Duquesne Studies Philological Series: 2: A critical edition of John Lydgate's Life of our Lady by Joseph A. Lauritis ... General editor: Ralph A. Klinefelter ... Vernon F. Gallagher |
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| LXXXVII. | [[LXXVII]] |
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[[LXXVII]]
Some tyme, when Rome thorough his high Renoun,
Was most flouryng in power and in myght,
Euery fifte ȝeere bi reuolucyoun,
In februarie vpon the first nyght,
Eche man and childe with a tapre light,
Went in the Cyte tweyne and tweyne a paas
Vn to a temple whiche þat sacrid was
Was most flouryng in power and in myght,
Euery fifte ȝeere bi reuolucyoun,
In februarie vpon the first nyght,
Eche man and childe with a tapre light,
Went in the Cyte tweyne and tweyne a paas
Vn to a temple whiche þat sacrid was
To februa of olde fundacion—
Þat modir was to mars omnipotent—
In whose honoure this procession
Ordenede was by greate avysement.
At eche lustre wenyng in her entent,
That hir power and greate worthynesse
Preferryde was, thorough helpe of this godesse,
Þat modir was to mars omnipotent—
In whose honoure this procession
Ordenede was by greate avysement.
At eche lustre wenyng in her entent,
That hir power and greate worthynesse
Preferryde was, thorough helpe of this godesse,
660
From all assaute of euery aduersarie—
Supposyng fully in her opynyon,
That she fortune made debonayre
For to susteyne the honour of her towne,
And thorough her helpe and mediacion,
That myghty mars to encrece her glorye,
In all conquest yeff to hem victorye.
Supposyng fully in her opynyon,
That she fortune made debonayre
For to susteyne the honour of her towne,
And thorough her helpe and mediacion,
That myghty mars to encrece her glorye,
In all conquest yeff to hem victorye.
For whiche cause thorugh oute the Cyte,
As ye haue harde of high and lowe estate,
Was first ordeynede this solempnyte
In the Temple that was consecrate
To februa, the goddesse fortunate,
Thorough helpe of whome they wer victoryous.
And so this custume supersticious,
As ye haue harde of high and lowe estate,
Was first ordeynede this solempnyte
In the Temple that was consecrate
To februa, the goddesse fortunate,
Thorough helpe of whome they wer victoryous.
And so this custume supersticious,
661
In Rome twone, as myn auctour seythe,
Observede was long and many a day.
Yet aftir that they turnede to the faythe,
But euere in one this Ryte thay kept alway—
For olde custome is harde to putte away,
And vsage grevythe folkeȝ full sore
To do a-way that thei haue kepte of yore.
Observede was long and many a day.
Yet aftir that they turnede to the faythe,
But euere in one this Ryte thay kept alway—
For olde custome is harde to putte away,
And vsage grevythe folkeȝ full sore
To do a-way that thei haue kepte of yore.
But at the laste Pope Sergius,
Of the peple seyng this erroure,
And that the custome was full perilous,
Dyd his devour and also his laboure,
This ryte to chaunge into the honoure
Of our lady, so that this high feste,
Fro the highest doun to the leste,
Of the peple seyng this erroure,
And that the custome was full perilous,
Dyd his devour and also his laboure,
This ryte to chaunge into the honoure
Of our lady, so that this high feste,
Fro the highest doun to the leste,
662
Euery man and woman in her honde
To the Temple shulde a tapre bryng,
Þoruȝ out þe worlde in euery manere londe;
And ther with all make her offryng,
Aftir the gospell the presteȝ hand kyssyng,—
With light solempne that all myghten sene,—
In honour oonly of þe heuenly quene
To the Temple shulde a tapre bryng,
Þoruȝ out þe worlde in euery manere londe;
And ther with all make her offryng,
Aftir the gospell the presteȝ hand kyssyng,—
With light solempne that all myghten sene,—
In honour oonly of þe heuenly quene
That best may be our mediatrice
To hir son that is with-oute fayle,
Bothe lorde and kyng, and she Emperatrice
Of londe, of see, of pees and of batayle,
Withouten whome no conquest may avayle,
For she hath power more in sothefastnesse,
Then februa of Rome the goddesse.
