This boke is compyled by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitacion [and] styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Kynge Henry the fyfthe, i[n] the honoure glorie [and] reuerence of the byrthe of our moste blessed Lady, mayde, wyfe, [and] mother of our lorde Iesu Christe, chapitred as foloweth by this table Lyf of our lady Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A06560 of text S109664 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 17025). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 317 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 116 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A06560 STC 17025 ESTC S109664 99845311 99845311 10203 2240861656

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A06560) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 10203) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1:16) This boke is compyled by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitacion [and] styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Kynge Henry the fyfthe, i[n] the honoure glorie [and] reuerence of the byrthe of our moste blessed Lady, mayde, wyfe, [and] mother of our lorde Iesu Christe, chapitred as foloweth by this table Lyf of our lady Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? [236] p. : ill. (woodcuts) In the Fletestrete, by me Robert Redman, dwellynge in saynt Dunstones parysshe, next ye churche, [Imprynted at London : In the yere of our lorde god. MCCCCC.XXXI. [1531] The fyrste daye of the moneth of Nouembre] By John Lydgate. In verse. Signatures: [A]⁴ B-X⁴ 2A-2G⁴ 2H⁶. On 2H5v: Here endeth the lyfe of our Lady. The last leaf bears a woodcut and a printer's mark. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Mary, -- Blessed Virgin, Saint. eebo This boke is compyled by Dan Ioh⁻n Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitacion [and] styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Kynge Henry the fyfthe Lydgate, John, 1531 659 49533 232 0 0 0 6 0 145.16 F The rate of 145.16 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2005-10 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-11 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-01 Sampled and proofread 2006-01 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

This boke is compyled by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of Burye / at the excitacion & styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce / Kynge Henry the fyfthe / in the honoure glorie & reuerence of the byrthe of our moste blessed Lady / mayde / wyfe / & mother of our lorde Iesu Christe / Chapitred as foloweth by this Table .

Fyrste the Prologe The natiuite of our Lady . Capitu. I. ii . Howe our Lady was offred in to the Temple . Capitulo . iii. Of the conuersation of our Lady in the Tiple . Capitulo . iiii . Howe our Lady receyued the seuen giftes of the holy ghoste . Capitulo . v. Howe our Lady prayed to god for . vii . peticione . Capitulo . vi . vii . viii . Howe Ioseph vsed the crafte of a Carpenter . Capitulo . ix . Howe our Lady is sette for example of virginite . Capitulo . x. Howe mercy and peace / right wisnes & trouthe disputeden for the redemption of mankynde . Capitulo . xi . Howe mercy and peace brought in this plee before the hyghe Iuge . Capitulo . xii . Howe god the father of heuen answered to mercy and peace . Capitulo . xiii . Howe the father of heuen accorded the foure systers . Capitulo . xiiii . Howe his sone shulde take mankynde . Capitulo . xv . Howe Gabriell the Angell was sent to our Lady . Capitulo . xvi . A tamentacion of saynte Bernarde . Capitulo . xvii . A recaputulacion of the wordes of Gabriell to our lady . Capitulo . xviii . And howe holy men by deuine lykenes / wrote of our Lady in commendacion of her . Capi. xviii . A commendacion of our Lady . Capitulo . xix . Autentyke conclusions agaynste vnbyleffull me that sayden that Christe might not be borne of a made . Capitulo . xx . Howe our Lady went to saynte Iohan Baptistes mother Capitulo . xxi . Howe our Lady made magnificat . Ca. xxii . Howe our Lady after the byrthe of saynt Iohn Baptiste retourned in Nazareth . Capi. xxiii . Howe the maydens that weten attendaunte to our Lady / conforted Ioseph . Capi. xxv . Howe the Angell warned Ioseph to abyde with our Lady . Capitulo . xxvi . Howe the Bisshope dyd do somone Ioseph for our Lady was with chylde . Capi. xxvii . xxviii . xxix . xxx . Howe , our Ladyes frendes wayled and morned whan the Bisshopes made so stronge a prefe of her virginite . Capitulo . xxxi . Howe our Lady prayed to god & shewe her virginite . Capitulo . xxxii . Howe the people and Bisshope dredde of the assaye that was made to our Lady . Capitulo . xxxiii . A comendacion of chauchers . Capi. xxxiiii . Howe Christe was borne after the makynge of the worlde . v. m. i. c. foure score . xix . yere Capitulo . xxxv . Howe Ioseph and our Lady went to Bethleem to paye tribute . Capitulo . xxxvi . Howe Iosephe went to seche a mydwyfe . Capitulo . xxxvii . A deuoute prayer that our Lady made whan Christe was borne . Capitulo . xxxviii . Howe the midwyfe durste nat entre with Ioseph in to the house / for a greate light appered within Capitulo . xxxix . Howe Balaam prophecyed the Sterre tha shewed Christes byrthe . Capi. xl . Howe our Lady receyued the mydwyues . Capitulo . xli . Howe the hande of Salome waxed drye . Capitulo . xlii . Howe the Angels appered to the Shepeherders & tolde of the byrthe of Christe . Ca. xliii . Howe the Shepeherders founden Christe with our Lady . Capitulo . xliiii . Howe god wolde nat be borne / but of a mayde mother and wyfe . Capitulo . xlv . Howe Isaac prophecied the byrthe of Christe by touchynge the clothes of his sone Iacob Capitulo . xlvi . Howe the Garnet appell is lykened to our Lady Capitulo . xlvii . Howe Ioseph figured the byrthe of Christe . Capitulo . xlviii . Howe nature obeyeth to virginite . Ca. xlix . Howe the chyefe Temple of Rome tyll the night of Christes byrthe / and other wonderfull tokenes Capitulo . L. Howe the night of Christes byrthe a well in Rome ranne Oyle . Capitulo . li. Howe the Senatours of Rome wolden haue holden Octauian theyr Emperoure as for her god Capitulo . lii . liii . Howe the Romayns whan they had 〈◊〉 ouer all the worlde made an ymage & calle it theyr god . Capitulo . liiii . Howe wise Sibille tolde to the Senate of Rome the byrthe of Christe . Capitu. lv . Howe the Prophetes prophecied the byrthe of Christe . Capitulo . lvi . A question assoyled / whiche is worthyest of kynge / wyne for woman . Capi. lvii . Howe our Lady ought worthely to be recommended and honoured for the byrthe of Christe . Capitulo . lviii . Of likenes of our Lady in commendacion of her . Capitulo . lix . Howe Christe was circumcised . Capi. lx . Howe in four maner of wyses Christe was circumcised . Capitulo . lxi . Howe Christe 〈◊〉 circumcision in his chosen people . Capitulo . lxii . Howe the people of god that due Iosue had in gouernaunce were saued by the stedfaste beleue of the name of Iesus . Capitulo . lxiii . Howe Prophetes and matters suffreden deth for the name of Iesus . Capitu. lxiiii . lxv . Howe Iesu Christe was bothe prophete / preste kynge / and mighty champyon . Capitulo . lxvi . Howe by the prophecye of Balaam / watche was made vpon an Hylle . Capitulo . lxvii . lxviii . Howe the thre Kynges perceyued the Sterre . Capitulo . lxix . Howe Kynge Herode sent for the thre Kynges Capitulo . lxx . lxxi . Of the ioye that the Kynges had whan they founde Christe . Capitulo lxxii . Of vertuous pouerte and mekenes of our Lady . Capitulo . lxxiii . Howe the Angell warned the thre Kynges to passe nat by Herodes / but by another waye . Capitulo . lxxiiii . A declaracion of the thre Kynges / of theyr thre gyftes . Capitulo lxxv . Howe we shulde do this offrynge ghostly Capitulo . lxxvi . Howe our Lady was puryfied . Capitulo . lxxvii . Howe Simeon receyued Christe in the Temple of our lady . Capitulo . lxxviii . Howe where and whan Simeon made / Nunc dimitus seruum tuum domine secundum verbum tuum in pace . Capitulo . lxxix . Of the ioye that Ann● the daughter of Phanes had / whan Christe was offred in to the Temple . Capitulo . lxxx . A proffitable declaration of the propertes 〈◊〉 Turtell and the Doue . Capitu. lxxxi . Howe Candelmasse toke fyrste the name . Capitulo . lxxxii . Here endeth the Table / here after foloweth the Prologe . Laus Deo
O Thoughtfull herte / plonged in distresse With slombre of slouth / this long wynters night Out of the slepe of mortal heuynesse Awake anone / and loke vpon the lyght Of thylke sterre / that with her bemys bryght And with the shynynge / of his stremes merye Is wonte to glade / all our emisperye . And to oppresse the derknes / and the doole Of heuy hertes / that sorowen and sighen ofte I mene the sterre / of the bright poole That with her bemys / whan she is alofte May al the trouble asswage / and assofte Of worldly wawes / whiche in this mortall see Hath vs bysette with grete aduersite . The rage of whiche / is so tempestyous That whan the calme / is moste blandisshynge Then is the storme / of deth moste perilous If that he want / the light of her shynynge And but the sight : alas of her lokynge From dethes brynke / vs to escape The hauen of lyfe / of vs may not betake . This streme in beaute / passith Plyades Bothe of shynynge / and of stremes clere Boetes and Artur / and also Iades And Esperus / whan it doth appere For this is Spice / with her bright spere That towarde euyn / at midnyght & at morowe Downe from heuyn adawith all out sorowe . Whose bryght beames shynyng fro so ferre That clowdes blake may the lyght not steyne For this of Iacob / is the fayre sterre That vnder wawes / neuer doth declyne Whose course : is not vnder the ecliplyke lyne But euery lyche of beaute may be sene Amyd the arke / of our meridyne . And dryeth vp the bytter terys wete Of Aurora after the morowe graye That she in wepynge bothe on floures flete In lusty Apryll / and in fresshe Maye : And causeth Phebus the bryght somers daye With his way●● golde borned bryght and 〈◊〉 To enchase the mys●●● of our cloudy ayre . For this is the sterre / that bare the bryght sonne Whiche holdeth the spere / of Iuda in his hande Whole stremes ben / out of Iesse co●●e To 〈…〉 lyght bothe in see and lande Whose glade bemys / without eclipsynge stande Estwarde to vs in the Oryent full shene With lyght of grace to voyde all our tene . Nowe fayre sterre / o sterre of stetrys all Whose lyght to se / Angels delyte So let the golde dewe of thy grace fall In to my breste / lyke scalys fayre and whyte Me to enspyre / of that I wyll endyte With thylke bawme sent downe by myracle Whan the holy ghost / the made his tabernacle . And the lycoure / of thy grace shede In to my penne / to enlumyne this dyte Thorowe thy supporte / that I may procede Somwhat to say in laude & praysynge of the And fyrst I thynke / of the natiuyte So that thyne helpe / fro me not twynne Benygne lady / anone to begynne . Here endeth the prologe .
Here begynneth the byrthe of our moste blessyd lady mayde / wyfe / and moder of our lorde Iesu christe / compyled vp dan Iohn Lydgate / monke of saynt Edmondes : Burye At the excitation and sterynge of the noble victoryous prynce / Kynge Henry the fyfthe . A flour of vertue / ful longe kept in ●●●os Ful ma●e was / wholsome leuys fote Only by grace / vpon the stalke a●oos● Out of ●else / spryngynge from the ro●s Of god ordeyned / to be re●uyte & bot● Unto mankynde our trouble to determyne Full longe beforne / by pres●●●ns deuyne . The whiche ●●ou●e preserueth man fro deth Unto the vertue / who so ●yst take hede That in a gardyne / amyd of Nazareth 〈◊〉 fayre somtyme gan to sprynge a sprede That thorowe the worlde both in lengthe & brede The fleshe odoure / and ●●●o the swetnesse H●●●●s comforteth of all he● h●●upnesse . O Nazareth / with bethlem the besyde This ●loure the maketh / of name more ●yall Than other Rome : ●late and full of pryde O myghty Troye / with the s●ou●dy wall Who●e renowne holdeth to be peregall In honour / pryce ●ame / or reuerence Unto your passynge worthy excellence . If for the fruyte commendyd be the tree Thou hast more laude and commendacion For thy ●ke floure / sprynge out of the Than hath Aus●●ike or worthy Scipyon : Of Rome Cesar / or of Fabyon Though her names / were sotyme graue in golde Her ydel fame / to thyne may not be colde Therfore reioyse / and be right glad and light O Nazareth / of name moste flourynge : For out of the floure / moste fayre of sight Moste full of grace / somtyme dyd sprynge Of the whiche / fully remembrynge So longe agone spake holy ysaie When that he sayd / in his prophecie . That on this floure / playnly sholde reste The holy ghost / for his chosen place As for the fayrest / and also for the beste That euer was / and moste full of grace Whose passynge beaute / no stormes may defface But euer a lyke / contynueth fresshe of hewe Withouten fadynge / the coloure is so trewe . For this is the floure / that god hymselfe behelde The whyte Lelye / of the chosyn vale The swete Rose / of the fayre felde Whiche of colour / waxith neuer pale The vyolet / our langour to auale Purpyll he wyd / thorowe mercy and pyte To socoure all that in mischyefe be . And from the stocke / of Ioachym and Anne This holy floure / had her origynall To hym afore by signe / y shewyd whan The angell tolde hym playnly / that there shall Of hym be borne / a mayde inspeciall Chosen of god / most chiefe of her alye And for her mekenesse / hyght shall Marye . And whan the Angell / at the yate of golde Had of this mayde the byrth prophected And all the maner / of hem bothe tolde In bokes olde / as it is specifyed Home to her house anone / they haue them byed ●nd she conceyueth this faythfull treue wyfe ●y Ioachym / the holy fruyte of lyfe . Out of the whiche / gan growe all our grace 〈…〉 sorowes fully for to ●y●e 〈…〉 playnly to ●●●●ace Of ●he ●●●yme / callyd Serpentyne For that whan ▪ 〈◊〉 / had monthes nyne 〈…〉 this ●r●y●e ●o holy and ●●●●●re Thorowe the gra●● of god anone it dyd appere . 〈◊〉 the Oryent to glade al mankynde 〈◊〉 dedely errour oppressyd of the nyght With ●lowdes blocks / and with skyes blynde Tyll they were ●leryd / with fayrenesse of y●●yght Of the whiche the angell somtyme had a syght With 〈◊〉 wrastlynge / from hym as he ●rayed So longe a●●orne / to hym whan he sayed . Lete me departe / withouten more affraye Agaynst me / and make no resystence The nyght is passed to the morowe graye The fresshe Aurora so sayre in apparence Her lyght dawith / to voyde all offence Of wynter nyghtes full longe and tedyous With n●we apperynge so glad and gracyous . This is to saye / the holy dawnynge Of th●● mayde / of her natiuyte The nyght gan voyde / of our olde mornynge Is the Angell / in fygure dydse With suche a touche / made Iacob be Sore : in his senewes / lyke as it is founde In thy●ke membre / where lust doth moste hab●●de . In fygure only / that there sholde sprynge Downe by dyssent / out of his kynrede A ●●ene mayde in wyll / and in worchynge Pure of entent / bothe in thought and deds With Aurora / with his beames rede The nyght auoyded / with his copes donne ●fore the vp●yst / of the bryght sonne . Ryght so this mayd / at her natiuyte The nyght of deth / auoyded hath awaye 〈◊〉 bryght Calendys / moste lusty for to se Of Phe●●s vpryst / withouten more delays For ●he is Aurora / sobrely this is to saye Out o● whiche / as Prophetes gan deuyse The sonne of lyte / to vs gan fyrste deuyse . Of whose byrthe / full many a day beforne A●o●m●zat wrote in specyall And sayd a mayde sothely shall be borne Under the signe / aboue celestyall That callyd is / the signe virgynall The whiche mayde / as he ●ke telle can . Shall ●ere a chylde / without spotte of man ▪ And as Mynerue moder of prudence Ie holde a mayde / right so is this heuenly q●●●e B●re in her wombe / the fade●● sapience And moder was and may den clene Of god prouyded / playnly for to bene So coure to man and helpe in al our nede Whan she was borne this floure of wom●●hede .
Howe our lady was o●●●yd in to the temple Capi. .iii. ANd alter thre yere a● was the vsage ●er moders ●appi● she left as in sowk●● 〈◊〉 than ●none / in her ●nder age Unto the temple / o●uou●ly they 〈◊〉 brynge 〈◊〉 vnto god they made osterynge 〈◊〉 this mayde for to abyde there With other maydens ▪ that in the temple were . And not withstandyng / her passyng tendernes 〈◊〉 ●re●● youthe but of y●●●s thre ●horowe goddes helpe this braunche of holines Withouten helpe / went vp gree by gr●s ●y●●en● alo●●● that all myghten se ●ofore that aulter o●●o grete an hight And whan her moder therof had asight . For veray ioye / anone she ●ylle a downe And sayd thus / that all my g●●en here God from aboue ha●d herde myn● ory●on Of his goodnes / and graunted my prayer And comforted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In syg●● of hem that 〈◊〉 at my payne And of malyc●/g●n at me di●da●ne . Nowe hath he ben my synguler refute To my trystesse consol●cion For he hath made / the dareyn● to bere frut● Thorowe his myghty v●●itacion And made clere / my confusyon And all me woo / for to ouergone Onely by grace / amyd all my fone . And thorowe his myght / the hertes hath bowyd Of hym that gan to chace / at my pryde Wherfore she hathe / vnto god auowyd That her doghter / shall in the temple abyde The holy ghoste for to be her guyde For euer more / by godes purueyaunce Thorowe her mekenesse / hym to do plesaunce . Forth all her lyfe / there to slepe and wake Hym for to serue / with humble par●ytenes That all maydens / myght ensample take Of her alone / to lyue in clennes And specially / of her me●enes Be●yg●e porte / t●●●●naunce and chere If that hym lest / of herthey myght lere . Full of vertue / de●oyde of all outrage Her herte was / that god to dwelle in there And day 〈◊〉 day / ●yght as she we●e in age Ryght so in vertue / gan she to encreace And nyght ne daye / wolde she neuer ceace To exclude slouthe / and vyces to werraye With hande to worche / or with mouthe to praye . For but in god / her herte nought delyteth So vpon hym entierly was her thought And frome aboue by grace he her vysiteth That euery thynge / but hym she set at nought Of worldly lust / she hathe so lytell thought That out of mynde she let it euer slyde That nought but god / maye in her abyde . And whan that she xv . yere dyd attayne She was as sad in conuersacion And also demure / sothely for to sayne From all chyldehede and dissolution In gouernaunce and discresion And in talkynge / as wyse and sage As any mayde / of thyrty yere of age .
Of the conuersacion of our Lady in the Temple . Ca. .iiii. ANd of her rule / this was her vsage From day to day / this holy mayde entyere From pryme at morne / by contynuaunce Tyll thre of the bell / to be in her prayere And tyll the sonne / was at mydday spere On golde and siluer / & on wulles so●●e With her handes / she wolde wyrche ofte . And 〈…〉 From god 〈…〉 Whiche that 〈…〉 Thankynge 〈…〉 And after 〈◊〉 / anone this mayde is went Agayne to 〈◊〉 / tyll 〈◊〉 went to 〈◊〉 And at 〈◊〉 with hym she toke her reste . This lyfe she 〈◊〉 / and this cou●se ●he go●th In whome was 〈◊〉 / yet founde offence And neuer man sawe / this mayde wr●th But eu●● meke / and 〈◊〉 of pa●●enc● Of herte clene / and pu●● of concience This lyfe she led / and as b●kes teche Of wordes ●ewe / and wondersoft● of speche . The meate also / that was to her brought Out of the templ● / for h●● 〈◊〉 With herte glad● / and with a 〈◊〉 thought To poore and ●●●y / that ly●●d in p●nau●c● To ye●e it ●r●ly / was all hee plesaunce And who that ●uer / of her has a syght Of all dysease / was made gl●●● and lyght . And euery wyght / greuyd with sekenes A touche of her / ●ade hem hole anone And they ●●at were / in thought and in des●res Whan they her s●/he● malyce was agone And thus she was to euery ch●ue Of all 〈◊〉 / r●●●yte and remedye With a beholdyng● / of her godely eye . And of this 〈…〉 as it is tolde Her godely face / was so full of lyght That no man myght susteyne to ●eh●lde For it was clerer / than the sonne bryght That the crowne / in the wynters nyght Of Adryanne / ne of the sterres seuen To her fayrnes / ne be not for to neuen . Yet neuer man tempted was to synne Whyle he behelde on her goodely face The holy ghost / so hoole was her within That all enuyrone spredde gan his grace Where that she was present in the place For alway god gaue her to her presence So fulsome lyght / of heuenly influence . Ne none so fayre / was neuer founde in ryme As was that mayde of Iuda and Syon The doughter chosen of Iherusalem Of Dauidis sede / to besette alone Of all maydens / to reken●hem euerychon● She bare the pryse as well in fayrnes As she excelled / in vertue and goodnes . Let be thou grece / and speke not of Eleyne Ne thou Troye / of yonge Pollycene Ne Rome of Lucresse / with her eyen tweyne Ne thou Cartage / of the fresshe quene Dido that was somtyme so fayre to sene Let be your boost / and take of hem no hede Whose beauce fayleth / as floure in frosty mede . 〈…〉 And Iudith 〈…〉 And Ber●abe / of 〈…〉 And Rachell fayre / Iacob can you tell But she alone of womanhede the well Of bounte / beaute / that neuer fade may Nought lyke a floure th●● storysshed but in maye . Passeth echone bothe nyghe and ferre Bothe in fayrnes / and in perfeccion Ryght as the sonne / doth a lytell sterre And as the Rubye hathe the renowne Of stones all and domynacion Ryght so this mayde / to speke of holynes Of women all / is lady and maystres . Of whom spake somtyme wyse Salamon In sapience / woso lyste to seke That she was chosen / for herselfe alone This whyte downe / with her ●yen meke Whose chekes weren hee beaute for to eke with lylyes meynte & fresshe roses reed This is to say / who so can take hede . Fyrst with the Rose : of womanly sufferaunce And with the fayre lylye next of chastyte She was ennewed to yeue her suffysaunce As well in goodnes as in beaute And as he sayeth she fayrer was ●ose Than ou●her Pheus / platly or Lucyne With hornes full of heuen / whan they shyne . And of this mayde / as saynt 〈◊〉 sayth In his writtynge / her beaute to 〈◊〉 Of face fayre / but fayrer yet of fayth He sayth : she was this holy pure virgyne Whose chaste herte / to nothynge dyd enclyne For all her beaute : but to holynes Of whome also / this auctour sayth expres . That she was doughter / of Dauid by diss●nt Sterre of the see / and godes owne ancille Euen in this worlde / alwey of one ●nten● And godes spouse / his hestys to fulfyll And euer redy / for to do his wyll Christes temple / and also receptacle Of the holy ghoste / and chosen tabernacle . The yare of bruen ▪ and also the fayrnes Of women all / whoso loketh a ryght Of may denhede / lady and prynces One of the fyue / that ●are her lampes lyght Redy to mete / with her spouse at nyght Full prudently / away ●ynge at the yare That for no stouthe / she came not to late . In fygure the ▪ the chaundelabre of golde That somtyme / her seuen lampes shene This is to saye / the recey●● of the holde Of god preserued / for she was so clene Thorowe her meryte / endewed for to bene By grace of hym / that is of power moste With the seuen yestes of the holy ghoste ▪
How one lady receynge the seuen yestes of the holy ghoste . Ca. v. THe fyrste yeste ▪ was the yeste of drede To ●fthe 〈◊〉 ●he thynge th●● shall god disples● The nexte pyte of veray women hede To rewe on all ▪ that she sawe in dysease The thyrde connynge / god and man to please The fourthe str●ng the / th●r● we her stedfastnesse Onely by vertue / al vyces to oppresse . Of counceyll the / she had excellence To kepe her pure in virgynyte For ay with counceyll / ●●yed is prudence Of vnderstandynge / eke the yeste had she For god hym selfe / chose with her to be And of wysdome / so god lyst her ●uaunce To knowe erhe thyuge / that was to his plesaunce . She was also / the Trone voyde of synne That standeth so royall / in godes owne syght To fore whiche seuen lampes brenne With heuenly fyre / so spyrytuall of lyght That neuer wast / but euer alyche bryght Contynued in one / here aboue in heuen By the whiche Trone : and the lampesseuen . Is vnderstande / this mayde moste entere With seuen vertues / that in her were ●ounde That somtyme were● / with ghostely lyght so clere Thorowe lyght of vertue / in w●rd●ly ●●co●nde . Onely thorowe ●ence / that dyd in her 〈◊〉 And all they / were grounded in me●enes Her lyght to god : more pleasauntly to distres . For fayth in her / had a grounde so stable That it was voyde / of all doublenes Her hope of truste / was also mayntynable Ro●yd in god / by parfy●e sykernes Whose charite / so large gan hym dres That vp to god / hasted ranne the fyre With herte of clennes / to all by desyre . Str●nge in vertue / prubent in gouernaunce She hath also conueyed with clennes And ●oueraynly / she had attempetaunce In all her werkes / with grete aduysione● And euer annexyd / vnto righwysnes within her herte / of womanly bounte She had of custome mercy and pyte . Sothfaste ensample also of chastyre As sayeth Ambrose / she was in thought and ded● And treue myrrour of virginite Of poorte benygne / full of lowlyhede As humble of chere / and feminine of drede Prudent of speche / of what she lyste to shewe Large of sentence / and but of wordes ●ewe . To praye and rede / that was euer her lyfe Of herte w●●er : by deuocyon To god alwey with thought contemplatyfe Ful ●eruent 〈…〉 And ydel neuer from 〈◊〉 And specially / to 〈◊〉 Her hands was 〈◊〉 ●edy at the ●ede . And full she was of compassyon To rewe in all that ●alt woo or smerte Well wylled euer / with hole affeccion To euery wyght / so longe was her herte Sad with all this / that her neuer asterde A looke a ●●s / of her eyen fayre So close of sight was this debonayre . And in Psalme of holy prophecye To loke and rede / she founde most desyte And ●dan she sawe / and founde in Isaye Of Cristys hyrthe / how he dyd wryte To god she ly●●e / her tender handes whyte Besechyng hym / she myght abyde and se● The blesfull day of his na●yuy●e . And in the boke of Elyzabeth That ●yrulyd is of her auysions I synde howe this mayde of Nazareth Sayd euery day / seuen orisons That callyd ben her peticions With humble herte / this blesfull yonge mayde Full lowly knelyng euen thus she sayde .
