Political, religious, and love poems. Some by Lydgate, Sir Richard Ros, Henry Baradoun, Wm. Huchen, etc. from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Ms. no. 306, and other sources, with a fragment of The Romance of Peare of Provence and the fair Magnelone, and a sketch, with the prolog and epilog, of The Romance of the knight Amoryus and the Lady Cleopes,

Gaude, flore Virginali.

(Lambeth MS. 306, leaf 133.)

(1)

Gaude, the flowre of virginyte, In hevyn thow hast a principalite Off worship and honowre; Thi blys is more in dignite Line 4 Then alle the sayntis that euer may be Or aungelis in hevyn towre! Gaude, flore virginali!

(2)

Gaude, goddys spouse so deere! Line 8 Was there neuer sonnye day so cleere Nor of so grete lyght! There myght neuer son shyne heere As thow fyllist heuyn empere Line 12 With bemys that ar so bryght! Gaude, sponsa cara dei!

(3)

Gaude, vessel of vertue & grace, I-Crowned quene in that place Line 16 Where thy sonne is kynge! Angels alle in his presence Ar vndyr thyn obedyence, And do the worshippynge! Line 20 Gaude, splendens vas virtutum!

(4)

Gaude, modyr and mayden fre, Throw the bonde of charyte To god so holy and knytte, Line 24 That what so euer thi askyng be, Alle the holy trynite Ful goodly grauntyth the hitte. Gaude, nexu caritatis! Line 28

Line 28

(5)

Gaude, frute of allë flowres! For who so euer the honowryth With preyour nyght or day, The fadyr of heuyn, of his godhed Line 32 He graunt them to ther mede The blysse that lastyth aye! Gaude, mater miserorum!

(6)

Gaude, the modyr of cryst iesu, Line 36 So gracyous and ful of vertu, That, for thi holynesse, So highe arte nowe in dignite! Thowe sitteste next the trinite Line 40 In grete honowre and blysse. Gaude, virgo, mater Christi!

(7)

Gaude, mayden clene and pure, Euyr beynge secure and suere Line 44 That these yoies seuyn Shalle neuer swage nor sesse, But euermore endure and encresse While god regnyth in heuyn. Amen. Line 48 Gaude, virgo, mater pura! [Scriptus Anno Domini 1508 per D. T. Mylle.]