The myroure of Oure Ladye, containing a devotional treatise on divine service, with a translation of the offices used by the sisters of the Brigittine monastery of Sion, at Isleworth, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Edited from the original black-letter text of 1530 A.D., by John Henry Blunt.

¶ Of the Psalme Magnificat.

Magnificat, Thys ys oure ladyes songe, and yt ys [Luce primo.] sayde euery daye at euensonge rather then at other houres. for dyuerse causes. ¶ One for in the euensonge [Reasons why Magnificat sung at Evensong.] tyme of the worlde. our lady by her synguler assente. broughte in helthe to mankynde. ¶ A nother cause ys that we shulde dayely haue in mynde the incarnacion of our lorde Iesu cryste. which was wroughte in the euentyde of the worlde. for ioye of whiche thys songe was made. ¶ The thyrde cause ys for oure lady is lykened to the euen starre. that begynneth to appere in the euentyde. ¶ The forthe cause ys. that the myndes that haue bene laboured & weryed in the day wyth many thoughtes and besynesses. shuld then be comforted wyth the songe of ioye of oure lady. and be holpen by her prayers. ageynste temptacyons of the nyghte. ¶ The gospell sheweth that after oure Lady [Luce primo.] had conceyued oure lorde Iesu cryste in the Cytye of nazareth{punctel} a none she wente to Ierusalem to her cosyn Elyzabeth. the mother of saynte Iohn̄ Baptyste. And at her comynge thyder saynte Iohn̄ ioyed in hys mothers wombe. & hys mother was fylled with the spyryte of prophesy. and blyssed oure lady and sayde. Blyssed be thow amongest all women. and blyssed be the fruyte of thy wombe. Then oure lady as she tellyth

to saynte Birgytte. was sturred in her harte wyth vn∣specable [Libro .sexto Capitulo .lix.] & vnknowen gladnesse. so moche that her sowle mighte skante holde yt selfe for ioye. but her holy tongue brake oute with wordes in praysynge of god wythoute studye. or thynkeynge before and sayde. Magnificat anima mea dominum, My sowle prayseth the lorde. Et exultauit, And my spyryte hathe ioyed in god my sauyoure. ¶ Here we may lerne of oure lady to forsake all veyne ioye. For after the aungell had [The Blessed Virgin's humility in all her exalta∣tion.] bene with her from heuen. after she had conceyued the sonne of god and after Elyzabeth had blyssed her and praysed her as most worthy mother of god. in al thys she was meued to no vanyte. ne to no presumpcion in her selfe. but to more mekenesse. and to praysynge and ioyeng in god. And that not faynedly only with tongue. but of all the inwardenesse of sowle. And therfore she sayeth. not my mouthe, but my sowle prayseth. and my sowle ioyeth. And that not in her selfe but in god. that ys maker of all thynges. & now ys become man. and so sauyoure of mankynde. And that in oure lady. and therfore he ys specyally and syngulerly hers. and none others in that wyse. For by her. helthe and saluacion ys come to man. Therfore [Folio .lxxxvj.] she sayeth. My spyryte that ys my sowlle. hathe ioyed in god my sauyoure. Here sayeth saynt Bede. that his [Spiritual applica∣tion of Magnificat by "Saint" Bede.] spyryte ioyeth in god hys sauyoure{punctel} that delyteth in nothynge that ys in erthe. ne ys plesyd with no plente of goodes. or of worshyppes. ne ys broken wyth grudge∣ynge or vnpacyence in eny trybulacyon or dysease{punctel} but onely he delyteth. and ioyeth in mynde of hys maker. of whome he hopeth to haue endelesse helthe. Quia respexit, For he hathe beholde the mekenesse of hys hande mayden. Here oure lady tellyth why she praysed why she ioyed in god. why god was become so singulerly hers. for he beheld her mekenesse. wherby ye may se that mekenesse was the cause. why god chase

