An Old English miscellany containing a bestiary, Kentish sermons, Proverbs of Alfred, religious poems of the thirteenth century,

XXIX. A Prayer to the Virgin. [Egerton MS. 613, leaf 2.]

[I]blessed beo þu lauedi ful of houene. Blisse. swete flur of parais moder of milder[t]nisse. þu praie ihesu crist þi sone þat he me i-wisse. ware a londe al swo ihc beo þat he me ne i-misse. Line 4

Of þe faire lauedi min oreisun ich wile bi-ginnen. þi deore swete sunnes loue. þu lere me to winnen. wel ofte ich sike and sorwe make ne mai ich neuere blinnen bote þu þruh þin milde mod bringe me out of sunne. Line 8

Line 8

Ofte ihc seke merci þin swete name ich calle mi flehs is foul þis world is fals þu loke þat ich ne falle. Lauedi freo þu schild me fram þe pine of helle. Line 11 And send me in-to þat blisse þat tunge ne mai tellen.

Mine werkes lauedi heo makieþ me ful won. wel ofte ich clepie and calle þu iher me forþan. Bote ic chabbe þe help of þe oþer i ne kan. help þu me ful wel þu mist [Read miht.] þu helpest mani a man. Line 16

Iblessed beo þu lauedi so fair and so briht. Al min hope is uppon þe bi dai and bi nicht. helpe þruh þin milde mod for wel wel þu mist [Read miht.] þat ich neuere for feondes sake fur-go þin eche liht. Line 20

Briht and scene quen of houene ich bidde þin sunnes hore þe sunnes þat ich habbe i-cvn heo rewweþ [Or reþþeþ.] me ful sore [folio 2b] wel ofte ich chabbe þe fur-saken. þe wil ich neuer eft more. Lauedi for þine sake treuþen feondes lore. Line 24

Iblessed beo þu lauedi so feir and so hende. þu praie ihesu crist þi sone. þat he me i-sende. whare a londe alswo ich beo er ich honne wende [MS. þende.] þat ich mote in parais wonien wi-þuten ende. Line 28

Bricht and scene quen of storre so me liht and lere in þis false fikele world so me led and steore. þat ich at min ende-dai ne habbe non feond to fere. ihesu mit ti swete blod þu bohtest ful me deore. Line 32

Ihesu seinte marie sone þu iher þin moder bone to þe ne dar i clepien noht to hire ich make min mene. þu do þat ich for hire sake beo imaked so clene Line 35 þat ich noht at dai of dome beo flemed of þin exsene.