sig: [A1] | |
The .iiii. leues of the trueloue | |
sig: [A1v] | |
The full set of readings from A supplied for lines 1 to 30 illustrates the significant degree of variance in the printed text from the surviving earlier manuscript versions, which show more clearly the Northern dialect origin of the text. Only select variants that clarify meaning in the 1510 print are supplied beyond this point. The print compositor or a prior copyist in the transmission process appears to have misunderstood the alliterative /rhymed stanzaic structure, with its bob and wheel. The bob, which should follow the eighth line of each stanza, has been attached to the first or second line of the three-line wheel, thus obscuring the triple end-rhyme. The misplaced bob is enclosed by curled brackets in the following transcription. | |
IN a mornyng of may whan medowes can sprynge can] sall A | |
Braunches and blossomes of bryght colours Braunches] Blomes A | |
As I wente by a well on my playenge | |
Thorowe a mery orcharde sayenge myn oures sayenge] bedande A | |
5 | Where byrdes full bysely began for to synge The birdis one bewes bigane for to synge A |
The bowes to borge on borde to the browes And bowes for to burgeon and belde to þe bour[es] A | |
I was ware of a may that made mornynge I was ware] Was I warre A | |
She sate and syghed amonge the fayre floures {so swete} Sekande and syghande amange þase floures so swete A | |
¶She made mournynge ynoughe | |
10 | Her wepynge dyd my herte woo dyd my herte woo] dide woughe A; dyde me roghe B |
To a derne I me droughe To a derne] Vndir a tree A | |
Her wyll for to knowe for to knowe] walde I wete A | |
¶Stylly I stalked and stode in that stede | |
To wytte of her wyll and of her wylde thought To wytte] For I walde wiete A | |
15 | Then cast she her kercheffes the calle of hede Rafe scho hir kertchefs, hir kelle of hir hede A |
Wronge she her handes and wrothly she wrought | |
¶She sayd mylde mary ryght thou my rede my] me A | |
Of all the welthe of the worlde wolde I nought For of alle þe wele of þis werlde I welde A; ... warlde I wys I walde noȜte B | |
But sende me some solase or sone I shall be dede But] omit A; solase] socour A; I shall be dede] be I dede A | |
20 | A syghte of that selcath I haue it longe sought A] Som A |
¶Then spake the turtyll on a tree {with care} the] a A | |
With fayre wordes and free wordes] notis A | |
Bryght byrde of bewte Thou birde for thi beaute A | |
Why syghest thou so sore | |
25 | ¶O fayre foule spare not thy speche nor thy spell A thou faire foule faile noghte þi speche and þi spelle A |
[Thy] kerpynge doth me comforte to herken and bere Thy] They W; Thi carpyng es comforthe to herkene and to here A | |
All my wyll and my thought wolde I the tell wyll] hert A | |
My wo and my wandrynge and thou wolde come nere Mi wo and my wandrethe walde þou come nere A | |
¶Then he lyghted louely with her for to dwell Than lufly he lyghtede walde he noghte duelle A | |
30 | To comforte the comly and euer her chere the] þat A; euer] couer A |
She blyssyd his body with boke and with bell | |
And loued our lady that sente her that fere | |
¶Whan I was sory | |
sig: A2 | |
Besought I our lady {so fre} | |
35 | And she sente me company |
Blessyd maye she be | |
¶O fayre foule full of loue so mylde and swete | |
To medle on a mater nowe we maye begynne | |
Trueloue I haue sought fer by waye and by strete | |
40 | In many fayre orchardes where floures be in |
¶So ferre as I haue soughte sawe I none yet | |
Full fewe I haue founde of more or of myn | |
Bryght byrde of ble my sorowe myght thou bete | |
Wolde thou me wysshe wysely a trueloue to wynne | |
45 | ¶For when I wene sonest |
To fynde loue best {with ryght} | |
Then so feble is it fest | |
And fareth all on flyght | |
¶The wytte of wymen is wonder to here | |
50 | Is all thy sory syghynge to seke a loue true |
All thy lyfe dayes may thou seke and neuer none be nere | |
But yf thou had counsayle of one that I knewe | |
¶Yf thou be set to seke trueloue I shall the lere | |
Where it is spryngynge euermore newe | |
55 | Without ony fautynge full fayre and full clere |
