelle. [ 960]

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Thurgh alle Israell haue þai soght Mountayns bathes farre and nere;

And come hame and fande hym noght, Ne noure myght of hym here; [ 964] "Of Ioseph bodeworde haue we broght þat yhe prisonde to yhere, [966. yhe: h above line.] In Armathy es his wonynge wroght Als lord of grette powere." [ 968] When alle þe Iewery wist Ioseph was in qwerte, þai thanked god forþi and ware Ioyfull in harte. [ 972]

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And þan þai made a greete gaderynge And counsayled þaime bytwene How þai myght Ioseph to þaime brynge, Als he byfore had bene. A letter þai did to writynge [ 977] þat sayd þusgate I wene: "Pees, frendschepe and goddes gret∣ynge On þe, sire, mot be sene; Sire, we knawe bathe and wate [981. On margin these words: littera missa ad Ioseph a iudeis.] Oure trespas and oure gilte In god onence þi state, þat we þe wilde haue spilte; [ 984]

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þarefore wouchesaue come vntille, [985. Horst. come (vs).] Sire Ioseph, we þe pray, And largely make amendes we wille, whatso þiself wille say; [ 988] [lf. 27, bk.] Oftsythes we muse alle of þat skylle how þat þou wan oway, Bot god wald þat þou had nane ille, his dedes ware to þi pay; [ 992] Pees haue with worschipynge, Ioseph of armathy." þan þai it closed and gun hynge þaire aller seles þareby. [ 996]

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Of Ioseph frendes seuen had þai tane þe message forto make; fforth on þe message ware þai gane, [999. fforth; th above line.] þai wald it noght forsake; [ 1000] Tille armathy þai come onane, Ioyfulle for Ioseph sake; Mekely þai halyst hym onane, þe letter þai gun hym take. [ 1004] When Ioseph had it redde, he thanked god of heuen; he kyssed þam and sythen þam ledde Vntille hys house alle seuen. [ 1008]

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Arely on morne when it was day, Ioseph was dyght fulle tite And with þe messagers went forthe hys way, Tuke he na langer respite. [ 1012] Of hys come when þe Iewes hard say, Na langer wald þai lette, with alle worschepe þan wen þai [1015. Horst. wen(t).] Ogayne hys come als tite, [ 1016] Þai sayde at hys comynge: "Ioseph, to þe be pees and grethe." And he sayde: "goddes blyssynge Be alle þis pople withe." [ 1020]

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Nichodeme þat we are of spake At hys house gart hym ly, And made greete festynge for hys sake Tille alle þe Iewery; [leaf 28] [ 1024] On þe morne greette gederynge gun þai make In þe temple openly; A buke Ioseph þai gun take [ 1027] In hande, and he swore þareby

þat he þe suthe sulde say; ffulle deply þai gun hym charge How þat he wan oway ffra prisoun tille his large. [ 1032]

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He: "on gude friday at nyght [1033. Horst. He (said).] when I tille prisoun yhode, Tille þe settirday obout mydnyght In my prayers I stode; [ 1036] In þe ayer þe prison was hyngede on hight, þat merred mykel my mode; I lukede, þan saghe I by sighte Ihesu þat dyed on rode; [ 1040] Tille hym gude tente I tuke, His wisage schane so bright, I moght no langar luke, [ 1043] Bott for drede felle doun right.

(88)

Vp he me raysede smertly And toke me be þe hande, My mouthe he kissede curtoysly, And dredefulle gun I stande, [ 1048] And I sayde: 'my lorde hely, whethir þou be here lifande?' [1050. Horst. lyfande.] And he sayd: 'nay, but it am I, Ihesu, be noght dredande; [ 1052] Of me na drede þou haue, Ioseph, I am þat ilke þat þou layde in þi graue [ 1055] wonden in sendelle and silke.'

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And I sayde: 'sire, if þou be he, Of a thynge I þe pray, þe monument þou lat me see þare þi body in lay.' [lf. 28, bk.] [ 1060]

Oute of þe prison bathe went we, [1061. Second went marked for erasure.] Botte how kan I noght say, þe sepulcre schewede he me, Botte þe body was oway; [ 1064] þan trowed I stedfastly when I had sene þat sighte, And cryed hym oft mercy [ 1067] And thanked hym at my myght.

(90)

In armathie he sette me sithen, And þare sawe I hym laste; he bad nagates I suld ga þethen Tylle fourty days ware past; [ 1072] he sayde þat yhe suld yhow noght feyne To pursu þe cristen fast; Othergates was I noght had hethen, Suthely ryght þusgates wast." þire Iewes sayd haly: [ 1077] "þis es a wonder fayre, In alle þe Iewery Swylk selcouthe felle neuer are."

(91)

þay sayde: "saynt Hely, wele we wate, Alle qwyk tille heuen yhede, And enoke yhede þe same gate, Of hys deed noure we rede; [ 1084] Ihesu was done to deed now late, Dampned for hys mysdede, he may noght leue ogayne nagate, And þareof es na drede." [ 1088] Quod Ioseph þan: "meruayle yhe þat he ras fra deed tille lyue? Othire ras thurgh hys pouste, [ 1091] þis aght yhe meruayle swylk fyue.

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Of saynt symeon alle may yhow mene, þat kepyd oure lawes fulle ryght; His twa sones alle haue yhe sene, [lf. 29] þat Caryn and Lenten hyght; [ 1096] Alle wate we þare ware deed bydene [1097. þare: Horst. þai. 1105. Second wende marked for erasure before we.] And grauen in oure aller syght; þare bodyse er noght þare I wene, þai ras thurgh goddes myght; In my cite þai ere [ 1101] Lyfand in armathy, kneland euer in prayer, þai speke na worde leely; [ 1104]

(93)

Botte wende we to þaime, if yhe rede, And pray þaime, if þai wille, Schewe vs how þai ware dreuen fra dede And eft putte lyfe vntille; Perchaunce þai sal schewe yhow in þis steede Some resonabel skille, If þai war raysed thurgh his godehede, [1111. MS. goddehede, with second d marked for erasure.] And qwat thynge to fulfille." Vnto þe graues yhede þai, [ 1113] þare þe bodys was layde, And fand þaime bathe oway, Als Ioseph had þaime sayde. [ 1116] [1116. Horst. sayd.]

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Ioseph, Annas and Cayphas, And Necodeme alsswa, [1118. Second als marked for erasure be∣fore swa.] Halely þaire counsayle taken has Tille Aramathy to ga, [ 1120] þat fra þaime sexti myle was, And nouthir myn na ma; Sone on þe morne forthe gun þai pas þaire Iourne forto ta; [ 1124]

When þai come tille þe toun, þai fande þaime at þe laste On þe erthe bathe knelande doun, Prayand to godde fulle faste; [ 1128]

(95)

þai kissede þaime als men þat þai kende [leaf 29, bk.] And of þaime was fulle fayne, To Ierusalem þai gert þaime wende with þaime smerltly ogayne; [ 1132] [1132. Horst. smertly.] In þe temple domini þai lende, At þam þus bygan þai frayne, And putted þaime a buke In hende [1135. hende: first e above and corrected from a.] And swere þe sothe to sayne: [ 1136] "By god of Irael And by god of adonay, þe suthe þat yhe vs telle þat we aske, if yhe may; [ 1140]

(96)

And by grette god we yow athe, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Certayne ye vs make; How yhe ware raisede schewe vs rathe, þat we þe trouthe may take." [ 1146] And for þa wordes þai wex alle wrathe, Bathe gun tremble and qwake; Tille heuen vp gun þai stare, Sythen þe taken of þe croyce On þaire tunges made þai þare And spak with simple voyce; [ 1152]

(97)

þai saide: "lordyngs, withouten lyte Graunte vs parchemen and penne,

þat we þire pryuetes may writte þat we for suthefast ken." [ 1156] And þai þaime gaf withouthen respite þare omange alle þa men, And þusgate þai bygan als tite: "In þe name of god, amen! [ 1160] Lorde Ihesu, we þe pray, Rayser to lyfe fra deede, Latte vs writte ryght þis day þe myght of þi godhede; [ 1164]

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For we er coniurde forto telle Thurgh þi mykel myghte [leaf 30] [1166. Thong erased before Thurgh.] þe selcouthes þat of þe byfelle Sithen þou tille deede was dighte. Alle Adams kyn we ware in helle, Many a wafulle wighte, Tille on a tyme þat it byfelle Of þe son we had a sighte; [ 1172] A lightynge schewede þare Als it ware a sons beme; when we in mirknes ware, A light gun on vs leme. [ 1176]

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Oure forme fadir þat was In wa, Adam and Eue his wife, Patriarkes and prophetes many ma, Spake alle at anes bylyue: [ 1180] 'þis light es comen oure sorow to slaa, Oure dirknes doun to dryue, God hymself schewed to vs swa' . . . . . . . . . . [ 1184] 'þis light,' sayde Isay, 'Es þe son of þe fadir of heue, [1186. Horst. fader . . . . heue(n).] lyfande yhow þus sayde I [1187. þus marked for erasure before yhow.] In my bokes fulle euen; [ 1188]

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I prophetede: "neptalym lande And Zabulon withalle, þat es als mykill at vndirstande Als fre become thralle, [ 1192] Men of þaire folke in myrke walkande Tille þaime light schyne sal." þat I sayd wils I was lyfande, I see it now byfalle; [ 1196] Right now fulfilde it es In vs, þat prophecy: "Lyghte schynes In oure myrknes Oure thraldome forto by."' [lf. 30, bk.]

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And we made alle grette myrite Of þat light schewynge. Oure fadir Symeon þan come he, Broght vs in a newe tithynge, He sayd: 'makes al gamen and gle, Gude tythandes I yhow brynge, He es comen þat sal oure byer be ffra þis laythe wonynge; [ 1208] In þe temple I hym tuke, A barne borne in my handes, My eghen gun on hym luke þat sal vs brynge of bandes; [ 1212]

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þus gert þe haly gaste me say: "Leue now þi seruaunt leele In pees to reste, lorde, I þe pray, ffor myn eghen saghe þi hele [ 1216] þat þou ordaynde for euer and ay Omange mankynde to dele Lighte to schewynge of folke to-day and Ioye tille Israell."' [ 1220]

þe sayntes þat war in handes Made greete solempnite ffor Ioy of þire tithandes, Ilk ane in hys degree. [ 1224]

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Ane come þare þan þat semede by liknes Ane heremete pure of state, what he was spirede we mare and les, and he answarde þusgate: [ 1228] 'I voice criande in wildirnes, [1229. MS. ind, with d marked for erasure.] And Iohan Baptist I hate, Of synnes I prechede forgifnes Thurgh baptyme gyuen now late; I saghe h . . . [Here a leaf (31) has been torn out from the Sion College MS. containing 69 lines,—a small strip of leaf with the begin∣ning of a few lines remaining.] þat vs fr . . . þis es g . . . þat dus . . .

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And I hy . . . In þe . . . þe haly . . . In a d . . . þe fadr . . . And þar . . . þis es . . . Lithes . . . In wh . . . þus a . . . At sch . . . Bes . . .

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Whe . . . Of þ . . . He . . . T . . . [leaf 32]

[leaf 32] He has me tenede and trauerste ay Alle werkes þat I haue wroghte, Saules fra vs haues he had oway þat I haue tille vs broghte.' [ 1304] He asked whethir þat be he þat calde Lazar vs fra, þat was in oure pouste, And satanas sayde hym, 'yha.' [ 1308]

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He sayd: 'satan, I þe forbede On alle thynghes þat I may, Brynge hym tille vs for nakyn nede, Botte haue hym forthe oway; [ 1312] [1312. MS. forthe hym, but the change of order is indicated.] ffor come he here, I haue greete drede we sal say waloway!

