Her and se and sey ry3t nou3t;

Than schall men sey thou art well touzt,
To bere, etc.

Of al the ryches under the son,
Than was there never beter wonne,

Than is a tauzt man for to konne
To bere, etc.

Whatsoever be in thi brest,

Stop thi mouzt with thi fyst,

And lok thou thynk well of had-i-wyst,
And bere, etc.

And whan thou syttyst at the ale,
And cryyst lyk an nyзttyngale,

Be war to whom thou tellist thi tale,
But bere, etc.

XIX.

Make we myrth

For Crystes byrth,

And syng we zole tyl Candelmes.

THE fyrst day of 30le have we in mynd,
How God was man born of owre kynd;
For he the bondes wold onbynd

Of all owre synnes and wykednes.
The secund day we syng of Stevene,
That stoned and steyyd up even

To God that he saw stond in hevyn,

And crounned was for hys prouesse.

The iij. day longeth to sent Johan,
That was Cristys dariyng, derer non,
Whom he betok, whan he shuld gon,

Hys moder der for hyr clennesse.

The iiij. day of the chyldren 3ong,
That Herowd to deth had do with wrong,
And Crist thei coud non tell with tong,

But with ther blod bar hym wytnesse.

The v. day longeth to sent Thomas,
That, as a strong pyller of bras,

Held up the chyrch, and sclayn he was,
For he sted with ryзtwesnesse.

The viij. day tok Jhesu hys name,

That saved mankynd fro syn and shame,
And circumsysed was for no blame,

But for ensample of meknesse.
The xij. day offerd to hym kynges iij.
Gold, myr, and cence, thes gyftes free,
For God, and man, and kyng was he,

Thus worschyppyd thei his worthynes.

On the xl. day cam Mary myld,
Unto the temple with hyr chyld,

To shew hyr clen that never was fylyd,
And therwith endyth Crystmes.

XX.

TYDYNGES I bryng 30w for to tell,

What me in wyld forest befell,

Whan me must with a wyld best mell,

With a bor so bryme.

A bor so bryme that me pursued,
Me for to kyll so sharply ameved,
That brymly best so cruell and unryd,
Ther tamyd I hym,

And reft fro hym both lyth and lyme.

Truly to shew 30w that is trew,
Hys hed with my swerd I hew,
To mak this day to 30w myrth new,
Now etes therof anon.

Etys, on much good do yt 30w,
Take 30W bred and musterd therto,
Joy with me that I have thus done,
I pray 30w to be glad everychon,

And joy all in one.

XXI.

Care away, away, away, care away for ever more.

ALL that I may swynk or swet,

My wyfe it wyll both drynk and ete,

And I sey ou3t, she wyl me bete;

Carful ys my hart therfor.

If I sey out of hyr but good,

She loke on me as she war wod,

And wyll me clouzt about the hod;
Carful, etc.

If she wyll to the gud ale ryd,

Me must trot all by hyr syd,

And whan she drynk I must abyd;
Carful, etc.

If I

say it shal be thus,

She sey, Thou lyyst, charll, I wous,
Wenest thou to overcome me thus?
Carful, etc.

If ony man have such a wyfe to lede,

He shal know how judicare cam in the cred; Of hys penans God do hym med.

Carful, etc.

XXII.

A, a, a, a, yet I love wher so I go.

In all this warld is a meryar life
Than is a 30ng man withoutyn a wyfe;
For he may lyven withouzten stryfe,
In every place wher so he go.

In every place he is loved over all,

Among maydyns gret and small;

In dauncing, in pypyng, and rennyng at the ball, In every, etc.

Thei lat lyzt be husbondmen,

Whan thei at the ball rene;

Thei cast hyr love to 3ong men,
In every, etc.

Than sey maydens, Farwell, Jacke,
Thi love is pressyd al in thi pake,

Thou beryst thi love behynd thi back.
In every, etc.

XXIII.

Man, beware and wyse in dede,
Asay thi frend or thou hast nede.

UNDER a forest that was so long,
As I me rod with mekyll dred,
I hard a berd syngyng a song,
Asay thy frend or thou hast ned.

I ther stod and hoved styll,
To a tre I teyd my sted;
Ever the byrd sang full shyll,

Asay thi frend or thou hast ned.

Me thou3t it was a wonder noyse,
Alwey ner and ner I 3ed;
And ever she song with loud voys,
Asay thi frend or thou hast ned.

I behyld that byrd full long.

She bad me do as I the rede; Whether that thou do ryzt or wrong, Asay thi frend or thou hast ned.

The byrd sat upon a tre,

With fethers gray than was hyr wed; She seyd, and thou wylt do after me,

Asay thi frend or thou have ned.