[...]
Nor slacke at this bargyn
Mary here he cōmyth I haue hym aspyde
No more wordis stonde thou a syde
For it is he playne
¶ My frynde where abowt goist thou all day
cor. B
¶ Mary syr I came heder to a say
whedyr these folke had ben here
And yet thay be not come
So helpe me god and holy dome
Of that I haue moche maruaile / that thay tar
¶ Mary go thi way / & wit where thay wyll or
cor. B
¶ ye god a vow shall I so
¶ ye mary so I say
cor. B
¶ yet in that poynt as semyth me
ye do not accordynge to your degre
¶ I pray the tell me why
cor. B
¶ Mary it wolde be com them well I now
To be here a fore and to wayte vpon you
And not you to tary
For theyr laysyr and abyde them here
As it were one that were ledde by the eare
For that I defy
By this mene you sholde be theyr druge
I tell you trought I
And yet the worst that greueth me
Is that your aduersary sholde in you se
So notable A foly
Therfore witdraw you for a seasone
¶ By seynt Iohan thou sayst but reasone
cor. B
¶ ye do so hardely
And whan the tyme drawith vpon
That thay be com euerychone
And all thinge redy
[Page] ¶ Than shall I come streyght a way
[...]or to feche you withoute delay
¶ Be it so hardely
But one thinge whyle I thinke ther one
Remēber this when I am gone
yef hit happon so
That lucres come in fyrst alone
Go in hand with her anone
How so euer thou do
For to fele her mynde toward me
And by all meanis possyble to be
In duce her ther vnto
¶ Than some to [...] you must gyue me
For ellis she wyll not beleue me
That I cam from you
¶ Mary that is euyn wysely spoken
Cōmaunde me to her by the same token
She knowyth it well I now
That as she and I walkyde onis to gedyr
In her garden hedyr and thedyr
There happonde a straunge case
For at the last we dyd se
Abyrd sittynge on a holow tre
An ashe I trow it was
Anone she prayde me for to assay
yf I coude start the byrde a way
¶ And dyde ye so / alas alas
¶ why the deuyll sayst thou so
¶ By collis bonis for it was a kocko
And men say amonge
He that throwyth stone ar stycke
At suche abyrde he is lycke
[...] that byrdes songe
[Page] ¶ what the deuyll recke I therfore
cor.
Here what I say to the euer more
And marke thine erand well
Syr I had no stone to throw with all
And therfore she toke me her must ball
And thus it befell
I kyst it as strayght as ony pole
So that it lyghtyde euyn in the hole
Of the holow ashe
Now canst thou remēber all this
¶ By god I wolde be loth to do amys
B
For some tyme I am full rashe
ye say that ye kyst it euyn in the hole
Of the holow ashe as strayte as apole
Sayde ye not so
¶ yes.
cor. B
¶ well then let me a lone
As for this erande it shall be done
As sone as ye be go
¶ Fare well then I leue the here
cor.
And remēbyr well all this gere
How so euer thou do ¶ Et exeat corn [...]
¶ yes hardely this erande shall be spoken
B
But how say you syrs by this tokene
Is it not a quaynt thinge
I went he hade bene a sayd man
But I se well he is amade man
In this message doynge
But what. chose he for me
I am but as a messanger perde
The blame shall not be myne but his
For I wyll his token reporte
whether she take it in hernest or sporte
[Page] [...] wyll not therof mys
[...]e she wroth or well a payde
[...] wyll tell her euyn as he sayde ¶ Intrat lucres.
[...] God a vow here she is
[...] is tyme for me to be wyse
[...]ow welcome lady. floure of prise
[...] haue sought you twyse or thryse
[...]ythin this houre I wys
[...] Me syr haue ye sought me
[...]ye that I haue by god that bowght me
[...] To what intent
[...] Mary for I haue thing is a few
[...]he which I must to you shew
[...]y my maysters cōmaūdement
[...]ublius Cornelius is hys name
[...]ur veray louer in payne of shame
[...]nd yf ye loue hym not ye be to blame
[...]r this dare I say
[...]nd on a boke make it gode
[...] louyd you better than his one hart blode
Hys harde bloode nay nay
[...]alf that loue wolde serue for me
yet sithe he dyde you fyrst se
[...]n the place where he dwellis
[...] had louyd you so in hys hart
[...]hat he settyth not by hym self a fart
[...]r by noo man ellis
[...]nd by cause ye shulde gyue credence
[...]nto my sayng in hys absence
[...]d trust to that I say
[...] tolde me tokyns ii. or .iii.
[...]iche I know well as he tolde me
[...] [...]yns what be thay
[...]