fol. 71va Listneth alle that beth alyve, Bothe Cristen men and wyve; men and women I wil you telle a wonder cas miraculous event Hou Jesus Crist bihated was detestedline5 Of the Jewes felle and kene bitter and cruel That was on hem siththe isene. afterward Gospelles I drawe to witnesse Gospels Of this mater more and lesse, And the Passioun and Nichodeme, Gospel of Nicodemus line10 Who that taketh right good yeme, heed And the gestes of emperours deeds (tales) Of thise wonder aventours, events Hou Jesus was don to ded Thorough the Jewes fals red. adviceline15 First thai deden hym gret despyt disdain Er he died, I tell you it, I trowe that thai bilowen noughth, liked him For after that thai dere it boght. dearly paid for it As ye mowen forthward lere — learnline20 Listneth now and ye schull here. Ye witen wel, and soth it is, know true That many on giltles honged is; That many a guiltless person is hanged Also bifel of Jhesu Crist, it happened to Tho us scheweth th’ewangelist;line25 For oure trespas and noughth for his Suffred he al her schame, iwis. their indeed First thai weren wroth with hym angry Als thai weren ful of venym, For he preched everewhoreline30 Among the Jewes, lesse and more, And the more thai gunne hym greve anger For he had of hem no leve. permission And oft he tolde hem in his sawe speech Where thai trespassed ageins the lawe,line35 And that in fele manere, in worthy manner He rought never theigh thai it here cared hear And proved it hem by holy wright scripture That thai ne couthe againsaie it; could contradict Also he telde hem everywhoreline40 That thai ypocrites were, For thai maden swich cheire outward appearance As thai liveden in good manere, As if they lived Hou thai the povere robbe and reve plunder For al her lawe thai nolden leve would not stopline45 The grettest maisters werst it kepeth, kept it worst Her wrong with hem noght ne slepeth. Their Yut also he tolde her owen thoughth That thai ne mightten withseie it nought; deny That was no maistré to Crist, not difficultline50 Natheles thai wondred hou he it wist. knew Graceles thai were and dym of sight, To knowe the strengthe of God almight; Altheigh thai hym in manhode sowe Although saw His godhede might thai noght knowe.line55 Thai schewed after her mysdede Forth onon thai felle in drede For the wonders that thai sawghe, Of his godhede than had thai awghe; holiness awe For no man migth swich maistré kithe show such powerline60 As he dude for hem oft sithe, many times As Nichodemus hath witnessed rigth That com to Jhesu Crist by nigth And sede, “Jhesu, we witen wel That thu art maister of Israel,line65 That knowlechestow noughth to be you acknowledge For all the merveiles we sen of thee; wonders Among us ne coude we never fynde On so wirche by mannes kynde, One accomplish such things Neither lewed man ne clerk, unlearnedline70 Bot God were with hym in his werk. Unless Therfore, we wolde sum tokne see — Schewe yif thou God almightty be.” Tho seide Jhesus to Nichodeme, “Ye taken of me ful litel yeme. heedline75 Theigh I you all aventours telle, events Of this werlde ther ye inne duelle, That ben gon and schollen falle, have happened will happen Ye leven never a word of alle. believe Forthi of Heven yif I tolde, Thereforeline80 Of al that ye witen wolde, would knowfol. 71vb Hou schold ye therof trowe me ought, trust Whan ye trowen me therof nought? Natheles the aventours all That I saie you schullen bifalle.” will happenline85 Nichodemus hym trowed wel believed And prively held with hym uche del. secretly supported completely In the Gospel as men rede, The Jewes hym tempted oft in dede; Thai asked hym many a wonder sawe difficult questionline90 For to ateint hym bi her lawe, condemn That thai mightten bi juggement In sum manere have hym schent. harmed Agains hym thai wroughtten in vayn worked That al unbynt and byndeth agayn. unbinds and bindsline95 This werldes wytt is bot folie foolishness Ageins Goddes gret maistré. knowledge Ones thai asked hym, “Maister dere, To whom schul we yolde iche yere Al the trowage of oure londe?” truageline100 Hou he ansuerd now understonde: “Of whom youre moné hath ymage, money (coins) With name written, yold hym trowage.” This was of hym asked with scorne For the wordes he seid biforne,line105 That he was a Jewes kyng. Tho ansuered thai to this thing, “Oure moné, we maken the war, Is made after oure kyng Cesar.” Than seide he, “Yeldeth Cesar his rigth,line110 And that is Goddes to God almight.” what There thai were confounded onon For thai were concluded everichon. answered By a womman thai tempted hym yut That schulde be stoned, fair he quit acquittedline115 For avoutré, a foule synne, adultery Thai tolde hym thai fonde hire therinne. Jhesus stouped doun onon; Thise wordes he wrot the erth upon, The wrecched erthe that other wried coveredline120 Bot God forgiveth that mercy cried. Tho he had writen what he wolde, Hy gon the hens to biholde; They from there Whan thai had seighen it als he bad, Sore thai weren all adrad. afraidline125 “Take this womman that hath don mys. sin Who that withoute synne ys, Caste on hir the first ston.” Thai stale out tho sone onon, crept All bot the womman stode alone,line130 And he sat and loked hire on. “Where ben thise men, womman,” he seide, “That this blame on thee leide?” “Sir, I not sikerli.” I do not know, truly “Dame,” he seide, “no more wot I. neither do Iline135 Bot go now forth with joye and wynne, delight And kep thee forthward fro syn.” henceforth Alwey thus on hym thai soughth, Bot evere thai founde it halp hem nought; For Goddes might and mannes witline140 Mowen nought wel togidre sit.

Than thai gunne hym to defame began And leide on hym and dude hym schame slander Tho thai mighth spede with no resoun With falshede thai thought to bryng hym dounline145 Thei seiden, “Thu seist amys, we leven, Agayn the lawghe that is us yeven.” Against given Thai seiden, “Sith we have the lawes Since That Moises taught us by his dawes, in his days That he of Messias took, the Messiahline150 As we fyndeth by oure book. So held oure fader Abraham And hiderward that after hym cam. That we cunne wite we brake hit nought, can understand In werk, in word, ne in thought.”line155 He wist wel that thai mistolde, knew misspoke That maden the lawes newe and olde. Than spak Jhesu the Jewes to: “Moises and Abraham I seigh also. Moises the lawghe I bitought,line160 That fro me to you it brought. I seie Abraham and he me; He was ful glad me to se. Ye ben wel harder than the ston, That of you nyl knowgh me non. will not knowline165 Tueie doumbe bestes, oxe and asse, Two Thai knewe me and wist what I wasse, And bestes wilde under wood lynde — linden tree Me knowthe al bot mankynde.” All but mankind know me The Jewes seiden that he mistolde:line170 He nas nought fyfty wynter olde. “Moises ne Abraham thu nast noght seen; This may nought in no wise ben. Thu semest but a yonge man, Hou mighttestou have seyen hem than?” might you have seen themline175 “Forsothe,” he seide, “I you telle can. I was er the werlde bigan before And schal be withouten ende, Theigh al thing asondyr wende. go to pieces I am Jhesus, Goddes son:line180 I saigh Abraham and Salomon. saw I com the lawghe to fulfille, Nought o poynt therof to spille, one invalidate Ne the prophetes alle, That han yben, other ben to falle; have been, or will beline185 And also treuly I you telle, Youre michel temple I may felle greatfol. 72ra And areisen agein the thrid day.” “That might noght be,” thai swore ay. In all thise wordes he hem blent, befuddledline190 For by his owen body he it ment, That he scholde die and assaie strive To arisen the thrid day. For this word thai were neigh mad, For ever thai fond hym trew and sad. honest and solemnline195 Natheles thai ansuered tho right, “Er oure temple were al dight, made Yeres weren six and fourty fulle; Hou ever than we trowe schulle?” Right cursed folk men might hem calle,line200 For the miracles he schewed hem alle, Bot al that he wolde and thought Most sum tyme to ende be broght; Must be fulfilled That folk was loked to do that dede, Therfore thai mightten sore drede.line205 He blamed hem for her bileve, faith And seid it scholde hem sore greve. He might sone such thing han wroght, That made al the werld of noght; from nothing And for he held noght her Sabath dayline210 To don miracles alway, The seek to hele of yvel and synne, sick For her lawe nolde he noght blynne. stop Fendes werkes were thai none, Devil’s Bot God Almightties dedes alone.line215 Thai areden hym whi he wroght than. guessed He ansuerd as God and man: “Is there any of you alle, Yif youre beest were yfalle Ded doun in pyt oither in lake, As if dead orline220 Yif it schulde ben up ytake, Ar it were lorne ye wolden up drawe, lost On the Sabath day, for al youre lawe?” Thai holden hem abasshed everichon, perplexed That thai ne couthe ansuere hym non.line225 Onon thai axed hym with gret tene insult What his miracles wolden mene, That was whan he heled the seek Or seide or dude wondres eek. After tho thai comen hym toline230 And axeden whi he dude so. He ansuerd after her thought, That thai ne couthe withseie hym noght. The grettest of the princes bolde Ageins Jhesu wel hard thai holde,line235 And uche made to other present For to ben at on assent. But smale folk al aboute But common people Folowed hym with gret route; in great numbers Wonder thik thai fellen hym toline240 For the miracles thai seighen hym do That thei despyt do hym ne might would not harm him That made thai token hym by nighth. Whan Jesus seigh the tyme therto, That it most nedes be do,line245 He bad thai schulden hem amende Or stronge vengeaunce he wold hem sende; He hight to fordon hem alle promised to destroy And her cité schulde falle, Jerusalem that was stronge and heighe.line250 Tho gan to waxen her envie; increase While it stood thai had no doute, So riche it was and strong aboute, Natheles of this gret sawe promise All thai weren in michel awe.line255 For his prophecies thai hated hym sore, And for he was trewe wel the more, And for his wyt that was so gret, And for his ansuer and his thret, crowd And for he bare so noble fame, carriedline260 That men honoured hym al by name And clepeden hym Jesus verray prophete, called Bothe in toun and in strete. Oft thai waited hym to sle, Bot for drede thai lete hym be.line265 By day thai might hym noght hent seize For the folk that with hym went; Many a thousand for his sake Wolde have ben ded or he were take; before Yif thai hadden biforehonde wistline270 Thai scholde so foule have faren with Crist, The princes thai wolden have sleyn And al the cuntré brent ful feyn. burnt God wolde nought that it were so; Otherwise it most go.line275 Whan tyme and terme was ycome That he suffred to be ynome, taken Ful wel he had taken his merk taken note of What manere men scholde don this werk, kind of And sithen it scholde alway be do,line280 Sum manere folk most nedes therto; Yyt was it better thai hadden the gylt Than any other had ben spylt. For in the book so we it fynde, Thai were the outcast of al mankynde.line285 He praied for hem on Rode tree, Rood (i.e., the cross) “Forgeven hem that it scholde be.” In ensample of Cristen menne, That here in eny envye brenne, burn That we forgiven as he forgave,line290 Michel mede schull we have. Great reward For he is so gret of curteisie, mercy He wil no synful man dye, Bot grace and space he wil hym sende, And he wil hymself amende.line295 So mightten the Jewes have had grace Of her vileynous trespas;fol. 72rb Jesus suffred a longe stounde, for a long while Fourty yer, it is yfounde, For tokne ne for other sight signline300 Repented thai nevere day ne nighth. Bot in the Passioun as we rede There thai wore gadered in everich stede every place Oft bifore thai spaken his ded, Hou to don thai couthe no red. had no course of actionline305 Thai seiden, “Whan schull we us wreke avenge Of this prophete that hath thus speke? For yif we leten hym thus gon, He schal fordon us everychon; destroy Romeins and other schull comen us on, Romansline310 And alle oure lawes thai willen fordon.” undo Thai seiden sother than thei wende, more truly knew For thai were never in will to amende; Oft thai casten and wolden sonde discussed Hou thai might drivon hym out of londe, driveline315 Thorough her lawes by juggement, Oither thorough privé queintise to have hym schent. secret trickery killed Ones thai hadden hym hem bitwene, among Tho thoughtten thai have wreken her tene, anger At a stede on an heighe hyll placeline320 Thai wolde have sleyn hym withoute skill; for no (just) cause Thai wolde have done hym thereto stirt, have attacked him Bot quyt he went away from hirt. freely harm And ones thai wolde have stoned hym, And to drawe hym every lym;line325 Thai seiden he blasfemed hym than, He made hym God and was a man. And oft afterward thai lepen jumped For to take hym with her wepen, weapons Bot for men that yeden hym by, wentline330 There durst non leie honde hym neigh. They dared not lay a hand near him And ones atte Flum Jurdon, Jordan River There he baptized Seint Jon, John (the Baptist) There thai waited to have hym sleyn, Bot quyt he went with might and meyn. miraculous powerline335 Whan thai seieghen thai mightten noght spede, Thai thoughtten don a lither dede; wicked Thai maden there a conspiracie Among the poeple with felony That Messias ones seide —line340 That is Jesus on oure tunge leide — called Out of synagoge he schulde be do, And for cursed man holden also. This was to hym no vilenye, Al were it don with gret envieline345 Alway thus failed her cast, Tyl Jesus wolde it atte last That the certein day was sett, Thei hadden no might hym to get; Whan he wist it most nedes be,line350 Than wolde he hem nothing fle.

Caiphas prophecied there, Als in the Passioun we mowen here, That a man schulde deie hem bifore, That the poeple ne were noght ylore; lostline355 The Holi Gost had brought hym this, Bot he nas nevere the better, iwis. Theigh it were seid with good resoun, It turned hym al to confusioun, For thorough hym and his felonye,line360 Encreced fast the Jewes envie; Increased Fro that this word was seide on heighe In al manere he schulde dyghe. Her eighen were blynde and nought hym knewe, Their eyes That mowen thai evermore rewe. might regretline365 Therfore he went onon hem fro — Among hem more nolde he go. he would not He went a litel there biside, Out of her sight hym to hide; Nought for drede took he his waie,line370 Bot for to stable us in the faie, make us firm faith To abiden his tyme wel and faire. There he was us a good samplaire example To prelates and to other men clergy That in anguisch here ben, tormentline375 To kepen us out of her weie That oure enemyes us nought saie test Whan men hem seen the more thai synne; Yif thai ben fer the more thai blynne. fierce fail

Thus turned Jesus from hem the bake,line380 That thai nought mychel of hym spak; much In to desert he held the sty, path To a citee that ther was ney. The story seith it hat Effroem, Effrem A litel weie fro Jerusalem;line385 With his deciples he duelled there — Nought for dred thai might hym dere, hinder Bot for the poynt I seide biforne. And yut were summe forsworne, Tho seiden thai there thai yedeline390 That he was yfled for drede. Bot trewely they liyeden uchon, all lied Thai nysten nought whi he was gon; did not know Thai weren nought worthi his conseil to witte That thoughtten alday don hym despitte. injuryline395 Yut eft the schrewus weren forsuorne often villains (shrews) In leccherie thai helden hym borne. lechery There weren tuelve that herden thus; Thai tolden hem thai seiden amys That witnessed all with saweline400 That he was borne in tho right lawe. the right law (i.e., in wedlock) Thai seiden thai seighen Joseph wed Marie, that clene lyf lede, Thai helden hym Joseps son right, A wrighttes son he was iplight. carpenter’s sworn to beline405 His fader made al thing of nought; There is non other that so wrought.fol. 72va The tuelve namis tell I can That with Jhesu helden than: Lazar, Asterus, Antonius,line410 Ysaac, Finous, and Cripus, Jacob, Samuel, and Joras, Agripta, Amos, and Judas. Tweie riche men there weren also Two That helden with Jhesu tho,line415 Evere in word and dedes bothe, Wherfore the Jewes weren wrothe. angry For her wraththe thai nolden leve cease Ne for her love Jhesu greve. Nichodemus was that on,line420 Prince of the Jewes everychon, At his dom and at his ded command He praised hym in every stede. place Forthi thai prisoned hym sone, immediately And wolden hym to deth have done.line425 And so thai wolde his other felawe, For his werk and for his sawe; That was Joseph of Arimathie, A riche man and of kynde heighe. high rank Thise men thai thought to have sleyn,line430 As I schal here after seyn. Thise were the pointes of her envie, grounds Wherfore thai deden hym to dye Withouten any other thing: Assaies, upbraides, and cursyng. Ordeals, reproachesline435 Love brast Jesus Cristes hert, broke And non other pyne smert; sharp Love hym drofand love hym brought, drove For to fynde that he sought. Whan love thirled Heven kyng, piercedline440 Love passeth al thing. Love is hede and love is ende; head Loveth love as ye ben hende. gentle Whan that Jesus was broght of lyve, killed (i.e., brought out of life) There fel wondres als blithe. at once line445 Centurio biheld and seid thus: “This is sothfast Goddus son Jesus.” truly And so dude Longens the knight, Longinus After that he had his sight; The gret temple atwo toclef, cracked in twoline450 And beried men ded and def buried dead and deaf Arisen and walkeden al about From toun to toun in muchel route, That weren wel knowe out and in Of men that weren of her kyn.line455 Thai tolden whi thai risen thore, there For Jesus that dyed hem bifore. The sunne also les her light, lost And ston and tre loren her might, lost And everich thing in his kynde according to its natureline460 Of Jhesus deth had mynde, Outtake man that scholde be chief, Except And most scholde be Jhesu lef; Jesus should be dear Thai schewed hym most unkyndenesse Ageins al his gret godenesse; In contrast toline465 Al this was witnesse ageins man That he had ytrespassed than. Sithen al quok bot mannes hert, Since trembled Ne was he worthi than to smert. suffer Adam bigan first the game;line470 The Jewes ended it with schame; Bot Oure Lorde, that curteis is, gracious Dude it al for mannes blis; joy Also for the Jewes forthi, therefore Yif thai hadden sought his mercy.line475 This dede men bigunnen to telle Whi thai risen in flesch and felle skin And Jhesus wolde rise the thrid day. The Jewes weren in gret afray, dismay Bot thai dredden noght arightline480 As thai scholden; hem failed might.

Tho he was risen the thrid morne, third As his Passioun seith biforne, Aggeus, Phinees, and Escandas, Thise thre tolden hem hou it was;line485 Tueie clerkes witnessen this also, Two That Sent Mychel schewed it to, Saint Michael Carianus and Elyntheus Doumbe thai weren til swete Jhesus Fro that he rose and stighe to Heven rose and went upline490 And than tolden thai ful even Al that was don everych del entirely Of the lore of Seynt Mighel Michael In erthe and helle, in paradys, What Jhesus Crist had don, iwys.line495 Also it witnesseth in othere stede, There men of the story rede. Tho spak Nichodemus onon To the Jewes everychon, “Ye wycked men, wat have ye wroght? what have you doneline500 In muchel sorough ye han us brought. sorrow Al that Josep and I you sede, said to you It might stonde you in no stede.” Than gan Josep speke hem to, “Agein Jhesu ye han mysdo, done wrongline505 For giltles ye han hym slawe; guiltless slain Therfore ye mowen ben unfawe.” must be joyless Onon the Jewes on Josep borne charged That he was to Jhesu sworne. “Ye,” quoth Josep, “to hym I take,line510 All youre lawes I forsake. I wot wel ye ben wroth with me, For I beried his body fre; I ne recche, so Crist me save, do not care Theigh I youre wraththe have.line515 I warne you wel ye schullen abye, pay for it That ye duden hym such vilenye.”fol. 72vb Than weren the Jewes wel neigh wood, And though he seide for her good; He is nought my frende, ye han herd told,line520 That seith as myne hert wold. Josep withouten more sake strife Sone onon thai gonnen take; Thai putten hym in a strong prisoun, With dubble lok al for tresoun.line525 Annas and Cayphas, thise two Beren the keies the dore to undo. The hous was hole withouten hole, entirely For thai thoughtten so have hym stole spirited him away That never frende ne scholde have wistline530 Hou ne where he had ben myst. Bot Jhesus, that is curteis at nede, benevolent That night com hym out to lede. The Jewes soughtten hym on the morn; His deth thai holden among hem sworn.line535 Anna and Caiphas undeden the dore; They sought and cleped thai hadden hym lor. lost Thai wepden and weren sory men, shed tears Out of londe thai thoughtten flen, fled Body for body thai token hym, line540 To kepen hym uppon lyf and lym; And also thai hadden mychel care, Where thai wolden gon or fare, Among al this so comen the knighttes That woken Jhesu bi day and nighttes, watched overline545 Therwhiles that he in the toumbe lay Til it was on the thrid day That he out of the toumbe aros Thai weren neigh wood so hem agros trembled And tolden the Jewes he was arisenline550 And for an aungel they weren agrisen terrified That put doun the gret ston moved And set hymself there upon For dred thai seiden that thai had, Thai fellen doun as thai wore madline555 Also wymmen there comen thre That soughtten Jhesu for to see; The aungel taught hem where he is, In to Galilé gon, iwis. Than ansuerden the Jewes blake, wicked line560 “Whi nad ye tho wymmen ytake? didn’t seize Ne were ye armed swythe wel, very Alle foure in yrne and steel.” iron The knighttes seiden, “Ne witeth us noght; Do not blame us We hadden no myght hem to have brought.”line565 Than axed Pilate hem onon, “Whi lete ye than Jhesu gon?” Than ansuerden the knighttes bold, “Whi nadden ye Josep withholde? didn’t We han bothe failed of oure pay; satisfactionline570 Jesus and Josep ben gon away. Delivere us hider Joseph now, And we schull take Jhesu to you! He is risen as God ful of might: Evere we mowen dred hys right. authorityline575 There com no man hym to stele, Theigh he be risen with good hele; And yut we mowen drede the more, We schullen abie his deth ful sore.” pay for Than wexen the Jewes all mad grew distraughtline580 To maken her gre thai weren glad; To make peace with them Thai gaven hem michel tresore That thai scholden speke no more. Al halp nought that thai ne tolde Where thai comen with wordes bolde;line585 It might in no wise ben yhid: be hidden It most nedes alway be kyd. known

Than seiden the knighttes, “Secheth ye, Seek For Josep is now in his cité.” Than senten the Jewes Josep toline590 Letres of pes to come and go; Letters of peace Josep cam and spak hem with The Jewes all, in pes and grith. mercy Thai wente ageins hym with honour, greeted Thai kist and graunted hym her socour, kissed protectionline595 And thai axed hym the resoun, Hou he com out of prisoun. “Sires,” he seide, “I telle you right, Jesus me fet the first nigth. sought (fetched) Whan he com me thought that stounde at that timeline600 That the hous res fro the grounde, rose Up in to the eir ageins hym right, air For he is verray God Almight. Ful the hous me thought he sprad dispersed With gret light that he had;line605 For drede of hym I fel adoun As a man that was in swoun, swoon (i.e., a faint) Bot sone he me toke by the honde And bad me I scholde by hym stond. My face he wipte and siththe me kyst; wipedline610 What he was yit I nyst. did not know “Ne drede thee ich am Jesus,” he seide; “That thu beriedest in that stede; place Thu madest my grave in yone orchard: By that tokne be noght aferd.”line615 Onon he led me to the grave, Ful good mynde therof I have. “Josep, here thu beriedest me, And that I schal wel yelde thee.” reward Whan I had this grave seen,line620 I nyst nevere hou he com then. In myne owen hous he me set, That non of you might hym let; hinder In pes ho bad me duelle thore, dwell there And bad me come out no more,line625 Til fourti daies were comen and gon, And bad I ne schulde drede you non;fol. 1ra And at the fourty dayes ende Whider I wolde he bad me wende. He bid me to go where I wished Upon the Mount of Olyvete, Mount of Olivesline630 There my Lorde that is so swete blessed Steigh to hevene fair and wel, Ascended Almightty God in flesshe and fel; flesh and skin (i.e., the whole body) And efte shal comen at Domesday Doomsday To yelde bothe gode and wick her pay. give wicked rewardline635 There was a swete compaignye: Fyrst his dere moder Marie, His apostles and othere moo That weren ywoned with hym to goo, accustomed And summe that arisen thoo he aroos,line640 To beren witnesse biforne his foos. I hope yee han herd of this, And bot yee han, yee shullen, iwys!” Whan Joseph had al thus saide, Jhesus upon his heved laide, headline645 Er he up upsteigh, ich understonde, ascended Faire and wel his rigth honde. “He kissed me and blissed also And faire he took his leve to go, And bad me drede for no Jew —line650 By this I wist he was Jhesu. And thusgate I come you fro. in this manner Sires, what cone yee seie therto? what can you say By this me thenketh it may acorde That he is God Almighty Lorde,line655 And tyl the fourty dayes weren ywent I nolde have comen, theigh yee hadden sente.” Onon he thought hom to goo, And took his leve and dude also. Thoo Josep had tolde hem thisline660 Than thoughtten hem thai hadden don amys wrong Thai seiden, “What chaunce is this bifalle Of this prophete amonge us alle?” Josep went into his cuntree And preched and taughtte the Trinité;line665 Michel poeple he tourned and lerd converted and taught With the wordes thai of him herd. And whan the Jewes herden this, Thai weren sore agreved, iwys. Eftsones thai laughtten hym queyntlich Soon after caught slylyline670 And sperred hym up wel pryvelich; locked secretly In her toun wal thai shetten hym shut him up In a vaughtth that was ful dym, cell And there he duelled seven yere. Oure Lorde hym kepte ful leef and dere; cherishedline675 That nede was he had uche day What he needed Of Jhesu whiles he there lay. Bot wel I woot atte last, With mychel honoure he was out cast; And his foomen aboughtten it dere, enemies paid for itline680 As yee shullen hereafter here.

