26. TO ST. KATHERINE, ST. MARGARET, AND ST. MARY MAGDALENE.
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[From MS. B. M. Harley 2255, leaf 115.]
Incipit de tribus Virginibus, Katerina, Margarita, & Magdalene.
1
Kateryne with glorious Margarete,
That be virgines and martirs both tweyne,
Make the heuenly deuh of grace vpon vs shyne,
Of your chaast lyf som drope lat doun reyne;
Thu choose of God, Maria Magdaleyne,
Ye alle, echoon, crownyd for gret vertu,
Ageyn al myscheef doth your besy peyne
To pray for vs vnto our lord Iesu.
2
Lord, that sittist in the heuenly consistorye
Of special grace heere myn Orisoun,—
As thu gaff grace of conquest and victorye
To thes too maidenys, to suffre passioun,
And as thu gaff verray contricioun
To Mawdeleyne, weepyng with terys smerte,
By whos request, graunt vs remyssioun
Of alle our synners, that crye to the of herte.
3
And, lord Iesu, as thu knowest weel,
Seyn Margarete venquysshyd the dragoun,
And seyn Kateryne brak the strong[e] wheel
Thoruh Goddys myht, tyme of hir passioun,
And Mawdeleyne kneelyd lowe doun
At thy feet, moost amerously weepyng,
And with hir heer displayed enviroun
Dryed vp the terys, mercy ay cryeng.
4
Iesu, for love of thes women thre,
I the beseeke, oonly for ther sake,
Of thy moost merciful gracious bounte,
Sauf vs fro daungeer of hidous feendis blake,
Bi the prayeer of thes seyntis alle,
Iesu, haue mercy whan we to the calle.
Explicit quoþ Lidgate.