Alle þat here er hethen sal he lede and we be prynede for ay; [ 1316] He es a myghty swayne, whe we twa myght noght halde [1318. Horst. whe(n).] A caytif saule ogayne, when he did noght bot calde. [ 1320]

(111)

Sithen he was swilke þat was bot man, þou, satanas, I say, with myghte wenes þou to mayster þan Bathe god and man verray? [ 1324] wenes þou þat lorde enclose þou kan þat he ne sal wyn oway, Sithen his poure seruaunt he fra þe wan þat was dampned for ay?' [ 1328] And þan sayde satanas: 'Of hym haue þou na drede, I knawe wele what he was And what lyfe he gun lede; [ 1332]

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his fourty days whe he gun faste [1333. he above line; whe: Horst. whe(n).] I tempte him sykerly; [leaf 32, bk.] I procurde alle þe Iewes fulle faste þat þai sulde ger hym dye; [ 1336] when Pilate walde þat he had paste, I egede ay egerly, Tille he ware hynged at þe laste On a rode rewefully; [ 1340] And þarefore I þe say, Ordayne fore hym a stede, He comes tille vs þis day, By þis I halde hym dede.' [ 1344]

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And whils þe fendes straue þusgats, [1345. Horst. þusgate.] A voice spake loude and clere:

'I bid yow, prynces, vndo yhoure yhates, Endles yhates remous here, [1348. remous, scribal error for remouf (?).] ffor þe kynge of glorie þat al ille abats Comes;' and þan spake lucifere: 'Ryse, satan, ger hym gange his gats, Als þou ert me leeue and dere.' [ 1352] þire prynces þa yhates sperde at þe laste And alle his feres he callede: [1354. calde marked for erasure.] 'ffende þire yhates and bare þam faste, Or we for euer be thrallede.' [ 1356]

(114)

And þan sayd dauid þare he lay Vntille þire sayntes alle: 'In erthe lyfande þus gun I say, [1359. lyfande: f above line.] I see it now befalle; [ 1360] þat god has made, þis es þe day, Make myrthe and Ioye we salle; ffor brasen yhates god brake for ay And iren barres withalle; [ 1364] ffra wayes of wilsomnes, [leaf 33] I sayd, he haues þaime taken; I see now sothe it es, He haues vs noght forsaken.' [ 1368]

(115)

And þan sayd saynt Isay: 'þus whils I lyfede in lande, Right on þis wise prophetede I, whaso cuthe vndirstande: [ 1372] "Deede men þat in þaire graues ly Salle ryse vppe and be lifande, Alle salle make Ioye and melody þat erthe haues in hys hande." Eftsones I sayd alsswa [ 1377] Tille deede: "whare es þi myghte, Deede sen he fotchede vs fra [ 1379] Tille life?" sayde I noght ryghte?'

(116)

A voice spak þan ful hydusly, Als it ware a thunner blaste: 'Vndo yhoure yhates,' it sayd, 'smertly, þai may na langer laste, Kynge of glori byhoues cum In þareby.' And helle a voyce þan gan vpcaste: 'what es he, þat kynge of glory? He sal be sette fulle faste.' [ 1388] Dauyde sayde: 'whethir þou ne wate, Als I prophetede righte, "A lorde of ful greete state, In batel mykel of fighte;" [ 1392]

(117)

He es kynge of glory, þat I telle, þat at þe yhates standes, And he behelde fra heuen tille helle þe sorow of his seruaundes. [ 1396] Vndo þarefore, þou fende felle, þe yhates withe þi handes, [leaf 33, bk.] for kyng of glory comes fulle snelle [1399. Second fulle marked for erasure.] To bryng vs oute of bandes [ 1400] Thurgh myght of hys godhede.' Ihesu þan strak so fast þat þe yhates insonder yhede And þe Iryn barres al to brast. [ 1404]

(118)

he mustered he was mekel of myght, þe fendes pouste he fellyd, Alle lemed þat lathely lak of lyght þat was with myrknes melled. [ 1408] When alle þe sayntes saghe þat syght þat in þat dongeoun duelled, [1410. Second þat above line.] Nane durst a worde speke heghe on hight, Bot ilk an softly telled:

'Welcom, lorde, vnto vs, fful lang þan has vs thoght; Blyssed be þou, swete Ihesus, fful dere þou haues vs boght.' [ 1416]

(119)

And he vndyd þaire bandes alle þat þai with bunden had bene, And made þaime fre þat are was thralle, [ 1419] And of care clensed þaime clene; þe fendes þat sawe swilk light byfalle þare nan byfor was sene Sayde: 'we er ouercomen greete and smalle with yhon warloghe, we wene.' Ane spyrres and mekyl he dredes: 'What art þou þat schewes swilk myght, [leaf 34] þat es swa mykel in þi dedes And schewes swa littel to sighte?

(120)

Þou þat was man, on what manere was godhede in þe hidde? [1430. MS. goddhede, with second d marked for erasure.] was þou noghte deede? what dus þou here? was neuer swylke maystrys kydde; We fendes alle ware we fayne in fere when þe Iewes tille deede þe didde; How ert þou putte to swilk powere, And slike tene vs betydde? [ 1436] was neuer na saule vs sente þat he ne wiste of oure play, þou haues vs schamely schente And pryued vs oure pray.' [ 1440] [1440. Second pray marked for erasure.]

(121)

þan Ihesu Criste toke Satanas, þat are was lorde and sire, And hym in thraldom bunden has At brynne in endles fire. [ 1444]

þan spake þa fendes þat with hym was þat ware fulle of angre and Ire: 'Traytoure, what haues þou done? allas, þou dide noght oure desire; [ 1448] we bad þe latte hym ga, Latte hym noght come hereIn; Alle haues he fochede vs fra, Oure court waxes fulle thyn; [ 1452]

(122)

þou duke of deede, leder fra lyue, [1453. syn erased before lyue.] Heghynge of goddes aungels, [ 1454] [1454. aungels: e above line.] Ogayns þat strange how durst þou stryue þat vs þus frekely felles? þou hyght brynge vs a pray bylyue, It es noghte als þou telles; [leaf 34, bk.] ffor euer tille deede he wille þe dryue And alle þat with þe duelles; [ 1460] when þou þe Iewes gun stir [1461. Horst. whan.] þat þai sulde ger hym dye, þou sulde þan haue done spire ffirst if he ware worthy; [ 1464]

(123)

And if in hym ware funden na ille, þou sulde haue gerte þaime blyn; Traytoure, whi has þou broght vs tille In wham es funden na syn? [ 1468] [1468. ille erased before syn.] Alle has þou losed by þis skylle þe wightes þat ware he In, [1470. Horst. he(r) in.] And þou þaire paynes sal fulfille In wa neuer oute to wyn; [ 1472] þat we wan thurgh þe tree when Eue þe fruyte hade eeten, Ilke a dele es now, als we see, [ 1475] with þe rode-tree fra vs geten.'

(124)

þan spake Ihesu with voice clere Tille þe sayntes mare and les: 'Come to me, my childir dere, þat er made my lyknes; [ 1480] yhe þat for syn er prisounde here, yhe sal haue forgifnes.' And alle þa sayntes þai droghte hym nere And thanked hym of hys godenes; Hande on adam he layde, [ 1485] and he on knes gun falle, 'Pees be to þe,' he sayde, 'And to þi childir alle.' [ 1488]

(125)

Adam sayde and for ioy he greete: 'Lorde, I sal worchippe þe, ffor fra my faas þou haue me fette þat here war greete plente; [leaf 35] I cryed when I sorow was sette, [1493. sorow: Horst. (in) sorow.] And þou haues now heled me; My saule þou ledde withouten lette ffra helle thurgh þi pite; [ 1496] þou kepes þat we ne falle [1497. kepes: Horst. kepes (vs).] Tille þe pitte of myrknes; Make Ioye, yhe sayntes alles, [1499. alles: Horst. alle.] And thanke his halynes.' [ 1500]

(126)

þan Patriarks and prophete, Alle other sayntes alle ffelle doun on knes byfore his fete Ilk ane, bathe grette and smalle, And sayde: 'þou erte comen oure bales to bete, [ 1505] Euermare looue þe we sal, Þat þou in prophecy gun hete we see it now befalle, [ 1508]

Deede thurgh deede es destroede; Lorde, louynge be to þe, Nane has nede þat was noyede, Thraldom es made free.' [ 1512]

(127)

By þe ryghte hande he gun adam take And blissed hym righte þare, And ledde hym fra þe laythly lake And alle þat with hym ware. [ 1516] And dauyd ful baldly spake, Als þai fra helle gun fare: 'A nowe sange till oure lorde yhe make, Als I haue propheted are; [ 1520] ffor he haue bene wirkande Meruayles til vs here, He has sauede his righte hande [ 1523] Tille hym and his powere; [lf. 35, bk.]

(128)

Mekely he haues musterde his myghte Vntille alle cristen men, [ 1526] He haues schewede a warldes wyghte His rightwisnes to ken.' And alle þa sayntes thankede hym righte Þat swilke grace wald þaime len, And sayde: 'blyssed be he þat comes als he hight In þe name of god, Amen.' [ 1532] Ilke a prophete þan gun telle In hys aghen prophecy How he sulde heright helle, [ 1535] [1535. How repeated.] How he byhouede for þaime dy.

(129)

And als þai ware tille blis wendande, þere sayntes þat ware in wa,

A sange of blys þai yhede syngande þat hat 'Alleluya.' [ 1540] Ihesu adam be þe hande, With Michael gert þam ga; And alle þe sayntes yhede folowande Tille Paradys fulle thra. [ 1544] Michael receyuede þam sone, Alle þat ware hym bykende, In blis he haues þam done þat lastes withouten ende. [ 1548]

(130)

In endles blys þat haues na pere when alle þire sayntes ware sette, Twa grayhared men of faytheful chere In Paradys þai mette; [ 1552] And alle þe sayntes asked what þai ware, ffra helle how ware þai fette, Bathe body and saule: 'what do yhe here? [ 1555] ffande yhe nane wild yhow lette?' And þai ogayne answerd: [leaf 36] 'we er Ennok and Ely, We er broght fra myddelerd Als wittenes witterly; [ 1560]

(131)

We dyed noght yhite, we er left on lyue With anticrist forto fight; In Ierusalem sal we stryue, Bot we sal tille deede be dight; Thre days we sal belyue Ryse vp thurgh goddes myght, Stande als wittenes when þe dome sal dryue Wha haues wrang or ryght.' [ 1568] A pure man come þare, Als þai stude spekand best; A cros on hys bak he bare, A thefe hym semed lykest. [ 1572]

(132)

'leue frende, what ert þou?' quod þai alle, 'A thef semes þou like.' He sayde: 'þe suthe say if I salle, Alle my lyfe was I slyke; [ 1576] Bot Ihesu mercy gun I calle, And he sayde sykerlyke: "withe me þis ilk day be þou sall, with me in heuenryke." [ 1580] þis croyce bytuke he me And sette me in þe way, He sayde: "and Michael þe see, He says noght withe þe nay." [ 1584]

(133)

Another worde of hym I hadde, he sayde: "I þe rede, If þat þe aungel be noght glade [1587. Second glade marked for erasure.] Þou sall come to þat steede, [ 1588] [lf. 36, bk.] Say Ihesu criste goddes son bade, þat now was done to deede, þat þou sulde in þat stede be stade, Tille he come in godhede." [ 1592] Tille þe aungel sayd I þus, And he opend fulle yhare.' And alle þai thanke Ihesus Hereof bathe les and mare; [ 1596]

(134)

þai sayd: 'of gudenes grettes of grace, Blissed be þou euer and ay, þat gyues ly in wa littel space [1599. ly: Horst. ly(fc). wa: Horst. (s)wa.] Tille synfulle saules;' þai say, 'ffolke þat wele folow trewely þi trace And amend þam whils þai may, In leele lykynge þou wille þam lace, witte þai in na wilsom way; [ 1604]

þou þat haue broght vs alle ffra payne in light to lende, Euermare looue þe sal [1607. þe: Horst. (we) þe.] In blys withouten ende.'" [ 1608]

(135)

þai sayd: "þis es goddes priuete þat at þis tyme byfelle, [The word Caþin beginning line, erased. The page thus has one line less than usual.] Caryn and lentyn, þis sawe we, [1611. sawe: a above line.] þat with sayntes in helle; [ 1612] [1612. MS. wist before with marked for erasure; Horst. þat (woned).] And mykel mare þan gun we see þat we may na man telle, whe ware beden layned it sulde be Of Michel, goddes angel; [ 1616] [1616. Horst. aungel.] He bade vs telle na thynge Bote þat here writen es; we rase of hys risynge þus forto bere wittenes. [ 1620]

(136)

And with vs many ane [leaf 37] Er rysen þat deede lay; þai er byyhonde þe flome Iordane In paradys nyght and day; [ 1624] Botte when þire thre days er gane, Na lenger lyue we may, With þaime tille blis we sal be tane þat lastes euer and ay; [ 1628] þus er we tille yhow sente At schewe yhow in þis steede þat ye may yhow repente [ 1631] þat haues hym done to deede."

(137)

þat Caryn wrate he it bytuke Tille Necodeme and Annas, And lentyn alswa gafe his buke Tille Ioseph and Cayphays; [ 1636] [1636. Horst. Cayphas.]

