LXXXVII. As Gabriell archaungell seyde,
Now Criste is borne of a pure meyde.
1
That archaungell shynyng full bright
Came vnto Marie, that myelde mayde,
Bringyng tydingis fro god almyght,
And vnto her mekely he sayde:
‘Haile, full of grace: be not afrayde.
God is with the in euery place.
Thou shalt conceyve the king of grace.’
2
‘Howe shalle this be,’ this mayden than
Seyde to that archaungell so bright,
‘Sith I purpose to knowe no man
And shall conceyve the sonne of myght?’
‘The holygoost in the shall light,
And thurgh his working thou shalt be
Moder of god in persones thre.’
3
‘Ecce, ancilla,’ thenne seide she,
‘Beholde the handemayde of oure lorde.
The wille of god be done in me
In dede, in thought, in wille and worde.’
And thus, as scripture bereth recorde,
Marie, that mayde moost of honoure,
Hath borne Ihesus, oure sauyoure.
4
The prophesy fulfilled is
Of the prophetis nowe alle and sume;
For why the faders sonne of blis
To save mankyende is man becume.
To hym therfore be we not dume,
But lete vs singe and make alle myrth
In honoure nowe of his swete birth.