fol. 1rb Listneth you, ich wil you rede; I shal you telle a wonder dede, Hou curtes Jesus Crist was gracious To hem that duden hym that trespas,line685 And so he is yut uche day To us alle, I telle may. We wraththen hym with many a synne; Good it were sumtyme to blynne. cease Al that he may for us he doothe,line690 Al day yee mowen seen the sothe. In many manere he us fondeth; tests To wraththen hym therfore withstondeth, angered For in his honde he bereth the knyf bears the knife Of oure deth and of oure lyf.line695 Also we reden of this resoun Thre yere biforne his Passioun Three With his deciples hou he kem came Toward the cité of Jerusalem, And hou he weep yee shullen seeline700 And spaak thus toward the citee: “Yif thou wist als mychel as I, Thou mostest wepe, I seie thee whi. The day bigynneth fast to highe — to come quickly Bot al that is hyd from thine eighe — eyeline705 Swiche a day shal come thee on Thou shalt have enemyes many on, That al aboute shullen thee bicast And destroyen thee atte last. Muchel sorough mowen yee have;line710 You dar no mercy of hem crave. There shal no ston on othere leve, Bot doun thai shullen thee to-dreve.” drive Foure prophetes seiden righth thus, Longe biforne oure lorde Jhesus,line715 Bothe Moyses and Ysaye, Isaiah And Hosie and Jeremye. Hosea and Jeremiah He stood on the Mount of Olyvete Whan he toward the cité gan grete, Bot his deciples wenden ayline720 That he had speken of Domesday. Peter ansuered for hem alle: “Lorde,” he seide, “whan shal this falle?” And Jesus wyst what he wolde mene, And seide to hem, “Yee shullen seneline725 Mony a tokne upon heighe, Of sonne and mone in the skye; sun and moon Londe shal weren agenis londe, war The fader agenis the child shal stonde, The childe agenis kynde also;line730 Manqualme shal be, with hunger and woo, Death (from plague) Qualme of beestes and of othere kynde Illness Thorough every londe men shullen fynde; The fruyt shal on erthe faile, Men lyven in tene and in travaile. suffering afflictionfol. 1va Yee shullen ben drawen, more and lesse, broughtline736 Biforne tyrauntes in destresse, And fele for my love shullen plen, many complain And summe al quyk thai shullen flen. alive flay Grete tribulaciouns men shullen seeline740 Many on suffre for love of me; And I myself shal gon to dede, death Ybeten and bounden, bak and hede, And risen agein the thrid day To gladen myne, al that I may;line745 And many other toknes shullen fall I may noughth now seie you alle. Yut cometh noughth the day so sone That the grete dome shal be done. Heveth up youre heveden from slepe, Lift headsline750 And out of synne clene you kepe! The dome shal come with grete yre, As theef that steleth or wilde fyre, And alle thai shullen to joye wende That kepen hem trewely to the ende.line755 By toknes that han ben sen byfore, Dredeth that is to comen the more. Hevene and erthe shulle passe bothe, Al bot myne wordes that ben sothe.” Whan this was seide, to toun thai drough, goline760 And there he wraththed summe ynough; In the temple he gan biholde Hou the Jewes boughtten and solde; He wexe ful wrooth als yare completely Also thai solden there her chaffare, goods for tradeline765 Oxen, kyne, and other score, cows Withinne the temple and othere tresore, Golde and silven there thai solde silver To alle men that bygge wolde, buy And for usure to maken chaunce usuryline770 To men that comen out of Fraunce. Natheles thai solden non othere thing Bot that shulde to offryng To pilgrymes sekande that cité seeking That comen from dyverse cuntré.line775 Hym thoughth that thei gunnen apeire diminish Of holy chirche to maken a feire market “Lete chepyng,” he seide, “be there it is. trading This hous for bedes alone, iwys.” prayers A roop he laughth that he fonde, rope seizedline780 With many knottes ful his honde, And droof out alle that there stoode; Thai weren so drad thai weren ner wode. crazed Hem thoughtten his lokyng was as fyre, appearance And thus he seide to hem with yre:line785 “Yee maken myne hous a theves den, That first was sett for Cristen men. An hous of orisenus dighth it is, prayers made I wil non other it be, iwys.” Bestes for hym bigunnen to fleighe,fol. 1vb And felden boordes with monee, knocked down tablesline791 And othere thing that stood to selle, Ne durst abide ne lenge to duelle. There ful faire he hem teched, And sithen ful ofte hem preched,line795 Til thai token it with envie And bispeken his deth with felonye, agreed upon Wharfore siththe whan thai hym took Also we reden in the book, As Fyfty knighttes with Judas comenline800 With her meignee that hym nomen, troops took By the resoun that he uchone each one Out of the temple droof alone. Natheles whan thai hym took, For his word so sore thai quook, shookline805 That thai fellen all adoune As ded men oither men in swoughne. in a swoon He reised hem up as the hende, For that ded most be broughth to ende, For to saven al mankynde,line810 Als we in prophecies fynde.

Gode men understondeth now, And I shal telle you alle how The Jewes that duden Jhesu to ded, Thorough feble conseil and fals red. bad counsel treacherous adviceline815 Thai weren in so gret encombraunce; ensnarement Therfore thai hadden all meschaunce That had Jhesus byforne hem highth, And ay thai token it ful lighth; lightly Bot sithen it fel in her owen nek, on their own necksline820 Thai nolden non other who dar rek. should care Yut fourty yer he yaf hem space, a reprieve To see yif thai wolden seken his grace; To vengen hym wolde he noughth sende avenge Yif that thai wolden hem amende.line825 Thre thinges there weren in Israel, Whiche thai weren hereth hem wel, Als in storye we redeth and fynde That fellen on the Jewes kynde. The first was cleped pylrynage, called pilgrimageline830 That other thraldom and servage, Dispersioun the thrid was tolde, Dispersion (Diaspora) That is to-dreveyng of yonge and olde. scattering Thus began her pilrynage Thoo Jacob went with his lynage descendantsline835 Into Egipte for mychel nede Thai lyved there longe in mychel drede Thoo Jacob ne mighth no lenger lyven His kynde was out of londe ydryven, Thorough the Rede See as yee han herd, Red Sealine840 There Pharaou and his folk forferd. perished Moyses was her leder than Into the londe of Chanaan Canaan That was the londe that he hem highth promised And there he kepte hem wel aplighth. in faithfol. 2ra With aungels mete he fed hem, angel’s food (i.e., manna)line846 Her clothes lasted withouten wem flaw Fourty wynter in deserte — That was a miracle fair and aperte! plain And yut for al his curteisie,line850 Thai wroughtten ageins hym gret folye. Thai maden goddes of metal (i.e., idols) And honoured hem with worthschipp al; Than yolden thai Jhesu his godenesse rewarded With ful mychel unkyndenesse.

line855 Nou shal I touche of her servage, bondage That evere shal last the worldes age; Ne shullen thai nevere duelle in toun Withouten trowage or raunsoun. tax ransom In Babiloyne first this thraldom Babylon subjectionline860 On her former fadres com, forefathers There thai duelleden fifty yere Er than mosten gon quyt and skere. go free safe The fiftithe yer was her solace, fiftieth Forthi it is now the yer of grace;line865 Thai weren than leten out of prisoun, So is that oure yer of gret perdoun. pardon Dispersioun was the thrid thing, Diaspora Of Jewen kynde the to-drevyng, scattering That is now fallen in this cas.line870 Thorough Vaspasian and Titus it was. As Jhesus er seide thorough prophecie, “I schal delyver hem for her envie Under lordeschipp and swiche honde.” control There thai shullen duelle, ich understonde,line875 Withouten skapyng of prisoun, For golde, ne fee, ne raunsoun, For no mercy quyt shulde thai wende go freely Hethen to the werldes ende. From hence Mesure ne mercy was non in hem, Moderationline880 And swiche shullen thai have and her barnetem offspring For thai Maries son forsook That was rigth heire, so seith the book, true heir For Marie com of that lynage lineage That he shulde bere the heritage. inheritanceline885 Of this chaunce was spoken and founde Er than it fel a longe stounde. The noble clerk maistre Josephus Amonge the Jewes seide thus: “The day wil come this toun schall falleline890 And the Jewes ben confounded alle; This cité shal ben overthrowe, The heighe paleys shal lye ful lowe. Messias shal sende you amonge Sorough and shame and werre stronge. fierce warline895 Fro Rome shullen come princes two, The fader and the son also, And shullen destroye al that thai fynde, This toun with al the Jewes kynde. This shal falle by her werkes,fol. 2rb Taken thai nevere so wel her merkes, no matter how much they bewareline901 For thai slowghen Jhesu Crist, iwis, That God Almightty son is, And this is her rightful juggement, Bot thai comen to amendement.line905 The fader gate there swiche honoure That he shal ben emperoure. Another tyme witnesseth yee Whan that yee the sothe ysee.” truth Thus wroot he in the Jewes book,line910 There thai mightten it alway look.

After Jhesus deth fellen wondres thicke, many wonders Faire and foule, gode and wyk, evil Sithen thai slough the yonge Seint Jame, For he preched Cristes name.line915 Seven yer after Jhesus dede Dyed James in that stede, For whiche deth God was wrooth also. For to amende hem he was sent hem to, With conseil, bedes, and with prechyng, prayersline920 In tokne of the first warnyng To amende hem that thai deden hym dye. caused his death This me thinketh was a curteisie, For it was the heighest trespas greatest That evere in erthe yarked was. ordainedline925 Forthi it is no skyl reuthe to have it is not fitting to have pity Of hem ne kepten hemself to save; Forthi we owin make joye and game ought That hem bifel sorough and shame. Jesu it grauntte for his mercyline930 That uche synful be quyt therby! freed God sent this James to Jerusalem, As I seide er, to prechen hem, before To repenten of her synne That thei weren encoumbred inne, ensnaredline935 And so he dude alwaye; He ne spared noughth, the sothe to saye. He wexe of so gret renoun grew Thai maden hym bisshop of the toun; He was a man of grete penaunceline940 And dude his body grete grevaunce. injury He wered nevere wollen ne lynnen clooth, wore wool linen Ne brede ne fyssh ete, ne flesshe that gooth, live animals (i.e., meat) For chaungeyng, wasshyng na bathing, Bot a goune of heer to his clothing; hairshirtline945 And kneled so to God alway For the poeple nighth and day, With his knees bare upon the ston, That the hide wexe hard hem upon, skin So that thai semeden biforne seemedline950 As chamailes knees that ben of horne. camel’s horn This com hym of gret charité, Yif thai mightten the better have be; Wicked thai weren ay and wicked than That kidden than in that gode man. That was made knownfol. 2va It was upon a Paske Day, Passover line956 The Jewes gadered with grete deray noise And seiden thus to Seint Jame, Al on yrnest and with grame: earnest hatred “Out of this cuntree fer and hende, fairline960 Michel folk wil hider wende For to heren thi prechyng. We bidde thou speke non othere thing Agenis oure law with Jhesus, Yif thou wilt have thank of us.line965 For yif the folk after thi sawghe words Thorough thi prechyng from us drawghe, Michel pyne than shaltou have, Great pain The grete lorde shal thee noughth save.” Thai beden hym despise Jhesu orderedline970 Whan he preched of his vertu; And yif he preised hym wel byfore, He preised hym than mychel more. And also he preched upon a day In the temple ageins her pay, against their likingline975 On went to hym there he stood One And drough hym doune as he were wood; pulled mad Anothere laughtte a fullyng staf, seized And in the hevede therwith hym gaf. head struck He smoot hym ther with so gret mayn, strengthline980 That in the chirche shad his brayn. dashed out Thus thai yelden hym his mede gave him his reward For his travaile and his good dede! There risen up fele that loveden Jame, many To taken thise men and don hem shame;line985 Thoo that seighen thai flowen anon fled So that tyme quyt thai gon. free Bot thai abiden the grete vengeaunce For Cristes deth and for his chaunce. fate Alway they were ylich wyk, constantly wickedline990 Tyl the wreche com to the pryck, Until the point of vengeance For Goddes righth ne wil no wrong That dampned hem sithen to pyne stronge. condemned Thai that wolden James socoure aid Byriyeden his body with honoure. Buriedline995 The Jewes clepid hym on and other called Noughth bot Jhesus Cristes brother; Of body, of face, and of feet, He was liche hym evere yutt. For the first tokne he was sent signline1000 To tourne the poeple was his entent. convert

Listneth now, I wil you telle, Of wondres I may you spelle, explain That othere tokne that com there than That shewen amonge the Jewes gan.line1005 There weren gadred on a foest, feast Alle the Jewes, lest and mest, least and greatest That richest weren of that cité, And also fele of the cuntré, For at morne whan thai arise,fol. 2vb Thai duden her Goddes sacrifise,line1011 So that nothing shulde hem greve. So bifel hem as thai bileve For the pride that thai were inne And encombred weren of senne, sinline1015 At that fest aross swiche stryf strife That uche slough other with his knyf; Thritti thousande there weren sleyn, And that made many a Jew unfeyn. unhappy The thridd tokne next was this,line1020 Agenis kynde it fel, iwys, nature To the temple an helefer was broughth, heifer That to sacrifice was soughth And sodeynlich amonges hem alle, suddenly Er men wyst, it gan doun falle. knewline1025 There com out of the beestes wombe, In the stede of a calf, a lombe. place lamb That abaissht alle that there stood, perplexed So that thai weren alle wel neigh wood. insane The furthe tokne fel on a nyghthline1030 In the temple was swiche lighth such light That alle the Jewes that it say saw Wendeth it had ben lighth of day, Thought On Paske Day withinne the nigth It was the nynthe houre ful rigth. 3:00pm, the office of Nones (ninth hour after dawn)line1035 As ich rede of this cas This the fyfte tokne was: Anothere nighth fel at cokkes crowe (i.e., dawn) That alle the gatus gunne up blowe, gates blow That weren of yren ysperred fast lockedline1040 With suche a dyne that thai upbrast. din burst open Thorough the toun was swiche a dyne So that thai wenden that weren thereinne That her toun wal was fallen adoune That enclosed al tho toune.line1045 Tha sexte token was thai herden a cry sixth In the temple al on hygh Thai seide “go we hethen, go we hethen.” hence Alle thai it herd and noughth ne seighen. and saw nothing It was upon the Witsoneeday Whitsunday (Pentecost)line1050 Withinne the even, tellen I may; evening The preestes comen the temple unto Als thai weren ywoned to do, accustomed For to don her servise, Bot ful sone thai gonnen agrise; trembleline1055 For the cry that was bifore Thai flowen out alle that there wore. fled were The seventhe tokne after that cry Thai seighen a sterre lighth in the sky, Shapen als a swerd it henge, Shaped like hungline1060 The poynt doun righth as a strenge. like a string So it henge til it was daye That al the cité wel it saye; saw And so it honge there als yere And alway it semed yliche nere.fol. 3ra The eightteth tokne sithen there kem then there cameline1066 Over the cité of Jerusalem; Thai seighen in tho ayre hem above air Men on hors yarmed hove Armed men on horseback suspended in the air That sumtyme faughtte and sumtyme rest.line1070 What thai bitokned often thai kest; pondered Thai reden it tokneth werre stronge, serious war Manqualme oither hunger stronge. Plague famine Thai seiden sother than thai wende, truer knew Yut thoughtten thai noughth hem to amende.line1075 Hadden thai thoo turned to penaunce, Thai hadden ben from the vengeaunce. would have avoided The nynthe tokne after this, Ye shullen heren whiche it is, Chares and waynes also thai say Chariots wagons sawline1080 Comande in cloudes hem thoughtten ay; Coming Righth now thai alle it sowe, saw And or thai wist, away was blowe. The tenthe tokne was the last That made the Jewes sore agast:line1085 The fierthe yer ar the sege bigan, fourth before Of Jude there was borne a man Judea On James, Ananias sone, One For alle the Jewes he nolde shone. would not fear Ones on a Wytsonenday,line1090 Whan Jewes weren gadred in her lay, according to their religion For to maken joye mest great As bifel to the heighe fest, He stood up amonges hem alle And on this werlde he gan loud calle: worldline1095 “From est and overe al this worlde, South and north ich have herd, Fro the foure wyndes a voys kem voice came Upon the cité of Jerusalem, And on oure temple for grete synne,line1100 And on the poeple that were thereinne. Me thenkith that it bitokne may Us wil befalle a grete affray. attack Come whan it come shal, Ful sore I drede me of that fal! destructionline1105 Thus met me by a visioun dreamed That shal bifalle on this toun.” The Jewes token hym for this And beten hym and bounden hard, iwys. forcefully Biforne Pilate thai broughten this manline1110 And as he seide er, so seide he than. And thoo thai beten hym fele at ones, many at once That mon mightten seen his naked bones, people (men) Natheles he cryed for al this cas, “Jerusalem, allas, allas!”line1115 Of this mighth hym no man stynte stopped For betynge, thretynge, ne for dynte, beating, threatening, nor for striking Bot seide alwayes thus onon. And than thai suffred hym alle to gon, For they ne might hym noght at holde,fol. 3rb Bot alway seide as he arst tolde. firstline1121 Of thise toknes hadden thai non awghe awe Bot meynted forth her fals lawghe. upheld Of her synne thai nolden biknowe confess What so evere that thai sowe, sawline1125 In toun in felde oither in place, For thai hadden no better grace: Natheles her lawghe gan blynne cease And the niwe lawghe to bigynne. new Thoo Jhesus on rode his hede doun leide At that time on the crossline1130 And “consummatum est” seide; It is finished (Latin) This tokned “The elde lawghe is went, And the niwe I have you sent, And my purpose is broughth to ende, For man that is my dere frende.”line1135 Her owen bokes witnesseth this; Thai weren the more to blamen, iwis, For alle thinges that weren don, Pilate dude hem writen onon, And that was sithen agenis her kyndeline1140 As men in the storie fynde. Whan Seint Eleyne the croice fonde Helen cross Sithen in that ilche londe same land Longe ageins hir thai it forsook Til she overcom hem by her book.line1145 Whan God alle thise toknes sent, Yut nolden thai noughth hem repent, Ne ones of mercy hym bisoughth For that thai hym to deth broughth. Thai that willen no mercy craveline1150 Aren non worthi for to have. Thai duden folye to hurtlen with hym fight against That kepeth soule, liif, and lym; protects soul, life, and limb The erthen vessel ne lasteth noughth earthen To hurtlen with that of metal is wroughth.line1155 No more may mannes kende figth mankind Ageins the power of God almighth.

Lete we now the Jewes duelle; Here gynneth her wreche for to telle. vengeance Jhesus a messagere hath sentline1160 That swithe upon his erande wente swiftly To the kyng, Sir Vaspasian, That was a swithe noble man, very And in meselrie so depe hym cast leprosy That body and face foule to-brast burst stinkinglyline1165 And in his nose a cankre smoot tumor afflicted him That bothe his lyppes al to boot; stung And for no cost that he couthe bye He seighe non other bote bot dye. remedy but death Natheles in his nose woreline1170 Waspes sithen that he was bore; Wasps born Out of the holes thai hem fedden, Hevedes and wenges out thai spredden, Heads and wingsfol. 3va And of thise waspes thai cleped hym thus — His righth name Vaspasianus,line1175 For thoo was no name given Tyl men seighen the childe shulde lyven. Of thise waspes his name he took As we fyndeth ywriten in book. Swiche meselrie God hym sentline1180 That al his body it overwent; covered Fole yeres so on hym it left, Many years Tyl Jhesus wolde it were hym reft. taken from For yee witen ful wel alle Of alle thinges that shulden bifalle,line1185 Fro the bigynnyng to the dome, judgment He hath sette whan thai shullen come appointed In werkes, in wedres, in al kynde, weather Thorough holy wrytt as men fynde. The resoun I you telle canline1190 Whi God sent this on this man: God dooth nothing withouten skyl, reason Who so understonde it wil. Righth als the Jewes with fals red counsel Duden hym that is God to dedline1195 Of hevene, erthe, and of helle And weldeth alle that thereinne duelle, rules As God is lorde of alle thinges So is the emperour kyng of kynges, And alle londes thorough resounline1200 Ben at his subjeccioun. Forthi by skyl it was kest Therefore To wreken Jhesu bicom hym best it suited him The grettest lorde in erthe righth Bycom to wreken God almighth, It was properline1205 And so he dude faire and wel I shal you shewe uche a del. Yut had he noughth the empire in honde Bot after sone thorough Goddes sonde. sending The yvel was on hym so rank foulline1210 That on his folk so foule he stank; Fro amonge his men he fleigh, fled And helde his chaumbre biside neigh. near beside Unnethe hise men for the stynk Scarcely Mightten hym brynge mete or drynk;line1215 With a viis thai tourned in his mete winch Whan he shulde any ete. And thus in his bed he lay That he ne mighth out nyghth ne day, To the tyme come atte last Untilline1220 That Jesus Crist hym wolde out cast. Alle yvels comen of Goddes sonde, illnesses And so dude his, ich understonde.

Also the sept sages us tellen seven sages That clerkes in the storie spellenline1225 Whan Jhesus dyed amonges us Was emperour Sir Thiberius; Tiberius Of doughttynesse he had the fame, braveryfol. 3vb And therfore men writen his name. For in his tyme Jhesus dyed,line1230 As men it han wel aspyed. In the tyme of his eighttende yere eighteenth Jesus Crist took his deth here. Of Rome he bare the dignité; Thre and thritty yere regned he. reignedline1235 In his tyme the Jewes sent A lettre endited by on assent; written Thereinne thai biwrayed Sir Pilate, accused His grete pride to abate, destroy For hem thoughth in werk and sawghe deeds wordsline1240 That he trespassed ageins the lawghe. Of his mysberyng thai writen thus misconduct To the emperour Sir Thiberius: That he gaf conseil ageins the pes To slen the childer giltles, To slay the guiltless childrenline1245 And in the temple with grete rages madness Of fals goddes set up ymages, idols And of her temple the tresore That was of offryng the store offerings Withouten her aller assent all of theirline1250 In his owen nedes it spent. He made a conduyt merveillous conduit With pipe comande into his hous, coming And othere fele wicked outrages many wicked excesses He dude ageins her usages. customsline1255 And thorough this sonde and this pleynt message complaint In thise defautes he was ateynt defects convicted And was jugged to the exile For his trespas that was so vile. Of this Pilate herd telle,line1260 And that he mighth noughth there duelle; He ordeyned a riche present, arranged And with his lettre he hath it sent That was endited fel and hard, shrewdly and forcefully As yee mowen here afterward.

line1265 After hym regned Sir Gayus, And after hym Sir Claudyus, And sithen Nero, the cursed soule, then That slough bothe Peter and Poule, And after hym com Sir Vaspasyanline1270 That was an honourable man. God graunted hym thorough his sonde To wreken his deth with his honde; Of Galice and Gascoyne the kyngdome Galatia Gascony Was his ar he come to Rome, beforeline1275 And yut the storye telleth me thus, He had a son that highth Titus. In the cité of Burdeux on a day, Bordeaux Titus out at a wyndow lay, And as he loked in the strem, waterline1280 A shipp there com from Jerusalem. He sen where that the shipp went In the cee as Crist it sent; seafol. 4ra Anon he sent a messagere To come to hym that thereinne were.line1285 The maister com bifore his kne; (ship’s) master “Felawe,” quoth Titus, “wel thee be! Felawe,” he seide, “what hattestou? are you called And fro whethen comestou now?” from what place “Sir,” he seide, “I hatte Nathaan;line1290 Of Jude I am a borne man. Judea Leve sir,” he seide, “telleth me Dear Yif I now at Rome be.” “Nay,” quoth Titus, “withouten ensoyne; without delay This is Burdeaux in Gascoyne!line1295 From hethen to Rome, forsothe to seye, hence Men it holde a wel fer weye! Have ydo and telle me sone, What hastou at Rome to done?” “Sir, thider me sent Sir Pilate;line1300 A wynde me hath dryven another gate. path To Tiberius is his sonde, message To beren hym trowage of oure londe.” “Felawe,” he seide, “Tiberius is ded; There have ben two sithen in his stede.line1305 Natheles, my leve frende Nathaan, I shal do brynge thee to that man. Upon myne costagus I schal fonde At my expense That hath the empire in his honde. For us, I hope, and oure lettre,line1310 Thou shalt spede wel the bettre, fare In a covenaunt thou showe me an agreement Hou my fader migth hole be, whole (i.e., healed) Of a sekenesse that hym greveth; For we hopen here and bilevethline1315 That men that in the contré wonen go Of al maner yvel thai connen, all kinds of evil Oither with gras, oither with ston, herb stone And othere medicynes many on.” medicines “Sir,” he seide, “I am no leche, physicianline1320 Bot of on I can you teche, That highth Jhesus of Nazareth; The Jewes duden hym to the deth.” He tolde hym the despyt, aplighth harm, in faith That Jhesus tholed with unrighth: executedline1325 He was a prophete over alle, He seide alwayes as sooth is falle, as truly as it happens He clensed men of yvel and synne, purified With his word that bileved herinne; He arered Lazar the knighth, raised Lazarusline1330 That foure dayes lay yplighth. in danger Al he tolde hym of Jhesus dede, As men in the Godspell rede, And of his deth and his uprist; upraising And of his apostles that he wist; knewline1335 And hou the Holy Gost he hem sent After that fourty dayes weren went; “Ten and sexty langages I herdfol. 4rb That thai of her maister lerd, learned And bad hem gon into every londe,line1340 To prechen his name thorough his sonde. message Of alle yvels he gaf hem mighth, To helen the seke that bileved arighth, And tho that wil noughth to hem wende, Shulden ben lorne withouten ende. lostline1345 I woot wel fele of hem lyven, many In what londe so thai ben dryven, driven to And I am siker and bileve certain Non yvel shal thi fader greve That yif he wil bileven arighthline1350 I dar bihote hym hele, aplighth.” promise health, in faith His fader stiward Velocyan, steward That was a wel crafty man, Stood and herd her wordes alle, And fayn he wolde it mighth bifalle. gladlyline1355 Thai took and gaven hym his mede reward And to the emperour dude hym lede, Sir Nero that was a cursed man That slough hymselven sone than. Tho he had hymself ysleyn,line1360 The court of Rome was ful feyn. glad Onon thai chosen Vaspasian To ben her emperoure than, For the noblest man of the worlde, And heighest of blood, as yee han herd. highest rankingline1365 After that Nathaan was comen and gon, It was two yer er it were don Thus fel it hym for this wonder cas Righth as God wolde, so it was. Bot alle that knewen hym more and lesseline1370 Maden grete mon for his sekenesse, moan In aventure yif he shulde amende In case improve His empire for to defende, Bot thai hoped and wel thai kest, knew His son shulde don it atte best.line1375 Nathaan com to the emperoure; He shewed his nedes with honoure, He broughth hym trowage of fele yere many And Pilates letter, as yee mowen here:

“Sire, I grete thee also my frende. asline1380 Understonde that I thee sende, I have perceyved and proved wel Of Cristes deth uche a del, every bit What wondres han siththe bifalle since In Jerusalem among us alle.line1385 The elde Jewes kynde bihighth Jewish people promised That Crist shulde to the erthe alighth descend Into a mayden of her kynde, As we in oure bokes fynde That of a mayden he shulde be borneline1390 That the poeple ne were noughth lorne, And seide he shulde be kyng of hem And of alle her barnetem. offspringfol. 4va And so he com als thai sede; Ageins hym alle thai gonne plede argueline1395 The prophecies whan he seide hem to, As her elders hadden do. And for he withtook hem in her lawghe opposed Thai wraththed hem sore with his sawghe; angered Al that he seide thai token in vayn,line1400 Thus thai helden longe hym agayn, for a long time So that thai token hym atte last And beten hym and bounden hym fast, And comen and delyvered hym to me And demed hym to hangen on tree. judgedline1405 And agein hem ne durst I be, against them dared Bot yif I shulde of londe fleghe. flee I sat as justise in domes sted; judge I nad no gylt of his ded. had no Riche and povere gaf up the tale,line1410 And maden hym foul, bothe grete and smal. I dradde and loved the communaulté, feared people of the country And durst noughth ageins hem be; And though I fonde in hym no gylt Wharfore that he shulde ben spylt,line1415 In my pretorye, in my mete halle, praetorium dining hall The princes of the Jewes alle There thai gaven hym the dome. That tyme I wolde it had ben come For he dude non othere wik, evilline1420 Bot shewed wordes fele and thik, many and great Doumbe to speken, blynde to seen, Deef to heren, fendes to fleen demons drive away Fro wood men many on, mad And croked men also to gon crippled walkline1425 And fele miracles dude that man, Wel mo than I telle can. Wharfore, sir, by no resoun Haveth me in no suspecioun, That it was in none othere waye,line1430 What so evere the Jewes saye. For peraventure it may so be perhaps That thai wolden put this werke on me. And forthi sir, leveth hem noughth: It was her dede and her thoughth beliefline1435 It was her ded and nought myn! That wil I prove by al her kyn. Thai buriyed hym and did hym kepe guard With her knighttes that felen on slepe; On the thrid day he aroos,line1440 Almightty God among his foos. enemies The knightes comen hem onon And seiden he was arisen and gon; Thai gaven the knighttes mede thoo reward To saien that he was stolen hem froo,line1445 And thai ne mightten hem nougth withholde restrain Where thai comen that thai ne tolden Al the sothe and al the cas truthfol. 4vb Of the prophete als it was. I have done writen gret and smal,line1450 What this matere touches al, All that pertains to this matter So that of hym the storye Evere may last in memorie. Holdeth me excused, sir, herby, therefore For any tale, for any cry.”line1455 He was nevere the bettre excused than Ageins God ne ageins man, For his feith was al in wynde (i.e., in transitory things) And noughth in herte ne in mynde. He ne mighth excuse hym in none wiseline1460 Of that ilche fals juwyse, same false sentence For many faire myracles he say saw And hymself witnesseth ay; And Joseph hym warned of Aramathie And Nichodemus with curtesie,line1465 And so dude Centurio, Fele othere men and wymmen also, Many That al that Jhesus dude uche del, It was treuly don and wel. Natheles he took al to lighth all too lightlyline1470 That he shulde ben God almighth. He was warned also by his wyf, That he ne raste Jhesu his liif; take So bad hir the fende in a visioun, For to have letted Jhesus Passioun; hinderedline1475 Fende and man bothe God blent, blinded So that the prophecie forth went. Wostou whi he dude so? Do you know For that his deth shoulde forth goo: Elles the fende wolde have had alleline1480 That hadden ben in synne falle, Bot Jhesus er the deth wolde chese rather choose Than he shulde mannes soule lese. lose

And any man be that noughth hath herd Hou Pilate com into this word worldline1485 It was a kyng that highth Tyrus Of Spayne, ich understonde thus; A millers doughtter of his londe He knouleched, ich understonde. had intercourse with She highth Pila, her fader Atus;line1490 Her son was sithen merveillous. peculiar Pilatus thai cleped hym thoo, After hem bothe two. The kyng on his wiif dere Gate a son the self yere; Begat sameline1495 This Pila sithen broughth hem her sone With his fader the kyng to wone. live Thise children weren togedre longe Til thai weren bigge and stronge. In alle dedes thorough kynde, natureline1500 Pilate was alway byhynde, inferior And that agreved Pilate sore, And prively he slough hym therfore. secretly slewfol. 5ra The kyng it herd, sorough he made; To slen Pilate his men hym bade.line1505 The kyng wolde noughth don her rede, advice Bot sente Pilate on another stede, to another place For he shulde by lawghe and by dome law and judgment Uche yer a childe sende to Rome. Than thoughth the kyng, “by this sondeline1510 May I best delyver myne honde.” pledge In trowage he hym sent for this chaunce, And for trowage the kyng of Fraunce To Rome also sent his sone, And he and Pilate togedres wone.line1515 The kynges son was mychel praised, Ye, more than Pilate, and upreised raised up For gentyle thewes and curteisie, manners And Pilate had of this envie. In pryvé stede togedres thai drough, secret place cameline1520 And there the kynges son he slough. The Romaynes token her conseil thoo Romans What thai mightten with hym do; Biforne he slough his owen brother, And now he hath sleyn another.line1525 On there spaak of th’assemblé: “Wicked and fel man he wil be; evil He wil be mody man of thewes, a man of cruel manners For to adaunte felle shrewes; conquer many rogues For he hath don to deeth tweyneline1530 He were worthi to dye in peyne. Ne can I given no better rede advice Bot senden hym on another stede, Into Pounthes, the wicked ylde, Pontius isle To abaten his blood that is so wilde,line1535 And for to kepe that wicked cuntré. The folk is fel and so is he; Oither he shal hem overcome, Or he shal be sone ynome. taken And there hym may so ben yoldeline1540 The pyne that he to sholde.” Thai senten hym with commissioun authority To holde that ylde in his baundoun, power And what with paynes and with giftes, Al that ylde to wille he shiftes;line1545 And so he dude her pride abate That men clepen hym Pounthes Pilate. He was kyd so queynte with pride known to be crafty Thorough that ylde on every side, That men dredden fer and nereline1550 For to comen in his daungere. dominion Thoo Heroudes herd of Pilate this fame, And of his queyntise and of his name, craftiness He sent hym giftes and messagers And praied hym to ben with hym chers; friendlyline1555 And Pilate onon to hym kem came And he hym made keper of Jerusalem, protector And als justise of al that cuntréfol. 5rb That men clepeth now Judé. Judea He peyned hym longe with hym to duelle, occupied himselfline1560 For that thai weren bothe felle. evil Bot Pilate wexe so riche than Of the tresore that he wan, And for thai ne parted her wynyng bothe, divided Therfore Heroudes was with hym wrothe;line1565 And so thai lyveden in yre and onde, anger and spite Til Crist com thorough his holy sonde And was taken and to Heroudes went As Pilate hym thider sent, And thus thai weren bothe dere fierceline1570 As yee mowen in the Passioun here. Every man that lyveth in hate May be likned to sir Pilate, compared That wesshe his handes and noughth his herte, washed That dude hym sithen sore to smerte.line1575 Yut smerteth noughth Pilate alone, injured him Bot the Jewes everychone, For thai baden his blood shulde falle On hem and on her children alle. I shal you shewen it is sooth,line1580 For everyche Fryday so it dooth, A floure of blood cometh hem on menstrual blood And holdeth hem til the day be gon, And namelich on the Gode Friday especially Wel harder than thai han it ayline1585 Or than thai han it thorough the yere For that day ne dar thai noughth out stere. proceed Bot whan thai taken oure Cristes lawghe, take our Christ’s law (e.g., convert) That yvel bygynneth to withdrawghe. That yvel shal no more hem greve,line1590 So longe as thai wel bileve, By this tokne ben thai clene: Thus is a faire myracle I wene. For alle that wilten hym mercy crave, He is so ful that thai shullen have.line1595 And also mighth sithen Sir Pilate, Bot he bood to longe and bad to late, remained asked And therfore he aboughth it dere, paid dearly for it Als yee shullen herafter here. God com to seken that was forlorne lostline1600 And to gadre thoo that to-dreved worne. were driven away

Lucifer first and sithen Adam Maden that he to erthe cam, For he wolde thorough his grace Fulfillen agein that empty placeline1605 From thethen that the aungels felle thence Into the deppest pytt of helle. Forthi Adam and al his kynde He wolde have thider, as we fynde, For to beren hym compaignye;line1610 And this gile God gan sone aspye, trick discover And for that he fonde non of us than For this, siker, he bicom man certainlyfol. 5va And dyed on the Rode tre, Rood (i.e., the Cross) For to maken us alle fre.line1615 And sithen he roos and helle brast, and hell burst And his owen out he cast And ledde hem to the joye thoo. In helle I hope ne comen no mo Bot gostes that ay kepen that stede, soulsline1620 And thai that duden hym to dede. Here mowe we seen God ys howre frende: our Agein to the story will we now wende. Back go

Tho Nathaan had his erande ydo, “Sire,” he seide, “giveth me leve to goo.line1625 The day is gon, sooth to seyn, past, truth to say That I shulde have ben at home ageyn. I have so ben letted by the waye hindered That I noot what me is best to saye.” do not know Thoo seide Nero, “Drede thee no del,line1630 I shal excuse thee fair and wel.” In his lettre he dude to write To witnesse Nathaan and aquyte acquit Of al that fel sithen he out went, happened And of the tresore that Pilate sentline1635 He gaf hym giftes grete also, And therwith leve for to go. Now wendeth hom Nathaan; Now hereth of sir Vaspasyan.

Sithen bithoughth hym Velosyanline1640 What Tytus had herd of Nathaan; Of his lorde he had grete care distress And sore byment his yvel fare. lamented painful condition Biforne his lorde he gan doune falle And tolde hym Nathaans wordes alle;line1645 Titus upon a day and he Reherced this as yee mowen see, Reported For reuthe of hym sore he grete pity cried And seide he wolde his bales bete remedy his misfortunes Though he shulde of his body takeline1650 Yif he wyst his pynes to slake: relieve “For liif ne deth ne wolde I lette life nor death To wenden ful fer thi bete to fette, To go full far to fetch your cure For Titus and I this othere day Herden wordes to oure pay. satisfactionline1655 Sir, hereth me, I wil you telle What in Cesars tyme bifelle. There was a prophete in Judé That preched in al that cuntré; Of alle sekenesses the poeple he heledline1660 And thus the Jewes with hym deled: dealt with him He ne dude bot grete curteisye, And toward hym thai hadden envie. His oo deciple his traitour was, A wicked theef that highth Judas, was calledline1665 His maister to the Jewes he solde, For thritty pens that thai hym tolde; thirty pence (i.e., thirty pieces of silver) paid That ilche theef hymself henge samefol. 5vb Upon a tre with a strenge, rope His grace was no better to spede,line1670 For he dude that wicked dede. And than the Jewes with falonus red wicked advice Duden that gode man to the ded Biforne the shrewe Sir Pilate, villain A false traitour al for hate,line1675 With wronge al at one voice Nailed hym fast upon a croice; cross He dyed and roos the thrid day. That deth we mowen riwen ay! regret forever Yif he had lyved and forth went,line1680 Yut mightten we for hym have sent; Thorough hym thou migth hole have be, Loketh here now, sir, grete pyté. Sir, was noughth Pilate to blame, That dude hym giltles al this shame?line1685 This prophete that thai duden to deth Highth Jesus of Nazareth, And al this nighth me met a drem I had That I was at Jerusalem; Me thoughth I stood, wel witterly, clearlyline1690 Bisydes the temple of Kyng Davy, David And there bothe I herd and say Fele thinges to my pay. Many pleasure And sir, yif yee willen don after me, I schal wenden to that cité,line1695 And brynge you tidyng, yif that I can news Any thing heren of that man, And yif oughth of hym migth ben founde, anything That migth make you hool and sounde. And ek also speken I woldeline1700 With Sir Pilate, that traitour bolde, For he is shirreve and longe hath ybe governor Of Jerusalem that riche cité And yif he aske whennes I come, from where I shal telle hym I com fro Rome,line1705 Fro Vaspasyan that hath power Of Rome and is Neroes viker. deputy And yif he aske after Nero oughth, at all Yif he be seek or doune ybroughth, sick I schal seie nay, bot he graunted thee lateline1710 To ansuere for hym and for his state. Thorough the prophetes help yut may it be so That we mowen seen thee comen therto. To knowe Pilate, sir, have I thoughth, That I ne faile of hym noughth,line1715 So that we mowen on of thise dawghes one days Yelden hym alle his false lawghes. Punish him for I wil seie he holdeth of you despytt, disdain Sithen he dooth you no profiit; benefit (income) Als men in registré fynde public registerline1720 Of longe tyme it is byhynde, late And that wil be a grete raunsoun sum of money That wil come of swiche a toun.fol. 6ra I wil wende to heren hym seyne Whi he heldeth of you disdeyne. holds you in contemptline1725 Gladnesse in herte ne gete I non, Til that I be comen and gon. Me liketh wel this waie fulfille. Seie me sir, what is thi wille?”

Than seide Vaspasian hym to,line1730 “I praie thee goo and do righth so, And hyghe thee swithe with al thi mayne; go quickly troop I be noughth glad til thou come agayne. And loke that thou no tresore spele, fail to use To have sum craft that mighth me hele; healline1735 For to have myne hele given I wolde health More perré and more golde jewels And more tresore than I can telle, So sore I smerte and foule smelle. hurt And therfore, for love of me,line1740 Highe thee swithe to that cité.” Go quickly The stiward dighth hym as the hende; like a gentleman To Jerusalem he gan hym wende. So fel hym aventure fair and wel befell After his sweven every del; dreamline1745 His in was taken fast by lodging was taken Nexte the temple of Kyng Davy. Near The lorde of the in Jacob highth; inn He was a Jew, bot I thee plighth, I promise you He was a pryvé Cristen man. secretline1750 Ful faire he grette Velosyan. Jacob asked hym whennes he com And what he soughth there and whom. “Jacob,” seide sire Velosyan, “I am with Sir Vaspasian.line1755 Galice and Gascoyne he hath in honde; Fro hym I come in to this londe, For he hath an yvel stronge a great evil (e.g., an illness) That hath holden hym ful longe. He ne roughth nevere what he gave He does not care what the costline1760 So that he mighth his hele have. It was tolde bothe hym and me That on was ded in this contré, A noble prophete that highth Jhesu Thorough Sir Pilate and thorough youline1765 That heled alle seke and sore In this cuntré everywhore. And now yif he were unsleyn alive My lorde of hym wolde be ful feyn. glad Now, sir, I praie thee, seie me this,line1770 Yif any thing be left of his, And what it is and in whiche stede, And thou shalt have riche mede.” reward Than seide Jacob the gode man, “Yee beeth welcome, sir Velosyan.line1775 Ful wel I shal conseile thee, advise Bot loke thou that it conseil be; Yus hardilich er wolde I deye assuredly I would die beforefol. 6rb Than I to any man shulde thee wreye.” expose Jacob seide, “Now am I glad!line1780 It is ful longe that I it bad, prayed That I shulde the tyme here That Jhesus deth venged were; And yut I hope shal come the day That I therof heren may.line1785 Yut hope I thorough thi lorde and thee That I shal that tyme ysee. Now hereth a wonder merveillous I telle that is amonges us: A fole, sir, walketh in this toun foolline1790 Al day with children up and doun. He seith wel often upon his game in his revelry That this toun shal goo to shame, And the more wo dreden hym alle, For als he seith ful often is falle. For it often happens as he saysline1795 Sir, I wil tellen thee also I can as I understand (it) Hou Jhesus dyed, the gude man, Als I seigh it with myne eighen, my eyes Hou thai duden Jhesu to dyen. Thai bounden hym and beten als a theef like a thiefline1800 Al a nigth in paynes greef, great pains And on the morowen with oo voice Thai nailed hym fast upon the croice; He dyed and roos the thrid day Out of the grave there he lay.line1805 Marie my doughtter, I telle thee, Was on of the Maries three That to Jhesus toumbe went With boistes ful of oynement jars salve To have alithed his body with soothed (anointed)line1810 There he was sore in lyme and lith. limb and joint And yif thi lorde leve hym upon, will believe I dar warante hym hele onon, guarantee And he wolde to his feith hym swere Litel while shal his yvel hym dere. tormentline1815 Trowe yee, sir, he wil don so?” Do you think “Nay,” quoth that othere, “I trowe noughth so, Er he wolde ben ded and grave, buried Bot yif he wist his hele to have So that he mighth have his hele sone,line1820 He ne roughth what men duden hym to done.” He does not care order Than spaak Jacob the gode man To the stiward Velosyan: “Sir,” he seide, “I knowe a wyf, woman A curteis lefdy of clene lyf, lady virtuous livingline1825 I hope she be my grete frende; I shal tomorne for hir sende, And under hir and under me under her care and mine We shullen so conseillen thee That thine nedes shullen ben spedline1830 And than thar thee no more ben dred.” then you need Whan the stiward this herd, With mychel joye al nighth he ferd, faredfol. 6va And he seide to Jacob onon, “Tomorowe thou most with me gon,line1835 And lede me to Sir Pilate. I hope we shullen his pride abate. My lorde me hath to hym ysent To fecchen of hym Neroes rent.” fetch income “Sir,” seide Jacob, “per ma fay, by my faithline1840 I graunte wel tomorowe day.” On morne hym roos the gode knighth, Pryvelich and wel adighth, dressed And he and Jacob bothe two To the synagoge gonnen go,line1845 That there was by that dawghe at that time The chirche of the Jewes lawghe. Sir Pilate thai founden there That stood his servise for to here, And al abouten hym enviroun surroundingline1850 There stoden the grettest of the toun. Jacob drough hym out of the waye drew himself To heren hem bothe what thai saye. Sir Velosyan forth sprong bounded Upon his stede styf and strong, mightyline1855 Bot doun wolde he noughth alighth Tyle he com to Pilate righth. “Sir,” he seide, “Wel thee be! My lorde thee greteth wel by me, The kyng of Galicé, Vaspasyan,line1860 He holdeth thee as for his man Under hym thou kepest this cité, I understonde thi lorde is he; Al the trowage is byhynde late Of his tyme as we fynde,line1865 And that wil be a grete raunsoun great sum That shulde come of swiche a toun. And therfore gladly witen I wolde Whi thou hast his righth withholde. I rede yif yee willen ben his frende, suggestline1870 By me the trowage that yee hym sende, For bot he it have, he wil it fette; fetch Thou no non ne shal hym lette. You nor anyone else prevent Have ydo and ansuere me onon, For homward I most gon.”line1875 “What,” quoth Pilate, “Is Nero ded? Hou longe hath he had the lordehed?” lordship “Sir, he is bicomen his lieutenaunt, And that I dar wel waraunt; And yif thou wilt noughth leven me, believeline1880 Yut sumday thou shalt hym see And asken yif thou wilt ben aknowe well acknowledge Of the trowage thou shuldest hym owe.” “Mafay,” quoth Pilate, “thou seist amys! My faith said Were it so, I had wist er this.”line1885 Thys seide Velosyan tharwhile Sir Pilate for to bigyle, trick That he ne shulde anothere throwe at another timefol. 6vb Failen his visage for to knowe. face I hote thee he dude this viage I assure you journeyline1890 To knowen Sir Pilates visage; He forgate hym never a deel, not a bit So he took his merk wel. Pilate stared as he were wood Upon Velosyan there he stood.line1895 “What,” he seide, “have I no man? This knighth is comen me to slan! slay Helpeth that I venged were On this theef that hoveth here.” waits Than spaak a knighth that highth Barabas,line1900 That out of prisoun delyvered was That ilk tyme that Jhesus dyed, same Forth he stirte and loude cryed. He sprung forth “Sir,” he seide, “this knighth is one; It were shame to us uchoneline1905 To done hym any vilenye, For I hote thee he nys no spye. spy He semeth to ben a doughtty knighth, excellent For he seith his erande arighth. Bot be thou of hardy chere, resoluteline1910 For thou art most maister here. Vaspasyan drede thu no thyng, For we shullen make thee oure kyng, you (Pilate) And yif he come thee oughth to lette, to hinder you any I hope rigth wel he shal be mette, confrontedline1915 And er he have of us maistrie control He it shal wel dere abye! suffer (pay for) And lete we now this gode man go, And grete hym wel and seie hym so.” Velosyan grette thoo alle that there stood,line1920 And out he sprong as he were wood; as if he were mad Unto his in he com ful righth And of his stede doune he lighth. horse Thoo Jacob seigh hym lighth adoune, He com to hym as was resoune reasonableline1925 And seide, “Sir, welcome hiderward!” to this place “Ye, Jacob,” he seide, “I am passed hard, escaped with difficulty Bot now I woot that I hym knowe; Wel I holde bisett this throwe. I consider this time well spent Whan tyme cometh I hope I canline1930 Knowe hym from anothere man.” “Sir,” seide Jacob, “I have seen Hou yee han agreved ben, And Jhesus ne lete me nevere dye This despiit er he abye. despiteline1935 Ac sir be now glad, I praye thee, But And welcome be thou now to me; Conforte thee now and drede thee noughth, That I thee higth I have thee broughth. Sire, take dame Veroyne here, Veronicaline1940 She oweth wel to ben thee dere, ought For she wil shewe thee every dele Hou thi lorde shal have his hele.fol. 7ra Pilate hateth hir and me, For we have longe frendes ybe;line1945 Whan she is agreved, she cometh me to, And I wende to hir also, go For we ben Cristen pryvely And on us long he hath aspye, And he has long spied on us And so weneth he witterly hopes cleverlyline1950 For to done us vileny.” Thoo eten thai and maden glade; The stiward mychel joye made For he hath this womman founde. Thai souped togedre that stounde, dinedline1955 And after he shewed hir his cas Of his lorde hou it was And seide, “Jacob, I praie thee That this lefdy goo with me Unto my lorde seek and sore,line1960 I wil hir geve grete tresore.” “Yys sir,” seide Jacob thoo, “I praie hir that she with thee goo. I hope yee wil hir savely lede, safely And also wel ye don hir mede.” reward herline1965 Than seide Velosyan hym to, “Al that she wil shal ben ydo. Dame,” he seide, “I praie thee That thou graunte to goo with me, consent And seie me also sum dele in some partline1970 How my lorde may have his hele.” “Sir,” she seide, “drede thoo noughth, For therto shal it wel be broughth, Also fer forth also we conne, Yif he wil leven on Goddes sone,line1975 As Jhesus Crist heled me, In the londe of Galilé. With a flixa I was ysmyten, flux (dysentery) struck As Jacob and othere wel it witen; Jhesu Crist I loved and dradde,line1980 And therfore myne hele I hadde. The yvel lasted longe, me thoughth; To speke with Jhesu hider I soughth And whan that I to toune come, Than hadden the Jewes hym ynome. takenline1985 Thoo I this herd, it was me looth; I did not wish it Onon I took a piece of clooth, Toward a peyntour I thoughth to gon, painter To peynten his ymage there upon That I mighth uche day it seenline1990 And it evere in my mynde to ben; For I wyst I had hym forgoo lost And than was me, sir, wonder woo. And as I toward the peyntour come, I mette my Lorde toward the dome, judgmentline1995 Upon his shulder berande the croice; carrying I cryed to hym with loude voice And seide, ‘Jhesu, me riweth thi pyne, I rue your painfol. 7rb And that I shal thee so sene tyne. And that I shall see you for such a short time I have nede to speken with thee,line2000 Swete Lorde, loke ones on me, For I have loved thee her bifore, Forthi I trost on thee the more.’ A litel bisides yede Marye, went And herde me so loude crye;line2005 Anon fro me this clooth she kipte grabbed And therwith Jhesus face wypte, wiped Jesus’s face So hard swetande than was he sweating For the birden of the tree. burden I siwed after als he yede followed wentline2010 And handled a litel upon his wede. touched clothing I kneled and wepte and kissed his feet; He blissed me and there me lete. left Marie bekened me so gode, beckoned Als she yede under the rode. wentline2015 My clooth she me took and I it kiste — Onon I feled me hoole and triste, secure And in my clooth thorough his grace Left the semblaunt of his face. image In my cofre I have it sperd, chest storedline2020 And sithen the bettre I have ferd, fared And every day I knele therto Als I was woned to Jhesu do, accustomed And evere the more that I it see Muchel the bettre fele I me.line2025 And ay sithen have I duelled here, ever since That hom agein ne wolde I stere. go (i.e., steer) Natheles I wel thee now telle, Here may I noughth longe duelle, For Pilate is my stronge foo; viciousline2030 Me is the lever with thee to goo. I would prefer To fetce the semblaunt wil I gon fetch semblance I shal me dightten and comen onon.” prepare