Togydirly þam þai gun luke þat sonderly wryten was; Þe tane wrate noghte a lettre nuke, Bot als þe tother has. [ 1640] When þai þe Iewes had bytane þa rolles þat writen ware, þai wanyst oway onane, [1643. onay marked for erasure before oway.] Of þaime had þai na mare. [ 1644]

(138)

When þai hade redde þa rolles, alsone þire Iewes haly gun say: "Of greete god þat syttes in trone þis werke es wroght þis day, [ 1648] Bot ilke a dele þe here es done Alleges ogaynne oure lay; þa Ihesu criste es goddes sone [1651. Horst. þa(t).] fful sare drede vs we may." [ 1652] Goddes forbot þat þai fende þat euer it suld be swa; [leaf 37, bk.] And þus þaire wayes þai went, And ilk ane parted other fra. [ 1656]

(139)

And when þis note was tald pilate, he hym dredde full sare; als dome halely alle he it wrate fforto last euermare; [ 1660] Tille þe temple he yhede on a gate And gert send aftir þare Bisshops, prestes and other of greete state þat ware oght lere on þaire lare. þe yhates þan sperd he [ 1665] And sayde tille alle at anes: "yhoure yhe lat me see [1667. Horst. yhoure (bible).] þat es within þire wanes." [ 1668]

(140)

ffoure prestes has forthe þat bible broght, A buke of greete bounte; Annas and Cayphas sone ware soght, Pilate sayde: "now lat see, [ 1672] And þat es writen here wate yhe noght?" þai sayde: "sire yhis parde!" Quod Pilat: "a thyng es in my thoght þat I wille clered be." By þat boke bathe swore þai, [ 1677] þai suld leue for na drede þat þai ne þe sothe suld say Ne yhete for luf na mede. [ 1680]

(141)

he sayde: "by þe faythe þat yhe til godde aghe, hereof yhe yhow auyse; fynd yhe oure wryten in yhoure laghe Omang yhour prophecyse, [ 1684] Or may yhe any wittnes draghe [lf. 38] By castynge of clergy, þat Ihesu was als was his saghe, Goddes son on any wise? [ 1688] Hereof oghte if ye ken, Alswa telle vs yhe sall In what yheres and when His comynge suld byfalle." [ 1692]

(142)

when þay ware charged on þis manere, þai sayd to sire Pilate: "we wille nanegates þat alle men here Of þis thyngh þat we wate." [ 1696] Pilate gert haue oute þat þare were, [1697. were: e above line and corrected from a.] And to þaime spered þe yhate;

þai sayd: "we er charged ful nere And we answere þusgate: [ 1700] we wate withouten wene Now goddes son was he righte; we wen wichecrafte had bene [1703. wen: Horst. wen(d).] Alle þat he did by myghte; [ 1704]

(143)

Sithen haue we witten of sere wittnes Here of oure aghen kynrede, þat he ogayne eft lyfande es [ 1707] Sithen he was done tille deede. Twa þat he raysed thurge halynes Has tald vs in þis steede þat we wele wate bathe mare and les, þat was done thurghte goddehede; Ilke yhere a tyme we brynge [ 1713] þis haly buke in hadde [1714. hadde: Horst. hande.] At luke of his comynge, And þis of hym we fande: [ 1716]

(144)

In þe first buke of sexty and ten þat er contende here, Tille thridde of adam sons when was spoken in þis manere: [ 1720] [lf. 38, bk.] 'Goddes son þi fadir and alle men Salle putte to þaire power Aftir fyue thousande yheres, we ken, [1723. Horst. after.] Alswa fyue hundrethe yhere.' [ 1724] we reken þus vs oureselfe: Twa thousande sulde be And twa hundrethe and twelfe [ 1727] And fourty fra Adam tille Noe;

(145)

ffra Noe flode tille abram es Neghen hundrethe and (XII) yhere; [1730. A thousand written above line and neghen hundrethe marked for erasure. Over an erasure VIII is written in later hand.] ffra Abraham tille Moyses [ 1731] ffoure hundrethe and thretty were; [1732. thretty: yere erased.] ffra Moysen god Dauid chees Tille kynge of grete powere, ffyue hundrethe and ten withouten lees, þus telle oure bible here; [ 1736] Tille þe transmygracyon, ffyue hundrethe yhere fra þethen; Tille þe incarnacion of criste [1739. foure score after criste, possibly in a different hand.] ffyue hundrethe sithen. [ 1740] [1740. ffyue possibly corrected from ffour; and ten added at end of line.]

(146)

In oure lawe leely þus if we luke, we say on þis manere, þat Ihesu flesshe and blude tuke Of Mary his modir dere [ 1744] ffyue thousand yhere aftir buke, Afftir fyue hundrethe yhere."

"Þan es it he þat we foresuke," Quod Pilate tille alle in fere. [ 1748] þus beres þaire bukes witnes Of þaime þe suthe wille ken, And þus oure endynge es, [ 1751] God Graunte Vs Grace,

Amen.

Additional MS. TEXT A.

(1)

[[leaf 116, bk] It betide þat tyme þat tyberyus Ruled all Rome with ryalte, And also theodosius Was prince in þe lande of galilee, þis story wrot nycodemus [ 5] In ebrewe for gret daynte; Sithen þe Emperoure teodocius Gart it translated be; [ 8] And sithen fro land to lande, For þes vnlettred ledes, To make þaime vndrestande, In Englische þus he redis: [ 12]

(2)

Symeon, Cesar & Kayfas, Dathan & gamaliell, Neptalem, Leui and Iudas, þat were halden fals & felle, [ 16] Alexandire and Annas, Agayne ihesu gan þai spelle; Befor sir pilat gan þai passe [ 19] And on þis wyse þai gan hym telle: "Ihesu þat marres alle oure mene, Calles hym gods sone of heuene, His syre, his dame ryght wele we kene, þaire ryght names wele gan we neuene;

(3)

We wot wele Iosep was a wryght, And for sothe he was his sire, [ 26] And Mary was his modire ryght, And what manere of goddes are þere? We are full sory of his syght, [ 29] ffor it egges vs ay till ire; Oure lawes he brekys with all his myght And þat is his most desyre." [ 32] Pilat sayde to þaime þan: "Say me what are ȝowre sawes, In what wyse at þat man Allegges agayne ȝoure lawes." [ 36]

(4)

[leaf 117] "Vs oghe noȝt be oure lawe," quod a Iuwe, "On oure sabot to do no thynge; [38. to: above line in MS.] þen wyrkes he warkes wondre newe, Helys alle þat aske helynge, [ 40] Bothe blynde & lame þat we wele knewe, And þat vs thynk a wondre thynge;

Wylde & wode till his biddynge bowe All thurgh his fals charmynge." Pilat sayde to þaime alle: [ 45] "Howe may ȝhe blame his dedys?" þai answerd gret & smalle: "With wychecrafte he þaime ledes."

(5)

"Nay," sayde Pilat, "ȝhe haue no ryght To blame hym be no manere of way; þos myracles he dos by myght, It is no thynge als ȝhe say; [ 52] Sen he to þe blynd has sent his sight And puttyd to lyfe þat ded lay, Who suld hym deme to ded be dyght þat dos þe gud all þat he may?" "Sire Pilat, we þe pray," [ 57] Sayd alle þe Iuwes þan, "Brynge hym to barre þis day, Accuse hym gif we kan." [ 60]

(6)

A Messagere he gart go bidde Ihesu come vnto þat place; Romayne he hyght þat wele was kydde, And after ihesu forthe he gace [ 64] [64. gace: s written above c in later hand.] Withoutyn malice, with heued vn∣hidde, his speche he gan to sprede: "Lorde, þe to calle pilat me didde, I durst not ellis for drede." [ 68] þe Iuwes þere þai satte ffor angre wex all grene And sayd to sir pilat: "O, what may þis mene? [ 72]

(7)

[lf. 117 bk.] Bedels sulde to þi biddynge bowe And smertly do þi commandment;

And he nowe knelis to ihesu Whiles þou þiselue es in present; Bot euere vs newes noyes newe, [ 77] We toke þereto full gud entent, Siche curtaysye neuere ere we knewe, With reuerence he to ihesu went." Pilat sayde: "whi did þou soo [ 81] Vnto ihesu siche curtaysy?" Romayne sayde: "þat I haue doo I hade gud enchesones whi; [ 84]

(8)

To alexandre, wele ȝhe wate, A messagere þen was I made, Vnto Ierusalem come I late [ 87] And to þe morne þerein I bade; And thurghe þe toune als ihesu rode, ffolke before his fete all þe gate Riche clothes spradde on brode, Siche reuerence þere he hade, [ 92] Siche reuerence þere hade he; 'Osanna,' was þaire songe, 'þat nowe comes blessed mot be In gods name vs amonge.'" [ 96]

(9)

þe Iuwes sayde: "Traytour vntrewe, With lesynges here has þou vs ledde, þaire langage neuere ȝit þou knewe, þat durst we lay oure life in wedde; Ierusalem langage is Ebrewe, [ 101] And þou farre þethen was fedde." He sayde: "I spyrde at men ynewe þat in þis same Cyte was bredde." "Osanna," quod pilatt, [ 105] "What is þat forto say?" "We construe it þusgate: 'Lorde, saue vs, we þe pray.'" [ 108]

(10)

"Me thynke," quod pilat, "in my thoght, þat ȝhe with wrange þe bedel blame; Sen he sawe þere siche wyrschippes wroght, I wote hym thynke he suld do þe same; [leaf 118] Bot, bedell, to barre sen þou hym broght þiselue forto schilde fro schame, ffott forthe hym þat þou wyrschipp wroght, And loke þou calle hym in be name." Out of þat route Romayne [ 117] Ihesu, oure lorde, he ledes, And calles hym agayne, als man þat pilat dredes. [ 120]

(11)

Of Emperours þat before had bene þis was eueremore þe lawȝ in landes: þat foure men at siche a Iugement kene Suld at þe barre halde in þaire handes Mens heuedes sett on stakes schene, All of fyne golde blasand as brande; [126. as: possibly es in MS.] And so þe Iuwes did þen, I wene, ffoure men with siche iiij heuedes gan stande; [ 128] Bot when he þat all sall welde Was broght into þe halle, þos heuedes of gold gan helde To wyrschippe crist withalle. [ 132]

(12)

þen sayde þe Iuwes sturne & stoute: "þis is a skorne till oure semynge, þes boyes lat þaire schaftes lowte To do till ihesu wyrschippynge."

And pilat asked þaime alle abowte Whi þe schaftes made siche stoup∣ynge, [ 138] þai saide: "we dou ȝowe out of dowte, þai lowtyd noȝt at oure wyttynge, We toke no hede þereto, þat þes baners gan stoupe; What haue we forto do vnto ihesu to lowte?" [ 144]

(13)

"We sawe þes baners stoupe wyterly," þe Iuwes sware to pilate. Quod pilat: "þai say apertely It was noȝt so nogate; [ 148] Bot take vs men more myghty, Stronge & stable of estate, To hlade þes baners sikirly, þis stryfe þus sall we bate." [ 152] And þen thurgh all Iury [leaf 118, bk.] Stronge men haue þai soght To halde þaime myghtily, ffoure men þereto þai broght, [ 156]

(14)

þen saide pilat vnto þaime þore þat þe baners suld halde in hande: "If þai lowte ihesu any more, [ 159] ȝhe sall þerefore lose life & lande." And þai þat stronge & myghty wore Sayde: "To þi dome, sir, will we stande; Whas banere bowes for gods hore, Lat sle hym sone with hyngman hande." [ 164] "Lat haue hym out of þe halle," Sayde pilat for þis skille, "And eftesones in hym calle, On what wyse so ȝhe wille." [ 168]

(15)

Þis messagere to ihesu knelid And clothes before his fete he spradde With alle þe wyrschippes þat he couth welde, And ihesu efte to pilat ladde; [ 172] þes baners sone gan helde And bowed to ihesu vnbedde; þe Iuwes þat þaime behelde ffor þat sight were all dredde. [ 176] When pilat sawe þis sight, howe þos baners gan bowe, ffor drede he ros vpryght Agayne oure lorde ihesu. [ 180]

(17)

Sir pilat wife, so mot I go, Sent to pilat þus to say: [ 194] "Deme ihesu nouthire to ne fro, Bot wyrschip hym all þat þou may, I haue ben dreched with dremes so all þis nyght, þe sothe to say; [ 198] If þou hym deme to ded to go, Oure wele I wot sall wast away."