How our lady prayed to god for seuen peticions . Ca. v. O Blisfull lorde / that knowest the entente Of euery herte / in thyne eternal sight yeue me grace / the first commaundement To fulfyll / as it is skylle and ryght And graunt al●o / with herte will and myght And all my soule / and all my knowynge The fyrst to loue / aboue all other thynge . And giue me myght / playnly to fulfyll The next biddinge / like to thy plesaunce And for to loue / with herte and all my wyll My neyghbour in dede and countenaunce Right as my selfe / with euery circumstaunce And here with all / for ioye and smerte What thou louest / to loue with all myne herte ▪ Thy precepte / graunt eke that I may Fulfyll also / bothe erly and late In suche maner / as moste is to thy paye Benygne lorde / and make me for to hate Mankyndes so / for he made fyrst debate In kynde of man / and made hym to trespace Agaynst the / and to liese his grace . And lorde graunt me / for thy mercy digne Aboue all thynge / for to haue mekenes And make me humble / sufferaunt & benygne With pacience / & inwarde myldenese Of all vertues / gyue me eke largenese To be acceptyd / the to queme and serue To fynde onely thy grace I may deserue . And also lord / with quakyng herte & drede Mekely I praye vnto thy deite Me for to graunte / of thy godlyhede The gracious houre / for to abyde and see In whiche the holy chosen mayden free In to this world / hereafter shall be bore Lyke as Prophetes hath wrytten here before . How that she shall / by thyne eleccion Be mayde and mother / to thy sone dere Nowe good lorde / here myne oryson To kepe myn eyen and my syght entyere That I may se / her holy halowyd chere Her sakerid beaute / & holy countynaunce If thou grace list / me so moche auaunce . And kepe myne eres / that they may also Here her speche / & her dallyaunce And with my tong speke / that mayden vnto Paciently thorowe her sufferaunce Of wordly Ioye / this were suffysaunce And her to loue / like as I desyre Benygne lorde / so set myn herte afyre . And lord also / on me saue thou vouche Though I therto / haue no wordynesse That holy mayde / to handyll and touche Myn owne lady / and my maystresse And that I may / with humble buxumnesse Upon my fete / in al my best wyse Go vnto her / for to do seruyce . And to that floure of vyrgynyte Graunte also lorde / that I may haue space Mekely to bowe & knele vpon me knee Under supporte / onely of her grace And to honour the goodly yong face Other sone / as she dothe hym wrappe In clothes softe lyggyng in her lappe . And loue hym best playnly to my laste With all myn herte / & myn hole seruyce Withouten chaunge / while my lyfe may laste Right as thy selfe lorde caust best deuyse So that I may in faythfull humble wyse In all this worlde / nomore grace attayne Than loue hym best with all my myght & payne And to thy grace also lorde I praye To graunt me to fulfyll in dede Hooly the statutes / and mekely to obeye Within the temple / as I here hem rede For but thou helpe / I may no thynge spede As of my lyfe : & therfore vnto the All I commytte as thou list it be . The obseruaunces / & the preceptes all That to thy temple / o lorde ben partynent So let thy grace by mercy on me falle That I may do hem / with all myn hole entents And euery byddyng and commaundement That thy mynystres assygnen vnto me Make me fulfille / with al humylite . And thy temple / & thy holy house Benygne lorde / kepe me from all damage And make thy people / to be vertuouse To thy pleasaunce of euery maner age Therfore to serue / with herte & hoole corage And where they erre / lorde on any syde Or thou do right / let mercy be her guyde . And thus this mayde / alway day by day In the temple makith her prayers To please god / what she can or may The chyef resorte / of all her desyres Tyll she attayne / to fourtene yeres With herte auowyd / bothe in thought & dede For to contynue in her maydenhede . Of whose entent god / wote ful vnware Wherin summe of them / that in the temple abyde Of whiche a bisshope / callyd Abyathar Cast hym fully / for to sette a syde Her purpose playnly / an so for to prouyde That her auowe made of chastyte Shulde not holde / but vtterly that she . Shold be wedded sothely yf he myght Unto his sone / of hygh affection For that she / in euery wyghtes sight So passyng good of condicion And to fulfyll / his entencion Abyathar byhoteth golde and rente To the bisshoppes / to make her to assente . To this purpose / & to her they gone And what they may / they gan her excite And to afferme / to her euerichone With sugred tonges / of many wordes whyte That god aboue / doth hym more delyte In birthe of children / than in virgynite Or any suche / auowyd chastite . And more in children / is honoured in certayn And more in hem / hath he his pleasaunce Than in suche / as ben not but barayn Without fruyt / thorowe mysgouernaunce And holy wrytte / makith remembraunce That no man was sothely for to tell Without seed / blessed in Israell . To whom anone / with loke downe cast & chere Benygnely / & in full humble wyse This holy mayde / sayd as ye shull here Certes quod she / yfye will you auyse Whiche in your selfe / so prudent ben and wyse And well aduerte / in your discressioune That Abell somtyme had a dowble croune . One for his faithfull trewe sacrifise Offryng to god / of humble herte and free And another / as I shall deuyse For he his body / kept in chastite And Ely eke / as ye may rede and see For he in herte / was a mayden clene He was rauysshed / aboue the sterres seuene . Body and all / in a chare of fyre For he hym kepte / from all corrupcion Therfore in vayne / is playnly your desyre To speke with me / of this opynion For god wel knoweth / myn entencyon Howe I haue vowyd / as it to hym is couthe To be a mayde / fro my tender youthe . And all my lyfe / so forth to perseuere For lyfe or deth / onely for his sake From whiche purpose / shall I not disseuere Thorowe his grace / whether I slepe or wake To kepe and holde / I haue vndertake My maydenhede / si●hen go full yore Agaynst whiche ne spekith to me nomore . And whan they sawe / her herte not mutable But euer stedfast / of one affeccion And euer eli●he / as one centre stable They haue made / a conuocacion Of all the kynredes / in conclusion The eyght day / for to come in fere By one assent / to ●r●●e of this matere . This is to say / that of olde vsage O● custome kepe / for a memoriall That euery mayde / of fourtene yere of age Riche and poore / of the stocke ryall In the temple / no lenger dwell shall But be statute / shall be take and maryed By the lawe / and no lenger taryed ▪ And whan they were assembled al in one Isacar in opyn audyence Gan to pronounce / afore hem euerichone Ful prudently / the summe of his sentence And said si●es / with your pacience So yt your eres offende not ne greue Declare I shal / my meynyng with your leue . If ye remembre sithen Salamon the kynge Of Israel ceptre bare and crowne In this temple / so ryal in byldyng Haue yong maydens by deuysion Of custome had / her conuersacion Bothe kynges doughters & prophytes ake As ye may fynde / yf ye lyst to seke . But to the age of fourtene yere Abyden here and no lenger of spake As ye wel knowe / withouten any were And than be remeuyd from her place And in her stede other dyd pace As custome was / & eche in her lynage Delyuerd was vnto mariage And as a lawe it hath be kept full trewe Unto this tyme / in hygh & lowe estate But now Marie / hath fonde an ordre newe To kepe her clene and inuyolate Agaynst whiche / there help●th no debate For of fre chose / and hertely volunte She hath to god / auowed chastyte . Wherfore me semeth / it were well sittyng To her purpose / by good discressyon Fyrst that we myght fully haue knowyng Of goddes wyll / in this opynion For thant were a more perfeccion Her clene entente / as semyth vnto me And eke the stronger of auctorite . Fyrst / that we myght knowe veryly To whose kepyng / she shall commytted be And they assenten / herto veraly Withouten more / of hygh or lowe degre And of accorde / & of one vnyte The prestes all begonnen to procede To cast lotte downe by eche kynrede . The whiche lotte / on Iuda fyll anone As I suppos / ethrogh goodes purueaunce And Isacar amonge hem euerichone Purposed hath a newe ordynaunce That euery wyght / of that allyaunce That wyfles were / withouten more delaye Shulde brynge a yerde / agaynst the next daye . And to the bisshop / hyest of echone Eueryche of hem dyd his yerde brynge Amonge whiche / Ioseph had brought one Though he were olde / & passed his likynge And he alone / made his offerynge To god aboue / and a sacrifyse In the olde lawe / suche as was the guyse . And god to hym / than dyd appere And with the ye●des / bad that he sholde gone And put them euerichone in fere Insancta sanctorum / liggyng one by one And in the morowe / to come agayne echone Eueriche his yerde / to receyue agayne And vpon whiche yerde / onely were seyne . A downe appere / and vp to heuen flee He shall haue / without more obstacle Marie in kepyng / so fayre vpon to see As it is right / for the hygh myracle And whan they come / to the tabernacle As ye haue herde / the besshop deuoutely Eueriche his yerde delyuerd by and by . But vtterly vpon none them of alle At thylke tyme / was theyre nothyng sayne For godes heste / was noughte ye ytall● Other desyre / to put hem in certeyne Wherfore the bisshop / with newe fyre agayne Entred is in to the senturye And whyle that he a whyle there gantarye . Godes angell appered to hym newe Downe fro heuen / by myracle lent And tolde playnly / the heste of god was trewe But howe hymselfe / was somwhat necligent For to delyuer by commaundement Euery man his yerde / as he oughte And whan the bisshop aright hym bethoughte . He gan remembre / playnly in his mynde That of disdayne / and wylfull necligence The yerde of Ioseph was left behynde Wherby he knewe / that he had done offence And gan alone / to brynge hit in presence And toke h●● Ioseph deuoutely in his honde Amonge hem all there they dyd stonde . All behynde disseueryd / from the pres With humble chere / in the lowest place And of this yerde / in maner recheles Full stylle of porte / with a dreedfull face And whan he did with his hande enbrace His yerde agayne full debonayre of lok● For Innocence of humble drede he quoke . And sodenly through grace / about deuyne All openly in euery wyghtes sight Upon the yerde of Ioseph full benygne Was seen a dow●e / of fetheris lyly whight That towarde heuen toke the flight And with one voyce the people tho abrayde And vnto Ioseph / all attones sayde . Blessed arte hou / & blessed is thy chaunce Thy face blessed / & thyne aduenture And blessed is thyne humble attendaunce And thou are blessed so longe tendure For to possede / so feare a creature So good / so holy / nowe in thy passyng age So clene a mayde / to haue in mariage . And she alone / by preestes of the lawe A●signed was / vnto his gouernaunce But sely Ioseph / gan hym to withdrawe With humble chere / & shamefast countenaunce And said certes / there is none accordaunce Betwene her yougth / flor●sshyng in fayrnesse And me / whome age with vnluste doth oppresse . For she is fayre & fresshe / as rose in maye And well I wote / also a mayden clene And I am olde / with whyte lock●s graye Passed full fore / my tender yeres grene Wherfore I praye you / to condsydre and sene To accorde discordaunt / saith to me nomore Bitwene her beaute / & my lock●s hore . And whan the bysshop sawe the humble entent Of this Ioseph / and the Innocence And howe that he to take her nolde assent To hym he sayd / in opyn audience Ioseph he sayde / take hede to my sentence And be well ware / that thou the not excuse Agaynst the wyll of god / for to refuse . This holy mayde / assigned vnto the By open signe / whiche all the people saye Thorugh godes grace / & myghty volunte Agaynst whiche beware to dyssobeye And thynke howe he somtyme made to deye Ab●●on and Dathan / onely for the offence Done to hym / of inobedyence . Quod Ioseph / that wyll I not in nothyng To godes wyll ne biddyng contrayre But her accepte / in to my kepyng For whome god hath shewed signes fayre Whiche is so good benygne / and debonayre That I to her / wyll seruaunt be & guyde Tyll for her / god list bet to prouyde . And as the custome of the lawe hem bonde So made was the confirmacion Be heste of wedloke / betwene hem hande in hande And he her toke / to his possession With herte clene / and meke affeccion But whyle he went to Bethelem the cyte Marie abyde stylle in Galilee .
How Ioseph vsyd the crafte of a carpenter . Ca. ix . AT Nazareth in her fathers hous Lyke her auowe of herte alway in one And fyue maydens the most vertuous Of the temple where cosen out alone Of the bisshop with her for to gone To wayte on her / by humble attendaunce In what they can / to serue and do pleasaunce . Of whiche the fyrst / callyd was Reyca And Scepha the seconde / as I fynde Susanna zabell and Abiega The other thre / as bokes maken mynde Whiche wolde neuer thorowe slouth be behynde But ay in one / as it is specefyed In werke and prayer were occupyed . And vnto hym / as made is mencion That of lyuynge / so faythfull weren & trewe And diligent in occupacion Delyuered was sylke of sondry hewe For to make dyuerse werkis newe In the temple of intencion Onely to be in mynyst●acion . And as it is put in remembraunce Eueriche her silke toke by aduenture Like as her hande ●yll theron by chaunce But Mary as god tho shope her eure The purpyll s●●ke toke in to her cure Of gracious happe / of sorte without sight The whiche colour of custome and of right . To none estate / is kyndely sytting Of doubte to speke in speciall But to the state onely of a kyng So that no wyght / but of the stocke ryall By statuts olde this coloure vse shall For by olde tyme / ye shulde no man sene In purpyll cladde / but other kynge or qu●ne , Wherfore the sorte full rightfully is fall ●●●●ly by dewe disposicion Upon Marye / that before hem all By ligne right / is discendyd downe Of blode ryall / and by eleccioun Of god aboue / was chosen for to bene For her merite of heuen and erthe quene . And mother eke / as ye shall after here Of thylke kynge / that was clad in reed Of purpyll hewe / bothe face and chere Downe to the fete / from his blessed heed Whan he of purpyll dyd his baner sprede On Caluarye abrode / vpon the rode To saue mankynde / whan he shedde his blode . And of this purpyll that I spake of toforne I fynde playnly howe that Marye wroughte Thylke vayle / that was on tweyne torne The same houre / whan he so dere vs boughte Lo how● that god in his eternall thoughte Prouyded hath by iust purueaunce The purpyll sp●ke / to his mothers chaunce .
How our lady is sete for an ensaumple of virgynyte . Ca. x. BUt nowe / I leue this blessed mayde there In Nazareth / amonge her f●●des to dwell Ledyng a lyfe more par●yte and entere Than any tonge / suffyse may to tell For euyn like / as a fulsum well Shedyth his stremys / in to the ryuere Rtght so Marie / an ensaumpeler clere . Gaue to all by plenteuous largenes Onely vertue / vpon euery syde O well were they / to whome thou were maistres And blessed eke / that myght on the abyde To haue by ensaumple / so vertuous a guyde And blessed was that holy companye That day by day / the sene with eye . And blessid was the paleys & the hous In whiche thou haddest thy holy mancion Fortuneth well / & wonder gracious So humble was thy conuersacion And blessed was also all the towne T●●●ce thou abode / & blessed the vyllage O holy mayde / where thou haddest hostage . And blessed was the worthy table riche Where day by day / thou wentest vnto borde For in sothnes / the ioye was not lyche Of Cresus kyng / for all his riche horde And blessed be they / that herden worde by worde Of thy speche / & blessed the houre and tyme Of all thy lyfe / from euyn tyll the pryme . O weelfull eke and gracious the sight Of hem that myghten vpon the beholde For well they ought / to be gladde and light That weren with the alway whan they wolde And blessed weren yonge and olde That were reioysed with thy excellence Whan that hem lyst of thy hygh presence . O the ioye / who coulde tell a right Of thyne heuenly meditacions Assendyng vp aboue the sterres bright In thyne inwardecon templacions Or the blessed & holy vysitacions Who can reherce / bright as sonne or leuen So oftesent downe / to the fro heuen . Or who can tell / thyne holy slepes softe With god alway / full in thy memorie For loue of whome / thou sighedest full ofte Whan thou where sole in thyne oratorye Or who can tell / the melodye or glorye That angelys hath made in the place For the ioye they had to loke in thy face . I am rude / to rehersen all For vnconnynge / & for lacke of space The mater is / so mly spirituall That I dare nat so hygh a style pace But lady myne / I put me all in thy grace This iyrst boke / compyled for thy sake Of my symplenesse / & thus an ende I make Besechynge all to haue pyte & routh That therof shall haue any inspeccion If oughte be lefte of necligence and slouthe Or sayd to moche of presumpsion I put it mekely to her correccion And ashe mercy / of my trespace There as I erre / & put me in her grace . And thorowe her benygne supportacion So as I can forth I wyll procede With all myne herte / & hole entencion Prayeng that mayde ofso goodlyhede Croppe & rote / to helpe in this nede Whome I nowe leue / in Nazareth soiourne And to my mater / I wyll agayne retourne .
Howe mercy and peace / rightwysnes & trouthe dysputed for the redempcion of mankynde . Ca. xi . W No that is bounde and fettered in prison Thynketh longe after delyuerauuce And he that feieth payne and passyon Desyreth sore after allegeaunce And who that is in sorowe and penaunce . Lytell wondre of hertely heuynesse Though he coueyte / relees of his distresse . And who that lyueth in langour & in wo Feare in exyle and prescripcion And is with sette / with many a cruell fo And can no gayne to his saluacion To escape deth / without grete raunson Full longe he thynketh / of full litell space While he in bondes abydeth after grace . And yet to recorde of olde felicite In sothfastnes / encreseth more his payne Than all the constraynte of his aduersite And causeth hym more / to sygh & playne For ioye passed / can herten more constrayne Her welthe afore / to be wepe and wayle Than all the torment / that hem dothe assayle . O who coulde euersith the worlde began Of more ioye or of gladnes tell Than somtyme coulde the worthy kynde of man That shapen was in paradyse to dwell Tyll he alas / was banysshed in to hell Feare in exyle / from his possession And there to abyde / stocked in pryson . And he that lost his riches and honoure His myrthe / his ioye / & his olde welfare His force / his myght / and holy his socoure And was of vertue / nakyd made and bare And laye full secke languyssenge in care So feare proscripte out of his contre That by the lawe / there may no recouerbe . Whose necke oppressed / with so stronge a ch●●● Laye plunged downe / without remedye That whan mercy wolde haue ben a●ane Right wysnes gan hit anone denye And whan that peace for recouer gan to crye . Came trouth forth with a sterne face And sayd playnly / that he gete no grace . For peace and mercy to gyder assembled ware Full longe agone to trete of this matere And rightwysnes / with hem was eke there And trouth also / with a deynous chere And whan they were all foure in fere As ye haue herde / and gan to entrete Than fyrst of all cruelly to threte . Trouthe beganne almoste in a rage Of cruell ire / and of melancolye And sayd shortly / that man for his outrage Of veray Right must nedes dye And thus began the contrauersye Betwene the susteren & trouthe alway in one Sayd playnly that recouer was there none . For I quod Trouth / at his creacion Tolde hym the parell afore his offence But he me put out of his bandon And gaue to me no maner audyence And ● quod Right all my dyligence Wolde hym haue rewlyd / but he toke none hede Wherfore of me / he gete none helpe at nede . And whan he gaue credence to the snake He made his quarell euen agaynst Right And agayne Trouth / he fallely gan to take Whan he her clene put out of his sight And agayn peace / began a quarell to fight Whan he from hym mercy sette aferre And so he sette hym selfe / all out of herre . Therfore quod Right / pleteth for hym nomore But let hym haue / as he hath deserued ye do grete wronge / yf ye wyll hym restore That hath his heste / to you not conserued Ayes quod mercy / nature hath reserued To peace my suster playnly and to me On wretches euer / for to haue pyte . And offendeth hath of ignoraunce More than of malice : y wys quod mercy to yet for all that he muste haue his penaunce Quod Right / anone like as he hath do And thynke quod peace / that towarde Ierico He was disposed amonge his cruell fone For lacke of helpe / whan he lefte hym alone . That was quod Trouth / for he was recheles To go the waye / I taught hym of reason Quod mercy than the mortall fo of peace The olde Serpent rote of all treason Of false enuye and indygnacion Lay a wayte / to brynge hym in a trayne Whan he to hym falsely dyd fayne . That yf he ete / of the forboden tree The fayre fruyte in paradyse present : He sholde lyke vnto God be . Of good and euyll / to haue entendement And for my syster / trouth was absent And ye your selfe / also rightwysnes He was betrayed / sleyghtly by falsenes . Wherfore quod mercy / I purpose vtterlye Hym to releue / yf I can or maye And I quod peace / wyll helpe faythfullye The greate yre and rancour to allaye Of iugement to put it in delaye And here vpon to fynde full refuge I wyll procede / afore the hye Iuge .
Howe mercy and peace brought in this plee before the hyghe iuge Ca. xii . ANd right forth with / before the kyng of glorie Mercy and peace the cause brought alone And in the hygh heuenly consistorye Peace sayd thus / amonge hem euerichone O blessed lorde / that arte bothe thre and one So please it the benygnely to here What I wyll say / and my suster dere . Remembre lorde / amonge thy werkes all Howe thou madest mercy souerayne That whan that euer vnto the she call Thou maiste not of right her prayer disdayne And specially / whan that we bothe twayne To thyne hyghnes / for any thynge requyre Thou muste of grace / fulfyll our prayere . Is not thy mercy greate aboue the heuen Thyne owne doughter chefe of thyne alye And hath her place aboue the sterres seuen With the ordres of euery Ierarchye Whome daye by daye / thou canst so magnefye Amonge thy werkes / to make her empresse To helpe wretches / whan they ben in distresse . Thy mercy eke abydeth euer with the Lyke thy gretnes & thy magnyficence And who that dothe mercy and pyte Dothe sacrefice / hygh in thy presence And is not mercy / of more excellence ( Lyke as the sauter well reherce can ) Upon the erthe / than the lyfe of man . Thy selfe / also as it is playnly couthe Auysedly who so taketh hede therto Sayest openly with thyne owne mouthe That a thousande / thou canst thy mercy do And holy Dauid / recordeth eke also With his Harpe / aboue all thynge That he thy mercyes eternally shall synge . And howe myghte eke any creature Upon erthe / in any maner kynde Without mercy / any whyle endure For all were gone / yf mercy were behynde Wherfore lorde on mercy haue thy mynde The wofull captyfe / to take vnto thy grace That hath so longe / be seuered fro thy face . And though that I be humble meke & fre Forsothe lorde of ouete and of right yet euer in owne / my dwellyng is with the. For selde or neuer / I parte out of thy sight Peace is my name / that power hath & myght Thorowe my connyng / they that be mortal fone By the helpe of the / to accorde in to one . And also lorde as holy writte can tell That of thy peace / there may none ende be And eke thy peace / doth euery wyght excell And art thy selfe / of very duere Called the prynce of peace and vnyte And yet by hotest wretches to releue That is mankynde / & shall neuer fro hym meue . And Iob recordeth the holsomest fruyte Of all thys worlde / spryngeth out of peace Now lorde sithen / I am made to be refuyte And to the wofull comfort / and encreace Graunte of thy grace / nowe a full releace That I and mercy / may the sone confounde Of thy●ke caytyse / that lyeth in pryson bounde . So that he may haue lyberte To go at large / and haue rempssion Of this thraldome and captyuyte And be delyuered out of this pryson So that there may be made redempsyon For his seruage and fynall paye Lorde of thy mercy / without more delaye . And whan they had / her mater full purposyd Mercy and peace / with full hygh sentence Touchynge man with synne so enclosed The iuge gaue benigne audyence And whan he had kept longe scilence For all the skilles / to hym that they layde Yet at the laste ▪ to hem thus hesayde .
Howe god the father of heuen / answered to mercy and peace . Ca. xiii . ●Ine owne doughter / next to myne alye Though your request / come of tender herte ye moste consydere / with a prudent eye Of ryghtwysnes / it may not me asterte Lyke your askyng / by tauour to aduerte Unto the cause / that ye represent But right and trouth / fully wolde assent . Withouten whome / I may not procede To execute any maner iugement Wherfore let call her in this greate nede For I mo●e worche by her auysement And whan they waren come and present Than trouth alone / touchynge this matere Sayd openly / that all myghten here . If hit so be / this man that trespaced Ne be not dede / for his iniquyte Though vtterly the franchesse is defaced Bothe of my suster / ryghtwysnes and me And fynally / our bothe lyberte . Goeth vnto nought / of our iurisdiccion But he be punysshed for his trausgression . The worde of God / that playnly may not erre Tolde hym afore / withouten any drede The greate parelle / of this mortall warre Etynge the appell / that he muste be dede But he o● slouthe / toke therto none hede Wherfore he muste / as right lyste prouide Without mercy / the dome of deth abyde . And though that peace / be of pyte meued Man to delyuere / with zele of routhe Righwisnes wolde than be agreued With me to consente / that am called trouthe And as me semeth / it were to greate aslouthe Dome or cause plee or any sute Without vs tweyne to be execute . Me semyth eke / my syster peace dothe wronge To foster a man / & holde agaynst vs twayne That hath ben conuersaunt so longe Amonge vs discorde to restrayne Therfore quod peace / nowe wyll I not fayne To do myne office / right to modefye That she of rigoure / cause hym not to dye . Than quod right of necessyte Hit muste folowe / though he were my brother That he muste dye / by dome of equyte Or in his name / mo●e be dede summe other So of my shyppe guyded is the rather That ne may erre●tor wawe nor for wynde More than the anker of trouth wyll me bynde . Certes quod mercy / so it not dysplease Unto your noble and wyse prouidence His deth to you may be lytell ease For holy writte / reherceth in sentence If you consyderd / in your aduertence That deth of synners / the hygh god to queme Is werst of de●hes / yfye of right list deme . For synfull blode / is no sacrefyse To god aboue / that euery thynge mayes●n● Than muste ye deth / of one deuyse That is of synne / innocent and clene And is I ●rowe / vnder the sonne shene Thorowe the worlde / to reherce mankynde It were full harde / suche one for to fynde . For rust with rust / may not scoured be Ne ●oule with fylth / may be purefyed But who is soyled / with dishoneste To wasshe another / it is not aplyed Blacke vnto white / may not be dyed Ne blode enfecte with corrupcion To god for synne / is none oblacion . Fygure herof / ye may not be dyed As the byble maketh mencion Howe that a lambe of spotte & fylthe free Somtyme was take by eleccion And offred vp in satisfaccion To god for synne / for to signefye Who sholde for mannes ransome dye . Must be clene / pure and innocent Right as a lambe / from euery spotte & blame And trewly vnder the firmamente There was nonesuche / sithen Adam dyd atame The fruyte to ete / for eyther halte or lame In souerayne vertue / is all the kynde of man Wherfore quod mercy / the best rede that I can . That peace my syster / cesse this discorde And all the stryte / that is vs bytwene And that we praye / our iuge & myghty lorde To this mater benygnely to sene And of his grace / to shape suche a mene For trouth & right / so prudently ordeyne That peace ne I / haue no cause to pleyne . And this request is nought agaynst right Ne vnto trouth playnly none oftence If that our iuge of his greate myght Ordeyne so in his prouydence To scape awaye / thorowe his sapyence That trouth and right be not displeased Thorow peace & me though man be holpe & eased .
Howe the father of heuen accorded the fouresystren Ca. xiiii . ANd whan that she by reason had fyned That grounded was / playnly vpon skyll The hygh iuge by mercy is enclyned To condescende of grace to her wyll And in suche wyse her askynge to fulfyll That right be serued / & trouthe not dysmayed That peace / & she shulde eke be well apayed . And by sentence alone diffynytyfe The iuge sayd for conclusion An innocent pure and clene of lyfe Shall mekely dye / to paye the raunson For mannes gylt and trasgression And he so frely / shall the deth abaye In all his payne / that he ●o worde shall saye . And thus shall right in all maner thynge Haue her desyre / and trouth shall not fayle But agreably in theyr worchynge To execute fully / to stynte this batayle And for that peace in moche may anayle And mercy eke / shall not be agreued Her brother askynge also shall be achyeued . To fynde a man that shall vndertake This myghty quarell / of mercy and pyte To suffre deth lonely for mannes sake Uncompellyd frely and of volunte That is a lambe withouten spotte shall be And with his blode / shall wasshe vndefouled The gylt of man / with rust of synne y mouled .
Howe his sonne sholde take mankynde . Capittulo . xv . BUt for to wete / of what stocke he shal spring Ot what kynrede / and of what estate My sothfast worde eternally lyuynge Myne owne sonne / with me encreate Shall downe be sent to be incarnate And wrappe hym selfe in the mortall kynde Of man ( for loue ) so that he may fynde . A clene grounde / his palayce vnto bylde In all the erthe neyther of lyme ne stone But in a mayde / debonayre and mylde The humble doughter of Iuda and Syon And vnto her / shall trouthe & mercy gone By one accorde / sent afore my face Lyke my deuyse / to chese me a place . And say to her in all maner thynge Her tabernacle / that she make fayre Agaynst the comyng of her myghty kynge Whiche is my sonne and myne owne heyre That in her breste / shall haue his repeyre Where trouth & mercy shall to gyde● met● By one assent / and her rancour lete . And there shall peace kysse rightwysnes And all the susters accorde in that place And right shall leue all her stourdines And trewthes swerde / shall nomore manace And fynally / mercy shall purchace A chartour of pardon / like this mayden cle●● And whiche for man is so good a mene . That he shall mowe escape daungers A myd the forest / free from euery trappe While the mayde / that causeth all this peace Hath the vnycorne slepyng in her lappe That thorowe mekenes / shal his horne so wrappe There it was wonte to slee by vyolence Thorowe deth / it shall agayne deth be defence . Agaynst venym / more holsome than treacl● Euery poyson asofte and aswage Whan the lyon maketh his habitacle Within a mayde / but of tender age And Gabriell shall gone on message To her alone / myne owne secretarie With newe tydinges / & no lenger tarye .
Howe Gabryell the Angell was sent to our Lady . Capittulo xvi . ANd right forthwith the angel tarieth nought But helde his waye from the see of glorye Unto this mayde clene / in will and thought Where as she sat in her oratorye With herte ente●tyfe / & with hole memorie Greate to god / and all her full mynde To whome the angell / whan he dyd her fynde . Benignely with all humylite Sayd vnto her alone as ye shallen here Hayle full of grace / our lorde is with the Ne drede the not / but be right glad of chere That art to god / so acceptable and dere That hooly his grace / is vpon the fall To be moste blessed / amonge women all . And with that worde / thorowe goddes myght All hole the somme of the deyte That from heuen his blisfull bemys bright Shadde on th erthe of our humanyte Whan in the breste of a mayden fre The holy ghoste / by fre eleccion For his mekenes hath made his mancion . For whan that Bernarde / somtyme gan beholde With thought vp lifte / by contemplacion The bright sonne / in herte he gan to colde Iuly astoned / in his aspeccion And full deuoutly / in a meditacion Therof remembrynge / as he gan take hede Sayde euen thus / quakyng in a drede .
A lamentacion of saynt Bernarde . Capittulo . xvii . A Lorde quod he / so I am agrysed And sore a drade / to loke on this clerenesse And yet well more / with feare I am supprised For to beholde for myne vnworthynesse Any worde to wryte or to expresse Of this mysterie / and greate pryuyte Benigne lorde lest thou saye to me . What arte thou bolde or darest in any wyse My rightwisnes to tell or to wrytte Or to presume so hardely to deuyse My testament with thy mouth endyte That certes lorde / but yf thou respyte My wretchidnes by supporte of thy grace I greately drede of deth for my trespace . But wolde god through his greate myght And his goodnes lyke to my desyre That from th aulter that brenneth in his sight No lytell sparcle / but a flame of fyre Wolde downe discende / myne herte to enspyre For to consume with his feruent hete The rusty filthe that in my mouthe dothe flete . And all vnclennesse / cankered there of olde To make clene / and to scoure awaye That thorowe his grace / I durste be so bolde Other to wryte / or some worde to saye That was rehercid vpon the blisfull daye Whan Gabriell and Marie mette In Nazareth and humbly her grette . But sithen this man / so parfyte of lyuynge This holy Bernarde / so good and gracious So dredfull was this mater in writtinge That was of lyfe so inly vertuous Howe dare I than be presumptuous I wofull wretche in any maner wy●e To take on me this parfyte hygh emprise . My lippes pollute / my mouth with synne ysoyled Myne herte vnclene / and full of cursidnesse My thought also / with all vyces foyled My breste receyte & cheste of wretchidnesse That me to wryte of any parfitnesse Nat onely drede of presumpsion But for to esche we the indignacion . Of god aboue / for my greate offence That I am bolde or hardy in his sight To dare presume / the greate excellence For to descryue of her / that was so bright But vnder hope / that mercy passeth right And that disdayne / my style not veraye With humble herte / thus to hym I praye .
A recapitulacion of the wordes of Gabriell to our Lady / howe holy men by diuyne liknesses wrote of our Lady / in commen dacion of her . Capitulo . xviii O Lorde whose mercy goth not declyne But euer ●liche / stondith hole in one That somtyme sendest downe from Seraphyne To I saye an Angell with a stone Wherwith he began to touche his mouthe alone To purge his lippes from all pollucion So let thy grace to me descende downe . My rude tonge / to explite and spede Somwhat to say / in commendacion Ofher that is well of womanhede And thorowe her helpe and meditacion Be to my style full direccion And let thy grace / alwaye be present This boke to forther after myne entent . For of my lyfe for to vndertake To speke or write / in so deuoute matere Lyttell wonder though I tremble or quake And chaunge bothe countenaunce and chere Sithen this maydeu of vertue tresorere Perturbed was in loke and in vysage Of Gabriell to here the message . And full demurely / stylle gan abyde And in her herte castinge vp and downe Full prudently vpon euery syde The maner of this salutacion And howe hit might in conclusion In any wyse fully performed be She stondynge hole in her vyrginite . And whan the Angell sawe her lowly hede Her humble countenaunce / chaunged in her face He sayde Marye for nothynge that you drede For to fore god / thou haste founde grace And shalt conceyue / within a litell space And in thy wombe a●one of all vertu And shall hym calle ( whan he is borne ) Iesu . That shall be greate / & named sothfastlye Sone of the hyest / that euer was of myght And god to hym / shall leue yeue full iustlye The see of Dauid / his owne fathers right And he shall reygne in euery wyghtes sight In the house of Iacob / eternally by ligne Whose kyngdom euer shall laste & neuer fyne . And though his heste where passynge of ●●now●● Surmountynge / eke as in excellence That vtwardly / gaue so meruaylous a●ow●● And wonderfull to her audience Than she full mekely of greate reuerence And loke downe cast other eyen clere Benignely the Angell gan enquere . In what maner shall this thynge betyde Sithen I no man knowe in no degre Quod Gabriell / within thy blessed syde The holy ghoste / shally shrowded be And all the vertue of the Trynite Enclose shall in thy breste so clene The sonne of lyfe / with all his bemes shene . Wherfore this childe / that shall of the be borne Shall called be goddes sone eterne Beholde & see a lytell here tof●r●● Elyzabeth thy●● owne co●yn de●● Conceyued hath sithen gone halfe yere Though she forage went to haue bene barayne And is with childe / to put all in certayne . That to god is nothynge impossyble But as hym list / may euery thynge fulfyll Unto whose worde / be fully nowe credible Byholde quod she / of god the meke ancille With all myne herte / obeyeng to his wyll In euery thynge / right as hym liste it be And like thy worde / fall it vnto me . Lo she that was chosyn for to bene Of all this worlde / lady and empres Of heuen & erthe / alone to be quene And goddes mother / for her holynes Lo for all this / howe lowly with mekenes She all committeth vnto goddes wyll As he ordeyneth / redy to fulfill . And wolde not calle her selfe none other name But goddes handmayde in full lowe manere O where is all the transitorye fame Where is your boste / or daren you apere Of pompe or pryde / or surquedrye in fere With your forblowe / blowyng vanyte Sithen that a mayde thorowe her humylite . Of pryde hath nowe wonne the victorye And openly hath gyuen hym a fall Thorowe whose lowlynes / the hygh kyng of glorie Within her wombe / hath made in speciall His dwellynge place / & his hospitall And with one worde / of the mayde I spoke The holy ghoste / is in her breste yloke .
A commendacion of our Lady . Capitulo . xix . ANd whan the Angell from her departed was And she alone in her tabernacle Right as the sonne perissheth thorowe the glasse Thorowe the cristall / berall or spectacle Without harme / right so by myracle In to her closer the fathers sapyence Entred is / withouten vyolence . Or any wemme / vnto her maydenhede On any syde in party or in all For goddes s●ne / takyng our manhede In her hath bylde his paleyce pryncipall And vnder pyght / this mancion ●yall With seuen pylers / as made is memorye And therin sette his reclynatorie . Whiche is perfourmed / all of pure golde Onely to vs for to signefye That he all holy made hath his holde Within this mayde / that called is Marye And seuen pylers that sholden this mayde gye Ben seuen spirites / so as I can disserne Of god aboue / this mayde to gouerne . For all the tresoure of his sapience And all the wisdome of heuen / and erthe therto And all the richesse of spirituall science In her were shette / and closed eke also For she is toure / without wordes m● And house of puore / in whiche Salamon Shette all his tresour / in his possession . She was the castell / of the cristall wall That neuer man myght yet vnclose In whiche the kynge / that made and causeth all His dwellyng chefe / by grace gan dispose And like as dewe / discendeth on the rose With syluer dropes / and of the leues fayre The fresshe beaulte / ne myght not payre . Ne as the rayne / in Aprille or in Maye Causeth the vertue / to renne out of the rote The greate fayrnes / nought appeyre maye On vyolettes / and on herbes sote Right so this grace / of all our greues bote The grace of god / amyde the bely whyte The beaute causeth / to be of more delyte . And as the cokyle / with heuenly dewe so clene Of kynde engendreth / whyte perles rounde And hath no cherisshyng / but the sonne shene To his fosterynge / as it is playnly founde Right so this mayde of grace moste habounde A peerle hath closed / within her brestes whyte That from the deth myght all our raūsoune quyte . She was eke the gate / of the lockes bright Sette in the northe of hygh deuocion Of whiche somtyme the Prophete had a sight Ezechyell as is written in his auysion Whiche stode euer close in conclusion That neuer man entre / shall 〈◊〉 pace But god hym selfe / to make his dwellynge place . And yet in sothe / as I reherce can So as the fl●ce of Gedyon was wette Before he taught / with hem of Madyan With heuenly dewe enuyron all be sette In signe onely / he spede shall the bette Right so hath god on her his grace shewed With the holy ghoste / whan she was bydewed ▪ In token playnly / she shulde socoure be Unto mankynde / manly for to fight Agaynst the deuyll / that hath in his pouste All madyan with his fell myght And thorowe the helpe / of this mayden bright And thorowe the dewe / of her heuenly grace We shall this serpent from our bondes chace . She was also of golde the ryche vrne Kepynge the man of our saluacion That all our wo / may to ioye tourne With holsome fode / and full perfection She was also / as scripture maketh mencion The yerde of Aaron / with fruyte and leues ●ade Of vertue moste to comforte vs and glade . She was the aultre / Cedre / golde / and stone Stedfast and true in perfeccion And as the Cedre conseruynge all in one His body clene / from all corrupcion And for to make a full oblacion Of euery vertue to / god in chastyte She shone as golde / by parfyte charyte . And on this aulter she made her sacrefyce With fyre of loue / brennyng as bright To god and man / in euery maner wyse As downe the sterres on the frosty nyght Her frankensence gaue so clere a light Thorowe good ensaumple / that the parfyte leuen Of her lyuinge / raught in to heuen . She was the trone where that Salamon For worthynes sette his ryall set With golde and yuore / that so bright shone That all aboute the beaute men myght see The golde was loue / the yuore chastite And twelue Lyons / so greate huge and large That of this werke / bare vp the charge . Of the olde lawe weren Prophetes twelue That longe before gan beholde and see That Salamon goddes sone hym selfe Sholde in this mayde / beholde his ryall see So that in soth / her clene virginite To be a mother / sholde nothing lette Amyd her breste / that he his trone sette . She was the woman that saynt Iohan Sawe in heuen / so richely appere Cladde in a sonne / whiche brighter shone Than Phebus doth in his longe spere And twelue sterres / that passyngly were clere So as to hym playnly dyd seme Weren sette aboue in her dyademe . And as hym thought / at her feet there stood A large mone / bright and nothing pale In fygure onely / that she that is so good To swage the bitter of our olde bale The sonne of lyfe / made to auale Downe to the erthe / to gouerne vs and guye And eke the mone / to vs doth signefye . All holy churche / large to beholde Within this mayde / had his originall Whan fynally / with his rightes olde The synagoge of Iewys had a fall For in this mayde / the fyrst faythfull wall Of holy churche / God gan fyrst to bylde Whan with his sonne / he made her go with chylde And to reforme / the rudenes vtterly Of blynde folkes / that coude not parceyue Howe that Marie myght kyndly A mayde be / and a chylde conceyue That yf hym list / reason to conceyue They may examples / right ynowe fynde Of this mater accordinge vnto kynde .
Autentyke conclusions agaynst vnbeleufull men that sayden that Christe might not be borne of a mayde Capitulo . xx . O Blynde man / thorowe thyne iniquyte Why hast thou lost / thy reason & thy sight That thou of malyce / list not for to see Howe Christ Iesu / thorowe his greate myght To his disciples / helde the waye right Thorowe the yates / yshette by greate deffence Without brekyng / or any vyolence . Why myght he not of his magnificence Within a mayde / make his mancion And she yet stode / in hygh excellence Of maydenhede / from all corrupcion ye ben to blynde / in your discression That liste not to see / also howe he rose From deth to lyfe / in his sepulture close . And here withall / thou mayste also aduerte Howe he full graciously / of his myghty grace Made Peter out of pryson to sterte And where hym lyste frely for to pace And yet the dores were shutte of the place What wonder than though god by myracle Within a mayde / made his habitacle . And beyng close / and parfytly shette With all the bondes / of clene vyrginite For sothfastly / her clennesse was not lette Upon no syde / ne yet her chastite But encreasyd / and fauour for to se That goddes sonne / list to light adowne Within this mayde / to make his mancion . Eke Heldefons / telleth of a tree In stede of fruyte / hereth byrdes smale From yere to yere / by kynde as men may se Without medlyng of female or of male This veryly is soth playnly and no tale Than wondre not though / Crist were borne bitwene . The chaste sydes / of a mayden clene . Eke certeyne byrdes / called bultures Without medlyng conceyuyng by nature As bokes sayne / withouten any lees And of her lyfe / an hondred yere endure Than the lorde of euery creature That causeth all / no wonder though I say Though that he were conceyuyd of a maye . And Plunius / in bokes naturall Wrytte of a roche / greate and large also That wyll remeue / with a fynger small But yf a man do all his myght therto It wyll not stere / neyther to ●e fro Right so this mayde / that is of vertue moste With a fynger of the holy ghoste And with a touche of his myghty grace Conserued hath stedfast / god and man That neuer myght remeue from her face Of thylke auowe / that she fyrst began To be a mayde / as fertorth as she can In herte & wyll / as any roche stable That from his grounde / is not remeuable . This clerke also this wise Plunius Sayth in Tauriche there is an erthe founde That of nature isso vertuous That will cure euery maner wounde Right so Marie was the erthe founde That god out chose by eleccion To bere the fruyte of our redempcion That shulde be helthe and also medecine To all our woundes / whan they ake or smerte And our greues & our hurtes fyne From deth to make vs to asterte With holsome bawme / percinge to the herte Our festerid soris / that they shull ake nomore Ne that she ne were / we were all forlore . And ferthermore this auctour can eke tell Within his boke / who so loketh a right To Iupiter sacred is a well That whan it hath queynte his brondes bright That efte agayne hit geueth them a newe light Who list assaye / soth as he shall fynde What wonder than though the god of kynde . Amyd this well / from fylthe of synne colde Full of vertue / with fayre stremes clere His lodging toke & his myghty holde And thorowe his grace / sette hit newe afyre With the holy ghoste / that that withouten were Though she were colde / from all flesshlyhede She brent in loue / hotter than the glede . And in Falisco / as hym liste to wryte Is a well that causeth eke of newe Whan the oxen drynke to be whyte And sodaynly to chaunge her hewe What meruayle than though / the well trewe The well of helthe / and of lyfe eterne The lorde of all / so as I can disserne . These stremes / shedde in to this mayde fre To make her whightest / as in holynesse That bothe sholde / mayde and mother be And euer in one / kepe her clennesse Withouten chaunge / so that her whitnesse Ne fadeth neuer in beaute ne in coloure Of mayden hede to bere / bothe leaf and floure . And who that wolde / dispute in this matere I holde hym madde / or elles out of mynde For yf he haue his eyen hole and clere He shall nowe se prefe ynough by kynde For he that made / bothe leaf and rynde And with a worde / these waste wordes wylde Myght make a mayde / for to go with chylde . And he that made the hygh cristall heuen The firmament / & also euery spere The golden axtre / & the sterres seuen Cithera : so lusty for to appere And rede marce / with his sterne hcere Myght he not eke onely for our sake Within a mayde / of man the kynde take . And he that causeth / fowles in the ayre In her kynde to w●xe and multeplye And fysshe eke with fynnes sleid fayre In depe ●aves to gouerne hem and gye And doth one lyue / & another dye And geueth beastes her fode vpon the grounde And in his kynde doth hem to abounde . Sithen he is lorde / and causeth all thynge To haue beyng / yf I shall not fayne And is the prynce and the worthy Kyng That all enbraceth in his myghty chayne Why myght he not by power souerayne At his fre choyse / that all may saue and lese To his mother / a clene mayde these . Who causeth the fruyte / out of the harde tre By vertue onely / that spryngeth from the rote To growe & wexe like as men may se With leues grene / & newe blosmes sote Is it not that lorde / that for all our bote Wolde of a mayde / as I reherce can Mekely be borne / without touche of man . For he that doth the tender braunches sprynge And fresshe floures / in the greate mede That weren in wynter / dede & eke droppinge Of bawme voyde / & of lust●hede Myght he not make / his grayne to growe & sede Within her brest / that was bothe mayde and wyfe Wherof is made / the sothfast breade of lyfe . And he that grauyd of his greate ●ight Without poyntell / in the harde stone And the tables / with letters clere and bright His ten preceptes / & buyldynges euericho●e The same lorde / of his power alone Hath made this mayde / here in erthe lowe A chylde conceyue / and no man to knowe . And he that made the busshe to appere All on flame with ferly sparcles shene And whan Moyses gan to approche nere And yet no harme / came to the bowes grene The same lorde hath conserued clene His habytacle / & his herber swete In this mayde / from all flesshely hete . And he that made the ye●de of Moyses Of a serpent / to take the liknesse In the hall amonge all the prees Where Pharao / the people dyd oppresse And in deserte / the Byble bereth wytnesse The Ryuer made to renne / of the stone The thriste to staunche / of the people alone . And ouer this / for to verefye His greate myght : Sampson the stronge man As Iudicum / doth playnly specefye Dranke the water / that from the chanell ran And he that made the flodes of Iurdan To torne agayne / for loue of Iosue That all his people clerely myght se And howe wawes gan asondre breke And lyke and hylle / to stonde hygh on lofte And he that made the Asse to speke To Balaam ? for he rode so softe Why myght he not / by power preued ofte Sithen he the yren made in the water houe Be of a mayde borne / for mannes loue . And he that made / a angell for to take Abacuk the prophete / by a litell heare And sodaynly brynge hym to the lake In Babylon / whiche was so feare And to visite ligginge in his feare Danyell amonge the beastes rage Tyll he to hym brought the potage . The dores shutte / of the stronge pryson For to aswage of hunger all his payue And in a moment / to his mancion Full sodaynly restored hym agayne Why myght he not as well in certayne The same lorde / of a mayde than Take flesshe and blode / and bycome man . And he that made the sonne at Gabaon To stonde & shyne / vpon the bright shelde Of Iosue and towarde Achalon The mone also as all the hooste behelde The longe day / they faught in the felde Agaynst the Kynges of myghty of Amorre That his people clerely myght se . And he that made the shade we to retourne In the orlage of Kyng Ezechye By ten degrees onely to parfourme By heste I made to hym of I saye Why myght he nat / that all this worlde shall gye Of a mayde / by the same skyll Frely be borne at his owne wyll . And he that fedde / with fyue loues smale Fyue thousande / in solytarie place Ferre in deserte / sittinge in a ●ale Thorowe the foyson / and plente of his grace The same lorde / why myght he not purchace Within a mayde / duringe her maydenhede Whan that hym liste to take his manhede . For as the Bee / bothe waxe and hony shede At the hyue / who taketh hede therto Right so Marie flouring in maydenhede Bare in her wombe / god and man also And yet in sothe / she was bothe two I dare afferme / one persone in fere A mayde clene / and Christes mother dere . And as the beame shynyng from so ferre Shedith his light / as men maye well espye Withouten harme / of hynderyng of the sterre And so as Manna / fyl downe fro the skye Right so this floure / that called is Maria With wombe halowed into chastyte Conceyued hath in her virgynite . And as the Barnacle in the harde tre Of kynde bredeth / and the vyne floure Causeth the wyne / florre for to be Thorowe Bachus might / & grapes gouernoure Right so in soth mankyndes sauyoure As the barnacle and floure out of the vyne Spronge of Marie she beyng virgine . And as a worme vnder a stone Of th erthe cometh without engendure And as the Feuyr / of whiche there is but one To asshes brent / renewith by nature Right so this lorde / that all hath in his cure Our kynde agayne for synne to renewe Toke flesshe and blode / in this mayde trewe . And as the Snowe / fro Iupiter doth f●ll Thorowe the force of Sagittarius 〈◊〉 And zepherus dothe the floures fall On whyte blosmes / whan she doth blowe Right so in sothe / the grace alight alow● Of the holy ghoste / like a wynde cherisshyng Amydde the mayde / to make his dwellyng . And to the floure / did no duresse But parfytly / conserued her beaute From euery storme / and flesshely lustiness● An lyke fresshe of fayrnes for to se As by examples / more than two or thre As ye to forne / haue herde deuyse Whiche as me semeth / ought ynough suffy●e . To all that be grounded in the fayth Agaynst falshede / to stande at defence And yet in suche / so as saynt Gregore sayth Fayth hath no merite / where as euydence Or mannes reason : geueth experience But he that leueth / and fyndeth no reason Ne kynde according / is worthy more guerdon . But yf that any be / nowe in this place That hath doute or ambyguyte Thorowe false errour / that doth his herte enbrace Eyther of malice / or of iniquyte For to accuse the blessed virginite Of Marie playnly / this is my bon● But if so be that he amende sonne . And are mercy / for his greate ●ff●nc● Of her that is / of mercy grounde and well That he of vengeaunce / haue experience With Ixyon / downe depe in hell And that the clapper / of his destuned bell May cankre sone / I mene his false tonge Be doumbe for euer / & neuer efte to be ronge . With hym / I am no better in charite Then ye haue herde / at euyn and at morow● For here my trouthe / he gette no more of me Saue Cerberus / I take hym to borowe What euer he be / and leue hym with sorowe To Tantalus his hunger to appease At iewe wordes passe / ouer is an ease .
Howe our Lady went to saynt Iohan Baptist mother . Capitulo . xxi . FOr what in sothe / vpon any syde Is Phebus chare appeyred of his light Though eyen rawe / may not abyde For to beholde / agaynst his bemes bright Right so playnly / though the goundy sight Of here tyke● may nat sustene For to beholde the clerenes of this quene . May in no wyse sothely disencreace Her clere light / ne her p●rfyte brightnesse Whose fayre stremes / shullen neuer seace Withouten Eclipse to shyne in clennesse For of this mayde / as bokes done expresse Whan Gabriell to heuen drowe the cooste She replenisshed was / of the holy ghoste . Rose vp alone / and out of Nazareth Towarde the mounteyns fast gan her hye And there she sale with mekely Elizabeth Within the house of treue Zacharie And right forth with / whan she dyd espye Of Marie the meke salutacion And thorowe her eres / whan passed was the soun Within her wombe / playnly thus to tale For very Ioye / and spirituell gladnesse The yonge infane / with his lymes smale Reioysed hym the Gospell sayth expresse And she fulfilled in very sothfastnesse With the holy ghoste / lowde gan to crye And euen thus sayd vnto Marie . Blessed art thou amonge woman all And of thy wombe / blessed the fruyte also And howe to me of happe / is newe befall My lordes mother / for to come me to For very ioye / I note what I may do For sothfastly thy greatyng as I here Within my wombe / my litell childe nowe here ? Rioyseth hym / for gladnes as he can That of all wo / myne herte it doth releue And blessed are thou / that fyrst this ioye began The worde of god / so faythfully to beleue Nowe be right glad / & thyne herte meue For all thynge / shall performed be That ben of god / byhested vnto the. Marie than with a deuoute entente With loke benignely / and full humble ●here The same houre beyng ay present Elizabeth her owne cosyndere With a full meke / and humble chere And all the accorde / and hole melodie Of the holy ghoste sayd in her armonye .
Howe our Lady made Magnificat . Capitulo . xxii . WIth laude and prise / my soule magnefieth Eternall lorde / bothe one two and thre That all hath made / and euery thyng nowe gyeth Whiche of his myght / and bounteous pyte Of his goodnes and hygh benignite Onely of mercy / list to haue plesaunce For to consyder and graciously to se To my mekenes and humble attendaunce . My spryte also with herte & thought in fere Reioysed hath / with fulsome habundaunce In god that is myne herte souerayne entere And all my ioye / and all my suffisaunce My hole desyre / and all my sustenaunce Within my thought / so depe he is graue That but in hym / without variaunce In all this worlde / I can no gladnes haue . For he from heuen / goodly hath beholde Of his handmayde / the humilite Wherfore in soth / all onely for he wolde All kynredes shall be blessed ( call me ) Of the whiche the thanke / o lorde be vnto the With pryce and honour / of euery voyce and tonge Thorowe armony / of sothfast vnyte For this alone / be to thy name songe . For he to me hath / do thynges greate Of hygh renowne / and passinge excellence His grace made / fully me to flete For he is myghty of his magnifycence His name holy / and moste of reuer●nce That wyll I loue / hit shall me neuer sterte With all my trewe faythfull diligence To thanke hym / of all my hole herte . And he his mercy / moste passyngly famous For kyn to kyn / & so downe to kynrede Shall thorowe his grace / be so plenteous Perpetually that it shall procede And specially to them / that louen and drede Myne owne lorde / with herte wylle and mynde To suche his pyte / shall euer sprynge & sprede Of due right / & neuer be behynde . He hath his arme enforced / & made stronge His dredefull myght / that men may se & knowe And proude men they reyne not full longe He serued h●th / & made hem full lowe With al his herte downe of the whele hem throwe For to a●●●●e her surquedrie and pryde Or they were ware / her pompe was ouer throwe Full sodenly / and leyde her boste a syde . And myghty tyrauntes / from her ryall so He hath avayled / and I put a downe And humble and meke / ●or her humilit● He hath enhaunced to full hygh renowne For he can make atransmutacion From lowe to hygh / as it is sene full ofte And whan hym li●● the dominacion Of wordly pompe / to tall full vnsofte . He hath fulfilled / and fostered in her nede With the goodes of plentuous largenes Hem that were hongry / & indygent in drede And hem rel●●ed / of all her wretchednes And he the riche / hath raught from his richesse Full wylde & waste / to make vpon the playne And sodenly plungyde in distresse All solytary / & left hym ligge in vayne . For he his chylde / chosen of Israell Benignely hath taken to his grace And of his mercy / is remembred well To voyde onely / vengeaunce from his face And humble peace / shall occupye his place And pyte shall besesed in his stall And trouthe shall his right / so enbrace To sette mercy / aboue his Werkes all . As he hath spoken / & faythfully behight To our fathers / that hath ben here tofore To Abraham / & to his sede of right That his mercy shall laste euermore For nere his mercy / all the worlde were lore Unto the whiche to make man attayne He hath made mercy / our kynde to restore And of all his werkes / to be souerayne .
Howe our Lady after the byrthe of saynt Iohan Baptiste tourned to Nazareth . Capitulo . xxiii . ANd whan this blessed gracious dyte Was sayd to god / deuoutly of Marie I fynde after playnly / howe that she Styll in the house / bode of Zacharie Thre monthes / the Gospell may notlye And after that / I rede in certayne To Nazareth / that she went agayne . And there aboue / in contemplacio● In her prayers / alway day by daye With many an holy meditacion To queme her lorde / in what she can or maye From whome her thought / went neuer awaye Her full mnyde / ne her remenbraunce For but in hym / she hath no plesaunce . In all this worlde / of no maner thynge For all her ioye / was on hym to thynke What euer she dyd / prayeng or worchynge Nothinge / but he might in her herte synke For fynally / whether she wake or wynke Amyd her herte / he was alway present So fixe on hym was sette her hole entent . And day by day / this holy lyfe she lad This party emayde thorowe hygh deuocion So seruent loue / vnto god she had There may be made no deuision For she sequestred her opynion From all the worlde / & let it playnly gone So hole to god / she gaue her herte alone . For euer in loue / she brent more and more Towarde god / in his hygh seruice ? Was all her luste / with herte sette so sore All erthely thynge / she fully doth despyse And day by day / her wombe gan to ryse Through the fulfilling of the holy ghoste Therin by loke / whome she loued moste . This mene while Ioseph ay soiourned In Galilee / god wote full innocent Of all this thynge / and why he not retourned Was for that he was so diligent In Carpentry● / with all his full entent Sondry werkes of meruaylous empryse By carpentrye / to forge and deuise . For in this crafte inpassyng excellence He had in soth / & hygh discression And was had / moste in reuerence Of all the werkmen / of that regyon And for he had in connyng / suche renowne Lyke a mayster / there is nomore to saye The werkmen all his bidding dyd obaye . And when he had all werke acheued He is repayred to Nazareth agayne But lorde howe he was in his herte ameued When that Marie / he hath with childe yseyne That sore astoned / he nat what he may sayne So at his herte / it sat so inwardly Tyll at the laste / he abrayed sodaynly . And sayd alas / howe it is fall of newe In myne absence / or what thyng may this be Sithen this mayde / so faithfull & so trewe Is with chylde / & god wote not with me That somtyme had auowed chastite And to my kepyng / eke deliuered was What shall I saye / of this sodeyne cas . What shall I answere / my selfe to excuse Unto the bysshop / yf he me appose For eyther muste I playnly her accuse Or my gylte / with this gylte enuose This thynge is opene / I may it nat enclose O blessed god / so do me nowe this grace Out of my brest / this wofull ghoste to trace . For certes lorde / & it were thy wyll I had leuer vtterly to dye Than thorowe my worde / this mayde for to spyll As I more nede / yf I her bewraye And on my selfe / yf I the charge laye For to afferme she hath conceyuyd by me I more accuse her vowe of chastyte . And so my selfe / appeche of vntreuth Sithen I in soth dyd / her neuer knowe O blessed lorde / haue on this mater reuth● For vtterly / my wyt is brought so lowe To see corne growe / where no sede is sowe And reason also platly can I none Howe a mayde with chylde sholde gone . And floure forthe / in her virginite I neuer sawe / ne neuer yet dyd rede And this I doute / my reason can nat se Howe that Marie / hath kept her maydenhed● In myne absence / & this I double drede My witte is brought / & wote not where to tourne For double cause / that I haue nowe to mourne . That one is this●that my fantasye May neuer accorde / that she dyd offence And reason playnly / agayn warde doth deny● And vpon kynde / grounded his sentence To preue sothely / without resistence That neuer woman / in natures sight Without a man / a chylde conceyue myght . And with that worde / he brest out for to wepe Lyke as he wolde / all in teres browne And for the constreynt / of his syghes depe Stode on the poynt / for to haue fallen downe His sodayne wo / made hym almoste sowne So for distresse this Ioseph / far in age Of inwarde thought / cought was in a rage .
