This boke is compyled by Dan Iohn Lydgate monke of Burye, at the excitacion [and] styrynge of the noble and victorious prynce, Kynge Henry the fyfthe, i[n] the honoure glorie [and] reuerence of the byrthe of our moste blessed Lady, mayde, wyfe, [and] mother of our lorde Iesu Christe, chapitred as foloweth by this table

¶ Howe Criste was borne after the makīge of the worlde / fyue thousande and hon∣dred / foure score and. xix. yere. Capitulo. xxxv.

WHan all was hushte / & all was scilence And in his course / the longe sterry night was halfe paste / & fresshe of apparence Lucina shone in heuen fayre and bright Thy worde o lorde / that is moste of might Whiche ay abideth / and parteth not fro the

Sente & dissendeth / from the Ryall see.

¶ Hath sodeynly / vp on all erthe Shad his light / for our saluacion As I shall synge / or mayes day the ferthe If ye liste here / of humble affeccion Howe in the yere of computacion Fourty and two / of Octauian Ferthermore / after the worlde began.

¶ Fyue thousande / as Beda liste defyne And an hondred sothely / this is no leace And therewithall / nynty yere and nyne Whan all the worlde in rest was & in peace Withouten warre / and of Olimpiades In the hondred nynty yere and thre And by Cronycle / eke as ye may se.

¶ Than Augustus by cōmaundement Generally / withouten exception Bad by his lettres that the president Of eche prouince / Cyte / Borough / or Towne Thorowe out the worlde / make discripcion Of euery hede / so that eche man At a certeyn day / in all the haste he can.

¶ Upon a payne / be founde in the Cyte Where he was borne / without more delaye Bothe hygh and lowe / of what estate he be After his statute / his tribute for to paye And that no man / be hardy to say nay

To quyte hym selfe / of euery circonstaunce To make in open a reconisaunce.

¶ With hande assured / and hole profession Of the prouidence / to fore the president That he is subiect / vnto Rome towne With all his herte / and his hole entente And here vpon / that he payed his rente As the custome / and the statute bande That is to say / that he brenge in his hande.

¶ A large peny / enprinted with the name And the ymage of the Emperour And there vpon / he shulde anone attame Another of newe / and for the more honour With hande touched / swere for swete or soure Whyle he liueth / and neuer for to rewe With herte and body / playnly to be trewe.

¶ To tempre / his biddinge to obeye Withouten grutchinge / or rebellion With all his might / for to lyue and dye And than anone / the discripcion Of euery hede / in his owne towne Was made in haste / where that he was bore And after that I fynde furthermore.

¶ His name was regestred / with hem there Perpetuelly / to be in mynde And this discriuinge / if ye liste to here Was made fyrste in Sirie / as I fynde

By one Cirinus / the people for to bynde To be to Rome. in subiection For this Cirinus in that regyon.

¶ Was perferred there vnder the Emperoure In bokes olde / as made is mencion And whyles he was theyr gouernour Was fyrste than begonne the discripcion The yere in soth / after the foundacion Of mighty Rome / seuen hondred & fyftene At whiche tyme / with his beme shene.

¶ Was fresshe Phebus / in his fyrste face Of Capricorne / the lowest stacion The same yere / called the yere of grace The yere of conforte and remission Beynge the thyrtheneth the indition The golden nombre of the same yere Eyghtene acounted in our calendere.