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Songs and carols from a manuscript in the British Museum of the fifteenth century


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SONGS AND CAROLS.
 II. 
II. Now bething the, gentilman, How Adam dalf and Eve span.
 III. 
III. Alle maydenis, for Godes grace, Worchepe ȝe seynt Nicolas.
 IV. 
IV. God that alle mytes may, Helpe us at our ending daye.
 V. 
V. O flos de Jesse virgula, Laus tibi sit et gloria.
 VI. 
VI. Eya, Jhesus hodie Natus est de virgine.
 VII. 
VII. Gay, gay, gay, gay, Think on drydful domis day.
 IX. 
IX. Jhesu, Jhesu, Jhesu, Jhesu, Saf us alle thorw thi vertu.
 X. 
X. Now go gyle, gyle, gyle, Now go gile, gyle, go.
 XI. 
XI. Syng we alle and sey we thus, Gramersy myn owyn purs.
 XIV. 
XIV. Man, be war, be war, be war, And kep the that thou have no car.
 XVI. 
XVI. I drukke, I dare, so wil I may, Quan I thynke on myn endyng day.
 XVII. 
XVII. Gay, gay, to be gay, I holde it but a vanite.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. Be war, sqwyer, ȝeman, and page, For servyse is non erytage.
 XX. 
XX. Man, be war, er thou be wo, Think on pride and let him goo.
 XXI. 
XXI. I may synge of a may, Of joyis fyve and merthis most.
 XXII. 
XXII. Man, be war of thin wowyng, For weddyng is the longe wo.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Deo patri sit gloria.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. Nowel el el el el el el el el el el el, Mary was gret with Gabriel.
 XXX. 
XXX. Al the meryere is that place, The sunne of grace hym schynit in.
 XXXII. 
XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. Of alle the spyces that I knowe, Blyssid be the qwete flour.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. The sterre hym schon bothe nyȝt and day, To lede thre kynges ther our Lord lay.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. Reges de Saba venient, Aurum, tus, myrram, offerent. Alleluia.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. Synge we, synge we, Gloria tibi, Domine.
 XLV. 
XLV. Nowel el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. A, a, a, a, Nunc gaudet ecclesia.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. Man, be glad in halle and bour, This tyme was born our Savyour.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. How hey, it is [non] les, I dar not seyn, quan che seyȝ pes.
 L. 
L. Synge we, synge we, Regina celi, letare.
 LI. 
LI. Synge we nowe alle and sum, Ave, rex gentes Anglorum.
 LII. 
LII. Man, be wys, and arys, And thynk on lyf that lestenit ay.
 LIII. 
LIII. Go bet, peny, go bet, go, For thou mat makyn bothe frynd and fo.
 LIV. 
LIV. We ben chapmen lyȝt of fote, The fowle weyis for to fle.
 LVI. 
LVI. Man, be glad in halle and bour, This tyme was born our savyour.
 LVIII. 
LVIII. Man, be merie as bryd on berie, And al thi care let away.
 LIX. 
LIX. I may seyn to most and lest, Verbum caro factum est.
 LX. 
LX. Nowel, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el, el.
 LXI. 
LXI. Prenegard, prenegard, Thus bere I myn baselard.
 LXII. 
LXII. I may seyn, and so mown mo, That in semenaunt goth gyle.
 LXIII. 
LXIII. Kep thi tunge, thi tunge, thi tunge, Thi wykyd tunge werkit me w[o].
 LXIV. 
LXIV. Alma Redemptoris mater.
 LXVII. 
LXVII. Wolcum, ȝol, thou mery man, In worchepe of this holy day.
 LXIX. 
LXIX. Lullay, myn lykyng, my dere sone, myn swetyng; Lullay, my dere herte, myn owyn dere derlyng.
 LXXII. 
LXXII. Mak ȝe merrie, as ye may, And syng with me, I ȝou pray.
 LXXIV. 
LXXIV. Kyrie, so kyrie, Jankyn syngyt merie, with aleyson.
  
Wymmen beth bothe goude and truwe, Wytnesse on Marie.

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LII. Man, be wys, and arys,
And thynk on lyf that lestenit ay.

Thynk, man, qwerof thou art wrout,
Powre and nakyd thou were heder browt,
Thynk how Cryst thi sowle haȝt bowt,
And fond to servyn hym to pay.
74

Thynk, man, on the dere ȝeres thre;
For hunger deyid gret plenté,
Powre and ryche, bond and fre,
Thei leyn dede in every way.
Thynk, man, on the pestelens tweye;
In every cuntré men gunne deye;
Deth left neyther for lowe ne heye,
But lettyd hem of here pray.
Deth is wonder coveytous;
Quan he comit in a manys hous,
He takit the good man and his spows,
And bryngit hem in powre aray.
After cam a wyndes blast,
That made many a man agast;
Stefve stepelys that stodyn fast,
The weyke fyllyn and blewyn away.
Many merveylis God haȝt sent,
Of lytenyng and of thunder dent;
At the frere camys haȝt it hent,
At Lynne toun, it is non nay.
Lytenyng at Lynne dede gret harm,
Of tolbothe and of fryre carm;
75

Thei stondyn wol cole, that stodyn wol warm;
It made hem a wol sory fray.
Lok, man, how thou ledyst thi lyf,
And how thou spendyst thi wyttes v.;
Go to cherche, and do the schryf,
And bryng thi sowle in redy way.
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