Howe the Maydens that weren attendaunt to our Lady comforted Iosephe Capitulo . xxiiii . ANd whan the Maydens weren ●y present● And euer in one abyding on Marie And vnderstode / what that Ioseph mente All atones / they began to crye And saide Ioseph / leue thy fantasye And thyne errour / for it is folye Withouten auyse / to de●e sodaynlye . And certenly / with all our herte entere Of knowlegynge / in very sykernesse We wyll recorde / euerichone in fere All openly touching her clennesse And here vpon bere openly wytnesse Li●● as we knowe / vnto this same daye Though all this worlde / at ones wyll say nay . For we in soth / thorowe busy diligence Haue ben with her / bothe day & night And neuer departed / out of her presence But euer in one / had of her a syght And late & erly / with all our myght On her awayted / without wordes mo And from our sight / she dyd neuer go . And euery houre / bothe tyde and tyme Of vs / there was no deuysion And all the morowe tyde / tyll hygh prym● She neuer stynte / of her deuocion To be in prayer / and in oryson And eche day by continuaunce A certeyne houre / she had a dalyaunce . With holy angels / that with her knelid or stode And on a tyme / thorowe goddes puru●aunce Of his hande / she toke her holy fode As nedefull was to her sustenaunce And this in soth / hath ben her gouernaunce And as we echone / of her can recorde Wherfore Ioseph / this lyfe doth not accorde . In sothfastnes / of thyne opynion That so misdemeth / of this mayden fre Of fantasye / or of false suspeccion For to accuse her vyrginite Of whiche thynge / we dare ensure the That no wight / made sothely to deuyse But the holy ghoste / her wombe for to ryse . And here / vpon we recorde can Of all the tyme / thou were in Galilee She neuer aloue / with was no man And what she spake / we myght here and se Wherfore Ioseph / let thy tales be And deme nat amys / in worde nor in thought For all this thyng / by goddes hande is wrought . And by his angels / comyng on message Is this thynge fully brought aboute Therfore Ioseph / let thyne yre asswage And of Marie / be nothyng in doute ? Certes quod he / I may not voyde oute My fantasye to assent in any wyse : It shulde be lyke / as ye nowe deuyse . For by an agell / it were impossible Her to conceyue / lyke as ye witnesse But yf it so were / that it be credyble Some wyght by sleyght / takyng the liknes Of an angell / thorowe fraudelent falsenes Thorowe innocence / shortly to conclude By engyne of fraude / her thought to delude . And efte agayne / for his inwarde payne He gan to chaunge / bothe face and hewe And from his eyen / the salte teres rayne Lyke as he wolde drowne hym selfe of newe So sore he gan / in herte for to rewe For this mater / that for his mortall wo He can no rede / ne wote what he may do . And in his herte / he caste many awaye To haue founde refute / with all his full mynde And thought alway / he wolde her not betraye For he was rightfull / playnly as I fynde And thus he gan in sondry / thoughtes wynde As in Balaunce / for possed vp and downe Tyll at the laste in conclusion . He purposeth fully & casteth hym vtterly To go his waye sothely / if he myght And thought / he wolde forsake her pryuely And neuer more to come in her sight Tyll an Angell on the same nyght Sent downe from god / to Ioseph dyd appere Whyle that he slepte / and sayde as ye shall here .
Howe the Angel warned Ioseph to abyde with our Lady . Capitulo . xxvi . O Thou Ioseph / ne drede thou not blyue Thou the sone of Dauid / of lyne by dissent For to take Marie to thy wyue Whiche is a mayde / with all her full entent With whome is ay the holy ghoste present Of whome god / as I the tell beforne In veray soth / that shall of her be borne . And like in soth ▪ as writeth 〈◊〉 Of this mater ▪ that for c●us●s thre Unto Ioseph as he telleth vs The Angell came / and fyrste he sayde that 〈◊〉 Sithen he was rightfull / that 〈◊〉 no degre Of purpose rightfull / he sholde vnrightfully This holy mayde / forsake pryuely . Another cause / he writeth the expresse That his forsakinge / might to her name Be dishonour and cause in sothfastnesse Of vntreue tonges / for to speke her shame And though in her / there were no spotte of blame Suspeccion to voyde / on euer eyther syde The Angell bad / that Ioseph shulde abyde ▪ The thyrde cause / & also moste trewe Was that he with more diligence Sholde her kepe / whan he the s●th knews That she was clene / without all offence And wiste playnly / that by magnificence Of the holy ghoste / his erreur to enchace Conceyued hath this mayde full of grace . And whan Ioseph abrayed / out of his slepe And in his herte / by reuolucion ●an to caste / and to take kepe Agaynste the morowe / of his auysion He caught comforte / and consolacion Of all that euer he was afore dispayred And to Marie agayne / he repayred . And 〈…〉 hole herte That he to hym / hath so 〈◊〉 In recomforte of his in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●ight ●●clared openly And of 〈…〉 He asketh mercy of humble affeccion That euer to her / he had suspeccion ▪ And of his errour / & of his trespace This hore graye / with all humilite With wepynge ●y●● / gan to are grace And she alone / of womanly pyte His heuines / whan she dyd se Comforted hym / in all that euer she might And he alone / in all theyr sight . And all her maydens / standinge enuyron Gan euen thus / for to cry●●owde Certes quod he / my derke suspeccion Came of blyndenes / for I none other coude But nowe in soth / the mysty blacke cloude Of ignoraunce / is so clarefyed That all the trouth / to me is verefyed . Thorowe grace of god / that myne olde rud●ness● Is nowe from 〈◊〉 chaced clene awaye Haue me excused / of my derke dulnesse With all myne herte / benignely I praye My nyght of 〈◊〉 / is tour●ed in to daye That I may nowe / with myne eyen olde The bright bemes of Tytan well beholde ▪ That for derknes / I ●yste what to done Onely for lacke / of his bemes bright Weren me berafte / thorowe the clowdy mone And hath within / me no clere insighte That this Eclips / was caused all to sone By hersodeyn interpocession That was chefe / grounde of my suspeccion . This is to sayn / that myne erthely thought So was oppressod / derked and borne downe That woldely skyes / that I myght nought Ne was nor worthy / to haue inspeccion Of this derke knowelege / by relacion Tyll the sonne / of his grace dyd shyne My wytte Eclipsed / fully to enlumyne . For he to me / hath his Angell sent Myne ignoraunce / fully for to clere Wherfore of you / in all my best entent● O ye maydens / that be present here I axe mercy / with all myne herte entere Of all that euer / that hath be spoken & sayd And lowly I praye you / be not euyll a payd . And they echone / thanked god of all With herte and wyll / bothe in worde and dede That he on Ioseph / hath inspeciall His grace of newe / made for to sprede To voyde awaye / all his hole drede Of euery conceyt / and imageninge To make hym knowe / the trouthe of this thynge . There thorowe in soth / the ioye gan renewe Amonge hem all echone / of one accorde The armonye entuned / was so trewe Betwene hem that / there was none discorde Nat so moche as a litell worde And thus in ioye / a whyle I lete hem dwell And of the Bysshops / forth I will tell .
Howe the Bisshop dyd do sompmon Ioseph for our Lady was with chylde Capitulo . xxvii . TOuchynge this thinge / playnly yf I conne Howe worde by worde / sothely in sentence Of this thynge / the rumour is yronne And reported / that thorow necligence Of this Ioseph : or by vyolence Howe that Marie / goth with chylde greate Wherfore they haue / in a sodeyn heate . Cyted hym afore hym to apere And he came forthe / with sober countenaunce Of whome anone / the Bysshop gan enquere Abyathar of his gouernaunce From poynt to poynt / with euery circumstaunce Touchinge this thynge / what it might amounte Or howe that Ioseph wolde yeue a counte . That Marie debonayre and so mylde That somtyme was / of suche opynyon In the temple / is greate nowe with chylde Of tonges large / and euery fantasye As is somtyme shewed by the hewe Of them that dranke the drynke of Ielosye As Numeri dothe clerely specefye Wherfore anone / there is nomore to seye Make you redy / for ye bothe tweye . Shullen make a taste / whether it be soure or sote There is none / agaynsay ne excusacion Tyll the trouthe / be ryped in the rote Ne shullen procede / to this conclusion That god list make / a declaracion Of all this thynge / for fauour or for routhe There is no mene / but the playne trouthe . For yf god liste / that your innocence Lyke your deserte / by openly excused Than is your merite / of your excellence That ye toforne / falsely were accused And sithen this prefe / may nat be refused But that ye muste / obeye to the lawe Come of anone / & you not withdrawe . Do sette her forth / and brynge her to presence That hath in vertue / so excellent a name In whome was neuer yet founde offence But vnto this tyme / euer floureth in her fame And standeth at large / from euery maner blame Nowe let her come / & lyke as god your ewre For you disposeth / taketh your auenture . And she ano●e / was of her frendes brought Knowinge not / what all this might mene Deuoyde of drede / bothe in herte and thought For drede in soth : may nat do no tene To conscience / that is of synne clene Ne vengeaunce / there no place ocupyeth Where innocence / a soule vngylty gyeth . For the fyre may no whyle brenne After the brondes be taken awaye Ne the ryuer holde his course and renne The hede sprynge drye / sothely this is no naye Ne vengeaunce playnly / make may none assaye To execute agaynst innocence Ne voyde of synne his mighty vyolence . For nothinge but synne / may engender shame For selde or nat / ben the chekes rede Of hym in soth / that is deuoyde of blame For who so is clene / taketh litell hede To wynke or blenke / for ony maner drede And for the assaute / of ony misty cloude Light of vertue / may no whyle shroude . It may a while / be derked with a skye As is amonge the fayre bright sonne And with the wyndes / of malice and enuye The clere sterres / often wexen donne But whan trouth / sette abroche his tonne To make the soth / openly be knowe The wynde of falsenes / may no lenger blowe .
Howe our Ladyes frendes wayled and morned whan the Bysshoppes made so stronge a prefe of her virginyte . Capitulo . xxxi . THan sythen trouthe / may no whyle dare Hornes shrynke / ne hyde hym in his neste But lyke a sonne / his light abrode declare Whan she that was the veray chosen cheste Of all clennesse / and there with all the beste Of all good / howe myght it betyde Her light of vertue / to be sette a syde . That it nyll shyne / maugre who sayth naye Whan her beames ben openly discured As golde in fyre / fyned by assaye And as the tryed / siluer is depured And she that was in vertue moste assured Where the holy ghoste / his dwellinge dyd sette Howe myght than / ony mystes lette . The clere light / of her parfytnesse Or ony maner prefe or probacion In ony parte / for to make it lesse For light wyll out / it may not be borne downe And so will trouthe haue dominacion For ony falsenes / that men can conspyre Than she that was so fully sette a fyre . Of the holy ghoste / ne dare but lytell drede To drynke water / whether it be thyke or clere To take a pre●e / of her may denhede For her harme / it shall haue no power For to deface her coloure or her there But rather amende more / and clarefye The derke dymmynge / of euery clowde skye And so Marie standynge in the place And all her frendes about enuyron Where men may se / vpon many a face Of frendely routhe / and compassion The salte teeres / fall and renne downe For drede and loue / they had for to sene So harde assaye / made on her age grene . But she alwaye / constant as a wall In thought in chere / abasshed neuer a dele Ne in her herte / dredeth nat at all But vpon god / tristeth alwaye wele That he of trouth / shall trye out the stele And by that she spake / but wordes fewe Withouten speche / he shall the dede shewe . And whan the water fully was confecte Lyke the statute / and the rytes olde T● Bisshoppe hath the cuppe fyrste directe Unto Ioseph and hym / the parell tolde And manly / he gan it holde And dranke her vp / & chaunged nat his chere And seuen tymes aboute the Aultere . He went than by custome as he ought . Of face and colour / alwaye lyke newe And to Marie / also the Bisshope brought A cuppe of water / & she of herte trewe Accepteth eke this godely fresshe of hewe And or she dranke / this holy parfyte mayde All openly thus to god she sayde .
Howe our Lady prayed to god to shewe her virginite . Capitulo . xxxii . OSothfast lorde / that hast the knowlechynge Of euery thynge / thorowe thy might And art so truwe / and so iuste a kyng To hygh and lowe / thou wilt do right And nothing may be shrouded fro thy sight Thorowe none engyne / ne thy face asterte But sothtastly knowest euery herte . So that no wight / fade may ne fayne Tofore the eye / of thy sapience Nowe let thy grace / downe fro heuen trayne Clerely in dede / and nat by apparence To shewe in me / yf there be offence Of any gylte / myne auowe to appeche To the I praye / so thy light to reche . That it be couthe / here all openly To wete in soth / whether I in chastite Haue ledde my lyfe as faythfully Lyke as thou knowest / for the loue of the And if I haue my virginite Concerned hole / this is myne oryson Make openly a demonstracian . And with that worde / the drinke she dyd ataste And went her course / aboute the Aultre And all the people gan to gasen faste If any signe / dyd in her appere Other in colour / countenaunce or chere But all for nought / playnly as I tolde The more on her / they loken and beholde . The more she was in her sight fayre And lyke as Phebus / in Ioly grene maye Whan she hath chased / the derke misty ayre Shineth more clere / the bright Somers daye Whan thylke vapours / ben driuen clere awaye Right so Ioseph / and also Marie So fresshe were / in euery wightes eye . That to beholde / they thought it dyd hem goode The longe daye in her opynion For in her face / alwaye was the bloode Without poling / or any drawing downe And alwaye more fayre of inspeccion Of whiche thinge / the people gan meruayle And for astoned / thoughten her wittes fayle .
Howe the Bysshope and the people drede hem of the assaye that was made to our Lady Capitulo . xxxiii . ANd in pa●●ye greately / weren dis●●●●● Lest that god on hem / wolde take veng●●●c● For they so ferre / goddes might haue assayed Of errour blynde and ve●ay ignoraunce And right forthwith / of hertely repentaunce They bonchen her brestes / with fystes wonder sore And all attones / fellen downe afore . This holy mayde / with humble reuerence And wolden her fete haue / kyssed there a none Askynge mercy / of her greate offence And she forgaue it hem euery chone And all the Bisshoppes / and the people gone Benignely / to brynge her awaye And to her paleyse / fully her conueye . Of whome the noyse / to the heuen ronge With herte and speche / as they magnefye The lorde aboue / in euery wightes tonge For ioye and myrthe / gan hym glorefye And all the daye / thus in melodye They ladde forth / tyll it drowe to eue And godely than / of her they toke her leue . And forth they went euery man his waye In the storye as made is memorye But Marie in all the haste she maye Entred is in to her oratorie As she that hath wonne the victorie Of all tho that aforne gan muse Her mayden hede / of malice to accuse . And thorowe her merite / hath the mouthes shette And lippes closed of hem / that weren in were And day by day / kepinge her closette Continuelly laye in her prayere Expectaunt euer lyke / as ye shall here With humble herte / and deuoute obeysaunce Upon the tyme / of her delyueraunce . The holy ghoste / beynge ay her guyde Her chaumbre she kept / her day awaytinge As ye shall here / if ye liste to abyde And god toforne / yet or the byrdes singe And or that Flora / doth the floris sprynge Tofore the calendes of Apryll or of Maye My purpose is playnly / if that I maye . For to procede / forth in his dyte So as I can / or make mencion Of the feste and solempnite That called is / the Incarnacion Onely through helpe / and supportacion Of her that is so plenteous benigne Or that Phebus entre in the signe . With this carecte / of the Ariete Of this feste / somwhat shall I wryte But o alas / the Rethorikes swete Of Petrake fraunces / that coude so endyte And Eullius / with all his wordes whyte Full longe agone / and full olde of date Is dede alas / and passed into fate .
A comendacion of Chaucers . Capitulo . xxxiiii . ANd eke my maister Chaucers nowe is greue The noble rethore / Poete of Britaine That worthy was / the laurer to haue Of Poetrie / and the palme attayne That made firste / to distille and rayne The golde dewe dropes / of speche & eloquence In to our tonge / thrugh his excellence . And fonde the floures / firste of rethorike Our rude speche / onely to enlumine That in our tonge / was neuer none hym lyke For as the sonne / dothe in heuen shyne In mydday spere / downe to vs by lyne In whose presence / no sterre may appere Right so his dyttes / withouten any pere ? Euery makinge / with his light distayne In sothfastnes / who so taketh hede Wherfore no wonder / though myne herte playne Upon his deth / and for sorowe blede For want of hym / nowe in my greate nede That sholde alas / conueye and directe And with his supporte / amende and correcte . The wronge traces / of my rude penne There as I erre / and go not lyne right But that for he / ne may me na● k●nne I can nomore / but with all my might With all myne herte / & myne inwarde sight Prayeth for hym / that nowe lyeth in cheste To god aboue / to gyue his soule good reste . And as I can / forthe I will procede Sithen of his helpe / there may no socour be And though my penne / be quakinge ay for drede Nether to Clyo / ne to Calyope Me liste not call for to helpe me Ne to no muse / my poyncell for to gye But leue all this / and saye vnto Marie . O clere Castell / and the chaste Toure Of the holy ghoste / mother and virgine Be thou my helpe / conceyle and socoure And let the stremes / of thy mercy shyne In to my breste / this thyrde boke to fyne That thorowe thy supporte / and benigne grace It to parforme / I may haue lyfe and space .
Howe Criste was borne after the makinge of the worlde / fyue thousande and hondred / foure score and. xix . yere . Capitulo . xxxv . WHan all was hushte / & all was scilence And in his course / the longe sterry night was halfe paste / & fresshe of apparence Lucina shone in heuen fayre and bright Thy worde o lorde / that is moste of might Whiche ay abideth / and parteth not fro the Sente & dissendeth / from the Ryall see . Hath sodeynly / vp on all erthe Shad his light / for our saluacion As I shall synge / or mayes day the ferthe If ye liste here / of humble affeccion Howe in the yere of computacion Fourty and two / of Octauian Ferthermore / after the worlde began . Fyue thousande / as Beda liste defyne And an hondred sothely / this is no leace And therewithall / nynty yere and nyne Whan all the worlde in rest was & in peace Withouten warre / and of Olimpiades In the hondred nynty yere and thre And by Cronycle / eke as ye may se . Than Augustus by commaundement Generally / withouten exception Bad by his lettres that the president Of eche prouince / Cyte / Borough / or Towne Thorowe out the worlde / make discripcion Of euery hede / so that eche man At a certeyn day / in all the haste he can . Upon a payne / be founde in the Cyte Where he was borne / without more delaye Bothe hygh and lowe / of what estate he be After his statute / his tribute for to paye And that no man / be hardy to say nay To quyte hym selfe / of euery circonstaunce To make in open a reconisaunce . With hande assured / and hole profession Of the prouidence / to fore the president That he is subiect / vnto Rome towne With all his herte / and his hole entente And here vpon / that he payed his rente As the custome / and the statute bande That is to say / that he brenge in his hande . A large peny / enprinted with the name And the ymage of the Emperour And there vpon / he shulde anone attame Another of newe / and for the more honour With hande touched / swere for swete or soure Whyle he liueth / and neuer for to rewe With herte and body / playnly to be trewe . To tempre / his biddinge to obeye Withouten grutchinge / or rebellion With all his might / for to lyue and dye And than anone / the discripcion Of euery hede / in his owne towne Was made in haste / where that he was bore And after that I fynde furthermore . His name was regestred / with hem there Perpetuelly / to be in mynde And this discriuinge / if ye liste to here Was made fyrste in Sirie / as I fynde By one Cirinus / the people for to bynde To be to Rome . in subiection For this Cirinus in that regyon . Was perferred there vnder the Emperoure In bokes olde / as made is mencion And whyles he was theyr gouernour Was fyrste than begonne the discripcion The yere in soth / after the foundacion Of mighty Rome / seuen hondred & fyftene At whiche tyme / with his beme shene . Was fresshe Phebus / in his fyrste face Of Capricorne / the lowest stacion The same yere / called the yere of grace The yere of conforte and remission Beynge the thyrtheneth the indition The golden nombre of the same yere Eyghtene acounted in our calendere .
Howe Ioseph & our Lady went to Bethleem to paye trybute . Capitulo . xxxvi . THe yere of Herode / thyrty yere and one Whan made was the discripsion As ye haue herde / that Ioseph muste gone To Bethleem for conclusion To paye his tribute / in his owne towne As the statute afore dothe specefye By cause that he / and also Marie Wherof the housholde / & the tribe borne Called Iuda / and of the kynrede Of worthy Dauid / as I haue sayde toforne And on her iourney / as they gan hem spede And holy Ioseph / dyd her brydell lede And sodeynly / Marie than abrayde And vnto Ioseph / euen thus she sayde . I I wys quod she / me thinketh that I se Two folkes / greately discordinge Upon the waye / apperinge vnto me That one reioysinge / that other compleyninge To whome Ioseph benignely lokinge Answered agayn / & bad her ryde in peace And prayed her also / nat to be rechelece Ony wordes for to speke in vayne But holde her waye / and her iourney right And vnwarely afore them in the playne Appered an Angell / with face sterne & bright Of whome the beaute / gaue a pleasaunt light The place enuyron / and a swete odoure And his clothynge / lyke the Lyly floure . Was whyte in soth / as snowe that falleth newe Whiche gan anone / chere and loke to meue And therewithall / with a chaunged hewe Began also Ioseph to repreue And shortely bad his wordes that he leue And sayde in soth / that he was to blame For to be bolde / ony wordes to tame . Agaynste Marie / through thy necligence To saye that she spake / ony wordes vayne For that she sawe / was none apparence But veray soth / as she hath it sayne For truste me well / and be right certayne Of this folke / of whiche she spake to the In sothfastnes / lyke as thou shalt se Ben the folkes / and the peoples twayne That ben disseuered / in full large space That one of Iewes / that wepe shall and playne With many tere distillinge in her face That wilfully / shall refuse his grace Of frowarde herte / for to be benigne To deuoyde / and playnly to resigne . The Synagoge / with her rightes olde Whiche in shorte tyme / shall drawe to decline And her faces quenche / and wexe colde With sacred light / that weren wonte to shyne For tyme is come / that they muste fyne And the waylinge / of her derked chere Unclose shall / & shewe as bright and clere . This tyme of grace / fully to obeye With herte & will / & with humble chere For goddes worde / that no man may withsaye Hath hasted it / gone full many a yere To Abraham / and also Isaac in feare And to Iacob / that in her holy sede Full hastely / who so will take hede . Shall all the peoples blessed be Through out the worlde / in euery lande & reme And with that worde / that Ioseph might se The Angell stye aboue the Sonne beme And he goth forthe / towarde Bethleme With Marie / tyll that they bothe twayne In full litell space / gan to attayne . To the bondes of Bethleem the cyte Wery and mate / somdele of her vyage Where they founden / of people suche plente In the cyte / of euery maner age That they might haue / no maner herbegage In all the Towne / neyther boure ne hall Saue a stable / and a litell stall . That was sequestred / and I sette a syde Out of all prees / the story sayth expresse Made for bestes / therin to abyde Full streyte & narowe / shadoweth with derknesse In to the whiche / Ioseph gan hym dresse With Marie / to reste there all night And as she entred / a newe sodeyn light ▪ All the place / enlumined enuyron That shoue as bright / as ony somers day So that this litell humble mancion Was fresshe and light / as Phebus is in May Whiche gan to wexe / and encreace ay Whyle she was there / all be that it was night And right anone / the sothfast Sonne of light . Of all our ioye / cast hym to aryse And shedde his light / to glade all mankynde For towarde midnight / shortly to deuyse Whan all was hushte / holy writte maketh mynde As sothely as he dyd hym wynde In the sydes of this holy mayde So esely this newe sonne abrayde . Whan he was borne / in to this mortall lyfe Upon the erthe / to shede his brightnesse Withouten helpe / of ony mid wyfe Or of his mother / trauayle or sekenesse For she that fyrste conceyued in clennesse It sat right well / that she shulde also Withouten trauayle / or ony maner wo For to go quyte / at her deliueraunce And specially / haue a prerogatyfe In her chyldinge / to fele no penaunce Sithen she was mayde / mother and wyfe Chosen of god / for to stynte our stryfe Of all women by her selfe alone Wherfore it sat nat her to crye and grone . Lyke to other women / that be inly syke In the tyme of theyr trauaylinge Wherfore sithen / she was to none other lyke No payne felte she / the houre of her childinge And as I fynde / at her deliueringe There was no wight / but her selfe alone For thylke tyme / Ioseph was out gone .
Howe Ioseph went to seche a myd wyfe to our Lady . Capitulo . xxxvii . IN full greate haste / to enquere and seke Some mid wyfe / to helpe in this nede And in this whyle / with her eyen meke She chylded hath / this floure of maydenhede And home agayne / as Ioseph gan hym spede And to the place / the midwyues brought Euen at the dore / abasshed in her thought . Stoden still / a stoned of that light And the brightnesse / that shone in the place Agayne kynde / that tyme of the night That they ne might / susteyne in her face And no wonder / for the Sonne of grace Within whiche caste his light so ferre Of whome the Mone / and eche other Sterre . Receyuen her light / eueriche in her spere All by that he laye / here in erthe lowe In a stable / with his sacred chere Sole with his mother / that no man dyd knowe Of whome her loke / she mekely gan to throwe Godely beholdynge / his fayre yonge face And knelynge downe / began to enbrace . His tender lymmes / in her armes twayne And wrapped hym in clothes tenderlye And toke hym vp / & sothely gan hym leyne In her lappe / and full humbly She behelde his features by an by So fayre shapen / in party and in all And with her mylke / very celestiall . And heuenly lycour / of her pappes smale His tender lymmes / she spredde in euery coste The whyte bawme / to make it auale Fet from the conduyte / of the holy ghoste Upon the thynge / that she loued moste And gaue hym so wke / of the pyment sot● That spronge & grewe out of the holy rote . Of maydenhede / & from the chaste vyne Of all clennes / was I tryed oute Wherwith she made her yonge chylde to dyn● Whome heuen & erthe / muste obeye and lowt● All be that he / with beastes hym aboute Laye humbly / as y● haue herde deuyse And after this / his mother dyd aryse . And lifte hym vp / sothely in to the stall Where the Asse and the Oxe stode And on her knees / she gan anone to fall And worshipped hym / this beste of all good That gyueth to Angels / and to man food And than this mayde / with debon●yr chere With face erecte / and handes eke in fere .
A deuoute prayer / that our Lady made whan Christe was borne . Capitulo . xxxviii . TO god aboue / began thus for to praye O lorde quod she / with all my full might Tho whome eche thynge / iustely muste obeye To the / I than as it is skyll and right That thou so godely liste / to haue a sight To my mekenes / though I vnworthy be And nat disdayne / of thy benignite . To graunte onely / of thy hygh goodnesse Me to encrece / in to suche excellence To be a mayden / and mother in clennesse To bere thy sonne / and thy sapience That neuer twynneth / out of thy presence But in heuen abydeth ay with the And in erthe / mekely nowe with me . Lyeth in a stable / of chere moste debonayre Tofore my face / my ioye and my conforte Whiche with the lokinge / of his eyen fayre Is hole my gladnes / and fully my disporte Sothfaste pleasaunce / and my chefe resorte My dere sonne / and my lorde also Tho whome with herte / & all that I can do . In thanke the lorde / that liggest me beforne That thou liste chese / to haue affeccion Of me so mekely / in the erthe to be borne And fro thy father / to discende a downe Onely for helpe and saluacion Of mankynde frely of thy will My blessed chylde / that so good and styll . Liggest nowe here / mekely by sufferaunce Amyd the beastes / so fayre vpon to se And haste no wighte / to thyne attendaunce Lyke thyne estate awaytinge vpon the Saue that thou haste / so godely chosen me Of thy grace / vpon the to abyde I to serue / and thou to be my guyde . As it is right / Ioseph with vs twayne To take his parte / what fortune so betyde Lyke as thou liste / of grace to ordayne And than anone / right in the sel●e tyde Ioseph cam me / and stode her besyde And sodeynly / whan he the chylde doth s● Full humbly knelinge / on his kne .
Howe the midwyfe durste nat entre with Ioseph in to the house for a greate light appered within . Capi. xxxix . WOrshipped hym / with all his herte & might With all his will / & all his full thought And telled Marie / for feare of the light The midwyues / that he had brought Astoned were / that durste nought Entre me / but kepte hem aferre For cause onely / that a newe sterre . Ascended was / vpon that mancion That spredde his light / & his beames shyne From este to weste / thorowe out the region That all they / that dyd it sene Gan faste muse / what it might mene And in her hertes / greately for to charge That a sterre / so bright / so fayre and large . Of newe dyd appere / in that reem That neuer none suche was sene tofore Of whiche sterre / prophetes in Iherusalem That tyme were astoned / wondere sore Sayden playnly / withouten any more That this sterre / dyd signefye Thylke sterre / whiche in his prophecye .
Howe Balaam prophecied / the sterre that shewed Christes byrthe . Capitulo . xl . BAlaam the sone of Beor / as I fynde Commendeth so / in all his beste wyse Whan he sayde sothely / of the kynde Of worthy Iacob / a sterre sholde aryse And eke also / as he doth deuise Full openly / the Byble can you tell Howe that a yerde / out of Israhell . Shall springe also / to smyte and oppresse The ●elle dukes of Moab / with her might And he shall waste / in warre sothfastnesse The chyldren of Sethe / and of kynde right With the shyninge ▪ of his beames bright Conquere also / to his subieccion Withouten obstacle / and haue possession . Ofydume for his heritage With many another riche regyon And of Seyr / the riche Baronage Shall to hym lowte / for his renowne So that this Sterte in conclusion Whiche in Bethleem / bright of sterres all The whiche aboue the litell Oxes stall . So shene shone / at the Natiuite Of the chylde / as ye haue herde me tell Betokeneth playnly / as ye shall after here That the lorde of h●uen / erthe and hell Whiche may of Moab / the tyrannye fell Was there by loke / & helde his hostage In a stable norowe / as ony cage . Amonge beastes though / he were lorde of all And all this / may at his will gouerne Whiche in his hande / hangeth as a ball In very soth / his myght is so eterne And all this thynge / Marie gan conceru● Within her selfe / syker and full close And after that / she mekely vp rose .
Howe our Lady receyued the mid wyues Capitulo . xli . ANd to the dore / wonder womanly She went a paace / and wh●●se dydse The mydwyue● 〈…〉 She brought he● / 〈◊〉 with all h●milite Shephora / and also 〈◊〉 And hem welcometh / in full lowe manere And whan that they / these signes sawe in ●●re . Of the sterres / and the bestes knele Towarde the chylde / to do ●●m reuerence And gan also / by other 〈◊〉 fele Of may denhede / that there was none offence And that she stode hole in that excellence Of parfyte clennesse / and virginite And mother to be / and floure in chastyte . Withouten w●●me / on any party ●ounde Of all the preues / that they make coude And whan they sawe / her pappes so habounde With heuenly mylke / sent from aboue the cloude She ph●ra gan 〈◊〉 to c●y●full lowde That a mayde hath a chylde borne The whiche thynge was not sene befor●e . In all this worlde / who so liste to take hede For it i● soth / the right of all nature Passeth playnly / and also doth excede The wytte of man / I do you well assure But I se w●ll through / the mighty ●u●● Of goddes hande / this thynge is brought aboute Wherof platly / I am nothynge in doubte . But assented with herte and hole credence Hauinge theron / none ●mbig●y●● And thane a●o●e / for 〈◊〉 greate offence And for wantruste / of her ●●owe Salome Openly that all men might se Were in that arme dede and colde as a stone With whiche she was hardy for to gone .
Howe the hande of Salome we●ed drye . Capitulo . x●ii . THe chylde to touche / of presumpsion And his mother / without reuerence Deuoyde of drede / or of deuocion Or any faythfull humble aduertence Done as her ought / of his magnificence Wherfore anone / for her hygh trespace All openly / in the same place . She punisshed was / that all might it se And gan for sorowe / wepe and complayne And sayde lorde / haue pyte vpon me And of mercy / rewe vpon my payne And of myne offence / that thou n●t disdayne Ne to thyne hyghnes / it be no displesaunce That I a wretche / blynde of ignoraunce . Offended greately / hath in thy sight Of ●●che ●●co●●inge / and ●●d●scression And sodeynly / in all theyr sight Euen amiddes / of that mancion An Angell bright / sent from heuen downe Dyd appere / biddinge her ●●on● With deuoute herte / that she sholde gone . Full humbly / in her beste entente Unto the chylde / for to haue socoure And touche the hemme / of his ●estemente Reuerently and with greate honoure For he in soth / is the sauyoure Of all the worlde / and of all mankynde And power hath playnly to vnbynde . All tgo that playnen / and ben in distresse Whan they to hym / mekely will call And Salome / deuoutly gan her dresse Towarde the chylde / and on her knees fall And sayde / o lorde that power haste of all Let thy mercy / on me sprede For to socoure me ▪ in this greate nede . Me wretched wight / punisshed rightfully And loste for euer / saue onely thy grace For in loth / saue onely thy mercy I haue loste myne arme / alas for my trespace And with that worde / as she dyd enbrace To touche the cloth / that he laye in bounde Without more / this Salome hath founde . Remedye / and was made hole agayne Sodenly / or she coude it spye And vp she rose / and made no lenger ●ayne But in the strete / openly gan to crye Howe the lorde / that all this worlde may gy● Descended is / and bycome man And whiles / that she thus in the strete ran Tellinge the byrthe / and of the sterre also And of her arme / and of her sodeyn cure The people gan faste to drawe to To herken more of this aduenture For in her speche / some gan hem assure And that her wordes myght be credible And specially / for to them vysyle . The sterre shone euer aboue the house Ay lyke fyx / without mocion So bright / so longe / so glad / so ioyouse That all that inspeccion In herte parfyte / and tre we entencion That they weren reioysed / and made light And all this thynge / felle vpon the night . On a sonday / myne auctour will nat lye As ye may fynde / if ye liste to rede The. viii . Kalendes / for sothe of Ianuarie Whan Marie example / of may denhede Was of age / who so will take hede S●rtene yere this floure of Nazareth At the vysion of saynt Elizabeth . Playnly recordeth / loke and ye may s● And in this nyght of mooste worthynes Of Christes byrthe / and natiuite As the Gospell sayth / and bereth witnes Whan the Shepeherdes / with greate besynes Kepte her watche the longe wynters night Upon her shepe / an Angell with greate light .
Howe the Angels appered to the Shepe herdes / and tolde the byrthe of Christe Capi. xliii . AMyd the felde / to hem dyd appere And gaue hem conforte in her greate drede And bad hem be light / and glad of chere For I quod he / shewe to you in dede A ioye that doth euery ioye excede That fynally shall of all dysease To all folke / conforte be and ease . And be to hem refuyte and socoure In all my myscheues and aduersite For nowe this day / mankyndes sauyour In Bethleem / of Dauid his cyte Is borne in soth / lyke as ye may se Goth and beholdeth / howe that is fall And ye shall fynde / in ▪ a oxes stall . Howe that he lyeth / in clothes narowe wounde This yonge faunte / with chere full benigne The whiche thynge / whan that ye haue founde That all is soth / let be to you a signe And sodenly / with lawde & pryse condigne With the Angell / the hole chyualrye Of all heuen / by one armonye . For ioye her of / gan to saye and synge Glorie and honour / in the heuenly se Be vnto god / eternally and duringe And in erthe / peace and reste be To all to men / that of one vnyte This hygh feste / honoure and magnefye And we echone / of one melodye . O mighty lorde / we prayse and blesse the And worship eke / with humble reuerence And glorifye / thyne hygh mageste And thankinge / gyue to thy magnyficence For thy glorie / and thyne excellence O thou lorde god / o Kynge celestiall O god thy father / moste myghty founde at all . And god the sone / his chylde aboue eterne Christ Iesu / borne of this heuenly Quene O god also / the chosen lambe so derne Sone of the father / withouten spotte all clene That doest away / the worldes synne and ten● Haue mercy on vs / of thyne hygh goodnesse Syth thou thy selfe / in parfyte holynesse . Alone thou arte sothely / hooly and no mo And lorde / alone ouer all thynge And worthyest / and hyghest eke also O Christ Iesu / of heuen and erthe kynge With the holy ghoste / in glorie reyninge Ay with the father / by eternite There knyt in one / through parfyte vnite .
Howe the Shepeherdes founden Christ with our Lady . Capitulo . xliiii ANd whan the Angels / with this heuenly songe The byrth of Christ / had magnefyed With parfyte gladnesse / that was hem amonge To heuen anone / agayne they haue hem hyed And the herdes by one accorde a lyed Ben hastely vnto Bethleem gone Where they founden / whan they came anone . Marie and Ioseph / and the chylde also Leyde in a stable / accordinge euery dele As the Angell had sayde hem vnto And of the sight / they lyked wonder wele And in hem selfe / gan knowe and fele That all was soth / that they sayde afore Of the Angell / howe a chylde was borne . In to this worlde / mankynde for to saue After the recorde of olde prophecye Wherof they ganne so greate a ioye haue That all atones / they gan magnefye God aboue / deuoutely and to glorefye Retorninge hem / deuoyde of euery smerte And Marie close within her , hert . Conserued all that she dyd se Worde and dede / and euery maner thynge That befylle in this natiuite Full secretely / theron ymageninge And prudently / her selfe gouerninge Kepte her sone / with all her besy cure Whiche on this day / as sayth Bonauenture . Lyke a Spouse / from his chambre is gone His chosen chyldre / through his benignite In his chyrche / to ioye hem of Syon By parfyte peace / and sothfast vnite And he this day / hath shewed the beaute Of his face / of excellente fayrnes In whose honoure / this day of hygh gladnes . Was made the ympne / the Gospell sayth also Our alther myrthe / and ioye to encreace Gloria in excelsis de● : And in erthe / this day a parfyte peace To man was shewed / withouten ony leace And as say the Poule / goddes benignite This day appered / in our humanite .
Howe god wolde nat be borne / but of a mayde mother and wyfe . Capitulo . xlv . ANd ouer this / as he eke tell can God was this day in similitude In erthe honoured / in lykenesse of man And he this day / his godhede dyd enclude In our manhode / and shortely to conclude This day also / yf I shall nat fayne Befyll also other thynges twayne . The wonderfullest / and moste meruaylous That euer yet were sene tofore Wherof no wight by kynde is capyous Firste howe god to saue / that was forlore Lowly in erthe / liste to be bore And howe a mayde in her virginite Might also chylde / and a mother be . The whiche thynges / passen and transende Reason of man / by kyndes lykenesse But fayth aboue muste all comprehende And it enbrace / by parfyte stablenesse And make his grounde vpon the witnesse Of Prophetes / whiche in her prophecye So longe aforne / gan to speke and crye . After the cominge of this mighty Kynge Our olde wo / and trouble to enchace To whome Dauid sayde in his writinge O bleffull lorde / shewe to vs thy face And we in sothe / onely through thy grace Shall saued be from all myschyef & drede And also nowe in our greate nede . Sende to vs thy confortable light Us to enlumine / ligginge in derkenesse Eke Isaye / with all his inwarde sight Up to heuen / gan his loke to dresse And sayde lorde / of thy greate goodnesse Out of deserte / from the harde stone Unto the doughter / dwellinge in Syone . Sende downe thy lambe / fulfilled with mekenesse That lordshyp hath and dominacion Of all the erthe / our dole to redresse And wolde god / for our saluacion This mighty lorde / for to come a downe The hygh heuenes / wolde breke on twayne Us to releue / of that we so complayne . And Dauid spake / eke this lorde vnto In the Sawter / our sorowes for to fyne And sayde lorde / in relese of our wo In hygh heuenes / thy mercy make enclyne And downe discende / and let thy grace shyne Upon vs wretches / in the vale of sorowe And lorde do dawe / thy holy glade morowe . Quod Salamon / and shewe to vs thy light Of thy mercy / and rewe on our distresse And with thy vertues / that be so moche of might That no man may counte them ne expresse Fulfylle Syon / and with hygh gladnesse Thy peoples hertes / make to renewe That thy Prophetes / may be founde trewe . For out of the / shall procede anone . The myghty kynge / and lorde of Israhell And nowe this day / is coruen out of stone Without handes of that holy hell Of whiche somtyme the prophete Daniell In his boke wrote so longe aforne To signefye / that there sholde be borne . At Iherusalem / where as a mighty Kynge Shall come in haste / his people to visite And he shall bringe peace in his cominge Of whome the power / shall not be alyte For it shall laste / as hym liste to wryte From see to see and all the erthe sprede Thorugh out the worlde / in lenghte and brede . And Baruch commaunded to Iherusalem To be holde in all his beste entente Towarde the brightnesse / of the Sonne beame And wysely loke / in to the Oriente To se the gladnesse that this day is sent Downe to the erthe / nowe that Christ is borne Of whose cominge so many day aforne . Spake Isaye / & sayde in wordes playne The hygh heuens / do your grace adewe And sayde also / the skyes sholde rayne Upon erthe / her moysture for to shewe And bad the grounde eke in wordes fewe For to open / and thus this heuenly shoure For to brynge our alther sauyour . And Ieronime spake eke of this daye And sayde on heyght / god sholde make sede A grayne of Dauid / fayrer than Floure in Maye Whiche in fresshnes / shall euer springe & sprede And consetue Iuda of drede And eke Israhell kepe in sykernes And he shall make dome and rightwisnes . Upon the erthe of hygh and lowe degre And rightwisnes / men shall his name call Whan he cometh to sitte in the see Of kynge Dauid / in his ryall stall And he also tofore the prestes all Bothe of Iuda / and Leui shall deuise With newe encence / to do sacrefice . To god aboue / for the greate offence Of the people and ignoraunce With his offeringe make recompence Or that the swerde be whette of vengeaunce Euenlyke as made is remembraunce In Malachie in the same wyse This sonne of lyfe / shall sprynge and aryse . To all tho / that hym loue and drede And ben expectant with all humilite On his cominge / to suche he shall out shede His light of grace / at his natiuite Wherfore be glad / lyke as it may be Thou Bethleem I called Effrata Though thou be litell named in Iuda . For out the shall procede anone The mighty kynge / and lorde of Israhell And nowe this day / is coruen out of a stone Withouten handes / of that holy hell Of the whiche somtyme the prophete Daniell In his boke wrote so longe aforne To signefye / that there sholde be borne . A chylde in soth / without touche of man Of a mayde after his beheste That lyke a stone / was I corne out than Whan he was borne / of this hygh feste Onely to bere the crowne / and the cheste In Babilonie of the greate ymage That made man fyrste for to do oultrage . For nowe in soth comen is the day Of Prophetes so longe beforne behygh● For Christe Iesu / playnly this is no nay Is lyke a stone / who so loketh a right Whiche by his wysdome / & his fathers might And the vertue of the holy ghoste Was coruen out so clene of euery coste . Of that blessed parfyte holy hill That groweth full of holsome floures fayre For our ofher / that was in herte and will A parfyte mayde / humble and debonayre Lyke as the dewe of heuen doth repayre Upon hermon alwaye / newe and newe Amendynge ay the tresshnes of her hewe . Right so thorowe vertue / lastinge ay in o●● Of the holy ghoste / this day of Mar●e Was coruen out the sothfast angle stoon Who me that prophetes prayse and magnefy For she this day / was the glad skye Whiche the chylde of Elye dyd se So plesantly dessende from the tre . Upon the erthe / naked and barayne Of holsom faute / and of erbes sote That hath shadde / the confortable rayne The grayne of grace / for our alther bote That perced hath / euen to the rote Of our welfare / to do the leues sprynge For the alone / is the felde flouringe . That somtyme gaue so passinge a swetenes To Isaac / whan he was fall in age Of whiche he cast / so inwarde gladnesse That hym thought hole his corage Renewed was / and with a glad vysage Unto Iacob / of hertely ioye sayde On his clothes / as he his handes layde .
Howe Isaac prophecied the byrthe of Crist by touchinge of the clothes of his sone Iacob . Capitulo . xlvi MIne owne chylde / and my sonne dere The greate swetenesse / of the fresshe odoure Of thy clothinge / to my is so entere That it fro me d●u●ydeth all langoure Saynge tofore / that there sholde a floure Out of the felde / springe of his kynrede The whiche sholde suche an odoure shede . That all worlde shall conforte fynde & hele In the swetenes / agaynste eche maladye And souerayne helthe / in euery mischyeffele So that this was no wight but Marie That hy dissent / came of his alye Out of the whiche / to glade all our chere This day in erthe / there dyd a floure appere . The swettest / yet that euer man behelde Passinge the Rose and the floure delyse And of this holy fresshe fayre felde Somtyme the spouse / spake in canticis Whan he it sawe / so fresshe at his deuyse And habundaunt / of a tempre eyre And that it was so passinge inly fayre .
Howe the Garnet appell is lykened to our Lady . Capitulo . xlvii . O Howe the bawme of heuenly lycoure Of thy swetenes / with souerayne suffesaunce Lyke Paradyse / she dyth his vapoure Erly a morowe / auoydinge all greuaunce Lyke the frute / that is of suche plesaunce The garnet appell / of colour golden hewed Thorowe whose odoure / the corage is renewed . Of euery wight that may the eyre receyue For euen lyke / as the golden rynde Is playne & shyninge / as ye may conceyue His colour kepinge / euer in one by kynde And doth his pepynes in the scales bynde To do conforte to seke in her accesse Right so Marie our sekenes to redresse . This day hath borne / the holsome holy fruyte The fruyte of lyfe / that with his swete breth Is remedie / and also chefe refute To mankynde / agayne the feuer of deth For as the grayne / of the garnet sleeth The stronge Axes / and doth the hete auale Right so this day out of the golden scale . The holsome pepyne / and the grayne of lyfe Christe Iesu gan fyrste to appere And of Marie / mother mayde and wyfe The golden Garnet / with his scales clere Beynge all hole / and euer a lyke entere Was borne in soth / for to refresshe blyue Our olde Axes / and right as the Olyue . His Oyle shedeth / and braunce lefe no tree Appereth nat of fayrnes ne coloure Right so Marie / flouringe in chastite This day hat borne our alther sauiour The Oyle of peace to stynte our langour To softe our sores / and our swellinge slake Of all our woundes / whan they smerte or ake . And nowe this day / shortely for to wryte This blesfull tyme of the natiuite Of longe Ioseph / the cote of polimite Wrought by the poure of all the Trinite Within the closette of chosen chastite Parformed was / and by none hande of man As Alexander well reherce can . Within his boke / made in speciall On Cantica / as ye may rede and se The whiche clothe of purpell / moste ryall Hewed with clennes of virginite This day hath shewed in our humanite The godhede hole / for by this cloth is mente Of our kynde / the freel garnemente .
Howe Ioseph figured the Byrthe of Christe . Capitulo . xlviii . ALso this day of Ioseph the canele Amyd the felde / that dothe vertue floure Was gadered vp by clennes euery dele Whome all that other / gan worshippe & honoure For in chastite / clene chosen bowre Of may denhede / this canell grewe by kynde That whan the bretherne of Ioseph dyd bynde . Eueriche his shefe / the Byble gan deuyse Howe it stode vp / amonge hem euerichone And all the other / gan attones ryse And worshipped it mekely one and one For this Ioseph sawe this day alone Sonne and Mone / and Sterres eke eleuen To hym obeye / vpon the hygh heuen . And the sothfast garnet of the holy grayne As sayth Guydo was a mayde swete In whome was shytte sothely for to sayne The sacred store / and eke the halowed whete Of the seuen yere / that dyd in plente flete For on this parfyte rote vertuous . The seuen eres of grayne so plenteuous . This day be growen / to full perfeccion To saue Egipte in his greate nede And for to be to hym saluation In crafte / whan he hath ende For this is the grayne / that fostre and fede With full repaste / woman chylde and man And all his bretherne / dwellinge in Canaan . This yonge Ioseph / this Ioseph the seconde Shall by his wytte / helpe and releue And Iacob made in plente to abounde With fulsum fode / at moro we and eke at cue That the honger / on no syde ne greue Of the seuene yere / vnto his lignage And lyke as Ioseph / in his tender age . Thought he sawe / hygh vp in heuen Sonne and Mone / in his auysion And therwithall / Sterres eke elleuen Honoure hym with greate deuocion Of this Ioseph excellinge of renowne This newe Ioseph / Christe Iesu hymselue Of the Sterres / and the signes twelue . Honoured was with lowe subiection Though he laye lowe in a Oxes stall For bothe crony and domina●ion And hole the courte / aboue celestiall This hygh feste / for a memoriall The laudes songe / in the heuen quere Lyke as Dauid had in the Saultere . Prayseth the lorde of the hygh empyre And with one wyse / his byrthe gloresyeth That hath with loue brent and set a tyre Seraphyne / wherfore hym magnefyeth Betwene two beastes / though he in erthe lyeth Full humbly / through his humilit● And nowe this feste of the Natiuite . The hygh Angels / and vertues all Praysen hym as they be wonte to done And let the swetens / of theyr notes all Downe to the erthe / where goddes owne sone This day hath chose / with vs for to wone And lyeth nowe wrapped in his mothers barm● Whome well softely with her holy arme . And with the fayrnes of his fyngers whyte Full softely she doth hym enbrace And in so moche / in herte dothe delyte His tenderlymmes / to welde and compace And to beholde / the goodliste face That euer was forgede by nature For it was he / I dare well assure . Whome she behelde / with her eyen meke That from eterne / was in his fathers thought And one with hym / who can take kepe His owne worde / that all made of nought Whome a mayde hath to mankynde brought Thorowe her mekenes of heuen / & erthe quene The lynyall stocke of Iuda to sustene . Whome that Iacob on his fatall daye Whan Antropos sholde his threde vntwyne Whiche Cloto had put in delaye And Lachesis / or they wolde it fyue Gan to blesse / & thus to hem deuine Whan all his bretherne stode enuyron This olde graye / with a full softe sown . O Iuda Iuda / thy bretherne euerichone Shall prayse & worshyp the greate renoun● Of thyne estate / whiche shalt of all thy fone The pryde oppresse / and make hem lowte downe That shall be cleped / the whelpe of the Lyon The ryall beaste / whiche Maugri who sayth nay Shall mighty be to catche / and take his praye . And prowdly bere it home / vnto his caue My sone Iuda / in thy dredefull ten● For through thy might / thou shalt victory haue Maugre echone / that the reuers mene For who shall moue / withstande or sustene Thy kyngly power / to make resistence Agayne thy manhode / and thy magnificence . That shall in the / so clerey shewe and shyne Without ●lipsinge / of any maner clowde The sep●e● of whome / in soth shall neuer fyne To be famous / by reporte of lawe lowde He neuer cese / ne in couert shrowde Tyll a Duke aryse of the kynrede Whome all the worlde / shall obeye and drede . The whiche in soth / is for to be sent Out of the sede by succession Lyke a Kynge / to holde his parlement With his lieges and his region And he shall be to euery nacion Sothfast abidynge / & socour in her nede And he shall bynde his mighty sterne stede . Of very force / at the holsome vyne And ●ye his Asse / vnder the grapes rede And he his stole / that lyke to god doth shyne And his palle / by might of his manhede Shall wesshe in Grapes / that shall blede The reed blode / deper than scarlet hewe And thus arayed / in his vesture newe . Ofloke he shall be sterner to beholde Than the stremes of the light sterre And of eyen fayre many folde Than wyne fyned shyninge through a verr● And lyke Iuore / that cometh fro so terre His tethe shall be euen / smothe and whyte And lyke in soth as Ioseph liste endyte . The sonne of Iacob / in his testament Wherto his chyldren / he maketh mencion To fore his deth / with full entente His presence as they knelin downe To hem rehercinge / the greate ●uision Whiche he had in Egipte goone full yore In the Foreste / amonge the holtes hore . Howe that he sawe twelue hertes whyte Full lustely go in her pasture And after that Lyncolne liste to wryte He sawe of Iuda borne a creature Of thought & dede / a veray mayde pure And in his dreme / he thought he dyd sene Of her brought forth / without spotte all clene . A lambe moste fayre to his inspeccion That euer he same / vnto his plesaunce On whose lifte hande stode a fierce Lyon And beastes all by one alyaunce That were in erthe / through cruell resemblaunce Aforcinge hem by sheltron in batayle By fell malyce / this fayre lambe to assayle . But or they a●●yle might in fight The lambes power / made hem for the deye And hem vanisshed through his humble might That man & Angell / whan they this conquest say● They fyllen downe / and the lambe dyd obeye Sent of god this meke werriour Whiche was borne to be our sauiour . Unto mankynde and proteccion To slee the Lyon / that he may nat endure And accordinge with his auysion This lambe of god / clade in our armure This day was borne of a mayde pure And lorde of all here / in a litell cage By kyn descended out of lignage . Of the worthy and mighty bretherne two And as burion out of a stocke growynge Right so this chylde from Leuy / and also Fro mighty Iuda / grewe out succedinge Borne of the blode / to be preest and Kynge So entremed lyde by succession Of bothe these two was the generacion . Tyll the braunches be ronne / and so ferre gone By ly●●all course / de●●endinge as a steyre Tyll the kynredes were bothe growen in to one In to a braunche / to haue repeyre That was preued playnly to ben eyre The right of Leui / in preesthode to succede And by Iuste title / who so liste to hede . For to be kynge / and bere the Diademe After his father / and by successoure To worthy Iuda / of Israhel to queme To be her prynce / and mighty gouernoure And fro Iacob / this burion and this floure Fyrste gan sprynge / to Iesse tyll it raught And so forth downe / tyll the buddes caught .
Howe nature obeyeth to virginite . Capi. xlix . THe holy sydes in a pure virgine To bere fruyte / that shall mankynde saue And nowe this day / the prophecye to fyne In Bethleem / within a litell caue Kynde and mayde / suche werre haue For this mater / howe no creature To mannes might / iustely by nature . That ben contrarie / haue her restinge place For mayde and mother / shortely for to seye In one persone to gyder may nat trace For by kynde / that one muste voyde aweye But in this cas / nature dyd obeye To a mayde and gaue vp hole her right Wysely aduertinge / she was to feble of might . In this mater to holde chaumpartye With her / that was of face moste benigne Wherfore she voydeth / all rancour and enupe And humbly her quarell doth resigne For it were vayne / for nature to maligne Though she of kynde / be the emperesse Agayne her lorde / that made her so maystresse . That she moste nede of necessite In euery thynge / to his will obeye And be minister vnto his volunte Syth of her might / he bereth hym selfe the keye For in to her / by no maner weye It is no wronge / ne no preiudice Though of a mayde / without synne or vice . That was so holy / and parfyte founde at all He wolde grace descende downe so lowe To take the clothinge / freel and mortall Of our kynde / to make a burion growe That neuer was of man sette ne sowe But with a worde / and the consentinge Of a mayde / a graffe burgeninge . Of Iudas stocke / this day gan appere Whan Christe was borne af a mayde fre And the father sent his sone dere Downe to the erthe / to make an vnite By parfyte loue / and feruent charite Eternally be bounde / that may nat fayle Fully assured / by weddinge & spousayle . Betwene his sone / his chosen eyre And holy chyrche / perpetually to laste And in a chaumbre / by excellence fayre Of maydenhede that hym selfe caste The holy knotte / and the bonde so faste I bounden was / that it neuer vntwyne And of that araye for to termine . Where the feste and the weddinge was In all the erthe / I halowed and I holde In all closette / more clerer than verre or glas Or ony berelle / brighter to beholde For by recorde of Patriarkes olde The chaste chaumbre / was within adorned With golde of faythe fayre bright I borned . With charite / that geueth so clare a light To reconforte / all that ben in presence And with syluer / depured out so bright Thorugh hygh wisdome of ghostly sapience And all the gemmes / chat haue excellence In mortall vertue / for to shewe & shyne The closette chosen / so clerely enlumine . That of vnclennesse / there may no Clipsing be So fulsum light is there of parfytnesse For there the Uiolettes men may beholde & se Of clene entent and of holynes With Roses strewed in god to haue swetenes And with Lylies of chastite I meynte And therof colour / that neuer will be feynte . These Uiolettes betoken maydenhede Lyke to purpell / in signe of victorie And in this chambre / full of honest drede The chose closette / the chaste oratorie This day in soth / the hygh kynge of glorie To shewe his might / howe he for man gan wirche yspoused hath our mother holy chyrche . And lyke a spouse / he proceded is Out of his chambre for to rectefye All that was wronge / or in our kynde amys Wherfore this feste for to glorefye Full longe agone / to singe his psalmodye The kynge Dauid / entune dyd his harpe And with the tenoures / & trebbles sharpe . He to heuen gan enhaunce and reyse This day of dayes / moste worthy & famous And all the prophetes / in her sawes preyse This noble feste / this feste gracious And fro heuen with voyce melodious Angels full lowe / sende downe alight For to honoure this holy night . The night of nightes / hyghest of echone Excellynge all / as in worthines For in this worlde / was creature none In heuen ne erthe / ne in sothfastnes On lande ne see / that with greate busynes Her deuoyre dyd this night to honoure Hym that was borne / mankynde for to socoure .