Velosyan was swithe gladd That he had sped of that he badd: fulfilled what he promisedline2035 “Jacob,” he seide, “here now me, Oo tidyng I wil telle thee. Yif I lyve, Pilate shal abye, pay For that he wolde have don me dye. Yif my lorde be hayl and fere, healthy and soundline2040 Hiderward I shal hym stere, guide And on Pilate he shal be wroken avenged For the wordes that he hath spoken. Wel may he ben shrewe ageins us, a rascal That giltles slough swete Jhesus.line2045 Holde thee covert til thou it see furtively I hote thee wel that it shal be.” “Ye,” quoth Jacob, “Crist leve I may allow that Abiden to seen that ilche day, And also sonde hym hele soneline2050 That the viage mighth be done.” journey “Lorde,” seide Sir Velosyan, “Jacob, wostou yut any man do you knowfol. 7va That is on lyve in this toun alive That was at Jhesuses Passioun?”line2055 “Sir,” seide Jacob, “forsothe, iwys, Many of hem yut on lyve ys. I may seen hem uche daye, Gon byfore me in the waye, And yee willen, I wil for hem sende, Ifline2060 And thai wille telle you word and ende. word and action Her dede willen thai noughth hyde Bot maken therof yelpe and pryde. boast To speken therof thai ben so glad That thai ne ben nevere therof sad.”line2065 “Now Jacob,” seide Sir Velosyan, My swete frende, for hem sende than. I praie thee, sir, that I had herd With Jhesu Crist hou thai ferd.” “Sir,” seide Jacob, “I graunte thee;line2070 Sone onon thou shalt hem see.” He sente pryvely for hem alle, And thai comen into his halle. He welcomed hem and dude hem glade, And gret semblaunt he hem made made them welcomeline2075 And seide, “Lordynges, welcome yee bee, Unto my gest here and to me! guest This is my frende and fayn wolde here gladly Hou Jhesus the prophete dyed here, For that to hym were joye and game,line2080 He migth here tellen of his shame.” And onon thai setten hem doun and lough And weren alle glad ynough. “Sir,” seiden the two, “we hym bounde To a piler of marbel rounde; pillarline2085 There we hym beten and sore hyrte With longe scourges felle and smerte cruel whips Til that he fomed al on blode foamed all bloody And sithen we duden hym on the rode.” Forthe than stirten othere twoo startedline2090 And seiden, “Listneth what we han doo; We hym blenten and buffeted al nighth blindfolded And yut us riweth he had it so lighth! Biforne Pilate we herden hym telle That he mighth oure temple felleline2095 And raisen it on the thridde day, And amonges us we seiden nay. Forwhi we shewed Pilate this pleynt Amonge the Jewes he was ateynt.” convicted And thus thai tolden on and on,line2100 Til thai knowleched everychon acknowledged Al that pyne thai duden hym At one tyme, in everyche lym. Evere satt the stiward to byholde Til al was seide that thai wolde.line2105 “Lordynges,” he seide, “grete and smale, I thanke you of this faire tale That yee have tolde of this man.fol. 7vb I shal rehercen it yif that I can rehearse In another stede hou that it was line2110 There men desiren to heren this cas.” And than weren thai swithe glade For that the gode man swiche joye made; For thai wenden wel to haven ydo, to have done well Michel myrthe thai maden thoo.line2115 Bot I hope that mychel game Turned hem alle sithen to mychel shame! Thai token her leve and wenten away; He thanked hem for her faire playe. “Now,” seide Sir Velosyan,line2120 “Jacob, yut yif that I can, And thou lyve and here duelle, Of thise tales thou shalt here telle; Grete wondres shullen falle and be Amonges the poeple in this cité,line2125 For it was nevere in no stede In alle the storyes that men rede, That wreche ne com of mannes dede And so wil fallen of this in this stede.” “Ye,” quoth Jacob, “Crist yife I may allowline2130 Abide to sen that ilche day! A frend of thee I hope to have.” “Forsothe,” he seide, “Jacob, I shal thee save. Whan tyme cometh thou art in nede, Than oweth men frushippe shewen in dede.” friendship

line2135 Than onon Dame Veroyne com; Thai token her leve and forth thai nom, Ne listen hem stynten, withouten assoyne, They did not wish to linger, without delay Til thai comen into Gascoyne. Velosyan was of hir so gelous protectiveline2140 That he hir ledd into his hous, For there he hoped to eysen hir best accommodate After her travaile hire to rest. journey He went hym also swithe than To his lorde Sir Vaspasyan; line2145 “Sir,” he seide, “be noughth of dred,” afraid For I hope thine nedes ben sped; are successful Have now gladnesse in thine herte, And forgete bothe sorough and smerte. pain I have a womman broughth of the best,line2150 And she is at myne hous to rest. She hath broughth thi bote, ich understonde, remedy Fro Crist that saved alle in londe. Also I spaak, sir, with Pilate So that I knowe hym and his state;line2155 Fro hym I scaped; I am ful feyn, For I had almost ben sleyn. Sir, al is sooth, verrayment, true, truthfully That I tolde you ar I went; For Cristes deth I have out soughthline2160 Of hem that the dede wroughth, Biforne Jacob my gode frende In myne in ar I wolde wende.” inn before I would gofol. 8ra And thus he tolde hym forth arawe in order Al that he there herd or sawe.line2165 Tho the kyng his armes out cast And enbraced hym to hym fast, tightly And kissed hym often mouthe to mothe, And mychel thank he hym couthe; gave “For thise wordes that thou hast me broughth,line2170 Myne herte fast stiren and my thoughth, moves For swiche wonder wordes here biforne Ne herd I nevere sithen I was borne. And leve Y, dye Y, I most prove live die must strive Sumtyme that prophete for to love;line2175 A lorde he semeth ful stedfast, That I so sone to hym am cast. Sithen he dooth alle dedes at wille, And that hym liketh to fulfille. By this it semeth, Velosian,line2180 That he be pereles, that ilche man. peerless Thine wordes I have so in recorde memory That yif I be hool thorough that lorde, I shal hem brynge to confusioun Alle that hym duden swiche passioun.”line2185 “Sir,” quoth Velosian, “haveth no care, For siker I am thou shalt wel fare, And als I hope shal fallen tomorowghe Thou shalt be quyte of thi sorowghe.” free

Amorowen com, the day sprong,line2190 Sir Vaspasyan thoughth wel long; To coroune his son thai weren aboute, crown For of his liif thai weren in doute. Of al the londe thoo that weren best There weren at the kynges fest;line2195 To Titus alle thai duden hem swere That thai shulden hym feuté bere. fealty At that day men mightten see At that fest grete plenté; There was inough of al thing,line2200 As fel to corounyng of a kyng. befit

A stounde nedes I most dwelle, For a short time And of Dame Veroyne I most telle, In hir in she stood and saie In her inn (lodging) saw Seint Clement comen by the waie,line2205 That in that tyme was Pope of Rome And his clerkes with hym gonne come, And by his berynge thoughth she An holy man he mighth be, For wise men drawen to the wyse,line2210 And foles unto the foles gyse. to the fool’s manner She prayed hym in pes and griththe peace and concord That he wolde come and speke hir withthe. He come and satte by hir stille quietly And asked what was hir wille.line2215 “Sir,” she seide, “I praye thee A Cristen man yif thou be; Seie me yif thou be or non.”fol. 8rb “Yis, dame,” he seide, “I am on. one Swiche as I am, witterly,line2220 Seint Petres deciple was I; disciple I siwed hym in to Rome, followed There he suffred ful hard dome. fate Fro Jerusalem I com with hym thider, He and Poule bothe togidre;line2225 Nero was emperour than, And yut he lyveth, that cursed man. He slough hem bothe upon a day, And siththe I have stille duelled ay since then To seen yut yif God wolde sendeline2230 That this folk hem amende. For longe I have praied so, God graunte us to seen thai comen therto. Forthi fro Rome hider I fley, And here I holde me alweyline2235 Yif Nero mighth sone dye Or comen out of his heresye, And that were now for us good, For Vaspasian is next of blood. And yut may it falle als I seye,line2240 For God is ny there thre or tweye near where two Ben gadred or speken in his name, Are gathered And in his worschippe for soules frame.” profit “Ye sir,” seide Dame Verone, As God wil so be it done!line2245 Sir,” she seide, “now am I glad, For I have founden that I bad. Glad am I this ilche stounde That I have thee here yfounde, For Peter and Poule bothe I knew,line2250 That yeden with oure lorde Jhesu Thorough the londe of Judé: Judea There I them knew and thai me. Forthi dere sir, I praie thee That thou woldest my frende be.”line2255 And than she told hym al the cas, circumstances Hou and whi she comen was. “Dame,” he seide, “I wil thee kithe tell That of thi comyng I am blithe. glad I hope thorough Goddes help and thine,line2260 We shullen askapen al oure pyne. No Cristen man now dar hym shewe dares show himself Bot yif he wil ben al to-hewe; cut to pieces Therfore willen we pryvely Speken of God, bothe thou and I.”line2265 “Sir,” she seide, “for this lore, I wil be with thee evermore, To duellen in thi compaignye, Til my lorde wil that I dye.” Thus thai speken of holy wrytte scriptureline2270 Also thai togedre sytte, As That of grete whil litel hem thoughth Fro that thai weren togedre broughth.fol. 8va Than Vaspasyan in his paleys Waited after hem alweys,line2275 Noo wonder thogh hym thoghte longe, it seemed to him His yvel greved hym swithe stronge. affliction He cleped Velosyan onon, “Whan shaltou gon for Dame Verone?” The stiward gooth hom also swithe,line2280 After hir with herte blithe; “Dame,” he seide, “thou and thi fere companion Beeth rigth wel yfounden here. Now dame, thou most comen with me, For my lorde hath sent for thee.”line2285 “Gladly,” she seide, “sir, yif this frende Wil with me to court wende, For he hath power by nighth and day To don and seien that I ne may, And yif we hym with us ledeline2290 I hope the better shullen we spede.” “Sir,” seide Velosyan thoo, “I praie thee that thou with us goo.” Thai risen and comen swithe than Biforne the kyng Sir Vaspasian;line2295 On knees uchone thai hem sette With mychel honoure thai hym grette. greeted “Loo sir,” seide than Velosyan, “Here I brynge thee this womman That I thee highth the bote to brynge; remedyline2300 Worthschipe hire in al thinge! Also this clerk with hir here, That can thee bothe wisse and lere, instruct and teach For Dame Verone here seith Bot thou conne the righth feith, are versed inline2305 Thou shalt nevere be hool arighth Therwhiles thou lyvest, day ne nighth. Yut is thee better to lerne her lawghe Than with this yvel to ben yslawghe.” slain

Sir Vaspasyan for socoure their aidline2310 Welcomed hem with honoure And seide, “Dame, welcome mote thu be, And sir clerk, I praie thee, The righth feith that thou me kenne, teach Here biforne alle thise menne.”line2315 Seint Clement thoo was glad Onon to done als he hym bad. Pes he made onon to be Thorough the grete assemblé. assembly “Lordynges,” he seide, “I you praie,line2320 Listneth now that I shal saie. In hawe hath ben al to longe In an enclosure Cristendom with mychel wronge, And God wil nough that it sprede now Amonges hem that hym loven and drede.line2325 My Lorde God of whom I spelle tell Made hevene and erthe and ek helle, also And al that evere is hem withinnefol. 8vb At hym bigan and at hym shal blynne. end And this is the divisioun separationline2330 Of thre manere habitacioun: dwellings Hevene he made with joye and blis, That evere shal lasten withouten mys, sin There aungels and mannes soule shullen wone dwell Evermore with Goddes sone.line2335 The erthe he made to mannes swynk, labor To tyllen hym clooth, mete, and drynk. earn his Fyve wittes he hath to man given senses To kepen hem while that thai lyven; With eres heren, with eighen seenline2340 Alle that us abouten ben, Nose to smelle swete and soure, This is us a grete honoure; Mouth to chesen with drynk and mete choose Whiche is to taken, which is to lete. leaveline2345 And yut he gaf us felyng also, touch Hondes to handlen with, feet with to goo, walk And non of alle thise, so we rede, May stonde ne serve in others stede. Yif man with thise wil hym lede,line2350 He shal have hevene blis to mede, as reward And yif he do yvel, forsothe I telle, Withouten ende he gooth to helle. That is the thrid habitacioun, For wicked synful mannes prisoun,line2355 And thider went the first man, For he first synny bigan, sin And there he and his kynde lay, And shulden have don til Domesday. Bot God of us took pitéline2360 And for to save us thoughth he, For mannes synne was so gret Bifore God and his faders feet, Yif man shulde to halpe be broughth, Thorough mannes deth it most be boughth.line2365 The synne was so foule, as we fynde, That it filed al mankynde. defiled Theigh God had an aungel sent, He migth noughth dyen verrement. truly Man dude the dede, man most deye,line2370 And thorough pyté God seigh this waye: God migth noughth dye bot bicom man, And thus he dyed for us than. With aungels and his fader the Lorde Thus brougth Jhesus man to acorde. agreementline2375 He defended hym with non other staf, staff Bot his manhode to pyne he gaf; gave For mannes love thus took he ded Thorough the grace of his Godhed. Of the mayden Marie he was borne,line2380 Maiden clene sithen and ek biforne. In the londe of Judé he gan duellen; There fele men to hym fellen manyfol. 9ra For his wordes sothe thai founde, true Thoo that weren seke he made sounde. wholeline2385 With this the Jewes hadden envie; Therfore thai duden hym to dye. Judas for thritty pens hym solde To the Jewes felle and bolde; Of his deciples he was online2390 That with hym was ywoned to gon. accustomed He henge hymself, this was his ende; He had no grace hym to amende, For he wolde no mercy seke Of his Lorde that was so meke,line2395 That salve is to every sore. balm Overe any synne his mercy is more. Man is hym nexte of every kynde, Als we in holy wrytt fynde; Forthi yif any man trespase, trespassline2400 He faileth noughth yif he seke grace. Leve sir, loke hou this man was wood, Dear crazed That solde his lorde that was so good.”

Than spaak Vaspasian so free, “I hote now to that God and thee, promiseline2405 That yif he wil me hool make, I schal be cristned for his sake. And I schal slee alle that I fynde slay Of alle the Jewes and her kynde, And thritty of hem I shal selle and giveline2410 For oo peny yif that I lyve; one For thai hym bougth for despyt, I pliighth, For thritty pens with unrighth. injustice And Jhesus, ne lete me nevere dye Til I have wroken that felonye.” avenged treacheryline2415 Than seide Seint Clement to hym stille, “Yut hope I thou shalt have thi wille, For thorough this yvel, I understonde, My lorde wil that thou shalt fonde To wreken hym, sir, of his fon, foesline2420 And that shaltou seen onon: For thorough his vertu shaltou see That hole shaltou sone bee. Th’ensaumple I telle thee as it sytt Righth evene in the holy wrytt;line2425 He com to seken that were forlore And gadred that todreved wore, driven away To restoren that was falle, Forthi he dyed for us alle, Therefore To confermen us and oure fay strengthen faithline2430 And synful man to done away. The Jewes seiden that he kem came In destruccioun of hem, Bot now ich understonde me That thai seiden it by thee.line2435 These prophecies han ben spoken That yut his deth shal be wroken; Muchel joy is unto us allefol. 9rb Yif it thorough thee shal bifalle. Kynges worthshiped hym at his birthe,line2440 With offryng and with mychel myrthe. great joy Kynges weren sithen twyes in wille twice desirous Thorough dynt of deth to don hym spylle; a deathblow Heroudes first thoo he was borne, And Heroudes efte whan his deth was sworne. againline2445 The first Heroudes that the children slough — I woot he suffred pyne ynough! know Alle manere yvels, so seith the book, He had er he the deth took, Withouten the stronge pyne of helleline2450 There he shal evermore duelle. Withouten gylte he hated Jhesus, And giltles the Jewes sloughen hym thus. And kynges ben loked to wreken his ded Thorough the grace of his Godhed.line2455 Swiche knoulechyng of kynges he nam acknowledgment took Whan he into erthe cam. And yif thou wilt wel leve in hym, believe That he may hele thee lyf and lym, I warante he shal helen thee,line2460 And by ensaumple thou mighth it see. There was a knighth ded in londe, Lazar he highth, ich understonde, Lazarus was named That foure dayes in grave lay, And he reised hym that many man say. sawline2465 And also as we of hym rede He dude many another dede; Twelve desciples had he, The best men that mightten be; Whan he out of the erthe went,line2470 The Holy Gost he hem sent: Sexty and ten langages, I herd, Seventy That thai of her maister lerd. He bad hem gon into every londe To prechen his word, ich understonde,line2475 Of alle yvels he yaf hem mighth, To helen hem that leven arighth, believe rightly And thoo that nyllen nougth to hem wende those will not Shullen ben lorne withouten ende. lost Swiche wondres herdestou nevere nonline2480 That ever had shapp of man to gon, shape For bothe God and man he is; There nys no God bot he, iwys. Therfore sir, leve my sawghe, believe speech And al thine herte to hym drawghe,line2485 For al that I seie I dar witnesse, This is the feith, sir, more and lesse. I was with hem that weren hym by, And thus thai tolden me witterly, And this lefdy that here stant lady standsline2490 I wil take here to warant, For she sawe my lorde Jhesus. Now dame, I praie thee, was it thus?”fol. 9va Than seide Veroyne at a braide, quickly “I witnesse al that he hath saide. attest toline2495 Ful wel tellen I it owe ought That I have Jhesu Crist ysowe; seen Of grete yvel he heled me, Sumtyme I shal tellen it thee. For love and feith I hym draddeline2500 On this manere myne hele I hadde. Now knele adoune with herte free; This gode man shal assoile thee.” absolve Whan this was don everydel, She took the vernycle fair and wel. clothline2505 “This had I of my lorde so kynde, For that I shulde have hym in mynde.” Seint Clement was thoo revest, dressed in vestments With riche vestement of the best, vestments And she it took to Seint Clement,line2510 And he it receyved with gode entent, good purpose And thoo he and alle kneled adoune For this with grete devocioune Byfore the kyng Vaspasyan, That lay ful sore seek than:line2515 “Sir, this is lyk thi Saveour: Savior With al thi mighth do hym honour. Levestou that I have seide everydel?” Do you believe “Ye,” seide Vaspasian, “ful wel.” “Kisse this than I bidde thee, Kissline2520 In the vertu of the Trinité, And hoole be thou for evermore, And stonde up now us bifore, And God thee blis that is most, Fader and Son and Holy Gost.”line2525 Whan the gode man had thus yspeken, The kyng gan out his lymes streken, reach out his limbs And stood up biforne hem alle; The yvel as a slough fro hym gan falle, snakeskin And he bicom clene, smethe and mylde smoothline2530 As the body of a childe. And whan he feled hym hool and clene, felt himself Michel joye men mightten sene Of al manere of mynstralcye, revelry And he helde up his hondes heigheline2535 And seide, “Jhesu, now trowe I wel, trust That I have herd of thee everydel; And certes, Lorde, yif that I lyve, To thi service I shal me gyve.” Anon he fel on knees adounline2540 With wel gret devocioun, Byforne Seint Clement there he stood And thanked hym with mylde mood, kind mood And Dame Veroyne he dude also, That from so fer com hym to.line2545 “Praieth for me nighth and day, I see that yee ben to his pay. liking To myne herte youre wordes gon,fol. 9vb And youre dedes everychon, For I see by my grete nedeline2550 That thai aren of noble spede.” good fortune Thus seide his son and alle his menne, “As is fallen, forsothe we kenne. Thoo Nathaan com, he tolde it us; Velosian witnesseth also thus.”

