Hoccleve's works. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

(8) The recordyng of aungeles song of the Natiuite of oure lady. [folio 95b]

[7 stanzas of 7 lines each, ababb, cc.]

(1)

HOnured be thu, blisseful lord benigne, Line 1 That now vntó man wil be merciáble As he may se apertly be a signe, A braunche, þat sprongen is ful profitable, fful fresch & faire, & heily commendable Line 5 Of Iesse-is Rote, þat called is marie, That schal the blisseful appil fructifie. Line 7

Line 7

(2)

A blisful flour, owt of this spray schal springe; Line 8 The fruyt þer-of schal be ful precïous; A causë haue [we] for to ioye & synge, In honure of þat maidë gracïous, That gret comfort schal cause[n] vnto vs; Line 12 ffor now schal faste oure company encrees, And god with man schal makë smallë pees. Line 14

(3)

Now be we glad, in honure of this maide, Line 15 That schal be modier of the kyng eterne, Be whom the raunsom fully schal be paid ffor man, þat loken is in hellë herne. Now schal we haue no power for to warne Line 19 Man for [to] entre in-to paradise; The lord wil sette him at so highe a price. Line 21

(4)

Thu, lucifer, þat list in helle I-bounde, Line 22 That whylom were one of oure companye, [folio 96] This maidë schal the vtterly confounde, And do the muchë schame & vilanye, Which Eua hast deceyuëd traytouresly, Line 26 And made hire trust[en] on thi fals behest, Wherby thu hast hire lynage alle arest. Line 28

(5)

Thu cursed caitiff! mawgre thi malice [MS. malace.] ! Line 29 fful sone he schal be sette owt of thin hande; Reseised schal he be with paradise; Thu schalt not be of powire to with-stande; But, as an hound þat tied is with a bande, Line 33 So schalt thu eternally lyn in thi peyne; Ne no counfort getist thu, thow þou pleyne. Line 35

(6)

To gret distresse & gret desólacioun Line 36 A maidë first was déceyvëd be the: Vnto thi schame and [thi] confusïoun, A blissed maidë schal thi ladi be. But weel is him þat schal þat maidë see, Line 40

Line 40 And schal be schent to salue hire, & grete, And say "heil, mary, maidë faire & sweet!" Line 42

(7)

Who euere it be, þat schal do this messáge, Line 43 fful weel is him that fyndë may that grace: It schal him weel suffisë for his wage, To see þat blissed sweet[ë] lady face. Now with alle ioyës, myrthë & soláce, Line 47 ffor loue of hire honure, we [synge] this day With alle the songes & myrthës þat we may. Line 49