24
Off Paternostres and aues seid betweene
The same noumbre with good devocioun,
The hevenessys rehersyd ful ffifteene
At eende of everich, as maad is mencioun,
By a maneer pitous compassioun
With our lady, hir sorwys to complayne,
Lik as the picture in ordre did ordeyne.
25
Which to reherse, outhir to remembre,
Lyk as I fond I caste me to endite,
Of dreedful herte tremblyng in euery membre,
My penne quakyng whan I gan to write,
For to beholde the terys reed and white
In sondry placys from hir eyness reyne,
Which to considre it was to me gret peyne.
26
God graunt it be to hir no displesaunce,
That I was bold to writen, seyn, or reede
Hir heuynessis, list the remembraunce
Of sorwys passyd, which she felte in deede,
In any wise shuld trouble hir womanheede,
But of compassioun they may myn herte perce,
To that entent I do hem heere reherce.
Explicit prologus.
27
O glorious mayde! for that heuynesse,
Which thu haddist by a maneer compleynyng,
Whan the Bisshop did his besynesse
Tween the and Ioseph to make the weddyng,
Agayn thentent of chaast livyng,
Which remembryng, flour of virginite,
On thy servauntis haue mercy and pite.
pater noster X Aue.
28
Remembre, O prynces, and rewe upon our wo,
Lat our request of the nat be refusyd,
For the heuynesse thu haddist eek also
To be with childe whan thu were accusyd,
There watir of preeff drank, as it was usyd,
Youe by the bisshop, and founde ay undefowlyd,
Pray for thy servauntis that been in synne mowlyd.
pater noster X Aue.
29
And for that sorwe, verray importable,
Which thu haddist whan the angel bad the fle,
From Herodys the tyraunt vntretable,
Slouh Innocentys of hatful cruelle,
Conspired also Iesu for to sle,
Which remembryng, don of yore agoon,
Diffende thy servauntis from al ther mortal foon.
pater noster X Aue.
30
O Emp[e]resse in heuene glorified!
Myn herte is troubleyd thy sorwys to descryve,
The dool remembryd whan thu were purifyed;
Symeon seide a sharp swerd shuld ryve
Thoruh thy soule, and perce thyn herte blyve,
For the trouble thu feltist of that language,
Preserve thy servauntis fro sorwe and al outrage.
pater noster X Aue.
31
I am afferyd and troublyd in my mynde
To remembre the gret hevynesse,
Which thu haddyst whan Crist was lefft behynde
In Ierusaleem, and thu in gret distresse
Soutist hym, the gospel berith witnesse,
Or thu hym founde thre dayes in greet dreede,
Socoure alle tho that seeke the in ther neede.
pater noster & X Aue.
32
Arrete it not to noon vnkyndenesse,
At the feeste, the gospel telle can,
Of Archydeclyne, nor to no straungenesse,
That Iesu ther called the a woman,
The name of moodir lefft behynden than,
A gret mysterye that he so list the calle,
For which thyng haue mercy on vs alle.
pater noster & X Aue.
33
Off mortal pite myn herte waxith coold
To remembre, thynken or expresse
The sorwe thu haddist, whan Seyn Iohn hath the toold,
Iesu was taken, by the gret felnesse
Of the Iewys hatful cursydnesse;
And as that takyng was to the gret greeff,
Releeve alle tho that calle to the in myscheef.
pater noster & X Aue.
34
Off hevynessys Oon the moost grevous
Is of Absence the Importable peyne;
That feltist thu weel, O pryncesse gracious!
Space of a nyght thu myhtist not atteyne,
To seen thy sone, lord moost sovereyne,
Kept by his enmyes in purpoos hym to sle;
For whos passioun on synners haue pite.
pater noster & X Aue.
35
I ffeele myn herte compleyne pitously
To noumbre the peynes thu haddyst eek, parde,
Whan Iesu bare his cros to Caluary,
And thu to meete hym ran thoruh the Cite,
Born of with prees, thu myghtist hym not see,
Whan thu hym mettist, he fel doun for ffeyntise,
Pray for alle tho that doon to the servise.
36
With newe langour, pryncesse, thu were assayled,
Quakyng and pale allas! whan thu dist see
Of blissyd Iesu feet and handys nailled,
Moost horribly streyned with crueltee
For mannys rawnsoun upon the roode tree;
Lowe by the ground, dedly of look and face,
Pray hym do mercy ech day whan we trespace.
pater noster X Aue.
37
And for the sorwe thu haddist, whan thu stood
On Caluarye upon his riht[e] syde,
And seye hym reryd high upon the rood,
The sweemful voys thu myghtist nat abyde,
Whan he the callyd in the same tyde,—
“Woman,” ageyn; “behold thy sone and see,”
For which constreynt sauf alle that truste in the.
pater noster X Aue.
38
O howe that hour thyn hevyness was moost,
When blissid Iesu with a pitous cry
Vnto his Fadir by deeth yald vp the goost,
Which whan thu herdist stondyng fast by,
Thu fel a swowne, no wondir trewly!
Now pray thy sone that deyde upon the roode,
Haue mercy on alle, for whom he shed his bloode.
pater noster X Aue.
39
Was evir woo that myhte be comparyd
To thy distresse, pryncesse of goodliheede,
Whan thu sauh Iesu how he was nat sparyd,
Crucified, take down whan he was deede,
Lay in thy lappe, and al his body reede
Of pitous bledyng, for whoos meek suffraunce,
O queen of mercy! sauf us fro myschaunce.
pater noster X Aue.
40
Whan he was put and leyd lowe in his grave,
Thy blissid sone Iesu, moost myhty kyng,
And al was do mankynde for to save
Thu sauh al this upon hym abyding,
Kistist ofte his stoon at thy partyng;
Haue on us mercy O blissid heuene queene,
For the peyne thu dist that day susteene.
pater noster X Aue.
41
Thes heuynessis reknyd Oon by oon,
In ordre set, pitous and lamentable,
Who hath konnyng to reknyn hem euerychoon?
For by comparisoun they were incomparable
Gloryous lady, O queen moost merciable!
Thy peynes heer set, with many gret grevaunce,
Been for this cause put heer in remembraunce,
42
Off humble entent that we good heed may take
Duryng our liff with gret devocioun
What Crist Iesu suffryd for our sake,
Thy deere sone, deth, peyne, and passioun.
And for we shulde haue Eek compassioun,
With the, pryncesse, that boughtist his deeth ful deere,
For that entent they been rehersyd heere.
Explicit.