Or castynge of coloures or chaungynge of hewe | |
¶I dare baldly [s]aye {full yare} saye] faye W, say A | |
Th[er] is no loue that lasteth aye Ther] Thre W, Ther A | |
Without treason or traye | |
60 | But yf it begyn there |
¶Loke where thou fyndest growyng a truloue gresse | |
That with .iiij. leues fully is set aboute | |
The fyrst lefe we maye lyken to the kynge of blysse | |
He that wrought all the worlde with | |
65 | ¶He made heuen with his hande and all paradyse |
And this mery mydell-erthe without ony doubte | |
All the welthe of the worlde holly is his | |
In whome we ought to lyue and lowe for to loute | |
¶Holde we this in mynde {full wele} | |
sig: [A2v] | |
70 | Tyll we may these felawes fynde |
The true loue and kynde | |
That neuermore shall kele | |
¶The seconde lefe of the trueloue I lyken to goddes sone | |
That to the fyrst lefe is felawe and fere | |
75 | The thyrde to the holy goost togyder they wone |
All hole in a godhede and persones thre | |
¶They be rulers of water sonne and of mone | |
The fourth lefe of pryce without ony pere | |
Whan the comly kynge is set in his trone comly] semly A | |
80 | Comly of colours and curteyse of chere |
¶All this worlde he began {with grace} | |
And of wyndes and waters wan | |
Then he marked man | |
After his owne face | |
85 | ¶Fyrst he made Adam and than he made Eue |
He put them in-to paradyse in grete degre | |
Forbyddynge nothynge to hym and his wyfe | |
But a grene apple that dyde growe on a tre | |
¶Than sory sathanas sought them belyfe | |
90 | To awake our wo cursed myght he be |
Then toke they the apple that styred moche stryfe | |
The foule fende was glad that syght for to se | |
¶The fyrst leue was wo {for tene} | |
Whan floures fell hym fro | |
95 | That his frendes sholde to hell go |
For an apple grene | |
¶Then began the fyrst lefe to mourne for vs all | |
For his holy handy-werke that was forlorne | |
Gabryell to hym he dyde call | |
100 | Forth came he comly and kneled hym beforne |
¶He sayd to mylde mary on message thou shall | |
To bere her gladde tydynges of her I wyll be borne | |
Thus he sent his sone out of his hye halle | |
sig: A3 | |
To the mylde mayde on a mery morne | |
105 | ¶ Gabryell with the fayre face |
Sayd mary full of grace {and her gret} | |
Pyerles in euery place | |
With myrth thou arte met | |
¶Thou salte conceyue a chylde comly and clere salte: =shalte | |
110 | All the bale of the worlde in the it shall be let |
She sayd that were a meruayle and I a chylde sholde bere | |
For I was neuer maryed with no man yet | |
¶He sayd beholde to thy cosyn that hath conceyued to_yere | |
Elyzabeth in her age that longe hath ben led | |
115 | O lorde I am thy mayde sayd mary so dere |
And holy in thy seruyce is my herte set | |
¶Blyssed be the swete wyght | |
That goddes sone in lyght {full styll} | |
Become man full of myght | |
120 | With the faders wyll |
¶Now is the seconde lefe for our loue moost | |
Lyght in the lady that gabryell grete | |
Without ony treason true for to tryst | |
With myrthe in a mayde is god and man met | |
125 | ¶This is the fader and the sonne and the holy goste |
Thre lefes of loue without ony lette | |
The fourth is a mayde chosen for chaste | |
Suche another truloue was neuer in londe sette | |
¶The fourth lefe maye neuer fall {for bote} | |
130 | But euer they sprynge shall |
So gentely they Ioyne all | |
On a ryche roote | |
¶Now hathe the thyrde lefe a swete felowe taken | |
For loue in [our] lady is our [lorde] lyght our lady] lady W, oure lady A; lorde] lady W, lorde A | |
135 | Ioseph her wedded and with her dyd gone |
In the cyte of bethelem there buylded the bryght | |
sig: [A3v] | |
¶Bytwene an oxe and an asse pryde was there none | |
A blessed chylde there was borne on crystmas nyght | |
There rose a sterre stabely shewed and shone | |
140 | Thre kynge[s] of colayne theron hadde a syght kynges] kynge W, kynges A |
¶They offered to hym as they wolde {and sought} | |
Myrre Rykyls and golde | |
He thanked them many-folde | |
And to blysse he them brought | |
145 | ¶Unhappy Herode the tydynges herde tell |
That a chylde was borne that kynge sholde be | |
