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

¶ Here begynneth the byrthe of our moste blessyd lady mayde / wyfe / and moder of our lorde Iesu christe / compyled vp dan Iohn Lydgate / monke of saynt Edmondes: Burye At the excitation and sterynge of the noble victoryous prynce / Kynge Henry y^e fyfthe. (Book 2)

A flour of vertue / ful lōge kept in ••••••os Ful ma••e was / wholsome leuys fote Only by grace / vpon the stalke a••oos•• Out of ••else / spryngynge frō the ro••s Of god ordeyned / to be re••uyte & bot•• Unto mankynde our trouble to determyne Full longe beforne / by pres••••••ns deuyne.

¶ The whiche ••••ou••e preserueth man fro deth Unto the vertue / who so ••yst take hede That in a gardyne / amyd of Nazareth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fayre somtyme gan to sprynge a sprede That thorowe the worlde both in lengthe & brede The fleshe odoure / and ••••••o the swetnesse H••••••••s comforteth of all he•• h••••upnesse.

¶ O Nazareth / with bethlem the besyde This ••loure the maketh / of name more ••yall Than other Rome: ••late and full of pryde O myghty Troye / with the s••ou••dy wall Who••e renowne holdeth to be peregall In honour / pryce ••ame / or reuerence Unto your passynge worthy excellence.

¶ If for the fruyte cōmendyd be the tree Thou hast more laude and commendacion For thy ••ke floure / sprynge out of the Than hath Aus••••ike or worthy Scipyon: Of Rome Cesar / or of Fabyon Though her names / were sotyme graue in golde Her ydel fame / to thyne may not be colde

¶ Therfore reioyse / and be right glad and light O Nazareth / of name moste flourynge: For out of the floure / moste fayre of sight Moste full of grace / somtyme dyd sprynge Of the whiche / fully remembrynge So longe agone spake holy ysaie When that he sayd / in his prophecie.

¶ That on this floure / playnly sholde reste The holy ghost / for his chosen place As for the fayrest / and also for the beste That euer was / and moste full of grace Whose passynge beaute / no stormes may defface But euer a lyke / contynueth fresshe of hewe Withouten fadynge / the coloure is so trewe.

¶ For this is y^• floure / that god hymselfe behelde The whyte Lelye / of the chosyn vale The swete Rose / of the fayre felde Whiche of colour / waxith neuer pale The vyolet / our langour to auale Purpyll he wyd / thorowe mercy and pyte To socoure all that in mischyefe be.

¶ And from the stocke / of Ioachym and Anne This holy floure / had her origynall To hym afore by signe / y shewyd whan The angell tolde hym playnly / that there shall Of hym be borne / a mayde inspeciall Chosen of god / most chiefe of her alye And for her mekenesse / hyght shall Marye.

¶ And whan the Angell / at the yate of golde Had of this mayde the byrth prophected And all the maner / of hem bothe tolde In bokes olde / as it is specifyed Home to her house anone / they haue them byed ••nd she conceyueth this faythfull treue wyfe ••y Ioachym / the holy truyte of lyfe.

¶ Out of the whiche / gan growe all our grace 〈…〉〈…〉 sorowes fully for to ••y••e 〈…〉〈…〉 playnly to ••••••••ace Of ••he ••••••yme / callyd Serpentyne For that whan▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / had monthes nyne 〈…〉〈…〉 this ••r••y••e ••o holy and ••••••••••re Thorowe the gra•••• of god anone it dyd appere.

¶ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Oryent to glade al mankynde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dedely errour oppressyd of the nyght With ••lowdes blocks / and with skyes blynde Tyll they were ••leryd / with fayrenesse of y^• ••yght Of the whiche the angell somtyme had a syght With 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wrastlynge / from hym as he ••rayed So longe a••••orne / to hym whan he sayed.

¶ Lete me departe / withouten more affraye Agaynst me / and make no resystence The nyght is passed to the morowe graye The fresshe Aurora so sayre in apparence Her lyght dawith / to voyde all offence Of wynter nyghtes full longe and tedyous With n••we apperynge so glad and gracyous.

¶ This is to saye / the holy dawnynge Of th•••• mayde / of her natiuyte The nyght gan voyde / of our olde mornynge Is the Angell / in fygure dydse With suche a touche / made Iacob be Sore: in his senewes / lyke as it is founde In thy••ke mēbre / where lust doth moste hab••••de.

¶ In fygure only / that there sholde sprynge Downe by dyssent / out of his kynrede A ••••ene mayde in wyll / and in worchynge Pure of entent / bothe in thought and deds With Aurora / with his beames rede The nyght auoyded / with his copes donne ••fore the vp••yst / of the bryght sonne.

¶ Ryght so this mayd / at her natiuyte The nyght of deth / auoyded hath awaye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bryght Calendys / moste lusty for to se Of Phe••••s vpryst / withouten more delays For ••he is Aurora / sobrely this is to saye Out o•• whiche / as Prophetes gan deuyse The sonne of lyte / to vs gan fyrste deuyse.

¶ Of whose byrthe / full many a day beforne A••o••m••zat wrote in specyall And sayd a mayde sothely shall be borne Under the signe / aboue celestyall That callyd is / the signe virgynall The whiche mayde / as he ••ke telle can. Shall ••ere a chylde / without spotte of man▪

¶And as Mynerue moder of prudence Ie holde a mayde / right so is this heuenly q••••••e B••re in her wombe / the fade•••• sapience And moder was and may den clene Of god prouyded / playnly for to bene So coure to man and helpe in al our nede Whan she was borne this floure of wom••••hede.