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PETRUS Brethir, takes tente unto my steven,
Thanne schall ye stabily undirstande
Oure maistir hende is hente to hevyn
To reste there on his Fadirs right hande.
And we are leved alyve, ellevyn,
To lere his lawes lely in lande.
Or we begynne us muste be even
Ellis are owre werkis noght to warande.
For parfite noumbre it is none,
Off elleven for to lere,
Twelve may be asoundir tone
And settis in parties seere.
Nobis precepit Dominus predicare populo et testificare
quia prope est judex vivorum et mortuorum.1
Oure Lord comaunded us, more and lesse,
To rewle us right aftir his rede;
He badde us preche and bere wittenesse
That he schulde deme bothe quike and dede.
To hym all prophettis prevys expresse
All tho that trowis in his Godhede,
Off synnes thei schall have forgiffenesse;
So schall we say mekill rede.
And senne we on this wise
Schall his counsaile discrie,
Itt nedis we us avise
That we saye noght serely.
JOHANNES Serely he saide that we schulde wende
In all this worlde his will to wirke,
And be his counsaile to be kende
He saide he schulde sette haly kirke.
But firste he saide he schulde doune sende
His sande, that we schuld noght be irke,
His Haly Gaste on us to lende
And make us to melle of materes mirke.
Us menis he saide us thus
Whan that he fared us froo:
Cum venerit paraclitus
Docebit vos omnia.2
JACOBUS Ya, certaynely, he saide us soo,
And mekill more thanne we of mene:
Nisi ego abiero,
Thus tolde he oftetymes us betwene.
He saide forsoth, “But if I goo
The Holy Goste schall not be sene
Et cum assumptus fuero;
Thanne schall I sende you comforte clene.”
Thus tolde he holy howe
That oure dedis schulde be dight.
So schall we trewly trowe
He will holde that he us highte.
IV APOSTOLUS He highte us fro harme for to hyde
And holde in hele both hede and hende
Whanne we take that he talde that tyde,
Fro all oure foois it schall us fende.
But thus in bayle behoves us bide
To tyme that sande till us be sende.
The Jewis besettis us in ilke a side
That we may nowdir walke nor wende.
V APOSTOLUS We dare noght walke for drede
Or comforte come us till;
Itt is moste for oure spede
Here to be stokyn still.
MARIA Brethir, what mene ye you emelle
To make mournyng at ilk a mele?
My Sone that of all welthe is well,
He will you wisse to wirke full wele.
For the tente day is this to telle
Sen he saide we schull favoure fele.
Levys wele that lange schall it not dwell,
And therfore drede you nevere a dele,
But prayes with harte and hende
That we his helpe may have;
Thanne schall it sone be sende,
The sande that schall us save.
I DOCTOR Harke, maistir, for Mahoundes peyne,
Howe that thes mobbardis maddis nowe;
Ther maistir that oure men have slayne
Hase garte thame on his trifullis trowe.
II DOCTOR The lurdayne sais he leffis agayne;
That mater may thei nevere avowe,
For as thei herde his prechyng pleyne,
He was away, thai wiste noght howe.
I DOCTOR They wiste noght whenne he wente;
Therfore fully thei faile
And sais tham schall be sente
Grete helpe thurgh his counsaille.
II DOCTOR He myghte nowdir sende clothe nor clowte;
He was nevere but a wrecche alway.
But samme oure men and make a schowte,
So schall we beste yone foolis flaye.
I DOCTOR Nay, nay, than will thei dye for doute.
I rede we make noght mekill dray
But warly wayte when thai come oute
And marre thame thanne, if that we may.
II DOCTOR Now, certis, I assente thertille,
Yitt wolde I noght thei wiste;
Yone carles than schall we kill
But thei liffe als us liste.
Angelus tunc cantare Veni creator spiritus.3
MARIA Honnoure and blisse be ever nowe
With worschippe in this worlde alwaye
To my soverayne Sone, Jesu,
Oure Lorde allone that laste schall ay.
Nowe may we triste his talis ar trewe
Be dedis that here is done this day.
Als lange as ye his pase pursue
The fende he fendis yow for to flay.
For his high Hali Gaste
He lattis here on you lende,
Mirthis and trewthe to taste
And all misse to amende.
PETRUS All mys to mende nowe have we myght,
This is the mirthe oure maistir of mente;
I myght noght loke, so was it light,
A, loved be that Lorde that itt us lente.
Now hase he holden that he us highte,
His Holy Goste here have we hente,
Like to the sonne itt semed in sight,
And sodenly thanne was itt sente.
II APOSTOLUS Hitt was sente for oure sele,
Hitt giffis us happe and hele;
Methynke slike forse I fele,
I myght felle folke full feele.
III APOSTOLUS We have force for to fighte in felde
And favour of all folke in feere,
With wisdome in this worlde to welde,
Be knowing of all clergye clere.
IV APOSTOLUS We have bewteis to be oure belde
And langage nedis us none to lere
That Lorde us awe yappely to yelde
That us has yemed unto this yere.
V APOSTOLUS This is the yere of grace
That musteris us emang,
As aungellis in this place
That sais thus in ther sange.
I APOSTOLUS In thare singing saide thei thus
And tolde ther talis betwene them two,
Veni creator spiritus,
mentes tuorum visita.4
Thei praied the Spirite come till us
And mende oure myndis with mirthis ma,
That lered thei of oure Lorde Jesus,
For he saide that itt schulde be swa.
II APOSTOLUS He saide he schulde us sende
His Holy Goste fro hevyn
Oure myndis with mirthe to mende:
Nowe is all ordand evyn.
III APOSTOLUS Even als he saide schulde to us come,
So has bene schewid unto oure sight,
Tristicia implevit cor vestrum,
Firste sorowe in herte he us hight;
Sed convertetur in gaudium;
Sen saide he that we schulde be light.
