The Conception of Mary :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Conception of Mary

(The Barrenness of Anna)

[The Conception of Mary (The Barrenness of Anna)]

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Contemplacio

Cryst conserve þis congregacion
fro perellys past present and future
and þe personys here pleand þat þe pronunciacion
of here sentens to be seyd mote be sad and sure
And þat non oblocucyon make þis matere obscure
but it may profite and plese eche persone present
ffrom þe gynnynge to þe endynge so to endure
þat cryst and every creature with þe conceyte be content.

This matere here mad is of þe modyr of mercy
how be joachym And Anne was here concepcion
Sythe offred into þe temple compiled breffly
than maryed to joseph and so folwyng þe salutacion
Metyng with Elyzabeth and þer with a conclusyon
in fewe wordys talkyd þat it xulde nat be tedyous
to lernyd nyn to lewd nyn to no man of reson
þis is þe processe Now preserve ȝow jhesus.

þerfore of pes I ȝow pray all þat ben here present
and tak hed to oure talkyn what we xal say
I be-teche ȝow þat lorde þat is evyr omnypotent
to governe ȝow in goodnes as he best may
In hevyn we may hym se
Now god þat is hevyn kynge
sende us all hese dere blyssynge
and to his towre he mote vs brynge
Amen ffor Charyte.

[_]

Quinque sunt Anne mater Samuelis Vxor Raguelis Vxor Tobie Mater beate Marie Anna prophetissa

Est Ysakar Anne pater: Melophat sic quoque mater vel Nasaphat

Ysakar

The prestys of god offre sote Ensens
Vn-to here god and þer fore they be holy
we þat mynistere here in goddys presens
in vs xuld be fownd no maner of foly
Ysakar prynce of prestys am I
þat þis holyest day here haue mynystracion
Certyfyenge all tribus in my cure specyaly
þat þis is þe hyest fest of oure solemnyzacion.

This we clepe festum Encenniorum
þe newe ffest of which iij in þe ȝere we exercyse
now all þe kynredys to jerusalem must cum
In to þe temple of god here to do sacryfyse
Tho þat be cursyd my dygnyte is to dysspyse
and þo þat be blyssyd here holy sacrefyse to take
We be regal sacerdocium it perteyneth vs to be wysse
be fastyng be prayng be almes and at du tyme to wake.

Joachym

Now all þis countre of Galyle

with þis cetye of Nazareth specyal
þis ffest to jerusalem must go we
to make sacrefyce to god eternal
My name is joachym a man in godys substancyall
Joachym is to say he þat to god is redy
so haue I be and evyr more xal
Ffor þe dredful domys of god sore dred I.

I am clepyd Ryghtful why wole ȝe se
Ffor my godys in to thre partys I devyde
On to þe temple and to hem þat þer servyng be
A nodyr to þe pylgrimys and pore men þe iijd e ffor hem with me abyde
So xulde euery curat in þis werde wyde
ȝeve a part to his chauncel i-wys
A part to his parochonerys þat to povert slyde
the thryd part to kepe for hym and his.

But blyssyd wyff anne sore I drede
In þe temple þis tyme to make sacryfice
be-cawse þat no frute of vs doth procede
I fere me grettly þe prest wole me dysspice
Than grett slawndyr in þe tribus of vs xulde aryse
but þis I Avow to god with all þe mekenes I can
ȝyff of his mercy he wole a childe us devyse
we xal offre it up in to þe temple to be goddys man.

Anna
ȝour swemful wurdys make terys trekyl down be my face
i-wys swete husbond þe fawte is in me
my name is Anne þat is to sey grace
we wete not how gracyous god wyl to us be
A woman xulde bere cryst þese profecyes haue we
if god send frute and it be a mayd childe
with all reuerens I vow to his mageste
sche xal be here foot mayd to mynyster here most mylde.

Joachym
Now lete be it as god wole þer is no more
tweyn turtelys ffor my sacryfice with me I take

and I be-seche wyff and evyr we mete more
þat hese grett mercy vs meryer mut make.

Anna
For dred and ffor swem of ȝour wourdys I qwake
thryes I kysse ȝow with syghys ful sad
and to þe mercy of god mekely I ȝow be-take
and þo þat departe in sorwe god make þer metyng glad.

Senior tribus
Worchepful sere joachym be ȝe redy now
all ȝour kynrede is come ȝow to exorte
þat þei may do sacrifice at þe temple with ȝow
Ffor ȝow be of grett wurchep as men ȝow report.

Joachym
All synfull seke and sory god mote comforte
I wolde I were as men me name
Thedyr in goddys name now late us all resorte
A Anne Anne Anne god scheeld us fro shame.

