<County: Wiltshire>
<Code: L5331>
<MS reference: Manchester University, John Rylands Library, Eng. MS 895>
<Text: Proceose of the Passion and Gospel of Nicodemus>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 26v>Also will of reson and þat obeyed
and consented þer-to . as it
þs sayd by Jsaye the prophete .
¶ he was offred for he wolde
. Also þer was <ill></ill> on
hym . will of þe godhede . &
þat tempred þese oþeres and
yaf sentence and þat it shulde
be y+do . <gap> And for as muche
as he was verreye man ;
as man he was put in gret
noye . ¶ And fram þe place
þat he hadde prayed in ; he
went a-yen to his disciples .
& sayde . Slepe ye now and
resteþ yow . And þere þey slepe
a litil while . ¶ And þulk
goode heorde Jhesus ; waked þere
a-pon þe kepying of his blysful
flocke . This was signe
of gret loue . .
<fol. 27r>Jhesus sawe a ferre his aduersaries
comyng wiþ swerdes and battes
& oþere wepene . wiþ lanternes
and oþer priue light for it was
pure derk toward Mydnyght . . .
And yit he wacched noght hys
disciples til his aduersaries were
nygh hym . and þen he sayde
to hem . ¶ A-wakeþ ye haue
slept y-now . Loe he þat shal betray
me . ys nygh . And ac he
spake to his disciples ; cam þulke
cursyd Judas þe worst marchant
þat euere was and cussed Jhesus .
And cause was whi he by-trayed
hym by sygne of a cusse more
raþere þan by eny oþere þing
when he sayde to ye Jewes whom
so J euere kysse . he it is holdeþ
hym . ¶ For as muche as James
whichˆ[was] one of Jhesus disci
<fol. 27v>ples . was so verreyliche y-lyche
Jhesus ; in all men-ys sight ; þat
me shuld not wel knowe þat
one fram þat oþere . And þerfor
he kyssed Jhesus . for þei shulde
sekerly take hym by þat signe
. . Jt was also þe manere
of Crist his disciples whiche
he sent oute to receyue hem
wiþ a cosse at here comynge
a-yen . And þerefore þis traytour
Judas ; to putte hym oute of
suspession . not wonynge þat
Jhesus hadde y-knowe his attente
. he came somwhat to-fo .
þese armed folk / by hym self
and clypped Jhesus ; and kyssed
hym and sayde . ¶ hayl lord
As ho saiþ J am not y-come
wiþ þese armed folke ; but comyng
a-fore as þogh he had
<fol. 28r>de had no knowlech of hem .
Then saide oure lorde to hym .
Frend wherfor artow y-come
Loe how pacientlyche he toke
þulke cursed traytoures clyppynges
and cosses ; whaas
feet ; a litel a-fore . he hadde
wesshe ; and fedde hym wiþ
souerayne mete / þat is his
owne fleshe and bloode . .
Then presid þese Jewes fast
a-pon jhesus wiþ grete haste .
And jhesus asked hem . wham
seche ye . And þey sayde . Jhesuc
of Na3areth . Now was he
Cheped Na3areth for þat he
Was bore in þe Cite of Na3areth
. ¶ here J am seyde Jhesus ;
What wole ye . ¶ Tho were
þey so sore a-dradde þat þey
fille downe to þe grounde for
<fol. 28v>þe miracles þat þey had y-sey of
hym ofte a-forhonde . And þen
þei risen vp a-yen . and Jhesus
asked hem a-yen . Wham seche
ye . And þei sayden . Jhesus of na3areth
. And Jhesus sayde . Fynde
ye me not yif ye seche me lete
my dysciples passe . Thenne
went hy and sette hondes on Jhesuc
and he sayde to hem . Lyk as to
a þef ye come a-yens me wiþ
swerdes & battys and takeþ me .
Petre drowe oute his swerde
and in gret wreþ he smote of
one of here eerys whiche was
clepud Malkus . ¶ Oure lord bad
hym do vp his swerd and toke
vp þe eere of þe grounde & blyssid
it and sette it on a-yen hooler~
þan euere it was . ¶ Then anone
forþ-wiþ . his disciples
<fol. 29r>passed a-way fro hym for drede
of þe Jewes ; alle saue Petre &
Johan ; Thei loued hym so muche
þat þei wold not go fro hym
There Jhesus suffred þese Jewes
to take hym and to
bynde hym . And as wode þeues
þei ladde hym as for a trespassour
and man vn-myghty . to
defende hym sylf . ¶ Jhesus toke
gret compassion for his dysciples
fleyng a-way fro hym
¶ And þei ful of sorwe wepyng
and syghyng as faderles chyldryn
of gret drede went huer~
way . And more and more encresed
here sorwe when þey sawe
here maystr~ and here lord
so vyleynlyche y-drawe and as
a meke lambe to þe deeþ ; by-helde
hym how he folwed aftre
<fol. 29v>þese tyrauntes. Þulke wykked
people lad forþ oure lord fro þulke
brooke of Cedron by-sydes þere
he had made his prayeres to his
fader ; Jn ful hasti manere . hys
hondes bounde by-hynde hym .
and his mantell cast fro hym ;
and in a cote onelyche & gurde
vpon . and vesyd hym forþ wiþ
here hondes and put hym wiþ
here feete til þey comen to
Jerusalem . they ladde hym
forþ toward þe dome halle
& presentyd hym vp to Anne
and Cayphas whiche were ymade
byschopes for þat yere
and to-for oþere mynystres of
þe lawe and to-fore huge multitude
of people y-gadred þeder
¶ And þere þei enprocured &
broght forþ fals wytnesse a
<fol. 30r>yens hym ; whiche dispised hym
and spatte in his face / and blynd
feld hym . and buffeted hym
and sayden . A rede ho þat ys
þat smote þe , ¶ And wiþ many
oþere dispites ˆ [þei] vexed hym
and a-yens al þis he bare hym
humylyche and spak no worde
a yens hem . Seynt Johan
hadde knowlech a forehonde of
þe vssher and þere þorow he
was lete Jn . And he spake
so fayre to þe vssher þat Peter
was lete Jn wiþ hym . Jt was
cold wyntyr / and þere was strong
fyre in þe halle .And Petre
among oþeres drew hym þerto
/ to heete hym. ¶ And Petre
byheld oure lord stedefastlyche ;
and one of þe Jewes þat stode
byside conceyued it well and
<fol. 30v>sayde to Peter . ¶ man þow art
leuyng wiþ þulke felawe þat
stont yende at his dome : ¶ Peter
wiþsoke it and sayde Nay . he was
so sore agast . ¶ Then cam anoþere
Jewes And bare hym an
honde þat he was leuyng wiþ
Jhesus . And Peter sayde Nay. eftsones
. Then cam forþ a damysell
a seruant of þe house and sayde
to Petre . Me þenkeþ þat J haue
y-seye þe in þe Gardeyn wiþ
Jhesus . . And þere Petre by-gan
to swere grete oþes and sayde
þat he knew hym not . ¶ And
a-none ihesuc cast hys eye a-syde
vpon Petre and forþ-wiþ þe
cocke by-gan to crowe . Petre
by-þoght hym of þe woordes
þat Crist had sayde to hym afor
-tyme . how he shuld forsa
<fol. 31r>ke hym þries or þe Cocke crewe .
And forþ he went oute and wept
wel bytterlych for sorow and
cam þere no more . Then þese
maystres of þe lawe went þere
hens / and sent forþ Jhesus in-to
a preson þat was þere fast
by vnder a loft . And þere ˆ [þey] stryped
hym sterk naked / and bonde
hym to a pyler of stoone .
And þere þey left men of armes
wiþ hym for þe more . .
seurte to kepe hym sauelyche
whiche all þe nyght aftre trauaylled
hym wiþ scornes and
bysmares euere waytyng on hym .
and sayde to him . ¶ Thou fool
þou wendest & trowededest . þy
self bettre and wysere þen oure
prynces & prestes buþ . & þat
ys þyn owen folye . Thow agh
<fol. 31v>test not openy oonys þy mouþ
a-yens hem . ¶ how were þou
so hardy so for to do . But now
þs þi wysdom . opynly y-shewed
. Now þou stondest as it
longeþ to suche a mysdoer to
stonde . Jn certayn þow art
worþi þe deeþ ; and haue it
þow shalt . ¶ And þus all
þat nyght now oone now anoþer
wayted hym and repreued
hym wiþ suche woordes
and scoornes and held hym
þus a worke . And to alle þese
woordes he spak nought
but helde hym stille as he had
be y-take as gulty and trespassyd
in þis ; lokyng euere dounward
to þe erþe . ¶ And þere
he stode so y-bounde : til erlych
in þe morwe-tyde . And in þe


<Tranche 2>

<fol. 82v>and she byheld hym in hys vysage
and in hys woundes of
hys hondes hys feet & all hys
body / and sought wheþer all
hys dyshese was a-go or noo . .
¶ Then sayde hure sone Jhesus
to hure al my dyshese ys ago
. My sorwe and my deeþ J
haue ouer-come and no more
J shal fele fro þis tyme foreward
. ¶ þen sayde she . My dere
sone Jhesu ; J-blyssyd be þi fader
wheche haþ yelde þe to me
a-yen ; enhansed wyrshyphed
& preysed be hys holy name
euere . wiþ-oute ende .. There
þey stode and speke to-gedre
wiþ gret ioye and oure lord
Jhesus told hun how he hadde
deliuered hys people oute of helle
. And mo oþere þinges he
<fol. 83r>tolde hur~ whiche he had y-do
þulke þre dayes a-fore-honde . .
Marye Mawdeleyn and oþere
twey Maryes as J seyde
a-forhonde went oute erlyche
to þe sepulcre-ward wiþ oynementys
. . And as þey were wtoute
þe yate of þe towne ;
þey remembred hem of þe
tormentys and peynes of here
lord Jhesus . And in euery place
where þey knewe þat any
greuance was do to hym . þere
þey wiþstode & knelyd a-downe
& kyssed þe ground & sighed
sore and seyden . . here he turned
hym to þe wymmen of Jerusalem
. . here for werynesse
he lete falle þe crosse . . here
þey put hym forþ wiþ her~
feete to make hym go blyue .
<fol. 83v>And in þis place þey spoyled
hym : And here þey nayled
hym to þe crosse / and þen all
y þre bloþeryng and wepyng
for sorow fyl a-downe and
wyrshypped þe crosse . & kysseden
it . . For it was yut þt
tyme blody rede of þe preciouse
blood of oure lord . þen
þey rysen and went in to
þe sepulcre and sayde a monges
hem . .Hoo shal do a-downe
to vs þe lydde of þe Sepulcre
. . And as þey loked
þere toward ; þey seye þe lyd
a-downe and an Angell þey
sawe syttyng þer on whiche
sayde to hem . . drede yow not
ye secheþ Jhesus of Na3areth
he ys a-ryse he ys not here .
Loe here ys þe place þat þey
<fol. 84r>put hym Jnne . . But gooþ &
sayþ to hys dysciples and to
Petre þat he shall go to-for
yow and be in galile . There
þe shul se hym as J haue for
sayde to yow . ¶ These wymen
þought hem bygyled in
þat hy had hoped to haue Jhesuc
body þere and dyde not . þey
toke no hede to þe angells wordes
but went a-yen to þe dyssyples
and seyden . The body
of oure lord Jhesus Crist ys
bore a-way . . ¶ þenne Petre
and Johan went toward þe
sepulcre . and þey by-gonne
to renne and þe wymmen runne
aftre wiþ all here myght
And whenne þey come toward
þe sepulcre ; þey byhelde Jn ;
and fonde not þere Cristes
<fol. 84v>body but þey sawe lynen cloþes
and þe suder<?>e . . And sore wepyng
Petre and Johan went
a-yen for þey myght not fynde
ˆ [hym]ne wyst not were to haue
hym but þe wymmen a-bode
þere . byholdyng in þe sepulcre
. and þere þey sawe
twey angeles stondyng in
white cloþing / wheche sayden
to þese wymmen . . ¶ Wham seche
ye hym þat ys lyuyng
wiþ dede men . These wymen
toke none hede to þe woordes
of þese twey angeles ne no
manere of comfort þey ne
receyued of the sight of hem . .
for þey sought not þe angels
but here lord Jhesus þey sought .
And þen Marie Jacoby & Marie
Salome went þere hens
<fol. 85r>and Marie Mawdeleyne for sorwe
wyst not whate to do . She
stode stylle at þe sepulcre sore
wepyng and eft-sones she
byhelde a-yen in to þe sepulcre
and sawe þulke twey angelles
þere syttyng and sayde
to hure . . womman why wepst .
wham sechest . þen sayde she . .
