"For-thi the contree ther Jhesu cam Called hym _fili David_, And nempned hym of Nazareth, And no man so worthi To be kaiser or kyng Of the kyngdom of Juda, Ne over Jewes justice, 13230 As Jhesus was, hem thoughte.
"Wherof Cayphas hadde envye, And othere of the Jewes; And for to doon hym to dethe Day and nyght thei casten, Killeden hym on cros wise At Calvarie on Friday, And sithen buriede his body, And beden that men sholde, Kepen it fro nyght comeris 13240 With knyghtes y-armed, For no frendes sholde hym fecche. For prophetes hem tolde That that blissede body Of burieles risen sholde, And goon into Galilee, And gladen hise apostles, And his moder Marie; Thus men bifore demede.
"The knyghtes that kepten it 13250 Bi-knewe it hemselven, That aungeles and archaungeles Er the day spronge Come knelynge to the corps, { 405} And songen _Christus resurgens_, Verray men bifore hem alle, And forth with hem he yede.
"The Jewes preide hem be pees, And bi-soughte the knyghtes Telle the comune that ther cam 13260 A compaignie of hise apostles, And bi-wicched hem as thei woke, And awey stolen it.
"Ac Marie Maudeleyne Mette hym by the weye, Goynge toward Galilee In godhede and manhede, And lyves and lokynge, And she a-loud cride In ech a compaignie ther she cam, 13270 _Christus resurgens_.
"Thus cam it out that Crist over-coom, Recoverede and lyvede _Sic oportet Christum pati et intrare, etc._ = For that that wommen witeth, May noght wel be counseille.
"Peter parceyved al this, And pursued after, Bothe James and Johan, 13280 Jhesu for to seke, Thaddee and ten mo, With Thomas of Inde. And as alle thise wise wyes Weren togideres, In an hous al bi-shet, And hir dore y-barred, Crist cam in, and al closed { 406} Bothe dore and yates, To Peter and to thise apostles, 13290 And seide _pax vobis!_ And took Thomas by the hand, And taughte hym to grope, And feele with hise fyngres His flesshliche herte.
"Thomas touched it, And with his tonge seide, '_Deus meus et Dominus meus_-- Thow art my lord, I bi-leve, My God, lord Jhesu; 13300 Thow deidest and deeth tholedest, And deme shalt us alle, And now art lyvynge and lokynge, And laste shalt evere.'
"Crist carpede thanne, And curteisliche seide, 'Thomas, for thow trowest this, And treweliche bi-levest it, Blessed mote thow be, And be shalt for evere; 13310 And blessed mote thei alle be In body and in soule That nevere shul se me in sighte, As thow doost nowthe, And lelliche bi-leve al this, I love hem and blesse hem.' _Beati qui non viderunt, etc._