JUDEX

¶Then let the Crier here and Oh yes make, And you your self do to him make the order of the cry, And let him speak it after you, come of and do you hie. ¶How say you sir, I charge you now, by the oath that you did take, Is this conclusion but the truth, that this your friend does make. ¶Susanna now thou seest here the evidence of these men, Speak for thy self it is high time, what haste thou to say then, Wherefore thou oughtest not to die, for I must sentence give, Speak forth or else I know not how, that longer thou shouldst live. ¶Danyell I pray thee with all my heart, Fit down and in this weighty charge, Do help to take our partly. ¶Baily cause the Crier to make and Oh yes. ¶How many in this court does stand, to hear what God hath done, I charge them in that God his name, their silence to use soon, And Baily undo Susanna, and rid her from her bands, And bind those wicked Elders two, both by their séete and hands. ¶Now that this man is gone, I beseech you here me speak, Me thinks he telleth still the tale, that he at First did break. ¶Anon my Lord, see how he comes here. ¶Thou must stand forth, and show Thee like and self, ¶Who lives in this world, and hath to guide the people to, Have work enough I warrant you, and more then he can do Here have I now a business, that is of marvelous weight, The way to find the truth thereof, is also very straight. But yet in doing of the same, I would we had begone, The sooner that we do begin, the sooner is it done. What Baily have you here the cry, that I wild you to make? ¶Crier call Susanna. ¶Stand forth and hold up thy hand, ¶If any here within this court there is that can detect, This woman guilty of that crime, whereof she is suspect, Come forth and say your minds at large, and all that you know true For now is time and other time, you have not that to do, ¶Discover her face Baily. ¶Now Crier hold them a Book. Lay on you hands and mark well what I shall say, he evidence that you shall give against this woman here, Is for troths sake, and not for meed, for hatred nor for fear. You shall declare the truth of all, and there from S all not slide, Nor any partly of it at all from us you shall not hide. They kiss the Book. This is your charge I charge you with, see thereto you do look, You swear by God who knoweth all, and also by this Book. ¶Susanna hold Thee still a while, and harken to my talk, Thy earthly days are almost passed, now must thou change thy walk Thou seest here before thy face, how plain thy fault is seen, For as I do I must needs do, although thou werte a Queen, Be thou therefore attentive to, and harken to thy doom, Repent the life is gone and passed, think on the life to come. Know that there is a God in deed, on whom I herd Thee call, That were thy sins ten times as great, he would forgive them all, Well hence thou must and to the place, where then shalt end thy life, Lo, thus I end my sentence now, and thou shalt end thy S rife. ¶I pray thee friend what mean thy words, which seem of such a weight Disclose the secrets of thy mind, and tell us thereof straight, ¶Marry child with all my heart, we will return us soon, And also what thou thinkest meet, it shall straight way be done, And since that God by Thee hath given, a warning to us all, Come fit with us in judgement seat, least we again should fallen. ¶What witness shall we have to try, that they would do this act, So closely betwixt themselves they have, this filthy crime compact. ¶Crier take aside Voluptas, while Sensualitas be examined. ¶Crier call in the Baily with Sensualitas. Now God be praised, and thanks I give, to Thee o Danyell, And for this act I am most bound, Gods glory forth to tell, He hath saved here the innocent blood, which in him put her trust, And by the words of their own mouth, hath cast down the unjust, Now praise be to his name therefore, both now and eake always, Let all the world that know his might, Amen with us here say ¶Set him by Voluptas. Shall it please you Danyell now, their Sentence for to give, For all the world must needs confess, they are not meet to live. ¶I pray thee Gayler hold Thee still my self will do it to, Oh living God that all thing seeth, what means this cruelty, Do not I feel enough good Lord, but all the world must see, I mourn the less, Oh Lord thou knowest and innocent to die, But yet my grief is to to great to end with infamy. Yet Lord I leave me to thy will, and I will say no more, Thou a e my strength in Thee I hope, I have none other power.