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26. The Ascension











5






THOMAS



JOHN
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SIMON
10



PETER

15





20




[fol. 117v]

JESUS
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30




35




40





45




50





PETER

55




60





ANDREW
66



70




75


THOMAS


80




85




JAMES
90




95




100

PHILIP



105




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JESUS

115




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125




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150
[fol. 118v]



155





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PETER
191




195



ANDREW

200


JAMES


205

JOHN




THOMAS
211



MARY
215





220


MATTHEW


225

JESUS




230





235



[fol. 119v]

240





245






250





255





260





265

PHILIP




JESUS
271




275



[fol. 120r]

280







285








ANGEL 1
291



295





300




305

ANGEL 2



310





315




320


ANGEL 1


325
ANGEL 2




330



MARY
335





340




JOHN
345






PETER
351



MATTHEW
355
JAMES


THOMAS

360


BARTHOLOMEW


365




370





MATTHEW
376



380




385



MARY

390




395





400




JOHN
405





410


MARY


415






SIMON
421



425





430




435

MARY



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450



 
Thomas
John
Simon
Peter
Jesus
Andrew
James
Philip
Matthew
Angel 1
Angel 2
Bartholomew
Jude
Mary, mother of Jesus

Ascencio domini etc.1

Brethere, all that now here bene,
Forgett my Lorde yit may I noght;
I wote not what it may mene
Bot more I weyn ther will be wroght.
My Lord Jesus will wyrk his will,
Pleatt we never agans his thoght;
For us he wyrkes, as it is skyll,
His handwarke that he has wroght.
Apon his wordes will I ryst
That he hisself saide us untill
Ay stedfastly on hym to tryst;
Mystrust we never for goode ne ill.

In heven and erthe his myght may be,
His wytt and his will also;
The Holy Gost, brethere, ment he;
Thus will he never fro us go.

Fourty dayes now drawes nere
Sen his resurreccyon complete;
Afore that will he appere,
Thus sodanly not lefe us yett.

In Bethany here let us abyde;
We knaw not yit what may befall.
Peraventur it may betyde
He shall full well comforth us all.

Peasse, now, my dere freyndys.
Peasse be with you ever and ay,
For it all wrangys amendys.
Peasse, brethere sam, I say.

Brethere, in hartes be nothyng hevy
What tyme that I from you am gone;
I must go from you sone in hy,
Bot nevertheles make ye no mone
For I shall send to you anone
The Holy Gost to comforth you,
You to wysh in every wone.
I shall you tell what wyse and how
It shal be for youre prow
That I thus-gatys shall do;
It has bene saide or now
My Fader must I to.

With hym must I abide and dwell,
For so it is his will;
For youre comforth thus I you tell,
Be ye stedfast for good or ill.
Abide me here right on this hill
To that I com to you agane;
This forwarde must I nedys fulfill,
I will no longer fro you lane.
And therfor loke that ye be bayn
And also trew and stedfast
For whosoever you oght frayn
When that I am past.

Hic recedit.2

Full hevy in hart now may we be
That we oure master sall forgo,
Bot nevertheles yit saide he
He wold not dwell full lang us fro.
What wonder is if we be wo
Thus sodanly shall oure master mys,
And masters on lyfe have we no mo
That in this warld shuld us wys.
He will pas furth to blys
And leyfe us here behynde;
No mervell now it is
If we mowrne now in oure mynde.

In oure mynde mowrne we may
As men that masyd ar and mad,
And yit also, it is no nay,
We may be blythe and glad
Because of tythyngys that we had
That hisself can us say.
He bad be blythe and noght adrad
For he wold not be long away,
Bot yit both nyght and day
Oure hartes may be full sore,
As me thynk, by my fay,
For wordes he saide lang ore.

Lang ore he saide full openly
That he must nedys fro us twyn
And to his fader go in hy
To joy of heven that never shall blyn.
Therfor we mowrne, both more and myn,
And mery also yit may we be.
He bad us all both outt and in
Be glad and blythe in ich degré,
And saide that com shuld he
To comforth us kyndly.
Bot yit hevy ar we
To we hym se truly.