He dyde make messagers and sende them full snell | |
To slee all male chyldren in that countre | |
¶They lefte none alyue but all dyd they kyll | |
150 | They spytted them on spere-poyntes grete pyte was to se |
Ioseph with his wedded wyfe wolde no longer dwell | |
But ledde her in-to Egypte with her leues thre | |
¶The chyldren coude theyr dethe take | |
For the trueloue sake {for to saue} | |
155 | More myrthe they dyde make |
For hym-selfe wolde they haue | |
¶Yet wolde our lorde do more for his frendes dere | |
For his holy handy-werkes to helle wolde he gone | |
To gyue ensample his lawe for to lere | |
160 | Saynt Iohan crystened hym in flome iordane |
¶For .xxx. pens was he solde thorowe a false fere | |
Unto the Iewes that wolde hym haue slayne | |
All he suffred for our sake and hymselfe was clere | |
By a kysse was he knowen and sone was he taken | |
165 | ¶It was grete pyte for to se {also} |
When he sholde blenke of his ble | |
The seconde lefe of the thre | |
The fourth was full woo | |
¶ Pylate was Iustyse and spake vp on hye | |
sig: [A4] | |
170 | For to deme Ihesu that Iudas hathe solde |
He sayd loke lordes trouthe for to trye | |
The semly is fautles saye what they wolde | |
¶The Iues on pylate began for to crye | |
He calleth hymselfe a kyng suche bourdes be to bolde | |
175 | Yf thou wylte not deme hym to_daye for to dye |
Loude before the emperoure the tale shall be tolde | |
¶A f[i]ry dome he gaue hym there firy] fury W, drery A, B | |
And sayd that he coude saye no more {for drede} | |
I rede ye take hym there | |
180 | And forthe ye hym lede |
¶Alas for the fourthe lefe was lefte alone | |
When her fayre felowshyp was taken and torne | |
Beten wi[t]h sharpe scourges body and bone with] wich W | |
Syth spred on a crosse and crowned with thorne | |
185 | ¶Thorowe his handes and fete [the] nayles dyd gone the] herte W, þ e A |
A bryght spere to his herte sharpely was borne | |
He shed his blode for our loue and lyfe leued hym none | |
A[t]ter and ayzell they gaue hym for scorne Atter] After W, Attir AAtter: 'gall'; see OED s.v. atter n. | |
¶It was grete pyte for to se {with gyle} | |
190 | Whan he was nayled on a tre |
The seconde lefe sycurly | |
Dyed for vs all | |
¶The fourthe lefe of the loke alone she stode | |
Wryngynge her handes and wepynge for woo | |
195 | With a mournynge chere and mylde mode |
Her sonnes coloure faded and wexed wonder blo | |
¶Downe by his whyte sydes ran the redde blode | |
Harde roches dyd ryue [the temple] in two the temple] and temples W, þ e temple A | |
Then swowned the fourth lefe and to the ground yode | |
200 | Alas for the trueloue that it sholde twyne so |
¶She sawe her dere sonne dye | |
Saynt Iohan stode her by {full yare} | |
sig: [A4v] | |
[To comforte] the lady upper margin trimmed | |
That was cast in care | |
205 | ¶Yet spake the noble kynge that was nayled on the tre |
To his moder so mylde that was mournyng that tyde | |
And sayd leue thy wepyng woman mourne not for me | |
Take Iohan too thy sone that wonneth the besyde | |
¶ Iohan take mary to thy moder for to myrthe the | |
210 | To kepe and to comforte your blysse for to byde |
The hote blode of his sydes caused longes to se | |
That sought by a spere-shafte fro his woundes wyde | |
¶It was grete pyte for to se {that daye} | |
Whan he was take of the tree | |
215 | The seconde lefe of the thre |
Was closed in clay | |
¶Whan he was take of the rode and delued ful yare | |
All the welthe of the worlde with the iij. leues laye | |
The fourth for woo fell and syghed full sare | |
220 | [And all] truth of the worlde was with the true maye And all] With W, and all A |
¶Thoughe his manhede was dede his myght was the more | |
On his holy handy-werkes his herte was aye | |
The soule with the godhede to hell dyde fare | |
The body and the manhede dyd byde the iij. daye | |
225 | ¶All that he with his handes had wrought |
And [syth] with his blode bought {full yare} syth] sayth W, sythen A | |
Tyll they were out of bale brought | |
Hym longed full sare | |
¶Than sayd sory sathanas his so[r]owe was sadde sorowe] solowe W, sorowe A | |
230 | For the syght of the selcuth he was nothynge fayne |