Nowe that he saide us, all and summe,
Is mefid emange us thurgh his myght.
IV APOSTOLUS His myght with mayne and mode
May comforte all mankynde.
I DOCTOR Harke, man, for Mahoundes bloode,
Ther men maddis oute of mynde.
Thei make carpyng of ilke contré
And leris langage of ilk a lande.
II DOCTOR They speke oure speche als wele as we
And in ilke a steede it undirstande.
I DOCTOR And alle are noght of Galilee
That takis this hardinesse on hande.
Butt thei are drounken, all these menghe,
Of muste or wyne, I wolle warande.
II DOCTOR Nowe certis this was wele saide,
That makis ther mynde to marre;
Yone faitours schall be flaied
Or that thei flitte aught ferre.
IV APOSTOLUS Harke, brethir, waites wele aboute,
For in oure fayre we fynde no frende.
The Jewes with strengh are sterne and stoute
And scharpely schapes them us to schende.
I APOSTOLUS Oure maistir has putte alle perellis oute
And fellid the falsed of the fende.
Undo youre dores and haves no doute,
For to yone warlowes will we wende.
II APOSTOLUS To wende have we no drede,
Nought for to do oure dette,
For to nevyn that is nede
Shall none on lyve us lette.
PETRUS Ye Jewez that in Jerusalem dwelle,
Youre tales are false, that schall ye fynde.
That we are dronken we here you telle
Because ye hope we have bene pynnyd.
A prophette preved, his name is Johell,
A gentill Jewe of youre awne kynde,
He spekis thus in his speciall spell
And of this matere makis he mynde.
Be poyntis of prophicie
He tolde full ferre before,
This may ye noght denye,
For thus his wordis wore:
Et erit in novissimus diebus, dicit dominus,
effundam de spiritu meo super omnem carnem.5
III APOSTOLUS Loo, losellis, loo, thus may ye lere
Howe youre elders wrotte alway.
The Holy Goste have we tane here
As youre awne prophettis prechid ay.
IV APOSTOLUS Hitt is the myght of oure maistir dere,
All dedis that here are done this daye:
He giffis us myght and playne power
To conclude all that ye can saie.
I DOCTOR There men hase mekill myght
Thurgh happe thei here have tone.
II DOCTOR Wende we oute of ther sight
And latte them even allone.
I APOSTOLUS Nowe, brethir myne, sen we all meffe
To teche the feithe to foo and frende,
Oure tarying may turne us to mischeffe,
Wherfore I counsaille that we wende
Untille Oure Lady and take oure leve.
II APOSTOLUS Sertis so woll we with wordis hende.
Mi Lady, takis it noght to greve;
I may no lenger with you lende.
. . .
MARIA Nowe, Petir, sen itt schall be soo
That ye have diverse gatis to gang,
Ther schall none dere you for to doo
Whils my Sone musteris you emang.
Butt John and Jamys, my cosyns twoo,
Loke that ye lenge not fro me lange.
JOHANNES Lady, youre wille in wele and woo,
Itt schall be wroght, ellis wirke we wrang.
JACOBUS Lady, we bothe are boune
Atte youre biddyng to be.
MARIA The blissing of my Sone
Be boith with you and me.
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Brethren; pay attention; speech; (t-note)
firmly
gracious; received into
left alive, eleven; (see note)
teach; faithfully
Before; an even [number]
Or; matter
perfect
inquire
apart taken
several
(see note); (t-note)
(t-note)
rule (control); advice
bear
living and dead
prove explicitly
those; believes
great counsel; (t-note)
since
proclaim
advise
differently
Surely
known
establish holy Church; (see note)
messenger; oppressed
be concerned with; obscure
We remember
went away from
(see note); (t-note)
(i.e., have known)
Unless I go away; (see note)
And after I have ascended; (see note); (t-note)
entirely
done
believe
promised
well-being; head; hand
told; time
foes; defend
misery
messenger
assail
neither
benefit
stock
thus
continually
direct
tenth; count
experience
Relieve; long [in time]
pray
soon
messenger
fools (villains) rave; (see note)
made; lies trust
rascal; lives
assert
plain
know not
to them
piece of cloth
gather; shout
frighten
riot (disturbance)
surreptitiously
harm
knew
churls (peasants)
Unless; live; wish
(see note); (t-note)
(t-note)
be everlasting
believe; stories (narratives)
deeds
As long; steps; (see note)
[From] the fiend; prevents; flee; (t-note)
Holy Ghost
allows; to give
experience
sin (error)
power
it was so; (see note)
kept; promised
received
sun
spiritual health; (see note)
It gives; good fortune; health
such power
many; overcome
all together
wield (use)
By knowledge; clearly
virtues; protection
learn; (see note)
ought readily; yield up
guarded; year
manifests; among
song
(t-note)
joys more
taught
come to pass
been shown
Sorrow will fill your heart; (see note)
promised
But will be converted into joy; (see note)
Then; without care; (t-note)
told; some
occurred among
(i.e., strength of will)
are insane
talk; every country
have learned
place; understand it
presumptuous action
drunk; company of men; (see note)
new wine; warrant
deceivers; punished
Before; flee; any farther
affair (matter)
intends
perils; (t-note)
destroyed; falsehood
warlocks; go
(t-note)
if for; debt (obligation)
say; needful
alive; prevent
tormented
proved; Joel
own tribe; (see note)
discourse
he brings to mind
long
were
(see note)
wretches; learn; (t-note)
wrote
received
own
deeds
gives
taken (received)
leave
go forth
remain; (see note); (t-note)
[four lines missing, see textual note]
ways; go
harm
manifests
linger; long
well-being
or else; wrong
obliged
(t-note)
(t-note)
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