Howe the chiefe t●ple of Rome fyll the night of Christes byrthe / and other wonderfull tokenes ⸪ Capitulo . L ●Or on this night / by euery creature Was sothely shewed his natiuite In Bethleem / howe of a mayde pure A chylde was borne / moste souerayne of degre And fyrste of all in Rome the cyte His byrthe was shewed / hyghly by myracle For walle and rofe / Toures and pynacle . Of the Temple / moste famous in the towne To god of peace / that was consecrate The same night / the grounde fyll downe Playne with the erthe / waste and dissolate In whiche Temple / moste ryall of estate The statue stode of mighty Romulus And at the byldynge / the storie telleth thus . Of this Temple / they of Rome went To Appollo / with humble sacrefice To haue answere in her best entent Howe longe this fane ryall of asyse So stronge bylte / and in so trusty wyse That it sholde laste euer and endure Agayne the assente / of ony creature . Or parturbynge / on any maner syde And he gaue answer vnto one and all Howe this Temple / with his walles wyde With his crestes / and batalinge ryall Shall euer stande sure withouten fall Unto the tyme / that a mayde chylde And they anone / that fyrste made it bylde . Of this answer glad / & full credible That this Temple euer sholde stande For hem thought it was inpossible A mayde euer eyther on see or lande To haue a chylde / and so they vnderstande And they anone / gaue to the Temple a name By one assent / for the greate fame . And called it / as I can discerne The Temple of peace / with his walles whyte And therwith named is eterne And at the entre / so they dyd wryte But on the night / the trouthe to endyte Whan Christe was borne of a mayde clene This Temple fyll downe / enlonge the grene . To fulfille the trewe prophecye Of Apollo / that tolde hem all this thynge And in that place / in worshippe of Marie And of her sone of heuen / and erthe kynge Standeth a chyrche full ryall of byldynge And euen lyke the selfe / the same tyme The greate statue / longe or it were pryme . Of Romulus / that was edefyed Fell to the erthe / and braste on peces smale And though Romayns made hym stellefyed His greate heed / for all tht dyd auale Of whome all the werkmen made a tale That forged it many a day afore And in so●h / tyll a chylde were bore . Of a mayde / it sholde stande vp right This greate ymage / and neuer his heed encline But he alowted vpon the same night Whan Christe was borne of a pure virgine Lyke as the werkmen dyd aforne deuine Agayne the conceyte / and the entencion Of that he mente in his opinion . I fynde also that the skyes donne Whiche of custome / curteyne so the night The same tyme / with a sodayne sonne Enchaced were / that it wexed all light As at mydday / whan Phebus is moste bright To shewe sothely / that the sone of lyfe Was borne that night / to stynte all our stryfe .
Howe the night of Christes byrthe : a well in Rome ranne Oyle ⸪ Capitulo . li. ANd euen than as bokes also tell In very soth / withouten any were The selfe tyme / in Rome was a well Of his streames passyngly entere To loke vpon as any Cristall clere From his vaynes / as it dyd boyle Of whiche the water / chaunged into Oyle . The same night / and to Tibre rann So large plente / that all myght it se Of whiche well longe beforne or thann All openly in Rome the cyte Sibille the wyse / that had seueraynte Of prophecye playnly wrote and tolde That the water of this well sholde . The same night / chaunge his lycoure In to Oyle / and so a day endure Whan of this worlde was borne the sauiour In Bethleem of a mayden pure And as I fynde also in scripture The same day / hygh in the firmamente Towarde the partye of the Oriente . Were sene thre Sonnes lustely appere Eueriche of hem / large rounde and bright That caste abrode his fayre beames clere Thorugh all the worlde / in euery mannes sight The whiche Sonnes drewe lyne right Her course holdynge in haste / and that anone Tyll they thre were ioyned in to one . To mankynde playnly to declare That he was borne / in whome were founden thre To encreace our ioye and welfare Flesshe and soule / and eke the deite Knytte all in one / by sothfast vnite Whiche as a Sonne voydynge shoure and shade Was borne this day / all the worlde to glade .
Howe the Senates of Rome wolde haue holden Octauian her Emperour / as for her God . Capitulo . lii . ALso in Rome / as writteth Innocente In his Cronicle / makinge mencion Howe the Senates all by one assent In consistorie of affeccion Whiche they had in her opinyon Unto her noble and mighty Emperour Octauian of worthynes the floure . Wolden echone / hym haue deyfyed And called hym / by name immortall The whiche thynge / whan he had espyed As he that was full prudent founde at all To his presence / made anone to call Sibille : that was myrrour of sapience Here vpon : to here her sentence . And ther withall / that she muste deffyne Without doubte or ambiguite As ferre in soth / as Phebus doth nowe shyne If there were any of power more than he Or peregall vnto his degre From este to weste / here in erthe lowe In all this worlde / that she coude of knowe . And this was downe vpon the selfe daye Whan Christe was borne / in Bethleem by myracle And she full wysely / Nolde put hym in delaye To geue answer mankynde a small obstacle Tyll at the laste / the fyne of her oracle Amyd the chambre of the Emperour Standynge enuyron / many a Senatour Was playnly thus / with chere and face bold● O Emperour / lifte vp anone thyne eye And loke vp gynder / & se the stercle of golde Aboute the Sonne / whiche eche is to espye And there beholde / thou mayste it nat denye A mayde sitte of beaulte / moste souereyne Holdynge a chylde in her armes tweyne . And yet anone as Octauian Sawe the chylde / by clere inspeccion Without abode / a voyce he herde than From alofte / vnto the chambre downe Beholde and se / with humble affeccion This is the Aulter of the hygh heuen Sette in the Sonne / clere as any leuen . Wherfore Sibille / all abrode gan seye To hym anone / & liste nat for to byde Thy crowne auale / and the chylde obeye Whose face : the Sonne bright may nat hyde And let nowe be / all thy pompe and pryde And at one worde / she platly gan hym tell The chyldes migh● / his power dyd excell . Whiche thynge / whan he gan playnly vnderstande Of faythfull will / and hole herte entere He kneled downe / and liste no lengre stande And with encence / caste in the sencere He dyd worshippe vnto the Aultere And to the chylde / moste excellent of fame And liste nomore vsurpe / on hym the name . To be called agayne all skylle and right Wrongfully a god sith there is but one And right anone / this noble worthy knight Through out the worlde / his precept made to gon● To prouinces and contreyes euerichone Upon payne of deth / that none of hem all Be herde more / a god hym for to call . For he well wiste / by signes openly And euidencis / eke in speciall There was one borne / of power more worthy Than was hym selfe / and therto immortall To whome nothynge in erthe is peregall Of all this worlde / of hygh ne lowe estate And for this skylle / after dedicate . Was that chambre / by hygh deuocion To Marie playnly / this is no naye And called eke for this auisio● Ara cel● / yet vnto this daye The name abydeth / and slydeth nat awaye Ne leseth nat the light of his brightnes Thorowe none Eclipsinge / of sorietefulnes . And in Edgadi / the lusty large vynes That tyme of yere / of her kynde 〈◊〉 Gan florisshe & floure / and in stede of vynes With riche baume / her branches to repayre And the vertue / that wynter made bare Thorowe constraynynge of colde in the rote Nature made with fresshe blossomes sote . To assende vpon the same night Upon the croppe / with fruyte and leues newe Makynge the bowes / as lusty to the sight As fresshe & as fayre of colour and of hewe And as plenteuous / her colour to renewe As in Septembre / whan Bachus hath pouere To ●●e●● his might / that tyme of the yere . Lo: howe the lorde & the mighty Kynge That hath lordeshipe / ouer grape and vyne Unto whose might / euery maner thynge Heuen and erthe mu●●● encline Can branches bare ▪ with fresshe floures fyne Araye newe / though they be sere and olde In frosty wynter / and in weder colde . As in somer / whan Phebus is alofte Whan Flora reygneth / in Maye & in Aprill And make blossomes / to be as smothe & softe Amyd Decembre / whan men for colde of chill Wherfore this feste frely at his will The night I meane / of his natiuite To shewe his might / in erbe floure & tre . He made the vynes / as y● haue herderd 〈◊〉 In Edgad●●●er ●aw●e for to shede Whan they were moste naked and harayne And out of● e●o● / who so can take hede Of whiche night / longe aforne I rede That in Egipte / the prophete Ieronime Full openly in his prophecye / To the prestes of that kyngdome tolde That the Idoles of her Temples all Withoute● any reste / by myracle sholde Breke her neckes / and to grounde fall Whan a mayde / in a Oxes stall Hath b●●●e a chylde / this thynge shall 〈◊〉 Wherfore the prestes / in her fa●es wyde . Of very faythe / and of hygh credenc● Secrete●● vpon a litell stage Upon his worde / with humble reuerence Of a mayde ● let make an ymage And in her arme / a chylde of tender age Doynge therto / in her paynym wyse After her rytes / a maner of sacrifyse . And on this heste / ay fro yere to yere They were a waytynge / whan ● wolde be Tyll on a day of happe / the kynge came nere The noble worthy / and wyse Tolome The whiche thynge / whan that he dyd se Anone of hem / the cause he gan enquere Why & wherfore the ymage was set the●● . And echone / of 〈…〉 Gaue answer● / & liste nat for to lye It was ordeyned / of olde tradicion She wed ●ofo●●● / through hooly prophe●ye In whiche they dyd faythfully espye Undispared the heste shall nat varye Of the prophecie / a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it carye . And soth fastly ●n conclusion Upon the tyme / of the natiuite The false Idolis / in Egipte fell downe And all to braste in peces / mo than thre To shewe truely / that y borne was he Of heuen and erthe / that hath the regallye And shall destroye / all false ma● me●ry● .
Howe Romayns / whan they had dominacion ouer all the worlde maden to them an ymage / and called it theyr god . Capitulo . liiii . I Fynde also as writeth Carnotence In his boke Pollicronicon That whan Romayns hadden excellence Of hygh lorshippes / so many day a gone And the peoples / and Re●m●s euer● chone Stoden vnto hem / vnder ●owe seruage From yere to yere / payenge a treuage . Of a tribute / that was customable To the empyre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For with the Romaynes / & Senates honourable Whan they floured / in moste felicite Deuised haue for a ●ialte Amyd her towne / in moste worthy place A large statue / feminyne of face . That made was of coper and of bras Large and longe / & wonderfull to se And of entayle / deuided the compas This greate ymage / called sholde be Goddesse of Rome / and lyke a mageste In her right hande / sholde also holde A large worlde / full sterne to beholde . Whiche sholde of round●nes haue the figure To signefye / that she moste glorious The ●yte hath / hooly in her cure And howe by her / they were victorious And here vpon / moste excellent famous They dyd a werkmen / seke vp and downe And to parforme / through oute all the towne . And at the laste / of happe suche one they fynde That passed all / to werke in entayle And was subtyle / bothe of wytte and mynde To werke in metall / & sayde he wolde nat fayle Of this empryse / that maye so moche auayle To the cyte / and shortely in this cas Through his engyne / it parformed was . So rially / in the worlds no man Coude amende it / in that ylke tyde And to beholde it / many a thousande ran So glad of it / they were an euery syde Tyll at the laste / one of veray pryde Presumptuously / gan to crye and call And sayde shortely / the legges were to small . So greate a werke / longe to sustene For lacke onely / of good proporcion Wherfore anone / with sodayne pre and tene The werkman brent in his opinyon Rebukynge hym / of his presumpsion And sodeynly / partur●ed in his mynde Answered agayne / shortely as I fynde . As it had ben halfendele in scorne And sayde frende / if thou can vnderstande Tyll that a chylde / be of a mayde borne I vndertake / that this werke shall stande Thyne heed is dull / in water and in lande To lacke thynge / thou can●●e nat amende And the werkman / sother than he wende . Hath of this werke / sayde & prophecied For on the night / whan that Christe was borne In very soth / it may nat be denyed Of brasse the goddesse / is broken and to torne And all the coste / of the werke forlorne In sygne onely / that the lorde and syre And mighty kynge / of the hygh empyre . Was borne that tyme / in the litell to 〈◊〉 Of Bethleem / of a pure virgine To whose power / and dominacione Greate Rome / mekely shall enclyne For erthely lordshippes / nedes muste fyne With all theyr pompe / and loure to hym lowe Whan the power of this kynge is knowe .
Howe wyse Sibille tolde to the Senates of Rome / the byrthe of Christe . Capi. lv . ANd of this tyme gone / full many a yere Wise Sibille / called Tibertyne Spake to the Senate / full openly & clere Her dreme expounynge / of the sonnes nyne Whiche they sawe / all atones shyne Upon a night / eueriche full diuerse To hem declarynge / playnly in her verse . That eche Sonne in her auysions Whiche in heuen / were so bright and fayre Betokeneth sothely the generacio●s That shall succede / dyuerse and contrayre Of whiche Sonne / shall vanysshe and appayre And of beames / waxe wonder donne Unto the tyme / that the eyght Sonne . His streames shadde / as rede as any blode That specefieth / the generacion That shall by kynde / be furious and wode And vnto vertue / full of rebellyon Tyll there be borne / a mighty champyon Out of the stocke of Iuda / that shall haunte His mighty hande / her tyrannye to daunte . Whose mother shall come of the kynrede Of the Ehrewasla●d yssue of her lyne And oute of hem / euen ylyke procede As dothe a floure / out of the rote spyne And she shall be mother and virgine And tolde hem eke / in her prophecie Whan she is borne / hyght shall Marie . And she shall be eke / by eleccion Mother to hym / that is of power moste Of whome the byrthe / and the concepcion Shall fully be / of the holy ghoste And he shall stretche / vnto euery coste His greate kyngdome / that shall neuer fyne And his byrthe / she gan also assygne . And tolde forthe / affermynge stedfastly Whan he were borne / that he sholde be Bothe god and man / to gyder verely And of the night / of his natiuite To hem of Rome / many thynges tolde she And specially / what he sholde hyght As openly / ye maye haue a sight . In thylke verse / that aledged be In greate Augustine / where ye may the name In the beginnynge / of Christe Iesu to se And of his renome / & of his greate fame And by and by / howe she dyd attame To the Iewes / his comynge euery dele Of whiche thynge / lyke they nothynge wele . Certayne prestes / of the Iewes lawe Gan to grutche / as they gaue audience And bad to her / her tonge to withdrawe And wolde for angre / haue put her in scilence And liste of malice / gyue no credence Unto no worde / that she spake or sayde Tyll that she of so dayne pre abrayde . And sayde : o Iewes blynde with the skye Of ignorance / and malice indurate ye shall to hym / of very false enuye Be wicked / rebell / and obstynate And ay with hym / ye shall holden debate And maugreth you / and all your enuye yet shall he reygne / and kynde crowned be . Whan he is borne / in the heritage Of his father / who so that sayth naye And procede out of your lignage And of his comynge / shall be no delaye And tolde hem eke / playnly of the daye Of his byrthe / bet than I can ryme And lyke his worde comynge is the tyme . The tyme of tymes / the tyme of lyfe & grace The tyme of Ioye / & nothynge to morne Sithen he is borne with so fayre a face The golden worlde / makynge to retorne The worlde of peace / the kyngdome of satorne Of whiche somtyme / Proba that was wyfe Of Adelphus wrote in her lyfe .
Howe the prophetes prophecied the byrthe of Christe Capitulo . lvi . ●He tyme also / that is auctorised Of prophetes in her prophecie Where his commynge is openly deuysed Recorde I take / fyrste of hym Abbye That sayth thus / the Bible may nat lye Howe in the hyll / playnly of Syon Shall ioye and helthe / come bothe in one . Unto mankynde and saluacion Where he sette his kyngdome and his see Wherby is take the mighty region Of worthy Iuda / and he shall also be Socour and helpe / vnto ydume Of Esau / that called is the hyll To ioye bothe to obeye his will . And Naym hyght Iuda to be light And bad hym halowe / his festes principall For that shall newly enspyre his syght Assended is / vpon his see royall That shall to the be / bothe Toure and Wall Chiefe defence / and proteccion In euery wo and tribulacion . And Habacuk / makynge mencion Of his comynge / whan he wrote in tre Of grene box / his auisyon Where he spake / playnly of his natiuite And his shynynge clere / and light shall be And of the hornes / he platly gan to sayue That he shall holde / in his handes twayne . Therin is hyd / his power and his might That on his fone / kyngly he shall shewe And of the hyll / he telleth there a right Howe he shall bowe hem / & the croppes hewe And telleth eke / in wordes nat a fewe Of Ethiope : and also Madian The tabernacles : howe they shall quake than . And Baruch / eke scribe of Ieronime Full openly wrote / of his comynge And badloke vp clerely with thyne eye And of Dauid a burion and the sprynge Shall be susteyned / to rayne lyke a kynge And he shall do / through his worthynes Dome in erthe / and also rightwisnes . And Sophone bad abyde a whyle Upon this day / with deuocion For he shall gader / oute of euery yle Of eche kyngdom / and euery region His people in one / of hygh affeccion And also there / as he maketh mynde From the flodes / of Ethiope and ●●de . They shal to hym deuoutely offerynge brynge And do to hym dewe sacrefyse And false goddes / eke through his worchynge With royall might / he shall also despise And from her sees / make hem to arise And fro the bandes of her dwellynge place Of very force / dryue hem and enchace . And of his byrthe / longe or that it fell In a vision / wonderfull of sight Spake the prophete called Daniell And sayde : hym thought he sawe vpon a night Lyke to beholde / as he demed right A sone of man / comynge with a skye To whome : power / honoure / and regally . There gyuen was / perpetuelly to abyde And his kyngdome : by eternite Shall stande hole / and nat deuyde Whiche shall nat passe / neyther corrupte be Whose comynge eke whan he dyd se The holy prophete olde Ezechiel Saythe thus / the Bibell can you tell . I shall ordeyne / & prudently prouyde An herdeman / my slepe to kepe sure To wake the flockes euery tyde To kepe hem wysely / into her pasture And forthermore / he dothe vs eke assure The holy prophete / forthe in his writtynge Sothely affermynge / that there shall be a kynge . Of all folkes / whose empyre shall be one And no senger deuided into twayne Whiche in Idoles / made of stocke and ston● Ne shall nomore be pollute to ordeyne False offerynges / to god that they seyne And the prophecie / that called is Adge Full openly / who so liste to se . Wryteth of his byrthe / in a litell stounde Euen lyke as he was enspired That he shall meue / heuen / see / and grounde And he that is of all moste desyred Shall come in haste / lyke a kynge a tyred For ioye / of the whiche holy Zacharie To Christes spouse / this doth specefye . Be glad and light / thou doughter of Syon And singe / thou doughter of Iherusalem Beholde thy kynge shall come right anone That shall be borne / sothely in Bethleem And his power / shall fro royalme to royalme The bondes stratche / of his royalte As ferre in south / as any flode or any see . Holden her course / as they with waues wynde Out of her mother / the greate Occian Of whose comynge / Malachie maketh mynde Within his boke / the Bible tell can Howe the name of hym / bothe god and man Shall strotche his streames / withouten wene Fro thylke place / where the Sonne shen● . Reyseth his light / whan it begynneth dawe At the vpriste in the mornynge Unto the weste / where he goeth vnder wawe Till efte agayne / his chariete he brynge In to the easte / that dothe the larke synge For ioye onely / that his beames ryse And of his commynge / dothe eke Amos deuyse . And sayth : he shall newely by miracle Restore agayne / and eke reedefye Upon that day / the mighty tabernacle Of kynge Dauid / with all the regallye And of this chylde / wryteth also I saye Whan he is borne / that in his presence Kynges for drede / shullen kepe scilence .
A question assoyled / whiche is worthyest of kynge / Wyne / or woman . Capitulo . lvii . ANd as in erthe / is made a question Of thynges thre / whiche was worthiest Kynge / wyne / or woman / in comparison Eche I praysed / and holden as for best And all this stryfe / and as Darius gan leste Zorobabell : withouten any slouthe Aboue echone / had preferred trouthe . And whyle they were / atrauerse of these thre Eueriche holdynge his opynyon Zorobabell of right and equyte To woman gaue his commendacion Makynge forthwith / of trouthe mencion Onely in signe / as he can deuyse Fro woman fyrste / trouthe muste aryse . Whiche is the bande / & knotte pryncipall Of all vertue / it may nat be denyed And therwithall / so excellent royall With god hymselfe / that is next alyed And for it is / so moche magnefyed Thorowe the worlde / of pryce and worthy fame God chese hymselfe / of that to bere the name . And with his mouthe / hymself so liste hym call As the Gospell maketh mencion And by recorde of prophetes all God descendynge / to one conclusion This daye in erthe / for our saluacion Of a woman in maydenhede flourynge To mankynde / trouthe dyd sprynge . And fro heuen / rightwisnes behelde Howe trouthe & mercy / in a mayde mette And thus is trouthe / spronge out of a felde Where the holy ghoste / the rayne of grace sett● To make the graffe / that he fro Iuda sette To fructefie / and a pure virgine That shall be tytle of the same lyne . The crowne of Iuda / to accepte anone And vnderfonge it as a champyon Whiche was byrafte / so many a day a gone From Sedechie awaye in Babilon Whan that was made / a transmigracion By the tyraunt : Nabugodonosor Whose cruelte / laste shall nomore .
Howe our Lady ought worthely to be recommended / & worshipped for the byrthe of Christe . Capitulo . lviii . NOwe he is borne / that is rightfull heyre That shall make beter than Neomie His people of Iuda / for to haue repeyre Ierusalem agayne to reedefye Though Herode / that falsely dothe occupye As a foreyn / through his cruell might By tyrannye / and no tytle of right . Of whome the kyngdom / shall nat longe endu●● The reygne vsurpynge / by extorcion For the lorde of euery creature This day hath take / his iuste possession In Bethleem / within a smale dongeon He & his mother / as who sayth but all on● To wayte on hym / other fewe or none . A lady myne / howe god hath made the ryche Thy selfe alone / all richesse to possede For in this worlde / none is the lyche Of plente royall / fro the lande of mede Where the hylles of golde / ben as I rede May no treasoure / in his menes reyse Agayne thy treasure / for to conterpeyse . For certes lady / thou alone haste all That within heuen / Angels desyre The Iewell eyche / the treasoure celestiall Of heuen kynge / of erthe lorde and syre And hym that hath all the hole empyre Of lande & see / and the Monarchye Thou haste hooly lady myne to gye . And as Augustine the holy doctour wryteth In a sermon of the natiuite We may to the saye / right as he biddeth With deuoute her●e / knelynge on our kne O blessed lady / floure of virginite We prayen echone / o welle of our welfare Lyke a mother / nat thy mylke to spare . Gyue hym plente / that is so plenteous Of fulsomnesse Angels to fede And gyue hym souke / the pyment gracious Of thy pappes / let thy condyte shede The swete mylke / all aboute in brede Motherly : it makynge to auale On his fayre tender lymmes smale . Glad maiste thou be / that saue liste to vouce With his softe rounde lippes lyte To haue pleasaunce / thy brestes for to touche Onely to souke / thy blessed pappes whyte And that hym liste / so godely to dely●● For his playe / to haue so moche ●●●ss● Euer amonge thy holy mouthe to kisse . And sodeynly / with childely chere Iocounde Than anone / thy whyte necke to enbrace With his softe tender armes rounde And than atones / fall on thy face And of his eyen / fulfilled of all grace A goodly loke / to the warde enclyne And so forthe / his chekes leye to thyne . And with his fyngres / mouthe / & eyen touche His small paumes / on thy chekes leyne His yonge face / betwene thy pappes couche And holde hym stille / with all his besy peyne And grype hem faste / with his hande tweyne For therin was his heuenly repaste Thy yonge sone / whan he liste to breke his taste . There was his fode / and his norisshynge pure Soth faste seleer / of his sustenaunce The tonne of lyfe / that euer dyd endure Ay lyke fresshe / vnto his plesaunce With sacred lycour / of holy habundaunce That none but he may touche ne approche For it for hym / was onely set abroche . For in that licour is full remedye Holy refuyte / and playne medecine Agayne the venym / brought in by enuie Through ●a●●●●ngyne / & malice serpentyne Whan the snake made Adam to dyne Of the appell / that was intoxicate Falsely with god / to make hym at debate . But nowe the mylke / of thy pappes twayne Benigne lady / is to vs triacle Within thy breste / spryngeth from a vayne Agaynste the deth / to be to vs obstacle O howe it is a passynge hygh myracle Thorowe goddes might / & by nought elles Out of a breste / to se two smale welles . Of a mayde spryngynge as a ryuere To gyue hym drynke / that is kynge of all O goodely lady / o heuenly botelere Whan we in mischief / to the clepe & call Some drope of grace / let vpon vs fall And to that celer / make a redy waye Where thou of mercy / alone bearest the keye . And of grace / let be no scarsete Good lady / that arte of grace well For nowe this daye / in erthe is borne of the The sothfast god / of heuen erthe and hell Whiche is come downe / with vs for to dwell And hath of the / our mortall kynde ytake Of all our wo / an ende for to make . Somtyme fro heuen / fill downe the manne To refresshe the hongry in her nede And that befell / in deserte right thanne Whan Moyses the people dyd lede But nowe this daye / in erthe man to fede An humble mayde / to all that ben truwe In this deserte / hath brought manna newe . Whiche to Angell is the fode of lyfe To man repaste / of ioye and of gladnes Chyefe reconforte / and restoratyfe To all feble / oppressed with sekenes O good lady / o myrrour of mekenes Benigne floure / of womanhede the well In this deserte / where as nowe we dwell Sende vs thy manna / of souerayne hertes hel● To our conforte / and consolacion And let vs grace / in thy mercy fele For our refuyte / and re●eccion And in this vale of confusion Let the grace / fro the skyes rayne The manna of lyfe / that we maye attayne . For thou alone / arte conforte syngule ● To tho / that no re●uyte con●e This daye also / of mercy the ryuere Fro whiche all grace / is to mankynde ronne The sterre also / that hath brought forth the sone The sone of lyfe / in erthe for to wone O mayde / o mother / o doughter of thy sone . Whiche none insoth / sithe the worlde began Was bothe two / but thy selfe alone For who is he / that remembre can Fyrste or laste / late or elles sone So bright a Sonne / sprynge of so fayre a Mone Saue this daye / the Sonne of lyfe moste shene From the arose / & thou a mayden clene . Without Eclipsinge / or lesynge of thy light For thou a mother / and mayde bothe two In vertue aye lyke shene and bright O fayre Rose / o Rose of Ierico That haste this daye / god and man also In Bethleem borne / agayne the greye morowe The night to voyde / of all our olde sorowe .
