ordeyned the baptysme / wtout the whiche no man can be saued / and also cause all your barons to be baptysed ¶ Then the Emperour sayd I am moche beholden vnto this woman that hathe trauayled so moche for me / and toke Veronyque by the hande and sayd to her Lady take of myn Empyre as moche as you wyll castelles or townes / excepte Rome that is chyef of mȳ Empyre And Veronyque answered Syr I thanke Ihesu cryste and you also I praye you that ye wyll gyue me ony thynge gyue it to Clement that is dyscyple of Ihesu cryst / for I haue gyuen me vnto hym the Emperour answered her / lady that whiche you wyll pleaseth me And Clement sayd vnto the Emperoure Syr I wyll haue none other thynge of you / but that ye wyll be crystened and byleue in the lawe of Ihesu cryst / that hathe done you so grete grace / cause your men to be crystened / for he is god almyghty THen answered the Emperour / frende I wyll that thou be appostoll chefe of all crystendome / make to preche the lawe of Ihesu cryst thrughe all myn Empyre / who that wyll conuerte them it shall please me well But knowe that I wyll not baptyse me tyll that I haue venged the dethe of Ihesu cryst / and then I wyll be baptysed / and al my men also / yf he gyue me grace for to retorne in saufte Then the Emperour toke vp Clement / and made hym appostoll And made to make a chirche of saynt Symeon / and an auter And vpon the same auter he put the clothe of the vernacle where as was the semblaunce of the face of our lorde Ihesu cryste / and put it vpon two pyllers of fyne golde And made for to ordeyne in the chirche fayr vestymentes copes And he made make many fayre fontes for to baptyse all them that wolde be baptysed And there saynt Clemens baptysed Veronyque without chaūgynge her name And then he preched by dyuers tymes in the sayd temple And afterwarde there was baptysed euery day more and more ANd then after this the Seneshal entred with Vaspasyan in to his chambre / and sayd to hȳ Syr I haue grete Ioye that you are heled so wel thrugh the grace of Ihesu cryst Nowe syr I wyll tell you of Pylate your prouost how he spake to me whan I demaunded hym your truage that he oweth you He made me ryght euyl chere / in saynge that he wolde sende you nothynge / nor that he knewe not that he helde ony thynge of you in the cyte of Iherusalem / nor therabout And yet I tell you that and I hadde spoken ony more he wolde haue made me to haue be slayne And whan I sawe that I wolde not make noo longe processe for the grete Ioye that I had to haue foūde some of that that was necessary to you But wel I tolde hym from you that he sholde yet be dystroyed And as I tolde hȳ that a Iewe a holy man rose vp sayd before all / that within an C. yere after in Iherusalem sholde be soo grete famyne that the moder sholde ete her chylde for hongre And another Iewe that was called Iacob sayd also that for a trouthe the holy prophete said with his mouthe that in shorte tyme sholde come the dystruccyon and vengeaunce of Iherusalem / that there sholde not abyde one stone vpon another And sholde be so grete hongre in the cyte that the moder sholde ete her chylde Whan Pylate herde that he was moche angrye / And sayd vnto them that and euer they spake of that more / he sholde make them be hanged Now beholde syr how Pylate your prouost is true vnto you ¶ How Vaspasyan and Tytus assembled theyr hoost for to go and dystroye the cyte of Iherusalem WHan the Emperoure herde that whiche Gay his Seneshall tolde hym / he was moche angrye / and maunded anone thorowe out his Empyre / and on the other partes that al men berynge armes / and other artyfycers to that necessarye / shold come armed and apparaylled to Rome And incontynent all they of his empyre other came theder in fayre ordynaunce after theyr estate And theder was come kynges / dukes / erles / barons and knyghtes / dyuers other prynces And were wel ordeyned and armed for to entre in to batayll And were well in nombre .iii. C. M. knyghtes / without the other folke And the Emperoure had made to make what shyppes other vesselles .xxx. M In the whiche vesselles he and all his men put theym vpon the see And then made to syng / crye / blowe with trompettes and clarons / and mynstrelles playe on all sydes And made to pulle vp the saylles in suche maner and guyse / that it semed that heuen and erthe sholde assemble togyder And they had so good wynde and so fayre weder that within .v. wekes they arryued at the porte of Acre Soo that in a mornynge at the sōne rysynge they that were within the towne of Acre came and yelded the keyes to the Emperour And he toke them to mercy And whan they had refresshed them there / Vaspasyan and Tytus his sone with all theyr armye wente and assyeged a castell / that was bytwene Iherusalem acre / and it was called Alcaffert And whan the Iewes of the castell sawe so many men lodged aboute the castell They wolde haue yelded them gladly yf they had knowen they sholde haue had mercye Whan all the hoost was in theyr tentes our lorde sent so grete snowes / and so grete wynde that with payne myght ony holde them in the hoost And the castell was well stuffed and garnysshed of all thynges For the lorde of the castell hadde fortefyed it / whiche was a holy man a good knight of Ioseph of Armathies kynne that put our lorde in sepulcre SOne after the Emperour toke the castell made to slee all the Iewes saue Iafet .viii. other that were hydde in a seller vnder the erthe / were there thre dayes And whan they sawe they dyed for hongre they ete one after another / excepte Iafet and one of his cosyns that accorded not therto Then Iafet sayd vnto hym I was lorde of this castell / and also I was holden for noble and a holy man Grete foly shall it be to vs yf we dye here Yssue we out for we may lyue no lenger / go we hardyly to the Emperour / make vs be knowen to hym / I am sure he wyll take vs to grace and mercye THen the Emperour made to bete downe the castell and fyll the dytches And Iafet and his cosyn yssued hut of the caue and went vnto the Emperour and kneled downe before hym And Iafet sayd vnto the emperour Syr I was lorde of this castell that you haue made to bete downe And nowe I haue vnderstonde that you are comen in to this countre for to venge the dethe the