They haue bore a-way mylord
. . And j wote neuere where
þey haue putte hym . . She
putte no þing hure þought
ne toke non hede to þe angels
woordes . . For hure þought &
here mynde was not þere as
she was hure silf but euere
it was holyche in hure goode
maystre Jhesus . . She cowde not
þen þenke speke ne heer~ noþing
but of hym . . when þt
<fol. 85v>she þus had J-wept and for
þoght of here dere lorde ˆ [3ho] toke
none hede to þe angeles wordes
. oure swete lorde of hey
pyte þat he hadde in hur~
he myght no lengere a-byde
but as he satte wiþ hys moder
he knewe what doel Maudeleyn@
made for hym and sayde to
hys moder <gap> þat he wold
go / and conforte mawdeleyn .
And oure lady was glad þerof
and sayde . My blyssyd
sone go in pees and conforte
hur / For she loueþ þe
muche and gret sorwe haþ
take for þi deeþ . . But my
blyssyd sone haue mynde
to come to me a-yen . And
þere she clypped hym in hure
armes and eft lete hym
<fol. 86r>passe . . ¶ Jhesus at þe sonne
a rysyng came to þe sepulcre
. Þere as Mawdeleyne was
and sayde to hur . . womman
why wepest . . And she knewe
hym not and sayde . Syre
yif þou hast ladde my
lorde Jhesus a-way / tell me
þe soþe J pray þe wher . .
he ys þat J myght haue hym
and take hym a-way with
me . . Then Jhesus nempned
hure name and sayde Marye . .
She a-noue knewe the voyse
of hure lorde ; and sayde wt
gret ioye and sayde ¶ maystre
lorde . / . / ye buþ þulke þt
J sought . A lord longe tyme
hastow hudde þe fro me .
and rennyng and fallyng
a-downe to hys feete she
<fol. 86v>wold haue kyssed hym . . And
oure lorde sayde . . Marye touche
me not . J styed not yut
to my fadyr . . But go and
saye to my breþeren þat J
assende to my fader & yowres
my god and yowr~ god
Seyde J not to þe þat J shulde
aryse þe þryde day / þerfor
wherto soughtyst yow //
me in þe sepulcre . . ¶ þen
sayde she to hym . Lord myn
hert was so replete of the
byttre passion of yow and
of yowre deeþ þat J foryate
all manere of þinges . &
þoght onely in yowre dede
body lyggyng in þe sepulcre .
¶ Blyssyd be þow lord which
woldest fouchsaf to ryse fro
deþ to lyue & for to come to
<fol. 87r>vs . and þere þei stode boþe y-fere
and spaken to-gedres a grete
while and at þe last oure
lord Jhesus seyde to hur~ J must
go and visite oþere folk . . þen
sayde Mawdeleyn to hym . Goode
lord for-yete me not Haue
mynde of þe goodnesse þat þu
hast do to me . . Thenne sayde
oure lorde . . Marie drede the
not ; but be stedefast and feiþful
. . And J wol be alway wt
þe . . And oure lord blyssyd hur~
and went fro hur ~ . . She ran
as fast as she myght renne
to hur~ felawes . & tolde all
þis to hem . And þere þei made
gret ioye of hys arysyng / /
but neuere-þelatere þese oþere
twey wymmen Marie Jacobe
and Marie Salome were well
<fol. 87v>sory þat þey ne hadde a-byde
wiþ Mawdeleyne þay þei my3t
haue spoke wiþ here lord as
wel as Mawdeleyne dyde . .
Thenne Mawdeleyn and þese
oþere wymmen went toward
þe Cite And by þe way þedyrward
; oure lorde of hys
grete goodnesse appered to //
hem & sayde ; Hayll . . And þereof
þey made gret ioye . And
oure lord humylyche spak to
to hem & conforted hem & sayde
. . Goyþ and telleþ to my
breþeren my dysciples . þat J
woll go in to galilee and þere
þey shul see me . . Then he
knowere and serchere of all
men hertys / whiche yeueth
heye reward to all men aftr~
here goode wyll & wel wyr
<fol. 88r>chyng . by þenkyng in þe fore
dede þat Joseph of Aramathie
had y-do for hym atte hys buryeng
; he went to þe prison
þere as Joseph was . and reysed
. / . þe stonen house oute
fro þe erþe vp in to þe eyre