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,

Hymn to the Virgin.

BY WILLIAM HUCHEN.

[MS. no. cccxx. in the Library of New College, Oxford.]

THE MS., written about 1460, contains the Psalter in the later Wyclif version (Purvey), and prose translations of various canticles. The hymn, which is on the last page, appears to be in the same handwriting as the rest. Each of the seven stanzas (in "rime royal") is an acrostic on the name Stanlei. The person meant may possibly be Sir Thomas Stanley, who was created Baron Stanley in 1456, and died in 1459.—HENRY BRADLEY.

(1)

Swete and benygne moder and may, Line 1 Turtill trew, flowre of women alle, Aurora bryght, clere as the day, Noblest of hewe, þus we the calle; Lyle fragrant eke of the walle; Line 5 Ennewid wiþ bemys of blys, In whom neuer was founden mys. Line 7

(2)

So fayre, so good, was neuer non; Line 8 Transcendyng is ther-for þi place Aungels alle and seyntis echone; Next vnto god, such is þi grace. Lo, þi mekenes þe did purchace Line 12 Euer in ioy so to endure In þi grete lande [sic], o princes pure.

(3)

Surmountyng is þin excellence, Line 15 Thou rose of prys, thou flowre of may; And phebus lyke in his ascence, Natyff of blys where þou art ay, Lady saunzpere, þis is no nay. Line 19 Empres of helle also of righte, In þe is eke owre anker pight Line 21

Line 21

(4)

Stormys ageyne of cruell syn Line 22 That puyssauntlye us do assayle; And while we þis world be yn Now, lady fayre, þou us not fayle. Lat neuer vice on us prevayle. Line 26 Entrete þi babe, so, quene on hie, In whom to þe is no denye. Line 28

(5)

Siþ here is nought but myserie; Line 29 The fende, þe fleish, þe world also, Assaute us ay wiþ-oute mercy. Not comfortles ȝit is owre wo; Lady, to þe resorte we do, Line 33 Euyr tristyng thi grace and ayde, In whom fully owre trist is layde. Line 35

(6)

Sewte and servise we owe, parde, Line 36 To þi hiȝnesse of very due, As royall most by pedigre, None lyke of grace ne of vertu, Louely lady, þi servauntes trew, Line 40 Entrikid wiþ passiouns wylde, In tyme of nede socour and shilde. Line 42

(7)

Saue hem fro syn and worldly shame Line 43 That þe worship with humble herte, And to þi son, iesus by name, Not sete (sic) to pray that we not smert. Lord, þi iugement we may not sterte; Line 47 Euere þerfor thi grace us hight, In worship of þi modere bright. Line 49

By William Huchen.