He sayd to vs cometh som bodworde I trowe it be bad | |
What art thou with thy fayre face thus dyd hym frayne | |
¶Kynge of Ioye is my name thy gestes to gladde | |
Let me in for theyr loue thou sholde not layne | |
235 | He sayd wende awaye with thy myght thou makest vs sig:
B1
all made
|
What sholde thou do in this pyt here is nothyng but payne | |
¶Whan they herde the kynge sp[e]ke speke] spake W, speke A | |
All theyr gates they dyd shyt {fast} | |
Sone the barres dyd breke | |
240 | And all the bandes braste |
¶For his holy handy-werkes there harowed he hell | |
All them brought out of bale that euer had ben his | |
Dauyd his derlynge made myrthe them amonge | |
With an herpe in his hande he harped I_wysse | |
245 | ¶All his retenue out coude he tell |
And of his grete mercy forgaue them theyr mysse | |
He sayd I was solde for your sake and suffred woundes wyde | |
And all my good chyldren be brought vnto blysse | |
¶The sothe is not to layne {on the roode} | |
250 | Whan they were brought out of payne |
To the blyssed body agayne | |
The holy goost yode | |
¶The fourth lefe of the trueloue was folden for wo | |
She was lefte mayde moder and wyfe | |
255 | The fyrste lefe full of myght his wyll was so |
By the assente of the thyrde lefe was there no stryfe | |
¶They reysed vp the seconde bytwene them two | |
Thorowe myght of the godhede from dethe vnto lyfe | |
He toke a crosse in his hande and forthe he dyd go | |
260 | With his flesshe and his woundes fyfe |
¶When he was rysen agayne {he yode} | |
He mette mary_magdalayne | |
It was no meruayle yf she was fayne | |
¶He was her leche good | |
265 | ¶Forth wente mari_magdalayne with myrth and with mode |
She tolde the tydynges to Thomas of ynde | |
How cryst was rysen agayne that shed his hert-blode | |
sig: [B1v] | |
[Truste this] Thomas thou shalte it true fynde Truste this] Trow now þis Aupper margin trimmed | |
¶Then spake Thomas in stede there he stode | |
270 | Women be talkynge it cometh to them by kynde |
He wolde neuer byleue it tyll cryste to hym yode | |
And apered to the apostles so clerkes hath in my[n]de W omits the bob: In hy A | |
¶He put his hande to his syde | |
He blessed all that tyme | |
275 | That byleued on his woundes wyde |
And sawe they neuer with eye | |
¶Forthe wente the semly the soth for to saye | |
To seke his dyssyples that euer were true | |
[Syth] to our lady that he had loued ay Syth] Sayth W, sythen A | |
280 | All hole in his hurtes of hyde and of hewe |
¶She was euer stable and styll and fayled neuer faye | |
The iiij. leues of troueloue they sprynge euer newe | |
Our lorde assended in-to heuen on holy thursdaye | |
Then folowed his moder with myrthes ynowe | |
285 | ¶Before her sone she kneled downe {full euen} |
With a good deuocyon | |
On her hede he set a crowne | |
And made her quene of heuen | |
¶The iiij. lefe of the trueloue blessed must she be | |
290 | She may haue Ioye in her herte of her gentyll chylde |
On his faders ryght hande her sone maye she se | |
And the holy ghost that to them can bylde | |
¶Now be they hole in one godhede and persones thre | |
And she is mayde of myght and moder full mylde | |
295 | Suche a nother trueloue growed neuer on tre |
Who-so trysteth on that trueloue shall not be gyled | |
¶Well is that wyght {so hende} | |
That maye be sure of the syght | |
Where euer is daye and euer lyght | |
300 | And Ioye without ende |
sig: B2 | |
¶Thus hathe the fayre trueloue made vs all fre | |
Our soules out of bondage and bought vs on the rode | |
He commaunded vs to kepe and gaue pauste | |
Our soules out of synne for ony worldes good | |
305 | ¶Moche sorow wolde we haue and we our soules myȜt se |
When they be sonken in synne as [f]ysshe in a [fl]ode fysshe] rysshe W, fercost A; flode] stode W, flode A | |
Then abyde we in bondage in bale for to be | |
He that vs boughte with his holy herte-blode | |
¶He bad axe mercy whan we maye | |
310 | And byd our lady for vs pray {to haue blysse} |
Or we be closed in claye | |
Or elles of our myrthe shall we mysse | |
¶Blessyd be the trueloue so meke and so mylde | |
Sure and stedfast and stable in faye | |
