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 Christe was circumcised. Capitulo. lx.

WHan Ianus bifrons / in colde Ianuarie With frosty berde / entred in the yere And Phebus chare / neyeth to Aquarie His watery beames tofore Feuerere Whan that his light / was pale & nothynge clere And from hym late / was passed Lucine The same night / as I sawe her shyne.

¶ A ourned newe / with beames glad and merye On the heuen / and caste his streames downe I gan remembre / of the hygh ferye That called is the circumcision Howe it befell / than by reuolucion By iuste acountynge in the Calenders The fyrste daye of the newe yere.

¶ And though I wolde in my boke procede Of this feaste / somwhat for to wryte And to the gospell / fyrste I gan take hede Of this daye howe Luke liste to endyte Though he therof / speke but a lyte And was full briefe and compendious yet of this daye / hygh and glorious.

¶ He writeth playnly / & sayth howe that anone After the daye of the natiuite Whan eyght dayes passed were and gone The chylde was brought / with all humilite To the Temple / lowly for to be As the lawe of the Iewes hath deuised The eyght daye to be circumcised.

¶ And he therto / mekely dyd obeye And with a knyfe / made full sharpe of stone His mother lokynge / with a pyteous eye The chylde was corue / therwithall anone That all aboute / the reed blode gan gone Without abode / as saythe Bonauenture And for the payne / he dyd endure.

¶ And for sharpenes of the sodayne smerte The chylde gan wepe / that pyte was to here Wherfore his mother / of very tender herte Out braste on teres / & might her selfe nat stere That all bydew••d / where her eyen clere Whan she sawe hym / that she loued so So yonge / so fayre / to wepe for wo.

¶ But he anone / in all his passion For all that he was so yonge of age In manere / he had a compassion To se his mother / to wepe in her rage And put his hande vnto her vysage On mouthe and eyen / passyngly benigne And as he coude / goodely made a signe.

¶ Withouten speche / to stynte her wepynge That came to her / of motherly pyte And she full well / conceyueth his menynge From poynte to poynte / & than anone gan she To loke on hym / that was so fayre to se And his fetures / considered by and by And in her armes / wonder womanly.

¶ She toke hym vp / & prayed hym be still As of motheres / is playnly the manere And he in all obeyeth to her will Though he were yōge / & gan to chaūge his chere And with her kerchyef / she made his eyen clere On his chekes / in all that euer she maye Full motherly / the teres w••pte awaye.