ORISOUNE TO THE HOLY VIRGIN. 185 Benygne confort of us wrecches all!

Be at myn endynge when that I shal deye! O welle of pitie, unto thee I call!

Full of swetnesse, helpe me to weye

Ageyne1 the feende, that with his handes tweye

And [al] his might plukke wole at the balance To weye us doune ; keepe us from his nusance.'

And for thow art ensaumple of chastite,

And of virgynes worship and honour, Among all wommen blessid mote thow be! Now speke and praye unto our Sauveour That he me sende swich grace and favour, That al the hete of brennyng leccherie He quenche in me, - blessed maiden Marie!

O blessed lady, the cleer light of day!
Temple of oure Lorde, and seate of al good.

nesse,

That by preyere wypest cleene away

The filthes of our synful wikkidnesse !
Thyn hand forth putte, and helpe my dis

tresse,

And fro temptacioun delivere me

Of wikkid thoght, thurgh thy benignitee.

So that the wil fulfild be of thy Sone,

And that of the Holy Goost he menlumine,

1 Against. Harm.

Preye for us, as ay hath be thy wone!1
Ladye, all swiche emprises been thyne!
Swich an advocatrice who can dyvyne
As thow right now, our greeves to redresse, —
In thy refute is al our sikirnesse.3

Thow shapen art by Goddes ordinance
Mene for us, flour of humilitee !
Wherfore of thyne office have remembrance,
Lest that the feende, thurgh his sotiltee,
That in awayt lyth for to cacche me,
Me overcome with his treccherie !
Unto my soules helthe, thow me gye! ♪

Thow art the way of our redempcioun,

For Cryst of thee hath deyned for to take Flessh and eek blood, for this entencioun, Upon a crois to dien for our sake.

His precious deeth made the feendes quake, And cristen folk for to rejoisen evere; Helpe, from his mercy that we nat dissevere !

Tenderly remembre on the wo and peyne
That thow souffridest in his passioun
When watir and blood out of thyn eyen tweyne,

6

For sorwe of him, ran by thy cheekes doun; And syn thow knowest that the enchesoun Of his deeth was for to save al man kynde, Moder of mercy, that have in thy mynde!

1 Wont. Occasion.

Protection. 3 Security. 4 Mediator. 5 Guide

ORISOUNE TO THE HOLY VIRGIN. 187 Wel oghten we the worshipe and honure, Paleys of Cryst, Flour of virginitee!

Syn up on thee was laid the charge and cure
The Lord to bere of hevene and erthe and see
And alle thynges that ther ynne be!
Of hevenes kyng thow art predestinat
To hele our soules of her seek1 estat.

Thy maidens wombe, in which our Lord lay,
Thy tetes, whiche him gaf to sowke also,
To our savynge be they blessed ay!

The birthe of Cryst our thraldom putte us

fro;

Joye and honour be now and evermo

To him and thee, that unto libertee
Fro thraldom han us quit; blessid be yee!

By thee, Lady, y-maked is the pees

Betwixt angels and men, it is no doute, Blessid be God, that swich a modir chees ! 2 Thy gracious bountee3 spredeth al aboute; Thogh that our hertes stierne been and stoute, Thow to thy Sone canst be swich a mene1 That all our giltes he forgeveth clene!

Paradys gates opened been by thee,

And broken been the gates eek of helle !
By thee the world restored is, pardee!
Of al vertu thou art the spryng and well;

1 Sick. Chose. Goodness 4 Mean

By thee all bountee, shortly for to tell, In hevene and erthe by thyn ordenance Parforned is, our soules sustenance !

Lady pitouse, Virgyne wemmelees!1 That our Lord God nat list to werne 2 thee Of thy requeste, I wot wel doutelees, Than spare nat foorth thee to putte in prees To preye for us, Crystes modir deere, Benygnely wole he thyn axyng heere.

O Intemerata !®

Apostle and freend familier of Cryst,
And his y-chosen Virgyne, Seint Jon!
Shynynge apostle and evangelyst,

And best beloved amonges hem echon!
With our Lady I preye thee to been oon,
That un to Cryst shal for us alle preye!
Do this for us, Crystes derlyng, I seye!

Marie and Jon, hevenly gemmes tweyne!

O lightes two, shynyng in the presence
Of our Lord God, now do your bysy peyne
To wasshe away our cloudeful offense.
So that we mowen maken resistence
Ageyn the feend and make him to bewaill
That your prayere may so much availl.

1 Spotless. Refuse. O inviolate! This is the title of a Latin prayer, of which the remainder of the poem is a version

ORISOUNE TO THE HOLY VIRGIN.

Ye been tho two, I knowe verraily,
In which the Fadir, God, gan edifie,1
By his Sone oonly-geten, specially

To him a hows; 2 wherfore I to yow crye,

3

Beth leches of our synful maladie,

Preyeth to God, Lord of misericorde,
Our olde giltes that he nat recorde!

Be ye our help and our proteccioun,
Syn for meryt of your virginitee
The privilege of his deleccioun *

In yow confermed God upon a tree
Hanging; and un to oon of you saide he,
Right in this wyse, as I reherce can;
"Beholde heer, lo, thy sone, womman !"

189

And to that othir," Heer thy modir, lo!"
Than preye I thee that for the greet swetnesse
Of the hy love that God betwixt yow two

With his mowth made, and of his hie noblesse
Enjoyned hath yow thurgh his blisfulnesse,
As modir and sone, helpe us in our neede,
And for our giltes make our hertes bleede!

Unto yow tweyne I my soule commende,
Marie and John, for my sauvacioun !
Helpith me that I may my life amende !
Helpith now, that the habitacioun

Of the Holy Goost, our recreatioun,

Build. That is, the church Be physicians. Pleasure, love.