Pilat was all amayde And saide to þe Iuwes in hye: "I am noȝt wele apayde, Ȝhe blame hym wrangwisly; [ 204]

(18)

[[lf. 119] My wife, ȝhe wote, scho is no Iuwe, Ȝhe knawe sho is a sarasyne; Scho biddis þat I no bargayne brewe To put ihesu to ded, ne pyne; [ 208] Sho says ihesu of treuth is trewe, Slepand scho sawe þis with hyreyne; If we hym deme, it sall vs rewe, ffor he of fayth is gud & fyne." þen sayde þe Iuwes belyue: [ 213] "þe sothe þou may wele see, he has bewyched þi wyfe, It may non outhire be." [ 216]

(19)

Pilat saide: "me thynk selcouthe, Ihesu, whi þou standes so stille; To þis accusynge answere þou couthe þat þe Iuwes put þe vntille." [ 220] Ihesu saide: "ilke man has mouthe fforto welde it at his wille; þaire sawes to þe are knawen & kouthe Whethire þat þai speke gud or ille." "Ihesu, lat be þi dynne!" [ 225] Saide alle þe Iuwes on rawe, "A horcoppe borne in synne ffor sothe alle we þe knawe; [ 228]

(20)

We wot wele for þi sake was slayne Alle þe childre in bedlem borne; To fle with þe þi frendes were fayne, And ellis þi life had bene forlorne;

When herode was ded, is noȝt to layne, þat bitterly þi ded had sworne, Into þi contre þou come agayne, ffro þen as þou was fled beforne." Pilate saide: "is þis he [ 237] þat herode pursewed soo?" "Ȝha," þai saide, "pardye, and ȝit he skappid hym fro." [ 240]

(21)

When pilat wist þat he it was, Hit deryd hym þen mykill þe more; he chese a quest on hym to passe Of men þat trewe & sothfast wore, þai saide to pilat & cayphas: [lf. 119, bk.] "þe certayne sothe we will noȝt spare, Mary to Ioseph weddid was, ffor at þaire weddynge for sothe we ware." Pilat saide to þaime þanne [ 249] þat blamed hade hym beforne: "To wrange ȝe put þis man, In wedloyke was he borne." [ 252]

(22)

Vp styrte a Iuwe bitter & bolde And þus he sayde to sire pilat: "þe tales þat we of hym haue tolde We will avowe erly & late; [ 256] By þis enquest no prisse I holde, þos caytifes sayne bot as þi wate, þai are comylnges, & fayne þai wolde Mayntene ihesu & his estate." [ 260] þis quest was trewe als stele And sayde: "takes outhire twelue, We are Iuwes, wit hit wele, Als trewe als ȝowreselue." [ 264]

(23)

Pilat a boke to barre has broght þos two enquestes forto twynne: With swerynge sall þe sothe be soght, And badde þe trewe quest suld be∣gynne; [ 268] And þai saide þan: "it falles vs noȝt [269. it above line, vs erased beneath it.] To swere, for swerynge is a synne; Lat þaime swere þat wrange has wroght, ffor alle þai knewe wele ihesu kynne; Gif we be fonden gilty [ 273] In þes sawes þat we say, We obblische vs to dye Befor ȝowe here þis day." [ 276]

(24)

þen spak annas & cayphas And þus þai saide to sire pilate: "We trowe wele mary weddid wase Vnto Ioseph þat so hym gate; [ 280] Bot to anothire poynt we passe: Mawgre alle þat mayntens his state We say a spirit inclose he hase, [leaf 120] þat tellis hym all thynge erly & late." Pilat gart voyde þame alle [ 285] þat were within þat house, And þat quest gart in calle Sayde ihesu was borne in spouse;

(25)

he saide: "I fonde ȝowe trewe lange∣ore, And þerefore telle me nowe ȝoure rede, Whi hate þes Iuwes ihesu so sore, Be what skille walde þai haue hym dede?" [ 292]

þai saide: "his wittes passes þaire lore, fforþi to hym þai haue hatrede, And his myracles greues þaime sore, And ȝit þai stande þaime ofte in stede." "ffor sothe," saide pilat þan, "Me thynke þis is envye; Walde þai þus deme a man ffor his gude dedys to dye?" [ 300]

(26)

Pilat hym hyede oute of þe halle And sadly saide þe Iuwes vntille: "Lo here wytnes befor ȝowe alle þat in hym can I fynde non ille." And þai answerde bothe gret & smalle And saide: "sir pilat, be þi wille, We gart hym noȝt come to þi calle, Wyt it wele wythoutyn skille." [ 308] Pilat saide: "he mon dye, I seȝ wele be ȝoure sawes; Takes hym to ȝowe forþi [ 311] And deme hym be ȝoure lawes."

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Þen saide þes Iuwes: "sir, wele ȝhe wate þat god biddes vs we sle no man." To þaime agayne saide sir pilate: "Biddes god þat I suld sle men þan? I wote full wele whi ȝhe hym hate And howe ȝoure wrathe till hym began; Be my wille sall he dye nogate ffor no crafte þat ȝhe alle cane; [ 320] It is alle for hatrede, [leaf 120, back] And þis were litill resone To deme a man to þe ded, Bot þere were more encheson." [ 324]

(28)

Pilat ladde ihesu þe Iewes fro þat to hym had grete envye And saide till hym betwyx þaime two: "Ihesu, þou art kynge of Iury?" [ 328] Ihesu saide: "whethire was it saide þe soo, Or of þin awen outorytye?" Pilat said: "me were full wo þi folke suld þus deme þe to dye; þi folke has taght þe to me [ 333] fforto be dampned þis day; Kynge of Iuwes if þou be Answere to þis, I þe say." [ 336]

(29)

Ihesu answerd mekly agayne: "Iwisse, my kyngdome is noȝt here; ffor if my kyngdome, sothe to sayne, Within þis wankill worlde nowe were, [ 340] Or I amonge þes Iuwes were slayne, My men þat are me leef & dere Wald stand & fyght with mode & mayne And brynge with þaime full grete powere." "Þen art þou kynge allgate?" [ 345] Pilat saide sikirly. Ihesu sayde to pilate: "Þowe says þat kynge am I; [ 348]

(30)

I am come to þis contre And for þis skill þen was I borne, witnes of sothefastnes to be þat has bene saide full lange beforne, And forto make þe peple fre [ 353] þat suld haue bene with syne for∣lorne; All þat is sothfaste likes me And pleses me both euene & morne."

And pilat asked efte: "Say, what is sothefastnes?" With þat ihesu he lefte Als man þat stonyed wasse. [ 360]

(31)

Pilat saide to þe Iuwes yfere: [leaf 121] "Lordynges, if it be ȝoure wille, I haue enquerd of ihesu here, And in hym can I fynde no ille." And þai answerde with herdy chere: "we blame hym noȝt withoutyn skille." Pilat saide withoutyn were: "Ȝhe will hym sle with paynes grille, Bot I am oute of gilte, Als clene as Innocent; His bloude sall noȝt be spilte, Noȝt als be myn assent." [ 372]

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Þen answerd þe Iuwes alle and made þaime wondre kene & wrothe, þai saide: "is bloude mot on vs falle and on alle oure chyldre bothe." [ 376] And pilat saide: "perchaunche it schalle, And þat me walde ȝit thynk full lothe; þerefore haue hym out of þe halle And do hym nouthire harme ne brothe." [ 380] Þe Iuwes saide: "wele ȝhe wate, we say bot skilfully; who presentes þe kynges estate, he is worthy to dye; [ 384]

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And he þat sklaundres þe godhede More syne it is þen siche seuene

He þat is made of pure manhede, þat he gods sone so walde hym neuene, [ 388] Says he sall haue his sittyngstede On gods ryght hand þat is in heuene, fforto deme both quike & dede After þat þaire dedes are euene." [ 392] Out of þat company Pilat ȝhede ihesu to And saide: "sir, sikirly, I ne wote what I sall do." [ 396]

(34)

"Als it is gyfen to þe & me," Quod ihesu, "be it on alle wise." Pilat saide: "what?" & þen saide he: "Als trewely tellen þe prophecyes, Moyses, dauid & Iosue, [leaf 121, bk.] and mony outhire mo þen þes; þat þai saide most fulfilled be In me, for I sall dye & Ryse." [ 404] Pilat went out of þe halle Als man þat was amayde And tolde þe Iuwes alle how þat ihesu hade sayde. [ 408]

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þe Iuwes saide to pilat: "loo, Siche an errore þat he in dwelles, what suld we with more witness doo Bot ryghtals his awen tonge telles?" Pilat sayde: "take hym ȝowe too, Sen it is so iche man hym mellis, Deme forth als ȝhe began þis broo, ffor I can say to ȝowe noȝt elles." þai sayde: "who mellynge makys To man, þis fynde we wryten, 'No lesse þen fourty strakys Hym falles forto be strikyn;' [ 420]

(36)

And he þat calles hym gods son, hym falles to be stoned to dede; He says hys fadre made sone & mone, Bot we knawe wele all his kynrede; He says þat he sall sitt in trone, [ 425] And for thi holy gif we þis rede: [426. holy: y above line. rede: jugemēt has been erased before rede.] þat he sall on a crosse be done Or þat he passe out of þis stede; [ 428] ffor if he regne þus sikirly, All sall leue vpon his lare; And beter is þat on man dye þen alle folke sulde þus mysfare."

(37)

In come sire nichodemus þan, þat was prince of all Iuwery And sayde: "I rede ȝowe do þis man No more harme ne vilany; [ 436] ffor siche tokenes als he do kan And shewes till vs here opynly Was neuer sithen þis worlde began ffonden here be prophecye; [ 440] If he be fals or faynte, [leaf 122] It sall be knawen full sone; His sawes, his tokenes quaynt Sall dye & be fordone. [ 444]

(38)

When tokenes were shewed thurgh moyses Vnto pharaho þe kynge, Two wycches, Iames & Membres, Did to moyses gret lettynge; Disprufed his signes & made þaime leese All thurgh þaire fals enchauntynge, [450. fals: s above line.] Als gods þaime helde all hethenes; Bot harkenes nowe þe last endynge;

ffor moyses dedes were sothfast And þaire bot sorcery; [454. sorcery: r is blotted.] Moyses signes gan last, And þaires gan falle & dye. [ 456]

(39)

And so may be þis man is sent Als prophete trewe vs alle to lere; I not be wham þat moyses ment, Bot moyses sayde on þis manere: 'A prophete sall be to ȝowe sent þat sall be borne amonge ȝowe here;' And sayd þat alle þos sall be shent þat will noȝt of his techynge lere. þe Iuwes befor pilat Sayde vnto Nychodeme: "His trone be þin allgate, And his pece mot þe ȝheme." [ 468]

(40)

And Nichodemus sayde "Amen," And þerewith helde vp both his hende, "Vnto his trone I me bekenne, I pray his pece myght with me lende." [ 472] Before pilat þere come forth tene þat sumtyme were for lazares kende: [lf. 122, bk.] "We were Lazares, als ȝhe wele kenne, And þus has ihesu vs amende." [ 476] In come anothire & sayde: "Lorde, blynde borne was I, His handes on me he layde, And I sawe sikirly." [ 480]

(41)

Anothire saide: "bedrede I lay ffourty ȝhere fully sawe two;

I asked mercy, & he gan say: 'Anon take vp þi bedde & go!' [ 484] þus was I helde & went my way." And on þis wyse come mo & mo, þai saide: "it were to mych at say Howe mony þat ihesu helid so." All holy sayde þai þus: [ 489] "A gret prophet is he, Oure sauyoure ihesus, Euere blessed mot he be." [ 492]

(42)

"To ȝoure prestes," quod pilate, "þes wordes whi shewe ȝhe noȝt?" And þai answerde: "sir, we ne wate, Bot all thus ihesu has wroght; A lazare þat was ded nowe late [ 497] And forth vnto his beryinge broght, He liffes agayne in full gud state, And þereof gret wondre vs thoght." Pilat hereof hade drede [ 501] And saide: "whi will ȝhe spille þat man þat helpes at nede Alle þat calles hym vntille?" [ 504]

(43)

He called Nychodeme & þe quest þat he before fonde trewe allgate And saide; "lordynges, what hald ȝhe best? Alle þes folke are in gret bate." [ 508] And þai of answere were full preste And sayde ilk one; "sire, we ne wate; To þaire consayle, so haue we rest, [leaf 123] We will noȝt sent for drede ne hate; We pray god þat he sende Rightwis dome þaime amange, On þaire sawes mot it lende [ 515] Whethire þai do ryght or wrange."

(44)

Þe Iuwes were wont euere at þe pace A man out of þaire prisone take, Withoutyn dome to lat hym passe And gif hym lyfe for þat fest sake. On was in prison hight Barabas [ 521] ffor manslaghter þat he did make; Pilat þe Iuwes asked in þat place whethire ihesu or hym þai wolde lat skape, And þai saide: "Baraban!" And pilat asked þaime alle: "What sall ihesu do þan?" þai saide: "on crosse he salle; [ 528]

(45)

And bot he be þat it be sene, We say þou art noȝt Cesare frende; ffor whoso makis hym kynge, I wene, Agaynes Cesare lordschippe þai wende." [ 532] And pilat saide right þan for tene: "ȝhe fals felons full of þe fende, To ȝoure helpers euere haue ȝhe bene Grucchande & shrewes at ilk ane ende." þe Iuwes þen wex alle woude And saide: "whi says þou so? who did vs euere ȝhit gude, Bot we did hym siche two?" [ 540]

(46)

"When þat god ȝowe fro egipte ledde Thurgh moyses þat was his prophete, ffro pharaho thurgh þe see ȝhe fledde [543. ȝe crased after ȝhe.] þat on of ȝowe wett noȝt ȝowre fete; In þe wildrenes he ȝowe fedde [ 545] with angeles foude gostly & swete, ffloure to ȝoure foude þat neuer was bredde And rayne fro heuene þat lorde ȝowe lete;

Oute of þe stone he sent [leaf 123, bk.] ȝhowe watre wondrely; Ȝhe brake his comaundement And leuyd in maumetry; [ 552]

(47)

Bot at moyses gan for ȝowe pray, [553. MS. at for þat.] God had dredles fordone ȝowe þare; And nowe þis man þat ilka day Helis ȝowe alle bothe seke & sare, ffor I hym deme noȝt to ȝowre pay Bot wolde hym þat is gilteles spare; I am noȝt Cesar frende, ȝhe say, And þis me thynke a wondre fare." Þai saide: "We haue no kynge [ 561] Bot þe Emperour of Rome; Holde hym for his saynge Kynge Right Wise in dome. [ 564]

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Bot thre kynges here beforne ffro colayne vnto bethelem soght And sayde þe kynge of Iuwes was borne And gret offrynge to hym þai broght; When herode wist sone on þe morne what wyrschip þat þe kynges hym wroght, [ 570] Amonges outhire he sulde be lorne, And þus cast herode in his thoght; ffor ihesu sulde noȝt Bethelem welde, Alle childre gart he sloo Within two ȝhere of Elde, And ȝit he skappid þaime fro." [ 576]

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When pilat herde, he hade pyte And bad ilke man he sulde be stille, and askid gif þis ihesu be [ 579] þat herode hade so soght with ille.

þai saide: "ȝhae." þen watre asked he [581. water: was before watre erased.] To wasche his handes by þis skille, And saide: "giltles I am, ȝhe se, þis ryghtwise man þus forto spille." þen saide þes Iuwes alle: [leaf 124.] [585. This line written in lower margin of leaf 123, and repeated at top of follow∣ing page; but first three words of second line almost faded out.] "þereof haue þou no dowte, þe gilte on vs mot falle, Put vs in & þe oute." [ 588]

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Þen gart pilat to barre brynge Armed knyghtes gret plente, And sayde: "þes folke disprufes him kynge, And ȝit þis kyngedome claymes he; With skourges first ȝe sall hym swynge, þus þe lawȝ will þat it be, And þen on crosse ȝe sall hym hynge So heeȝ þat alle men may hym se; A thefe on aythir syde [ 597] ȝhe hange at my biddynge, As kynge of mykill pride Betwix þaim sall he hynge." [ 600]

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Þes knyghtes on ihesu layde þaire handes And hym þai led whare he sulde dye; þai bonde hym þare with bittere bandes And bobbed hym dispitusely; [ 604] [604. MS. possibly bebbed.] A purpull mantill þat þai fonde Vpon ihesu þai cast in hye; Hym to wemme þai walde noȝt wonde, Bot gaue hym buffetes full felly;

A corone of thorne full sore Þai cast vpon his heued, Þat felle & flesshe and hore Was all with blode beweued; [ 612]

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On rode þai raysed hym, as we rede, A theue þai honge on aythire side; Aysell & galle vpon a rede Within a sponge þai gan it hyde, Put to his mouthe, drynke þai him bede, [ 617] And þen sayde ihesu þus þat tyde: "ffadre, forgife þaim þis myssedede Þat þai to me do in þaire pride." Þe Iuwes þere þai stode [ 621] Sayde: "gods son if þou be, Come done nowe of þis rode, And we sall trowe on þe." [ 624]

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To longeus on betoke a spere, [lf. 124, bk.] A blynde knyght was in þat rowte; To ihesu herte he gon it bere, [ 627] And watre & blode anon went oute And sprent on longeus eghen þere, And sone he sawe withouten doute. Pilat a title withouten fere [ 631] Gart write þat men myght aboute, Latyn, grewe and ebrewe, Abouen gods hede he wrot: "Of nazaret þis is ihesu And kynge of Iuwes I wot." [ 636]

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On gods lefte hande honge Iesmas, To ihesu þus he saide be name: "If þou be gods son, lat vs passe, And also shilde þiselue fro shame!"

[On the right-hand margin of this page, the words "Francis Gris Francis" are scribbled in a much later hand.] And on his right hande hange Dismas, And fast his felawȝ gon he blame: "As þou erte worthy so þou has, And I also may say þe same; [ 644] ffull litill god þou dredes, ffull falsely was he spilte, He dyes for his gud dedes, And we dye for oure gilte." [ 648]

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Dismas gon to ihesu pray: "As þou arte kynge & hye iustice, In þi blisse when þou comest for ay, On me haue mynde, þou kynge ryghtwise." [ 652] Ihesu agayne to hym gon say And mekely answerde on þis wise: "Þou sall surely be þis ilke day In ioyfull place in paradise." [ 656] At vndre þis was done, Þe day as nyght wex darke, Siche erthe-dynne was þere sene, Þat it brake house & kirke. [ 660]

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And in þis story as we rede, Þere befelle a wondre thynge, An aungelle come vnto þis dede [lf. 125] And in his hande a swerde bren∣ynge; And ihesu saide in his manhede Vnto his fadre, heuene kynge: "ffadre þat all wrought in godhede, Here nowe at þis ilke endynge [ 668] Into þi handes I beteche, Þou fadre of myghtes most, Mi saule." & with þat speche Anon he ȝelde þe gost. [ 672]

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Centurio saide, whan he sulde dye And sawe þe son wex darke as nyght: "Þis man was gods son sikirly, [ 676] Þat on þis wise to dede is dight." And mony outhire þat stude hym bye Of Iuwes þat sawe þat sely syght ffell don to grounde & ast mercy And mened crist all þat þai myght. Of þis wondrefull dede [ 681] When pilat herde þus say ffor sorowe & for grete drede He ete no mete þat day. [ 684]

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Pilat ȝede to þe Iuwes alle And saide: "sires, what is ȝoure rede? Siche maruayles wiste we neuere falle As dos nowe here for ihesu dede." Þai saide: "þes clerkes þe clippes it calle [ 689] Þat makes þe son so blody rede." "Whi cleue þes stones þus of þis walle? Þere may no stone stande in his All shakes bothe heeȝ & lowe stede, Þat in þe temple honge; It is vengaunce I trowe, I drede I haue done wronge." [ 696]

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Centurio þare come forthe þan And alle þe folke þat with hym were; Till alle þe Iuwes þus he byganne To telle þe sight þat he sawe þere: " [[leaf 125, bk.] ffor sleynge of þis ryghtwise man I leue ȝhe shalle forthynke it sore; Þe sonne at his dede wex alle wanne And lasted a myle way so & more,

Ȝour walles asondre cleued, Þe erthe trembled & quaked, Many one salle be greuyd ffor þis fare þat is maked; [ 708]

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Ded men are rysen oute of þaire graue ffull openly here in ȝour sight; Wharefore we hope & trouthe we haue Certys þat he was gods son right." And as þai þus togidre straue, [ 713] Vnto pilat þere come a knyght, And ihesu body gan he craue Þat þus be dome to dethe was dight; Pilat graunt hym his bone, [ 717] Ioseph of aramathy; And fro crosse did sone Take of þat blissed body. [ 720]

(61)

Sithen he hym wonde with gude en∣tent In clothes þat were fayre & clene And layde hym in a monument Þere neuere man before hade bene. Þe Iuwes ȝede by one assent [ 725] Þat in þaire folyes were full kene; A newe bargayne ȝit haue þai ment Þat sulde turne þaim to trye & tene. Þe quest þat ihesu gan deme As man in wedloke borne, [ 730] And also Nichodeme, Þaire ded þe Iuwes haue sworne;

(62)

And forto sle þaim alle þai thought [733. þai above bydene which has been erased.] Þat thurgh ihesu helede wore; Bot þai were hidde, þai fonde þaim noȝt, Þerefore þe Iuwes forthought full sore.

Ȝit when þai were alle samen brought, Þe gret maistres of þe lore, [leaf 126.] To þe temple Nychodeme þai sought, And þus he saide & nolde noȝt spare: "Ȝhe felons wars þen wode, Howe dare ȝhe negh þis stede And ȝour handes full of blode Of rightwise ihesu dede?" [ 744]

(63)

Þe Iuwes hym answerde alle yfere: "ffor ihesu þou myssays alle men, Howe dare þou come vnto vs here? Þou art his man, full wele we ken, His pees myght light on þe so dere." And Nichodeme answerde: "A∣men." [ 750] And þai for skorne sayd alle yfere: "Till hym platly we þe bekenne." And whan þai þus hade saide, [ 753] Ioseph of Aramathy Þat ihesu in graue hade layde Come forth apertly; [ 756]

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He saide: "sires, so god ȝowe saue, By what skille are ȝe wrothe with me? ffor I haue laide ihesu in graue Þat ȝe so hanged on a tre? [ 760] With gret wronge slayne hym ȝe haue, And þat hereafter sall men se; When ȝhe with pilat so gan raue, Ryght as ȝowe liste right so did ȝe; Whan pilat wasshe his hende Hymselue giltles to make, ȝhe saide on ȝowe descende [ 767] His blode, vengaunce & wrake."

(65)

Þe Iuwes to Ioseph ran anon And in a depe prison hym cast, Þere nas wyndowe ne dore bot one, And þat þai speryd full wondre fast; ffast þai thrette Ioseph to slon [ 773] ffro tyme þat þaire sobot were past; To kepe þe dore þe knyghtes are gon, Metles þere gart þai Ioseph fast. ffor he ihesu gan graue, [leaf 126, bk.] Þai saide þat in þe felde No beriynge suld he haue, Bestes his bones sulde welde. [ 780]

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When þaire sabot was comen & gone, Ioseph to brynge forth þan þai thought; Deth þai demyd Ioseph apon ffor þe warke þat he hade wrought To þaire þrison þai went anon [ 785] And wend forthe Ioseph till haue brought; [786. brought above tane which has been erased.] Þai opned þe dore & made gret mone, Þai fonde noȝt Ioseph þat þai sought. Ilk on till outhire gan say: [ 789] "Þis is a wondre thynge, Howe he myght wyn away Þus in oure awen kepynge." [ 792]

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Þen come a knyght þat ihesu wooke When he was layde in monument: "Þe body," he saide, "þat ȝhe vs toke To kepe is resen & fro vs went; Þe erthe trembled & al toshouke, An aungell bright doune was þere sent, [ 798]

We dared for drede, we durst noȝt loke, We wende ilk one till haue bene shent; Þat ilke gret stone þat lay His rysynge forto lette Lyghtly he put away And þerevpon hym sette. [ 804]

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Þis angell vnto wymme saide Þat þidre were comen of ihesu meyne: "Loke þat ȝe be noȝt amayde; [807. An erasure before ȝe.] Ihesu is risen, come narre & see! Þis is þe place þere þai hym laide, Goo biddys his postles redy be, He sall be sene as he þaim saide Þis ilke same day in Galile." [ 812] Þes Iuwes gret wondre thought, "Lyues ihesu?" gon þai say, "Traytour, we trowe þe noȝt, ffor he is ded for ay." [ 816]

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[lf. 127] Þes knyghtes answerd þen full swythe And saide vnto þat company: "Siche wondre warkes gon he kythe Whil þat he was ȝow here fast by, And shiwed myracles mony sithe Vnto þe peple of Iuwery; [ 822] Howe sulde ȝe trowe or till vs lithe Þat mystrowed hym so pure lightly, Ihesu þat was in graue? Make ȝhe it neuere so hote, Shortly lost hym we haue, Where he is we ne wote. [ 828]

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Also we wote þat ȝistirday Howe þat Ioseph here prisoned was,

And howe ȝe kepid hym vndre kay Because he sulde noȝt fro ȝowe passe; [ 832] We wote not whethire he be away, [833. wh erased after we.] Bot one thynge aske we in þis case: Lat brynge forth Ioseph if ȝe may, He þat of Ioseph kepynge has, [ 836] And we sall brynge Iesus." And þai agayne gan threpe: "We graunt, brynge hym till vs, And we sall brynge Ioseph." [ 840]

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Þe knyghtes saide: "þis proue will we Here byfor all þis Iuwery Þat Ioseph is in his Cyte At home in pees in Aramathi, [ 844] And ihesus is in Galiley, Þis wote we wele alle witirly." When þe Iuwes wist it sulde so bee, Sore þai þam dred þai sulde abye; Ilk on till outhire gan say: [ 849] "Lat þes wordes done falle, Þis folke sall lefe oure lay And leue on ihesu alle." [ 852]

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[leaf 127 bk.] Þe Iuwes toke tresoure full gude wone Vnto þos knyghtes forto pay, And gart examyn one by one And þus þai bad þaim forto say: Þat when þai were to slepynge gon And whiles þai in þaire slepynge lay, His postles put away þe stone And stale þe body so away; [ 860] Of þe money were þai fayne And tolde it ilka dele, And quit þaim by þis trayne, [ 863] And alle men trowed þaim wele.

