[6-text p 184]
Thus hathe þis wydowe hir litel Child tauȝt [[Sloane MS 1685.]]
Oure blysfull lady Crystes modir dere
To worshipe ay and he for-yate hit nouȝt
ffor sely Chylde wylle al day sone lere
Line 1702
But ay when I remembre me of þis matere
Seynt Nicholace stonte euere in my presence
ffor he so yonge to Crist dyd reuerence
Line 1705
Thys Child his lytel booke lernynge
As he sat in þe scole at hys primere
he alma redemptoris mater herd synge
As Children lernyd hir antephonere
Line 1709
As · as he durste he drowe hym nere & nere
And herkened ay þe wordes & þe noote
Tylle he þe fyrste verse coude by roote
Line 1712
Not what þat latyne was to seye
ffor he so yonge and tendre was of age
But on a day hys felawe he gan preye
To expoune hym þis songe in hys langeage
Line 1716
Or tellen hym why þis songe was in vsage
Thus prayde him to construe and declare
ffulle ofte tymes . on his knees bare
Line 1719
Hys felawe whiche was eldere þan he
Answeryd hym þus . þis songe I herde seye
was made of oure blesfulle lady fre
here to salowe and eke hir to preye
Line 1723
To bene oure helpe and our socour whan we deye
I can no more expone in þis matere
I lerne songe I can but lytel gramere
Line 1726
And ys þis songe made in reuerence
Of crystes moder sayd þis Innocent
Now certes I wylle do my diligent
To konne þis or crystemasse be went
Line 1730
