Annas, and alle here mené; and xul come and lokyn on Cryst, and Annas and Cayphas xul skornfully seyn,
Cayphas. Lo! seres, lo! beholdyth and se, Here hangyth he that halpe many a man; And now yf he Goddys sone be, Helpe now hymself yf that he kan. Annas. ȝa! and yf thou kyng of Israel be, Come down of the cros among us alle! And lete thi God now delyvere the, And than oure kyng we wole the calle!
Here xal Pylat askyn penne and inke and a tabyl, xal betake hym wretyn afore, "Hic est Jhesus Nazarenus rex Judæorum." And he xal make hym to wryte, and than gon upon a leddere, and settyn the tabyl abovyn Crystes hed; and then Cayphas xal makyn hym to redyn, and seyng,
Cayphas. Sere Pylat, we merveylyth of this, That ȝe wryte hym to be kyng of Jewys. Therfore we wolde that ȝe xuld wryte thus, That he namyd hymself Kyng of Jewus. Pylat. That I have wretyn, wretyn it is, And so it xal be for me i-wys.
And so forth alle thei xal gon aȝen to the skaffald, and Jhesus xal cryen
Heloy! Heloy! Lama zabathany!
My fadyr in hevyn on by,
Why dost thou me forsake?
The frelté of my mankende,
With stronge peyn yt gynnyth to peynde,
Ha, dere fadyr, have me in mende,
And lete deth my sorwe slake!
