The siege of Jerusalem

Lines 301 through 400

Þey setten vpon eche side surrie withyn Line 301 Brente ay at þe bak & [all] bar laften Line 302 Was noȝt bot roryng & r[u]th in alle þe riche tounnes Line 303 & red laschyng lye alle þe londe ouer Line 304 Token toun & tour teldes ful fele Line 305 Brosten ȝates of brass & many borwe wonnen Line 306 Holy þe heþen here hewyn to grounde Line 307 Boþ in bent & in borwe þat abide wolde Line 308 Þe jewes to ierusalem þ[ere] josephus dwelde Line 309 Flowen as þe foule doþ þat faucoun wolde strike Line 310 A cite vnder syon sett was ful noble Line 311 With many toret & tour þat toun to defende Line 312

Line 312 Princes & prelates & poreil of þe londe Line 313 Clerkes & comens of contrees aboute Line 314 Wer schacked to þat cite sacrifice to make Line 315 At paske tyme as preched hem prestes of þe lawe Line 316 Many swykel at þe sweng to þe swerd ȝede Line 317 For penyes passed non þoȝ he pay wolde Line 318 Bot diden alle to þe deþe & drowen hem after Line 319 With engynes to jerusalem þer jewes wer þykke Line 320 Þey sette sadly a sege þe cite alle aboute Line 321 Piȝten pauelouns doun of pallen webbes Line 322 With ropis of riche silk raysen vp swyþe Line 323 Grete tentis as a toun of torke[is] cloþys Line 324 Choppyn ouer þe cheuentayns with charboklis four Line 325 A gay egle of gold on a gilde appul Line 326 With grete dragouns grym alle in gold wroȝte Line 327 Lyk to lyouns also lyande þervnder Line 328 Paled & paynted þe paueloun was vmbe Line 329 Stoked ful of storijs strayned myd armys Line 330 Of quaynte colour to know kerneld alofte Line 331 An hundred stondyng on stage in þat stede one Line 332

Line 332 Toured with torettes was þe tente þanne Line 333 Suþ britaged aboute briȝt to byholde Line 334 Er alle þe sege was sette ȝit of þe cite comyn Line 335 Messengeres wer made fram maistres of þe lawe Line 336 To þe chef cheuentayn þey chosen her wey Line 337 Deden mekly by mouþe her message attonys Line 338 Sayen þe cite haþ [vs] sent to serche ȝour wille Line 339 To here þe cause of ȝour comyng [& what] ȝe coueyte wolde Line 340 Waspasian no word to þe wyes schewed Line 341 Bot sendeþ sondismen aȝen twelf siker knyȝtes Line 342 [gert hem greithely] to go & þe gomes telle Line 343 Þat alle þe cause of her com[e] was crist forto venge Line 344 Sayþ y bidde hem be boun bishopes & oþer Line 345 Tomorow or [mydday] [alle modur-nakyd] Line 346 Vp her ȝates to ȝelde with ȝerdes an hande Line 347 Eche whiȝt in a white scherte & no wede ellys Line 348 Jewyse for iesu crist by juggement to take Line 349 & make hem come þat iesu crist þroȝ conseil bytrayede Line 350

Line 350 Or y to þe walles schal wende & walten alle ouere Line 351 Schal no ston vpon ston stonde by y passe Line 352 Þis sondismen sadly to þe cite ȝede Line 353 Þer þe lordes of þe londe lent weren alle Line 354 Tit tolden her tale & wonder towe made Line 355 Of crist & of cayphas & how þey come scholde Line 356 & when þe knyȝtes of crist carpyn bygonn Line 357 Þe jewes token alle twelf without tale mor Line 358 Her hondis bounden at her bak with borden stauys Line 359 And of flocken her fa[x] & her fair berdis Line 360 Made hem naked as a nedel to þe neþer houe Line 361 Her visages blecken with bleche & al þe body after Line 362 Suþ knyt with a corde to eche knyȝtes swer Line 363 A chese & charged hem her chyuentayn to ber Line 364 Sayþ vnbuxum we beþ his biddyng to ȝete Line 365 Ne noȝt dreden his dom his deþ haue we atled Line 366 He schal vs fynde in þe felde ne no ferr seke Line 367 Tomorowe pryme or hit passe & so ȝour prince telliþ Line 368 Þe burnes busken out of burwe bounden alle twelf Line 369

Line 369 Aȝen message to make fram þe maister jewes Line 370 Was neuer waspasian so wroþe as whan þe wyes come Line 371 Þat wer scorned & schende vpon schame wyse Line 372 Þis knyȝtes byfor þe kyng vpon knees fallen Line 373 & tolden þe tale as hit tid hadde Line 374 Of þy manace ne þy myȝt þey make bot lyte Line 375 Þus ben we tourned of our tyre in tokne of þe soþe Line 376 & bounden for our bolde speche þe batail þey willeþ Line 377 Tomorowe prime or hit passe þey put hit no ferre Line 378 Hit schal be satled on þy-self þe same þat þou atlest Line 379 Þus han þey certifiet þe [to saye] & sende þe þis cheses Line 380 Wode wedande wroþ waspasian was þanne Line 381 Layde wecche to þe walle & warned in haste Line 382 Þat alle maner of men in þe morowe scholde Line 383 Be sone after þe sonne assembled in þe felde Line 384 He streyȝt up a standard in a stour wyse Line 385 Bild as a belfray bretful of wepne Line 386 Whan oȝt fauted in þe folke þat to þe feld longed Line 387 Atte þe belfray to be botnyng to fynde Line 388

Line 388 A dragoun was dressed drawyn a lofte Line 389 Wyde gapande of gold gomes to swelwe Line 390 With arwes armed in þe mouþe & also he hadde Line 391 A fauch[ou]n vnder his feet with four kene bladdys Line 392 Þerof þe poyntes wer piȝt in partyis four Line 393 Of þis wlonfulle wor[l]de þer þei werr fondyn Line 394 In forbesyn to þe folke þis fauchoun hengeþ Line 395 Þat þey hadde wonnen with [werre] al þe world riche Line 396 A bal of brennande gold þe beste was on sette Line 397 His taille trayled þer aboute þat tourne scholde he neuere Line 398 Whan he was lifte vp[his liche] þer þe lord werred Line 399 Bot ay lokande on þe londe tille þat al lauȝte wer Line 400