her to be hys mother. And therfore sayeth saynte [Translation of Magnificat and comment con∣tinued.] Ierome. what ys more noble and worthy. then to be the mother of god{punctel} what ys more bryghte & worshyp∣fulle. then she. whome the bryghtenesse of the fathers glory chase to hymselfe{punctel} what ys more chaste{punctel} then she that bare in her body. the body of cryste{punctel} And yet she sayeth that god behelde onely her mekenesse. that ys the keper of all vertewes. And what fel therof{punctel} Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes, Lo for that, from hense furthe. all generacyons shall call me blyssed. ¶ All generacions of heuen. and of erthe. of crysten. and of hethen. of iewes and of sarazyns. of men. and of women. of poure. and of ryche. of men. and of aungels. of ryght wyse and of synners. of wedded. and of syngle. of soueraynes. and of subiectes. all shal say me blyssed. all shal prayse the blyssednesse that god my sauyoure hathe wroughte wyth me. and hathe gyuen to them by me. For of euery nacyon and people. some are turned to the faythe of cryste{punctel} that prayse. and worshyppe hys holy mother. Quia fecit, For he that ys myghty hathe done greate thynges to me. and hys name ys holy. What be these greate thynges. that he made her. that he kepte her clene from all synne. That he halowed her. and en∣dowed her wyth gyftes of the holy goste. that he toke his body of her. That she a creature broughte furthe her maker. she hys seruaunte bare her lorde. that she a vyrgyn. ys mother of god. That by her he boughte mankynde. and broughte hys chosen to endelesse lyfe. These greate thynges dyd he that hys myghty. to rewarde. aboue all that eny man maye deserue. And for he ys myghty. he hathe done myghty and greate thynges. And hys name ys holy. For he ys more good and holy. then may be thoughte or spoken. And for hys holy name. not for mannes meryte. He hathe done greate thynges. to the helthe of man. Et miseri∣cordia

eius, And hys mercy ys from kynred. in to kyn∣redes. [Translation of Magnificat and comment con∣tinued.] to them that drede hym. Thys ys that mercy that he hathe wroughte by oure lady. and by hys in∣carnacyon. and passyon to mankynde. The mercy of saluacion that Dauid asked after when he sayde. Ostende nobis domine misericordiam tuam. Lorde [Psalmo .84.] shew vs thy mercy. As yf he sayde. thow haste shewed vs thy power in makynge of all thynges of noughte. Thow haste shewed vs thy wysdome in meruaylous gouernynge of all thynges. Thow hast shewed vs thy ryghtwysnes in punysshynge of synne. bothe in aungel and in [Folio .lxxxvij.] men. And therfore shew vs now thy mercy by incarnacyon of thy sonne. to the saluacyon of manne. Thys mercy bryngeth oure lady furthe and sayeth. hys mercy ys from kynred in to kynredes. From one kynred. in to all kynreddes. from the kynred of iewes. in to all kynreddes of the worlde. For amongeste the iewes thys mercy was wroughte. and afterwarde spred abrode vnto all people. But all take not profyte and saluacyon by thys mercy. for thoughe yt be more suffycyent then all men nedeth. yet yt auayleth not but to them. that dyspose them therto. And what ys that dysposycion{punctel} The drede of god. For wythoute that drede. none maye be saued. Not the drede of payne. But the drede of god. as oure lady sayeth. timentibus eum, hys mercy ys to them that drede hym. Fecit potenciam in brachio suo, He hathe done powre in his arme. That ys to saye. in hys sonne. For as the arme cometh of the body. and the hande of bothe arme and body{punctel} so the sonne hathe hys beyng of the father. and the holy gooste bothe of the father. and of the sonne. In thys arme that ys hys sonne. he hathe done power. for by hym he made all thynges. and by hym he saued mankynde. and by hym he hathe throwen downe the power of fendes. And therfore sayeth oure lady. Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui,

He hathe dysparsed the prowde in the wylle of thy [Translation of Magnificat and comment con∣tinued.] harte. ¶ These prowde are fendes. and iewes. and all prowde people. For as an hooste that ys dysparsed ys not myghty to fyghte. ryghte so the prowde fendes are dysparsed by the passyon of oure lorde Iesu cryste. and not myghty to warre agenste man. as they were before. ¶ The prowde iewes also. that wolde not meke them to the faythe of Iesu cryste. ar dysparsed abrode in the worlde. so moche. that they haue nether londe. ne contre. ne Cyte. ne towne of theyre owne to dwelle in. in all the erthe. But somme. dwelle in one londe. somme in a nother. And somme in one Cytye. and somme in a nother vnder trybute. and thraldome of chrysten people. Thus are these fendes. and iewes dysparsed by oure lorde in the wylle of hys harte. that ys to say in the ryghtefulle iudgemente. of hys preuy domes. ¶ All prowde people also are dysparsed in the mynde of theyre owne hartes. for as meke people lyue in vnyte and reste. ryghte so prowde people. are bothe scattered in theyre owne hartes by many vanytyes. and vnlefull desyres. and also they are deuyded agenste other by trouble and enuye. and debate. Deposuit potentes de sede, He hathe putte downe the myghty frome the seate. and he hathe lyfte vp the meke. ¶ These myghty are they that haue great power temporall. or spyrytuall: and mysse vse yt agenste the wylle of god. and ageynste theyre euen chrysten. and ageynste theyre owne sowlles helthe. And these myghty god throwyth downe from the seate of grace. For by grace. god shulde haue hys seate in theyre hartes. And frome the seate of dygnyte. and of power. whyche they mysse vse. And from the sete of con∣nynge. & of wysdome. for they ar blynded in theyre owne malyce & at laste from the sete of dome. where [Math. xix.] the wylfull powre shall sytte and [Folio .lxxxviij.] deme wyth cryste. them that shall be demed in the ende of the worlde.

From that seate shall suche myghty be throwen downe. [Translation of Magnificat and comment con∣tinued.] and to that sete shall the meke be lyfted vp. For he hathe lyfte vp the meke here in grace. and after to blysse euerlastynge. These wordes oure lady spake as prophesy of thynge that was to come. and yet she sayeth as yf yt were paste for syckernesse of the ful∣fyllynge. For yt was as sycker to be fulfylled in tyme then to come as yf yt had bene then past. And for that cause prophetes vsed ofte suche maner of spekynge. Esurientes impleuit bonis, He hathe fylled the hongry wyth goodes{punctel} and the ryche he hathe lefte voyde. ¶ Bodely hongre is an appetyte of meate. so gostely honger is a desyre of grace and of vertues. He that is hongry. hathe nede of meate. so he that is hongry gostly. thynketh that he hathe noughte. that good ys. namely not of hymselfe. ne by hys owne merytes. And for he feleth hymselfe nedy of all goodes{punctel} therfore he seketh and desyreth. and laboureth faste to gette them. and suche hongry{punctel} god fylleth wyth goodes spirituall in grace. and endelesse in blysse. ¶ But the ryche ar they that presume of themselfe. & wene to be better then they are and to haue more then they haue. or to konne more then they canne. And that they haue. or canne. or may. they counte yt to theyre owne merytes and worthynesse. as though yt came all of themselfe. These ryche god leuyth voyde from grace and from glory. For they that ar here wylfully poure from worldely welthes and comfortes. and honger and desyre goddes grace. and heuenly comfortes{punctel} theyre desyre shall be fulfylled. But they that haue here rychesse of worldely prosperyte and take theyre ioye and com∣forte therin. and seke after none other{punctel} they shall be lefte voyde. from all goodes temporall. and euerlastynge Suscepit israel, He hathe taken israel his chylde. he hathe mynde of hys mercy. ¶ Israel was one of the patriarkes. that was called also Iacob. of whose lynage

oure lady came. And therfore oure lady sayeth. that god hathe taken israel that ys to say a body of man∣kynde. of the lynage of Israel. whyche israel ys called goddes chylde. for he was meke and obedyente to god. as a chylde to the father. And in thys dede god hathe mynde on hys mercy. by whiche he promysed to the [Genesis .xxij.] patriarkes and prophetes that he wolde become man. And therfore sayeth oure lady further. Sicut locutus est, As he hathe sayde to oure fathers, that ys. to patriarkes. and prophetes. from the begynnynge of the worlde. and specyally. to Abraham. and to hys sede. that ys. to the people. that come of Abraham by bodely generacyon. of whome oure lady came. and of her oure lorde Iesu cryste. not onely to the helpe of that people. but of all that trewly folowe the faythe. and leuynge of Abraham. vnto the ende of the worlde. For they are properly called the sede and the chyldren of Abraham. with whome they shulde. be parteners of the fruyte of oure lordes comynge endelesly in ioye and blysse Amen.