The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. V.

[verse 1] The Chirche seith of Crist. Come, my leef, in to his gardyn; and ete he the frut of his appelis. Crist seith to the Chirche. Cum in to my gardin, my sister, my spouse. I haue gedered my mirre, with my swoote spices; I eet myn honycomb, with myn hony; I dranc my wyn, with my mylc. Crist to the Apostolis seith. Eteth, ȝee frendes, and drinketh; and ȝee most derwrthe, beth inwardli maad drunke. [verse 2] I slepe, and myn herte waketh. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. The vois of my lemman knock|ende; opene thou to me, myn sister, my leef, my culuer, myn vnwemed; for myn hed is ful of dew, and my temple heres of the dropis of nyȝtis. [verse 3] I spoilede me my coote; hou shal I be clad [clothid AEGH.] it? I wesh [washide AGH.] my feet; hou shal I defoule them? [verse 4] My lemman putte his hond bi the hole; my wombe inwardli tremblede at the

touching of hym. [verse 5] I ros, that I shulde opene to my lemman; myn hondis drop|peden mirre, and my fingres ful of best proued myrre. [verse 6] The lach of my dore I openede to my lemman; and he hadde bowid aside, and passede. My soule is molten, as my [the E pr. m.] lemman spac [he spac E pr. m.] ; I soȝte, and I fond not hym; I clepede, and he answerde not to me. [verse 7] Ther founden me the [Om. AC sec. m. GH.] keperes that gon aboute the cite; thei smyten me, and woundeden me; token my mantil the keperes of the wallis. [verse 8] I adiure ȝou, ȝee [the AGH.] doȝtris of Je|rusalem, if ȝee shul finde my lemman, that ȝee telle to hym [me E pr. m.] , for I languysshe for looue. The vois of frendis seith to the chirche. [verse 9] Whiche is thi lemman of the looued, O! thou most fair of wym|men? whiche is thi lemman of the loou|ed? `for so [forsothe AG.] thou hast adiurid vs. The vois of the chirche of Crist seith to the frendis [seyntus C pr. m.] . [verse 10] My lemman whit and roody; chosen of thousendis. [verse 11] His hed best gold; his her as braunchis of palmes thicke lefed, blac as a crowe. [verse 12] Hys eȝen as cul|ueres vp on litle ryueres of watris, that ben wasshe [washed AEGH.] with mylc, and sitten bi the most ful flowingus of watris. [verse 13] The chekes of hym as litle flores of swote spicis, plaunted [maad E pr. m.] of pymentaries; his lippis [lippis as lilies E sec. m. marg.] droppende the first myrre. [verse 14] The hondis of hym able to turnen aboute, goldene, and ful of iacynctis; his wombe is yuerene, departid bi safiris. [verse 15] His hipis [lippis AG. thijs H sec. m.] marbil pileres, that ben foundid vpon goldene feet; his fairnesse as of Liban, and chosen as of cedre. [verse 16] The throte of

hym most sweete, and he al desirable. Such is my looued, and this is my lem|man, ȝee doȝtris of Jerusalem. The vois of holi soules, of the Chirche. [verse 17] Whider ȝide awei thi lemman, O! thou most fair of wymmen? whider bowede doun thi leef? and wee shul sechen hym with thee.