(73)

To ierusalem come on a day Two prestes of þat ilke Iury, To þe temple þai toke þaire way And gedred alle þe folke in hye, Þai saide: "ihesu, shortly at say, Þat ȝhe to dede did wrongefully, On þe monte olyuete he sat þis day And his apostles ilk on hym by; We sawe alle in on route [ 873] Þat he was wont to teche, Þai satt hym alle aboute And þes wordes gan he preche: [ 876]

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'Thurgh alle þe worlde I bid ȝowe wende Ouereall my message forto make And baptise þat are gude & hende And truly trouthe of ȝowe will take; Whoso is trewe of cristen kynde [ 881] Saue & sure I sall hym make; And dampne alle þos withouten ende Þat no trouthe of ȝowe will take.' As he stoude þaim amange [ 885] he steghe to heuene vpright, And we loked after lange, Two cloudes refte vs þe sight." [ 888]

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[leaf 128] Þes Iuwes alle forwondred were And saide to þaim: "ȝhe shall noȝt blyn, If it be þus ȝhe sall it swere, Þe halydome be charged in." [ 892] Þai saide: "it may vs nothynge dere, Gladly ynowȝ we wille bygynne To say þe sothe withoutyn were [ 895] Of ihesu þat dyed for mans synne."

Handes on boke þai layde And sware alle with on voyce: "All is southe þat we sayde Of hym þat died on crose." [ 900]

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Þe Iuwes a boke in hande þai hent And þes men gart swere efte þisday: "Þat ȝhe haue saide in oure present ȝhe shall it heele & layne for ay." And fro þe Cyte þai þam sent, [ 905] ffor þai in toune suld no thynge say, And certayne men with þaim forthe went To teche þaim sikirly þe way. In drede þes Iuwes nowe duelle [ 909] And saide: "what may þis mene? In þe lande of israell [ 911] Siche sightes neuere were sene."

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Þen spake Annas and cayphas: "We will noȝt trowe for sothe," þai saide, "Þe knyghtes þat hym kepid has, I trowe þai haue vs alle betrayde; Þai saide howe þat he rysen was, [ 917] And þus þai made vs alle affrayde; Bot howe sone gan þai lat it passe ffro tyme þat we þaim siluer payde. His postles, wele may be, [ 921] His body away gan steele And made þe knyghtes gre And gaue þaim golde to hele." [ 924]

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Alle þe Iuwes þat þere wore [lf. 128, bk.] Anon right þai answerd þus: "Whethire were oure knyghtes holden more Till ihesu meyne or till vs?" [928. or erased before meyne.] Þen spake a Iuwe, was wise of lore, Þat called was Nichodemus: [ 930]

Þe apostles sawe oure men neuere ore And also oure men loued noȝt ihesus; And þos two men þat swore Þai sawe ihesu on lyue stande [ 934] And steghȝ to heuene þore With wronge are flemed of lande.

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We rede when þe prophet Elyas Vp onto heuene was tane, Eliseus þat his dissiple was [ 939] Men asked whidre he was gane; He saide: 'to heuene I sawe hym passe,' And men for hym þai made gret mone And saide: 'sum spirit ladde hym has Into þe montaynes, hym allone.' Þai gart seke northe & southe [ 945] Þe montans of Israell, Þai fonde no man þat couthe No tale of Ely telle. [ 948]

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Nowe, childre of Israell, listenes to me: Sen ȝhe ihesu sakelesse haue slayne, It may so happen þat he be, His spirit rauysshed to sum mon∣tane; fforþi I rede þat gret plente [ 953] Of men seke ihesu with þairemayne; He will forgyffe & haue pite Of ȝowe, if ȝhe hym fynde agayne." Þe Iuwes with on assent, [ 957] As Nychodeme gan telle, To seke ihesu þai sent Þe montes of Israell. [ 960]

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Thurgh israell haue þai sought þe montayns both farre & nere;

Þai come agayne & fonde hym noȝt [leaf 129] And sayd þai myght noȝt of hym here; "Botworde of Ioseph haue we brought Þat here was prisoned are to ȝere, In aramathy is wonynge is wrought Ryght as a lorde of gret powere." When þai wiste euereilk one [ 969] Þat Ioseph was in querte, Þai thanked god in trone And were ioyfull in herte. [ 972]

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And þen þai made a gret gadrynge And helde a consayle þaim bytwene Howe þai myght hym to þaim brynge, Ryght as he before hade bene. [ 976] A lettre þai wrote all of plesynge, And þusgates was it wryten I wene: "Pees, frensshippe & gud gretynge, Sir, on þe it mot be sene; [ 980] We wote wele & confesse Oure trespasse & oure gilte Þat we thurgh wykednesse [ 983] Walde fayne haue hade þe spilte;

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Bot nowe, Ioseph, þou comme vs tille, And ȝe vouchesaue, sir, we ȝowe pray, [ 986] And largely make amendys we will, Whatso ȝoureselue will deme or say; ffor mykill we maruayle by what skille And on what wise ȝhe went away, Bot god wolde þat ȝhe had non ille, ffor allē ȝour dedis were till his pay; Pees be to ȝowe with wirsshippynge, Ioseph of Aramathy." [ 994] Þai it enclosed & sithen gart hynge Þaire sealles full fast þereby. [ 996]

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Ioseph frendes euereilk one Were ordayned þis message to make; fforthe on þaire message are þai gon, Þai thought noȝt forto lat it slake; To aramathy þai come anon, [lf. 129, bk.] Ioyful ynoghe for Ioseph sake; Mekely þai haylsed hym euereilk on And sone þis lettre gan hym take. When Ioseph had it redde, [ 1005] He thanked crist of heuene, And kissed þaim & ledde Vnto his house full euene. [ 1008]

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Erly at morne when it was day, Ioseph to dight hym hade delite, With þes men he went his way, No langere made he þere respite. Of his come when þe Iuwes herde say, Þai made þaim redy more & lasse, [1014. lasse: effort to correct a to e.] With all þe wirsshippe þat þai may, To welcome hym as worthy wasse; Þai saide at his comynge: [ 1017] "Ioseph, haue pees & grithe." And he saide: "cristes blissynge Be all þis peple wythe." [ 1020]

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Nichodeme þat we ere of spake At his house gart Ioseph lye, And made gret festynge for his sake To certayne men of þat Iuwery; At morne a semble did þai make In myddes þaire temple oponly; A boke in hande Ioseph gan take And þere, I wote, he sware þereby

Þat he þe sothe sulde say; Depely þai gon hym charge Howe þat he wan away ffro prisoune to þe large. [ 1032]

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He saide: "at gud fryday at nyght When þat I to prisoune ȝode, To þe satreday aboute mydnyght In my prayers euere I stoude; I lokid vp & sawe a sight, [ 1037] Ihesu þat dyed here on þe rode; [leaf 130] Þe prisone depe in þe erthe was dight, Þat made me marred in my mode; To ihesu gud tent I toke, His visage shone so bright, I myght no lengere loke, ffor dred I fell don right. [ 1044]

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Bot vp he raysed me full smertly And streght he toke me by þe hande, Mi mouthe he kissed curtesly, And I sore adred gan stande, [ 1048] And I saide: 'my lorde haly, Whethire þou be noȝt ȝit lyfande?' And he said: 'nay, bot I am I, Ihesu, forþi be noȝt dredand; [ 1052] Of me no dred þou haue, Ioseph, I am þe same Þat þou laide in a graue [ 1055] And sithin for me bare blame.'

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And I said: 'if þou be he, Of one thynge þen I will þe pray, Þat monyment þou lat me se Þere þat þi body in with lay.'

Out of þat prisoune both went we, Bot on what wise can I noȝt say, Þe sepulcre þen shewed he me, Bot þe body was clene away; [ 1064] Þen trowed I stedfastly When I hade sene þis sight, And cryed of mercy [ 1067] And thanked hym þat I myght.

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In Aramathy he set me þo, And þere for sothe I sawe hym last; He bade I suld noȝt þethen go Till fourty dayes were come & past; He saide no man suld do me wo, Þowȝ þai prisounde me neuere so fast; [leaf 130, bk.] And þus ȝoure prisoune skapped I fro, Loke what ȝe hereof can cast." Þe Iuwes alle holy [ 1077] Gretly forwondred were And saide: "in þis Iury Siche thynge fell neuere ere."

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Þe Iuwes saide: "holly, wele we wate, All quike to heuene for sothe he ȝede, And moyses went þe same gate, Of his ded can we fully rede; [ 1084] Ihesu was don to ded nowe late And dampned here for his mysse∣dede, He may noȝt lyffe in ryghtfull state, Certes þereof vs thare noȝt drede." Quod Ioseph" "maruayle ȝhe, [ 1089] He rosse fro ded to lyue? He raysed men by pouste, Mor wondrely þen siche fyue. [ 1092]

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Of saynt symeon ȝhe alle may mene, Þat keppid here ȝour lawes right; His two sonnes bothe haue ȝe sene, Þat Caryn & Letyn hyght; [ 1096] Alle wote ȝe wele þai dyed bedene And also grauen in ȝour sight; Þaire bodys arne noȝt þare I wene, Rysyn þai are by gods myght; þai are bothe holle & fere [ 1101] Lyfand in Aramathy, Kneland in þaire prayere, Þai speke noȝt sikerly; [ 1104]

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Go we to þaim, if þat ȝhe rede, And pray þaim, if it be þaire wille, To shewe howe þai are risen fro ded And eftesones put þe life vntille; Perchaunse þai sall shewe in þat stede Sum sikire resonable skille, [ 1110] If þai were raised thurgh his godhede, And what thynge þat þai sall full∣fille." [leaf 131] Vnto þaire graues ȝhede þai, Whare þaire bodys ware layde, And fonde þaim bothe away, As Ioseph hade þaim sayde. [ 1116]

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Ioseph, Annas and cayphas, And Nichodemus eke also, Holly þaire consaile taken has To Aramathy ryght forto go, [ 1120] Þat þethen sexty myle was, And nouthire myle lesse ne mo; Sone on þe morne forthe gan þai passe On þaire iourney withouten hoo;

And when þai come to toune, Þai fonde þaim at þe laste On þe erthe kneland doune, Prayand to god full fast; [ 1128]

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Þai kiste þaim as men þat þai wele kende And of þaire lyues were full fayne, To Ierusalem þai praide þaim wende To þaire owen contrey agayne; In templum domini gon þai lende And þere þai gan þes two men frayne, A boke þai put vnto þaire hende To swere þe southe & noȝt to layne: "By god of Israelle [ 1137] And by god adonay, Þe sothe þat ȝhe vs telle Þat we aske, if ȝhe may; [ 1140]

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By gret god swere sall ȝe nowe, þat sumtyme to ȝoure fadre spake, If it were ihesu þat raysed ȝowe; Þereof certayne ȝhe sall vs make, On what wise ȝhe were raysed & howe, Þat ȝe þe sadde truthe till vs take." Þes wordes made þaim forto bowe And bothe for drede tremble & quake; To heuene vp gan þai stare, And tokenynge of þe crosse [ 1150] Made on þaire tonges bare [leaf 131, bk.] And spake with symple voysse;

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Þai saide: "lordynges, vnto þis plitte We pray ȝow for parchemyn & penne, [ 1154]

Þat we þes priuaytise may write Þat we trowe & sothefast kenne." And þai þaim gaue withoute respite Openly amonge alle men, And right þus þai gan endyte: "In þe name of god, Amen! [ 1160] Lorde ihesu, we þe pray, Rayser to lyfe fro dede, So late vs write þis day Þe myght of þi godhede; [ 1164]

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Gif vs grace nowe forto telle, As þou art lorde so mykill of myght, Þe maruayles þat on þe befelle Sen þat þe Iuwes to dethe þe dight. All Adam kyn we were in helle, many a drery sorowefull wyght, Till on a tyme þat it befelle [ 1171] Þat of þe son we hade a sight; A lyghtnes shyned þere Ryght as a sonnes beme; When we in merkenes were, A light gan on vs leme. [ 1176]

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Oure forme fadre þat was in wo And Eue also þat was his wife, Patriarkes, prophetes many moo, Alle at ones þai spake belyue: 'Þis son is comen oure sorowe to slo And done þis darknes forto dryfe, Als god hymselue shewed vs vnto Whill þat we were alle on lyue.' 'þis lyght,' sayd ysay, [ 1185] 'Is þe fadre son of heuene, Lyueand þis tolde I In my bokes full euene; [ 1188]

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[lf. 132, bk.] I prophecyed by Neptalym lande And by zabulon alegged withall; And is þus myche to vndrestande, Þat on fre man sall bye alle thralle; Vnto folke in merkenes dwellande, To þaim þis lyght shyne ȝit it shalle; þat I saide whils I was lyfande, [ 1195] Nowe se I wele þat it sall falle; Right nowe fullfilled is In vs þe prophecye: "Lyght shynes in merkenes Oure thraldome forto bye."' [ 1200]

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And we made gret solempnyte, When we sawe þat lyght shynynge. Oure fadre symeon þen come he And with hym brought a newe tithynge, [ 1204] He saide: 'loke ȝe make gam & gle, fful gude tithynges nowe I brynge, He is comen þat sall oure byere be To fetche vs fro þis foule wonynge; In þe temple ihesu I toke [ 1209] And helde hym in my handes, Myn eyne on hym gan loke [1211. Men on h erased at beginning of line.] Þat salle lawse alle oure bandes;

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Þe holy gost þus gart me say: [ 1213] "Leue now here þi seruante lealle In pees & rest, lorde, I þe pray, ffor myn eyen haue sene þi hele Þat þowe ordand for euere & ay, And amonges mankynd gan dele Lyght to þe shewynge of þi folke, I say, And ioy to men of yraelle."'