With ee wold we hym se,
Oure saveoure Crist, Goddys Son,
That dyed apon a tre,
Yit trewe I that we mon.
Now God grauntt us that boyn,
That with his bloode us boght,
To se hym in his throne,
As he maide all of noght.
His will now has he wroght
And gone from us away
As he noght of us roght,
And therfor mowrne we may.

We may mowrne, no mervell why,
For we oure master thus shall mys
That shall go fro us sodanly,
And we ne wote what cause is.
Nevertheles, the sothe is this:
He saide that he shuld com agane
To bryng us all to blys.
Therof may we be fane;
That commyng will us mych gane
And oure saules all save,
And put us fro that payn
That we were lyke to have.

Herkyns to me now, everichon,
And here what I will say,
For I must nedys fro you gone,
For thus my Fader will allway;
And therfor, peasse be with you ay
Whereso ye dwell in wone,
And to save you fro all fray,
My peasse be with you, blood and bone.
I lefe it you bi oon and oone,
Noght as the warld here dos;
It shal be true as any stone
To defende you fro youre foos.

Let not youre hartes be hevy;
Drede not for any kyns thyng.
Ye have harde me say full playnly
I go and to you am I commyng.
If ye luf me forthi,
Ye shuld be glad of this doyng,
For I go full securly
To my Fader, hevyns kyng,
The which without lesyng
Is mekill more then I.
Therfor be ye thus trowyng
When all is endid fully.

Ye have bene of mysbilefe,
Hard of harte and also of will;
To theym that my rysyng can prefe
No credence wold ye gif theym till.
Mary Mawdlayn saide you till
That I was rysyn, bot ye ne wold
Hir trow for good or ill
The trouth all if she told.
Sich harmes in hartes ye hold
And unstedfast ye ar,
Ye trowid no man of mold
Witnes of my rysyng that bare.3

Therfor ye shall go tech
In all this warld so wyde,
And to all the people preche;
Who baptym will abyde
And trowe truly
Mi dethe and rysyng,
And also myn upstevynyng,
And also myn agane commyng,
Thay shal be save suerly.

And who trowys not this
That now rehersyd is,
He shal be dampned, iwys,
For veniance and for wreke.
Tokyns forsothe shall bene
Of those that trow withoutten weyn:
Devyls shall thay kest out cleyn
And with new tongys speke;

Serpentes shall thay put away,
And venymus drynk bi nyght and day
Shall not noy theym, as I say;
And where thay lay on handys
Of seke men far and nere,
Thay shal be hole withoutten dere
Of all sekenes and sorowes sere,
Ever in alkyn landys.

And therfor now I byd that ye
Go not from Jerosolyme cité,
Bot abide the behest of my Fader fre
In land aywhore,
That ye have hard here of me.
For John Baptist, dere in degré,
In water forsoth baptysid me
Now herebefore.

And ye certan in every coste
Shall baptise in the Holy Goost,
Thrug vertue of hym that is the moost,
Lord God of myght,
Within few dayes now folowyng;
And herof mervell ye nothyng,
For this shal be his awne wyrkyng
Shewyd in youre sight.

Et recedit ab eis.4

Farlee may we fownde and fare
For myssyng of oure master Jesus.
Oure hartys may sygh and be full sare;
Thise Jues with wreke thay waten us.

Us to tray and teyn
Ar thay abowte bi nyght and day.
For Jesu that is so seldom sene
As masid men mowrne we may.

Mowrnyng makys us masid and mad
As men that lyff in drede;
Full comforthles ar we stad
For myssyng of hym that us shuld lede.

Thise Jues that folow thare faythles will
And demed oure master to be ded,
With mayn and mode they wold hym spill
If thay wist how, in towne or sted.

Let kepe us fro thare carpyng kene
And com bot lytyll in thare sight.
Oure master will com when we leest weyn;
He will us rewle and red full right.

Of this carpyng now no more.
It drawes nygh the tyme of day;
At oure mette I wold we wore.
He sende us socowre that best may.

Socowre sone he will you sende
If ye truly in hym will traw;
Youre mone mekely will he amende,
My brethere dere, this may ye knawe.

The hestys hyghly that he me hight
He has fulfillid in worde and dede.
He gabbyd never, bi day nor nyght;
Forthi dere brethere have no drede.