To hir son that is with-oute fayle,
Bothe lorde and kyng, and she Emperatrice
Of londe, of see, of pees and of batayle,
Withouten whome no conquest may avayle,
For she hath power more in sothefastnesse,
Then februa of Rome the goddesse.
663
And thus this ryte was vtterly Refusede
By Sergius, as ye haue herde devyse,—
That was afforne of hem of Rome vsede
Full many a day in her paynym wyse
Whom to sue al oristen must dispise—
And of candeles whan this ryte gan passe,
Came the name first of Candelmasse.
By Sergius, as ye haue herde devyse,—
That was afforne of hem of Rome vsede
Full many a day in her paynym wyse
Whom to sue al oristen must dispise—
And of candeles whan this ryte gan passe,
Came the name first of Candelmasse.
This feste also of full long a-gone,
The name toke of the procession—
Made of Anna and holy Symeon,
When thay hym mette with grete deuocion,
Brought to the Temple to his oblacion
As was the lawe custom and vsaunnce
Of holy chirche for a remembraunce—
The name toke of the procession—
Made of Anna and holy Symeon,
When thay hym mette with grete deuocion,
Brought to the Temple to his oblacion
As was the lawe custom and vsaunnce
Of holy chirche for a remembraunce—
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Observede furthe yet fro yere to yere
Of februarye on the first day,
Withe sacrede light vpon tapers clere—
Shynyng as bright as phebus dothe in may—
Whan the peple in what thay can or may,
Full Redy ben of on entencion
To make in fygure a presentacion
Of februarye on the first day,
Withe sacrede light vpon tapers clere—
Shynyng as bright as phebus dothe in may—
Whan the peple in what thay can or may,
Full Redy ben of on entencion
To make in fygure a presentacion
Of criste Ihesu with all her full myght,
Syngnyfyede, who so can take hede,
Withe the tapre that we offre light:
For firste the wax betokenyth his manhede,
The weyke his soule, the fyre his godhede;
And as the wax is made and wrought of newe,—
Thorough small bees of floures fresshe of hewe,
Syngnyfyede, who so can take hede,
Withe the tapre that we offre light:
For firste the wax betokenyth his manhede,
The weyke his soule, the fyre his godhede;
And as the wax is made and wrought of newe,—
Thorough small bees of floures fresshe of hewe,
665
Thorughe clennesse only and diligent labour
Of blossomes gedrede and to the hyve brought—
So cristes manhode grewe oute of a floure,
Whose fresshe beaute of cloure fadyth nought;
For of a mayde clene in will and thought—
Like as wax of floures soote and glade
Is tried out and doith hem not to fade—
Of blossomes gedrede and to the hyve brought—
So cristes manhode grewe oute of a floure,
Whose fresshe beaute of cloure fadyth nought;
For of a mayde clene in will and thought—
Like as wax of floures soote and glade
Is tried out and doith hem not to fade—
So criste Ihesu, conservyng her clennesse,
His manhode toke a mayden free,
She standyng hole flouryng in fayrenesse
Withe all the fresshenesse of virgynyte.
And as a tapre is one to gyder and three,
So thilke lorde, that is bothe thre and one,
Toke flesshe and blode to save vs euerycheone,
His manhode toke a mayden free,
She standyng hole flouryng in fayrenesse
Withe all the fresshenesse of virgynyte.
And as a tapre is one to gyder and three,
So thilke lorde, that is bothe thre and one,
Toke flesshe and blode to save vs euerycheone,
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Of a mayde whiche this day fro Bedlem,
Mekely went to be puryfyede
To the temple in Iherusalem,—
As here-to-forne it is specifiede,—
In whose honoure this feste is magnyfyede
Of all cristen with fresshe tapers shene,
To signyfye, who that will be clene,
Mekely went to be puryfyede
To the temple in Iherusalem,—
As here-to-forne it is specifiede,—
In whose honoure this feste is magnyfyede
Of all cristen with fresshe tapers shene,
To signyfye, who that will be clene,
Moste offre a tapre to-gyder made of thre:
Faythe and werke and trwe entencion;
For sothefastely but thay coniunede be
With-oute partyng or dyvysion,
Neythir his offryng ne oblacion—
How fayre outewarde playnely that it seme—
To god above it may neuere cueme.
