1   Forsoth sum man was in Cesarie, Corneli by name, centurio, `that is, hauynge an hundrid men vndir hym, of the cumpanye of kny&yogh;tis, that is seid of Ytalie; a religious man, 2   and dredinge the Lord, with al his meyne; doynge manye almessis to the peple, and preiynge the Lord euermore. 3   This sy&yogh; in a uysioun opynli, as in the nynthe hour, `or noon, an aungel of God entrynge into hym, and seyinge `to him, Corneli. 4   And he biholdinge hym, takyn with drede seyde, Who art thou, Lord? Forsoth he seide to him, Thi preieris and thin almesdedis han sti&yogh;ed vp into mynde, in the si&yogh;t of the Lord. 5   And now sende men into Joppe, and clepe `sum man, Symound, that is namyd Petre. 6   This is herborid at sum man, Symound, coriour, whos hous is bisydis the see. This schal seie to thee, what it bihoueth thee for to do. 7   And whanne the aungel that spak to him, hadde gon a wey, he clepide tweyne `his homely men, and a kny&yogh;t dredinge the Lord, of hem that obeischiden to him. 8   To which, whanne he hadde told alle thingis, he

sente hem into Joppe. 9   Forsoth on the day suynge, `hem makinge iourney, and nei&yogh;ynge to the citee, Petre sti&yogh;ede vp into the hi&yogh;ere thingis of the hous, that he schulde preie, aboute the sixte hour. 10   And whanne he hungride, he wolde taste, `or ete. Forsoth `hem makinge redy, an axcess of soule, `or rauysching of spirit, fel on hym; 11   and he sy&yogh; heuene openyd, and sum vessel comynge doun, as a greet scheete with foure cordis, for to be sent doun fro heuene into erthe, 12   in the which weren alle foure footide beestis, and crepinge thingis of erthe, and volatils of heuene, `or eyr. 13   And a vois is maad to hym, Ryse, Petre, slee, and ete. 14   Forsothe Petre seith, Lord, ferr be it `fro me, for I neuere eet al comyn thing and vnclene. 15   And eft the secunde tyme the vois to him, That thing that God hath clensid, `thou schalt not seie vnclene. 16   Forsoth this thing is don by thries; and a non the vessel is receyued into heuene. 17   And the while Petre with ynne hym doutide, what the visioun was which he sy&yogh;, lo! the men, that weren sent fro Cornelie, sekinge the hous of Symound, stooden ny&yogh; at the &yogh;ate. 18   And whanne thei hadden clepid, thei axiden if Symound, that was named Petre, hadde ther herbore. 19   Forsothe `Petre thenkinge on the visioun, a spirit seide to him, Lo! thre men seken thee. 20   `And so ryse thou, and go doun, and go with hem, `no thing doutynge, for I sente hem. 21   Forsoth Petre comynge doun to the men, seide, I am, whom &yogh;e seken; what is the cause, for which &yogh;e han comen? 22   The whiche seiden, Cornelie, centurio, a iust man, and dredinge God, and hauynge good witnessing of alle the folk of Jewis, took answer of an hooly aungel, for to clepe

thee into his hous, and for to heere wordis of thee. 23   Therfore he ledinge hem with ynne, receyuede in herbore. Forsoth in the day suynge he rysinge, wente forth with hem; and summe of bretheren fro Joppe folowiden hym, `that thei be witnessis to Petre. 24   Forsoth an other day he entride into Cesarie. Forsoth Cornelie abood hem, his cosyns and necessarie frendis clepid to gidere. 25   And it is don, whanne Petre hadde entrid, Cornelie cam metinge him, and fallinge doun at his feet, he worschipede him. 26   Petre sothli reyside him, seiynge, `Ryse, and I my silf am a man, as and thou. 27   And he spekinge with him, `entride, yn, and fond manye that camen to gidere. 28   And he seide to hem, &YOGH;e witen, how abhomynable it is to a man Jew, for to be ioyned `or for to come to an alien; but God schewide to me, no man `for to seie a man comyn, or vnclene. 29   For which thing I `clepid cam. Therfore I axe &yogh;ou, for what cause han &yogh;e clepid me? 30   And Cornelie seith, Fro the fourthe day passid til to this hour, I fastinge was preiynge in the nynthe hour in myn hous. And lo! a man stood bifore me in a whit cloth, and seith, 31   Cornelie, thi preier is herd, and thin almesdedis ben in mynde in the si&yogh;t of God. 32   Therfore sende into Joppe, and clepe Symound, that is named Petre; this is herborid in the hous of Symound coriour, bisydis the see. This, whan he schal come, schal speke to thee. 33   Therfore anon I sente to thee, and thou didist wel in comynge to vs. Now therfore we alle ben present in thi si&yogh;t, for to heere the wordis, what euere ben comaundid to thee of the Lord. 34   Forsoth Petre openynge his mouth, seide, In treuthe I haue foundyn, for God is not acceptour of persoones; but in ech folk he that dredith God, 35   and

worchith ri&yogh;twysnesse, is accept to him. 36   God sente a word to the sones of Israel, schewinge pees by Jhesu Crist; this is God of alle men. 37   &YOGH;e witen the word that is maad bi al Judee, `forsoth bigynnynge fro Galilee, aftir the baptym that John prechide, Jhesu of Nazareth; 38   how God anoyntide him with the Hooly Gost, and vertu; the which `thorw passide in wel doynge, and heelinge alle men oppressid of the deuyl, for God was with him. 39   And we ben witnessis of alle thingis, `the whiche he dide in the cuntree of Jewis, and Jerusalem; whom thei slowen, hongynge in a tree. 40   God reyside this in the thridde day, and &yogh;af him for to `be maad knowun, 41   not to ech peple, but to witnessis bifore ordeyned `of God; to vs that eetyn and drunkyn with him, aftir that he roos a&yogh;en fro deed men. 42   And he comaundide to vs for to preche to the peple, and for to witnesse, `for he is, that is ordeyned of God domesman of quyke and deede. 43   To this alle prophetis beren witnessing, alle men that bileuen into him, `for to receyue remyscioun of synnes by his name. 44   `&YOGH;it Petre spekinge thes wordis, the Hooli Gost fell on alle that herden the word. 45   And the feithful, `or cristen, men of circumcisioun wondriden, that camen with Petre, and for into naciouns the grace of the Hooli Gost is sched out. 46   Forsoth thei herden hem spekinge `with tungis, or langagis, and magnyfiynge God. 47   Thanne Petre answeride, Wher ony man may forbede watir, that these be not baptysid, that han receyued the Hooly Gost as and we? 48   And he comaundide hem for to be baptisid in the name of the Lord Jhesu Crist. Thanne thei preieden him, that he schulde dwelle with hem summe dayes.

Previous section

Next section