Certys, lady, thou says full wele
He will us amende, for so he may;
We have fon sothe everilka dele
All that ever we hard hym say.

Peter and ye, my derlyngys dere,
As masid men me thynk ye ar;
Holly to you I have shewyd here
To bryng youre hartys from care.

In care youre hartys ar cast
And in youre trowth not trew;
In hardnes youre hartys ar fast
As men that no wytt knew.

Sende was I for youre sake
Fro my Fader dere
Flesh and blode to take
Of a madyn so clere.

Sythen to me ye soght
And holly felowid me,
Of wonders that I have wroght
Som have I letten you se.

The dombe, the blynde as any stone
I helyd ther I cam by;
The dede I rasid anone
Thrugh my myght, truly.

And othere warkys that wonderfull wor
I wroght wisely befor you all:
My payn, my passion, I told before
Holly thrugoutt as it shuld fall:

Mi rysyng on the thryd day,
As ye bi tokyns many oone have sene.
Youre trouth truly had bene away,
Had not my blissid moder bene.

In hir it restyd all this tyde;
Youre dedys ye ow greatly to shame.
Here may ye se my woundys wyde,
How that I boght you out of blame.

Bot John, thynk when I hang on rud
That I betoke thee Mary mylde:
Kepe hir yit with stabull mode;
She is thi moder and thou hir childe.

Loke thou hir luf and be hir freynde,
And abide with hir in well and wo,
For to my Fader now will I weynde;
Thar none of you aske wheder I go.

Lord, if it be thi will,
Shew us thi Fader, we thee pray.
We have bene with thee in good and ill
And sagh hym never, nyght ne day.

Philipp, that man that may se me
He seys my Fader, full of myght.
Trowys thou not he dwellys in me
And I in hym, if thou trow right?

In his howse ar dyverse place
I go to ordan for you now.
Ye shall all be fulfillyd with grace;
The Holy Goost I shall sende you.

He shall you in youre hartys wyse
In worde and dede, as I you say;
With all my hart I you blys.
My moder, my brethere, have all good day.

Tunc vadit ad ascendendum.5

Fader of heven, with good intent
I pray thee, here me specyally:
From heven till erth thou me sent
Thi name to preche and claryfy.

Thi will have I done, all and som;
In erthe will I no longere be.
Opyn the clowdes, for now I com
In joy and blys to dwell with thee.

Et sic ascendit, cantantibus angelis “Ascendo ad patrem meum.”6

Ye men of Galylee,
Wherfor mervell ye?
Hevyn behold, and se
How Jesus up can weynde
Unto his Fader fre,
Where he syttys in majesté
With hym ay for to be
In blys withoutten ende.

And as ye sagh hym sty
Into heven on hy,
In flesh and fell in his body
From erthe now here,
Right so shall he securly
Com downe agane, truly,
With his woundys blody,
To deme you all in fere.

Mervell have no wight,
No wonder of this sight,
For it is thrugh his myght
That all thyng may,
Whatso he will by day or nyght,
In hell, medyll erth, and on hight,
Or yit in derknes or in light,
Withoutten any nay.

For he is God all-weldand,
Heven and hell, both se and sand,
Wod and water, fowll, fysh, and land —
All is at his will.
He haldys all thyng in his hand
That in this warld is lyfand;
Then nedys ye noght be mervelland,
And for this skyll.

Ryght as he from you dyd weynde,
So com agane he shall
In the same manere at last ende,
To deme both greatt and small.
Whoso his byddyng will obey
And thare mys amende
With hym shall have blys on hy,
And won ther withoutten ende.

And who that wyrk amys
And theym amende will never
Shall never com in heven blys,
Bot to hell banyshed forever.
A selcouth sight yonder now is.
Behold now, I you pray:
A clowde has borne my chylde to blys;
Mi blyssyng bere he ever and ay.

Bot son, thynk on thi moder dere
That thou has laft emangys thi foes.
Swete son, lett me not dwell here;
Let me go with thee where thou goes.

Bot John, on thee is all my trast;
I pray thee, forsake me noght.
Lefe Marye, be noght abast,
For thi will shall ay be wroght.

Here may we se and full well knaw
That he is God most of myght;
In hym is good we trawe,
Holly to serve hym day and nyght.

A mervellous sight is yone
That he thus sone is taken us fro;
Fro his fomen is he gone,
Withoutten help of othere mo.

Where is Jesus, oure master dere
That here with us spake right now?
A wonderfull sight men may se here.
My brethere dere, how thynk you?

We thynk it wonder all
That oure master shuld thus go;
After his help I red we call,
That we may have som tokyn hym fro.

A more mervell men never saw
Then now is sene us here emang:
From erthe till heven a man be draw
With myrth of angell sang.
From us, me thynk, he is full long,
And yit longere I trow he will.
Alas, my hart it is so strong
That I ne may now wepe my fill
Anone.
A wonder sight it was to se
When he stevynd up so sodanly
To his Fader in majesté
By hisself alone.

Alon, forsothe, up he wentt
Into heven till his Fader
And no man wyst what he ment
Nor how he dyd of no manere,
So sodanly he was uphent
In flesh and fell fro erthe up here.
He saide his Fader for hym sent
That maide us all to be in dwere
This nyght.
Nevertheles full well wote we
As that he will so must it be,
For all thyng is in his pausté,
And that is right.

Allmyghty God, how may this be?
A clowde has borne my childe to blys.
Now bot that I wote wheder is he
My hart wold breke, well wote I this.
His stevynyng up to blys in hy
It is the fourt of all my joyes.
Mi blyssyng barne, light on thi body.
Let never thi moder be spylt with Jues.

Take me to thee, my son so heynd,
And let me never with Jues be lorne.
Help, for my son luf, John, son kynde,
For ferde that I with Jues be torne.
Mi flesh it qwakys as lefe on lynde
To shontt the showres sharper then thorne.7
Help me, John, if thou be kynde;
My son myssyng makys me to mowrne.

Youre servande, lady, he me maide,
And bad me kepe you ay to qweme;8
Blythe were I, lady, myght I thee glad,
And with my myght I shall thee yeme.

Therfor be ferd for no kyn thyng
For oght that Jues wold do you to;
I shall be bayn at youre byddyng
As my Lorde bad youre servande, lo.

Glad am I, John, whils I have thee;
More comforth bot my son can I none crave.
So covers thou my care and carpys unto me,
Whils I thee se, ever am I safe.

Was none safe my son more trusty to me;
Therfor his grace sall never fro thee go.
He shall thee qwyte that died on a tre;
Well mendys thou my mode when I am in wo.

Let hy us fro this hill and to the towne weynde,
For fere of the Jues that spitus ar and prowde.
With oure dere lady I red that we weynd
And pray till hir dere son hereapon lowde.
To hir buxumly I red that we bende,
Syn hir dere son fro us is gone in a clowde,
And hertely in hast haylse we that heynde;9
To oure master is she moder, semely in shrowde.

A, Marie so mylde, thee myssid we have.
Was never madyn so menskfull here apon molde10
As thou art, and moder cleyne, bot this wold we crave:
If this were Jesu thi son that Judas has sold,
Shew us the sothe, us all may it save.
We pray thee, dere lady, layn that thou nold
Bot spell us oure spyryng, or els mon we rafe
Bot thou witterly us wysh, so fayn wyt we wold.11

Peter, Andrew, John, and Jamys the gent,
Symon, Jude, and Bartilmew the bold,
And all my brethere dere that ar on this bent,
Take tent to my tayll till that I have told
Of my dere son what I have mentt,
That hens is hevyd to his awne hold.
He taght you the trouthe or he to heven went
He was borne of my bosom as hisself wold.

He is God and man that stevynd into heven;
Preche thus to the pepyll that most ar in price.12
Sekys to thare savyng, ye apostilles aleven,
To the Jues of Jerusalem as youre way lyse;
Say to the cyté as I can here neven,
Tell the warkys of my son warly and wyse.
Byd theym be stedfast and lysten youre steven
Or els be thay dampned as men full of vyce.