Anne
Now am I left alone sore may I wepe
A husbond a-geyn god wel mote ȝow brynge
And fro shame and sorwe he mote ȝow kepe
tyl I se ȝow a-geyn I kan not sees of wepynge.

Senior
Prynce of oure prestys if it be ȝour plesynge
we be com mekely to make our sacrefice.

Ysakar

God do ȝow mede bothe elde and ȝynge
than devowtly we wyl begynne servyse.

There they xal synge þis sequens Benedicta sit beata trinitas And in þat tyme Ysakar with his ministerys ensensyth þe Autere and þan þei make her offryng and Isaker seyth

Comyth up serys and offeryth all now
ȝe þat to do sacryfice worthy are
A-byde a qwyle sere Whedyr wytte þou
þou and þi Wyff arn barrany and bare
neyther of ȝow ffruteful nevyr ȝett ware
Whow durste ȝou a-monge fruteful presume and Abuse

It is a tokyn þou art cursyd þare
Whereffore with grett indygnacion þin offeryng I refuse.

et refudit sacrificium Joachim.

amonge all þis pepyl barreyn be no mo
therefore comyth up and offeryth here alle
þou joachym I charge þe fast out þe temple þou go

et redit flendo.

than with goddys holy wourde blysse ȝow I shalle

ministro
cantando
Adiutorium nostrum in nomine domini
Qui fecit celum et terram
Sit nomen domini benedictum
Ex hoc nunc et usque in seculum
Chorus minister chorus Episcopus
Benedicat vos diuina maiestas et vna deitas
Pater et filius et spiritus sanctus

chorus.
Amen.
Signando manu cum cruce solenniter et recedant tribus extra templum.
Now of god and man blyssyd be ȝe alle
homward a-ȝen now returne ȝe
And in þis temple A-byde we xalle
to servyn god in trinyte.

Joachym

A mercyfful lord what is this lyff
What haue I do lorde to haue þis blame
Ffor hevynes I dare not go hom to my wyff
And amonge my neyborys I dare not abyde ffor shame
A Anne Anne Anne Al our joye is turnyd to grame
Ffrom ȝour blyssyd ffelacheppe I am now exilyd
and ȝe here onys of þis ffowle fame
sorwe wyl sle ȝow to se me thus revylyd.

but son god soferyth thys vs must sofron nede
now wyl I go to my sherherdys and with hem abyde

and þer evyr more levyn in sorwe and in drede
shame makyth many man his hed for to hyde
ha how do ȝe felas in ȝow is lytel pryde
how fare ȝe and my bestys þis wete wolde I veryly.

Primus pastor
A welcom hedyr blyssyd mayster we pasture hem ful wyde
they be lusty and fayr and grettly multyply
how de ȝe mayster ȝe loke al hevyly
how doth oure dame at hom sytt she and sowyht.

Joachym
to here þe speke of here it sleyth myn hert veryly
how I and sche doth god hym self knowyth
The meke god lyftyth up þe proude over throwyht
Go do what ȝe lyst se ȝour bestys not stray.

iius pastor
Aftere grett sorwe mayster evyr gret grace growyht
Sympyl as we kan we xal for ȝow pray.

iiius pastor
Ȝa to pray ffor careful it is grett nede
we all wul prey ffor ȝow knelende
god of his goodnes send ȝow good spede
and of ȝour sorwe ȝow sone amende.

Joachym

I am nott wurthy lord to loke up to hefne
my synful steppys Anvemynyd þe grounde
I loth-folest þat levyth þou lord hyest in þi setys sefne
What art þou lord What am I wrecche werse þan an hownde
þou hast sent me shame which myn hert doth wounde
I thank þe more here fore þan for all my prosperite
þis is a tokyn þou lovyst me now to the I am bounde
þou seyst þou art with hem þat in tribulacion be.

And ho so haue þe he nedyth not care thanne
my sorwe is feryng I haue do sum offens
punchyth me lorde and spare my blyssyd wyff anne
þat syttyth and sorwyth ful sore of myn Absens
Ther is not may profyte but prayour to ȝour presens
With prayorys prostrat by-fore þi person I wepe
haue mende on oure a-vow for ȝour mech magnyficens
and my lovyngest wyff Anne lord for þi mercy kepe.

Anna
A mercy lord mercy mercy mercy
we are synfolest it shewyth þat ȝe send us all þis sorwe
Why do ȝe thus to myn husbond lord why why why
for my barynes he may amend þis þi self and þou lyst to morwe
And it plese so þi mercy þe my lord I take to borwe
I xal kepe myn a-vow qwhyl I leve and leste
I fere me I haue offendyd þe myn hert is ful of sorwe
most mekely I pray þi pety þat þis bale þou wyl breste.

