The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

17. The Praise of Mary, Mother of Christ. [Note the effective repetitions in lines 57 and 101.]

(13 stanzas of 8, abab bcbc.)

(1)

Off alle floures feirest fall on, And þat is Marie, Moder fre, Þat bar þe child of flesch and bon, Ihesu, Godes sone in Maieste. Line 4 A loue-likyng is come to me To serue þat ladi, qwen of blis, Ay better and better in my degre, Þe lengor þat I liue, I-wis. Line 8

(2)

So hertly I haue I-set my þouȝt vppon þat buyrde of buyrdes best; ffor al-þauh I seo hire nouȝt, Min herte schal fully wiþ hire be fest. Line 12 Ihesu þat sek milk of hire brest, To ȝou boþe I be-heete: Mi loue schal holly wiþ ȝou rest, Þauȝ I be not worþi ne meete. Line 16

(3)

Sertes, swete, on ȝou is al Min helpyng at myn endyng-day; Þat I be not þe fendes þral, Marie, to ȝor sone ȝe pray. Line 20 Hou schal I do, my swete may, But ȝif I loue ȝou souereynly?

Elles miht men boldly bi me say Daunger mad vnskilfuly. Line 24

(4)

Hose beþenkeþ him, I-wis, Of ȝor gret goodnesse and ȝor grace, He scholde neuer wilne to don amis, Ne luste to loue in oþer place. Line 28 In hope to seo ȝor blessed face, And dwelle wiþ ȝou at myn endynge, And haue relese of alle trespace, Ladi, þauȝ I mourne I synge. Line 32

(5)

Lentun-dayes, þei ben longe, And nou weor good tyme to amende Þat we be-foren han do wronge; Þis world nis noþing, as I wende. Line 36 In sori tyme my lyf Isspend; Þis world is fals, and þat I feel; But Marie Moder me amende, A-Mis I fare, and noþing wel. Line 40

(6)

But þat swete worþli wyf, Hire goodly loue þat I may gete, Al my Ioye wol turne to strif, And I may syke with wonges wete: Line 44 Whon þat I þenke on þat swete, Me þinkeþ hit is so good a þouȝt, I sey to eueri mon þat I meete "Gode, go wey, and let me nouȝt!" Line 48

(7)

Loue me haþ in Bales brouȝt, ffor on such þat I suppose, Þat is so studefast in hire þouȝt, Þat couþe neuere gabbe ne glose. Line 52 Hose hire loueþ, he schal not lose, ffor ȝit be-giled heo neuer no wiht. I likne þat ladi to þe Rose: I-blessed beo þat buirde briht! Line 56

Line 56

(8)

Me longede neuere so sore, so sore, To seo my loueli ladi deere. Ȝif heo neore, we neore but lore, Þat ladi lofsum most of lere. Line 60 And wite hit wel wiþ-outen weere: Whon I þenk on hire semblaunt sad, Þer wol no wys mon blame me here, Þauȝ þat I go murie and glad. Line 64

(9)

A louely lyf to loken vp-on, So is my ladi, þat Emperys; Mi lyf I dar leye þer-vppon, Þat princesse is peerles of prys, Line 68 So feir, so clene, so good, so wys, And þerto trewe as eny steel, Þer nis no such to my deuys: Lor God, þat I loue hire wel! Line 72

(10)

To þis newe ȝer, my ladi sweete, Wiþ al myn herte in good entent, Wiþ fyue Aues I ow grete, And preye ou take þis feire present; Line 76 And schape so þat I beo not schent, Seþþen of ȝou Merci gon springe. ffor al my loue is on ȝou lent, Sweete, swettest of alle-skunnes þinge! Line 80

(11)

Þis is þe remenaunt of my lust, Þat I not wheþer my ladi mylde To my loue haue inly trust, Bicause Monkuynde is frele and wylde. Line 84 But, ladi, for ȝoure blisful childe, Siþen al my loue is leyd on þe, In heuene help me a boure to bylde, Ladi, ȝif þi wille be. Line 88

(12)

Þe loue þat I haue ȝeorned ȝore, Þe kyng of loue graunt hit me!

In eorþly loue is luytel store, ffor al þat nis but vanyte. Line 92 Wher I schal euer þat day I-se, To plese my ladi ones to pay? Heo is of colour and beute As fresch as is þe Rose In May. Line 96

(13)

Hose lust not loue, let hym be-leue, ffor I wol holde þat I haue hiht; Þat lust schal no mon from me reue Þat I nul loue my ladi briht. Line 100 Loue, loue, do me riht, Marie Mooder, Mayden clene, In heuene of þe to haue a siht, Ladi, to þe my mone I mene. Line 104