THE SONGE OF THE NATYUYTE OF OURE LADY¹¹²

CAPITULO IX

Honoured be thou, Blysful Lord Benygne,
That vnto man now wylt be merciable,
As we may sene apertly by a sygne:
A braunche that sprongen is ful profytable,
Ful fresshe and fayre, and hyely commendable,
Of Iessees rote, that cleped is Marye,
That shalle the Blysful Appel fructyfye.

[100r] A Blessid Floure out of this spray shal sprynge,
The Fruyte shalle be ful ryche and precious.
A cause haue we to ioyen and to synge
In honoure of that Mayden Gracious,
That grete comforte shalle causen vnto vs,
For now shalle fast oure company encrees,
And God with man shalle make fynall pees.

Now be we glad in honoure of that Mayd
That shalle be Moder to the Kynge Eterne,
By whome the raunson fully shalle be payd
For man that locketh lyeth in Helles herne.
Now shalle we haue no power for to werne
Man for to entren in to Paradys;
The Lord wylle sette hym at so hyhe a prys.

Thou Lucifer, that lyest in Helle y bounde,
That whylome were one of oure companye,
This mayden shal the vtterly confounde,
And doo the moche shame and vylonye,
That Eua hast deceyued traytourly,
And made hyr triste vpon thy fals byheste,
Wherby thou hast hyr lygnage al areste.

Thou cursid caityf, maugre thy malyce,
Full soone he shall fette oute of thy hand,
Receysed shalle he be with Paradys;
Thou shalt nought ben of power to withstande,
But as an hound tyed is with a band,
So shalt thou lye eternall in thy peyne,
Ne no comfort^a ne getest thou, though thou pleyne.

To grete distresse and desolacion
A mayden first deceyued was by the.
Vnto thy shame and thy confusyon
A Blessid Mayden shalle thy Lady be.
But wel is hym that shalle that Mayden see,
And shalle be sent to salewe her and grete,
And seyn Heyl Marye, Mayden Fayr and Swete.

[100v] Who euer it be that shalle doo this message,
Ful well is hym that fynde may that Grace.
Hit shalle hym wel suffysen for his wage
To sene that Blessid Swete Lady face.
Now with all ioye, alle myrthes and solace,
For loue of hyr, honoure we this daye
With alle the songe and that we maye.

`Thus fro yere to yere this ryall feste is holden with grete solempnyte, whan this Glorious Lady entreth the Golden Heuen. And there she reioyceth her self with hyr loued Sone. And other Sayntes done besyly theyr deuoyre in the Sterred Cercle, honouryng this Lady and thankyng hyr hertely by cause that of hyr come alle theyr ioye and saluacion.