Of likenesse of our Lady / in commendacion of her . Capitulo . lix . NOwe fayre Cedre / Cipresse of Syon Springinge light of Nazareth Chosen chambre / of wise Salamon Floure of the felde / swettest on holte & heth Of whome all vertue / saueth men fro deth Of Siloe / the water eke depured Wher●y the lepre of Naman was recured . Lande and glorie / of Iherusalem Thou named arte / and of Israel gladnes Ho●●om cestern / this day of Bethleem The christe of Dauid / to staunche and distres Of Paradise the well in sothfastnes Foyson that floweth / in to sondry Royames The soyle to ●dewe / with his swete streames . The lande also of promission That mylke and hony / bothe in fere shedeth The soyle and grounde / of our saluacion With his herbes / that fostereth vs and fedeth Nowe blessed mayde / whose mercy euer nedeth Also that lyuen in thy seruise This hygh fest ▪ so for vs deuise . That in honoure of thy sone dere We may of herte / rede / singe / and pray● And let the streames / of thyne eyen clere Thy seruauntes / o lady myne conueye To contynue / fully vutyll we deye The to se●ue / with hertely loue and drede As moste is pleasynge to thy womanhede . And this feste / of festes principall Called the feste of the natiuite Make loue and peace / to reygne ouerall And hertes ioye / with parfyte vnite Uoyde all discorde / & let no rancour be In hertes closed / by malice of enmite But of thy grace / so gouerne vs and gye . This hygh feste / in whiche thy sone was borne Nowe this midwynter / night full affeccion Whyle Phebus shyneth in the Capricorne We may the serue / with all deuocion And lady myne in conclusion Nowe this monthe / that called is Decembre Upon thy seruauntes / faythfully remembre .
Howe Christe was circumcised . Capitulo . lx . WHan Ianus bifrons / in colde Ianuarie With frosty berde / entred in the yere And Phebus chare / neyeth to Aquarie His watery beames tofore Feuerere Whan that his light / was pale & nothynge clere And from hym late / was passed Lucine The same night / as I sawe her shyne . A ourned newe / with beames glad and merye On the heuen / and caste his streames downe I gan remembre / of the hygh ferye That called is the circumcision Howe it befell / than by reuolucion By iuste acountynge in the Calenders The fyrste daye of the newe yere . And though I wolde in my boke procede Of this feaste / somwhat for to wryte And to the gospell / fyrste I gan take hede Of this daye howe Luke liste to endyte Though he therof / speke but a lyte And was full briefe and compendious yet of this daye / hygh and glorious . He writeth playnly / & sayth howe that anone After the daye of the natiuite Whan eyght dayes passed were and gone The chylde was brought / with all humilite To the Temple / lowly for to be As the lawe of the Iewes hath deuised The eyght daye to be circumcised . And he therto / mekely dyd obeye And with a knyfe / made full sharpe of stone His mother lokynge / with a pyteous eye The chylde was corue / therwithall anone That all aboute / the reed blode gan gone Without abode / as saythe Bonauenture And for the payne / he dyd endure . And for sharpenes of the sodayne smerte The chylde gan wepe / that pyte was to here Wherfore his mother / of very tender herte Out braste on teres / & might her selfe nat stere That all bydew●d / where her eyen clere Whan she sawe hym / that she loued so So yonge / so fayre / to wepe for wo. But he anone / in all his passion For all that he was so yonge of age In manere / he had a compassion To se his mother / to wepe in her rage And put his hande vnto her vysage On mouthe and eyen / passyngly benigne And as he coude / goodely made a signe . Withouten speche / to stynte her wepynge That came to her / of motherly pyte And she full well / conceyueth his menynge From poynte to poynte / & than anone gan she To loke on hym / that was so fayre to se And his fetures / considered by and by And in her armes / wonder womanly . She toke hym vp / & prayed hym be still As of motheres / is playnly the manere And he in all obeyeth to her will Though he were yonge / & gan to chaunge his chere And with her kerchyef / she made his eyen clere On his chekes / in all that euer she maye Full motherly / the teres w●pte awaye .
Howe in foure maner of wyses Christe was circumcised Capitulo . lxi . ANd like of Asquyne / as it is deuised That Christe Iesu / who so liste to se In foure maners / was truly circumcised Fyrste of his father / at his natiuite With the knyfe of wilfull pouerte And nowe this day / whiche is nat feyned Eke with a knyfe / by the lawe ordeyned . The thyrde maner / ye maye eke consyder Howe with the knyfe of greate aduersite That he was kyte / firste whan he cam hyder Takynge for vs / our humanite And alther laste / with full cruelte For vs he suffred circumcision Upon the crosse / durynge his passion .
Howe Christe suffred circumcision in his chosen people Cap● . lii . ●Ke in foure maner / who so can take hede Christe in it is chosen / by good inspeccion Here in this worlde / withouten any drede Of newe / he suffred circumcision The fyrste is made / by false detraccion That ky●teth awaye / bothe frende and fame And the shynynge of her goode name . The seconde is / by false tyrannye Of suche that haue no conscience at all But taketh awaye / by cursed robbery● Unrightfully / her goodes temporall And the thyrde / sothely is moste mortall Of heretykes / that falsely disobeye To holy chyrche / & to out faythe vareye . The fourth / is made by effusion of blode Of tyraunte / that the body sleeth Whan they of malice / agayn the fayth stode To execute her venym vp by deth To make mar●ers / to yelde vp the breth Whome Christe Iesu eternally in glorie Ordayned hath / ● palme of victorie . Eke fyue tymes / Christe in his manhede Shed his blode by effusion And alther fyrste wh●n he dyd blede Upon the daye of circumcision And in soth / tofore his passion Upon the hyll / for auguysshe whan heswete The rede blode / whiche all his body wette . The thyrde tyme / his blode moste vertuous Gan ren●e out by many a cruell wounde Whan that he was this kynge moste gracious Of the Iewes to a pyler bounde The fourth tyme / eke as it is founde He spent his blode / for our alther good Whan he was nayled / hygh vpon the rood . And alther laste / whan Longeus a fere Through his herte / playnly as I fynde On Caluere hym perced with a spere That blode & water / as bokes make mynde Gan streme downe / to his eyen blynde By whose vertue / anone this paynym knyght Onely of grace / recouered hath his sight . And in his bokes / eke as it is tolde Howe the pyece of his Incision Was by an Angell / in an vrne of golde To Charles brough in a vision And he anone of greate affeccion Of this myracle / for the excellence Made it be kept for greate reuerence . And at Acon / but y● 〈◊〉 Full many a yete by reuolucion In a chyrche sothely of Marie But clerkes haue an opinion That the daye of Resurrexion Whan Christe Iesu rose from deth to lyue . The same pyece retorned as blyue . To the place / where that it cain fro Sithen that it was sothely as I fynde Of his manhede / parteynynge therto And a patty / longynge to his kynde Though 〈◊〉 be so / that bokes make mynde That in Rome it is yet preserued And yere by yere / whan this teste is serued . In a churche / whiche men of custome call Sancta Sanctorum / of olde foundacion The same daye / there the prestes all Solempnely make a stacion Whan all the people gone on procession Fully in hope / better for to spede From yere to yere / there they singe and rede . And ferthermore / the storie dothe deuise The same daye / righ fortwith anone In the Temple / as they hym circumcise He named was Iesu of echone The whiche name longe or that agone Was of the Angell tolde & sayde afore To his mother / or that he were bore .
Howe the people of god that duke Iosue had in gouernaunce / weren saued by the stedfaste beleue of the name of Iesus . Capitulo . lxiii . ANd to reherce the greate worthynes Of this name / whiche may hat be described My wittes ben so dull with rudenes And in the chayne / of ygnoraunce guyded That I alas of konnynge am depryued Thorowe lacke of wytte / in any maner wyse To vndertonge / so passynge hygh empryse . For this is the name / who so can discerne Moste excellent / and moste of dignite The name of names / sacred from eterne As say the Bernarde / who so liste to se Figured fyrste vnto Iosue Through his knyghthode / whan he sholde lede The people of god / to saue hem in her nede . For this is the name / that hertes moste desyre For therin is so passynge swetenes For it may best ●em / with grace enspyre And with plente / of all goodely ryches It is comforte / & so socoure in sekenes Refuyte alfo / reste and remedye To all tho / that felen maladye . Agaynste 〈…〉 In all this worlde / th●● 〈◊〉 maye ●e ●ound● For this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and deuyne That hertes seke / it dothe with hole habounde It cureth sores / it heleth euery wounde And saueth man fro many a swerde & spere Where euer they ryden / in laude ferre or nere . It is firste writen in the boke of lyfe For worthyest / and moste of reuerence And it is eke beste preseruatyfe Agayne the assent of the vyolence Of wicked eyre / to voyde pestelence And from the deth / hem that playnen sore Of his vertue / to helthe it dothe restore . It is also sothfaste saluacion To all that be / in pouerte and in nede It is deffence / it is proteccion In eche parille / and in euery drede It is also the guerdon and the mede In them that ●en in exyle of oultrage Repeyre fynall of her pylgrymage . This is the welle / with the foure streames Wherof writeth Bernarde in his sentence That through the worlde / refressheth all Romayns It is so holsom / & of suche excellence The fyrste he calleth the streame of sapience Of whiche the flode moste inly is habounde And right wisnes / he nameth the secounde . And the 〈…〉 For it excelleth in perfeccion The fourth / also as I can expresse Is the stode of our redempcion And of the fyrste in conclusion Of whiche the streames ben so fresshe and fyne Who so loketh a right / is hole our doctrine . And of his right / to make mencion The holsom well / euer dothe flowe & flete With mercy medlede and remission Tosore his dome / his pre for to lere And of the thyrde / the water is soswete By good example / who so can discerne In vertue ay / howe we shullen vs gouerne . And of the fourth / to speke in speciall Is all our helthe and saluacion For therin is our remedy finall Agaynste deth and full proteccion Whose blode spronge out of Christes passion And who that liste by water to attaine He shall it fynde closed in the same . Of parfyte richesse / it is the resorye Whiche maye not waste / but yliche abyde The fyre it quencheth / also of enuye And represseth the bolnynge eke of pryde And thorowe mekenes / setteth yre a syde And who that hath this name in remembraunce Hym the spyryte of slouthe / maye do no greuaunce ▪ It is also / 〈…〉 Agayne wanhope / and 〈◊〉 Cristall shelde of P●●l●s f●● dispayre Therto auoyde / the foule Abusion And who that maketh his ●●uocacion To this name / with herte of stablenes It gyueth hym strenghte / & also sikernes . The cruell fyre and brennynge to withstonde Of lecherye / and all temptacion It is refuyte to 〈◊〉 / & eke to bonde That haue therin / her hole affeccion Whose vertue was to kynge Salamon Full longe aforne in deuine oracle As I fynde / shewed by myracle .
Howe Prophetes and Marters suffreden deth for the name of Iesus . Capi. lxiiii . THis is the name of Prophetes specified In her writynge / and in her bokes olde O● apostles / moste hyghly magnefyed By whose vertue / they the trouthe tolde This made also marters to bebolde And mighty lyke sterue champyons With stable herte / to suffre her passions . By this name they were victorious In her torment / pacience to haue This is the name that Ignasius Had in his herte of golde depe 〈◊〉 Wherof the tyraunt gan hym sore ab●ue Whan that he sawe / his herte cutte a twayne And letters newe / dep●●●● in euery vayne . This is the name / that to confessoures Was full repaste in her abstinence This is the name / that in sharpe shoures Of flesshely luste / was hole her deffence It gaue hem might / to make resistence Agayne synne / and knightly to warreye And to continue / in vertue till they deye . It is the feste / and the figured fode Of may denhede / and of virginite The Oyle of grace / holsom to all gode Whiche in the lampes / of parfyte chastite Brennynge so clere / with loue and charite That wordly wyndes / boystous & blowynge Ne maye nat quenche / the light of his shynynge . This is the name / that moste gyueth melodie Unto the eare / and the swettest sou● It is the name / of heuenly armonie To voyde out synne / and all temptacion With full accorde / agaynst deuision It causeth hertes / no lenger to debate That parted ben / with the wreste of hate . This name is ioye of sorowfull in distresse Eternall mede / of hem that lyuen in blisse Salue vnto hem / that langour in sekenesse Uesture in colde / to hem that clothes mys Souerayne repaste / hongry for to wys For to ascape / the cruell vyolence Of nedes swerde / whetted with indigence Christe is the name of sothfaste sacramente That fyrste was gyuen of holy vnccion And he was called fyrste for this entent For he for man / sholde make oblacion And for he came / for our saluacion To socoure a waye the ruste of all our blame He hath of Iesus / worthely the name . I fynde in bokes of olde antiquite In his writynge / as clerkes liste expresse Howe there were foure persones of degre Somtyme anoynte / for her worthynes Some for manhede / & some for holynes With obseruaunce and solempnite As was couenable vnto her degre . Prophetes prestes / & they that beren crownes As worthy kynges / of euery region Apoynted weren / & mighty Champiousnes Within palastre / through her hygh renowne Or in champclose / hardy as Lyon Entre wolde some quarell to darreyne Singulerly by empryse of hem tweyne . And Christe was all by reason / as I preue Firste prophete / by informacion And by his doctryne / moste worthy of beleue And he was eke the mighty champyon That singulerly for our saluacion Faught with the fende / & had of hym victorie Maugre his might / & wanne the Palme of glorie And he was preste man to ●econsile That banisshed was out of his heritage Whome a Serpent falsely dyd exyle Of false malice / in a sodayne rage And he was borne onely by lignage To be a kynge / and by power eterne Whan he is crowned / his people to gouerne .
Howe Christe Iesu was bothe prophete preste kynge and mighty champyon . Capitulo . lxvi . NOwe Christe Iesu soth faste preste & kynge And for mankynde / most worthy warriou●● Prophet also / and truest in l●uynge Be thou our helpe / be thou ou● socoure And lyke a kynge / be thou our gouernoure And champyon to helpe vs in our nede And lyke a prophete / to wisshen vs and rede . O Christe Iesu to the I clepe and crye Fro daye to daye / to helpe vs and releue And of thy grace / vs wretches for to gye Or that thou thy right●●●snes preue Let pyte fyrste the to mercy ●eue And or thy 〈◊〉 of vengeaunce vs manace Let tronthe afore thy rightfull dome enbrace . For of our helpe / thou arte the pyllere Agayne dispayre / hooly our sustenaunce Our strengthe / our mighte / our re●uite fer & nere In eche perille to saue vs from mischaunce Thou arte our force / and our sustenaunce And in mischief / whan drede w●lde vs assayle Thou arte our shelde / thou arte our supportayle . Thou arte mighty / and thou arte meke also Thou arte rightfull / and thou arte merciable Lambe and Lyon / called bothe two And sothfaste kynge / whose reygne is immutable To repentaunte / by rygour nat vengeable And euer aforne / in ponisshynge of thy lawe Peace to preferre / or right his swerde may drawe And to brynge the loste shepe agayne Out of deserte into his pasture That was errant ydle / and in vayne O Christe Iesu of thy benigne cure More redyay to saue and to cure All that ben sore / & scabbed eke with synne Rather with pyte / than thou with reddur wynne . Nowe thou that arte the very rightfull ligne All that is croked / goodely to redresse And mayster of mercy / all our mischyefe fyne O Christe Iesu / well of all swetenesse Lorde of pyte / & lorde of rightfulnes Haue vpon vs this daye compassion That called is the circumcision . And graunte vs grace / with dewe reuerence This hygh feste / so noble and so digne Worshippe & halowe / deuoyde of all offence And be to vs goodely and benigne That were this daye marked with the signe And the carecte / by the lawe ordeyned Is very soth / and nothynge feyned . And so as thou / that neuer dyd trespasse Thorowe thy mekenesse / and lowly subieccion Suffre woldest / this daye of thy grace For our offence / haue circumcision So kytte from vs all temptacion Of wordly luste / & make the flesshe to serue To the spyryte / till the body sterue . And graunte vs grace / to lyue chaste & clene O Christe Iesu / whyle that we ben here Thorowe the prayer / of that heuenly quene That is mayde and mother eke in fere With helpe of her / graunte vs this newe yere So prudently / with vertue vs prouyde Our vyces all / that we maye circumside . And Christe Iesu / we praye vnto the Lete thy name / whether we ryde or gon● In eche perill / and eche aduersite Be our defence / agaynste our mortall sone To make hem stand estille as any stone And all that casten vs falsely to warey Make her malice / mekely to obeye . To thy name / & make hem stande all backe Or they haue power / to haunte her cruell might And wicked spirites / so horible & blacke That besy ben to wayte vs daye and night Lete thy name dryue hem out of sight And in our forhede / whan we Iesu impresse Make vs of grace / her malice to oppresse . For to thy name / holy we commende Our lyfe / our deth body / herte and all Our soule also / whan we hense wende O Christe Iesu / o lorde Immortall Prayenge to the / whan thou vs deme shall To saue all tho / from eternall shame That haue full faythe / & hole triste in thy name .
Howe by the prophecie of Balaam watche was made vpon an hyll . Capi. lxvii . THou lorde / whose light dessendeth fro so ferre Thorowe the roundenes of the speres . ix . Withouten whome Phebus / ne no sterre Upon heuen / power hath to shyne Let nowe thy light / my derknes enlumyne That thorowe thyne helpe / I maye my style gye Somwhat to sey / of thyne Epiphanie . To se this sterre / moste famous 〈◊〉 On the heuen / whan it sholde appere The worthy kynges / as made is mencion Upon the hyll / togyder gone in fere For cause they / who so lifte to here Were of the stocke of Balaam downe descended Wherfore of sorte / the hyll they be ascended . As fyll on hem / by custome to succede At a certeyne of the yere by reuolucion And on this hyll / east werde they toke hede By good auise / in her inspeccion The same night / of the Incarnacion Whan Christe was borne in Bethleem of Marie The same houre / the Sterre they aspye . Of newe arysen in the Oriente Full lusty / of whome the beames light Gan enlumme all the firmament From easte to weste / it gaue so clere a light That of the streames / euery maner wight Astoned was / they were so bright & sheue And to the eye / full persant for to sene . The whiche Sterre / droue his course of right Towarde the hyll / lyke as bokes tell Where the kynges / the longe wynters night It to a wayte / solitarie dwell And there anone / vpon her knees fell And thanked god with all her hertes luste Whiche hath nat hem defeauded of her luste .
Howe the thre Kynges perceyued the sterre Capitulo . lxix . ANd all that night to gyder as they woke Upon this sterre / that shone so fayre & clere And sodaynly vp warde / as they gan loke They sawe a chylde / aboue the sterre appere So yonge / so fayre / in a golden spere Full roially stande / and about his hede A large crosse / that was of blode full rede . The whiche chylde spake to hem anone Aboue the hyll / with voyce and chere benigne And bad hem faste / that they sholde gone In to Iuda / right as any lyne And folowe alwaye the sterre for a signe That shall hym brynge to that region Where the kynge moste worthy of renoun . Was borne that tyme / to haue the regallye Of Iewes lande / of very dewe right To whome the sterre dyd specefye Whan he was borne / with his clere light And they anone / whan passed was the night The next morowe / no lenger liste abyde But to warde hym / caste hym for to ryde . With greate araye / and royall aparayle As was sittynge / to theyr worthynes They shope hem forth / & for they wolde nat fayle To do honoure to his noblenes
To gyue hym clerely informacion Other exploire / and of the chylde also Surely affermynge / by false collucion That he hymselfe wolde sone after go Unto the chylde / and his deuoyrdo To worshippe hym / & all vnder coloures As the Worme / or Serpent vnder floures . Darith full ofte / & kepeth hym couertly Of kynde malice / tyll they a tyme se To shede her venym / & than sodaynly All atones / whan they vnwarest be They styngen and she wyn her cruelte And her venym / vnder floures fayre Full ofte is hyd / tyll they maye appayre . Right so thou Serpent full iniquite False tygre / full of doublenes Under fayre coloure of humilite Thy venym dareth / & also thy falsenes O thou tyraunt / o rote of cursidnes Thou Herode of malice / moste mortall What wenest thou / hym that knoweth all . To discepue with thy slyly wyle What can suger vnder gall fayne What wenyste thou / the kynges to begyle And of malice / brynge hem in a trayne Of whose comynge / though that thou disdayne It maye nat helpe / playnly ne vayle For of thy purpose / playnly thou shalte fayle . For by grace / they shullen in quyete Maugre thy might all the daunger pas For though that thou / with wordes hony swete Maliciously / vpon her deth compas They shullen scape / despyte of thy face For all the coniecte / of thy prynces wyse As the story shall anone deuyse . And so with venym / in his herte yloke He gaue hem leue / passe through his reme In her repayre / hym castynge to be wroke If they retorne agayne by Iherusalem And so the sterre / hem brought to Bethleem And lyne tight / the chyldes hede aboue Where as he laye still / gan to houe .
Of the ioye that the Kynges had when they founde Christe . Capi. lxxii . BUt who the ioye coude tell or endyte Or with his mouthe / the myrthe expres Or who can playnly with his penue wryte The greate blisse or the gladnes Whiche they made in sothfastnes After her iourney / and her longe w●y● Aboue the house / whan they the sterre seye . That gan to hem clerely certefye Without more / the chyldes dwelly age place And they anone / faste gan hem hye With lusty herte / and glad of there and face To alight downe in 〈◊〉 space They made he●● redy / & with reuerence They entryd in / and came in ●o 〈◊〉 . Where as the chylde moste worthy of d●g●● Was with Marie in a Oxes stall And humbly the kynges all thre Forth they wente towarde the stall And brought her tresoure / & her g●●●es all As reuerently as they coude deuise And hym presented in all her beste wy●e . Lyke as her estate / eueriche after other Makynge theyr presente / with all humilite Lyke her age / as brother after other Golde / Franke / & Myr●he / they gaue hym all thr● After custome of Perce and Caldee For of th●● lande / whan kynges present make The custome is suche giftes for to take . And this was done with foyson and plente In very soth / and greate habundaunce For in ●er presente was no scarsete For of richesse / they had all suffisaunce Wherfore they ●●ste with deuoute obeysaunce Of due ●ight / with the chylde to parte Of her tresoure / or that they departe . And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is pa●ed for tribute As it is founde of ●●tiquite Therfore th● kynges / for a maner sute That they hym 〈…〉 They brought hym golde ou● of her co●tr● And gaue 〈…〉 Hooly of herte / for a recog●isaunce . And Franke also / as clerkes can deuise Ordeyned is in conclusion To god onely / to make sacre●ise With contrite herte and deuocion Therfore to hym for oblacion They brought Franke to signefye than That he was bothe sothfaste god and man . And for they wolde in all thynge obeye To his hyghnes / with all ●er besy cure In token he sholde for mankynde dye They brought myrre to his sepulture For like a man / deth he muste endure And with his blode / ●hed in his passion For our trespace / for to make redempciom . In Franke also / who that can discerne Is vnderstande the hygh mageste Of his power / whiche that is eterne And eke also / his hygh dey●e The golde betokeneth his hygh dignite And myr●he declareth / vnto vs at all Of his manhode / that he was mortall . And golde betokeneth of loue the feruence That he to ma● had of affeccion And Franke betokeneth the souerayne excellence In holynes his conuersa●ion And myrre betokeneth the tribulacion That he suffred / and all the greate penaunce For vs in erthe by continuaunce . In golde he was knowe as a kynge In Franke a preeste / who so can take hed● Of myrre also this daye the offerynge Was longynge onely to his manhede And thus he was withouten any drede Bothe kynge and preeste / as I discriue can And for our sake in erthe a mortall man . In golde also / moste glorious metall Figured was his hygh deyte In Franke also / that is so cordiall The soule also / of Christe moste parfyte of degre And myrre betokeneth thorowe his dignite His flesshe / the whiche by disposicion Maye neuer suffre no corrupcion . And of these giftes passynge reuerence Full of misterie / & heuenly priuite And whan they had made theyr presente Unto the chylde ay sittynge on her knee And with greate auyse / they began beholde & see Tofore that they remeue from that place His godely chere / and his fayre face . Considerynge his fetures by and by With grete insight / and humble enten●ion And ay the more they loke besely The more they thynke in her inspeccion And thoughten alwaye / as in her reason Though kynde & god / hath sette in one figure The beaute hooly of euery creature . It might nat in sothenes / heuen ben liche To his fayrnes / neyther peregall For he that is aboue nature riche Hath made this chylde / ●ayreste in speciall For in his face / they beholden all The hole beaute / and fayrnes eke also Of heuen and e●the / to gyder bothe two . Wherfore no wonder / though they hem dely●● Moste passingly vpon hym to se For they in herte reioysen hem nat alyte On hym to loke / that they haue liberte For ay the more playnly that they be In his presence / the parfyte hote fyr● Of hertely ●oye / hem brente in desyre . And of one thynge good hede they toke Howe that the chylde / demurely caste his sight Towarde hem / and godely gan to loke On her faces / with his eyen bright And howe that he put his armes right Goodely to hem makynge a maner signe To them of thankynge / with chere full benigne . And of his mother / they moche thynge enquere Touchynge his byrthe / with humble affeccion And she answereth moste femynyne of chere Full prudently to euery question With chere demure / and loke ycaste adowne With all the porte of womenly clennes Her selfe demenynge / chefely with mekenes .
Of vertuous pouerte and mekenes of our Lady Capitulo . lxxiii . O She that was of heuen and erthe quene And of hell lady and prynces O what was she / alas that might fustene To be proude considered her mekenes O pryde alas / o rote of our distres Though thy booste aboue the skye blowe Thy byloynge / hygh shall be brought full lowe . O Surquedrie / alas why n●●te thou se Howe that she had heuen in her demeyne And lady is bothe of lande and see And of the axtre / betwene the poles tweyne And of the enbracynge / of the golden cheyne yet vnto her / I saye in sothfastnes Aboue all this / agryed her mekenes . O pompe elate / with thy cheres bolde Remembre and se / and loke howe that she Of whome kynges haue ioye to beholde In her presence to knele on her kne Though she of women / be hyest in degre Take hede & se howe louly in a stable Howe that she sat this lady honourable . Were there of golde any clothes founde Of Sylke Damaske / or ryche Tartaryne Or whas there Aras aboute her hede bounde Or was there any Uelwet Crymsyne Or was there any Samyte or Satyne Or were there any Tapytes / large or wyde The naked grounde / to couer or to hyde . Or was her paleys bylte of lyme and stone Or the pylers set on marbell graye Or the grounde pauyd on to gone Or fresshe parlours / glased bright as day Or were therin chambres of aray Or for estates / was there any hall Saue a Dongeon / and an Oxes stall . Or of her bed was the appareyle Of Golde & Sylke / corteyned large aboute Or were the shetes of longe or wyde entayle Kytte out of raynes / naye without doute Or were there any ladyes for to loute To her hyghnes / with besy obseruaunce Or of maydens any attendaunce . O as me semeth of very dewe right ye women all sholden take hede With your Perles / and your stones bright Howe that our quene / floure of womanhede Of no deuise embrouded hath her wede Ne furred with Ermyn / ne with Christi graye Ne Martyr●e / ne Sabil● I trowe in good faye . Was none founden in her garmente And yet she was the fayrest for to se That euer was vnder the firmamente That me semeth / ye sholden haue pyte To se a lady of so hygh degre So semely atyred / o ye women all So narowe closed in an Oxes stall . Let be your pryde / and your affeccion Of riche araye / & nothynge you delite In wordly pompe / and suche abusion Of soundry clothes / rede / blacke / and whyte And be well ware / or the spere byte Of cruell deth / and the fell smerte My councell is to lifte vp your herte . To that lady / & to that worthy quene That you may beste helpe in your nede And you releue / in euery wo and tene And delyuer from all mischyef and drede And thynke playnly / & take right good hede That all shall passe araye / & eke riches Whan ye leste wene / & all your semelines . Let hem afore be to a Kalendere I sowde Eleyne / and eke Policene Hester also / and Dido with her chere And riche 〈◊〉 / of Ethiope quene Lygge they nat graue / vnder colours grene And yet all this / maye nat your pryde atame Natwithstandynge / that ye shall do the same . And after deth abydeth no memorie For ay with deth / cometh foriet fulnes And fare well than araye / and all vayneglorie Saue onely vertue / that standeth in sikernes I take recorde of the hygh mekenes Of her that is of holines well Of whome I thynke / sothely for to tell . Howe that she satte / for all her worthynes Holdynge her chylde / lowly on the grounde And kynges knelynge / as ye haue herde expres Beholdynge her in vertue moste habounde Till at the laste / they haue a leyser founde To take her leue / and the same night They gan to ryde homwarde all her might .
