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,

Quia Amore Langueo. (PART I.)

(THE VIRGIN'S COMPLAINT BECAUSE MAN'S SOUL IS WRAPT IN SIN.)

[Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 4.] [8 stanzas in eights, abab bcbc, except st. 1, abab bcbd.]

(1)

IN a tabernacle of a tour, As y stood musynge on þe moone, A crowned queene, moost of honour, Me þouȝte y siȝ sittinge in trone. Line 4 Sche made hir cómpleynt bi hir oone, For mannis soule is wrappid in synne: [The ryme should be in -o, as in the other stanzas.] "Y may not leeue mankynde a-loone, Quia amore langueo. Line 8

(2)

I loke for loue of man, my broþir, [page 5] I am his avoket [Alterd by a later hand to 'advoket.'] on euery wise, I am his moder, y can noon oþir; Whi schulde y my dere child dispise? Line 12 ¶ Þouȝ he me wraþþe in diuerse wise, Þoruȝ freelte of fleisch be falle me fro, Ȝit muste y rue til þat he rise, Quia amore langueo. Line 16

(3)

I abood & abide with greet longynge, I loue & loke whanne man wole craue, I pleyne me for pitee of pinynge; Wolde he aske merci, he schulde it haue; Line 20 Seie to me, soule, y schal þee saue;

Bid me, child, & y wole goo; Praiedist me neuere, but y forgaue, Quia amore langueo. Line 24

(4)

Moder of mercy y was for þee made: Who nediþ mercy but þou a-loone? To ȝeue grace & merci y am more glade Þan þou to aske; whi nyst þou noon? Line 28 ¶ Whanne seide y nay? tel me to whom! [page 6] Neuere ȝit to freend ne foo! Whanne þou askist not, þan make y moon, Quia amore langueo. Line 32

(5)

O wrecche, in þis world y loke on þee Whanne y se þee trespase day bi daye, Wiþ leccheri aȝen my chastite, With pride aȝen my meeke a-ray. Line 36 ¶ My loue abidiþ þee; yra is a-way; Mi loue þee calliþ, & þou stelist me fro; Ȝit sue to me, synner, y þee pray, Quia amore langueo! Line 40

(6)

My sone was outlawid for þi synne, His body was beten for þi trespase, Ȝit prickiþ it myn herte þat so nyȝ my kynne Þat so schulde be disesid, a sone, a-las! Line 44 ¶ Mi sone is þi fader, his moder y was, He soukide my pappis; he loued þee so, He is deed for þee; myn herte þou has, Quia amore langueo. Line 48

(7)

¶ My sonë deedë for þi loue, [page 7] His herte was persid with a spere To bringe þi soule to heuene a-boue, For þi loue so diede he here. Line 52

Line 52 ¶ Þerfor þou must be to me moost dere, Siþen my sonë loued þee so; Þou praiest to me neuere but y þee here, Quia amore langueo. Line 56

(8)

My sone haþ grauntide me, for þi sake, Euery merciful praier þat y wole haue; For, he wole no veniaunce take If y aske mercy for þee, but þat y schal haue. Line 60 ¶ Þerfor axe þou merci, & y schal þee saue, With pitee y rue vpon þee so, I longe for mercy þat þou schuldist craue, Quia amore langueo." Line 64