IN may quben Flora the fresche lusty quene
the snyl hath cladde in redde qubyte grene aright
And phebus gan to shedde his stremes shene
Amydde the bule with all his bemes bright
And Lucifere to chace avey the nyght
Ayene the morow or orisent hath take
To bidde loueris out of thare slepe alvake.
And hertes hevy for to reconfort
From̄ dreryhede and hevy nychtes sorow,
Nature badde hym rise and disport
Ayene the gudely gladde gray morow
And hope with seynt Ihon̄ to borow
Badde in despite of dangere and dispare
For to tak the holesmn lusty a [...]e
And wyth a siche I gan to abreide
Out of my slombre and sodaynly vp slert
As he allace that neigh for sorow deid
My seknes satt ay so neigh my hert
Bot for to fynd succoure of my smert
Or at the leste sum relesche of my peyne
That me so sore held in ewiry veyne
I rose anone and thought I wold gone
Into the wodde to here the birddes syng
Quhen that the mysty vapoure was al gone
And clere and feire was the dawing
The dew alsso like silvir in shynyng
Wpon the leues as any balme suete
Til syre Tytan with his psant hete.
Hadde dryet vp the lusty licoure new
[Page]Wpon the heibes in the grene meid
And that the floures off many diuerse hew
Wpon thare stalkes gonne [...] for to spreid
And for to splay out thair leves in breid
Ayenes the soii gold burned in his spere
That dou [...] to thame cast his bemes clere.
And by a ryuere com̄ I furth costey
Of wat [...] cler as berial or cristalle
Til at the last I fond a lytil wey
To [...]art a park enclosyt wyth a walle
In compas round and by a gate small
Quho lo that wold frely myght gone
In till this park wallit wyth grene stone
And In I went to here the briddes long
Quhithe in branchis and in plane vale
So loud sond that a [...] [...]e londe rong
Lyke as it schuld shew [...] in pecis smale
And as me thought that the nyghtgale
Wyth lo grete myght hyr wice gan out breste
Ryght as hir hert for loue wold to breste
The s [...]yle was pleyn̄ smoht and wound soft
Al ouer spradde wyth t [...]pitis that nature
Hadde mayd hyr selue siluered eke aloft
Wyth bewis grene the flouris for to cure
That in thare beaute they mow long endure
From all assaut off phebus fervent sere
Quhiche in his spere so hoote schene & clere
The eyre attemper and the smoth wynd
Off phebus among the blosūmes quhite
Thate smale briddes and round blomes lyte
In maner gan off thare breth delyte
To gyfe ws hop that thay fruyte shall take
Ayene autompne reddy for to shake.
I saw the [...]aphyn closed wnd rynde
Grene laurere and the holsum pyne
Chemyrre also that wepeth ewir of kynde.
The hey cydryce vp ryght as a lyne
The filbart eke that law doith inclyne
Hyr belwis grene vnto the erd ado [...]
Wnto hyr knyght callit demephoun̄
There saw I eke the fresche haw thorst
In quhite ma [...]e that so suete doth smell
A [...]he fyrre and ake with many a yhong accorn̄
And many a tre mo than I kan tell
And me beforn̄ I saw a litill w [...]ll
That hadde his course as I can bihold
Wndyr a hill wyth quyk stremes cold
The gravale like gold the wacter pure as glassh
The bounkes round the well enveronnyng
And sost as veluet the yhong grasse.
That there vpon lustely gan [...]pring
The nombre of treis about compaising
There shadew cast closing the well round
And all the herbes growing on the ground
The watt (er) was so hoolsum and virtouse
Throu myt of herbes growing be syde
Nought liche the well quhere as Narcisus
[Page]Slayen was throw vengeance of cupide
Quhere so coniunctly he did abide
The greyn of deth vpon the brynk
For deth mot folow quho that euer it drynk
No liche the pute of pegate
Wnder pernaso quhare that poetes slepte
No like the well of pure chastite
Quhiche as dyan with hyr nymphes kept
Quhen sche nakit in the water lept
That slew anceon with hyr hundis fell
Only for he come so ney the well
Bot this well that I here reherce
So hoolsum was that it wald asuage
Belyng hertes and the venym prese
Of pensyffe hede with all the cruell rage
And euermore refresche the visage
Of hem that wor in any heuinese
Of grete laboure or follen in distrese
And I that hadde throu danger and dedeyn
So dry a thryst thought I wold assay
To taist o draught of this well or tueyn
My bitter langur if It myght alay
And on the bank anone doun I lay
And with my hede vnto the well I raught
And of the vvater dronk a good draught
This herbere vves ful of flours of ynde
In to the quhiche as I byholde can
Atuix one hoser and o vvod bynd
As I vvas vvar I savv quhere lay o man
[Page]In blak and quhite cauloure pale and wan
And wonder dedely was he alsso of hew
Off hurtes grene and fresche woundes new
And euermore [...]istreyned with siknese
Beside al this he was ful greuoulely
For vppon hym he hadde a grete accese
That day by day hym shoke [...]ul p [...]ousely
So that sore constreynt of his malady
And hertly wo thus lyand allone
It was a deth for to here him grone
Quhereof astonaid my fote I gan with draw
Gretely woundryng quhat it myht be
That he so lay and had no [...]elaw
Ne that I houth no wight with him se
Quhereof I had reuth and eke pite
And can anone so softly as I koud
Among the buskes me priuely to [...]chroud
If that I myght In ony vvise aspy
Quhat vvas the cause of his dedely vvo
Or quhy that he so pitou [...]ely gau cry
On his fortune and his [...]re a [...]lo
With al my myght I leyd myne ere to
[...]ui [...]y vvouid to me [...]k quhat he [...]eid
Out of his suouche among as he ab [...]e [...]d
[...]ot first if I schuld mak mention [...]
Of his perloun and plenely him disc [...]yue
He vvas in sooth vvith out exception
To speke of manhede one the belt on lyue
Thore may no man ayene t [...]euth strywe
[Page]For off his tyme and off his age alsso
He preved was there men schuld haue ado
For one the best both off brede and leuth.
So wele ymaid be good proporcioun
Iff he had bene in his deliwir streuth
Bot thought and seknes werē occasion̄
That he thus lay in lamentation̄
Grouffe on the hround in place desolate
Sole by hymselue he wept and was mate
And for me semeth that It is sitting
His wordis all to put in remēbraunce
To me that herd all his compleynyng
And all the ground off his wofull chaunce
If there wyth all I may do yow plesance
I woll his wordis ryght as I can anon̄
[...]ch as he said reherce tha [...]m euerichone
Bot quho schall help me now to compleyn̄
Or quho schall now my stilegy or lede
Oeyne tuo lat [...] now yhour teris reyne
In to my pen and help now in this nede
Thow woful myrre thou felest my hert ble [...]
Of pitouse wo and my hond eke quake
Quhen that I write eke for this māis saik
For vnto wo accordeth compleynyng
And dule ful chere vnto hevinese
To sorow alsso syking and weping
And pytouse murnyng vnto drerynese
And quho that [...]chall write of distresse
In party nedeth to know selyngly
[Page]The cause and rute of [...] suiche a malady
B [...]t I allate that am off wit bot dulle
And has no knowlage of suiche mate [...]
For to discerne and wyrten at the fulle
The wofull compleynt quhiche that yheschal her [...]
Bot evyn like as doth a [...]cryuenere
That can nemore bot that he schal w [...]te
Ryght as his maister beside hym dotth end [...]te
Ryght so fare I that of no sentement
Can sey ryght nought in conclusio [...]ne
Bot as I herd quhen that I was present
This man compleyn̄ wyth a p [...]touse sonne
For ewyn̄ like wyth out additioun̄
Off disseuerē othir more or lese
For to reherce anon I well me drese.
And if that ony now be in this place
That feel in loving bryinyng of feruence
Or hendrit war in to his lad [...]s grace
Wyth fals towng [...] or wyth pe [...]lence
To see trew men that newir did offence
In worde nor deid in thare entent
Iff ony suiche be here now in present
Lat hym of reuth lay to audience
Wyth duleful chere and sobre countenance
To here this man beful he sentence
His mortale wo and his pturbaunce
Compleyn now lynig in a traunce
Wyth luke wp cast and wyth re [...]ful chere
Theffecte of quhiche was as yhe schall here
The thought oppressit wytht in wart sikes sor [...]
The peynful lyffe the body langwising
The woful goost the hert rent and tore
The pitouse chere pale in complenyng
The dedely face like asshis in shynyng
The salt teris that from̄ myn eyn̄ fall
Playn can declare the ground of my peyn̄ all.
Quhois hert is ground to bleid in hevinese
The thought refette of wo and compleynt
The breste is chist of dule and drerynese
The body eke so feble and so feynt
Wyth hote and cold myn axes is so meynt
That now I chill for defaut of heet
And hoot as gleid now sodeynly I sueet
Now hoot as fire and cold as asses dede.
Now hoote from̄ cald and cold from̄ hote ayene
Now cold as yse now hote as coles rede
For heet I brynne and thus bituix tueyū
ypossed am and al for cast in peysi
So that my cold pleyenely as I fele.
Off grevaunce cold is cause ewiry dele
This is the caulde of inwart hie distress
Colde of dispite and cold of cruelle hate
This is the cold that doth his besines
Ayenest treuth to fight and to debate
This is the cold that wold the fyre a ba [...]e
[...]f trew menyng allace the harde quh [...]e
This is the cold that wold me begile.
For ewir the bett that I treuth ment
[Page]Wyth all my myght feithfully to serue
Wyth hert & all to be diligent.
The les thank allace I can deserue
Thus for my treuth dangere doth desterue
For one that schuld my deth of mercy lett
Hath maid dispite now his suerd to quhett
Ayenes me and his arowes file
To tak vengeance of wilfull cruelte
And tovngis fals throw thare sleightly wile.
Haue goun avvere that wol nat styntid be
Of fals envy of vvreth and innymyte
Haue conspirit ayenes all ryt and low
Of thare malice thare throv Ishcalbe sllow
And malebousche gon first the tale tell
To skland (er) treuth of indignatioun̄.
And fals report so loud rong the bell
That myserabile if and fals suspection̄.
Haue treuth I brought to his dampnation̄
So that allace wrongfully he dieth
And his place now falsnese occupieth
And entred is in to treuthis lond.
And hath there of fully possessioun̄
Of yt ful god that first the treugh fond
How maist you suffre suiche oppressioun̄
That falsehede schuld haue iurisdictioun̄
In treuthis ryt to slee hym giltlese
In his franchise he may nat lyve in pese
Falsely accused and of his foon foriugede
Wythoutē ansuare quhill he vvas absent
[Page]He dampned was and may nat bene excusit
Fro cruelte satt in iugement
Off hastisnese wyth out a wisement
And badde de denye be execute anone▪
His iugement in presence off his fon̄
Auctornay may none admittit be
To excuse treuth now in ward to speke
To feith nor soth the iuge list nought se
Theire is no gayn bot he wol be wreke
A lorde of treuth to the I call and clepe
How may thow se thus in thi presence
Withouten mercy inurihit innocence
Now god that art off treuth souueraine
And seist how I lig for treuth ibound
Sore knett in loues fyere cheyne
Evyn at the deth ouergirt wyth many o wound
That likly bene flewir for to sound
And for my treuth am damned to ye deth
And not to abide bot drow longere thi breth
Consid (er) and se in thinē eternale ryght
How that myn hert professyt sum tyme was
For to be trew wyth al my full myhht
Onely to one the quhiche now allace
Off volente wyth out any trespas
Myn accusoures hath tak vnto grace
And cheriseth thaym my deth to purchace.
Qubat meneth this quhat is this vvound vvre
Off purveyaunce Iff I schall it call
O god of loue that false thai so assure
[Page]And trew allace doun of thi quheil be fall
And yhite in soth this is the worst of all
That wrongfully false hede of treuth hath she name▪
And treuch ayenwart of falshede berth the blame.
