1
Atween mydnyht and the fressh morwe gray
Nat yore ago, in herte ful pensiff,
Of thoughtful sihes my peyne to put away,
Caused by the trouble of this vnstabil liff,
Vnclosyd a book, that was contemplatiff;
Of fortune turnyng the book, I fond
A meditacioun which first cam to myn hond,
2
Tofor which was sett out in picture
Of Marie an ymage ful notable,
Lyke a pyte depeynt was the figure
With weepyng eyen, and cheer most lamentable:
Thouh the proporcioun by crafft was agreable,
Hir look doun cast with teerys al bereyned,—
Of hertly sorwe so soore she was constreyned.
3
Vpon the said meditacioun,
Of aventure, so as I took heed,
By diligent and cleer inspeccioun,
I sauh Rubrisshis, departyd blak and Reed,
Of ech Chapitle a paraf in the heed,
Remembryd first Fifteene of her gladynessys,
And next in ordre were set hyr hevynessys.
4
Off ech of them the noumbre was Fifteene,
Bothe of hir Ioyes and her adversitees,
Ech after othir, and to that hevenlie queene
I sauh Oon kneele deuoutly on his knees;
A Pater-noster and ten tyme Auees
In ordre he sayde [at thende] of ech ballade
Cessyd nat, tyl he an eende made.
5
Folwyng the Ordre, as the picture stood,
By and by in that hooly place,
To beholde it did myn herte good;
Of affeccioun turnyd nat my face,
But of entent, leiseer cauht and space,
Took a penne, and wroot in my maneere
The said balladys, as they stondyn heere.
Explicit prologus.
6
Blissed braunche that sprong out of Iesse
Which were allone, as clerkys telle can,
Ground and gynnyng of our felicite,
For thilke ioye which thu haddist than
Whan thu were offryd by Ioachim and Anne
In-to the temple, by scripture as I fynde,
Pray for thy servauntis and haue upon hem mynde.
pater noster X Aue.
7
Glorious mayde, O Roote of hoolynesse,
For thilke ioy thu haddyst many wise,
From God above whan angelis gan hem dresse
For thy meritis the to do seruise,
Daily to wayte in al ther best guyse,
Pray for thy servauntis of mercy and tak heede,
Of al thy servauntis that calle to the at neede.
pater noster X Aue.
8
Thu that art callyd glorie of Israel,
For thilke Ioye, moost sovereyn of renoun,
Which thu haddist whan thaungil Gabriel
Brouht the tydying from the hevene doun,
First kalendys of our savacioun,
With this woord Eva turnyd to Aue,
On al thy servauntis haue mercy and pyte.
pater noster X Aue.
9
And for that Ioye thu haddist in certeyn,
When Elizabeth moost meekly with the mette,
Fulfilled with grace vpon an hih mounteyn,
Thy blissed Cosyn devoutly ther the grette,
Hir child reiosshyng, she list no lenger lette,
In hir armys moost goodly she the rawhte,—
Saide thes woordys, the Hooly Goost hir tawhte:
10
“Blissed be thu amongys women alle!
Blissed be the frute that shal be born of the!
What may this mene? or how is this befalle,
My lordys moodir, for to comyn to me?”
Now for the meritis of thyn hvmylite
Socoure alle tho that kneelyn afor thy fface,
Fro Sathanys myght whan he doth hem menace.
pater noster X Aue.
11
Among the ioyes it was a ioye in cheeff,
Occasioun souht wher it was no neede,
Whan Abiathar wold ha maad a preeff,
Ordeyned a drynk to preevyn thy maydenheede.
For that Ioye thu haddist than in deede,
Blissed lady fulfilled of all grace,
Pray to thy sone to rewe on our trespace.
pater noster X Aue.
12
And for that Ioye surmountyng Ioyes alle,
Which thu haddist of qweenys sovereyne,
Whan thu besyde an oxis stalle
Bar crist iesu, feelyng no soor nor peyne;
Mayde and moodir! of mercy nat disdeyne
To save thy servauntis from al adversite,
That doon worship to his natiuite.
pater noster X Aue.
