Of þe Incarnacion þe grete Mekenes,
And of his liuyng þe holynes,
And of his passion þe charite.
At ones þou maiȝt not þenke þise þre;
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I schal departe hem, as I may,
Be þe houres of niht and day;
Wiþ double Contemplacione
In vche an houre of god þou mone:
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Ones of his passioun,
And eft of oþer sesoun.
Contemplacion at Matines tyme.
At Mateynes þenk, aftur or bi-foren,
Wȝat time & vre, place crist was boren.
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Þe tyme was wynter, ȝif þou be-holde,
Þe vre was midniȝt, wonder colde,
Þe place, as doctours seyen and trowes,
Was a toren hous wiþ-outen wowes.
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In Riche cloþus was he not wrapped,
In Cracche wiþ ragges he was happed,
Bi-twene an Oxe and an As—
Gret Meknes þer I-schewed was!
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Be-þenk þe of þat cumpaignye
Of Iosep and of swete Marie,
Hou bisy þei weren to kepe þat fode
Þat for us schulde dyen on Roode;
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Of þe herdes deuocion,
And of þe Angeles þat songen abouen
"Ioye be to god þat is on hiȝ"—
In herte so syng þou priuely.—
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Þenk how Iudas also outrayde
At midniȝt, whon he crist be-trayde;
Hou þe Iewes þei him be-caste,
And as a þeef þei bounden him faste,
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And as a feloun þei forþ him lad.
Whon þe traitour a Cos him bad,
In speche he was so Meke & hende:
His traytur he calde his dere frende.
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In dede also he schewed non awe,
fforbed al hise wepne to drawe,