Faythe and werke and trwe entencion;
For sothefastely but thay coniunede be
With-oute partyng or dyvysion,
Neythir his offryng ne oblacion—
How fayre outewarde playnely that it seme—
To god above it may neuere cueme.
667
For þouȝ his tapre brene briȝte as day
And environ make his light to shede,
If werke fro faythe proloynede be away
And trwe entent folowe not the dede,
Fare well his gwerdon, his meryte and his mede,
For whan these thre be not knytte in one
He is not able to offryng for to gone.
And environ make his light to shede,
If werke fro faythe proloynede be away
And trwe entent folowe not the dede,
Fare well his gwerdon, his meryte and his mede,
For whan these thre be not knytte in one
He is not able to offryng for to gone.
For if these thre to-gyder be not meynt—
Feith, werke and hool entencioun—
His offryng farythe but as a tapre queynt
That yefethe no light ne bryghtnesse envyron,
Full derke and dede fro all deuocion.
His offryng is but if these ilke thre
Ben knytte in one thorough perfyte vnyte.
Feith, werke and hool entencioun—
His offryng farythe but as a tapre queynt
That yefethe no light ne bryghtnesse envyron,
Full derke and dede fro all deuocion.
His offryng is but if these ilke thre
Ben knytte in one thorough perfyte vnyte.
668
Now criste that art the sothefast holy light,
The hert of man graciously enlumyne;
Vpon vs wrecches, fro thy see so bryght,
So lat the sonne of thy mercy shyne
For loue of hir that is a pure virgyne—
Whiche on this day to the temple went
Of mekenesse onely the for to present—
The hert of man graciously enlumyne;
Vpon vs wrecches, fro thy see so bryght,
So lat the sonne of thy mercy shyne
For loue of hir that is a pure virgyne—
Whiche on this day to the temple went
Of mekenesse onely the for to present—
Thorough whose prayer, lorde of thy grete myght,
Graunt vs grace in thy high holde
Whan we deye to holde our tapreȝ light
To-for thy see—where as it is tolde,
Seuene chaundeleris alle of pure golde,
Fresshely with light stand affore thy face—
Thyder to come of mercy graunt vs grace.
Graunt vs grace in thy high holde
Whan we deye to holde our tapreȝ light
To-for thy see—where as it is tolde,
Seuene chaundeleris alle of pure golde,
Fresshely with light stand affore thy face—
Thyder to come of mercy graunt vs grace.
669
And in this exile, where as we soiourne,
Graunt vs lorde while that we ben here
In februarye—as phebus dothe retourne
The circuyt of his golden spere—
Vpon this day, ay fro yere to yere,
With tapres fresshe and bryght torches shene
To kepe and halowe in honour of that quene,
Graunt vs lorde while that we ben here
In februarye—as phebus dothe retourne
The circuyt of his golden spere—
Vpon this day, ay fro yere to yere,
With tapres fresshe and bryght torches shene
To kepe and halowe in honour of that quene,
To whome this feste is in speciall
Dedicate, bothe of more and lesse—
Whiche bare hir childe in a lityll stall
Bitwene an ox and a sely asse.
And blissede quene, this fest of Candelmasse,
To thy seruanteȝ shelde and socoure be,
To kepe and save from all aduersyte.
Dedicate, bothe of more and lesse—
Whiche bare hir childe in a lityll stall
Bitwene an ox and a sely asse.
And blissede quene, this fest of Candelmasse,
To thy seruanteȝ shelde and socoure be,
To kepe and save from all aduersyte.
Amen.
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