13
And for that Ioye thu haddist in Bedleem,
Whan the shepherdys cam the to visite,
Thre kynges broughte, folwing the sterrys streem,
Gold, mirre, and ffranc, with offryng the tacquite,
And angelis song did gretly the delite;
Releeve alle tho fro myscheef and grevaunce.
Which the to serve haue set al ther plesaunce.
pater noster X aue.
14
And for that Ioye thu haddist eek also,
Whan thu were passyd of Herowd the power;
The angil byddyng that thu shuldist go
Toward Egipt, and fleen from his daunger;
Yeve audience vnto our prayer,
Sauff thy servauntis fro trouble and fro shame
Which of hool herte calle to thy name.
pater noster X Aue.
15
And for thy Ioyes and gladnessys moost habounde
At diuers tymes sent to the by grace,
And specially whan thu thy sone founde
Among doctours sittyng in the place,
Myd Ierusaleem, disputyng a long space,
For which Ioye Rewe upon the smerte
Of alle the folk that love thee of hool herte.
pater noster X Aue.
16
And for that Ioye thu haddist yore ago,
At the feeste of Archydeklyne,
Whan gracious Iesu aftir the wyn was do
Lyst of his poweer turne watir to wyne:
For which Ioye, O blyssyd lady myne!
Remembre on alle, and make ther hertys light,
That haue devocioun to serve the day and nyght.
pater noster X Aue.
17
And for that Ioye, Oon of thy Ioyes five,
That folwyd afftir thy sonys passioun,
The day whan he arroos fro deeth to lyve,
Had spoiled Sathan of his possessioun,
And fet Adam from the Infernal dongoun,
Saide Salue sancta parens whan ye mette,
For which Ioye relaxe our goostly dette.
pater noster X Aue.
18
And for the Ioye thu haddist on the day
Of thy sonys glorious assensioun,
Whan thu beheld a thyng moost to thy pay,
How he stey vp to his fadrys mansioun,
A Ioye surmountyng in comparisoun;
For which Ioye O lady, let hem fynde
Help at ther neede, that hath this feeste in mynde.
pater noster X Aue.
19
And for that Ioye thu haddist in thy thouht,
To gret encrees to thy felicite,
Whan Gabriel the palme hath to the brouht,
Sent fro Iesu, declaryng vnto the
Withynne thre dayes thu shuldyst with hym be,
Hih in the heuene to sitte on the riht syde,
To which place of mercy be our guyde.
pater noster X Aue.
20
For thilke Ioye of ffamous excellence
Thu haddist that day, in stoory as I reede,
Whan alle apostelis cam to thy presence
From divers partyes to plesyn thy womanheede,
Som bookys telle they made ther the Creede,
For which Ioye thu haddist than of newe,
On thy servauntis haue mercy and do rewe.
pater noster X Aue.
21
And for that Ioye moost sovereyn of renoun,
Whan Christ Iesu hath his angelis sent
The to conveye to the heuenly mansioun,
Soule and boody above the the firmament,
Ther to be crounyd as queen moost excellent,
With thy Sone eternally in glorye,
Pray for thy servauntis that have þe in memorye.
pater noster X Aue.
22
Ioyes fifteen remembrid heer to-forn
As the charg[e] was vpon me leyd,
In contemplacioun there be no tyme lorn,
The Pater-nostres and the Aues dewly seyd,
By interupcioun makyng noon abreyd,
Tyl of our lady be sayd the ful Sawteer,
As heer-to-forn is shewyd the maneer.
23
As ye haue herd accomplisshid the gladnessis
By a meditacioun toold in especial,
Folwyng in ordre were set his hevynessys
And remembryd his sorwys pryncipal,
Ful lamentable and somme ful mortal,
Of acts conservyd the observaunce,
As heer-to-forn is put in remembraunce.