Howe the Angell warned the thre kynges to passe nat by Herodes / but by another waye . Capi. lxxiiii . ANd suynge after on the next night Whyle they slepte at her lodgynge place Came an Angell apperynge with greate light And warned hem / that they nouht ne trace By Herodes / but that they sholde pace Withouten taryenge / in all the haste they maye To her kyngdome by another waye . And in shorte tyme to theyr region They ben repayred / the Gospell telleth thus And of her names to make mencion ; The firste in Hebreu was called Appolleus The next Amerus / the thyrde Damarus And in Greke / the firste Galgatha And Sarachim / the thyrde Malgalatha . And in Latine / as bokes make mynde The firste of hem named was Iasper And the seconde / playnly as I fynde Lyke myne auctour reherce as I dar Called was / and named Balthasar And the thyrde / ye gete of me no more As I rede / was called Melchior . Of whose repayre / as some bokes seyne That firste of all / they wenten to the see And retornynge to her kyngdom ageyne They shipped hem at Tharse the cyte For whiche Herode / of cursed cruelte In Tharse made all the shippes brenne Wherof wryte Dauid the Saulter if ye kenne . And vnto you clerely to specefie Touchynge this ●este / and this solemnite Wherof is sayde this worde Epiphanie Whiche is a worde of greate auctorite And sayde / and compouned / who so can se Of Epi fyrste / and Phanos soth to sayne And one worde compouned of these tweyne . Cometh this worde of Epiphanie And this worde Epi by discripsion Is sayde of heyght / as I can signefye And of a shewynge / by demonstracion As Phanos sayde / and so by good reason Epi and Phanos / bothe knytte in fere Is a shewynge / that doth a lofte appere . And for this day / alofte was the sterre Whiche Christes byrthe / and incarnacion With his streames gan shede from so ferre From easte to weste / in many a region Wherof this feste in conclusion As ye toforne haue herde me specefie This feste is called of Epiphanie . The whiche feste hath a prerogatyfe Of myracles notable in speciall For thynges foure / wrought in Christes lyfe Weren on this day by his power royall The fyrste of all / for a memoriall Is of the kynges / as ye haue herde me sayne Whiche were in ydell / to reherce agayne . The seconde is / it is sothely tolde That Christe Iesu this day of saynt Iohan The yere whan he was thyrty wynter olde Baptised he was in the flow Iordayne At whiche tyme / thre kynges vnder one Appered this day / worthy of memorie The fyrste was that from the hygh glorie . The fathers voyce / as clerkes liste endyte Came downe to erthe / that men might here An lyke a downe / with fayre federes whyte The holy ghoste also dyd appere And Christe Iesu the fathers sone entere This daye apperynge in our mortall kynde Was of saynt Iohan Baptiste as I fynde . And for as moche / as they all thre This daye were sene / by sothfaste apparence They beynge one / in partyte vn●●● Therfore this daye of moste reuerence Named is truely in this sentence Theophanos for god in treble wyse Therin appered as ye haue herde deuyse . For The●s is as moche for to mene As god in englisshe / yf ye liste to se And Phanos / as shewynge withouten wene As ye haue herde afore reherced of me For in erthe / ● god in trinite This daye appered withouten any lye ye truely may it calle Theophanie . Eke whan Christe was olde thyrty yere This daye he torned water in to wyne . That passyngly was to the eye clere And of tarrage / inly good and fyne The whiche he se●t to Archedeclyne And for this myracle / iuly vertuous In Galilee was shewed in an hous . This same daye / whiche man dyd espye As holy churche maketh mencion Therfore it is named Bethphanie For●eth in englisshe by discripsion Is called a house or a mancion Of whiche myracle renomed of fame Bethphanie this daye hath the name . Eke in the yere of his passion Fer in deserte / this daye also I rede With loues fyue / through his greate foyson Fyue thousande I fynde / that he dyd fede Of whiche myracle / yf ye taken hede This day is laste named Phagiphanie Lyke as firste was cleped Epiphanie . For this worde Phagi in to our entente Is sayde of fedynge / of re●eccion For whiche myracle passynge excellence That is so famous / & so hygh of renoun Lyke as the Gospell maketh mencion Therfore this daye amonge the other all ye lustely may it Phagiphanie call .
A declaracion of the thre Kynges of theyr thre giftes . Capitulo . lxxv . NOwe Christe Iesu this day this hygh feste We the beseche / with herte / will / & thought Onely of mercy / to here our requeste For the myracles / that thou therin haste wrought For loue of hem / that the so ferre haue sought The worthy kynges / that came out of Caldee The ●o honoure / in Bethleem the cyte . And through the prayers of these kynges thre That for thy loue / token her vyage Iesu defende vs from all aduersite And make vs stronge / & sure in our passage In this exyle / and parlous pylgrimage With our fo men of malice / and of pryde Whiche haue vs bysette an euery syde . The whiche our golde / of parfyte charite Wolden vs byreue by persecusion That we shulde offre of feruente vnto the O● hertely loue / and hygh deuocion And eke our Franke of contemplacion Wherwith he shulde make our sacrifise O● hygh disdayne and malice they dispise . For Golde of trouthe / is falsely nowe alayed By fayned loue / and simulacion And fayth with fraude / is corrupt & frayed With double tonges and detraccion Our Franke also / of hygh perfeccion That sholde brenne clere aboue the skye Is with the code medlide of enuye . That it alas / gyue may no light In the centre of true affeccion For day of trouthe / is tourned in to night Thorowe false reporte / and false suspeccion And thus good ●ayth / is ro●●ed vp s● dow●e And true menynge / derked with a skye That we in Englisshe calle● flaterye . And thus our offrynge / goeth almoste wronge Of Golde / of Franke / for ought I can espye And our Myrre hath behynde full longe Us to preserue / from all suche trecherye For nowe is torned / into Ipocresye Our holynes / & that is greate ruthe And cause why / for fraude hath banysshed truthe . But Chrike Iesu / that all this mayste amende And that is amisse / in eche state redres This hygh feste / suche grace to vs sende That we the Golde of stablenes And eke the Franke of parfyte holynes May on this day present vnto the With all true herte / as dyd these kynges thre . And graunte also / bothe to hygh and lowe To haue suche Myrre in her a vertence That euery wyght / his owne fautes knowe And that no man be hasty of sentence To deme lightly before / or in absence For sodeyne dome / meynte with ygnoraunce Hath a longe tayle / shewynge of repentaunce . For in sothnes / if that euery man Wolde make a myrrour of his owne mynde To deme hymselfe / of thynge that he well can And open his eyen / that hath be longe blynde To se his fautes / that he coude fynde I trowe in soth / for any hasty rape Harmeles fro dome his felowe sholde ascape .
Howe we sholde do this offerynge ghostely . Capitulo . lxxvi . NOwe Christe Iesu y● knowest euery herte And nothynge may be hyde fro thy presence Ne from thyne eye declyne ne asterte Graunte vs this daye of thy magnificence The Golde of loue / the Franke of innocence And the chaste Myrre of clene entencion So to presente in our oblacion . To thyne hyghnes / that it be acceptable Whyle that we lyue euer from yere to yere As was the offrynge in Bethleem in a stable Made vnto the / and to thy mother dere Of the kynges / that with the streames clere Of a Sterre conueyed were by grace Where thou laye / to come to the place . And vnto the this day / we clepe and call Thou blessed quene of kynges emperesse That gaue thy sone souke in a stall That chaste mylke of virginall clennes That thou this feste / o Sterre of holynes Conueye our offrynge / to that Sterre se Where next thy sone / thou haste the souer aynte . And good lady in this sorowfull vale Of trouble and wo / and of heuines Sithen thou of Iacob arte the right scale The waye of lyfe / the Ladder of holinesse Towarde that contre / the euen waye dresse And make thy men thyder to assende Where euer blesse / and ioye hath no ende . For cer●es lady / in this lyfe we lacke Of sothfaste ioye / all the suffisaunce Saue amonge we knele afore the racke Wherwith thy sone was somtyme thy plesaunce And vs reioysynge / as by remembraunce Onely by likenes to loke on thyne ymage And on thy sone / with his fayre vysage . But o alas there is but a likenes Of portrature / that dothe greate offence For we maye nat haue / full the blessidnes Of thy vysage neyther of thy presence And so to vs greate harme dothe apparence Whan that we se / of our desyre we fayle We maye playne / but it maye nat auayle . yet day by day / of true affeccion We gone of newe / thy likenes for to s● Where of one thynge / we haue compassion To se the bestes that so humble be To stande so nere betwene thy sone and the The rude Asse / and the Oxe also And than we saye complaynynge in our wo. With all our herte / o what thynge maye this be To se that lorde in a racke lye That hath the heuen in his postye And all this worlde / power hath to gye O howe it is that the regallie Of heuen & erthe is brought downe so lowe That no man liste vnnethe his power knowe . And sodeynly our hertes gynneth colde For astonynge / & is for wonygh mate So greate a quene / whan that we beholde Alone sittynge all disconsolate So fayre / so good / and so hygh estate Moste womanly / and so benigne of chere Thy sone / and the togyder sutynge in fere . In the bandes of so narowe a dongeon Wherof all erthe tremble shall and quake And euery wight by lamentacion Wepe & playne / syghe and sorowe make O blissed quene / onely for thy sake To se on the / none other waytynge But bestes with hey hym selfe fedynge . But in one thynge / comforte yet we fele O good lady / sothely yf we se Thre worthy kynges / afore thy face knele Bryngen her giftes with all humilite And hem gouerne / lyke to thy degre With meke attendaunce / & full besy cure But all this thynge / we se but in picture . Alas the whyle / & yet it dothe vs ease And in party as wageth our greuaunce For nothynge maye our sorowe so appease As euer of the / to haue a remembraunce For in the lady / is hoole our sustenaunce Though we lyue in langour for thyne absence yet good lady for thy magnificeuce . To thy seruauntes of thy grace se And to thy sone / be for vs a mene This hygh feste / whiche longeth vnto the In whiche thou were honoured lyke a quene With Myrre / & Franke / & Golde / that shone so clene Nowe for the honoure / this day was to the And for the loue of the kynges thre . Whan we shall parte out of this wofull lyfe And make an ende of this captiuite Or Herodes through his mortall stryfe The fende by trappe vs thorowe his cruelte Nowe that tyme lady of thy benignite Agaynste the snares / of this dredfull werre To lyfe eterne / be thou our loode Sterre .
Howe our Lady was purified . Capitulo . lxxvii . Glorie / and pryce / laude / & hygh honoure O blessed quene / be gyuen vnto the That were of golde / the close chaste toure Surely founded vpon humilite Shette with the keye / of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From all synne / fully to be assured And of the holy ghoste / rounde aboute enuired . That neuer no brennynge of flesshely hete Assayle might thyne holy tabernacle With dewe of grace / thy closette was so swete Fulfilled with vertue / onely by myracle God chase thy wombe for his tabernacle And halowed it so clene in euery cooste To make it sacrarie / for his owne ghooste . Natwithstandynge / that thou were so clene Aboue all other by eleccion Of mekenes onely / o thou heuenly quene Thou liste to haue none indignacion The day to passe of thy purificacion But to fulfille the precepte of the lawe In euery thynge / & nat a poynte withdrawe . But euen lyke as it is specified Leuitici who so can vnderstande To the Temple / to be purified Thou mekely come thyne offrynge in hande All be the lawe sette / on the no bande For it is there made mencion Touchynge the lawe of purificacion . If a women conceyue by a man And haue a chylde / by medlynge hem betwene That it be a male / the lawe teacheth than Fourty dayes that she shulde be vnclene And kepe her close / ●that no man shulde her sene And after that she shulde her offrynge In lawe expressed / to the Temple brynge . But taketh thede in conclusion Howe this lawe lyke as ye shall fynde Ne was nat put / but by condicion Onely to them that corupt weren by kynde Through touche of man / of suche is made mynde The dayes nombred of her purgacion To come and make her oblacion . And brynge a lambe / the whiche in sacrefise Shulde all be brought in the holy place And a pygeon / as lawe doth deuise She shulde eke offre / as for her trespace And than all fylthe from her to enchace She of the preste halowed & sacrefied Retorneth home / and fully purifyed . And if she had in her possession Redely no lambe / onely for pouerte Than shulde she take for her oblacion Two turtell Doues / & therwithall go fre Or two pygeons / like as ye may se Leuitici / where as by distinction Of this offerynge is made discripcion . But this mayde / who so can take hede Excluded ●as fro this condicion That bare a chylde / without mannes sed● Brynge euer cle●e from all corruption Where through / she was from suche oblacion By lawe excepte / & was vnder no charge For her clennes / standynge at her large . For of her wombe / the cloyster virginall Was euer eliche / bothe firste and laste Closed & shytte / as Castell pryncipall For the holy ghoste / deuised ●t and caste And at bothe tymes shytte as lyke faste In her chyldynge nomore through grace ybroke Than at her conceyuynge / than it was vnloke . For nature withouten any stryfe Repugnaunce / or any resistence Gaue this maybe prerogatyfe As mother to haue experience Onely of chyldynge / & fele none offence Nether of sekenes / ne of suche maner wo In trauelynge as other women do . She was excepte from all suche passion For her clennes / & so was none but she And yet her tyme of purification She dyd abyde of her humilite And like as lawe ordeyneth by decrete After all this of custome as she oughte To the Temple she her offerynge broughte . To gyue example onely of mekenes To the lawe she mekely wolde obeye Fro poynte to poynte the Gospell sayth expres And on no syde wolde it ●at withsaye And though that she ●are of golde no keye To bye a lambe / for pouerte constreynynge yet she full mekely to make her offerynge . Brought two Turtels / as it is sayde aforne That was the offrynge of pore folke echone Whiche to the Temple / whan she hath borne As custome was / she offered hem anon And after that olde Simeon With humble herte and a full payne The chylde embracynge in his armes twayne .
Howe Simeon receyued Christe of our Lady in the Temple . Capitulo . lxxviii . OF his mother goodely gan hym take Of louynge h●rte / and greate deuocion And suche a ioye of hym gan to make Within hym selfe / of hygh affeccion That heue coude nother by worde ne soun Outwarde declare / neyther with chere ne face The passynge ioye that gan his herte enbrace . And he was rightfull / holy and vertuous This olde man / this blessed Simeon Dredefull also / and passynge famous Amonge the prestes / to reken hem euerichone That was expectant / and full longe agone Of the comforte and consolacion Of Israel in his entencion . For he had answer of the holy ghoste In his prayere that he shulde se The byrthe of Christe / that is of power moste And eke fro deth / that he shall go fre To the tyme of his natiuite And to the daye / that with his eyen olde The byrthe of hym / that he may beholde . The whiche day / that with his eyen olde And for that he by reuelacion The tyme knowe / he hath the waye hold● To the Temple / with hygh deuocion To se of Christe the presentacion Howe that Marie and Ioseph eke also The chylde presented / and her offerynge do . And for that Christe was the fyrste borne After the lawe / in his tender age Nat of Leu● / as ye haue herde toforne But of Iuda / comen by lignage Therfore his mother / moste holy of vysage Her offrynge made / liste nat for to stryue For hym agayne / to paye shyllynges fyue . Lyke as the custome of the lawe was She mekely made his redempcion And Simeon beholdynge all this cas Full st●lly in his inspeccion For loue brennynge by affeccion Of very herte / sodaynly abrayed Holdynge the chylde / euen thus he seyed .
Howe where and whan Simeon made Nunc dimittis 〈◊〉 ●uum d●● secundum verbum tuum in pace . Capitulo . lxxix . O Blisfull lorde of thy hygh grace It that thou liste nowe / thou mayste me lete Out of this lyfe in rest and peace to pace And suffre me to dye in quyete For nowe to me deth is wonder swete Nowe haue I sene thy helthe and thy socoure And of mankynde lorde and sauyoure . Whiche thou haste dyght afore the faces all Of eche people to make hem glad and light To lete thy grace / so to erthe fall Thorowe all the worlde / to shewe his bemes bright That maye be called for comforte of his light Unto all the gentyles the reuelacion The glorie also / and the saluacion . Of Israel the people in speciall To voyde hem out of all derkenes And Marie full mekely listeneth all And gan merueyle with greate aduisednes Of the wordes that he gan expres And Ioseph / eke gan to wonder also And Simeon hem blessynge bothe two ▪ Spake to Maxie / and sayde in audience Beholde and se in thyne inspeccion Howe he is put in ruyne and offence Of many one here in his region And to so me in resurrexion That shall releue thorowe his mighty grace And thorowe thy soule / shal a sharpe swerde pace . Of hertely wo / to se his passion That passyngly shall be bitter and fell To opene hertes by confession Her soroufull thoughtes / openly to tell And Anna than doughter of Phanuell Borne of the Trybe of the kynrede Called Asser / sothely as I rede .
Of the ioye that Anna the doughter of Phanes had / whan Christe was offred in to the Temple ⸪ Capitulo . lxxx . THat was that daye ronne f●r in age Within the Temple by contynuaunce Sole by her selfe out of mariage Laye night and daye / in fastynge & penaunce In Wydowe abyte / sade of countenaunce And in prayer was her busy cur● Whiche in that houre of grace or auenture . Whan Christs was there / with his mother dere In the tyme of his oblacion This Anna came / demure and sade of chere And vnto hym / with greate deuocion Whan she hym sawe / fyll on knees downe Recomforted of all her olde smerte Hym honourynge with all her hoole herte . Sayde openly that all might here Bethe mery and lighte / in your entencion And euery man be glad / and of good chere For nowe is borne for our saluacion He that shall make our redemption This yonge chylde / blessed muste he be That me hath graunted his face for to se . And than in soth / whan euery thynge was done After the lawe withouten excepcion And than Anna and holy Simeon Had of this chylde made declaracion As ye haue herde in conclusion This chylde & Ioseph / and this mayde ●●e Retourned home agayne in to Galile .
A profytable declaracion of the prop●rtes of the Turtell / and the Doue Capitulo . lxxxi . NOwe as me semeth in this hye fer●e That named is the Purification Euery man oughte to be glad and mery And with good hert● / and hol● 〈◊〉 Deuoutely brynge his oblacion And offre fyrste the turtell of innocence Of very mekenes / and hertely pacience . And who that wolde this offrynge make a right He maye nat fayle / none of bothe two Fyrste shyne in clennes / with his chaste light As the Turtell / and therwith also Lyche the Doue / bothe in we●e and wo His herte daunte so by temporaunce To voyde rancour / and plante in sufferaunce . And as the Turtell by contemplacion For synne soroweth with greate waymentynge Onely for loue / of thylke eternall dileccion That lasteth ay / and hath none endynge And as the byrthe sheweth the comynge Of grene wherwith fresshe byrdes newe Right so of vertue / with floures fayre of hewe . He muste exampell of the Turtell take And be well ware / that he nat ne varye But lyue sole whan he hath loste his make And in prayer be also solitarie And loke alwaye that he nat ne tarye On no careyne of no flesshely hede And with all this to take also hede . That he his lyfe lede nat in vayne But like a Doue busely aspye Where he 〈…〉 maye the grayne And that he 〈◊〉 n●t out of companye Waytynge also the galle of enuye And that he haue ●y indignacion Of synfull luste out of corrupcion . Of any careyne to foster hym and fede And euermore with all his dusy payne Eschewynge synne / loue god and drede And with the Doue syghe and compleyne For his offence / and with wynges twayne Take his flight as ferforth as he can Thorowe parfyte loue / bothe to god and man . And as the Doue touchet eke her make Onely with kissynge / whan they to gyder gone So moste he ▪ whether he slepe or wake Thorowe chastite / set his herte in one And lyke a Doue maketh his neste of stone This is to seye amonge all his pleasaunce He muste his ●lesshe daunte with penaunce . And as the Doue with her eyen meke Of kynde aspyeth amyd the Riuere The Haukes shadowe / whan he dothe her seke Sechynge his repaste / bothe ferre and nere Right so muste he with parfyte eyen clere Amyd the watres full of wo and stryfe In the wawes of his mortall lyfe . The dedely shadowe of the fende esche w● That wayteth hym with snares large & huge And to the deth / ay dothe hym pursewe To trappe hym here in his deluge And lyke a Doue f●e to his refuge By grace onely if he maye escape Or deth bytraye hym with his sodeyne trape . And who so by clennes / with the Turtell 〈◊〉 As I tofore haue made mencion And lyke a Doue afore his perill fleeth Of deth to esche we the persecution And can be meke in tribulation I dare recorde it / write it for soth Truely to god / he his offerynge doth . And who that euer liueth in chastite And hath enuy enclosed in his herte He maye well offre / what so that he be To god a Turtell / but the Doue nought Wherfore they muste be to gyther brought That clennes by sothfaste vnite Without partynge / be knytte with charite . And sothely than there is no more to sayne Whan his offerynge and oblation Is iustely made to god of bothe twayne It is accepted of more deuocion And for to make a shorte discripcion Of the Turtell / and the Doues kynde Redeth these verses / and ye shull it fynde . Alta ●etit 〈◊〉 cantando gemit veniens Uer Nunciat et caste viuit solus que moratur Pullos no●te fo●● morticinium que fugit Erranea legat vol●●at sociata cadauera vita● Felle care ●plang●● so●ium que per oscula tangit Petro dat huic ●●dum fugit hoste flum●e visum Rostro non ledit geminos pullos bene nutrit . This feste also / bothe of more and lesse Through out the worlde / in euery region Called is the feste of ●andelmesse For sondry skylles / in conclusion As olde bokes make mencion And howe this feste fyrste toke his name So as I can / to you I wyll atame .
Howe Candelmasse toke firste the name . Capitulo . lxxxii . SOmtyme whan Rome / through his hye renoun Was moste flourige i power & i might Euery fyfthe yere by reuolucion In Februarie vpon the firste night Eche man and chylde / with a taper light Went in the cyte / two and two a pas Unto a Temple / whiche sacred was . To Febru● of olde fundacion That mother was to Mars omnipotente In whose honoure this procession Ordeyned was by greate auysemente At eche lustre wenynge in her entente That her power and greate worthynes Preserued was through helpe of this goddes . From all assaute of euery aduersayre Supposynge fully in her oppinion That she fortune made debonayre For to susteyne the honoure of her towne And through her helpe and meditacion That mighty Mars / to encrease her glorie In all conqueste gaue to hym glorie . For whiche cause / through out the cyte As ye haue herde / of hygh & lowe estate Was fyrste ordeyned this solempnite In the Temple that was consecrate To Februa the goddes fortunate Thorowe helpe of whome they were victorious And so this custome supersticious . In Rome towne / as myne auctor seyth Obserued was / longe and many a daye yet after that / they tourned to the feyth But euer in one / this ryte they kepte alwaye For olde customme is harde to put awaye And also vsage greueth folke full sore To do awaye that they haue kepte yore . But at the laste Pope Se●gius Of the people seynge this errour And that the customme was full ●eryllo●s Dyde his deuoyre / and also his laboure That ryte to chaunge in to the honoure Of our Lady / so that this hye feste From the hyest downe to the loweste . Euery man and woman in her hande To the Temple shulde a taper brynge Thorowe out the worlde / in euery maner lande And ther withall make her offrynge After the Gospell / the prestes hand kissynge With light solempne / that all might it sene In honoure onely of the heuen quene . That best may be our mediatrice To her sone / that is without fayle Bothe lorde and kynge / and she imperatric● Of lande and see / of peace and of batayle Withouten whome / no conquest maye auayle For she hath power more in sothfastnes Than Februa of Rome the goddes . And thus this ryte was vtterly refused By Sergius as ye haue herde deuise That was aforne of hem of Rome vsed Full many a daye in her paynym wyse Whome to she we all Christen muste despise And of Candels / whan this rite gan passe Came the name fyrste of Candelmasse . This feste also / of full longe agone The name toke of the procession Made of Anna and holy Simeon When they hym mete with greate deuocion Brought to the Temple to this oblacion As was the lawe custome and vsaunce Of holy churche for a remembraunce . Obserued for the / fro yere to yere Of February on the fyrste daye With sacred light / vpon taperis clere Shynynge as bright / as Phebus in Maye Whan the people / in what they can or maye Full redy ben of one entencion To make in figure a presentacion . Of Christe Iesu with all her full might Signefied / who so can take hede By the tapre / that we offre light For tyrste the waxe betokeneth his manhede The weke his soule / the fyre his godhede For as the waxe is made of newe Thorowe small bees of floures fresshe of hewe . Thorowe clennes / onely and diligent labours On blossomes gadred / & to hyue brought So Christes manhode / growe out of a floure Whose fresshe beaute of coloure fadeth nought For a mayde clene / in will and thought Lyche as waxe of floure sote and glade Is tryed out / and dothe hem nat to fade . So Christe Iesu conseruynge her clennes His manhode toke of a mayde fre She standynge hole flourynge in fayrenes With all the fresshenes of virginite And as a tapre is one to gether on thre So thylke lorde / that is bothe thre and one Toke flesshe and blode / to saue vs euerychone . Of a mayde / whiche this daye fro Bethleem Mekely wente to be purified To the Temple of Ierusalem As her toforne / it is specified In whose honour / this feste is magnefied Of all Christen men / with fresshe tapres shene To signefye / who so that will be clene . Muste offre a taper to gether made of thre Of feythe and werke / and true entencion For sothfastly / but they conioyned be Withoute partynge or deuision Nother his offrynge ne oblacion Howe fayre outwarde / playnly that it seme To god aboue / it maye neuer queme . And though his taper brenne bright all daye And enuiron make his light to shede If werke of fay the / prolonged be awaye And true entent / folowe nat the dede Fare well his guerdon / his merite & his mede For whan these thre be nat knytte in one ▪ He is nat able to offrynge for to gone . For if these thre to gyder be nat meynte Feyth / werke / and hoole entencion His offrynge fareth but as a taper queynte That gyueth no light / but brightnes enuiron For derke of dede from all deuocion His offrynge is / but if this thre Be knette in one / thorowe perfyte vnite . Nowe Christe / that art the sothfaste holy ligh● The hert of man for to enlumyne Upon vs wretches / for thy see so bright Lete the Sonne of thy mercy shyne For loue of her / that is a pure virgyne Whiche on this daye to the Temple went Of mekenes onely the for to present . Thorowe whose prayer / lorde of thy might Graunte vs grace / whan we be olde And shall dye to holde our tapers light Tofore thy see / where that it is tolde Seuen Chaundelars / all of pure golde Fresshely with light standeafore thy face Theder to come of mercy / graunt vs grace . And in this exyle / where as we soiourne Graunt vs lorde whyle that we ben here In February / as Phebus dothe retourne The circuite of his golden spere Upon this daye / ay fro yere to yere With tapers fresshe / and bright torches shene To kepe and halowe / in honoure of that quene / To whome this feste is in speciall Dedicat bothe of more and lasse Whiche bare her chylde in a litell stall Betwene an Oxe / and a sely Asse And blessed quene / this feste of Candelmasse To thy seruauntes / shelde and socour be To kepe and saue from all aduersite . Here endeth the boke of the lyfe of our Lady made by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of bury at th ynstaunce of the moste cristen kynge : kynge Henry the fyfth
Go litell boke / and submitte the Unto all them / that the shall rede Or here / prayenge hem for charite To pardon me of the rudehede Of myne enpryntynge / nat takynge hede And if ought be done to theyr pleasynge Saye they these balades folowynge .

Sancte & indiuidue Trinitate / Iesu Christi crucifixi humanitati gloriose beate Marie virgini / sit sempiterna gloria / ab omni creatura / per in finita seculorum secula . Amen

Unto the holy and vndeuided Trinite Thre persones in one very godhede To Iesu Christe crucefied humanite And to our blessed ladyes maydenhede Be gyuen laude and glorie in very 〈◊〉 Of euery creature / what soeuer he be Worlde withouten ende / Amen saye all we .

Benedictum sit dulcissime nom● Iesu Christi / et gloriosissime Marie matris eius ●●eter●ū & vltra . Nos cum ꝓle p●a b●dicat virgo Maria. Am● ,

Blessed be the swettest name of our lorde Iesu Christe / and moste glorious Marie His blessed mother / with eternall accorde More than euer / to endure in glorie And with her meke sone for memorie Blesse vs Marie / the moste holy virgine That we reygne in heuen with the ordres nyne .
Here endeth the lyfe of our Lady

Imprynted at London in the Fletestrete / by me Robert Redman / dwellynge in saynt Dunstones parysshe / next the churche . In the yere of our lorde god . M. CCCCC . xxx I. The fyrste daye of the moneth of Nouembre