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¶ Howe our Ladyes frendes wayled and morned whan the Bysshoppes made so stronge a prefe of her virginyte. Capitulo. xxxi. (Book 31)
THan sythen trouthe / may no whyle dare
Hornes shrynke / ne hyde hym in his neste
But lyke a sonne / his light abrode declare
Whan she that was the veray chosen cheste
Of all clennesse / and there with all the beste
Of all good / howe myght it betyde
Her light of vertue / to be sette a syde.
¶ That it nyll shyne / maugre who sayth naye
Whan her beames ben openly discured
As golde in fyre / fyned by assaye
And as the tryed / siluer is depured
And she that was in vertue moste assured
Where the holy ghoste / his dwellinge dyd sette
Howe myght than / ony mystes lette.
¶ The clere light / of her parfytnesse
Or ony maner prefe or probacion
In ony parte / for to make it lesse
For light wyll out / it may not be borne downe
And so will trouthe haue dominacion
For ony falsenes / that men can conspyre
Than she that was so fully sette a fyre.
¶ Of the holy ghoste / ne dare but lytell drede
To drynke water / whether it be thyke or clere