line2555 Tho seide Vaspasyan, “Weilaway, Alas That I ne had Jhesu Crist ysay! seen Tybery Cesar, woo thee be, Tiberius Caesar And that I owe to bidden thee, Thoo that Pilate, the fals knighth,line2560 Slough thus my Lord with unrighth, That thou ne haddest ytaken the theef And done hym dye with pynes greef. done him to death grievous pains It semed wel thou were no man, Thou suffred hym so to taken upan;line2565 Bot God wolde noughth it shulde bitide happen Mowe I hym seen bot he me abide. That I shal vengen hym I am ful glad, For better bedes nevere I ne badd; orders asked Ful wel is me that I schal fighthline2570 For swiche a lorde and for his righth. Bettre enprise mighth I noughth have, undertaking Ne no man hymself to save. I thonke it God that non biforne Mighth done it that yut was borne, yetline2575 Bot now I woot he graunted it me: Lorde, yblissed mote thou be! blessed I praie thee Lorde, yif it be thi wille, Give me liif it to fulfille, life And I shal highe me that I may hurryline2580 That it were don nighth and day. Whan we have don and comen agein, We shullen ben cristned alle wel feien.” very happily Thai token hym bituene her honde And maden hym up biforne hem stonde.line2585 “Dame,” he seide, “yif I may spede, prosper Of me thou getest a riche mede. reward What thing thou wilt of me crave, Sikerly, thou shalt it have.” “Sir,” she seide, “saunz faile, withoutline2590 I vouche saaf al this travaile think all this labor proper That I have had hider for thee, until now And al that thou wilt given me, Thou give it to this gode man And mychel thank I thee can,line2595 For with hym wil I wone and wende, live and travel Evere unto my lyves ende.” Londes and rentes he gaf hem wyde, property substantial Clothes and tresore, hors on to ride; He made her dedes that so speken deeds affirmline2600 That thai shulde hem never breken. break Seint Clement seide, “Sir, hereth me, I rede that yee ycristned bee, advise baptizedfol. 10ra Sone on hast, and youre men alle, For alle chaunces that mowen bifalle.line2605 Thine ost thou migth the sikerer lede, army more securely And there thou comest the better spede.” prosper “Nay,” he seide, “that wil I noughth; First here thou what I have thoughth. Do me come Titus my sone,line2610 And al my folk that non ne shone.” that none refuse Titus com his fader to, And many grete lordynges also. “Now son,” he seide, “thou shalt me swere, swear And also this folk that is here,line2615 With me to wenden to Jerusalem, Rigth overe the cee, the heighe strem, sea great To destroyen hem alle and her stede city That duden Jhesu Crist to dede; For I shal nevere be righth faynline2620 Until I see that kynde slayn. people For to wende we have enchesoun, reason Sone, namelich for this resoun: especially Thider we moten gon this gate, way To wreken us on Sir Pilateline2625 For my Lordes love so fre, That thus faire hath heled me, graciously Yut dude I nevere nougth hym fore: Yet I never did anything for him Forthi myne herte is ful sore. I were to blamen and alle myneline2630 Yif we shulde leten that wytherwyne. spare enemy I hote you that shal never bitide Whiles that I may gon and ride; This othere day ne mighth I stere, And now I am bothe hoole and fere.line2635 I thonk it God thorough whom it was. I woot he heled me for this cas, For his deth shulde avenged be. I graunte to gon; now what seien yee?” say “Sir,” seide Titus, “So do I,line2640 And alle that here ben, sikerly.” Whan this was graunted, men mightten see decreed Song and play, gamen and glee. “For leve,” he seide, “wil I sende onon leave (i.e., permission) To Sir Nero to leten us gon.line2645 Alle I praie you dightteth you fast, prepare quickly That we weren redy alle on hast, in a hurry Of men, of servauntz and vitaile, soldiers food So that nothing us ne faile.” Than sent he to the emperour,line2650 Nero that was a cursed tretour, By a lettre as yee mowe see: “Vaspasian and Titus greten thee, For grete nede we ben in wille For great need we desire At Jerusalem to fulfille,line2655 Of a grete vilenye To vengen us we moten hyghe, go Of a trespas that is us ydo trespass that is done to usfol. 10rb We praien thee leve thider to go. Graunte it us withouten feyntise; deceitline2660 It mote be don in al wise. in every way It shal thee tournen to profyt turn And to no manere despyt.” The emperoure sent hem to seie, “Gooth whan yee willeth in youre weie,line2665 And on youre enemyes vengeth you, So it be noughth agein my prou.” benefit Than seiden Vaspasyan and Titus, “Blissed be oure lorde Jhesus!” Also tyt thai maden hem yare Immediately readyline2670 In her waye for to fare. go Seint Clement and Dame Verone Weren ful glad that thai shulden gone, And seiden “Sir, ar yee wennden henne, hence Graunteth youre pes to Cristen menne.line2675 For Goddes love dooth hem wyte make them know That no man do hem dispyte Fro that yee gon til that yee come, From the time that Bot yif he suffre therfore dome.” “Now, mafay,” quoth he, “and I graunte, by my faithline2680 And thee, Clement, I shal waraunte, Thou shalt have large commissioun Fro this cuntré and fro this toun, For alle that leven in God almighth Myne men shullen kepen hem day and nighth,line2685 Thou and Verone bothe tweyn Dredeth noughth til I come ageyn.” This was cryed thorough the cuntré, That it shulde yholden be. “Kepe now wel thi clergye, clergyline2690 Al that thou hast in thi baillye; control Whan we comen hom at certeyn terme, I schal thee and thi state conferme. confirm I shal bidde hem that duellen here That thai alle at thine honoure were. ruleline2695 Praye for us til we comen ageyn, And whan we comen in, certeyn, truly I wil be cristned righth onone, immediately And myne men everychone. Praieth for us that God us spede,line2700 And haveth now no manere drede.” “Sir, he seide, “now am I bolde: God of Hevene thi lyf holde preserve Longe that I mote it see, And namelich, til thou cristned be.line2705 And elles were a grete reuthe, pity For thou art in the waie of treuthe.” way of truth (i.e., correct belief) “Thorough Cristes helpe I hope to gon To don this dede and comen onon; Al that I may I shal me rape seizeline2710 So that Pilate me noughth askape.” escape Onon he dude his shippes dighth, prepare Wel a thousande, I thee plighth, I promise youfol. 10va With hym and with his son also, An hundreth thousande men and mo.line2715 Seint Clement and Dame Verone Toward the cee with hem thai gone Tyl thai weren yschipped alle embarked And Vaspasyan to hem gan calle, “Blisse us, sir, and lete us gon,line2720 And tourneth both agein hom.” turn “Sir,” he seide, “nou God you save, And with his blissyng myne yee have, And the water that yee inne wende Til Jesu Crist ageyn you sende.”line2725 And sithen that blissyng hath don good To alle men that passen the flood; Thorough Goddes help and Seint Clement, Sithen was there no man inne shent. destroyed

Thay droughen up sayl biforne and bihynde, drew the foreward and aft sailline2730 God hem sent ful redy wynde, favorable wind So in sexe wekes over thai comen six And at Acres up thai nomen. Acre they arrived The toun had wonder whoo thai wore And weren adrad of hem ful sore.line2735 Thai duden onon as thai sholde; should Withouten stryf the toun thai yolde. fighting surrendered Vaspasian lefte there his wardeyn, governor And on the morowen thay wenten then. He went forth into the londeline2740 And slough and brent alle that he fonde, slaughtered and burnt And dryven beestes with grete route company That thai prayden al aboute. plundered From Acres thai comen the first day To Japh als I you tellen may, Jaffaline2745 And bicasten al the toun surrounded With many a riche pavyloun. tent Thay faughtten withouten and withinne; There mightten men seen wondres bygynne. God hem shewed swiche chaunceline2750 Ageyn her rather vengeaunce; As a sign of their future Rayn and hayl, frost and snowe, hail snow And styf wynde that loude gan blowe, strong Hunger and thryst and grete colde, And other yvels manyfolde. many and variousline2755 And Vaspasyan with al his ost host Had joye with the moost, Wider game and al plenté, Better luck (Pleasant weather) Of alle caces that mightten be, situations And so he had fro that he comline2760 Til he tourned agein hom. Vaspasyan his sege helde Wel longe er thai wolden it yelde; Thai withinne sworen uchon swore That thai wolden yelden her nonline2765 For nothing that myghth bifalle, Theigh thai beten doun her walle. The kyng swoor that he ne sholdefol. 10vb Thennes til thai to hym yolde, And whan thai withinne herden this ooth, oathline2770 Everyche ageins other gooth, went With swerdes, speres, and knyves ydrawe, So that uche hath othere yslawe, That there ne lefte man ne wyve Bot tweie knighttes thereinne alyve. twoline2775 Doughtty men thai weren bothe, Brave And neither ne was with other wrothe; angry Thai hadden longe felawes ben, And neither ne wolde othere slen. Sir Japhel I woot highth that on,line2780 Bot of that other, name have I non. Thai yolden hem to the kynges socoure And he hem resceyved with gret honoure. He drough Japhel hym so neer That he bicom his conseileer, adviserline2785 And for Vaspasyan was ywar That he was sib to Sir Cesar, kin Caesar And also of his owen blood, He seide hym als he understood, And for he knew best the cuntréline2790 His lodesman he bad hym be, guide And he ful wel led hem Til thai comen to Jerusalem. He left at Japh kepers gode, defenders To kepen the cuntré with feeld and wode.

line2795 Here may I telle you that yee knowen Hou Jesu thanketh ay on his owen. always on his own Biforne the tyme of this wreche, Thus he gan his folk knowleche acknowledge That cristen weren in that cuntré.line2800 Thai weren ywarned thennes to flee warned Thorough the Holy Gost fro this vengeaunce Bot any wolde stonde to his chaunce, events As summe duden that leften stille, meekly remained Al to abiden Goddes wille. await (obey)line2805 The Cristen folk fleigh and ran Onon overe the Flum Jordan, Jordan River And there thai duelleden and cam Was hoten the castel of Pellam; called There thai helden hem everychonline2810 Til the vengeaunce were ydon. The Jewes weren trapped and helden inne That weren encoumbred with her synne, For there nys no good dede unyolde unrewarded Ne non wicked ne ben showe. revealed

line2815 Thoo Pilate wist that Japh was ytake, taken For tene and drede he gan to quake, anger For ay he was in mychel drede always Sithen Velosyan from hym yede; For the wordes that he had spokenline2820 He wolde have ben in erthe loken. locked in earth He was in so grete doute That he sent al aboute,fol. 11ra And bihith hem ful grete mede promised To comen and helpen hym at his nede.line2825 Sir Archillaus com hym to, That kyng of Galilé was tho; Heroudes son men hym calle, He that slough the children alle, With mychel dyne and grete boost noiseline2830 He broughth with hym a mychel ost. great host And for drede, I woot also, know Al the cuntré fel hem to, And uche man fleigh fro home And alle to Jerusalem thai come,line2835 With wyf and children and her fee, property There in sikernesse to be, security For Vaspasyan and his ost Sloughen and brenten by every cost. Pilate sent his aspyes spiesline2840 Sikerlich by fele styes, many paths For to witen hym to seie know Where thai comen and by what waye. Archillaus and Sir Pilate Riden hem bothe out atte gate,line2845 With her ost her hors to prove horses test Yif thai weren to her byhove. to their advantage And yut hadde Pilate no grace, For to flen out of the place, The hard qued that he shulde have evilline2850 And thoogh he mighth self than save. For loos is better, als it is founde, loss In wood than in toun bounde; And so ferd he by this resoun traveled Whan he fleigh agein to the toun.line2855 Bot God wolde nougth that he so askape, Bot to his bale for to rape, to rush to his disaster For he had hym space ylent given Fourty yer to amendement. Than comen his apsyes hom,line2860 And tolden hym wel that thai com The moost folk that evere thai say, saw And than was Pilate in grete afray. fear Than seide the Kyng Archillaus, “Sir, thou art most maister of us.line2865 I praie thee, sir, be bold ynow, enough For I dar make thee this avow, That thou shalt be so wel biforne have the advantage Of men, of vitaile, and of corne, supplies grain That nothing shal failen thee;line2870 And hereof borowe dar I be guarantor That thai ben oures every man, So mychel I thee telle can. Nothing bot helde thee al stille And lete hem comen at her wille;line2875 For water fresh ner is non nearer Than is the Flum Jordan, And yif thai willen hemselven save,fol. 11rb Water freshe thai mosten have. And whan thai seen that there is non,line2880 Hom agein thai moten gon; For thai aren noughth of that yware. aware Therfore the lesse is oure care. And yif thai tournen us ones the bak, And if they once turn their backs on us Thai shullen ben oures, al the pak. all of themline2885 I woot it is for the prophetes sake, Al the sorough that thai make; Thai shullen with shame tournen ageyn, For thai wirchen al in veyn.” work in vain And whan he had his wille tolde,line2890 Over the walles thai gonnen biholde, look And al the feelde and al the fen marsh Thai seighen bicast with hors and men, covered With her baners brode yspradd spread That al the cité was adradd.line2895 In everyche wyndewe thai hem biholde, window Anon her hertes gonnen to colde grow cold And aukeward the belles runge. And the bells rang in reverse order There was outhest of many a tunge outcry With horne and mouthe thai cryen oute.line2900 The ost bicast the toun aboute That was foure and thritty yere After that Jesus dyed there. Withinne thai maden sorough and care; Withoute thai maden joye and mychel fare; great commotionline2905 Withinnen thai her hondes wrongen; hands wrung And thai withouten loude songen.

On a Pask day the sege bigan, Passover Als the storye me telle can. Vaspasyan was than ful blitheline2910 And pighth his pavylons also swithe, pitched And whan thai weren pighth uchone He sent after Sir Japhel onone. He seide, “Japhel, I wil thee telle We moten nedes here duelle,line2915 Til we have wonnen this cité won And haven alle that thereinne be. What is to don best thou woost, For thou knowest the cuntré cost. the condition of the country Therfore sir, I thee praieline2920 That thou take onon the waye Al aboute this ilche cité To ordeyne for myne ost and me, arrange And loke and cast what we have nede Of alle thinges that mowen us spede.” prosperline2925 Japhel rideth by every cost in every direction To ordeyne and to araye the oost; Aboute the toun he sett engynes siege engines To destroien her witherwynes adversaries And often to the toun they castline2930 And shetten with bowe and with arblast shot crossbow With terbardels and wylde fyre, tar barrels With staf-slyngys and othere atyre, slings equipmentfol. 11va Sowes to mynen men maden sleighe, Engines to tunnel cleverly And borfreys to reisen on heighe. movable towersline2935 That thai mightten seen enviroun all around What thai duden in the toun, Men of armes thereinne to stonde To fightten with hem honde of honde, hand to hand Ladders of lether and of corde, leather ropeline2940 Fro the kirnels to the sworde stones And maistres that weren sleighe to kest throw To kepen the spryngales of the best, catapults And many another queynt engyn crafty design To slen hem that weren within.line2945 Natheles for al this woo, It was wel longe er it were do. Of all th’assaut that was withoute affliction Thai withinne hadden no doute; The cité was so large withinne,line2950 That hem ne dredeth no manere gynne machine For into hem ne raughtte no cast reached out Bot onlich querel of arblast only shot of crossbows Til alle the subarbes of the toun suburbs To the grounde weren cast adoun,line2955 And swepte clene overal Unto the bare toun wal. For than bigan her woo withinne woe And her folk fast to thinne, diminish Yut lasted the sege seven yere, line2960 With mychel drede and grete awere, terror For al that Goddes men mightte do Bot for to lengthen her paynes so.

Whan Japhel had don, he com agein: “My lorde,” he seide, “I wil thee seyn,line2965 Thorough thine ost by Cristes mighth, Thine men ben alle wel adighth. Bot of oo thing I have grete thoughth, concern For fresshe water have we noughth, Bot I have cast by my skyl arranged skillline2970 Where to fetten it, and yee wil.” fetch if Than seide Vapsasyan hym to “Als thou wilt, I wil do.” “Sir,” quoth Japhel, “this is my rede, Hou we shullen oure water lede;line2975 For water fresshe ner is non Than hennes to the Flum Jordon. here Jordan River Forthi we shullen slen oure praye prey That we token by the waye, Hors and assen, oxen and kyne, cowsline2980 Mules and chamayles and grete swyne, camels swine Many a thousande we have broughth, Of hem I telle you in my thoughth I shal do sewen the hides fast, sew With gode semes for to last, seamsline2985 And don souden every sem solder For to leden water with hem. Of some we shullen boulges make, water skinsfol. 11vb And summe skynnes we shullen take And overcasten al the vale overturn valleyline2990 Of Josephath, the depe dale, Josophat valley And thus in the valeye we shullen fonde To don oure water for to stonde. Foure hundreth men, yif that I may, Shullen fecchen us water every day,line2995 Alway til the valey be hylde covered And with oure watere fulfilde.” Whan he had seide also sone, He ne lefte noughth til was done; Pepes he made many on Pipesline3000 By every side out for to gon The elde water that was astonde, standing There com ay newe to her honde, That thorough the ost, man and beest Hadden ynough, bothe mest and lest, most and least (i.e., all)line3005 This com hym of a noble wytt, admirable skillfulness Hou water stonden withouten pytt. well Al was don by Goddes wille, For to maken the Jewes spille. be destroyed Thoo thai withinnen the water sowe, sawline3010 Stonden so ful in that lowe, Michel wonder was hem among Hou the water there out sprong. sprung out Thai ronnen to Pilate and hym tolde, ran And he went thider to byholde,line3015 And with hym went Archillaus, And the gode clerk Josephus, And than seiden thai alle thre, “Whennes may this water be?” Than seide maister Josephus,line3020 “Messias is ageins us. Messiah Thai han his help, I am wel ware, have For late was that place bare. empty Of fresshe water ner was non Than hennes to the Flum Jordon;line3025 I ne wot from whennes it cometh, ne hou, Bot thorough the prophetes vertu.” Than ansuered Archillaus Anon righttes to Sir Pilatus, “Sir,” he seide, “be noughth aferde,line3030 For noughth thou hast ysen ne herd, Bot kepe thee in this cité stille And thou shalt have al thi wille.” And as thai stoden and out bihelde, Vaspasian stood in the feldeline3035 And seigh hem on the walles gon them Up and doune ful gode won, moving And Sir Japhel stood hym by, And Velosyan, witterly, undoubtedly That of Pilate was sonest ware, first awareline3040 Hou that he his mace bare club Over his werkmen that wroughtten workmen labored And the walles thorough out soughtten.fol. 12ra Tho seide Velosyan, “I see Yonder Pilate, as thenketh me.line3045 Sir, speketh to hym, I you praie, For to assaie what he wil saie.” learn Vaspasian loked up to the walle, And to Pilate he gan calle, “Pilate,” he seide, “speke with me.line3050 I am thi lorde, as thou mighth see, And that I shal thee make aknowe reveal to you Yif that I mowe lyven a throwe. live a little while Loke out, traitour, with thine eighe, eye And be aknowe thi felonyeline3055 And al the yvel that thou hast don Ageins Jhesu and us uchon. And also thou doost us outrage wickedness To withholden oure trowage; And for thou art Jhesus traitour and myne,line3060 Thou shalt have the more pyne.” Yut was noughth Vaspasyan Pilates lorde, ne he his man, Bot so he seide to make hym adred Yif he myghth the better have sped.line3065 Natheles I woot in that yer, year Pilate com in his daunger. dominion Pilate ansuered hym rigth noughth, For he was greved in his thoughth; Vaspasyan was agreved alsoline3070 That he ne wolde speken hym to. And tho seide Vaspasian thus To the Kyng Archillaus: “Beaw sire,” he seide, “thou art forsworne, Good guilty of oathbreaking And thi fader Heroudes also biforne;line3075 Thou aughttest better have ben with me ought Than thereinne there I thee see. Thi fader dyed in sorough ynough, For he alle the children slough, Whan Jesus Crist was here borne,line3080 For he wolde have hym ylorne. destroyed And thou are now ek in wille also Thiselven also for to spille; Thi fader dyed in pynes stronge, And so shaltou er oughth longe.line3085 Be thou and Pilate now ful bolde, That I have seide I wil you holde.” Al that he seide thai token in veyn, And Vaspasian went thoo ageyn. Archillaus seide thoo to Pilate,line3090 “This kyng to us hath grete hate.” “Ye,” quoth Pilate to Archillaus, “It semeth he wil be wroken on us, avenged For to ben fel hym cometh of kynde, fierce by nature And that I drede we shullen fynde.line3095 He was of Cesar kynde, iwis; Of the more felonye he is, violent nature And that he hoteth, he wil holde, promisesfol. 12rb He ne wil leten hoot ne colde.” desist on account of weather Quoth Archillaus, “Have no drede —line3100 Michel is bitwene word and dede. This hoold is strong ynough aboute; stronghold Theigh he prate, yut is he withoute. chatters outside Make he never so mychel to done, Yut cometh he noughth in so sone.line3105 Bot go we to the wal agein, And do now als I shal thee seyn: Take up a floure upon the walle flower And to Vaspasyan thou calle And seie to hym that alle it see,line3110 ‘Bataile, sir, I wage thee.’” Pilate yede with herte glad went And dude as Archillaus hym bad; Thoo he had seide that he wolde, Vaspasyan gan hym biholdeline3115 And seide, “Pilate, I it take; This wed shal I noughth forsake, pledge And swiche shame I hote thee, That thou shalt dye bote thou flee. unless Sorough have he that you spare! May he who spares you have sorrowline3120 Myne engynes, maketh you yare! prepare yourselves And yee knighttes that ben myne, For Jhesus love to don hem pyne, Loketh nou that thai have no rest, Look And lete nou Pilate don his best.line3125 For so Jhesu Crist me save, I ne shal blynne til I hym have, cease Yif God wil graunte me liif therto.” And alle his frendes seiden also, “Ne ben yee withinne nevere so stronge,line3130 We shullen dwellen her so longe Til we have wroken the grete wrong That Jhesus suffred you among.” He comaundid to trumpen onon commanded trumpet To armen his men everychon,line3135 And to the wal thai shoten and cast, shot fired And men withinne sloughen fast. slew Thai foughtten so til it was nighth And that hem wanted dayes lighth. lacked daylight And hapfullich a quarel drough by chanceline3140 And a pouver knave it slough, poor That yede and plaied in the strete; And he was holden a prophete Of alle the Jewes of the lawghe For many wondres and many sawghe. propheciesline3145 Vaspasian longe hem assailed, assaulted Bot litel yut it hym availed; helped Natheles many a Jew he slough And dude withinne sorough ynough.

It was withinne the fifte yere fifth year (of the siege)line3150 Fro Rome there com a messagere, As Vaspasyan at the sege lay, At that tyme ageins his pay. against his likingfol. 12va He brougth word to Vaspasyan That Nero was ded, that cursed man,line3155 That was emperour of Rome, And her conseil there is nome. taken “Upon thee, sir, is yoven the dome, given the judgment That thou most nedes hom come; For thai han alle chosen theeline3160 For to beren the dignité. Take noughth, sir, this sonde in veyn, message For thou mighth wenden and comen ageyn.” He went forth lyste hym noughth shone he desired not to refuse And left there Titus his sone.line3165 Swiche joye gan Titus undertake That hym toke a cardiake, heart attack For his faders gret honoure That he shulde ben emperoure. With overdon joye com that woo,line3170 And with overdon sorough it most goo, As yee mowen heren in that stounde There Josephus sithen was yfounde. Whan alle thoo that weren in Rome Wisten of Vaspasianes come, Knewline3175 Thai yeden and ronnen hym ageyn, They went and ran to meet him Kyng, erl, baroun, knighth and sweyn; squire Thai crouned hym there thaire emperoure With solace, fest, and grete honoure. joy Thai corouned hym in his paleys crownedline3180 In the gyse of Sarsyneys, manner of Saracens Bot afterward Seint Clement Confermed his corounement. And to gladen his frendes everychon cheer To Jerusalem he went onon,line3185 For hym thougth ful longe at Rome Til that he were ageyin come. And so he dude, I telle thee, With hydous poeple gret plenté. a great many people

Hereth lordynges nou eft, againline3190 I mote telle there I left, Of the knave, the prophete, That was sleyn in the strete. Tho Jacob of this knave herd, To Sir Pilate onon he ferd.line3195 “Sir,” he seide, “nou is it falle; I wene we shullen seen it alle That this Jew seide us to Thritty wynter gon and mo, That this cité shulde be lorneline3200 And alle that therinne weren borne. For now I woot hymself is yslawghe, And wel the better I leve his sawghe. believe his tale I rede thou do, sir, after me, advise And yelde up swithe the cité, give up quicklyline3205 For evere the lenger we abide, The more shame us wil bityde.” will befall us This was Jacob the gode manfol. 12vb That herberewed Velosyan, lodged Als it telleth here bifore.line3210 Bot Pilate was agreved sore And seide, “On thee I shal be wroken, For the wordes that thou hast spoken; For thorough the conseil of thee I leve that al this sorough be! believeline3215 Velosyan and thou that yere time Casten this thoo he was here. Plotted He spaak to me wordes smert; Thai comen noughth sithen out of myne hert. And yif I may, I shal thee sett putline3220 There never frende ne shal thee fett.” fetch He dude fettre hym swithe fast arrest And in swiche stede hym cast, such a place And swore he shulde there lye Withouten mete tyl that he dyeline3225 In that ilche foule dongeoun same foul dungeon There lay he sperred in that prisoun. locked Bot whan Marie his doughter wyst That she had her fader myst, Onon she seide an orisoun prayerline3230 Tyl Jhesus Crist, Goddes son. “Lorde,” she seide, “hereth me, Yif it thi swete wille be, Also wys as I thee soughth Just as With the oynement that I broughthline3235 Unto the toumbe there thou lay. Yif it were unto thi pay to your liking That I dude that ilche dede, Hereth me now at this nede! Thou helpe my fader also wys in the mannerline3240 Out of the sorough that he inne is, And also wys as he loved thee, as surely as I praie thee that he unbounden be.” Whan she had seide this orisoun, God sent onon an aungel dounline3245 That com to Jacob there he satt And for sorough sore gratt. lamented “Jacob,” he seide, “come with me; My Lorde wil that it so be. Take to thee confort and solace,line3250 And thonke hym of his holy grace.” He took hym out of the prisoun And led hym wel withouten the toun And bad he shulde no man drede: “Goo, fare wel there God thee lede.”line3255 Jacob thanked God onon That he feled hym loos so son; felt himself free Faire on knees with bothe honde He went out on hands and knees That laused hym out of his bonde. loosed Toward the ost he took his waye,line3260 So that Velosyan hym saye saw And seide to the emperour, “I see Jacob my frende I wene it be. thinkfol. 13ra Now I woot, sir, it is he righth; Ythonked be it God almighth!”line3265 Thai welcomed hym fair and wel, And askeden of hym hys lyf uche del. Anon he tolde hem al the cas, Of the Jewes hou it was, And hou he was don in prisoun,line3270 And hou he com out of the toun. Thai thonkeden God as the wyse That so thenketh upon hyse. upon his (own) Tho seide Velosyan to Jacob righth, “Jacob, wostou what I thee highth?line3275 That I at nede shulde be thi frende, Als I shulde homward wende Whan the Jewes her tales tolde, Hou thai Jhesu sloughen and solde. Als thai ben worthi, so shull thai have;line3280 No maner tresore shal hem save. treasure I owe thee evere to honoure, ought And namelich my lorde the emperoure, especially For thorough Goddes help and conseil thine He is askaped mychel pyne. escapedline3285 On my syde also I thanke thee, part For grete honoure thou dedest me; And yif my lorde were heled, I thee highth promised To brynge hym hider with mychel mighth. Loo, hym here as thou it bad! Beholdline3290 Sir, thanketh Jacob and maketh hym glad, For yee ben gretlich holden therto.” you are greatly obligated I plighth you the emperour dude so; promise He seide, “Jacob, thou getest honoure, will receive And the Jewes sorough wel soure. very bitter sorrowline3295 I see hem falleth mychel shame That be loked Goddes grame. are locked in God’s anger God is with us and hem agein; against them Al that thai don, it is in veyn. Swiche is myne hope and my trest; trustline3300 Her is the travayle and oure the rest.” Theirs The emperour of hym was glad, And praied Jacob and hym bad That he seide hym sum resoun Hou that he mighth wynne the toun.line3305 “Forsothe,” quoth Jacob, “and I shal. Go maken a diche aboute the wal, ditch So that non mowe away flee might Bot yif al the ost hym see And do it palicen al by the brynk, enclose edge (of the wall)line3310 Heighe and stronge upe al thing. against I wil myself therover bee Til it be don, I hote thee. Fyndeth me cost and men therto; money I shal noughth leven tyl it be do.” leaveline3315 The emperour seide, “Graunt mercy, Thank you very much I graunte thee wel sykerly, Al thing that thou wilt have,fol. 13rb Tymber, water, man and knave.” Wood The emperour dude senden his sonde messageline3320 For dykers thoroughout al the londe; diggers He bad give uche man to his pay Foure penyes upon the day pence Every maister tweie shillynges had, master two shillings And so hymself comaunded and bad.line3325 Whan the diche was made uche del, It liked the emperour ful wel. pleased Also Jacob dude do make Two charnels for the ostes sake, mass graves For to hiden in that stedeline3330 Alle the folk that there weren dede, That the quyke ne dyed noughth for stynk of hem, living died And so thai duden in Jerusalem. Natheles there weren charnels two In myddes of the cité also. In the middle ofline3335 Bot than the Jewes lokeden oute And seighen the diche made hem aboute Michel sorough thai mightten have seen Who so had withinnen ben. Anon the Jewes everychoneline3340 Token her red what was to done. counsel Thorough the conseil of Archillaus, Barabas and Josephus, Thai seiden to Pilate her avys, “For us is fairer and more prys better and more worthyline3345 To fightten with hem theroute, we gesse, suppose Than for to lyen here in destresse. Fairer is us on hem to dye Than here inne as cowardes to lye.” Thai putten out plaunkes over the dyk, planks ditchline3350 Al by nighth ful pryvelyk. Pilate onon dude hym oute With thritty thousande on a route in a great company And fifty thousande men on fote, Hym to helpen the toun to-bote protectline3355 With the emperour in the felde bilaste fulfilled Fourtene thousande that he hem raste, fought Alle thai duden hem for to fleighe Agein hom to her citee. Al the while that thai foughtte,line3360 God lengthed the day, as hem thoughth. Josephus was wounded sore, That noble clerk and wiis of lore, wise of learning He couthe more in dede and dawe in a day Than alle that were in Jewes lawe.line3365 Bot o thing halpe hym wel than, one helped That he was pryvé Cristen man; secretly And for his kynde was noughth so, family Therfore was hym wonder woo. Thereof often he hem bisoughth,line3370 Ac therof I woot ne sped he noughth. But Whan the citizeins seighen this fare, saw Than hadden thai bothe sorou and care,fol. 13va That thai so overcomen were And als swithe hunger gan hem dere hurtline3375 So that the stronge the feble eet, weak ate Ye, and the erthe under her feet, And her owen dunge also; dung Hors ne hounde ne leten thai go, Horse dog Ne othere beest, ne rote ne gres, root grassline3380 And uche by lott other ches. chose Whan two yer weren al agoo, That the sege bigan com al this woo; Thorough the toun bigan to faile Al manere of vitaile, foodline3385 So that the strengere robbed the othere, stronger Fader the son, syster the brother, Men and wymmen her children ete, And uche ete othere by every strete. A riche lefdy of that cuntré,line3390 Of large londes and of fe, property Marie she highth, sikerly, A Cristen womman pryvely; She had aqueyntes in Jerusalem, an acquaintance And therfore she thider kem.line3395 A gode lefdy that she hath knowe With whom she thoughth to duelle a throwe, stay a while Dame Clarice was hir name, A womman of ful holy fame. Thai lyveden there togedres longe,line3400 Bot whan this woo bifel so stronge, Othere werk couthe thai non wirche could Bot duellen mychel in holy chirche, And lyen there in afflicciouns, misery In penaunce and in orisouns,line3405 So bifel what more or lesse Thai weren bothe in so grete destresse For defaut of mete and drynk lack That dyen thai mosten in al thing. That they must die Hem ne was no liflode left food and drinkline3410 Bot al for robbed and for reft. Marie had a doughtter dere, That for hungere dyed there, For whom she made mychel soroughe Bothe on evene and ek on morowe. morningline3415 Hemselven so grete hungere hadd That Dame Clarice Marie badd, “Ete we now this childe onon, For the hungere that is us on.” “Nay,” quoth Marie, “that wil I noughth!line3420 I wolde dyen ar I it thoughth. before Oure Lorde God that is so hende courteous Of his grace may us sende; Ne ben we noughth for this to sory, too sorry It may stonde us to Purgatory. serveline3425 So shal alle that wel bileve That no woo ne shal hem greve.” In this talkyng as thai satt,fol. 13vb Jhesus Crist hem noughth forgatt; An aungel com from Hevene shene shiningline3430 As God sent hem bitwene And seide to hem, “Leteth this stryf, Leave this disagreement And als so longe as yee mowen, ledeth youre lyf. lead Marie, loke that thou doo As Clarice here seide thee to.line3435 God wil so er than yee dye, God wills it so rather than that you die For to fulfille the prophecye That speketh of this in waye and strete, That wymmen shulden her children ete. Ne gruccheth noughth, bot fulfille grumbleline3440 Al that is Goddes wille. Though that yee dyen in this nede, Yee geten hevene blis to mede.” as reward Whan the aungel had seide his sawe, Agein to heven he gan drawe. withdrawline3445 Thai putten the childe on a spyt, on a spit Agein the fyre to rosten it, roast And duden as the aungel hem bad; Thai eten therof and maden hem glad. And as Pilate sat in his toure, towerline3450 Of rost he had a grete savoure; roast smell Where it was onon was soughth, He bad it shulde be to hym broughth. Thai wenten and founden where it was, And comen and tolden hym al the cas,line3455 And whan thai hadden tolde hym al this sawe, Than was Pilate nothing fawe. glad And the Jewes that thider dede ronne, run The womans chyld thei hem benome. took The wymen hadde sorwe and moche wooline3460 For her lyflode thai beren hem froo, And for this sighth thai weren in drede That thai duden that wicked dede. Pilate had hungere non, Though alle vitailes weren agon,line3465 Ne none of the othere grete, nobles Theigh the povere dyed for mete; Though poor For thai hadden the noble stones, virtuous stones Of vertu on hem for the nones, for that purpose And that made hem laste so longe,line3470 Til al the poeple them amonge Mightten no lenger suffre ne wolde Could would And God that had the termes tolde. If Pilate in the toun dude crye And forbad that vilenye,line3475 That no man shulde no more ete In that wise her owen bigete, manner offspring Bot golde and silver eten he bad To alle thoo that any had. And so thai eten her tresore al,line3480 Bothe hewen and corven smal, chopped up carved And in sum stede it is yfounde That summe of hem her tresore grounde.fol. 14ra Yut there dyed many on, many a one By every strete wel good won, line3485 For it was no kyndely fode natural In no stede it hem stode, It stood them in no stead Bot hem alle to bigile. trick Whan the toun was yolden that while For to have out of hem the tresoreline3490 Men duden hem pyne wel the more. Uche othere mighth his foo ete, And for deynté thai helden it swete. a delicacy Wyf the housbonde, housebonde the wyf, Everyche refte othere his lyf, seizedline3495 Summe with teeth other to-gnowen, gnaw And summe with hondes other to drowen. draw So thik men dyeden by strete and weye many For stynk of the men that dedun deye, And for a commune raunsoun common amountline3500 Thai beriyed the bodyes of the toun, And whan thai faileden tresore, lacked Than weren thai beriyed no more, Bot than thai laiden on hepes alle laid in heaps That for hunger ded gonne falle.line3505 And than the stynk the toun so fyld Of the careynes that layen unhild, corpses unburied That fader and moder, suster and brothere, Dyeden that non mighth biryen othere. bury And sithen whan the toun was take,line3510 Titus mychel mone gan make, sorrow For the poeple so thik laye On hepes dede by every waye. Doune he fel wel sone on kne: “Lorde, forgive my fader and me,line3515 For thorough us lyen thai noughth thus ded, Bot for her owen feble red. counsel Hadden thai er yolden to us, yielded before Hadden thai alle noughth leyen thus.” Summe ded liggeyng he fonde, lyingline3520 Bitande hosen and shone in honde; Biting leggings shoes Therby wisten thai righth onon For hunger thai dyeden everychon. Dyches thai duden maken and bylde, There thai duden the bodyes hilde.

line3525 Pilate onon his conseil took, For drede he had sore he quoke. Thai seiden to hym, “We reden thee, Lete yelden up swithe this cité. Give up Thus thenketh us alle that it is best;line3530 Hereinne shullen we have no rest.” “Nay,” quoth Pilate, “yut is this my red: advice I woot there nys no waie bot ded, no way but death Yut we shullen a while abide, For to seen what wil bityde. happenline3535 Thise lordes mowen dyen that ben withoute, might die Or we deyyen al the route; Before die together Than thar us caren litel alle carefol. 14rb On whether syde so it falle. On which side Or we shullen don as I shal seye,line3540 To sechen us help be another weye; Casten we what we willen hem gyve Consider That we mowen duellen stille and lyve.” This thai graunteden everychon And casten al hou thai wolden don.line3545 Therwhiles that thai casten so, The emperour seide, “Jacob, goo, And speke with summe of the cité, And wyte what poynt thai inne be, find out what situation And for to comen out of prisounline3550 Loke yif thai wil yelden the toun, For thai ne have noughth her wille. I trowe that summe for hungere spille. die Goo forth now, for I wyten wolde Wharto we shullen us holde. To whereline3555 Thai dyen for defaut there in the strete; lack Thai han hunger and we han mete. Seie hem that they comen and yelden us to, For atte last thai shullen so.” Jacob went hym to the walle;line3560 A Jew he seigh and gan hym calle. “Clepe me,” he seide, “there Josephus; Summon to me Bidde hym comen and speken with us.” He sent and broughth hym also swithe, And Jacob was of hym ful blithe, gladline3565 And he of hym was blithe also. Quoth Josephus, “Hou com thou us fro?” And he tolde hym als it was, And he seide thoo, “Deo Gracias!” Thanks be to God (Latin) “What,” quoth Jacob, “artou Cristen?”line3570 “Yee, felaw,” he seide, “Wiltou lysten? I am pryvé Cristen man, And my feith righth wel I can; know To loven Crist wel I owe, And that I am to thee biknowe,line3575 This othere day thoo we out nam, we went out Whan yee us alle overcam, I was wounded there ful sore So that I was neigh ded therfore; nearly dead And thorough the miracles of Jhesu,line3580 I am waxen hoole ynough. grown My fader and my moder I have tolde, To tourne hem and thai ne wolde, convert And for I may hem noughth turnen therto, Certes, Jacob, me is ful wo.”line3585 “Ye,” quoth Jacob, “helde thee stille! Thou shalt yut have al thi wille. I shal be for thee yif that I can, vouch for you To my lorde Sir Vaspasyan, And for alle thoo that Cristen be;line3590 Whan al is don, thou shalt it see. Sey me hou yee faren withinne, Tell fare And whan we shullen the toun wynne.”fol. 14va “Mafey,” he seide, “I wil thee seie, By my faith (French) Ful thik oure folk bigyneth to deye, line3595 And for the stynk that cometh hem fro, Hereinne dyen many moo. And therfore we have don make Amyddes the toun a wel gret lake, pit And evere as thai ded doune falle,line3600 Thereinne we don casten hem alle.” “Mafay,” quoth Jacob, “and so don we, And that was firste thorough me. through me (i.e., my idea) The dyche with the heighe paleys fence Thorough me was made, and the two charnels.line3605 Me thinketh thai don a gret folye folly To holden agein God and our partye, And yut I hope atte last To wynnen the toun thorou my cast, plot As Pilate seide amyd the toun insideline3610 Thoo he dude me in prisoun, When That I and Velosyan wel gode speede very swiftly Hadden yprocured al this dede. brought about Forsothe, he ne gabbed noughth; did not lie I wene therto it wil be broughth.line3615 Forsothe, my brother Josephus, I thoughth it shulde bifallen thus, And Dame Verone, the gode womman, Biforne the stiward Velosian, steward I made that Dame Verone yedeline3620 To beten the emperoures nede; relieve Forthi I am with hym pryvee, close And so I hope yut shaltou be. And so helpe me Crist as I am glad That it shal fallen als I badd;line3625 The emperoure was wonder seek sick And wende to have ydyed eek, thought And God heled hym thorough his grace, And that hath don hym to seche this place. has caused him He thenketh thise Jewes alle to schende destroyline3630 Er than he wil hennes wende; go hence He ne wil never letten this toun leave Til he have al betten it doun. struck Thou mighth seen it is Goddes wille This vengeaunce to fulfille;line3635 By many toknes men mowen ysee, And thou wilt bithenken thee. reflect Alle thoo that ben therinne Ben encoumbred in foule synne, ensnared Bot yif any Cristen wighth Unless personline3640 Be late comen to God almighth. recently And for thei ne wollen no mercy crave, will not I hote thee, thai shullen non have, Neither of God ne of man, Ne of my lorde Vaspasyan,line3645 For he and Titus his son bothe With alle the Jewes weren ful wrothe. The ooth thai maden thai wil noghth breken,fol. 14vb To leven the sege tyl thai ben wreken. Therfore, I praie thee, seie me sone,line3650 What thai thenken therinne to done, Whether thai willen the toun thus helden Oither have ydo and up it yelden.” have done with it Josephus ansuered hym ful stille, “Jacob, it was nougth last her willeline3655 That thai wolden alle don so, Whan I come to thee hem fro. Bot forsothe, I hote thee, It dureth noughth longe, as thinketh me. will not last it seems Me were ful leef we weren withoute, I would ratherline3660 For we lyven in mychel doute. I wene thai casten to make youre gree intend to make peace with you Yif thai mowen with any fee. price Praie for us and be us fore, That no Cristene man be lore!line3665 Forsothe had Sir Vaspasian Made hymself a Cristene man, And his son with al his ost, Er he come hider, wel thou wost, For hym had ben sykernesse; securityline3670 Than wolden we han yelden us, more and lesse. Yut is us lever to dyen hereinne we would rather Than yelden us to a Sarasynne, For we holden us worthi more Tyl woo dryve us to suffre sore.line3675 Fare wel Jacob, my leve brother, dear For yee shullen sone wite on oither other.” one way or another “God of Hevene be with thee And with alle that therinne Cristene be!” The emperour he cometh than to,line3680 And word for word he telleth hym so. Than ansuered the emperoure, “Sone hope I askape this erroure. escape By thise wordes now I see Hastilich thai shullen yolden be. Quicklyline3685 Jacob, wake we that we may; It neigheth fast her terme day.” quickly nears day when payment is due

Josephus com the Jewes unto, “Lordynges,” he seide, “What wil yee do? Vaspasyan ne Titus his soneline3690 For wraththe leven thai ne conne Because of their wrath they cannot leave Til thai han wroken her tene, avenged their injury And that shal newly be sene. So mychel I woot of hem, Sir Pilate, As I have aspyed late, spiedline3695 I ne can see no waye bot on, one That we ne ben dede everychon. Loketh what al youre folk wil seye And do we righth as I you preye, For thai of the communealté the common peopleline3700 Fele this woo more than we.” A cry was made, the folk com al, Bothe the gret and the smal.fol. 15ra Pilate seide, “What rede yee now? For we don us alle upon yow.”line3705 The poeple biforne hym casten a cry, Ful reuful and ful grisely, piteous frightful And seiden, “Fairer it were to dye Better Yerne than so longe to lye.” Quickly And summe seiden hem among,line3710 “We lyen here sperred al to long! confined We dyen here in destresse, And that is for oure wickednesse, For we duden Messias to dye. It is skyl that we it abye. reasonable pay for itline3715 And that seen the Romaynes wel, For thai destroyen us and oure uche del. Sumtyme was we seiden so That the Romaynes shulden thus do, Whan we and oure kynde ranline3720 For to destroyen thys gode man; By this we mowen knowen and see The tyme is comen that it shal be. It semeth Messias may fulfille And of alle to don his wille,line3725 For lenger with no manere gynne contrivance Mowen we lasten for oure synne. He sheweth wel he is God almighth; We duden as foles with hym to fighth. acted fools We praiden his mercy al to late,line3730 And thou also, Sir Pilate. Therfore, sir, lete us alle oute gon To enden al oure sorough onon.” sorrow Yut thai seiden hem among, “Better is short sorough than long;line3735 To slen uche othere fairer it is Than yelden us up and faren amys.” Ellevene thousande there leten her lyf. lost their lives Uche slough othere with his knyf, And for the stynk that of hem cameline3740 Many on her deth there nam. took And than thai crieden at a cry To Jhesu Crist that sitteth on heigh, “Agein thee, Lorde, we han mysdon, done wrong Therfore wreche is comen us on. vengeanceline3745 Now mowen we seien as we er dede Whan he toward the croice yede; He bad us nougth wepen for his pyne, Bot for us selven and for oure kyne. kin We mowen wariyen in oure thoughth complainline3750 The teres that us forth broughth, tears We aughtten for to bidden and willen That the erthe wolde us hillen, cover That we ne seighen this vengeaunce alle Yif that it so mighth bifalle.line3755 We mowen wariyen, al oure kynde, complain For the sorough that we fynde, For we that lyven now abyen ful sorefol. 15rb That thai wroughtten us bifore. caused Withouten ende moten thai care grieveline3760 That maken us thus yvel to fare, For now is comen that he us higth told Agein oure wrong he dooth us rigth. Forthi, Pilate, give up the toun, Therefore And lete us gon out of prisoun,line3765 Or we shullen thee smertly take, And alle the grettest for thi sake, And yelden us selven the cité, ourselves Hou so it evere of us be. Of this avise thee, Sir Pilate,line3770 Or thou shalt be war to late, For we mowen no lengere lyven; Hyghe thee the toun were up given.” Make haste Whan Pilate seigh this, and Josephus, And Barabas and Archillaus,line3775 Thai and the poeple wenten alle And to the emperour thai gonnen calle, “Have mercy on us, sir emperoure, And take us nou to thi socoure; protection The tyme is comen, as we thee telle,line3780 That we ne mowen no lengere duelle. We have don al that we may; Of seven yer this is the last day. And therfore sir, we thee preyen, Whether shullen we lyven or deyen.”

line3785 Tho the emperour thise wordes herd, With mychel joye therfore he ferd. Also swithe he gan doune falle quickly On his knees biforne hem alle And seide, “Welcome be Goddes sonde, byline3790 For he is Lorde of al londe, And now I see he wil fulfille That I shal haven al my wille.” He roos and spaak unto hem alle rose And seide, “Hereth now what shal bifalle,line3795 That yee shullen heren, speken, and see, Yee shullen no mercy fynde in me! For yee sloughen in this stede Jhesu Crist in his manhede. humanity Withouten al manere gylteline3800 Yee demed hym to ben yspilte, killed And evermore riwen I it owe; regret Ne hadden yee ben, I had hym sowe. seen Yee han failed of his grace, So shulle yee don of myn in uche place. in every placeline3805 Al my wille ich have you tolde And wharto that yee shulle you holde.” Now seide the Kyng Archillaus, “Sir emperour, shal it ben thus?” He gan to renden a gappe wyde tear3810 Doun of hym after his syde, And onon his swerd out drough And therwith hymself he slough;fol. 15va He fel doune biforne hem alle Into the dyche under the walle.line3815 “Forsothe,” seide the emperoure, “Archillaus was treytoure; Forthi on swiche deth he sterved, died Righth as he hath arst deserved. first Gooth beryye hym,” he seide, “upe al thingline3820 With honoure, for he was a kyng.”

