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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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IV. God that alle mytes may,
Helpe us at our ending daye.

This word, lordingges, I understonde,
May be lyknyd to an husbonde,
That taket a ferme into his honde
To ȝelde therof serteyn pay.
Spende we neyther speche ne spylle,
Neyther for good ne for ille,
We xuln ȝevyn acountes grylle
Beforn our Lord on domys daye.
6

Leve lordynges, be war of this,
For oftyn tyme we don amys,
Ther is non of us i-wys
But that we trespasyn every day.
This word, lordynges, is but a farye,
It faryt ryȝt as a neysche weye,
That now is wet and now is dreye,
For sothe serteyn, as I ȝou say.
Now is joye and now is blys,
Now is balle and bitternesse;
Now it is, and now it nys;
Thus pasyt this word away.
Now I hope and now I synge,
Now I daunce, now I sprynge,
Now I weyle and now I wrynge,
Now is wel, and now is way.
Now I hoppe and now I daunce,
Now I preke and now I praunce;
This day heyl, te morwe perchaunce
We mown be ded and ley in clay.
At domis day quan we xul ryse,
7

And come beforn our heye justyse,
And ȝevyn acountes of our servise,
And payin up our laste pay,
Help us, Mary, for than is nede;
Help to excusyn our misdede,
As thou art monewere at our nede,
Help us than, and sey not nay.
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