[…]
 












(see note)




Brothers; been; (t-note)
yet; not
know; mean
think; done
work; 
(t-note)
Plead; against
works; reason
handiwork; made
rest
unto us
trust
nor



brothers; prophesied; (see note)
from


Since
Before
leave


happen; (see note)
Perhaps; occur
comfort



wrongs amends
together

hearts; sorrowful

soon in haste
lament
at once

guide; place
in what way
profit
thus
before
[go] to

remain

comfort

Wait for; (see note)
Until
promise
from; lean
look; ready
true
might ask anything of you





go without

long from us

miss
alive
guide

leave
marvel
mourn; 
(t-note)


are confused
without doubt
joyful
tidings

bade [us to]; afraid
would


by my faith
long before


needs; part
in haste
cease
mourn all
merry

joyous; every way


sorrowful
Until

eye; [fol. 118r]
savior
upon
trust; shall
favor





As if he cared nothing for us
mourn

marvel
miss
suddenly

truth
again

glad
gain




Listen; everyone; 
(t-note)

needs; go

always
in the world
fear
(see note)
leave; one after another
world

foes


any manner of thing
heard; clearly

love; therefore
event
certainly

lying
much
believing


disbelief; (see note)

prove

to you
but; would not
Believe her

Such

believed; on earth


teach


Whoever will agree to be baptized; 
(t-note)
believe

ascension
again
saved surely


told
certainly
vengeance; punishment
Tokens; 
(t-note)
without a doubt
Devils; cast out clean
tongues


poisonous
trouble

sick
whole; harm
various
every land


(t-note)
promise
anywhere
heard here
honorable



countryside

Through


marvel
working
Shown



In fear; depart; go; (see note)
(t-note)

sigh; sore
These vengeful Jews lie in wait for us

grieve; harm


confused

Mourning; confused; (see note) [fol. 119r]
live in fear
placed
lead

These; their faithless
sentenced; to death
Fervently; wish to kill him
knew; place

their sharp chatter
but little; their
least expect
rule and counsel

chatter
near
food; were; 
(t-note)
succor


believe
lament; meekly
know

noble promises; promised

deceived
Therefore

well

found [to be] entirely true
heard

darlings
confused
Wholly; shown [myself]



not true in your belief






maiden so pure


wholly followed



dumb (mute)
healed where
raised at once


works; were
did

throughout


by tokens; seen

Had it not been for my blessed mother

her; time
owe
wounds wide


hung on the cross; (see note)

Keep; stable disposition
your mother

See to it [that] you love her
happiness and sorrow

None of you need ask where I go


Show

saw


sees
Believe


places; (see note)
prepare



hearts guide

bless


(see note)


hear
unto earth
preach; declare

some
On
Open the clouds


(see note)
(t-note)

Galilee
marvel
(see note)
go

majesty
always


saw; ascend
high
skin

certainly


judge you all together

creature

(see note)


middle earth; on high
darkness
any doubt

almighty
sea
Wood (forest)

holds everything
world is living

reason

did go; [fol. 120v]

manner
judge
bidding
their misdeeds amend
bliss on high
dwell there forever

whoever does amiss
reform themselves


wonderful

cloud; (see note)
ever and always

mother dear
left among
Sweet


trust
not
Dear; afraid




It is good [that] we believe in him
Wholly

there
soon; from
enemies
any others

(see note)
(t-note); [fol. 121r]




(t-note)


some token from him


seen; 
(see note)
drawn
joy; song
very far
farther; 
(see note)


At once

ascended; suddenly; 
(see note)

himself

Alone

knows; thought
Nor how he did in any manner
raised up; 
(see note)
flesh and skin from

in awe



power



cloud

(see note)
heart; break
ascension; in haste
fourth; (see note)
child; 
(see note)
killed by Jews

gracious
lost
son’s love
fear



missing; mourn

made

Glad
protect

afraid of no manner of thing

ready; bidding
(t-note)

(t-note);[fol. 121v]
(see note)
cares for me; 
(see note)
While I see you

except
shall; from
reward
disposition

hasten; go
fear; spiteful; 
(t-note)
advise
unto; concerning this aloud
obediently; submit
Since

mourning garb; 
(see note)

missed

pure; would

Show; truth
that you should not be silent
questioning


gentle
(see note)
on this field; (t-note)
Pay attention to my tale
meant
hence is risen; his own realm
before
he himself commanded

ascended

eleven; 
(see note)

mention
works; warily and wise
voice
damned; vice; 
(t-note)