When y se honge heze,
Ant bittre pynes dreze,
Jhesu, my lemmon;
His wondes sore swerte,
The spere al to is herte

ant thourh is sydes gon.

Ofte when y syke,

with care y am thourh-soht, When y wake y wyke,

of serewe is al mi thoht;

Alas! men beth wode,

That suereth by the rode,

ant selleth him for noht,

That bohte us out of synne!

He bring us to wynne,

that hath us duere boht!

XXX.

[Fol. 80, ro.]

Nou skruketh rose ant lylie flour,

That whilen ber that suete savour, in somer, that suete tyde; Ne is no quene so stark ne stour,

Ne

no levedy so bryht in bour, that ded ne shal by-glyde.

Whose wol fleysh lust for-gon,

ant hevene blis abyde,

On Jhesu be is thoht anon, that therled was ys side.

From Petresbourh in o morewenyng As y me wende omy pley3yng,

Menen y gon my mournyng

To hire that ber the hevene kyng,
of merci hire by-sohte:
Ledy, preye thi sone for ous,

that us duere bohte,

Ant shild us from the lothe hous

that to the fend is wrohte.

Myn herte of dedes wes for-dred, Of synne that y have my fleish fed,

ant folewed al my tyme;

That y not whider I shal be led,

When y lygge on dethes bed,

in joie ore in to pyne.

On o ledy myn hope is,

moder ant virgyne,

Whe shulen in to hevene blis

thurh hire medicine.

Betere is hire medycyn,

Then eny mede or eny wyn;

hire erbes smulleth suete;

From Catenas in to Dyvelyn,

Nis ther no leche so fyn,

oure serewes to bete.

Mon that feleth eni sor,
ant his folie wol lete,
Withoute gold other eny tresor
he mai be sound ant sete.

Of penaunce is his plastre al, Ant ever serven hire y shal, nou ant al my lyve;

Nou is fre that er wes thral,

Al thourh that levedy gent ant smal,

heried by hyr joies fyve.

Wher so eny sek ys,

thider hye blyve;

Thurh hire beoth y-broht to blis

bo mayden ant wyve.

For he that dude is body on tre,
Of oure sunnes have pieté,

that weldes heovene boures;

Wymmon with thi jolyfté,

thou thench on Godes shoures

Thah thou be whyt ant bryth on ble,

falewen shule thy floures.

Jesu, have merci of us,

that al this world honoures! AMEN.

66

XXXI.

[Fol. 80, vo.]

My deth y love, my lyf ich hate, for a levedy shene, ✓ Heo is brith so daies liht, that is on me wel sene;

Al y falewe so doth the lef in somer when hit is grene, zef mi thoht helpeth me noht, to wham shal y me mene,

Sorewe ant syke ant drery mod byndeth me so faste,
That y wene to walke wod, zef me lengore laste;
My serewe, my care, al with a word, he myhte a-wey caste,
Whet helpeth the, my suete lemmon, my lyf thus forte
gaste ?"

"Do wey, thou clerc, thou art a fol, with the bydde y noht chyde;

Shalt thou never lyve that day, mi love that thou shalt byde;

zef thou in my boure art take, shame the may bi-tyde, The is bettere on fote gon, then wycked hors to ryde."

66

Wey-la-wei! whi seist thou so? thou rewe on me, thy

man;

Thou art ever in my thoht, in londe wher ich am;

3ef y deze for thi love, hit is the mykel sham;

Thou lete me lyve, ant be thy luef, ant thou my suete lemman."

"Be stille, thou fol, y calle the ritht, cost thou never

blynne;

Thou art wayted day ant nyht with fader ant al my kynne; Be thou in mi bour y-take, lete they for no synne,

Me to holde ant the to slon, the deth so thou maht wynne."

"Suete ledy, thou wend thi mod, sorewe thou wolt me.

kythe;

Ich am al so sory mon, so ich was whylen blythe;
In a wyndou ther we stod, we custe us fyfty sythe;
Feir biheste maketh mony mon al is serewes mythe."

66

Wey-la-wey! whi seist thou so? mi serewe thou makest newe;

Y lovede a clerk al par amours, of love he wes ful trewe, He nes nout blythe never a day, bote he me sone seze, Ich lovede him betere then my lyf, whet bote is hit to leze ?"

"Whil y wes a clerc in scole, wel muchel y couthe of lore,

Ych have tholed for thy love woundes fele sore;

Fer from [hom] ant eke from men under the wode gore; Suete ledy, thou rewe of me, nou may y no more."

"Thou semest wel to ben a clerc, for thou spekest so stille;

Shalt thou never for mi love woundes thole grylle; Fader, moder, ant al my kun, ne shal me holde so stille, That y nam thyn ant thou art myn, to don al thi wille."