This blynd chamise this stormy auenture
In loue hath most his experience
For quho that doth wyth treuth moist his cure
Schall for his meid fynd moist offence
That serueth loue wyth all his diligence
For quho can feyne wnd loulyhede
He falleth nought to fynd grace and spe [...]d
For I louet one ful long sithen gone
Wyth al my hert body and ful myght
And to bene dede my hert can nought gone
From my behest bot hold that I haue hight
Though I be banyst out of hyr syght
And by hyr mouth dampned that I schal dey
Wnto my behest yhite I woll obey
For ewir sithen that the world bygan
Quho so lust luke and in storye rede
He schall ay fynd that the trew man
Was put abak / quhere as y• falle hede
yfurtherede was for loue takꝭ now hede
To slee the trew and hath of thame no charge
Quhere as the fals goith frely at his large
I tak recorde off palamydes
The trew man the noble wourthy knyt
That ewir loued and of his peyn no relese
Nought wythstonding his manhede and his myt
[Page]Loue vnto hym did full grete vnryghe
For ay the bett he do in chiualrye
The more he was hendryt be envy
And ewir the bett he did in eviry place
Throw his knythede and his besy peyn̄
The ferthir was he fro his ladiis grace
For to hir mercy myght he nevir acteyne
And to his doth he coud It nat refreyne
For no dangere bot ay o bey and serue
As he best coud pleynly till he sterue
Quhat was the fyne alsso of Hercules
For all his conquest and his worthynese
That was of strenth alone pereles
For like as bokes list of hym exprese
He sett pilers throw his hey prowes
A way at gaddis for to singnyfy
That no man myght hym passe in chenalry
The quhiche pileris bene ferre be yond Jnde
ysett of gold for a remibraunce
And for all that yhite was he sett byhynd
Myth thame that loue list [...]billy avaunce
For hym sett last apon adaunce
Ayenes quhois help may none stryve
For all his treuth yhite he loste his lyve
Phebus also wyth all his psaunt lyght
Quhen that he went here in erd low
Wnto the hert wyth Menus syght
ylvoundit was throw Lupidis olvn̄ bow
And yhite his lady list nought hym to know
[Page]Thogh he [...]o: hir loue his hert did blede
Sche leit hym go and tuke of hym no heide
Quhat schall Isey of yhong Pyramus
Offtrew trestram for all his hey [...]nown̄
Of Achilles or off Antonyus
Offarcite or of hym palamoun̄
Quhat was the end off here passioun̄
Bot after sorow deth and than thare grave
Lo here the guerdoun that this loueris have
Bot fals Jasoun with his doubilnese
That was vntrew to kokes to med [...]
And the [...]s rute of vnkyndnese
And wyth thes two eke the fals enee
Lo thus the fals ay in o degre
Hadde in loue there lust and al there will
And saue falsehede thare was none othir skill.
Off thebes eke the fals arcite.
And demephoun̄ eke for his sleuth
Thei hadde thare lust and al that myght delyte
For al thare falsehede and grete vntreuth.
Thusewir loue allace in that is reuth
His fals legis furtherith quhat he may
And sleith the trew vngudely day by day
For trew adone was sleyn̄ with the bore
Amyd the forest in the grene slade
For venus loue he felt al ye sore
Bot vlcanus wyth hir no mercy mayde
The foule chulle had many nyghtes glade
Quhere mars hir knyt and hyr man
[Page]To fynd mercy nor confourt none he can
Alsso the yhong fresch ypomenes
A lusty fre as off his corage
That for to serue wyth all his hert he cheise
Athalamice so feire of hyr visage
Bot loue allace quyt hym so his wage
Wyth cruel danger pleynly at the last
yat wyth the deth guerdounlese he past
Lo here the fyne off loues seruice
Lo how he can his seruand quyte.
Lo how he can his feithfull men dispise
To slee the trew and fals to respite
Lo how he doith the suerde of sorow bite
In hertis suche as moste his lustis obey
To saue the fals and do the trew dey
For feith ne oth worde nor assurance
Trew menyng a waite nor besinese
Still port ne faithfull actendaunce
Manhede no myt in armes worthinese
Pursoyte off worschip nor no hie prouesse
In stronge long rydyng nor trauale
Ful lyte or nought in loue doth avale
Perele nor deth in see nor a lond
Hunger nor thrist sorow nor seknese
Ne grete emprise for to tak on hond
Sheddnig of blude no manfull hardinese.
Nor oft wounding at savtes by distrese
Nor in partyng in lyfte nor deth alsso
Al is for nonght loue taketh no heid therto
[...]ot losingeris with thare slatterye
Throw thare fallehede and with thare doubilnese.