Pilate and alle wenten adoune To a gate of the toune, And out atte gate he wonde With the keyes in his honde.line3825 The gate was upon that ilche cost coast There Titus lay with al his host, Whan the toun shulde be yolden and take In the pres he gan out shake army (host) Josephus with many a manline3830 Into the cité of Joneperham, Joneperam For to askapen al the woo That the Jewes shulden to. The emperour wyst this on hast, And sone I woot he was bycast, surroundedline3835 Wel armed men with many a wepen Nighth and day the toun to kepen, And Josephus strongely withstood And arst wolde sheden his blood first Than to yelden hym to Vaspasyan,line3840 For he was nougth a Cristene man, Bot I am syker he dude atte last. certain The emperoure soughth on hym so fast That the sege he lete be, gave up And with ellevene felawes he gan fleeline3845 Under the erthe into a kave, cave Hem to socouren and to save. Whan her vitailes weren alle gone, victuals Hise felawes seiden everychon, “Sire, thus mowe we noughth lye. lieline3850 Ful wel we witen here shullen we dye; Uche of us shal other ete At the last for nede of mete. Maister, at thee we willen bygynne, For thou art most maister hereinne.line3855 Than shullen we han the lesse reward Of hem that duellen afterward.” Josephus ansuerd als a man Ful queyntlich, as nede was than, craftily And seide, “It wolde noughth ben wel so.line3860 Casteth lott bitwene two and two, Draw lots between each other Whiche of us shal other ete And whiche we shullen alyve lete. leave alive Holde yee alle,” he seide, “to this?” “Ye sir,” thai seiden, “I wys.”line3865 Thus uche of hem ate otherr than, Tyl it to Josephus cam; Thoo the loth fal hym upon, lotfol. 15vb Deyen he shulde righth onon. Bot God wolde noughth he dyed than,line3870 For his wytt halpe many a man. His fere gan his swerd out drawe, fellow And Josephus he wolde have slawe, Bot Josephus, that sotyle was, crafty Seigh that he was in that cas,line3875 And leepe on hym als he cam, leapt And his swerde hym bynam, he took from him And that same dome he hym gave fate That he shulde hymselven have. And hym bileved he there alone,line3880 So that he com out onone, With his swerd in his honde, And to the emperoure he wonde. And thoo the emperour to hym drough, And seide, “Felawe, wo artou?” wholine3885 “Sir,” he seide, “I am Josephus, That wroot the storye amonges us Of al that yee here writen yfynde Amonge the Jewes of oure kynde.” “Forsothe,” he seide, “thou seist amys! wronglyline3890 For yif thou haddest ben so wys, Why naddestoun warned hem to save didn’t you Fro the armes that thai shullen have?” harm “Sire,” seide Josoephus hym to, “On thoo that lyven, Y it doline3895 That I warned hem of this cas, Fele yeres er it was. Many years ago And of her bokes I take witnesse, That I have writen, so I gesse.” And men that lyveden many online3900 Witnessed it everychon, And alle thai witnessed in that stede That Josephus had writen and sede. Than seide Jacob for hym thore, “Al that he seith I wil be fore.”line3905 Than seide Sir Vaspasian, “Josephus, artou a Cristen man?” “Ye sir,” he seide, “Sikerly, Certainly Bot I have borne it prively.” endured secretly And righth onon he was unbounde, untiedline3910 And he thanked hym that ilche stounde And seide, “Sir, yif thou loke, Yut shaltou fynde in the boke book That I seide thine was the honoure Of Rome to ben emperoureline3915 Fourty dayes er it fel, before it happened And hou Titus foryede his hele, gave up And thorough the conseil of me, I hope yut hole shal he be.” Than was the emperour ful glad,line3920 And seide, “Than have I that I bad,” And seide, “Maister Josephus, I nolde forgon my son Tytus, will not forsakefol. 16ra And I wist hou his lyf to save For nothing that I mighth have.line3925 Michel honoure thee shal ben give Yif thou helpe that he lyve.” “Sir,” he seide, “have thou no drede. I hope ful wel shul we spede.” prosper He broughth hym to Titus also swithe,line3930 That of his comyng was glad and blithe. Whan Titus herd his fadirs sawghe, To Josephus he gan hym drawghe, turn to And loved and leved hym sithen moost Save his fader of al the oost.line3935 “Whan shal be don thou highttest us, That my fader tolde us?” “Sir,” he seide, “tomorowe day It shal be don, yif that I may.” “Come tomorowe and ete with us than.”line3940 “I shal be redy yif that I can, On a forward that thou ne wraththe thee promise do not become angry For what man that I brynge with me. I shal come by this covenaunt.” agreement “Perfay,” quoth Titus, “and I graunt.” By my faith

line3945 Josephus in thoughth gan cast And bithoughth hym atte last: “With a joye com this yvel, perfay, And with a sorough it most away.” Onon he dude to aspien than search outline3950 Yif there were evere any man That Titus had hated stronge fiercely And the wraththe had lasted longe, And hym was tolde there was swiche on. He dude hym comen forth onon,line3955 And righth onon he lete calle The stiward of the kynges halle. Thoo seide Josephus, “Gode felawghe, Wiltou don after my sawghe? Loke thou assente to me now consentline3960 For Titus love and for his prow.” benefit “Sir, I sey thee sikerlich, I graunte to don wel blethelich.” gladly “Wel,” seide Josephus also sone, “As mete tyme is atte none, meal noonline3965 Do me setten a litel borde table Righth biforne Titus thi lorde, And there at shal this man be sette, And loke that hym be mete fette Wel grete plenté and riche drynk,line3970 Righth as shal comen bifore the kyng. And yif I rehete hym, do thou also.” make much of “Sir,” quoth the stiward, “it shal be do.” Al this was don word for word; Josephus satt at the kyngis bord.line3975 Titus was agreved and thoughth How was this man hider broughth; Thus he satt agreved longefol. 16rb That mete ne drynk nolde he non fonge. take For tene he chaunged al his mood, angerline3980 And sithen an hete com in his blood heat That his yvel than hym forsook And nevere after hym ne took. Josephus bihelde this man And reheten hym bigan, make much ofline3985 And the stiward dude also With faire semblant as fel therto. hospitality Titus tourned hym ful smert, sharply “Josephus, I thanke thee in myne herte! I bad thee brynge a man with thee;line3990 I wende noughth it had ben he. Thou bad I shulde me wraththe noughth With no man that thou hider broughth, And I graunted thee sikerly. It shal ben holden treuly, be keptline3995 For thou dude it for myne hele, I thanke it thee I have it wele. nobly Thou shalt be me dere while I lyve, And hym my wraththe I forgyve.” Thoo his fader wyst hou it was, knewline4000 I woot he made gret solas, joy And after this over alle thinges, Josephus was next the kynges.

Go we now to Pilate ageyn, For of hym I have to seyn.line4005 Hereth hou he gan his profre make offer For the toun and for his sake, To witen yif thai mighth saved be With golde or silver or other fee. payment Titus seigh Pilate and was ful glad;line4010 No better tydynges he ne bad. tidings Pilate seide, “I praie thee, Sir Titus, that thou here me. For to ben stille I wil thee give remain here Every yere while that I lyve,line4015 So that thi fader wil me save, And my baily stille to have, office I wil given hym this trowage: An hundreth sparehaukes ramage, wild sparrowhawks An hundreth gentyl faukons also, falconsline4020 And houndes thritty mute therto, packs An hundreth palles of sylk and golde, fine cloths The richest that ben boughth or solde, And ten leopardes and lyons ten, And ten beres fro the den, bearsline4025 And fyve mules charged wel, loaded With golde and sylver everydel, And with alle the best stones, That mowen ben founden for the nones. for the moment Wite at thi lorde yif he wil so, Find outline4030 And seie me swithe what I shal do.” Titus was glad that ilk tyde time For he the gate opened wyde,fol. 16va And for he seigh Sire Pilate Redy to yelden hym atte gate.line4035 He com and tolde his fader this, And he onon gan wepe for blis. The fader seide mekely this tale: humbly “Forsothe, son, I am his bale; destruction Though he wolde give me al this worlde,line4040 He ne shal nevere the better ben herd. And though he mighth thelen als myche shame suffer as much shame As alle the men that beren name, Fro man was made to the werldes ende, He were more worthi, my leve frende.line4045 Take thi folk and goo hym to, And telle hym that I seide so. Take hym son upe my blissyng, with And loke thou do hym in good kepyng, secure keeping And do thee forth in to the toun,line4050 And I shal kepen enviroun surrounded That non askape bot I it see. escape And Jacob here take with thee, For he knoweth the Cristen men, And ek the wymmen, whiche there ben,line4055 For thou woost wel I have sworne That non of hem ne shal be lorne. lost And alle thoo that yee shullen selle As thai ben sleyn lete hem telle.” Titus onon than forth sprongline4060 With his oost gret and long, Thai ne wolden no lengere abide Bot fylden the dyche in every side. filled Thai casten the gates open wyde, Sir Titus onon gan in rideline4065 With thritty thousande armed wel, Bothe in yrne and in steel. iron He took Pilate there he stode, Thritty knighttes hym keped gode. guarded I woot that he ful sore quookline4070 Whan the knighttes hym undertook! took into custody Titus lett take all that he mett, And thoo that hidden hem, he dude hem fett. fetch He comaunded his men als blyve To kepen that thai token alyve;line4075 He dude bynde hem everychon bind That hem ne askaped lyves non, alive Bot yif any braak his nek were to break Or drenched hem in any bek. drown stream The Jewes weren leide on hepes grete,line4080 Fast ybounden, honde and fete. Als Titus rood up and doune And felde the walles of the toune, On the wal he found a plas, place Wel thicker than that other was.line4085 He had wel mychel ferlyk great wonder Whi it was there so thikke. Tyl it was open nolde he blynne ceasefol. 16vb For to wyten what was therinne; And at the last in he wanline4090 And fonde therinne an olde hore man, gray-haired Al glad and wel hiwed of the best, of good complexion As on that were comen fro the fest. feast He asked hym hou he there cam, And what tyme and thorough wham,line4095 And what he highth wonderly. marvelously And he seide, “Joseph of Aramathy. First I was in prisoun as men herd, For Jhesus love wel fast ysperd, locked up And that was don for his berying, buryingline4100 And here was I don for my prechyng. Righth now I woot seven yere ben gon, Thai shetten me in this wal of ston. shut Atte first Jhesus fette me oute And bad me have righth no doute,line4105 To kithe me love was his thoughth, reveal Sithen he me hath forgeten noughth. Since My lorde me hath fed and kepte to now, For I shulde be delivered thorough yow; To thi fader and to thee and to youres alle,line4110 This honourable grace be ordeyned to falle, That men shulden therof longe yelpe speak And after tourne youre soules to helpe. Jhesus Crist wil that it be so; He ordeyned this dede for you two.”line4115 Titus thanked oure heven kyng Of Joseps wordes and his fyndyng. discovery To his fader onon he hym sent, That honoured hym with gode entent; With hym and Titus he was pryvé,line4120 And honoured with her bothers meignee, both of their armies For he was most honourable man After Titus and Vaspasyan, And than Japhel and Josephus, And Jacob that loved Jhesus.line4125 While Titus alle the Jewes soughth, Jacob other men togedre broughth, Alle that leveden on Jhesu Crist, believed Feble thai weren for hunger and threst. Weak thirst He led hem softe with honoure gentlyline4130 Righth biforne the emperour. The emperour gret hem everychon And dude hem eten wel gode won, according to good custom And thanked God that thai were save, And that he mighth hem lyves have. aliveline4135 He dude hem bathen and clothen uchon With white clothes that faire shoon, shone beautifully So that his oost shulde hem knowe And honouren hem whan thai hem sowe. saw Of the Jewes thai hym toldeline4140 Al that evere he witen wolde, And that he shulde no tresoure gete, For uche a Jew hath his y-ete, each Jew had eaten hisfol. 17ra Bothe clothes, palles and baudekyn, Eastern silks (brocade) And athere of wolle and of lyn, wool linenline4145 And vessel mychel of riche prys Of al manere metal that is, And fele beestes wilde and tame, And hordes of hous al same, household stores together Bot thai han oughth in erthe hyd ought to haveline4150 Ellas nothing is thee her bityd. So that nothing would have happened to them “Now,” seide the emperour, “is it so? I wolde non othere thai hadden do. Her tresore coveite I noughth to wynne, desire For it is ful of falshede and synne. falsehoodline4155 Al that is left is myne uche del, And that thai han eten paieth me wel, rewards me well For now shal I fulfillen my sale And everyche bygger haven his tale. buyer total For I thenk to avaunce myne benefitline4160 And the more shal be her pyne. A fair grace is us bityd That thai han eten is noughth hyd; For the biyete and for the prow, profit benefit Myne men shullen don hem sorough ynow,line4165 And alle othere that willen hem bye. In al this londe I shal don crye announce That al manere Cristene wighth person That of the Jewes han despyt yplighth sworn disdain Shullen comen and bye my ware goodsline4170 And evermore the better fare. That is my joye and my game; Thai mowen noughth have to mychel shame.” Rigth onon than sent he Thorough the londe of Judé,line4175 And comaunded every Cristene man Comen to Sir Vaspasyan, Upon lyf and upon lyme, Her avauncement for to nyme. reward take Non withstood that he ne kemline4180 To the cité of Jerusalem. Than dude he cryen thorough his oost That alle shulden come, lest and most. He seide to hem, “Yee han herd tolde For thritty pens Jhesus was solde,line4185 In despyt of Cristene lawghe, And sithen the Jewes han hym slawghe. Yee that ben comen into this stede, Cometh forth and awreketh his dede! avenge I seie you, who so wil bygge any, buyline4190 I selle hym thritty for a peny Of alle the Jewes and her kynde, And loketh what yee in hem fynde; For I dar you wel warraunte, guarantee Yee shullen ben riche of the remenaunte. remainderline4195 Whan thai ben opened everychon, Yee shullen fynde tresore gode won. Uche man take his part of allefol. 17rb Of uche heved as wil bifalle; In her wombes thai han it broughth, stomachsline4200 It ne thar nevere ben ferther soughth. need never And whan yee han out the tresore, That yee seen there nys no more, Loke yee don hem al the peyne That any man can wyte or seyne.line4205 Honge hem, bren hem, dooth hem drawe, burn torn apart (drawn and quartered) Flee hem, bore hem, dooth hem sawe Flay pierce cut them Roste hem, scolde hem, bete hem, and putte, scald smite And al on peces her body cutte, And thus fordooth hem, liif and lyme: destroyline4210 So shullen men quyten hem her venyme. reward them for their corruption And Goddes blissyng have thay ay That serven hem so tyl Domesday! treat Cometh now and byggeth fast Evere while the route wil last.” crowdline4215 Thai comen and boughtten up everychon, And uche opponed his folk onon, And after duden her enemyes As hem was boden the same wyse. commanded There mightten men seen, sikerly,line4220 Gronyng, gruntyng, sorough and cry. Groaning, grunting While al this sorough was ywroughth, made I hote thee, Titus sleep righth noughth; I assure you He rood overal thorough the toun, And al that there was he felde adoun. knockedline4225 With pycoys and mattok many a knighth pickax mattock Felden the walles doune righth, And al the toun sikerlyk, And filden there with the grete dyk. filled ditch Thai swepten al clene al that thai fonde, sweptline4230 So that after hem ne lete thai nawght stonde, Bot the temple Salamon sikerly, temple of Solomon And the castel with the toure Davy. tower of David For love of hem thai leften stille The prophecies to fulfille:line4235 “There schal no ston on othere dwelle, Bot men shullen it doune felle.” Thai fulfilled the prophecye In alle thinges that thai mightte aspye. Thai duden beryye the bodyes alle buryline4240 In dunge hepes withouten the walle; dung heaps outside Thai boughtten and solden by hem one On that othere syde the other uchone. The summe of Jewes boughth and solde number As thai weren sleyn thai weren tolde; countedline4245 The noumbre was, as yee mowen lithe, hear An hundreth thousande elleven sithe, 111,000 And the summe of alle that les her liif, lost With hunger or with swerd or kniif, Withouten thoo that weren solde, I understande, Excludingline4250 Was foure hundreth and seventene thousande. 417,000 And this wreche shal lasten ay vengeance And evermore tyl Domesday,fol. 17va Upon al the Jewes kynde In what londe so men hem fynde. landline4255 Evere thai shullen ben, I plighth, In despyt with gode skil and righth; reason Thai shullen nevere duellen in no londe Bot for raunsoun, Ich understonde. payment This was, I wene, grete vengeaunceline4260 Thorough Goddes owen ordinaunce. There may no mannes slaughth ben hyd manslaughter That it ne shal sumtyme be kyd; revealed Loke than yif Goddes sones sholde That alle thinges had in holde. grasp

line4265 Thoo al the cité was doune cast, Titus toke Pilate atte last And broughth hym bifore his faders kne. “Fader,” he seide, “loo, here is he That slough Jhesu that was thi leche, physicianline4270 And this traitour I thee biteche.” Than ansuered Sir Vaspasyan, “Me thinketh I mighth noughth haten this man.” Twies or thries thus he seide, thrice “Hou shulde my wraththe ben on hym leide?line4275 Me thenketh I ne can see non other, I mighth loven hym as my brother. Helpe, sum man, I mighth hym knowe, That he lede us thus no throwe.” not lead us a while Forth there com than a wel olde man,line4280 “Sir emperour, I thee telle can, Hereth me and yee shullen wyte; I shal telle you as it is wryte. Whan Jhesus dyed, so seith oure book, Pilates knighttes from hym tookline4285 His clothes and deled amonges hem, And there was a kirtel that had no sem garment that had no seam That thai leten ben and parted it noughth, Bot hom to Pilate it was broughth. He woot ful wel that I ne lyye, that I do not lieline4290 He hath it kepte sithen in tresorye. Seint Marie the kirtel waaf, wove And Jhesu Crist hir son it gaf. gave Sir, he dude it on hym than he (Pilate) Whan the gret hunger bigan;line4295 Gode stones and that clooth Made that he feled no looth. felt harm While he it hath, he mighth gon Among his frendes, among his fon. enemies Longe it is gon he was a fyle; He has been a wretch for a long timeline4300 I knowe hym wel and al his gyle. treachery Take the kirtel fro the traitour, And were it thiself, sir emperour; It fel noughth hym therewith be clad is not fitting After hym that first it had.line4305 Also wel to hym it falles As a donge heep ben spredde with palles! A dung heap spread with fine cloth Upon hym thou mighth it fynde:fol. 17vb Whiles he it hath on, thou beest al blynde, So tourne it of hym bifore thi kne. kneeline4310 On hym I woot that I it see.” Whan the kirtel was fro hym ytake, Michel sorough he gan make. The emperour on hym gan loke, And on hym his heved he shoke headline4315 And seide, “Stronge theef, thu shalt be shent, Vile thief destroyed For thou hast us so longe ablent! blinded Fy on thee, theef! For longe while Thou hast us led al with gile. guile Yif I may, theef, thou schalt abye,line4320 And in stronge tourment thou shalt dye, Elles had I lorne al my journé Or else lost travel That I made to this cité. For thou art worthi more shame alone Than the Jewes everychone.”line4325 As the story witnesseth and seith, A barel of steel was for hym greith, barrel arranged And al quyk he was thereinne ydo. alive put Hereth now what thai duden also. Thai thoughtten han caste hym in the cee, sealine4330 Bot for this resoun thai leten be, His paynes to lengthen, verreyment. truly Unto Vyenne he was sent, Viene That tyme there was the heighe prisoun That longed to Rome and to the croun. belonged crownline4335 The barel was seled with his seal, sealed So that he were kepte wel, And evermore he shulde there ybe In pyne and woo tyl that he dye. Out of the barel he was ydoline4340 Whan he com the prisoun to, And he was in agein done Whan he was ded also sone. After he was dead He was tyed with a cheyne chain To a stake with fettres tweyne, stake shacklesline4345 And gynes on his handes tway, ropes Bot it were the heigher day. Unless holy There he lay two yer er he was ded, And lyved with water and barly bred, barley Bot on every heighe dayline4350 Than he was served to his pay, to his liking Of gode mete and of drynk, And a man it to hym brynge. So fer the devel was hym withinne That ones ne rewed hym his synne, he did not once regretline4355 Bot lay there as an hethen hounde heathen hound Upon the bare swepen grounde. swept Ay he lay righth as he yede, Ne was hym chaunged no manere wede, clothing In wel mychel unclennesse filth (uncleanness)line4360 And wel mychel and gret destresse. The story telleth also he lay So longe hym thoughth that on a day,fol. 18ra He wex al ful of his lyf, grew tired And of on he borowed a kniif from someone knifeline4365 For to paren a pere, he drough, pare a pear drew And therwith hymselven he slough. The sept sages thus willen you telle, Seven Sages As men in the jestes spelle, stories tell Hou he dyed thai senten to seie thanline4370 To the emperoure Sir Vaspasyan And the emperoure seide onon, “To fouler deth mighth he nougth gon Than slee hymself with his owen honde, For wers was non, ich understonde, none was worseline4375 Whiles he lyved, ne more forlorne That evere was of moder borne, For he assented by dome and red judgment and advice To don Jhesu Crist to ded. He ne migth noughth, I understonde,line4380 Have ben sleyn with a fouler honde. I vouche wel saaf he ended so, think it proper Als he dude, so lete hym go.” Out of the prisoun thai hym drough, Wel vileynlich ich hote yow, disrespectfullyline4385 And sperred hym in the barel ageyn, locked As biforne yee herd me seyen. Thai beriyed hym by a watres syde buried There no man shulde go ne ride, In a stede that was al wast. wasteline4390 There fele men weren siththe sore agast; many For stynk and cry thai hadden doute fear Of fendes that walked hym aboute around Wharthorough many on took there the deth, Through which place What of stynk and of his breth. stenchline4395 Fro that syde the folk hym drough For the men that it slough, And than thai token hem to rede upon advice To remeven hym to another stede, remove And so thai duden atte last,line4400 And in a water thai hym cast. threw There he fleet longe up and doune floated To many mannes confusioune ruin Now in the myddes, now by the brynk, middle edge That doun to grounde migth it noughth synk,line4405 So the devels gonnen hym posse and bere began move That he ne mighth resten no where. I trowe the soule had litel rest Whan the body was so forkest, tossed about And yif the fendes shewed hem mychel byfore, shovedline4410 Than they shewed hem wel more. With derknesse, stynk and hidous cries, darkness horrible Men thoughtten it dyned into the skies; resounded By the water mighth no man wende Into no londe fer ne hende, no land far or nearline4415 And theigh the cuntré wenden and seyn That the water had borne hym agein. Tyl on a day a shipp com glide sailfol. 18rb For by fast in a nones tyde, midday Alle thai weren in grete afrayline4420 Whan that thai the barel say. saw With mychel woo londe thai nam, And into Vyenne thoo thai cam And tolden the folk of that cité Hou thai hadden the barel ysee, seenline4425 Up and doun floterande fast, floating Wharfore thai weren sore agast For derknesse and for devels cry And for stynk thai felten hem by. Than the clergie of the toun clergyline4430 Amonge the poeple with resoun, With holy bedes and with penaunce, prayers That God delyvered hem of that chaunce Leyen fast in orisoune, Lay down prayer Tyl God sent his grace adoune.line4435 A voice there com that bad hem gon To the watres side onon, And there thai shulden sone seen Hou it shulde of that barel ben. Alle that mightten gon and rideline4440 Wenten hem to the watres syde. A roche bigan to oppen wyde rock As thai alle seighen that ilche tyde, And aboven hem roos a wyndes blast gust of wind That made hem alle sore agast;line4445 Therwith com both lighth and thonder light and thunder Als the werlde shulde gon asonder. go to pieces This weder forth the barel blew, And into the roche wel righth it threw. Whan it was in, it loke agein,line4450 That roche that thai alle it seyn. Thai thankeden God in that stede; Thereafter ne hadden thai no drede. And evere sithen into this day, The hole is open there he lay.line4455 With ston ne erthe ne may it ben dytt, closed In tokne of that foule pytt, For he ne was worthi, ich understonde To have rest in water ne londe He that demed Jhesu to ben yspylt put to deathline4460 To shameles deth withouten gylt.

