 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
206
TWO PRAYERS BY LYDGATE AGAINST THE PESTILENCE.
135. O Heavenly Star, Most Comfortable of Light
De Sancta Maria contra pestilenciam.
1
O hevenly sterre, most Comfortable of lyght,Which, with thy goostely gracyous Influence,
Haste Claryfyed and put vnto flyght
Alle mysty wedrys parlyous for pestylence,
Preseruyd thy peple from all olde vyolence,
Plantyd be Adam whan he fyrst gaff asse[nt]
To evys Councell, take of the serpent.
2
Thow art the sterre, with brestis softe as sy[lke],That gave owre lorde at his Natyvyte
ffull offte sowke of thy Celestyall Mylke,
Whos gracyous Condyte had Angelyke plente,
Tryacle, & Bawme Ageyne all Mortalyte,
Plantyd be Adam when he fyrst gaffe Assent
To evys Councell, take of the serpent.
3
O gloryous Sterre, do not now disdeyneContraryous planetis to Appeese & Represse,
Whos dredefull werrys do men full Mortall peyne,
Be vnholsome Eyres Cawsyng greete sykenesse,
Roote & Begynnyng of eche ffeverus Accesse,
Toke his Orygynall when Adam gaff assen[t]
To evys Councell, take of the serpent.
4
O loode sterre of this [tempestuous] se,In which we be fordryve with many a [wawe]
And forpossed be Many aduersyte,
Be owre freele flessh to froward lustis drawe,
Ageyne all such pereyles lette þi lyght a-dawe
On all thy peple that serue the of Intent
And children of Adam, disseyved be a serpent.
207
5
Sterre of the poole, bryghtest of sterrys alle,Whos bryght beames all derkenesse doth enchase,
Be thow owre socowre when we to the Calle,
Crying for helpe, knelyng Afore thy face.
Helpe, noble Pryncesse of pyte & of grace,
Be pestylence eyre that we be not shent—
We chyldren of Adam, deceyued be a serpent.
6
Sterre of Iacob, owre myschevis to Releve,Caste down thy streemys, thi seruauntis to socowre
Ageyn blake nyghtis, owre Esperus at Eve,
Day sterre A-morowe, for folkys þat labowre
Helpe that karybdis owre vessell not devowre
With froward Rokkys, þat it be not to-Rent
Be noo false Treynys of the olde serpent.
7
[OMITTED] Adam the secounde,Affter [[OMITTED]] be a tree.
Wounded wel ofte be many bloody wounde,
Off owre harde dispoylere, bought vs Ageyne parde.
O Rose of Iericho, O virgula Iesse,
Ageyn owre thre Enymyes be with vs presen[t]—
The freyle flessh, the worlde, & the serpent.
8
Be these iij. foon suffre vs have no losse,Off thy Chaste mylke make owre preseruatyffe,
Holde vppe the Baner of thy sonnys Crosse,
Vs to defend ageyn all mortall stryff.
In worldely daungerys of this present lyff,
Preserue thy seruauntis, þat be dylygent
The for to serve, mawgre the olde serpent.
9
All gostely myschevys of new & olde poysonffyrst of A Tre tooke ther Orygynall;
Syth from A tre Cam owre Saluacyon
Ageyn the lustis of Ane Appyll small.
Cryste on the Crosse dranke þ'Eysell & gall
208
Ownly to owtray owre Enymye the serpent.
10
Affter Adam was ow [OMITTED]When he was exylyd and [[OMITTED]] boode.
ffrom Cristys passyon the thefe be parlay axid grace,
Conveyid was his Raunsom made with bloode.
O blessyd vyrgyn, so wyse, so feyre, so goode,
Lyght bode Aungil Adam be þe holy gost down sent,
Be owre proteccyon Ageyn the olde serpent!
11
Wyff & Mayde, moder of Cryste Iesu,Thys dyrge made In thy Reuerence
Receyue at gre, & be thy Grete vertu
Preserve thy peple from gostely pestylence,
And from Infeccyon of worldely vyolence,
Whan we shall passe—Mawgre the serpent—
Off grace & Mercy be with vs present.
Amen.
Explicit Secundum lydgate
God graunte vs grace quod
Willelmus Cotson Canonicus.
136. Stella Celi Extirpavit
Stella Celi extirpavit que lactavit Dnm Ipsa(?).
1
Thow hevenly quene, of grace owre loode sterre,With thy Chaste mylke plentyvous of plesaunce
Gave Ihesu sowke, puttyst Away the werre
Off Pestylence to Appese owre grevaunce,
Owre well of Mercy, owre Ioy, owre suffysaunce,
fflowre of vyrgynyte, Moodyr of moste Pryce,
Racedyst vppe all surfetis of myschaunce,
That owre forne fader plantyd In paradyce.
209
2
[Thow] same sterre—of sterrys noon so bryght!—Celestyall sterre, of bewte most souereyne,
To the we pray, on vs Cast downe thy syght
Oonly of Mercy, that thow not disdeyne
Of Infecte Eyres the Mystes to Restreyne,
That be thy Gracyous most holsome Influence,
We have no Cause on hasty deth to pleyne,
Which sleyth the people be swerd of pestyl[ence].
3
Owre trust Is fully, and owre ConfidenceVndespeyryd, In owre Opynyoun
Ageyn all wedrys of Corrupte Pestilence:
Be thy Requeste and Medyacyoun,
And be thy soonys gloryous passyoun
And Remembraunce of thy Ioyes all,
Gayne frowarde Eyres Causyng Infeccyoun,
Diffend vs, lady, when we to the Call.
4
ffor, as Phebus Enchasith Mystis BlakeToward Midmorowe with his beemys Cleere,
Lucifeere byddyth sluggy folke Awake
In the Oryent, fyrst when he doth Apeere.
Ryght so mayst thow, In thy Celestyall speere,
O sterre, of sterrys most of excellence,
Mayd & moder, be Meene of thy prayere,
Save all thy servauntis fro strooke of pestylence.
5
On vs wrecchis, of Mercy to Recorde,Emperesse of the hevynly Consystory,
Callyd ffons & well of Myserycorde,
The Goldene Crone, bastell of owre Victory,
210
Gladdest Aurora of most Magnificence,
Mayde & Moder, have one thy Men memory!
And them preserue from strooke of Pestylence.
6
Grounde & begynnyng, honowre of owre kynrede,Temple of the Trynyte, most blessid & most benygne,
Where the hooly goste his golde dewe lyst down shed,
In-to thy Closette moste Competent & condigne,
With sevyn sealys, thy Breste he lyste Consigne
Paraclitus to have ther Residence.
As thow were born vnder the vyrgynall sygne,
Save all thy servauntis fro stroke of pestylence!
7
O blessid Ihesu, for thy Moders sake,lyke as thow lyste, of Mercyfull Pyte,
Sent from thy ffader, owre Nature for to take
In her þat flowryd In Pure Vyrgynyte—
ffor mayde & Mooder was nevyr noon but she,
Gayn all Infeccyoun she Is owre Cheef dyffence—
O lorde Above, Callyd oon & two & thre,
ffor her Meryte, save vs fro Pestylence!
Amen & Explicit scdm lydgate
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |