_Contemplacio._ Sofreynes and frendys, ȝe mut alle be gret with gode; Grace, love, and charyté evyr be ȝou among; The maydenys sone preserve ȝou that for man deyd on rode; He that is o God in personys thre, defende ȝou fro ȝour fon! Be the leve and soferauns of allemythty God, We intendyn to procede the matere that we lefte the last ȝere; Wherefore we beseche ȝow that ȝour wyllys be good, To kepe the passyon in ȝour mende that xal be shewyd here. The last ȝere we shewyd here how oure Lord for love of man Cam to the cety of Jherusalem mekely his deth to take; And how he made his mawndé, his body ȝevyng than, To his apostelys evyr with us to abydyn for mannys sake. In that mawnd he was betrayd of Judas, that hym solde To the Jewys for xxxᵗⁱ. platys to delyvyr hym that nyth. With swerdys and gleyvys to Jhesu they come with the tretour bolde, And toke hym amonges his apostelys about myndnyth. Now wold we procede, how he was browth than Beforn Annas and Cayphas, and sythe beforn Pylate: And so forth in his passyon how mekely he toke it for man, Besekyng ȝou for mede of ȝour soulys to take good hede theratte. _Here the Herowndys xal shewe hymself and speke._ _Herodes Rex._ Now sees of ȝour talkyng, and gevyth lordly audyence; Not o word I charge ȝow, that ben here present, Noon so hardy to presume in my hey presence To onlose hese lyppys ageyne myn intent. I am Herowde, of Jewys kyng most reverent, The lawys of Mahownde my powere xal fortefye; Reverens to that Lord of grace moost excyllent, ffor be his powere alle thinge doth multyplye. ȝef ony Crystyn be so hardy his feyth to denye, Or onys to erre ageyns his lawe; On gebettys with cheynes I xal hangyn hym heye, And with wylde hors tho traytorys xal I drawe. To kylle a thowsand Crystyn I gyf not an hawe; To se hem hangyn or brent to me is very plesauns, To dryvyn hem into doongenys dragonys to knawe, And to rende here flesche and bonys onto here sustenauns. John the Baptyst crystenyd Cryst, and so he dede many on, Therfore myself dede hym brynge o dawe; It is I that dede hym kylle, I telle ȝou everychon, ffor and he had go forth he xuld a dystroyd our lawe. Where as Crystyn apperyth to me is gret grevauns, It peynyth myn hert of tho tretowrys to here; ffor the lawys of Mahownde I have in governawns, The whiche I wele kepe, that Lord hath no pere! ffor he is God most prudent! Now I charge ȝou, my lordys, that ben here, Yf any Crystyn doggys here doth apere, Bryng tho tretores to my hey powere, And thei xal have sone jewgement.