1   Forsoth in the same tyme Heroude kyng sente hondis, for to turmente sum men of the chirche. 2   Forsoth he slou&yogh; by swerd James, the brother of John. 3   Forsoth he `seynge for it pleside to Jewis, puttide to for to `catche and Petre; forsoth the dayes of therf looues weren. 4   Whom whanne he hadde cau&yogh;t, he sente into prisoun, and bitakinge to foure quaternyouns of kny&yogh;tis, that ech hadde foure men vndir him, for to kepe him, willinge aftir paske for to brynge him forth to the peple. 5   And sothli Petre was kept in prisoun; forsothe preier was maad of the chirche withoute ceessinge to God for him. 6   Forsothe whanne Heroude was to bryngynge forth him, in that ny&yogh;t Petre was slepinge bitwixe twey kny&yogh;tis, boundun with twey chaynes; and keperis bifore the dore kepten the prisoun. 7   And loo! an aungel of the Lord stood ny&yogh;, and li&yogh;t schoon a&yogh;en in the habytacle. And `the syde of Petre smytun, he reyside, `or wakide, him, seiynge, Ryse thou

swiftli. And anoon the chaynes felden doun of his hondis. 8   Forsoth the aungel seide to him, Be thou gurd bifore, and do on thi hosis. And he dide so. And he seide to him, Do aboute to thee thi cloth, and sue me. 9   And he `goynge out, suede him; and he wiste not for it is soth, that was maad bi the aungel; forsoth he gesside him silf to se a visioun. 10   Forsoth thei passinge the firste and the secunde kepyng, camen to the irun &yogh;ate that leedith to the citee, the which `wilfully is opened to hem. And thei goynge out, camen forth into o streete, and anoon the aungel passide awey fro him. 11   And Petre turnynge a&yogh;en to him silf, seide, Now I woot verily, for the Lord sente his aungel, and delyuerede me fro the hond of Eroude, and of al abydinge of the peple of Jewis. 12   And he biholdinge cam to the hous of Marie, modir of John, that is named Marcus, where manye weren gederid to gidere, and preiynge. 13   Forsoth `him knockynge at the dore of the &yogh;ate, a wenche, Rode by name, cam forth for to se. 14   And, as sche knew the vois of Petre, for ioye she openede not the &yogh;ate, but rennynge yn, tolde Petre for `to stonde bi fore the &yogh;ate. 15   And thei seiden to hir, Thou maddist, `or art wood. Sothli she affermyde, for to haue him so. Forsoth thei seiden, It is his aungel. 16   Forsoth Petre lastide knockynge. Sothli whanne thei hadden openyd, thei sy&yogh;en him, and wondriden. 17   Sothli he bekenynge to hem with hond for to be stille, tolde hou the Lord hadde ledd him out of prisoun. And he seide, Telle &yogh;e to James and bretheren thes thingis. And he `gon out, wente into another place. 18   Sothli `the day maad, ther was

not lytil trowblyng among the kny&yogh;tis, what was don of Petre. 19   Sothli whanne Eroud had sou&yogh;t hym a&yogh;en, and nou&yogh;t founde, inquicisioun, `or sekyng, maad of keperis, he comaundide hem for to be brou&yogh;t. And he comynge doun fro Judee into Cesarie, dwellide there. 20   Forsoth he was wroth to men of Tyre and of Sidon. And thei of oon acoord camen to him, and Blastis, that was on the cowche of the kyng, softli stirid, thei axiden pees, for that her cuntrees weren norisched, `or susteyned, by him. 21   Forsoth `a day ordeyned, Eroud clothid with kingis clothinge, saat for domesman, and spak to hem. 22   Forsoth the peple cryede, The vois of God, not of man. 23   Sothly anoon an aungel of the Lord smoot him, for he hadde not don honour to God; and he waastid of wormes, deiede. 24   Sotheli the word of the Lord wexide, and was multiplied. 25   Forsoth Barnabas and Saul turnyden a&yogh;en fro Jerusalem, `the mynisterie fulfillid, `John takyn to, that was namyd Markus.

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