¶ Antempne.

Patrem cum filio, Oure sowlles ioyenge mote con∣tynewally prayse the father wyth the sonne. and the holy goste wyth eyther of them. one very god [Folio .lxxxix.] whiche endelesly before knowynge oure fraylte. endelesly he ordeyned before. the vyrgyn mary to be oure helper. whose sowlle ioynge in god praysed hym soueraynely.

Antempne. Rosa rorans, Byrgytte that arte a *. [Invocation of St Bridget.] vessell of grace. and a rose dewynge goodnesse. and a sterre droppynge clerenesse. dew thou the pytye of heuen. and droppe the clennesse of lyfe. in to the vale of wretchednesse. Antempne. O Birgitta. O Byr∣gytte droppe of myrre. exampler of abstynence. thow haste made a playster of penaunce. to sorowfull peple whyle thow wrote the wordes of cryste. Thow that arte a new lyghte of the chyrche be a defender & a Page  164 norysher to the meke meyne of thy howsolde. ¶ Myrre ys a bytter gomme in taste. but in smell yt is swete. and yt kepyth deade bodyes from rottynge and ther∣fore *. [Mystical meaning of myrrh.] yt betokeneth penaunce. that is bytter in felynge of sorowe. and of sharpenes. but yt smellyth swete in goddes syghte. and yt helpyth a sowlle. that is dede by synne. and kepyth yt from endeles corrupcyon. Suche a droppe of myrre was saynte Byrgytte. for bothe by example of her owne lyueynge. and by warnynge that she gaue to the people of mystyef that shulde falle for synne. but they amended. & what mercy & grace they *. [St Bridget's myrrh was a plaster of penance to sinners.] myghte haue. yf they wolde turne them and amende{punctel} she made a wholsome playster of penaunce. to all people that ys sorowfully combred in synnes. The worde of cryste that she wrote. are the reuelacyons that she had from heuen to the enformacyon of all mankynde. And therfore she is called a new lyghte gyuen to holy chyrche in thys last worlde. Her mayne is all tho that serue her. and haue deuocyon to her and more specyally we that are professed in her relygyon.