Wyth tales new and many tenyeit lic
By false semblaunce and count fetid humblesse
Wnder coloure depeynt wyth stedefastnese
Wyth fraude cowert wnder a pitouse face
Excep be now rathest vnto grace
And gan thame self best magnyfye
Wyth fenyeid port and presumptioun̄
They change there cause in fals sucquydry.
Ondir menyng of double ententiousi.
To think on in thare opynioun̄
And scy they ought to sett h [...] selue aloft.
And hender treuth as It is sene ful oft
The quhiche thyng I by now al to der [...]
Thounkid be venus and bir god Cupide
As It is sene by my oppressit chere
And by his arawes that s [...]iken in my syde
That sane deth I nothing abyde
From̄ day to day alloce the hard quhsle
Quhenewir his dart that hym list to file
My wofull hert for to ryve a two
For faute of mercy and lak of pite
Of hyr that causeth all my peyne and wo
And list nat ones of grace for tose
Wnto my treuth for hyr cruelte
And moost of all yhste Inte compleyne.
That sche hath Joy to lauche at my peyne
And wilfully hath my deth I snorn̄
Al giltelese and woot no cause quby
Saue for the treuth that I haue hadde aforne
To hyr allone to serue moste feithfully
A god aboue vnto the I cry
And to thy blynd doublen deite
Of this grete wroung I compleyne me
And to thy stormy wilfull variance
Mengit with change and gete vnstabilnese
Now wp now doun [...] so rynnyng in thy chaunce
That the to trist may be no sikenese
I wyte It no thing bot thy doubilnese
And quho that is one archere and is blynd
Merheth no thing bot shuteth be the weynd
And for that he hath no discretioune
Withoutyn a wise helattith his arow go
For lakke of syght and alsso of resoune
In his schutyng it hapeth oft so
To hurt his frende rathare than his foo
So doth this god with his scharp stone
The trew sleith and letteth the falce gone
And of his wounding this is the worst of all
Ouhen he hurteth he doth so cruell wreche
And maketh the sike for to cry and call
Wnto hys foo for to bene his leche
And hard it is for a man to seche
Wpon the poynt of deth in iupardye
Wnto his foo to fynd remedye
Thus fareth now euynly by me
That to my foo that yaue my hert o wound
[Page]Moot are mercy grace and pite
And nomely there quhere none may be found
For now my sore my leche woll confound
And god of kynde so hath sett myn bre
My lyues foo to haue my wo in cure
Allace the quhile now that I was borne
Or that I saughe euer the bright sonne
For now I se that ful long a forne
I was borne my destan [...]e was spunne
By percas syscryn to slee me if they koune
For they my deth shapen er my shert
Only for treuth I may it nat aster [...]
The myghty goddes alsso of nature
That vndre god hath the gouernaunce
Of wordly thinges co [...]u [...]t it to hir cure
Disposeth hath throw their wyse purueyaunce
To yif my lady so muche suffiliaunce
Of al vertous and there with all purueyde
To murthir treuth hath tak danger to gide
For b [...]unte beaute schap and semebly hede
Prudence wit and passingly f [...]ren [...]se
Benyng port gladde chere with loulyhede
[...]f womanhede right plentoule largese
Nature did ful in byremprese
Ouhan sche by: wrought and al thir last dysedeyne
To hendre treuth sche maid her chamberleyne
Ouham to my sche yf and fal [...]s suspectioun
With myle bileue [...]che maid for to be
Then of [...] his conclusion
[Page]For to exile reuth and eke pite
Out of hyr court to mak mercy fle
So that dispite holdeth furth his reyne
Throw hasty bileve of tales that men feyne
And thus I am for my treuth allace
Murtherit and sleyne wyth wordis scharp and kene
Gylthes god woot of all trespase
Andlig and blede vpon this cold grene
Now mercy suete mercy my lyvis quene
And to your grace of mercy yite I prey
In [...]hourc seruice that youre man may dey
Bot if so be that I schall dey algate
And that I schal none vy• mercy haue
And of my deth lat this be the date
That be yhoure wil I was brought to my grane▪
Erhastely if that ye list me saue
My scharp woundis that ake alsso and blede
Of mercy charme and als of woman hede
For othir charme pleynly Is there none
Bot only mercy in to this case
For though my wound blede ewir in one
My life my deth stant all in yhour grace
And thoght my gilt be nothing allace
I ask mercy in almy best entent
And reddy to dee if that yhe assent
For there ayenes schall I newir stryve
In word no werk pleynly I ne may
For lynar I haue than to be a lyve
To dee sothly and it be hyr to pay
[Page]yha though it be this ilke samy day.