315 | Whan we haue wrathed iij. with our werkes wylde wrathed] wrethede A |
The fourth lefe is gracyous and good vs to helpe aye | |
¶Then kneleth she downe before her dere chylde | |
Sore wepynge for our sake with her eyes graye | |
She is euer full of grace alas we were begyled | |
320 | She wynneth with her wepynge many fayre praye |
¶Syth she is welthe of our wele {for to kepe} welthe] welle A, B | |
And all our care wolde kele | |
Alas why make ye her to knele | |
And for our werkes wepe | |
325 | ¶There is none in this worlde so doughty nor so dere |
Kynge nor quene thoughe he were a crowne | |
Nor no fayre ladyes of coloures so clere | |
Whan dredfull dethe cometh it draweth all downe | |
¶Yet lyst vs neuer leue it for preste nor for fryer | |
330 | Tyll we fele we fall with swelte and with swowne |
Whan the bare body is broughte on bere | |
Than fayleth all felawshyp in felde and in towne Bob in A reads: Bot fonne | |
¶In a clothe be we knyt | |
sig: [B2v] | |
Syth put in a pyt {and erth vpon vs done} | |
335 | Of all the worlde be we quyt |
Forgoten be we soone | |
¶For the caytyf corse there is but lytell care | |
and we were sure of our soules where they sholde dwell | |
But nowe [no wyght] in this worlde so wyse [is] of lare no wyght] is nowe W, no wyghte A; is of] his of W, es of A | |
340 | Nor no clerke in co[n]ynge that therof can tell conynge] comynge W, conynge A |
¶How fer[r]e and how fele our soules must fare ferre] ferte W, ferre A | |
Hard wayes is to heuen and hasty to hell | |
In purgatory is grete payne whoso cometh there | |
Of moche wo shall they wyt that therin shall dwell | |
345 | ¶What-so-euer we do here we fare {so longe} |
Before vs shall we fynde there | |
We maye be sure of no more | |
When paynes be full stronge | |
¶When grete fyers grym be made in our gate | |
350 | Then is there no glosynge but i[n] must we glyde in] it W, In A |
When we be put in the payne so harde and so hote | |
We seke after socoure on euery syde | |
¶We crye after kynne-folke they come to vs to late | |
[W]hen [w]e haue felte the fyer faysed is our pryde When we] Then he W, When we A | |
355 | Then of all our sorowe no sertayne [ende] we wate ende] W omits, ende A |
But truste on the trueloue his mercy to abyde | |
¶Now is tyme to begynne {with drede} | |
The trueloue to wynne | |
That all our bales he maye blyn | |
360 | Whan [w]e haue moost nede we] he W, we A |
¶Of all the dayes that we haue lyued ones shall we knowe | |
Whan we remembre our foule synnes sore may we mone | |
Whan the grete lorde aboue his bemes shall blowe | |
And hye Iustyse shall syt in his trone | |
365 | ¶And all the folke in the worlde shall ryse on a rowe |
The quycke maye quake whan the dede shall vp-ryse | |
sig: B3 | |
We may lette for no shame our synnes to showe | |
There is no golde nor fee that may make our maynpryse | |
¶For then is all our pryde gone {and kynne} | |
370 | Our robes and our ryche pane |
Saue a crysome alone | |
That we were crystened in | |
¶When we be called to the courte vs be_houeth to here | |
All shall be there sene bonde-men and free | |
375 | The soule and the body that longe hath [b]en sere ben] sen W, bene A |
Be_houeth to be present at the semble | |
¶Euery soule shall be sende to seke after his fere | |
Whan cryste well vs gather a grete lorde is he well: =will (A) | |
With our flesshe and our fell as we in worlde were | |
380 | Neuer-more to sonder after that daye be |
¶Our werkes be wryten and scorde | |
In a rolle of recorde {for to knowe} | |
Before the grete lorde | |
Full sharply to showe | |
385 | ¶We must seke thyder in a symple tyer a symple tyer] sympille atyre A |
Tremblynge and quakynge as lefe on a tree | |
Whan all the worlde is set with water and fyer | |
There is no wrenche nor no wyll wyll wysshe vs to fle | |
¶When cryste is greued he is a grym syer | |
390 | So many synfull wretches as he there shall see |
Then dare not his moder yf she wolde desyre | |
Not speke to her son so dredfull is he | |
¶All t[he] sayntes in heuen {that daye} the] to W, þ e A | |
They shall be styll of theyr steuen | |
395 | They dare not a worde meuen meuen] neuen A |
