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 the Senates of Rome wolde haue hol∣den Octauian her Emperour / as for her God. Capitulo. lii. (Book 52-53)

ALso in Rome / as writteth Innocente In his Cronicle / makinge mencion Howe the Senates all by one assent In consistorie of affeccion Whiche they had in her opinyon Unto her noble and mighty Emperour Octauian of worthynes the floure.

¶ Wolden echone / hym haue deyfyed And called hym / by name immortall The whiche thynge / whan he had espyed As he that was full prudent founde at all To his presence / made anone to call Sibille: that was myrrour of sapience Here vpon: to here her sentence.

¶ And ther withall / that she muste deffyne Without doubte or ambiguite As ferre in soth / as Phebus doth nowe shyne If there were any of power more than he Or peregall vnto his degre From este to weste / here in erthe lowe In all this worlde / that she coude of knowe.

¶ And this was downe vpon the selfe daye Whan Christe was borne / in Bethleē by myracle And she full wysely / Nolde put hym in delaye

To geue answer mankynde a small obstacle Tyll at the laste / the fyne of her oracle Amyd the chambre of the Emperour Standynge enuyron / many a Senatour

¶ Was playnly thus / with chere and face bold•• O Emperour / lifte vp anone thyne eye And loke vp gynder / & se the stercle of golde Aboute the Sonne / whiche eche is to espye And there beholde / thou mayste it nat denye A mayde sitte of beaulte / moste souereyne Holdynge a chylde in her armes tweyne.

¶ And yet anone as Octauian Sawe the chylde / by clere inspeccion Without abode / a voyce he herde than From alofte / vnto the chambre downe Beholde and se / with humble affeccion This is the Aulter of the hygh heuen Sette in the Sonne / clere as any leuen.

¶ Wherfore Sibille / all abrode gan seye To hym anone / & liste nat for to byde Thy crowne auale / and the chylde obeye Whose face: the Sonne bright may nat hyde And let nowe be / all thy pompe and pryde And at one worde / she platly gan hym tell The chyldes migh•• / his power dyd excell.

¶ Whiche thynge / whā he gā playnly vnderstāde Of faythfull will / and hole herte entere

He kneled downe / and liste no lengre stande And with encence / caste in the sencere He dyd worshippe vnto the Aultere And to the chylde / moste excellent of fame And liste nomore vsurpe / on hym the name.

¶ To be called agayne all skylle and right Wrongfully a god sith there is but one And right anone / this noble worthy knight Through out y^• worlde / his precept made to gon•• To prouinces and contreyes euerichone Upon payne of deth / that none of hem all Be herde more / a god hym for to call.

¶ For he well wiste / by signes openly And euidencis / eke in speciall There was one borne / of power more worthy Than was hym selfe / and therto immortall To whome nothynge in erthe is peregall Of all this worlde / of hygh ne lowe estate And for this skylle / after dedicate.

¶ Was that chambre / by hygh deuocion To Marie playnly / this is no naye And called eke for this auisio•• Ara cel•• / yet vnto this daye The name abydeth / and slydeth nat awaye Ne leseth nat the light of his brightnes Thorowe none Eclipsinge / of sorietefulnes.

¶ And in Edgadi / the lusty large vynes

That tyme of yere / of her kynde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gan florisshe & floure / and in stede of vynes With riche baume / her branches to repayre And the vertue / that wynter made bare Thorowe constraynynge of colde in the rote Nature made with fresshe blossomes sote.

¶ To assende vpon the same night Upon the croppe / with fruyte and leues newe Makynge the bowes / as lusty to the sight As fresshe & as fayre of colour and of hewe And as plenteuous / her colour to renewe As in Septembre / whan Bachus hath pouere To ••••e•••• his might / that tyme of the yere.

¶ Lo: howe the lorde & the mighty Kynge That hath lordeshipe / ouer grape and vyne Unto whose might / euery maner thynge Heuen and erthe mu•••••• encline Can branches bare▪ with fresshe floures fyne Araye newe / though they be sere and olde In frosty wynter / and in weder colde.

¶ As in somer / whan Phebus is alofte Whan Flora reygneth / in Maye & in Aprill And make blossomes / to be as smothe & softe Amyd Decembre / whan men for colde of chill Wherfore this feste frely at his will The night I meane / of his natiuite To shewe his might / in erbe floure & tre.

¶ He made the vynes / as y•• haue herderd 〈◊〉〈◊〉 In Edgad•• ••••er ••aw••e for to shede Whan they were moste naked and harayne And out of•• e••o•• / who so can take hede Of whiche night / longe aforne I rede That in Egipte / the prophete Ieronime Full openly in his prophecye /

¶ To the prestes of that kyngdome tolde That the Idoles of her Temples all Withoute•• any reste / by myracle sholde Breke her neckes / and to grounde fall Whan a mayde / in a Oxes stall Hath b••••••e a chylde / this thynge shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Wherfore the prestes / in her fa••es wyde.

¶ Of very faythe / and of hygh credenc•• Secrete•••• vpon a litell stage Upon his worde / with humble reuerence Of a mayde •• let make an ymage And in her arme / a chylde of tender age Doynge therto / in her paynym wyse After her rytes / a maner of sacrifyse.

¶ And on this heste / ay fro yere to yere They were a waytynge / whan •• wolde be Tyll on a day of happe / the kynge came nere The noble worthy / and wyse Tolome The whiche thynge / whan that he dyd se Anone of hem / the cause he gan enquere Why & wherfore the ymage was set the••••.

¶ And echone / of 〈…〉〈…〉 Gaue answer•• / & liste nat for to lye It was ordeyned / of olde tradicion She wed ••ofo•••••• / through hooly prophe••ye In whiche they dyd faythfully espye Undispared the heste shall nat varye Of the prophecie / a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 though it carye.

¶ And soth fastly ••n conclusion Upon the tyme / of the natiuite The false Idolis / in Egipte fell downe And all to braste in peces / mo than thre To shewe truely / that y borne was he Of heuen and erthe / that hath the regallye And shall destroye / all false ma•• me••ry••.