In the sacrament of eucharist,

Is trow man Gode and very Christe,
Secret in forme of bread,

In mydst of us shall perdurate,

Whilles that he come in great estate,
To judge bothe quicke and dead.

This is the lord of unitie,
The lord of love and charatie,

That all thinges dothe remite;
And who in him is congregate,
The poor, the riche, or greate estate,
In mydst of them dothe site.

FFINIS.

XXV.

[MS. Cotton. Vesp. A. xxv. fol. 138, vo.]

A CAROLL OF SAINT STEPHEN.

THERE was no deathe nor worldlie joie,
The faithe of Stephen that culde distroye;
There was no payne nor tormentrie,
Cud juge the vleysse (?) that he did se.

This holy stephen replet with grace,
Did se Godes sonne before his face,
In joye where he shuld come,

Standing by his powre and might,
Stephen for to succoure in his sight
Of blodye marterdome.

Steven as a knight before his king,
And all his courte one hym loking,
Dyd valiantly fight;

Before the cowrt of heaven,

Was this conflicte of holy Stephen
Downe lyke a puyzant knight.

Les stephen shuld dowte, beinge a man, The Sone of God apperyde than,

As he was crucified,

Hym for to comforthe, helpe, and guyde, Of deathe shulde be nothinge affraid, When stoons of him did glied.

Saincte Jhon Baptist se heven open,

Saincte Paule se thinges not to be spoken,

Some se transfigurate;

But Steven se Christ in his glorye,

Praid for his enemes enterelye,

And thos that dyd hym haite.

Before Stephen eies was set the glave,
For his conflicte he shoulde receyve
A crowne, it did appere;

This crown was wrought in every linke,
No tounge can tell nor hart can thincke,
Bout those that dothe it were.

This crown to were and to obtain,

The creuell stones that perche his brine
Was no adversitie;

Trowble, payne, hys lyve to end,

He thowght his blode was righte well spend, For this crowne for to die.

Whoe at his bodie keste a stone,
He did forgeve them every one,

And he that kept there cloosse ;
Christe grante this deie that we maie se,
With Stephen to die in charitie,

And for-geve all our fosse.

FFINIS.

XXVI.

[MS. Cotton. Vesp. a. xxv. fol. 139, vo.]

THEN may we joie in unitie,

And thanke the holie Trinitie.

Man to redeme and not angell,

In heaven wrought by dyvine consell,

For what encheson,

Then heare my reason;

Angell fell by no suggesture,

And man by angell decepture.

Disceit and falles treason.

Then may, etc.

Ye know that angell of substance Shuld be stronge with-oute variance; And whie not man?

I shall shew than:

Man was maid of flesh unpoure,

Weak and feble, sone to alure,

For that mercye whan.

Than maye, etc.

Against the father Adam sind;

And Eve against the sonne, I find;

In whom angell,

I shall you tell ;

Against the holye gost commite,

Which shall in no worlde remite,

But ever be in hell.

Than maye, etc.

Angell subvented rristelie, (?)

And sad eritis sicut dii,

For what intent

Man to subvent,

And make all Adam seed to die;

But Christ again upon a tre,

His blessid blood spent.

Then may, etc.

Where angell said and maid a lye,

Nequaquam moriemini,

How did it passe,

As God wylle was;

.V. thowsand yeare all went to hell,

To leise man Christe toke fleshe and fell,

I

This good Christenmas.

Then maye, etc.

pray yow all that loves the Lord,

Joie in Christ birthe in one accorde,

So shall it be;

Then we agre,

And thanke the Lord bothe now and then,

Together lyve like christenge men

In charitie.

Then may, etc.

Above the fiere,

I you desyre.

FFINIS.

XXVII.

[MS. Cott. Vesp. A. xxv. p. 140, vo.]

By reason of two, and no poore of one,
This tyme God and man was set at one.

God against nature thre wonders haith wrought; First of the vile earthe mad man without man; Then woman without woman of man maid of nought; And so man without man in woman than: