_Here xal Annas shewyn hymself in his stage, be seyn after a busshop of the hoold lawe, in a skarlet gowne, and over that a blew tabbard furryd with whyte, and a mytere on his hed, after the hoold lawe; ij. doctorys stondyng by hym in furryd hodys, and on beforn hem with his staff of astat, and eche of hem on here hedys a furryd cappe, with a gret knop in the crowne, and on stondyng beforn as a Saraȝyn, the wiche xal be his masangere. Annas thus seyng_, As a prelat am I properyd to provyde pes, And of Jewys jewge the lawe to fortefye, I, Annas, be my powere xal comawnde dowteles, The lawys of Moyses no man xal denye. Hoo excede my comawndement anon ȝe certefye, If any eretyk here reyn to me ȝe compleyn, For in me lyth the powere, alle trewthis to trye, And pryncypaly oure lawys tho must I susteyn. ȝef I may aspey the contrary, no wheyle xal thei reyn, But anon to me be browth and stonde present Before her jewge, wiche xal not feyn, But aftere here trespace to gef hem jugement. Now, serys, for a prose herythe myn intent, There is on Jhesus of Naȝareth that oure lawys doth excede, Yf he procede thus we xal us alle repent, For oure lawys he dystroyt dayly with his dede. Therefore be ȝour cowncel we must take hede, What is be to provyde or do in this case; ffor yf we let hym thus go and ferdere prosede, Ageyn Sesare and oure lawe we do trespace. _Primus Doctor._ Sere, this is myn avyse that ȝe xal do, Send to Cayphas for cowncel, knowe his intent; ffor yf Jhesu procé and thus forth go, Oure lawys xal be dystroyed, thes so we present. _Secundus doctor._ Sere, remembre the gret charge that on ȝow is leyd, The lawe to ke[pe] whiche may not ffayle; Yf any defawth prevyd of ȝow be seyd, The Jewys with trewth wyl ȝow asayl. Tak hed whath cownsayl may best prevayl, After Rewfyn and Layon I rede that ȝe sende, They arn temperal jewgys that knowyth the parayl, With ȝoure cosyn Cayphas this matere to amende. _Annas._ Now surely this cowncel revyfe myn herte. ȝoure cowncel is best, as I can se,— Arfexe, in hast loke that thou styrte, And pray Cayphas my cosyn come speke with me. To Rewfyn and Leon thu go also, And pray hem thei speke with me in hast; ffor a pryncipal matere that have to do, Wiche must be knowe, or this day be past. _Arfexe._ My sovereyn at ȝour intent I xal gon, In al the hast that I kan hy; Onto Cayphas, Rewfyn, and Lyon, And charge ȝoure intent that thei xal ply. _Here goth the masangere forth, and in the mene tyme Cayphas shewyth himself in his skafhald arayd lyche to Annas, savyng his tabbard xal be red furryd with white: ij. doctorys with him arayd with pellys aftyr the old gyse, and furryd cappys on here hedys. Cayphas thus seyng_,