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,
As a primat most prendent I present here sensyble
Buschopys of the lawe with al the cyrcumstawns;
I, Cayphas, am jewge, with powerys possyble,
To distroye alle erroris that in owre lawys make varyawns.
Alle thynges I convey be reson and temperawnce,
And alle materis possyble to me ben palpable;
Of the lawe of Moyses I have a chef governawns,
To severe ryth and wrong in me is termynable.
But ther is on Cryst that oure lawys is varyable,
He pervertethe pepyl with his prechyng ille;