Þe sayntes þat were in bandes Made gret solempnite ffor solace of þes sondes, Ilk one in þaire degre [ 1224]

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Þen come on forth þat beliknes [lf. 132, bk.] Semed an hermyte of pore estate, What he was asked more & lesse, And he agayne answerd þusgate: 'A voysse cryand in wildrenes, Iohn Baptiste for sothe I hate, Of synnes I preched forgifnes [ 1231] Thurgh baptym þat is gyfen late; I sawe hym come me by Þat vs fro wo sall wynne, "Þis is gods lombe," saide I, "Þat dos away worldes synne;"

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And I, Iohn, baptist hym with my hende In þe watre of flom iordane, Þe holy gost on hym gan lende In likenes of a doue anon, [ 1240] Þe fadres voysse done gan descende And þes wordes sayde he ilk one: "Þis is my dere son withouten ende, ffor whom sall made be mykill mone, In whome me likes best, No thynge is to me darre; [ 1246] I brynge bode of ȝour rest, Bes glad, he is noȝt farre."' [ 1248]

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When Adam herde Iohn baptiste say And speke of þe flom baptisynge, He sayde: 'son, swithe I þe pray, Telle vs here a litille thynge; [ 1252]

In erthe lyueand seke I lay, To dye I had full gret longynge; My son to paradise went his way þe ole of mercy forto brynge; [ 1256] Come forthe my son so dere, Sum dele nowe þou vs telle Of saynt Michel answere, Þat þere was gods angelle.' [ 1260]

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[leaf 133] Seth sayd: 'longe stoude I in prayere At þe ȝates of paradise; At þe last an Angell come me nere And said: "childe, þou art noȝt wise, [ 1264] Trauayle þe noȝt in þis manere, Þare may no helpe þereof arise, [1266. of above line.] Þe oleo of þe tre of mercy here Þou getis it noȝt in nonkyns wise; Bot it sall be at þe last, [ 1269] When þis nombre is filled, ffyue thousand ȝeres sall be past And fyue hondret ȝere þeretille,

(107)

Þen sall gods son to þe erthe come Ryght forto bye þi fadres myssse And be baptist in þe flome [ 1275] To brynge þi fadres bale to blisse Of þe ole of mercy þou sall haue som And alle þat ben holden as his, Alle þat here are in þis dongoune He sall þaim brynge to welthe I∣wisse."' Patriarke and prophete Alle thanked god at ones Þat comes, als he gan hete, [ 1283] To brynge þaim of þes wones.

(108)

Þan anon spak sathanas, Þat was maystre of alle helle, And saide to hym þat portere was þere as þe prisons were dressed to dwelle: [ 1288] 'Open þe ȝhates & lat in passe Ihesu crist of israelle! He þat gods son hym maked has, Hidre sall he com full snelle; [ 1292] He is man in pure manhede ffor all his frankishe fare; "Mi saule of þe dethe has drede," [1295. ha erased after saule.] þus sayde ihesu full ȝhare; [ 1296]

(109)

[[leaf 133, bk.] Ofte has he refte fro me my pray, And nowe full dere it sall be bought, Þos þat I turned till oure lay, Anon he gart þaim turne þaire thought, He has me tened & trauyst ay In alle þe workes þat I haue wrought, Saules fro vs he had away Þat I hade vnto vs brought.' [ 1304] [1304. bought erased before brought.] Þat outhire deuyl sayd: 'is þis he þat called lazare vs fra, Þat was put in oure pouste?' And sathanas sayde, 'ȝhay.' [ 1308]

(110)

'Lat be, sathan, I þe forbede In als mykill as I may, Brynge hym noȝt hidre for no nede, Bot fast þat he were hethen away; ffor come he hidre, I haue gret drede Þat we mon synge alle wele away!

Alle þes soules will he with hym lede, And þan sall we be pyned for ay; He is a myghty swayne, When we two myght noȝt halde Lazare saule agayne, And he did noȝt bot called. [ 1320]

(111)

Sen he did so þat was bot man, Þou wreched wyght, to þe I say, Who myght maistre hym nowe þan Þat is bothe man & god veray? Sen he his seruaunte fro vs wan [ 1325] Þat was dampned hidre for ay, Wenes þou, wreche, þat þou nowe can Holde hym he suld noȝt wynaway?' Þen sayde sir sathanas: [ 1329] 'ffelawe, haue þou no drede, I knowe wele what he was And what lyue he gan lede; [ 1332]

(112)

His fourty dayes þat he fast [leaf 134] I hym temped sikirly; I procurde alle þe Iuwes full fast Þat þai suld dresse hym forto dye; When Pilat wolde þat he had past, I stirde þe Iuwes full egrely, Till he was hanged at þe last Vpon þe rode full rufully; [ 1340] And þerefore I þe say, Ordayne for hym a stede, He comes till vs þis day, Be þis I holde hym dede.' [ 1344]

(113)

And whille þe fendys made all þis dray, Þere spake a voysse bothe loude & clere:

'Þou, prince, I bidde withouten nay, Vndo þes ȝates anon right here, Þe kynge of blisse comes in þis day.' And þen anon spake lucifere: 'Sathanas, sparre þe ȝates, I þe pray, Lat hym noȝt in be no manere.' Þe prince of helle þe ȝates he sparde And his felowes gan calle: [1354. Alle errased after And; gan above line.] 'Bot þes ȝates be wele bared, fforeuere we mon be thralle.' [ 1356]

(114)

Þan said Dauid þere he lay To þes sayntes gret & smalle: 'In erthe lyueand þen gan I say, Þat I saide þen nowe is befalle, It is befallen þis day; [ 1361] Makys myrthe noȝt one bot alle; ffor brasyn ȝhates god brake for ay And yrenen bandes brast withalle; ffro ways of wildrenes [ 1365] His seruantes has he taken; I see nowe sothe it is, He has vs noȝt forsaken.' [ 1368]

(115)

And after þis sayde ysay: [leaf 134, bk.] 'Whiles I lyueand was in land, Ryght on þis wyse prophecyde I, Whaso it kan vndrestand: [ 1372] "Dede men þat in þaire graues lye Rise þai sall & be lyueand, Alle shall make ioy & melody þat erthe thurgh ded þus has in hand." And ȝhitte I sayde also: "Ded, where is þi myght [ 1378] Sen þou lyue takes vs fro? To lyue þou ledes vs ryght."'

(116)

Þan spake a voysse full hydousely, Ryght as it were a thonor blast: 'Vndo ȝoure ȝates delyuerly, [ 1383] ffor certes no langre sall þai last, Þe kynge of blisse here comes in hye.' And helle a voysse agayne gan cast, 'What is þat kynge?' alle gan þai crye, 'Here he sall be sette full fast.' Dauid sayde withouten were: [ 1389] 'As I prophecyde ryght, "A lorde of gret powere, In batell mykill of myght;" [ 1392]

(117)

He is þat kynge þat I of telle, And at þes ȝhates nowe standes here, He behelde fro heuene till helle Þe sorowe of his seruantes dere. Vndo þes ȝates, þowe fende so felle, Go & vnbarre þe ȝates sere, [ 1398] Þe sorowe of blisse comes full snelle To lyuere vs thurgh his gret powere, With þe myght of his godhede.' Ihesu þaim helped so fast, Þe ȝates asondre ȝede And alle þe barres tobrast. [ 1404]

(118)

[leaf 135] He showed þat he was mykill of myght, Þe fendes poustye þere he felled, All lightened þat before laked light Þat with merkenesse before had melled. When alle þe sayntes sawe þat sight Þat in þat depe dongon duelled, Non durst speke on worde on hyght, Bot priuely þus ilk one þai spelled:

'Lorde, welcome till vs, ffull lange vs has þe thought; Blessed be þou, iesus, ffull dere þowe has vs bought.' [ 1416]

(119)

And he vndide þaire handes alle Þat þai bonden by hade bene, He made þaim fre þat ere were thralle, And of þaire kare þaim clensed clene; Þe fendes þat sawe hes workes alle Þat neuere byfore non siche had sene Sayde: 'we are venkesht gret & smalle With ȝond warlowȝ, as we wene.' Þen sayde þe fende þus nedys: [ 1425] 'What artowe shewes siche myght, Þat is so gret in dedes And comes so small in sight? [ 1428]

(120)

Þowe þat was man, in what manere Was godhede in þe hydde? Wastowe noght ded? what dos þou here? Neuere here siche maistry was kidde; We fendes were fayne alle yfere When þat þe Iuwes to dethe þe did; Howe artowe put to siche powere, And siche tene has to vs betidde? Was neuere saule till vs sent [ 1437] Þat þou ne hast fette away, Þou has vs shamely shent And priued vs of oure pray; [ 1440]

(121)

[lf. 135, bk.] And taken here sire sathanas, Þat ere þis tyme was lorde & sire, And in thraldame thrist hym þou has fforto brenne in endelesse fire.'

Þan spake fendes þat with hym was ffull of angire & full of ire: Sathan, whi didest þou þus? allas, Þou did right noȝt at oure desire; We bad þe lat hym go [ 1449] And noȝt to lat hym in; Alle has he fette vs fro, Þis courte waxes full thynne; [ 1452]

(122)

þowe duke of dethe, ledere fro lyue, Outcastynge of alle Angelles, Agaynes þat stronge whi woldestowe stryfe Þat with his myght vs alle þus felles? Þou saide he was þi pray full ryfe, It is no thynge as þou vs telles; ffor euere to dole he wille vs dryue And euereilk one þat with þe dwelles; When þou þe Iuwes gan stirre [ 1461] Þat þai suld gare hym dye, Þou suldest enquire and spirre If he had bene worthy; [ 1464]

(123)

And ȝif in hym were fonden non ille, Þou suldest a gart þaim to blynne; Traytour, whi hastowe brought vs tille Hym þat neuere was fonden in synne? Alle hastowe lost nowe by þis skille Þe saules þat were sumtyme herein, And nowe sall þou þaire paynes full∣fille [ 1471] In wo & neuere more oute to wynne; Þat we wan thurgh þe tre When Eue þe frute had eten, Euereilk a dele has he [ 1475] Thurgh þe rode-tre fro vs geten.'

(124)

[leaf 136] And þen said ihesu with voysse full clere To alle þe sayntes more and lesse: 'Comes to me, my children dere, Þat are made to my likenes; [ 1480] ȝhe þat for synne are prisoned here, Alle ȝhe sall haue nowe forgyfnes.' Alle þe sayntes þen drowȝ hym nere And thanked hym of his gudnes; On adam handes he layde, And he on knees gan falle, 'Pees be to þe,' he sayde, 'And to þin children alle.' [ 1488]

(125)

Adam sayde & for ioy gret: 'Lorde, gif me grace to worsshippe þe, ffro my foos þou has me fette [ 1491] Þat were aboute me gret plente; I cryed when I in payne was sette, And nowe lorde þou hast herde me; My saule þou lede withoutyn lette ffro þis dongon for þi pite; [ 1496] Kepe me þat I ne falle No more into þis place; Makes ioy, ȝhe sayntes alle, And thankes god of his grace.'

