Blithe y-blessed of Crist that bayeth me mi bone,
When derne dede is in dayne derne are done,
Ase gromyl in grene grene is the grone,
Ase quibibe ant comyn cud is in crone.
Cud comyn in court, canel in cofre,

With gyngyvre ant sedewale ant the gylofre.

He is Medierne of miht, mercie of mede,
Rekene ase Regnas resoun to rede,

Trewe ase Tegen in tour, ase Wyrwein in wede,
Baldore then Byrne that of the bor bede,
Ase Wylcadoun he is wys, dohty of dede,
Feyrore then Floyres folkes to fede,

Cud ase Cradoc in court carf the brede,
Hendore then Hilde that haveth me to hede.
He haveth me to hede this hendy a-non,
Gentil ase Jonas, he joyeth with Jon.

VI.

[Fol. 63, vo.]

BYTUENE Mershe ant Averil

when spray biginneth to springe,

The lutel foul hath hire wyl

on hyre lud to synge ;
Ich libbe in love-longinge
For semlokest of alle thynge,
He may me blisse bringe,

icham in hire baundoun.

An hendy hap ichabbe y-hent,
Ichot from hevene it is me sent,

From alle wymmen mi love is lent
ant lyht on Alysoun.

On heu hire her is fayr y-noh,

hire browe broune, hire езе blake; With lossum chere he on me loh; with middel smal ant wel y-make;

Bote he me wolle to hire take,
Forte buen hire owen make,
Longe to lyven ichulle forsake,

ant feye fallen a-doun.

An hendy hap, etc.

Nihtes when y wende ant wake,

for-thi myn wonges waxeth won; Levedi, al for thine sake

longinge is y-lent me on.

In world nis non so wyter-mon

That al hire bounté telle con ;

Hire swyre is whittore then the swon,

ant feyrest may in toune.

An hendy, etc.

Icham for wowyng al for-wake,

wery so water in wore;

Lest eny reve me my make, ychabbe y-3yrned zore.

Betere is tholien whyle sore,

Then mournen evermore.

Geynest under gore,

herkne to my roune.

An hendi, etc.

VII.

[Fol. 63, vo.]

WITH longyng y am lad,
On molde y waxe mad,
a maide marreth me;
Y grede, y grone, un-glad,
For selden y am sad

that semly forte se;

levedi, thou rewe me,

To routhe thou havest me rad;

Be bote of that y bad,

My lyf is long on the.

Levedy, of alle londe
Les me out of bonde,

broht icham in wo,

Have resting on honde,

Ant sent thou me thi sonde,

sone, er thou me slo;

my reste is with the ro: Thah men to me han onde, To love nuly noht wonde, ne lete for non of tho.

Levedi, with al my miht
My love is on the liht,

to menske when y may;
Thou rew ant red me ryht,
To dethe thou havest me diht,
y deze longe er my day;
thou leve upon mi lay.
Treuthe ichave the plyht,
To don that ich have hyht,
whil mi lif leste may.

Lylie-whyt hue is,

Hire rode so rose on rys,

that reveth me mi rest.

Wymmon war ant wys,

Of prude hue bereth the pris,

burde on of the best;

this wommon woneth by west,

Brihtest under bys,

Hevene y tolde al his

That o nyht were hire gest.

VIII.

[Fol. 66, ro.]

WEPING haveth myn wonges wet,

for wikked werk ant wone of wyt;

Unblithe y be til y ha bet,

bruches broken ase bok byt.

Of levedis love that y ha let, that lemeth al with luefly lyt, Ofte in song y have hem set, that is unsemly ther hit syt; Hit syt ant semeth noht,

ther hit ys seid in song,

That y have of hem wroht, y-wis hit is al wrong.

Al wrong y wrohte for a wyf,

that made us wo in world ful wyde; Heo rafte us alle richesse ryf,

that durthe us nout in reynes ryde. A stythye stunte hire sturne stryf, that ys in heovene hert in hyde; In hire lyht on ledeth lyf,

ant shon thourh hire semly syde; Thourh hyre side he shon,

ase sonne doth thourh the glas; Wommon nes wicked now,

seththe he y-bore was.

Wycked nis non that y wot,

that durste for werk hire wonges wete;

Alle heo lyven from last of lot,

ant are al hende ase hake in chete.

For-thi on molde y waxe mot,

that y sawes have seid un-sete; My fykel fleishe, mi falsly blod,

on feld hem feole y falle to fete.