"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._ "And whan this dede was doon, Do-best he taughte, And yaf Piers power, 13320 And pardon he grauntede, To alle maner men {407} Mercy and forgifnesse, Hym myght to assoille Of alle manere synne, In covenaunt that thei come And kneweliched to paie To Piers pardon the Plowman, _Redde quod debes._ "Thus hath Piers power, 13330 By his pardon paied, To bynde and unbynde, Bothe here and ellis where; And assoille men of alle synnes, Save of dette one. "Anoon after an heigh Up into hevene He wente, and wonyeth there, And wol come at the laste, And rewarde hym right wel 13340 That _reddit quod debet_, Paieth parfitly, As pure truthe wolde; And what persone paieth it nought, Punysshen he thenketh, And demen hem at domes day Bothe quyke and dede. The goode to the godhede And to greet joye, And wikkede to wonye 13350 In wo withouten ende."