 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
14. Thou shalt Bear the Fruit of Life
1
Al hayle, Mary ful of grace!Oure lord of heven is with the;
His mansioun in the made he has,
Also of the borne shal he be.
His glorious body shaltow see,
Naked lyeng in an oxe stalle;
And til hym present shal kynges thre
Gold, Mirre and Incence Royall.
2
Blessed be thow among wymmen alle!Thow shalt be mayde, moder and wyf—
Al cristen men so the shal calle,
ffor thow shalt bere the fruyt of lyf.
That blessid child shal breke the stryf
Betwene the devil and al mankynd;
Man shal he bryng from al myschief,
The wey to hevene than shal he fynde.
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3
Seynt Anne, thy moder, ful blessid is she,ffor she the bare by myracle dyvyne;
An aungel hir warned, sent fro the Trynite,
The fruyt of hir shuld right ferre shyne,
ffor to sconfite the snake serpentyne
Whiche of manhod had dominacion—
Man shuld be delyuerd from al tribulacioun.
4
O mary, moder of al consolacioun,Nempned so thow were—th'aungel bare witnesse—
Of Anne; thow were deliuered a grete confortacioun
ffor man, to bryng hym owte of distresse,
Both pure and clene set in al holynesse,
Ihesu, thy sone, hym lyked wele thy gouernaunce;
Replenysshed were thow with vertu of mekenes—
Of thi pappis sowkid he for oure sustinaunce.
5
Whan hym lyked he made purviaunce,Mankynd for to bryng vnto saluacioun,
ffor of man he had a goode Remembraunce—
To suffre deth, that was his conuersacioun.
Of his peynes he made a demonstracioun
Whan he tolde his Apostels of his peynes sore:
To save mankynd, that was his entencioun,
Ellis al the world had be forlore.
6
Thow wrecchid man, leve thy prideAnd thynk from erth that thow came;
Here thow mayst nat long abyde.
Bowe thy knees,—spare for no shame—
Whan thow herist Ihc, oure lordis name.
Wele art thow bounde so for to do,
Sith aungelis and devils knele therto.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |