[6-text p 184]
¶ Thus haþe þis wedowe hire lytel childe tauht
Oure blisfol lady cristes modere dere
To worschipe aie and he for-ȝat it nouht
ffe Cely childe wil al daie sone lere
Line 1702
Bot aie whan .y. remembre me on þis Matere
Seint Nicholas stant euer in my presence
ffor he so ȝonge to criste dide reuerence
Line 1705
¶ This childe is·litel booke lerenynge
As he satt in þe scole att his primere
He alma redemptoris herd singe
As childern lerned hir Antiphanere
Line 1709
And as he durste he drouhe him nere and nere
And erkened aye þe wordes and þe note
Til he þe first vers couþ al be rote
Line 1712
¶ Nouht wyste he what þe latine was to seie
ffor he so ȝonge and tender was of age
Bott on a daie his felawe he gan preie
To expounen þis songe in his langage
Line 1716
Or tellen whi þis songe was in vsage
This preide he him to constrewe and declare
fful oft time vpon his knees bare
Line 1719
¶ His felawe whiche þat elder was þan he
Ansewarde his þus þis songe .I. haue herd seie
Was maked of oure blissed ladi fre
Hir to salue and eke hir to preie
Line 1723
To bene oure helpe and socour whane we deye
.I. can no more expounde in þis matiere
.I. leren songe .I. can bott small gramere
Line 1726
¶ And is þis songe maad in reuerence
Of cristes moder seide þis Innocent
Nowe certes .I. wil do my diligence
To konne it ar cristenmes be went
Line 1730