Now wil I telle an aventoure Of Judas, Goddes traytoure. First yhereth hou he was borne And sithen thorough falshede forlorne.line4465 His owen fader highth Ruben, And woned in Jerusalem; lived Sabaria his wyf highth, And was Judas moder righth. Upon that nigth that he was geten, conceivedline4470 Ful the hous of devels seten; The house was full of devils On slep Sabaria mette a wonder cas dreamed In that ilche nighth of her son Judas,fol. 18va Hou that the devels tolde alle this tale, This childe shal be the Jewen bale; the Jews’ destructionline4475 Thorough hym shullen thai sorough yfynde Alle thoo that ben of the Jewes kynde. Of hire sweven she upbrayde, dream started up And to Ruben this tale she sayde, “We have don this nighth a ded deedline4480 That al oure kynde may evermore drede; A childe is geten bitwene us two That shal brynge us alle to wo. Ruben, ich wil be siker biforne, Yif the childe of me be borne,line4485 Hou so evere I with hym spede, I kepe hym never fostre ne fede.” foster nor feed “Dame,” quoth Ruben, “Artow wood? Are you crazy Thou hast a spirit other than good. What lyst thee, dame, for to telle? What do you wantline4490 Sweven nys bot a foles spelle.” A dream is but a fool’s tale “Sir,” she seide, “this is myne afray; fear It was me tolde thus as I lay. Yif I have conceyved as I wene, It schal tourne many on to tene.” to griefline4495 Ruben gan this al forgete, Tyl that his wyf was al grete. great (with child) The childe was borne whan tyme cam; Michel sorough for hym thai nam. To kepen hym forth thai hadden care,line4500 And thai wolden hym nougth forfare. destroy Anon thai ordeyned and hem bithougth, A nywe boot for hym was wrougth new boat made In to the cee he was ydighth, sea put And leten hym goo where he mighth. cast adriftline4505 This boot was to and fro ycast, To londe it com atte last In an ylde that Caryoth highth, island Iscariot And there he took his name arighth. The quene com pleyeande of the londe amusing herselfline4510 With her maydens by the stronde shore Of this boot she was wel yware And onon therto gan fare. “Maydens,” she seide, “cometh with me; A boot cometh seilande on the cee. sailingline4515 Sum wonder I hope it be, iwys, Go we and sen what it is.” The boot in the sonde gan fast sand began to stick As the water wawghes it cast, waves Drye foot upon the gravel sandline4520 Thai wenten therto fair and wel. A childe in riche clothes wounde In this boot thai han yfounde. Thai seighen it was a knave, I wys; boy Than made the lefdy mychel blis.line4525 She seide to hir maidens ilchone, “Childe ne had I nevere non. I shal done it kepen and save,fol. 18vb Oure heritage yut may he have. inheritance This chaunce is for us ful faire:line4530 Now hath my lorde and I an haire.” heir Homwardes onon thai wolde, And to hir lorde this tale she tolde. Thorough her bothers red, therfore, both of their advice She made as she with childe wore, pretendedline4535 And so was don to understonde To alle the lordes of the londe. Thai maden hym borne, and forth it tolde Thorough the londe to yonge and olde. For hym was made joye and game;line4540 Judas Carioth thai gaven hym name. Thai duden hym yeme as thai cone, cared for him could Righth als he were the kynges sone. Sone afterward tyme byfel, As God wolde, faire and wel,line4545 A knave childe conceyved the quene, That Judas mordred sithen, I wene. murdered Whan he was borne thai weren glad, For it was the first that thai had. Thoo thai weren waxen and thryven When grown maturedline4550 In play often thai foughtten and stryven; Judas often mysseide that other spoke ill of That he wende had ben his brother. thought Sone croketh that wil be wrong; becomes crooked In eelde mote biten that yonge stong. must bite stungline4555 So gan Judas wyk to be, Bothe thorough blood and destynee. The nettle greveth the swete rose, By thise two children we mowen suppose, For Judas often that childe smoot smoteline4560 And made hym wepen teres hoot, weep hot tears And thoo the quene it understood, Hire thoughth the gamme nothing good. She took it swithe sore to hert And dude Judas to skoure smert beatline4565 And tolde hym he nas nothing hem sybbe related By flessh ne blood, bon ne rybbe, bone Bot that he was a fundelyng foundling Bothe to hir and to the kyng. “And therfore smyte noughth my sone,line4570 Yif thou wilt with us wone.” For this leten hym ne lyst he did not desire to cease The kynges son to beten and byst. beat and strike Thoo Judas wyst and understood That he com thider by the flood, waterline4575 He wende noughth it were so, He did not believe Bot that for wraththe it had ben do; He was so cherilich with kyng and quene, lovingly treated Forthi he wende it mighth noughth bene. Ac the maydens witnessed that thing Butline4580 That weren at his fyndyng, And than he herd of hem this fame, report He took to hym ful mychel shamefol. 19ra For he wende ever and oo He were the kynges son til thoo.line4585 Wel pryvely that childe he slough, And rigth onon he hym withdrough; He was aferde to lesen his hede afraid lose his head Oither to han suffred sum othere dede, And so he shulde had he abyde. remainedline4590 And therfore on his feet he hym dude With messagers of that londe That beren trowage, I understonde, carried truage That wenten to Jerusalem, In her compaignye thider he kem.line4595 To Pilates court he hym drough, And there he wexe sone couth ynough grew renowned With sotilté and with queyntise trickery guile And with giftes to hym and hise As in the proverbes ben ytolde,line4600 Bothe of yonge and of olde, That gode men togedres drawe, And everyche fole to his felawe, So ferden Pilate and Judas, So glad oither of othere was.line4605 Her maners acorded everydel, manners agreed Forthi oither loved othere wel. each Yif Pilate to yvel redy was, Yut redyer was Judas; Fro that thai weren togedres yknowe knownline4610 Thai weren togedres a gret throwe. a long time It bifel that Pilate went on a daye Into the cité hym for to playe, And for to avisen hym up and doun observe To the kepyng of the toun.line4615 And als he loked on every side, He seigh a tree that spred wyde In an orchard there it stood. That sighth menged al his blood provoked him For hym thoughth he was warline4620 That tre the fairest appels baar apples That evere he seigh in his lyve. His herte stood on hem so blyve That he ne wist what to done; Bote he had of hem sone Unlessline4625 He thoughth his herte wolde to-brest, burst Ne wolde he never have no rest Tyl he mighth at his wille Of that fruyt have his fille. And of this foule temptaciounline4630 Com sithen gret confusioun; This orchard was, wel I woot, Judas faders Carioth, Man that was most pryvee With Pilate of al his meignee. companyline4635 Pilate on this fruyt so thoughth, Til he hem had ne lefte he noughth, And forth onon he cleped Judas,fol. 19rb And seide, “Thou most me helpen in this cas, For I woot thu nylt leve for no greef will not cease for any troubleline4640 To don that thing that me is leef. dear This othere day I went adoun And seigh here withouten the toun In an orchard upon a tre The fairest apples that mightten be.line4645 Now as thou wilt myn hele save, Helpe me of that fruyt to have, I praie thee, Judas my derlyng, Hastilich upon al thing.” Quickly Judas seide, “Sir, I thee plighth, promiseline4650 Thou shalt have therof tonighth, I hote thee er we slepen bothe Who so be therof glad or wrothe.” Judas dude hym thider onon there As hym was taughtte for to gon;line4655 An hard hap than was hym biforne bad fate That evere was he geten or borne. He stirte in as hym ne roughth, jumped cared There Ruben woned that wist he noughth. dwelled He understood nevere biforneline4660 That he was there yborne, Ne his kynde ne couthe hym knowe, Though thai every day hym sowe. saw Thai wenden noughth that it were he That with Pilate was so pryvé; closeline4665 Thai wenden the cee had hym forfare And fordon her alder care. destroyed previous Bot his destynee so ne wolde, destiny For it most nedes be as it scholde. Theigh men wenden stoppen Goddes cast, try to stop intentionline4670 It wil forth gon atte last. Whan he into the orchard cam, Of the apples fast he nam; took He loked aboute hym and helde hym trest, secure And the fruyt in his bosome threst.line4675 And therwith come Ruben thoo, And seigh hym hou he plucked so, pulled (i.e., picked apples) And wexe onon ful of yre anger And seide, “Whi doostou so, beau sire? good sir What hastou in my cloos to done? gardenline4680 Highe thee out, I rede thee sone, Get out And yelde up the fruyt that thou hast, And make amendes for the wast, waste And yut thou shalt ful dere abye pay for This apert vilenye.” overt villainyline4685 Judas ansuerd hym with pride And seide, “I nyl leve, theigh thou chide, will not scold And bot thou sone goo by this day, Thou shalt abyen, yif that I may.” pay for it “Yee,” quoth Ruben, “Is it so?”line4690 And onon he stirte hym to, leapt And by the throte uche othere laughtte throat grabbed And togedres longe thai faughtte,fol. 19va So that Judas atte last Fro Ruben his fader brast, broke apartline4695 And laughtte a ston that he fonde, grabbed And hente his fader by the honde, seized And bete hym bihynde on the hede, That he fel doun under hym dede. Out of the orchard blyve he fleye, quickly flewline4700 And hom to Pilate he took his weye. Pilate had sone the fruyt ynome taken And mychel thank he hym cone. could Al his cas he tolde hym sone That was for the apples done.line4705 “Ye,” quoth Pilate, “recche thee noughth. don’t worry There woot no man who it wroughth. Bere thee wel and holde thee stille, And thou shalt have al thi wille. Alle the godes that hise wore goods wereline4710 I graunte thee for evermore, And the wyf that was his Shal ben at thi wille, iwys.” Whan it toward evene cam, evening The wyf into hir orchard nam, wentline4715 After hir housbonde she soughth fast, And com and fonde hym atte last, Stark ded ful sikerly. Utterly dead She wende it had ben sodeynly, sudden For she wyst noughth of that cas, knewline4720 Whanne ne thorough whom it was. Erly amorowe whan it was day, Early in the morning She yede to Pilate for this affray. disturbance “This nighth I fonde myne hosebonde ded; I ne woot hou ne thorough whas red. whose biddingline4725 Leve sir, helpe me at this res, Dear emergency For I am now al helples.” “Dame,” quoth Pilate, “Drede thee no del, Thou shalt ben holpen swithe wel. Do beriye hym swithe and have no care,line4730 For I have ordeyned al thi fare. Dame, I thenke to given thee The man that is pryvyest with me; closest Take hym here by the honde, For he shal be thine housebonde.”line4735 She ne durst ones seien naye dared not once say no Bot Pilate and Judas for to paye. please Thoo thai weren ywedded, Judas and she, And hadden a while togedres be, Upon a nighth she hire biwent, turned paleline4740 And weep and sore hire byment. mourned Judas asked, “What is this fare? Whi makestou, dame, thus mychel care? Is there oughth that agreveth thee? anything Telle on, thou shalt avenged be.” line4745 “Sir,” she seide, “I may wel sorowe, Bothe on even and on morowe. evening morning I may be ever careful wyf sorrowfulfol. 19vb Whan I thenk upon my lyf; Ruben and I a childe we had,line4750 For hym ne be I nevere glad, For in the cee we hym cast, And there we seighen oure son last. I woot he is ded sikerlich, And his fader sodeynlich,line4755 And now Pilate with bote yare zealous relief Hath ynewed al my care. made new Agein my wille he wedded me Against To lede my lyf, Judas, with thee.” Thoo Judas understood this cas,line4760 He seide that he hir son was. “Allas,” she seide, “artou so? For now is woo upon woo, Here is sorough upon sorough, Hou shulde we evere ben borough?” savedline4765 Thoo Judas wyst his moder his wyf knew his mother was his wife And had bireft his fader his lyf, robbed Of thise synnes he gan hym repent. His moder redde hym that he went advised To seken Jhesu the prophete,line4770 His synnes foule for to bete. atone for To Jhesu com this Judas, And cried hym mercy for his trespas; Jhesus graunted hym ful sone And gaf hym penaunce for to done.line4775 So wel he dude that he hym bade That his deciple he hym made, disciple He plesed so wel Jhesu hymselve, He made hym on of th’apostles twelve, And though he were to Jhesu leef, dearline4780 Yut he was pryvelich his theef. For Jhesus dude hym that honoure That he made hym his procuratoure, steward To beren the purs for queynt and wys carry prudence certainly Of that was geven hym and hys.line4785 And as men reden, the tenth part He helde hym self to hym ward. And to hasten his confusioun hasten his destruction As telleth in the Passioun, Thoo Marie with the oynementline4790 Alithed Jhesu with gode entent, Anointed That was riche, he understood, That (the ointment) costly And therfore he was wel neigh wood And wex wrooth with Marie For it com noughth to his bailye. keepingline4795 Worth thre hundreth pens cast it he estimated Redy to sellen of her monee. And for to restoren thatt oynement, compensate for Thorough the fendes procurement, For the tenthe peny his lorde he soldline4800 Thritty pens, it wolde ben told. Sorough and shame, wanhope and woo despair Undertook Judas thoo,fol. 20ra That he nolde God no mercy crye, he would not cry for mercy to God For his falshede ne for his felonye. betrayalline4805 And sithen he knew hym and his fame, him (Jesus) reputation He was the more for to blame, For he seigh hym evere curteis, To hem that bisoughtten hym alweys, entreated That weren seek or in trespas sickline4810 Merciable and meke he was. Merciful and meek Bot he most nedes ben lorne, lost As it was loked hym biforne. ordained to him Than to the Jewes agein he cam, With her monee that he nam tookline4815 And seide, “Loketh there youre monee; I have synned and so duden yee.” The Jewes seiden, “Thine is the synne — Thou us bede Jhesu to wynne. offered take Thorough thee we comen hym to;line4820 Forthi thenk what thou haste ydo.” what you have done Whan he seigh no better bote, remedy He dude hym smertly on his fote. went quickly on foot Into a wast pryvé stede secret waste place (i.e., a waste land) A wicked maister gan hym lede, masterline4825 And there upon an hildre tree, elder He henge hymself in pryveté. His wombe cleef in two and rente, stomach split tore His guttes to his feet wente; He ne mighth noughth flee that foule wreche, vengeanceline4830 For he ne wolde God knowleche. Up in the eir he most dye, air For he dude aungels vilenye, And to us he dude also, Therfore he most dyen so,line4835 For he solde Jhesu oure aller frende, the friend of us all For to dyen in Jewes kynde. Thus suffred he his penaunce To fulfillen the grete vengeaunce. Bitwene Holy Thursday and Pentecost,line4840 Tho Jhesus sent the Holy Gost, Peter stood among hem alle And seide, “Yee witen what is bifalle; On is lore that was oure brother. lost Amonge us we moten chese another. chooseline4845 We moten alle ben hole twelve, must all be a full twelve As oure maister bad hym selve, For to prechen in every londe, And thus he bad us, I understonde. Of oure deciples chese weline4850 Of alle thoo that under us be, Sexty and twelve under alle; Loketh to whom it wil bifalle.” Thai casten loth by and by; cast lots Alweys it fel on Seynt Mathy. Matthiasline4855 Thus thai fulfilden her tale completed total That Judas had broken with bale. evil Thus com Judas to his ende,fol. 20rb To dampnacioun withouten ende. damnation

Now let we Judas and Pilate dwelle,line4860 Of the emperour I wil you telle. At Jerusalem while that he lay, His men wenten nighth and day Into the cuntré abouten hem Many a myle fro Jerusalem, mileline4865 For al manere of vitaile kind of victuals Whan that any gan hem fayle. lack Tounes, castels, and cité, Thai token thoroughout al Judé, And duden Goddes lawghe to takeline4870 And her fals bileve forsake, belief Also wide as thai went Thorough the emperours comaundement; And hem that wolden noughth, thai slough With sorough and pyne ynough.line4875 Thai token into her baundoun control The keyes of citees, castels, and toun, And duden hem all, lesse and more, Sweren hem feuté that there wore, fealty And to his eyres withouten ende, heirsline4880 Where so thai duelleden, fer or hende. far or near Of lawghes he made amendement, After his manere with gode entent; He stabled alle thinges that he on thougth confirmed So that there failed righth noughth,line4885 And thus wroughth Sir Vaspasian did That he had thank of God and man, And Sir Titus dude also, For he halpe wel therto. Than bithoughth hym the emperour,line4890 “Now mote I do myne men honoure must That han duelled here with me, In grete travaile for this cité. For deth ne lyf ne for woo, Ne for no wantyng from me goo, inadequacyline4895 On no manere wise thai nolde, Bot alway stifly with me holde.” strongly “Nou graunt mercy,” he seide, “lordynges, many thanks That yee me have holpen to ende thise thynges.” The riche he gaf londes and rentes, lands and incomeline4900 The mene men grete avauncementz, common promotions And the povere men that litel wonnen poor won little And kepten inward and noughth out ronnen, Hem he feffed fair and wel endowed With the citezeinus loos catel. citizens’ forfeited propertyline4905 Of al that evere there was founde, I woot thai leften al bare grounde; There hous and wal wel fast stood, house and wall Thai swepten al clene away the good. possessions

Than took he leve of the londeline4910 And toward shippes he gan fonde; proceed Thai setten her wardeyns, his son and he, governors In tounes and in the cuntré,fol. 20va And thai and al her compaignye, With song and mychel melodye,line4915 Whan al was don unto the ende, Homward thai gonnen for to wende. Thai saileden so til that thai come Hool and sounde agein to Rome. Whole Ageins hym com Seint Clement, Towardsline4920 And al the clergie with hym went, With song and faire processioun The belles rongen thorough the toun. Dame Verone with Seint Clement cam, And the emperoures honde thai nam, tookline4925 And he kissed hem bothe two With wepyng, and Titus also. Anon whan Verone Jacob sawe, To hym swithe she gan drawe; She kyssed hym and clipte many a sithe embraced many timesline4930 And seide, “Jacob, ay be thou blithe!” To Japhel and Josephus she dude also, And to alle the othere that comen there tho, And namelich to Josep of Aramathie, especially For he was noblest of that compaygnye.line4935 Seint Clement and Dame Verone than Blissede thoo Sir Vaspasyan, Blessed That had the Holy Gost wonne and soughth, And alle the Cristene saved and broughth Out of travaile into rest, toilline4940 To lyven in Goddes servise best. Evermore while thay lyve, Uche man his warison is yyive, reward given That thai mightten faire lyve by, Thai and her heires sykerly.line4945 Seynt Clement seide to Vaspasyan, “Me liketh that thou art lyves, man, alive And that thou shalt Cristen be, As thou and thine byhightten me. promised Sir, I praie thee highe sone hurryline4950 That yt were in dede done, And bot thou do withouten ooth, unless oath God wil sone be with thee wrooth. He hath broughth thee to thine above His laghghe to undertake and love.” lawline4955 Than seide the emperour ful sone, “Dightte thee, sir, that thing were done.” Prepare Seint Clement of this was glad And made redy als he hym bad; He dude hem shaven more and lesseline4960 Her hevedes in tokne of clennesse, heads And clothen hem in white wede clothing Alle that to Cristendom yede, And for to maken solempnité ceremony That thai alle alyves be.line4965 Als holelich righth as thai went together To resceiven the sacrement; sacrament It semed that God wolde hem save,fol. 20vb That made hem mychel joye to have. And than weren thai alle shryven confessedline4970 And absolucioun he has hem given, absolution He cristned the emperour onon baptized And his men everychon. Seint Clement song hem a masse, Thai offreden bothe more and lasse,line4975 Her righth feith he hem taughtte That weren wrothe he made saughtte; troubled harmony Thai lerned of hym so the laghghe, law Thai lyveden sithen after his saghghe. teaching The emperour made many a kyrke churchline4980 Of the temples that weren derk; dark There maumetries hadden ben, idols Riche atyre men mightten sen. Rich apparel Wel richely he dude to wirche Al that shulde to Holy Chirche,line4985 Of golde and silver and riche stones, With crafty werk for the nones, And riche fee he yaf hem to Of londes and rentes also. He lete conferme the Cristen lawgheline4990 Thorough everyche londe with strengthe and awghe. He lete sperre the vernycle wel, enclose In golde and cristal everydel, crystal In crystal he dude it couche, Men to seen and noughth to touche,line4995 And to Petres mynster gaf it righth: Peter’s church Of Dame Verone vernycle it highth.

Seint Clement took the coroune than crown And sete it on Sir Vaspasian And oyned hym with an oynement anointedline5000 As falleth to kynges corounement. coronation Vaspasyan thoughth God to queme serve And took a riche dyademe, diadem That is a mytre with coroune, head covering with a crown This falleth the Pope with resoune. befitsline5005 He sacred the Pope Seint Clement consecrated And sett on hym this with gode entent And bitook hym the Popes staf, gave That was his croice that he hym gaf, And seide, “Pope I conferme thee,line5010 Of alle clerkes most thou be That is thorough everyche londe, I wil that thai ben under thine honde And thorough thee her lawghes be ladd As Peter and other biforne thee hadd.line5015 And al the power that Pope shal have, In alle poyntes I vouche save; In every part Oure gostly fader I holde thee, spiritual father Under God Almightty in Trinité.” Whan this was don in joye and pes,line5020 The emperour anon hym ches chose Thorough every londe for to sende Pes to make, lawghes to amende,fol. 21ra And so it was holde upe lyf and lyme, For hym and for his sones tyme,line5025 And lyved in swiche devocioun That of hym com sithen gret renoun, For God shewed sithen in that stede Biforne his tumbe there he was dede, tomb As we in his story fynde,line5030 There heled the croked and the blynde. After hym regned Titus his sone, Emperoure of curteys wone, gracious conduct That evere yut was of tolde; In gestes he is so holde talesline5035 That witnesseth he was alweys Of godenesse and giftes so curteys. Communelich he had seide and sworne, Commonly “This day I have foul forlorne lost Whan I ne have none giftes given.line5040 Hou shulde ich thusgates lyven, therefore I that so mychel tresore have, Bot I sum man therof gave? For God sent me this richesse To parten with hem that han lesse.” shareline5045 Now I hope seien fewe so think As Titus was ywoned to do. accustomed Now bothe Vaspasian and Titus, Biteche you swete Jhesus! Commend

A merveile I may you telleline5050 Yif yee willeth a stounde duelle, a while What wonder toknes God sent Siththe the emperour was hom went, In tokne of that destruccioun. Thai that ne dyed in that synful toun Those that did not dieline5055 And weren assentaund to his ded, compliant death In word, in werk, and in red, Fro that thai toughtten it til it were don thought Rest ne was with hem non, Theigh thai aboden longe her penaunce Though delayedline5060 Or he sent them this vengeaunce. Before Summe of the grettest that leften alyve remained Of the Jewes comen ful blyve, There the toun stood of Jerusalem Where Her merkes on the ground thai nem, measurements tookline5065 For to have bilded the toun ageyn. built Bot I hope thai wroughtten in veyn, worked in vain For God wolde ther kynde no more Shulde lyven to dwellen thore. Should live to dwell there Thai loked doune a litell stounde:line5070 Croices hem thoughtten leien on the grounde, Crosses lying Of dew blood red unto her sighth, wet, bloody red That made hem flen ful swithe, iplighth. flee I promise The rede croices bitokned onon red crosses That her vengeaunce was noughth gon.line5075 Another day agein thai comen, And her merkes there thai nomen, For thai wenden to speden bett; fare betterfol. 21rb Than fonden thai her clothes bysett covered Ful of swiche croices as thai say sawline5080 Bifore hem on that othere day. Of this sighth hem thoughth no play; they thought it no game Righth onon thennes thai fley. The thrid day thai comen efte — again Them hadden ben better thai hadden lefte!line5085 Two warnynges thai hadden at wille Yif thai wolden have holden hem stille. Thai auntreden hem for to see ventured Yif hym mightten have founded that cité. Looth hem was that place forgoo, Loath (reluctant)line5090 Yif thai mightten have comen therto. And als thai stouped her merkes to take, Thai hadden no mighth thennes to shake For to tellen no carpentere What mesure thai token there.line5095 Out of the erthe spronge a fer, fire With sparcles hote and glowede cler, hot sparks shining embers That forbrent hem alle there, burnt That body and bones askes were. ashes Thus ended thoo foles with that fyre,line5100 Ne hadden thai non othere hyre, payment For thai duden withouten skyll good judgment And alweys ageynus Goddes will. always Thai mosten nedes alle forfare: be destroyed Helpeth it noughth for hem to care.line5105 Thus the Jewes destroied wore Als the prophetes seiden bifore, Bot yut is noughth the vengeaunce gon, Tyl Goddes grete dome be don. last judgment Loke what man wolde so han bedeline5110 As Jhesus Crist hymself dede; He that is God and Lorde of alle A meke God we mowe hym calle, That so longe his wreche withdrough withheld For the Jewes that hym slough,line5115 For the toknes he dude hem sende, Yif thai wolde hem oughth amende, And so longe it forth glood passed That fourty yer he abood. Sithen he is so meke, loke hym to:line5120 Lere we of hym to suffre so. Learn Josephus the gode clerk, He witnesseth al this werk; He mighth the better the sothe writen, truth For he sawe the vengeaunce smyten, saw struckline5125 Also he wroot al the story Of al that fel into the Jewery. all that befell And so witnesseth yonge Seynt Jame, That suffred than so mychel shame, And the knave, the prophete,line5130 That was sleyn in the strete, Why Jacob was agreved sore As yee han herd here bifore.fol. 21va Nichodemus bereth witnesse Of thise thinges, more and lesse,line5135 And of this thinges maketh mencyoun In Nichodemes Passioun, the Gospel of Nicodemus And in the gestes of emperoures tales Of thise wonder aventours. events In the Godspel also it sytt, Gospelline5140 And fele prophetes witnesseth it, many And the foure Godspellers uchon Gospellers (i.e., Evangelists) To this wreche acorden in on. vengeance agree Of al this werk that was wroughth, Out of her bokes it is broughth.line5145 Honoured be Oure Lorde so hende, courteous Now is this story broughth to ende! Yblissed moten thai alle be Of Jhesu Crist in Trinité, That thusgate his deth han wroken, in this wayline5150 As I have biforne spoken. I hope that thai have, I wys, To her mede Hevene blys; reward God graunte us alle ther to be, Amen, amen, par charité!

Here endeth the vengeaunce of Goddes deth.