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XXII.

[From MS. Harl. No. 5396, p. 18. This MS. appears to have been written in the north; for on the page which contains the present carol are written, in nearly a contemporary hand, the words, "Wylzam Northe of Yorke."]

Puer nobis natus est, de virgine Maria.

BE glad, lordynges, be ye more and lesse,
I bryng zou tydynges of gladnesse,
As Gabryel me beryth wetnesse,

dicam vobis quia.

I bryng zou tydynges that ben gode,
Mary hath borne a blysful foude,

That bozt us all upon the rode,

sua morte pia.

For the trespas of Adam,

For the fadyr of hevyn he cam,

Here-to myrthhe us bygan,

teste profecia.

Mary, modur and leve virgyn,

That bare a child wyth-outen syn,

Kepe us all fro hell pyn,

de virgine Maria.

D

XXIII.

[From MS. Cotton. Vesp. a. xxv. fol. 136, vo. written early in the sixteenth century.]

WHO trustes Christes incarnatyone,

Are chyldren of salwacyone.

Seaventh chapter of Isai,

A signe, a token ye shall se,

Where that that he haith sayd,

Lo! a mad shall conceyve a chyld,

Of mans knowing be undefilde,

And still shall be a maide.

A mother maid a child to bringe,

Nowe who haithe hard of suche a thinge?

Or who can tell at ffull

Howe that a maid a mother was,

Or howe this same is browght to pas?

Mans wit it is to dull.

Signes now apon this maiden be,

That sso maye in verginitie,

Onelye by will of God,

And still to be a maiden pure,

A childe bringe furthe against nature,
Like flores of Arons rodde.

Another singe behold and se,
Upon this maid virginité,

Trwlie of hir was ment

This fierie bushe that was so bright,
To Moises did give suche a light,

And not one leafe was brent.

Another sing behould now, lo!
Of Sedrak, Misake, Abbednago,
In a fornace concluded,

And not one hare of them adust ;

As ys Godes wyll, Godes wyl be must,
Yt cannot be refussed.

Who can deny but this ys trew,

What ys Godes wyll yt must ensew,

And nature must applye?

Why dost thou, Jew, now musse now than,
That God may be both God and man,
A mayd a mother be?

Now faith in this that must take place,
Therfore who so faith wyll embrace,
And trust in Christ his birth,

As saith the scripture, they shalbe
With God above in his glory,

Where ever shalbe mirth.

FFINIS.

XXIV.

[MS. Cott. Vesp. A. xxv. fol. 138, ro.]

As said the prophet Abacuc,

Betwixt too bestes shulde lye our buk,
That mankind shuld redeme;

The oxe betokenithe mekenes here,
The asse our gilte that he shulde bere,
And washe away our cryme.

In mydst of doctors he was fownd,
The prophetes planly did expownde,

Throughe mydst frome deathe he fledd; No where wolde die but on the crosse, Betwixt two theives redemed our losse, His blood for hus to shedde.

In midst of his disciples all,
Said, peace to yow universall!

All synnes ye shall remite,
For now is maid an unitie
With man and Godes devinitie,

Of love the knot is knite.

Saint John abowe the ierarchies,
Se .vij. golden luminaries,

And Crist was in the myde;
And of this .vij. the trew entente
Is .vij. holie sacramentes ment,
Christ in the midst is hide.

In the sacrament of eucharist,

Is trow man Gode and very Christe,
Secret in forme of bread,

In mydst of us shall perdurate,

Whilles that he come in great estate,
To judge bothe quicke and dead.

This is the lord of unitie,
The lord of love and charatie,
That all thinges dothe remite;

And who in him is congregate,
The poor, the riche, or greate estate,
In mydst of them dothe site.

FFINIS.

XXV.

[MS. Cotton. Vesp. A. xxv. fol. 138, vo.]

A CAROLL OF SAINT STEPHEN.

THERE was no deathe nor worldlie joie,
The faithe of Stephen that culde distroye;
There was no payne nor tormentrie,
Cud juge the vleysse (?) that he did se.

This holy stephen replet with grace,
Did se Godes sonne before his face,

In joye where he shuld come,

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