This is the cowncel that I gyf here, Take men and gyf hem charge therto To weche the grave with gret power, Tyl the thryd day be go. _Pylat._ Sere Cayphas, it xal be do, For, as ȝe say, ther is peryl in; And it happend that it were so, It myth make our lawys for to blyn. ȝe xal se, ser, er that ȝe go, How I xal this mater save, And what I xal sey therto, And what charge thei xal have. Come forth, ȝe ser Amorawnt, And ser Arphaxat; com ner also Ser Cosdram, and ser Affraunt, And here the charge that ȝe must do. Seres, to Jhesuis grave ȝe xal go, Tyl that the thryd day be gon; And lete nother frend nor fo, In no wey to towche the ston. Yf ony of hese dyscipelys come ther To feche the body fro ȝou away, Bete hym down, have ȝe no fere, With shamful deth do hym day. In payn of ȝour godys and ȝour lyvys, That ȝe lete hem nowth shape ȝou fro, And of ȝour chyldere and ȝour wyfys, For al ȝe lese, and ȝe do so. _Primus miles._ Sere Pylat, we xal not ses We xal kepe it strong anow. _Secundus miles._ ȝa, and an hunderyd put hem in pres, Thei xal dey, I make a vow. _Tertius miles._ And han hunderyd! fy on an c. and an c. therto! Ther is non of hem xal us withstonde. _Quartus miles._ ȝa, and ther com an hunderyd thowsand and mo, I xal hem kylle with myn honde. _Pylat._ Wel, seres, than ȝour part ȝe do, And to ȝour charge loke ȝe take hede, Withowtyn wordys ony mo, Wysly now that ȝe precede. _Here the knytes gon out of the place._ Lo! Ser Cayphas, how thynkyth ȝow? Is not this wel browth abowth? _Cayphas._ In feyth, ser, it is sure anow, Hardely have ȝe no dowth. _Arfaxat._ Let se, ser Amaraunt, where wele ȝe be? Wole ȝe kepe the feet or the hed? _Ameraunt._ At the hed, so mote I the, And ho so come here he is but dead. _Arfaxat._ And I wole kepe the feet this tyde, Thow ther come both Jakke and Gylle. _Cosdram._ And I xal kepe the ryth syde, And ho so come I xal hym kylle. _Affraunt._ And I wole on the lefte hand ben, And ho so come here, he xal nevyr then; fful sekyrly his bane xal I ben, With dyntys of dowte. Syr Pylat, have good day! We xul kepyn the body in clay, And we xul wakyn wele the way, And wayten alle abowte. _Pylatus._ Now, jentyl seres, wole ȝe vowchesaffe To go with me and sele the graffe, That he ne ryse out of the grave, That is now ded? _Cayphas._ We graunte, wel lete us now go: Whan it is selyd and kepte also, Than be we sekyr withowtyn wo, And have of hym no dred. _Tunc ibunt ad sepulcrum Pilatus, Cayphas, Annas, et omnes milites, et dicunt._