Joachym
here þe Aungel descendith þe hefne syngyng Exultet celum laudibus resultet terra gaudijs Archangelorum gloria sacra canunt solemnia.
Qwhat art þou in goddys name þat makyst me a-drad
It is as lyth a-bowt me as al þe werd were fere.

Angelus

I am an Aungel of god com to make þe glad
God is plesyd with þin helmes and hath herd þi prayere
He seyth þi shame þi repreff and þi terys cler
God is a vengere of synne and not nature doth lothe
Whos wombe þat he sparyth and maketh barreyn her
he doth to shewe his myth and his mercy bothe.

Thu seest þat Sara was nynty ȝere bareyn
sche had a son Ysaac to whom god ȝaff his blyssynge
Rachel also had þe same peyn
She had a son joseph þat of Egypt was kynge
A strongere þan sampson nevyr was be wrytynge
nor an holyere þan samuel it is seyd thus
ȝett here moderys were bareyn bothe in þe gynnynge
þe concepcion of all swych it is ful mervelyous.

And in þe lyke wyse Anne þi blyssyd wyff
sche xal bere a childe xal hygth mary
which xal be blyssyd in here body and haue joys ffyff
and ful of þe holy goost inspyred syngulyrly
Sche xal be offryd in to þe temple solemply
þat of here non evyl ffame xuld sprynge thus
And as sche xal be bore of a barrany body
So of here xal be bore with-out nature Jhesus.

þat xal be savyour

That xal be savyour vnto al man-kende
In tokyn whan þou come to jherusalem to þe gyldyn gate
þou xalt mete anne þi wyff haue þis in þi mende
I xal sey here þe same here sorwys to rebate.

Joachym

Of þis imcomparabyl comfort I xal nevyr for-gete þe date
my sorwe was nevyr so grett but now my joy is more
I xal hom in hast be it nevyr so late
A Anne blyssyd be þat body of þe xal be bore.

Now fare wel myn shepherdys governe ȝow now wysly.

1us pastor
Haue ȝe good tydyngys mayster þan be we glad.

Joachym
Prayse god for me for I am not wourthy.

ijus pastor
In feyth sere so we xal with all oure sowlys sad.

iijus pastor
I holde it helpfful þat on of vs with ȝow be had.

Joachym
Nay abyde with ȝour bestys sone in goddys blyssynge.

1us pastor
we xal make us so mery now þis is be-stad
þat a myle on ȝour wey ȝe xal here us synge.

Anne
Alas ffor myn husbond me is ful wo
I xal go seke hym what so evyr be falle

I wote not in erth which wey is he go
ffadyr of hefne ffor mercy to ȝour ffete I falle.

Angelus

Anne þin husbond ryght now I was withall
þe aungel of god þat bar hym good tydynge
and as I seyd to hym so to þe sey I xal
god hath herd þi preyour and þi wepynge

At þe goldyn gate þou xalte mete hym ful mylde
and in grett gladnes returne to ȝour hous
So be proces þou xalt conseyve and bere A childe
Whiche xal hyght mary and mary xal bere jhesus
Which xal be savyour of all þe werd and us
Aftere grett sorwe evyr grett gladnes is had
now myn inbassett I haue seyd to ȝow thus
gooth in oure lordys name and in god beth glad.

Anne

Now blyssyd be oure lorde and all his werkys ay
All heffne and erthe mut blysse ȝow for this
I am so joyful I not what I may say
þer can no tounge telle what joye in me is
I to bere a childe þat xal bere all mannys blys
and haue myn hosbonde a-geyn ho myth haue joys more
no creature in erth is grauntyd more mercy i-wys
I xal hyȝe me to þe ȝate to be þer before.

here goth þe Aungel A-ȝen to hefne.

A blyssyd be our lord myn husbond I se
I xalle on myn knes and to hym-ward crepe.

Joachym
A gracyous wyff Anne now fruteful xal ȝe be
Ffor joy of þis metyng in my sowle I wepe
Haue þis kusse of clennesse and with ȝow it kepe
in goddys name now go we wyff hom to our hous.

Anne
þer was nevyr joy sank in me so depe
now may we sey husbond god is to us gracyous veryly.

Joachym
Ȝa and if we haue levyd wel here be-fore
I pray þe lord þin ore
so mote we levyn evyr more
And be þi grace more holyly.

Anne
Now hom-Ward husbond I rede we gon
Ryth hom al to our place
to thank god þat sytt in tron
þat þus hath sent us his grace.