University of Virginia Library

thane one myn brest fast I dang,
ȝoland, & myn handis wrange;
for angusne fast I quowke.
bot at þe laste vpe can I luke
to þe tempil; & sudandly
I saw ane ymage of our lady.
& sadly one hyr sat I my sycht,
prayand hyr at al myn mycht:
‘a lady mary, madyne chaste,
throw sterynge of þe haly gaste,
as þu god consawit, & mane,
þat ws fra þe warlo wane,
& flesche of þe tuk suthfastly,
& syne was borne of þi body—
als wysly, laydy, pray I þe,
þat þu wald mercy hafe of me.
bot how, allace! sal I be-gyne
of þe, laydis, mercy to wyne,
or with quhat harte or muth suld I
be-gyne to ask þe, lady, mercy,
þat ar sa fule be In & owt,
þat I to ask with þame has dout,
In presens of þi wysage clere,
consyderand myn synnis sere;

315

als vnworthy is þu be sene
of þir myn vnthankful ene,
þat is chaste & clene virgine,
& saule vnwemmyt has þe In;
bot rycht & resone wil þat I,
þat cesit neuir in syne to ly,
haf repulse nov fra þi clerte,
þat neuir ma compulsit be,
& for my lake be þut away.
& nocht-for-þi hafe [I] herd say,
þat god & mane of þe wes borne,
to saufe synful, þat was forlorne,
& þou his modyr mad with-al,
þat þu to pennance suld vs cal.
þu gyf me consall, wil of wane
þat has na helpe bot þe alane,
& grant [me] þat I leyf ma hafe
of fre entre, as has þe lafe,
sa þat I partenar ma be
of sicht of þat Ioyful tre,
quhar-one god & man for our trespas,
þu soroful seand, nalyt was.
& for me þar amange þe lafe,
I wat wel, his blud he gaf.
der laydy, alsa wittirly
of me synful þu haf mercy,
þe exaltacione þat I ma se
of þe forsad Ioyful tre;
& þe to god, as borcht I gyf,
þat I sal neuir, til I lyf,
fyle myn flesche with lychery,
na mel me mar in þat foly;
bot, alsone as I ma se
of þi sowne þe blyssit tre,
I sal renunce but delay

316

to þis fals warld þis ilke day,
& alsa to þe warkis al,
at in It wrocht ar, gret & smal,
& pase quhare-euire þu ledis me,
fra I haf sene þat Ioyful tre.’
& fra þat I had mad þis bone,
sum comfort tuk myn harte sone,
haffand gud hope in hyr succure,
þat of þe tre bar þe ferme floure;
& of þat place, quhare I stud,
ekand þis prayer, furth I ȝud,
& thrang with vthyr to sa faste,
til I gat entre at þe laste,
fyndand nane me lattinge mad,
as befor I fundyne had.
þat haly howse, fra I come In
& vmbethocht me of myn syne,
sic redure & sic dowl me tuk,
þat to-gyddir I swet & quok.
In-to þe floure þan done fel I,
& remaynyt lange in extasy.
thane eftyr þat, I gat one fut,
& vndirstud þat I gat bowte
thru my berch of my bale sa swyth;
I cane nocht tel, sa I wes blyth,
na quhat in myn hart þan was,
til I was in þat haly place,
þat ryche relyk for to se,
of godis croice þe lyffand tre.
godis sacrament þar saw I,
& thru þam knew, quhou redy
god of his grace þam wil tak,
þat wil þare synnis syne forsak,

317

with schryft of mowth, & hertly wil
þar pennance syne eftyr fulfill.
þan done I fel one þe paythment,
& blyssit It in gud entent;
syne passit in but mare abad,
til I come quhare I fyrste had
of hyr þe fygure sene I[n] thraw,
þat I in borrowgange can draw.
þar one my kneys I fel done,
& þus I mad myn oracione:
‘þi mercy, laydy, & þi pitte
þu schawyt, quhene I prayt þe,
kaste me nocht away þe fra,
bot lat me se þat Ioy, þat þa
þat sinthful ar nocht worth to se.
for-þi to god ay lowynge be,
þat thru þe sparand Is to wrak
of synful, þat wil pennance tak.
I, synful, wat nocht quhat way
to þe forthyr I sal say;
for tyme it [is] þat I fulfil
In althinge þi debonare wil,
of þat þat I to borch þe tuk,
quhene þu nocht myn prayere forsuk.
send me quhare-ewyr þu wil,
for I sal [al] þi wil fulfil,
& with penance hald þat vay,
þat best to me awale may,
sa þat þu myn mastres be,
& ledar in wa of sawete;
þi grace þar beand me beforne,
I pass nocht quhare I be forlorne.’
& þus sayand, a voyce sa hardand,
as quha one fare ware on me criand,
to þat ymage of oure lady

318

Increly be-haldand ay:
‘Iordane gyf þu passis but hone,
lange ȝarnyt rest þu findis sone.’
& quhene þis voyce hard I had,
& trewit it for me be mad,
I grat ful sar, & fast can cry,
& with hee woice cane til hir say:
‘laydy, laydy, hewins quene
& of al þus warld, but wene,
throw quham to mankynd hele Is brocht,
for þi gret mercy leyf me nocht!’
with þis of þe ȝard I passyt
towart þe towne, & sped me faste.
þane a gudman, as I passit by,
þat saw me gangand in sik hy,
thre pennys tuk & he me gefe,
to by me met, my lyf to safe.”