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

¶ A question assoyled / whiche is worthy est of kynge / Wyne / or womā. Capitulo. lvii. (Book 57)

ANd as in erthe / is made a question Of thynges thre / whiche was worthiest Kynge / wyne / or woman / in comparison Eche I praysed / and holden as for best And all this stryfe / and as Darius gan leste Zorobabell: withouten any slouthe Aboue echone / had preferred trouthe.

¶ And whyle they were / atrauerse of these thre Eueriche holdynge his opynyon Zorobabell of right and equyte

To woman gaue his commendacion Makynge forthwith / of trouthe mencion Onely in signe / as he can deuyse Fro woman fyrste / trouthe muste aryse.

¶ Whiche is the bande / & knotte pryncipall Of all vertue / it may nat be denyed And therwithall / so excellent royall With god hymselfe / that is next alyed And for it is / so moche magnefyed Thorowe the worlde / of pryce and worthy fame God chese hymselfe / of that to bere the name.

¶ And with his mouthe / hymself so liste hym call As the Gospell maketh mencion And by recorde of prophetes all God descendynge / to one conclusion This daye in erthe / for our saluacion Of a woman in maydenhede flourynge To mankynde / trouthe dyd sprynge.

¶ And fro heuen / rightwisnes behelde Howe trouthe & mercy / in a mayde mette And thus is trouthe / spronge out of a felde Where the holy ghoste / the rayne of grace sett•• To make the graffe / that he fro Iuda sette To fructefie / and a pure virgine That shall be tytle of the same lyne.

¶ The crowne of Iuda / to accepte anone And vnderfonge it as a champyon

Whiche was byrafte / so many a day a gone From Sedechie awaye in Babilon Whan that was made / a transmigracion By the tyraunt: Nabugodonosor Whose cruelte / laste shall nomore.