Or quhen that ewir hyr lust to devise
Suffisith me to dee in hir seruice
And god that knowetst ye thought of ewiry wight
Ryght as it is in ewire thing thou maist se
yit er I dey wyth all my full myght
[...]ouly I prey to grant vnto me
That ye gudely fair fresche & fre
Quhiche sleith me only for defaut of reuth
Or than I dey yhe may know be my treuth
For that in sooth suffiseth wnto me
And sche it know in ewiry circunstance
And ester I am wele apayed that sche
If that hyr list of deth to do grevance
To me that am vndir hir legeance
yhite schal I nat hyr dome discobey
Quhere so hyr lest to do me lyve or dey
Wyth outyn gruching or rebelliousi
In will or worde holy I assent
Or ony maner of contradictionne
Fully to be at hyr cōmaundment
And If I dee in my testament
My hert I send and spirit alsso
On hat ewir sche lust wyth yaim for to do
And aldirlast to hyr womā hede
And to here mercy I me recōmaund
That lig now here betuir hope and dred
Abiding plenyly quhat sche list cōmaund
For vtrely this nys no demaund
[Page]Welcom to me quhil me melestith breth
Ryth at hyr chose quhethir It be life or deth
In this matere more quhat myght I seyne
Sith in hir hond and in hir will is all.
Both life or deth my ioy o: all my peyne
And fynaly my heste hold I schall
Till my spirit be destyne fatall
Quhen that hyr lest fro my body wend
Haue here my treuth and thus I mak ane end
And wyth that wourd he kan sike as sore
Lyke as his hert wold [...]ybe atueyne
And held his pece and spak o word nemore
But for to se his wo and mortale peyne
The teeris gan from myn ee [...]e reyū
Ful pitousely for verray in wart reuth
That I hym sangh solauguissnig for treuth
And al this quhile my self I kept close
Among the leves and my self gan hyde
Till at the last the woful man arose
And to luge went there beside
Quhere al the may his custom was to habide.
Sole to complene of his peynes kene
From yere to yere wnd the leues grene
And for the cause that it drew to yt nyt
And that the sone his ark diurnale
ypassyt was so that his ꝑsaunt lyt
His bryt bemes and his stremes all
War in ye wawes of the wacter fall
Wnder the bordour of oure occiane
[Page]his chare of gold his course so swiftly rane
And quhill the twylyght and ye rewis rede
Of phebus lyt werrē deaurat alite
I toke a penne and gan me fast sped
The woful pleynt of this man to write
Word be word as he did endyte
Lyke as I herd and koud hym to report
I haue here sett yhour hertis in disport
Oyfoucht be mys ley the wite on me
For I am worthy for to bere the blame
If anny thing mys report it be
To mak this dyte for toseme lame
Through my vnkonnyng bot for to seme the same
Lyke as this man his compleynt dit exprese
I ax mercy and for gefnese
And as I wrote me thought I sow a ferre
In to the west lustely appere.
E [...]perus the goodely bryght sterre
So gladde so feire so psaunt eke of chere
I mene venus wyth hyr bemes clere
That hevy hertis only to relefe
Io wount of custom for to schew at eue
And I als fa [...] fell down̄ on my knee
And evyn to hyr thus I kan prey
O lady venus so feire vpon the see
Lat not this man for his treuth dey
For that Joy thou haddest quha thowley
Wyth Mars thy knyt quha that vlcanus fond
And wyth a cheyn vnvisible you bond
Togider both tueyne in the same quhile
That all the court aboue celestiale
At yhoure [...]chame gan la [...]ch and smyle
A feire lady wele willy fond at all
Comfourt to carefull o goddes immortale
Be helping now and do thy diligence
To let the stremes of ynie influence
Descend down in furtheryng of thy threuth
Nomely of thaym that be in sorow bond
Shew now thy myght and of there wo haue reuth
Or fals dangere sle hym and confound
And specialy lat thi myght be found
For to s [...]ccure quhat so thou may
The trew man that in the herbere lay
And al trew men thou furthyr for his saik
O goodly sterre o lady venus myn
And cause his lady hym to grace tak
Hyr hert of ste [...]le to mercy so inclyne
Or that the bemes go vp to declyne
And or that thou go now fro w [...] adoune
For that loue thou haddest to adone
And quhen that sche was gone to hyr rest
I rose anone and home to bed went
For verely me thoght it for the best
Preying thus in al my best en [...]ent
That al trew that bene with danger schent
With mercy may in relesche of there peyne
Recouerit be or may cum eft ayene
And for that I may no longer wake
[Page]Fare wele yhe loneris all that bene trew
Prēyn [...]g to god and thus my le [...]f I tak
That or the son to morow be risen new.
And or he haue ayne his rose hew
That eche of yhou may haue s [...]che a grace.
His ol [...]n lady in arines to enbrace
I mene thus in all honeste
Wyth out more yhe may to gidd speke
Quhat so yhou list at good liberte
That [...]h may tyl vthir there hert breke.
On Jalousy only for to b [...]lwreke
That hath so long of his malice and envy
Werreid treuth wyth his tyrāny.
Princes plesith to youre benignite
This litil dyte ho haue in mynde
Of woman hede allso for to se
youre trew man may sum mercy fynd
And pite eke that hath long be by hynd
[...]at tha [...] in a yen be provoked to grace.
For by my treuth it is ayenes kynde
Fals danger to occupy his place
Go litil quare go to my lyvis quene
And to my verrey hertis souueraine
And be ryght gladde for sche schal the sene
Suiche is thi grace bot I allace in peyne
Am left behynd and notte to quhom to pley [...]
For mercy reuth grace and eke pite
Exild bene that I may nought acteyne
Recowir to fynde of myn adu [...]isite.
Q When be dyvyne deliberation̄
Of ꝑsons thre in a god hede yfere.
The grete message / and hye legacion̄
Was send vnto that blyssit lady dere
Be gabriel scho being in hir prayere
Asking of god as prophety dois exprime
To send the son̄ that suld the warld redeme
The angel to the virgyne Is removit
And to mary he said, on this manere
Hayle full of grace dest and best belovit
God is wyth the / thou art till hym most dere
Must preciouse, and principall but pere
Thou suete wyne tre & well of sanitee
God will of the tak his humanitee
The virgyne wond (er)it of that hye message
And was abaisit in hir humyl sprete
Wnto the angel having this langage
Wyth sobir mynde / and wordis wonder suete
As scho that was full of grace & replete
How may this be / I suld consaue a childe.
I knaw no man / my maidynhede is vnfylde
Be nought ꝑturbit in thyne aduertence
Thy benygne ere vnto my voce inclyne
The fadis powere the sonis sapience
The vertu of the haly gaste dyvyne
Within thy wame sall obumbit & schyne
Thou sall consaue bath clene in dede & thought
Hym that the maid / and all this warld of nought.
All creaturis on kneis fall ye doun̄
[Page]Consent virgyne vnto this hye message
Quhare by folowis the redemption̄
Of Abraham / aud all his hale lynage
Thy word may now insernale folk discharge
The fadis eke that dirknes doith in hance
Wyth wofull Adam weping in penance.
This gloriouse lady quhom towe ostyme call
As god so wald his prophecye fullfill
Remēbring eke the wele fare of vs all.
Lo here scho said goddis humyl ancill
Be it to me eftir thy word and will
And be scho had hir wordis thus exprimyt
Consamt was he that all the warld redemyt
Thou Moyses busk remanyng incombust.
Quhilk was fare signe of thy virginitee
Refrene vs fra all fraw art [...]e [...]chly lust
Nothing to ioy, bot in thy sone & the
And geve vs grace / that houre quhen we sall dee
Be thy meke mene that place in hevin to wyn
That ordanyt was, for Abraham & his kyn
Exp [...]icit
Heir endis the maying and disport of cha [...]cer Imprē tit in the south gait of Edinburgh be Walter chepman and Androw myllar the fourth day of apile the yhere of god. M. CCCCC. and viii. yheris.