(126)

Þen many a patriake & prophete [1501. MS. prophetes, with s marked for erasure.] And also outhire sayntes alle [ 1502] ffelle don on knees befor his fete, Alle þat þere were bothe gret & smalle: 'And, lorde, oure bales to bete Þou art comen; nowe lyue we shalle, Þat þou in þrophecye gan hete, We thanke þe, lorde, nowe is it falle, [ 1508]

Dede with ded is distroyed; [ 1509] Lorde, louynge be to þe, Alle arne eysed þat were noyed, Thraldome is maked fre.' [ 1512]

(127)

[leaf 136, bk.] By þe ryght hand god gan Adam take And blissed hym withouten more, He ladde hym fro þat lothely lake And alle þat euere þere with hym wore. And þan dauyd full baldely spake, Als he fro hellewarde gan fare: [On margin to right in red: Cantate Domino canticum nouum quia mirabilia fecit.] 'A newe songe nowe sall we make To ihesu, as I prophecyd are; [ 1520] ffor he has ben wirkande Maruayles vnto vs here, He has saued his right hande [1523. saued: u corrected from y.] To hym and his powere; [ 1524]

(128)

Mekely has he shewed his myght Here vnto alle lyueand men, He has shewed to euere wyght Þat þai his ryghtwysenes suld ken.' Alle þe sayntes þanked hym right Þat siche a grace walde to paim lene: [ 1530] 'Blissed be he þat comes as he hight Nowe here in þe name of god, amen.' Ilke prophete þan gon telle In his awen prophecye Howe he suld herye helle And for mankynde to dye. [ 1536]

(129)

And as þai were to blisse wendand ffro þe foule fende, þaire faa,

Alle þe sayntes ȝede syngand [ 1539] A songe þat hyght 'Alleluya.' Ihesu toke Adam by þe hand And with saynt Michel gart him gay; And alle þe sayntes went folowand To paradise, for sothe to say. [ 1544] Michell receyued sone Alle þat were hym bekend, In blisse he has þaim done Þat lastes withouten ende. [ 1548]

(130)

[leaf 137] In endeles blisse þat has no fere When alle þes sayntes þere sette, Two grayhored men of face full clere Within paradise þai mette; [ 1552] Þes sayntes asked what þai were, Howe þat þai fro helle ware fette, Bothe body and saule: 'what don ȝe here? [ 1555] ffonde ȝe no thynge þat myght ȝow lette?' And þai agayne answerd: 'We are Enoc and Ely, We come fro mydillerthe As witnes wytirly; [ 1560]

(131)

Neuere dyed we ȝit, we ben alyue, With ancrist ȝitt shall we fyght, In ierusalem þere mon we stryue, And þere to ded we sall be dyght; And thre days after agayne to lyue We sall be raysed by gods myght, And stand as witnes when dome sall dryue Who þat has don wrange or ryght.' A pore man þan come þare, [ 1569] Whiles þai were spekand best; A crosse on his bake bare, A theffe he was likest. [ 1572]

(132)

'Leue frend, what may þou be?' With on voysse þai gan say. And he þaim answerd: 'I am he, A theffe, as ȝe se may; [ 1576] I dyed with crist vpon a tre, And þen of helpe I gan hym pray; He saide sothely þat I suld be In paradise þis same day; [ 1580] Þis crosse he gan me bede And in þis way me sette And sayd: "haue þou no dred, Þere sall no thynge þe lette." [ 1584]

(133)

[leaf 137, bk.] Anoþer worde of hym I hadde, He bad me haue no manere drede; "Michel," he said, "sall be full glad Þat þou sall come into þat stede, ffor þou sall say gods son þe badde, Þat ryght nowe was done to dede, Þat þou suld in þat stede be stad, To tyme hymselue come in god∣hede. To michel say þou þus, Þat he lette þe in fare."' And þai thanked ihesus Hereof bothe lesse & mare: [ 1596]

(134)

'God of godnes, grattest of grace, Blissed be þou euere and ay, Þat gyffes lyue in so litel a space [1599. Two or three letters effaced after litel.] To synfull saules nyght and day; ffolke þat will filowe þi trace [ 1601] And will amende þem whill þai may, In gud likynge þou will enlace And lede þaim in no wilsome way;

Þowe þat has brought vs alle. [ 1605] ffro pyne in ioy to lende, Wirsshippe þe ouere we shalle [1607. ouere: o for e in MS.] In worlde withouten ende.'" [ 1608]

(135)

"Caryn & letyn, þis sawe we, Whill þat we were with sayntes in helle, And mykill more ȝit gan we se [ 1611] Þat we darre to no mann telle; ffor it is bidden consayle to be Of Michel gods dere angelle; Þai saide þis is gods priuyte [ 1615] þat at þis tyme nowe þus befelle; Þe angell bad vs telle no thynge Bot þis þat wryten is; We rose for we of cristys rysynge Sulde þus bere wyttenes. [ 1620]

(136)

And ouþer with vs many ane Are rysen þat in erthe ded lay, And are beȝonde þe flom Iordane [leaf 138] In þaire prayers nyght and day; And when þes þre days are gon [ 1625] No langere duelle here we ne may, With hym to blisse we sall ilk one, Þere whare ioy is lastand ay; [ 1628] Þus are we to ȝowe sent To shewe ȝowe in þis stede Þat ȝhe may ȝowe repent Þat diden ihesu to dede." [ 1632]

(137)

Þat Caryn wrot he hit betoke To Nychodemus and Annas, And Letyn also gaue his boke Vnto Ioseph and Cayphas; [ 1636]

Þen togedre gan þai loke Þat sondrely so wryten was; Þat one wrot noȝt a letre noke [ 1639] More scripture þen þat outhire has. Whan þai þe Iuwes had tane in hye Þe bokes þat wryten ware, Þai vanysshed sodanly, Of paim sawe þai ne mare. [ 1644]

(138)

When þai had redde þes rolles, sone Holly alle þes Iuwes gan say: "Of gret god þat sittes in trone Þis wondre warke is wrought to∣day, Bot euere dele þat here is done Expressely is agaynes oure lay; þat ihesu criste is gods son ffull sore drede vs nowe we may." Gods forbode þen þai fende [ 1653] Þat euere it suld be so; And þus þaire ways þai wend, Ilk one parted outhire fro. [ 1656]

(139)

And when all þis was tolde pilat, Þan he drad hym wondre sore; And alle þes wordes þen he wrate fforto be witenes eueremore; To þe temple he toke his gate [lf. 138, bk.] And gart anon brynge to hym þore Bisshoppes and prestes, alle þat he wate [ 1663] Þat any thynge had witte of lore. Þe ȝates þen sparde he And sayd to alle at ones: "Þe bible lat me see Þat ȝhe haue in ȝoure wones." [ 1668]

(140)

ffoure prestes forthe þe bible brought, [1669. Sc. erased before prestes.] Þat was a boke of gret bonte; Annas & Cayphas sone þai sought, And pilat said to þaim: "lat se, All þat is wryten here wote ȝe noȝt?" And þai answered: "sir, ȝys parde." He saide: "a thynge is in my thought Þat I wolde of declared be." [ 1676] By þat boke þai sware þat day, Þai sulde noȝt layne for no drede Þaten þai þe sothe sulde say Outhire for loue or mede. [ 1680]

(141)

He saide: "by þe fayth to god ȝe awe, Hereof ȝhe most ȝowe wele avise; ffynde ȝhe ought wryten in ȝour lawe Anwhere amonge ȝour prophecyes, Or may ȝhe any witnes drawe [ 1685] By any castynge of clergys, Þat ihesu was as is þe sawe, Gods son in any wise? [ 1688] Hereof gif ȝhe ought ken, Also telle vs ȝe shalle, And in what ȝeres & when His comynge shulde befalle." [ 1692]

(142)

When þai were charged on þis man∣ere, Þan þai saide to sir pilat: "We will noȝt þat alle men here Of þis thynge, ne of þe state." [leaf 139] Þai gart voide alle þat þere were, And when þai had spard fast þe ȝate,

Þes foure prestes alle yfere Sayde to pilat ryght þusgate: [ 1700] "We wote withouten wene Þat gods son was here dyght; We wende wychecrafte hade bene All þat he did be myght; [ 1704]

(143)

Bot nowe we wote by sere witnes Of men þat come of oure kynrede, Þat he agayne nowe lyueand es And rysen sen tyme þat he was ded. Two þat he raysed siche holynes Of hym haue tolde vs in þis stede, All þat ihesu did more & lesse [ 1711] Was don by pure myght of þe god∣hede; fforþi shortely to say, In oure bokes haue we fonde He was gods son verray Þat we gaffe dedys wounde." [ 1716]

(144)

When pilat herde þe sothe declared, Þat fell of ihesu more & lesse, ffor gret drede full lowe he dared Þat he put ihesu to siche stres; And þen no langere he ne spared, Bot þen his awen errour confesse; Hym thought his witte was full ille wared, [ 1723] Þere he had gret heuynes; And of his wrongfull dome Belyue hym gan repent, [1726. Two letters erased after gan.] And hastily to Rome His lettres þan he sent; [ 1728]

(145)

And in his lettre þus he sayde: "To claudy, was emperour þat tyde, [1730. tyme erased before tyde.] Nowe late fell vs a wondre brayde; Amonge vs Iuwes full of pride [leaf 139, bk.] Ihesu þat borne was of a mayde Was sent amonges vs forto bide; A lichire loose on hym we layde, And all for he wrought wondres wyde; [ 1736] ffor he went vs amonge And helpe bothe blynd & lame, We Iuwes all with wronge Diden hym dispite & shame; [ 1740]

(146)

ffro ded to lyffe folke raysed he With gret miracle sothe to say; And on þe wawes of the see [ 1743] Drye fote walde he walke & play; He chased fendes & gart þaim fle ffro diuerse bodyes þere þai lay; Thurgh his witte & his pouste Siche myracles did he nyght & day, Þe Iuwes sone þaim bethought And plened þaim for envye, And said all þat he wrought Was done by sorcery; [ 1752]

(147)

And I toke þaire tales for gude, I hade no grace ihesu to saue, Bot demed hym to be don on rode, Iwisse, þis gart I ihesu haue; [ 1756] Sithen when he shad his hert blode, His body bloudy was layd in graue;

Knyghtes aboute his tombe þai stode To kepe his body with swerde & staue; Knyghtes þere he lay Hym kepid with armour bryght, Bot ȝit on þe thirde day [ 1763] He rosse vp thurgh his myght;

(148)

He rose vp þe thirde day Whill alle þe knyghtes lay & woke, As mased mysse my men þai lay, Was non of þaim durst speke ne loke; [ 1768] Ihesu rose and went his way, [leaf 140] All þis we fynde wele in oure boke. On my knyghtes felle siche a dray, As espyn leues þai lay & quoke; Bot whan þis was asspied [ 1773] Þat iesu rysen was, Þe Iuwes fast þidre hyed To wit þis wondre casse; [ 1776]

(149)

And gaue siluer to ilka knyght And bad þaim say in þis manere: Þat his dissiples come by myght Mawgre alle þat euer þere were And toke his body so by nyght [ 1781] With armed men of gret powere; Mi knyghtes assented anon right And toke þe money alle yfere; Bot noȝt myght it availe, [ 1785] Þaire mede, as I suppose, Þai kept it noȝt consaile, Bot tolde ryght howe he rose.

(150)

Þai hade no myght for all þaire mede, Þat nede my knyghtes þe truthe most telle [ 1790]

Ryght as it was sothely in dede; Þai sette on ende & gan to spelle Howe þat ihesu thurgh his godhede Þe thirde day ros in flesshe & felle, And howe þai lay in droupand drede And non so ȝhepe a worde to ȝelle; Mi knyghtes myght noȝt layne, [ 1797] Bot tolde bothe man & wife Þat crist with myght and mayne Þus rose fro ded to lyue. [ 1800]

(151)

Sir Emperoure to ȝowe þerefore Þe sothe I sall nowe certifye, Þat ȝe leue in non Iuwes lore [ 1803] Þat in þis matere loude will lye; [At bottom of page words an̄o dn̄i 1650 (?), Elizabeth, appear in different hand.] Bot fro [Bot fro: these two words are almost illegible in MS.] nowe forthe leue eueremore And trowe it wele & stedfastly, Þat gods son sufferd full sore Vpon þe rode on caluery; [ 1808] He dyed & rose agayne, [leaf 140, back] Of þis bere I witenes; Þus fell it in certayne Of ihesu more and lesse." [ 1812]

Explicit Nichodemus de passione Xri