¶ The dystruccyon of Iherusalem by Vaspazian and Tytus Pylate Archylaus Vaspasyan FOrty yere after that our lorde Ihesu crist was put on the crosse in Iherusalem Vaspasyan that was then Emperoure of Rome / of Almayne / and of all Lombardye / and had and helde Iheruralem and Iudee in grete subgeccyon And Rome was chyef of all Spayne / and therfore he helde hym at Rome always And that same Emperour adoured made to adoure the Ydoles And also he was the myghtyest of all the worlde / and had all the good of the worlde at his pleasure And he had one his sone holy and noble the whiche had to name Tytus And that same sone had grete puyssaunce / so that he had grete hope and delyte in the temporell of this worlde / byleued moche strongly in the Ydoles / the whiche were maynteyned by the deuylles that spake in them / by whom all the people loste themselfe So that Ihesu cryste that had suffed dethe and passyon for to redeme the humayne lygna ▪ And for to reknowlege caste the Emperour and his folke from that erroure that they were in / god gaue vnto Vaspasian Emperour suche a cancre that it ete al his throte his lyppes tyll his tethe / his browes / pylled his berde wherof the Emperoure and all his men had grete sorowe And made for to come the best physycyens and furgyens that they thought were in the worlde And the more that they handled hym the more encreased his maladye / so that the physycyens surgyens habandonned hym clene / saynge that nothyng myght hele hym saue god alonely And the sykenesse encreased so that Vaspasyan was al lepre that he myght not stande but laye nyght and daye in his bedde ANd in that same tyme came a dyscyple of Ihesu crist to rome / that was called Clemens / the whiche for the malyce of the Emperour and of his folke durst not speke nor make predycacion of Ihesu crist but yf that it were secretely It happened one day that he preched of the passyon of Ihesu cryst / and of his holy fayth to some folkes that he had conuerted / so that a good knyght that was called Gay whiche was Seneshall of the Emperour came to the sermon And whan he hadde herde it / he conuerted hym to the fayth of Ihesu cryste And anone as he departed fro the sermon he wente vnto the Emperour / and sawe hym moche dysfygured lyenge in his bedde For the whiche he began for to wepe moche strongly / and to make grete dole for the grete euyll that his lorde the Emperour had THen the sayd Gay Seneshall sayd vnto the emperour I byleue not that your goddes nor your puyssaunces haue ony power to hele you But I haue herde saye in the temple of August cesar youre fader that there was in Iherusalem a holy prophete / that was called Ihesu cryst / the whiche dyde many grete myracles in his lyfe For he guarysshed the lepres / and ryghted the crepylles and lame / the paralytyques / and heled the demonyacles / and raysed the deed And also he heled al the maladyes of them that came vnto hym And the Iewes by enuye that they had vpon hym bycause that they sawe hym do suche myracles / Iuged hym to deth and crucefyed hym on a crosse And Pylate your prouost Iuged hym to deye on the crosse And also I haue herde say that he rose vp on the thyrde daye / and after mounted vp in to heuen as kynge lorde almyghty And yet I haue also herde saye that who that may haue some thynge that hathe touched the body of the holy prophete / and that they haue theyr fayth in him that they shall be anone heled Wherfore syr I byleue that ye myght haue some thynge that hathe touched the holy prophete / that ye sholde be hole anone of your maladye and sekenes SAy me sayd the Emperour / knowe ye not yf this holy prophete byleueth in our goddes Syr said Gay the Seneshall how may ye thynke that this holy prophete byleueth in your goddes For I haue herde saye that he is lorde of goddes / kynge and souerayn of all the worlde / and also is god almyghty that dyscended from heuen vnto the erthe / for to take flesshe humayn in the vyrgin Marye And also I haue herde say whan he wente on the erthe he had .lxxii. felawes dyscyples that wente with hym And of the same he had .xii. that were more nerer hym than the other And of these .xii. there was one that was called Iudas scaryot And that same Iudas solde hym to the Iewes for .xxx. pens For euen so sholde it be after the saynge of the scryptures of the Iewes And the dyscyple repented hym retorned to the Iewes the .xxx. pens in saynge that he had done euyll But the Iewes wolde neuer take them agayne / And he caste them in to the temple of salamon / and dispayred and hanged hymself But leue we these wordes sayd the Seneshall and sende in to Iherusalem to se and there may be founde ony thyng of the holy prophete / or that hathe touched his blessyd body / for and yf ye may fynde ony thynge / ye shall be heled anone ¶ How Vaspasyan sente Guy his Seneshall vnto Iherusalem for to haue some thyng of our lorde Ihesu cryst / and how Pylate refused hym the trybute THen sayd the Emperour yf it be so as you say I praye you that ye prolonge it no more / but that incontynent you go theder / and yf that ye fynde ony thynge of the holy prophete brynge it to me And knowe that and the holy prophete he le me I shal venge his deth / and dystroye the Iewes / so many that I shall gyue .xxx. for a penye / ryght so as they gaue .xxx pence for a holy prophete And also I wyll that ye say vnto Pylate syth that ye goo theder / that it dyspleaseth me gretely of that / that he sendeth me not the truage that he ought for to sende me The whiche he was accustomed for to sende my fader And also he sente it me by the space of thre yere But nowe he hathe faylled me by seuen yere And yf that he quyte hym not / pardon not Syr sayd the Seneshall I shall doo well your wyll and commaundement yf it please god And then Gay the Seneshall made hym redy honourably as vnto a Seneshall apperteyned / and embassatour of an Emperour Notwithstondynge he ledde not with hym many men / but alonely foure knyghtes / squyers and somtre horses / and pages at his wyll And after toke money of the Emperour at his pleasure / and toke leue at hym and mounted on horsbacke with his men / and wente by londe vnto the porte of Vallette / And there they put themselfe vpon the see / and rowed so moche vpon the see by the pleasure of god that they arryued at the porte of Darre And
men of Pylate dyd stele it from theym And they were euer in orayson towardes Ihesu cryst / for they had strongly theyr fayth And as it is sayd before the Iewes had stolen theyr by taylles excepte herbes that they had in a gardyne that was within theyr hous / and of these herbes they lyued Whan al theyr herbes was eten the doughter of the quene of Affryke was moche feble for hongre / and deyed without ony other sekenes / wherof the quene had ryght grete sorowe and wepte moche strongly And also the sone of the felawe of the quene deyed for grete hongre / for the whiche his moder made ryght grete dole / And also for that that they had grete hongre / also wel as for theyr chyldren that were deed WHan the felawe of the quene sawe consydered theyr grete sorowe / she sayd vnto the quene Lady leue we this sorowe / in peas / and take we my chylde and cut a quarter / and roste we it sith that we haue none other thynge for to ete / and that all is gone And whan the quene herde that / of grete sorowe hydour that she hadde she fell downe vnto the erthe in a swowne ¶ How as the two ladyes were in counsayll the quene in swoune an aungell badde the quene roste and ete her chylde Clarice the quene ANd then as the quene Marye laye swounyng an aungell came that toke her vp comforted her / and sayd vnto her Lady god sendeth you worde by me that you ete the chylde to the ende that / that which he hathe sayd shall be accomplysshed done For Ihe su cryst spoke it with his propre mouthe in this Cyte the daye of Palmesondaye whan he entred mounted vpon an asse And that in that generacyon sholde be pestilence and famyne so grete in Iherusalem that the moder sholde ete her chylde / for the grete hongre that sholde be in the cyte The whiche cyte sholde be dystroyed in suche maner that one stone sholde not abyde vpon another / so grete dystruccyon of people Wherfore sayd the aungell to the lady it behoueth to be so done / god wyll that it shall be so accomplysshed So the aungell departed from her and wente his waye THen the ladyes abode wepyng toke the chylde and cut of a quarter with the sholder layde it to roste And in rostynge it there yssued oute a ryghte grete and good odoure / in suche wyse that it smelled al aboute the strete And Pylate the kynge Archylaus wente thrughe the cyte thynkynge aduysynge howe they myght do And whan they were before the house of the quene Pylate smelled the good odoure of the rost / and had grete luste to haue therof Soo he called a sergeaunt and sayd to hym Goo se where this roste is / saye vnto hym that oweth it that he sende me some / for I had neuer so grete desyre of nothynge of the worlde nor neuer shall THen the sergeauntes that were .x. or .xij. wente thrughe the strete serchynge where the roste myghte be At the laste they came in to the hous of the Vas Ty. good quene and called at the gate And whan they were within they salued the ladyes and said Ladyes my lorde Pylate prayeth you that ye wyll sende him some of your good roste / for he sayeth that neuer the dayes of his lyfe he had not so grete desyre of nothynge THen sayd the quenes felawe / By god frendes gladly / and she toke the thre quarters that were lefte of her chylde / and toke a knyfe sayd to them / Lordes holde me there and I shall cut you some to bere to your mayster whiche shall make it be dressed after his appetyte And whan the sergeauntes sawe the chylde cut / and that the lady wolde cut it yet agayne for to sende to Pylate / they were so agast and had soo grete hydour that they were almoost out of theyr wytte And retourned all confused before Pylate Whan Pylate sawe them come he sayd vnto them / from whens come you so abasshed / brynge ye me no roste that I sent you fore And the sergeauntes sayd vnto hym Syr a lady hathe quartred her chylde / and hathe made to roste a quarter that she wyll ete And whan we had asked her / she toke the chylde wolde haue sente you a quarter / and that ye sholde make it to be rosted dressed after your appetyte The whiche whan we sawe we had grete horrour and greate sorowe / soo that we hadde almoost ronne out of our wyttes / and we dyde yssue out of her house also soone as we myghte for the grete horrour that we had to se her cut her owne chylde and roste it WHan Pylate herde the answere that the sergeaūtes brought hym from the ladyes of the chylde He had ryght grete hydour and doubted hym For the whiche he yede in to his palays and layde hym downe in his bedde of the grete sorowe that he had / there he helde hym ryght dolent and dysconforted And the ladyes were in theyr house / that wepte and complayned theyr chyldren Neuertheles they began for to ete for the grete hongre that they had / for god had cōmaūded them And euer in etynge they wept ryght strongly but it behoued that they ete therof / for god had spoken it with his owne mouthe And whan they hadde eten the chylde of Claryce they beganne for to ete the doughter of the quene / but there was the ryght greate doloure whan the quene began for to ete of her doughter / for euery body that sawe her wepe might not kepe them from wepynge of the pyte and greate sorowe that she had and demeaned ANd whan Pylate hadde ben thre dayes in his bedde sorowfull and dysconforted / he rose vp and wente vnto kynge Archylaus afore the temple of Salamon where as he was And thether he made to come all his barons and all his counsayll / and said vnto theym my lordes I can not tell what counsayll we may take agaynst this Emperour / for we are in grete dystresse by this that we haue no vytaylles / and also I knowe certaynly that there is happened in this cyte a ryghte grete sclaunder and a grete mysauenture / horryble and ryght hydeous for to here and to recounte / That is that the moders ete theyr chyldren for hongre So that I counsayll that we yelde this cyte vnto the Emperour / and yf he wyl take me to mercy that he do it / for I had leuer deye alone than al the people sholde deye For the Emperour knoweth well that none is to blame but I alonely WHan Archylaus and all the other barons herde the counsayll that Pylate gaue / they were ryght sory and moche dolant and sayd all wepynge Ha god what shall we do with our lorde Pilate And then the grete complayntes arose in the cyte soo that they herde them in the hoost
whan they were in Arre they put themselfe vppon the lande and rode vnto the cyte of Iherusalem Where as they lodged them secretely in the hous of a good holy man / the whiche was called Iacob the sage fader of Mary and so iourned there thre dayes ANd whan the Seneshall Gay and his felawes hadde soiourned in the sayd hous of Iacob thre dayes withoute makynge themselfe to be knowen what they were vnto ony body Iacob his host spake vnto hym as foloweth and sayd Syr me thyngeth that you are a man puyssaunt and also dyscrete and noble I beseche you that ye wyll tell me of what couÌ„tree you are / and what ye seke For and yf ye wyll tell me I promyse you for to helpe you with all my power THen the Seneshall Gay answered to Iacob his hoste By god hoste you seme me to be a goode man / and therfore I shall tell it you Knowe that I am the Seneshal of the Emperour of Rome / that is my lorde and yours / and he trusteth moche in me And knowe that Vaspazyan the Emperoure by whom Rome Iherusalem is gouerned / is so taken in the vysage with maladye / and the body soo euyll apparaylled with lepre that he may not sustayne hymselfe / but behoueth hym to lye nyght day And it is a ryght pyteous syght to se hym Of the whiche he and all his folke hathe greate dole / dyspleasure For they can fynde noo surgyens that can hele hym / and gothe euer in empayryng / for the whiche fayre hoost I am come hether For I herde saye speke at Rome of a holy prophete that was named Ihesê° of Nazareth that the Iewes had crucefyed in this cyte / all by enuye / bycause that he dyde many myracles in his lyfe / at his dethe / and after his dethe And I haue sayd vnto my lorde the Emperour that he myght fynde ony thynge that had touched the body of the holy prophete / that incontynent that he sholde haue it / he sholde anone be heled / in asmoche as he had his truste in the holy prophete So that my lorde hathe sent me hether for to se yf I myght fynde ony thynge / that yf I myghte fynde ony thynge for to brynge it hym And therfore fayre host I am come hether for that cause Wherfore I praye you that and ye can gyue me ony couÌ„sayl that ye wyll gyue it me / for ye shall haue grete good / grete honoure of my lorde the Emperour And I swere you that ye shal be for euer a grete lorde in his courte And I praye you that ye hyde me nothyng For of a trouthe I shall not retorne towarde my lorde tyll that I haue founde some thynge SYr sayd Iacob to the Seneshal tell me yf it please you yf my lorde the Emperour byleue not in the holy prophete / and yf that he haue not adoured hyÌ„ as god of heuen that is almyghty And the Seneshal tolde hym that he worshypped the ydoles / and wyll not leue it for nothynge And then Iacob sayd to him Syr retorne you agayn hardyly syth that he byleueth not in the holy prophete the whiche suffred dethe and passyon as I dyd se And also I sawe hym dyscended from the crosse / and put in the monument of the good knyght Ioseph of Armathye / the whiche was his frende And syth I sawe hym whan he was arysen frome deth to lyfe / preche to his appostles and said Go your wayes thorowe the worlde and preche the gospell vnto all the worlde and to euery creature And saye vnto them that who byleueth in the sone of the vyrgyn Marye / and shall be baptysed shal be saued And who that wyll not byleue shal be dampned Wherfore I tel you that and he byleue not in the holy prophete / and worshyp as god almyghty he may not be heled But and he wolde byleue he shall be heled anone / as haue bengrete foyson of other Syr I tel you an exemple There was a lady that was called Vernyque of the couÌ„tre of Galylee And that same lady was so leprous that she durste not fynde herself amonge people / yet hadde she her fayth that the holy prophete Ihesu crist sholde hele her And whan she knewe that the Iewes wold put hym on the crosse / she had ryght grete sorowe came to the mount of Caluary where as the Iewes put Ihesu cryst on the crosse And she sawe there the vyrgyne Marye that behelde as they put her dere sone on the crosse And there was his appostle that was called Iohan the euangelyst with her And Veronyque durste not approche nere them / for bycause of her maladye / cryed and made grete sorowe And then whan the vyrgin Marye sawe her wepe so she made her signe with her hande for to come vnto her And incontynent she came And then the vyrgyn Marye toke a kerchyer that Veronyque bare vpon her heed and put it on the face of Ihesu cryste bycause that he swette And incontynent the semblaunce of the face of Ihesu cryst was portrayed in the sayd kerchyer And the vyrgyn Marye gaue it vnto Veronyque for to he le her HEre sayd Gay the Seneshal this I byleue wel But I praye you that ye wyll sende for the said woman And that she come with me vnto Rome to my lorde the Emperour For I wote well that he wyl byleue in the holy prophete And whan he shall be heled all crystendome shall be exalted by hym And also he shall venge the dethe of the holy prophete ANd then Iacob sente for her by one of his seruauntes / a squyer of Gayes Whan she was come Iacob tolde her how the Emperoure had sente his Seneshall for her / for to come and he le hym at rome of his leprehode And he sayd to her these wordes to the ende that the fayth of Ihesu cryst were exalted And also he tolde her that she sholde brynge the clothe and other thynges yf she hadde ony And Veronyque sayd to hym that she was well contente to go theder / for she byleued that the vertue of Ihesu cryst sholde hele the Emperoure And yf that it myghte be done all the people wolde byleue in Ihesu cryst And whan the Seneshall herde her speke so / he had ryght grete Ioye / and badde that she sholde apparayll her for to departe THen sayd Gay the Seneshall I must speke with Pylate And Iacob answered hym that he wold go with hym gladly And they twayne with theyr coÌ„pany wente for to speke with Pylate So they fouÌ„de hym before the temple of Salamon Then gay the seneshall salued hym in saynge Syr Pylate I am messenger of the Emperour of Rome my lorde and yours And he mauÌ„deth you by me that ye sende hym the trybute of seuen yere that you owe hyÌ„ And knowe that he is euyll content with you / bycause ye haue not sent hyÌ„ the trybute euery yere as ye
passyon of our lorde Ihesu cryst / that with wronge was crucefyed within the Cyte of Iherusalem And are comen for to take Pylate / for he consented the forsayd dethe And knowe that my cosyn Ioseph of Armathye dyscended the holy prophete of the crosse / put hym in sepulcre And knowe that we may do you grete ease yf ye wyll take Iherusalem / thrugh counsayll So we praye you syr to haue mercye on vs. And then the Emperour toke them to mercy And Iafet prayed them to gyue them some mete / in countynge them all theyr myseryes of hongre / and the Emperour made them haue mete / demaunded theim yf they byleued in Ihesu cryst / they sayd ye Then he made them of his preuy counsayll ¶ How Vaspasyan Tytus toke counsayll / howe they besyeged Iherusalem ANd after Vaspasyan and Tytus his sone had counsayll that they sholde go before Iherusalem with all theyr hoost And it happened them that whiche saynt Luke recounteth that sayd Whan Ihesu cryste approched nere Iherusalem he wepte vpon it sayd to the Cyte yf thou knewe what shall happen the thou wolde wepe For thou knowest not the daye of thy vysytacyon for thou shalte be all enuyronned / assyeged / and assaylled And they shall not leue one stone vpon another / the sones that shall be with the shall be dystroyed PYlate knewe not yet nothynge of the comynge of the emperour / nor of his men that came agayn hym For on suche a daye euery yere the Iewes of all the lande theraboute made a grete feest in the cyte of Iherusalem And also there was comen the grettest parte of the Iewes And the sone of Herodes that was crowned kynge of Galylee the whiche was called Archelaus was comen to the feest with all his men And whyles that the Iewes was in Iherusalem / there belwe soo grete a wynde that none of the Iewes wold not yssue out of the cyte / nor retourne to go in to theyr countres bycause of the wynde that was so grete and stronge ANd then Vaspasyan the Emperour Tytus his sone with all theyr hoost came and asseged Iherusalem all aboute / by suche maner that there ne myght nothynge yssue nor entre but that it passed by the hoost And whan Pylate they that were within the cyte of Iherusalem sawe the hoost and soo many folke aboute the towne / they were moche strongely abasshed And Pylate was then moche abasshed And then the kyng Archylaus was sore abasshed sayd to Pylate that he sholde doubte of nothynge / for there was so moche good chyualry in the cyte of Iherusalem / that she was so well and soo strongly garnysshed that they neded not to fere of nothyng / so that they armed them and wente all assayll and sende backe them that were in the hoost of the Emperour To the ende that they of the sayd hoost dyde repente theim of that they were comen And also that the hoost myght not longe endure by defaute of water And the counsayl pleased moche Pylate / and made crye thrughe al the cyte that euery body sholde arme hym And incontynent euery body armed hym And whan they were euerychone armed they came before pylate at the palays And whan they wolde haue yssued out of the cyte of Iherusalem the Emperours men were so nere approched the walles of the cyte that they durst not yssue / but had counsayll to shytte the gates / and put a partye to kepe the walles / and the other dysarmed theym to bere stones vpon the walles And incontynente made to crye that euery man sholde bere stones vpon the walles Except them that kepte the walles / and that the cyte sholde be well garnysshed They were well .lx. thousande to be re stones vpon the walles And Pylate and the kynge Archylaus were dyfarmed / and eche of theym had on theyr mauntelles of grene / and Pylate helde a whyte staffe in his hande And Pylate and the kynge Archylaus sente worde to the Emperour that they wolde go and speke with hym vpon assuraunce / withoute ony fraude or gyle THen Vaspasyan the Emperoure / Iafet / Gay the Seneshall with .xl. knyghtes came to the walle of the cyte where as was Pylate and the kynge Archylaus And Tytus sone of the Emperoure abode in the hoost And then Vaspasyan demaunded of gay his Seneshall whiche was Pylate And he sayd vnto hym that it was he that helde the whyte staffe in his hande Then Vaspasyan began for to speke vnto Pylate and sayd Pylate my noble Iulyus cesar gaue the Iherusalem in kepyng / and wylled that thou was his prouost / and that thou gouerned this lande And whan thou knewe that he was deed thou sent me the truage that thou ought by thre yere And syth hast ben seuen yere without sendynge it me And whan I sente to the for it by Gay my Seneshall thou sayd vnto hym vyllany And sayd to hym that thou helde nothynge of me / and yet sayd to hym that I sholde képe well Rome Lombardye / that thou sholde kepe wel Iherusalem / and reknowledged no homage nor truage Wherfore I wyl that thou make open the gates of this cyte to the ende that I may do my wyll with the with all them that is en habytynge there within ¶ How Vaspasyan spake vnto Pylate / and what answere Pylate gaue hym Pylate Archylaus Vaspasyan THen answered Pylate to Vaspasian themperour and sayd that he sholde take counsayll / and so departed and wente and held hys counsayll with all his barons / and with the kynge Archylaus And the sayd Archylaus spake fyrste and sayd to hym that he neded not to doubte the menaces of the Emperour For you maye wele defende you agaynst him and resyste For you haue within this cyte so moche good chyualry that I byleue that in the thyrde partye of the worlde there is not soo many good men And it sholde be greate shame to you yf you defended you not agaynst the Emperoure And myshappe take hym that shal yelde hym to them perour to do his wyll And whan the kynge Archylaus had spoken so / the Seneshall of Pylate that was called Barrabam sayd to Pylate Syr the kynge gyueth you good counsayll For knowe certaynly that ye nede not to haue fere of the Emperour / for he hathe not the puyssaunce to abyde with his hoost in this countree the space of two monethes / for they shall haue no water but yf they go and fetche it ryghte ferre at the lake of the deuyll There where as perysshed two cytees ▪ that was called Sodom Gomor And that sholde be to grete payne for them Wherfore I byleue that the emperour maye not abyde longe aboute vs. And also we may well holde vs .vii. yere agaynste hym Wherfore I counsayll you that you defye hym of that that he hathe ben so hardy to come on this syde the see And that he retourne
cryst of the crosse / put him in to his sepulcre / and Nychodemus that was with him Also there sholde be a lady quene and her felawe and theyr two chyldrē The whiche quene was called Marye of Affrycke / byleued moche strongly in Ihesu cryst Wherfore we praye you syr for to take theym to mercy / for they were neuer consentyng to the dethe of Ihesu cryste ¶ How Iafet Iacob founde Ioseph of Armathye and brought hym before Vaspasyan the Emperoure and Tytus his sone / how he toke hym to mercye Ioseph Vaspa Tytus THen the emperour sayd vnto them Loke and make to be loked yf you can fynde them / make them come before me And then Iafet and Iacob serched and made to serche al about / and they founde none but Ioseph of Armathye And after they wente in to the house of the quene / for they had had often in her house grete consolacyons with her / and they foūde her deed her felawe also Then they retorned to the Emperour with Ioseph of Armathye And whan the Emperoure sawe hym he demaūded hym yf it was he that dyscended Ihesu cryst of the crosse / he sayd ye / wherfore the Emperour toke hym to mercy SO whan the Emperour sawe that the Iewes was not all solde yet / he demaunded of the knyghtes that solde them how many penyworthes they hadde yet for to selle / and they sayd that they had well .vi. penyworthes And the Emperour badde them that they sholde sell no mo / for he wolde kepe those .vi. for to do hys pleasure with IN Iherusalem was made than so grete slaughter of Iewes that no man might go by the stretes in Iherusalem but on deed bodyes / so grete nombre there was And it was by the coūsayll that Pylate gaue vnto the Iewes for to ete theyr treasour And knowe that yf they had not eten it they that had bought theym wolde haue taken many of theym to mercy But for the loue of the treasour there was slayne .lxxiij. M. thre hondred and fyfty THen whan the mortalyte of the Iewes was done the Emperour made the bodyes to be borne vnto the walles of the cyte / and after he made to bete downe the walles so that there abode not one stone vpon another thrughe all the cyte / excepte the temple of Salamon / and the toure of Syon / that was Dauyds For god wolde not that the sayd temple nor the sayd toure were beten downe Then was accomplysshed the propre wordes that our lorde spake on palmesondaye whan he wepte vpon the cyte of Iherusalem in entrynge in to it NOtwithstondynge Tytus the sone of the Emperour afore that the cyte was beten downe he wente in to euery place and made to take the harneys wherwith the cyte was well garnysshed And also toke all the clothes of golde and other clothes of sylke / that they myght fynde For as for the other treasoure the Iewes had eten it / for the whiche they were all slayne / excepte the syxe penyworthes that the Emperour withelde / and Ioseph of Armathy / and the Iewe that had tolde how they had eten theyr treasours THen whan the Emperoure and Tytus his sone had done that / and had soiourned them there and theyr men / they sayd vnto Iafet and Iacob / Ioseph of Armathy that they sholde lede them there as Ihesu cryste was put vpon the crosse / and to flome Iordayne / and to the sepulcre / and there as he raysed vp Lazarus And to all the places where Ihesu cryst had ben and done myracles And they answered that they wolde do it with a good wyll And whan the Emperour and Tytus his sone and all theyr men were vysytynge the holy places / all in wepynge they yelded graces vnto our lorde Ihesu cryste ¶ How the Emperoure toke shyppyng with all his armye for to retorne to Rome AFter this the Emperour and Tytus his sone with theyr armye / with Pylate with the syxe penyworthe of Iewes toke theyr shyppes arryued at acres / where the Emperour put the thre penyworths in thre shyppes withoute mete or drynke to goo where as it sholde please our lorde Ihesu cryste And put in eche shyppe two penyworths of Iewes / for our lorde Ihesu cryste wolde not that all the Iewes sholde be deed / but that there abode on the erthe for a perpetuall remembraunce and memory to all the crystyens And it happened so as god wolde that one of the shyppes arryued at Narbonne / the other at Bourdeaulx / and the other here in Englonde And the Iewes that were wtin went that it had ben done by myracle / and that had had pyte on them But god dyde it bycause that alwayes there sholde be remembraunce of his dethe and passyon THen the Emperour and his sone Tytus made to apparayll fayre shyppes and grete / and made grete prouysyon of vytaylles / as wel of whete / wyne / water other vytaylles grete foyson And anone they put them within the shippes that were fayre and grete and well aourned with Iafet / Iacob Ioseph of Armathye and all theyr men And god gaue them soo good wynde and so good fortune and so good porte that within ten dayes they arryued at valecte And fro valecte they wente by lande vnto Rome wel and in good helthe And whan clement the appostolle knewe that the Emperoure and tytus his sone came / he wente agaynst them with all his clergye well aourned and in grete processyon ¶ How the emperour Vaspasian was receyued at Rome / and how he was crystened and tytus his sone / with all theyr men WHan the Emperoure and Tytus his sone sawe Clement the appostolle they dyscended of theyr horses kissed Clement with ryght grete Ioye / and made grete feest in the cyte of Rome and thrughe al the other countrees for the loue and honour of themperour / and in especyall for the vengeaunce of Ihesu cryste / and of his dethe and passyon that the sayd emperour and his sone Tytus had made And then the appostolle put hym for to preche euery daye the fayth of Ihesu cryste And the Emperoure / tytus his sone / all theyr men herde hym gladly And whan the appostolle hadde preched eight dayes / he wente for to se the Emperour in his palays and sayd vnto him Syr our lorde hathe done you so grete grace so grete honour that he hathe made you to dyscomfite and haue vyctorye agaynst your enemyes / wherfore I am comen for to praye you that the promesses that you haue made to hym that you wyll accomplysshe it with good herte And what promesse is it sayd the Emperour Syr sayd the Appostolle that you do make you to be baptysed Then the Emperour answered I vttre it / and wyl that it be done to the pleasure of god Ihesu cryste with good wyll So make to make and apparayll the
fonte And then the appostolle departed thankynge god Ihesu cryste ryght ioyously And anone the sayd Clement made to apparayll the fonte / and at the ende of thre dayes he baptysed the Emperour and Tytus his sone in the name of the fader / the sone / and the holy ghost and chaūged not theyr names And after he baptysed the Seneshal Gay / Iafet / Iacob / Ioseph of Armathye / and after the kynges / dukes / erles / barons / prynces / and other folkes of the Emperours and other ANd then whan all the men of the Emperoure all the other multytude of people that was there was baptysed / the other came vnto the appostolle and made them be baptysed with good wyll And clement had ryght grete Ioye / yelded graces vnto our lorde Ihesu cryste / vnto them that were baptysed And whan the people sawe the myracles that god shewed in the baptysyng of the seke and lame whiche were heled of all maladyes in yssuynge out of the water / all the people byleued in god / and in the holy lawe and fayth of Ihesu cryste / and bette downe all the temples of the ydoles / and made chirches of them ¶ How the Emperoure gaue lycence vnto his men of armes for to retorne in to theyr countrees THen whan that was done the Emperoure gaue lycence vnto al his barons for to retorne in to theyr countrees And euery baron had of the appostolle theyr byleue in wrytynge or they departed Then after the Emperour and tytus his sone assembled theyr counsayl and badde them Iuge Pylate gaue them the cause So they helde theyr counsayll and after retorned to the Emperour and sayd Syr we knowe well that Pylate hathe deserued to deye / but your fader the emperour ordeyned that all the straungers sholde dye at Vyenne And therfore we Iuge hȳ to deye thus there ¶ How Pilate was Iuged vnto dethe and after was sente vnto Vyenne for to haue execusyon FYrste we ordeyne that the Iustycer make to be made in the myddes of the place a grete pyller of foure cubettes of heyght with out the grounde And vpon the sayd pyller be put a polle of a fadom of heyght / so made that it may susteyne Pilate And that he be put on the sayd pyller wel bounden vnto the pole vpright and all naked / and that he be oynted with hony oyle and wryten a hye ouer his heed agaynst the sayd pole This is Pylate that mysknewe Ihesu cryste / and renyed his ryghfull lorde the Emperoure And that he haue the vysage towarde the sonne And whan he hathe ben there vntyll nyght from tyers / let hym be dyscended / and cut of one of his ere 's And then after put hym in pryson / and that there be gyuen vnto hym mete and drynke ynoughe / and that he haue none yll pryson / to the ende that he may lyue .xxi. dayes in tourment As he made to lyue hymself the other with the treasour .xxi. dayes that were in the cyte of Iherusalem that he and the other Iewes ete whan theyr vytaylles were faylled And the ere cut be put in suche a place that Pylate may se it whan he shall be on the said pyller ▪ After vpon the morowe that he haue wele to dyne / and that he be ledde agayne vpon the sayd pyller well oynted / and that he be there vntyll nyght / and that he haue the other ere cut of / and that it be put with the other And that there be gyuen vnto hym alwayes mete and drynke ynoughe And the thyrde daye that there be taken frome hym his preuy membre The fourth daye that they cut of one of his handes The .v. daye that the other hande be cut of The .vi. daye that they cut oute a thonge from his necke vnto his hande The .vii. daye that they take as moche on the other syde The .viij. daye that they make be taken from hym one of the soles of his fete The .ix. day that they make to be taken of the other sole of his fote The .x. daye that they make to be reysed vp a thonge frome his membres vnto his foundement The .xi. daye that they make to reyse vp another thonge in the same place of crosse / to the ende ▪ that he bere the crosse as he made Ihesu cryste doo The .xij. daye that they make to cut of one of his armes / The .xiij. daye the other arme The .xiiij. daye one of the sholders The .xv. daye the other sholder The .xvj daye that they flee his berde The .xvii. daye that they cut of one of his fete The .xviii. daye that they cut of the other fote The .xix. day that they breke one of his thyes as he dyd vnto the theues that were hanged by Ihesu cryst The .xx. daye the other thyghe The .xxi. daye all the body with all the membres be drawen / that they cut of his tongue / and after the heed And that they make him be quartred / and hanged on the pyller in the same place to the ende that there be remembraūce And then .x. dayes after that he be brente and put in asshes and caste in to the ryuer of Rosne And se here how we Iuge hym to euyll dethe and cruell / bycause that he was traytour vnto god Ihesu cryst / and to your owne selfe And bycause that he hathe made soo moche people to deye / and made dystroye so many gode places WHan the Emperour herde that the senatours of Rome had Iuged hym so for to deye He sayd vnto the knyghtes that kepte hym that they sholde lede hym vnto the prouost of Vyenne from hȳ And made to gyue them lettres sealed for to bere vnto the said prouost / with the hole sentence Then they departed and brought Pylate vnto the prouost of Vyennne and delyuered hym to hym with the sentence / And whan the bourgeyses of Vyenne knewe that the knyghtes were come from the Emperour theyr lorde they made them grete chere and honoure whan the prouost of Vyēne had redde the lettres of the Emperour and the sentence of the senatours of rome / incontynent he made to make a chayre And after made Pylate to be set in it And therin he dyde sytte at his ease / but he myght not remeue hym And syth the prouóst made the chayer and Pylate to be put in to a welle And the chayer was tyed with grete chaynes of yron aboue / soo that Pylate touched not the water And there he abode vnto the tyme that the pyller was redy vpon the whiche he sholde be put And they gaue hym alwayes mete drynke ynoughe euery day whan that he demaunded or called for it THen after the prouost made to plante in the place of Vyenne the pyller / and helde hym wel ioyously with the knyghtes that had broughte Pylate For the said Prouost wolde not that they sholde retorne vntyll the tyme that the Iustyce were done