For no man to praye | |
¶The werckes of mercy he wyll reken them seuen | |
When I was [hungry] how hardly haue ye me fedde hungry] thrusty W, hungry A | |
When I was thrusty how hardly haue ye me gyuen | |
sig: [B3v] | |
400 | When I was naked how haue ye me cledde |
¶When I was housles harbowred ye me euen | |
Or vysyte me in syknes or sought to my bedde | |
Or comforted me in pryson that wo[l]de I here [n]euen wolde] worde W, wolde B; neuen] meuen, neuen B | |
Or brought me to buryeng when deth hath me sted | |
405 | ¶Or lorde when sawe we the {they saye} |
Euer in ony suche degree | |
He sayd the leest in the name of me | |
That thou myght praye | |
¶He wyll shewe vs his woundes blody and bare | |
410 | All he suffred for our sake bytter and wyde |
Kynges and quenes before hym must fare | |
Bysshoppes and barons all must abyde | |
¶Erles and Emperoures none wyll he spare | |
Prestes nor prelates or persones of pryde | |
415 | Iustyse and Iuges of lawe and of lere |
That now be full ryall to rynne and to ryde | |
¶Theyr dome shall they take there | |
Ryght as they haue demed here {in londe} | |
When they were of myght more | |
420 | And domes had in hande |
¶Ryche ladyes that hathe robes full yare | |
Ryches and rubyes with gownes full wyde | |
Bendes and myrroures and fyllettes full fayre | |
Golde on theyr garlondes with perre and pryde | |
425 | ¶Kalle and kercheffes that coucheth on theyr heyre |
So [shaply] and shynynge to shewe by theyr syde shaply] sharply W, schaply A | |
All that welthe is awaye and myrth moche more | |
But yf we wyn the truloue vnglad maye we glyde | |
¶Betyme is best to begyn {for sorowe} | |
430 | Or we be sonken in synne |
For then is nother kyth nor kynne | |
Fro bale may vs borowe | |
sig: [B4] | |
¶By lordes and ladyes all I wyll not saye | |
But some-thynge by other folkes that I fynde full wele | |
435 | The galande gedlynge that kythis gentry galande] galiarde A |
With daynty damoyselles no man may dele | |
¶They haue purfels and perles and heddes full hye | |
Thoughe her corse be [in] the myddle of her kattell in] W omits, in A | |
Yf men talke of her kynne awaye wyll she wrye | |
440 | Her fader and moder fayre wolde she hyll hyll] hele A |
¶When that daye shall begyn {and tyde} | |
No man shall shame with theyr kynne | |
All shall shame with theyr synne | |
And with theyr foule pryde | |
445 | ¶The dome of the trueloue full sore maye we drede |
For then is all the tyme past of mercy to craue | |
When euery man is demed after his owne dede | |
Then may not our-selfe sterte and sende forthe our knaue | |
¶For he rekeneth by reason so clerkes can rede | |
450 | He setteth on his ryght hande the soules that he wyll saue |
The synfull wretches that maye not spede | |
Shall stande on his lefte hande [and wo shall they] haue and wo shall they] awaye for to W, and wa sall þay B | |
¶Then wyll our lady wepe sore | |
For sorowe that she shall se there {for aye} | |
455 | Whan she maye helpe no more |
Grete mournynge shall be that daye | |
¶Now is tyme for to speke for them that wyll spede | |
And seke after socoure and foly to flee | |
And not on domes-daye whan we haue moost nede | |
460 | Now is moche mercy and then wyll none be |
¶When our dere lady dare not for drede | |
Speke to her dere sone so dredfull is he | |
How maye we axe mercy for our mysdede | |
That wyll not folowe to it whan it is fre | |
465 | There is no waye but ij. {thore} |
sig: [B4v] | |
Wheder that we shall go | |
To wele and to woo | |
To dwell for euermore | |
¶Thus the bryght byrde taught the true maye | |
470 | And she blessyd his body his bone and his blode |
To the fourthe lefe I rede that we praye | |
That she wolde our message do with a mylde mode | |
¶And speke for the loue before the last daye | |
To the thyrde lefe gracyous and good | |
475 | The loue of the iiij. leues that we wynne maye |
That grace graunt grete god that dyed on the rood | |
¶This I herde in a valaye {walkynge} | |
As I wente on my waye | |
In a mournynge of maye | |
480 | Whan medowes can sprynge |
Enprented at London in Flete_strete at the sygne o[f]of] ot W the sonne / by wynkyn_de_worde. |