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

¶ Of the ioye that the Kynges had when they founde Christe. Capi. lxxii.

BUt who the ioye coude tell or endyte Or with his mouthe / the myrthe expres Or who can playnly with his penue wryte The greate blisse or the gladnes Whiche they made in sothfastnes After her iourney / and her longe w••y•• Aboue the house / whan they the sterre seye.

¶ That gan to hem clerely certefye Without more / the chyldes dwelly age place And they anone / faste gan hem hye With lusty herte / and glad of there and face

To alight downe in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 space They made he•••• redy / & with reuerence They entryd in / and came in ••o 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

¶ Where as the chylde moste worthy of d••g•••• Was with Marie in a Oxes stall And humbly the kynges all thre Forth they wente towarde the stall And brought her tresoure / & her g••••••es all As reuerently as they coude deuise And hym presented in all her beste wy••e.

¶ Lyke as her estate / eueriche after other Makynge theyr presente / with all humilite Lyke her age / as brother after other Golde / Franke / & Myr••he / they gaue hym all thr•• After custome of Perce and Caldee For of th•••• lande / whan kynges present make The custome is suche giftes for to take.

¶ And this was done with foyson and plente In very soth / and greate habundaunce For in ••er presente was no scarsete For of richesse / they had all suffisaunce Wherfore they ••••ste with deuoute obeysaunce Of due ••ight / with the chylde to parte Of her tresoure / or that they departe.

¶ And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is pa••ed for tribute As it is founde of ••••tiquite Therfore th•• kynges / for a maner sute

That they hym 〈…〉〈…〉 They brought hym golde ou•• of her co••tr•• And gaue 〈…〉〈…〉 Hooly of herte / for a recog••isaunce.

¶ And Franke also / as clerkes can deuise Ordeyned is in conclusion To god onely / to make sacre••ise With contrite herte and deuocion Therfore to hym for oblacion They brought Franke to signefye than That he was bothe sothfaste god and man.

¶ And for they wolde in all thynge obeye To his hyghnes / with all ••er besy cure In token he sholde for mankynde dye They brought myrre to his sepulture For like a man / deth he muste endure And with his blode / ••hed in his passion For our trespace / for to make redempciom.

¶ In Franke also / who that can discerne Is vnderstande the hygh mageste Of his power / whiche that is eterne And eke also / his hygh dey••e The golde betokeneth his hygh dignite And myr••he declareth / vnto vs at all Of his manhode / that he was mortall.

¶ And golde betokeneth of loue the feruence That he to ma•• had of affeccion

And Franke betokeneth the souerayne excellence In holynes his conuersa••ion And myrre betokeneth the tribulacion That he suffred / and all the greate penaunce For vs in erthe by continuaunce.

¶ In golde he was knowe as a kynge In Franke a preeste / who so can take hed•• Of myrre also this daye the offerynge Was longynge onely to his manhede And thus he was withouten any drede Bothe kynge and preeste / as I discriue can And for our sake in erthe a mortall man.

¶ In golde also / moste glorious metall Figured was his hygh deyte In Franke also / that is so cordiall The soule also / of Christe moste parfyte of degre And myrre betokeneth thorowe his dignite His flesshe / the whiche by disposicion Maye neuer suffre no corrupcion.

¶ And of these giftes passynge reuerence Full of misterie / & heuenly priuite And whan they had made theyr presente Unto the chylde ay sittynge on her knee And with greate auyse / they began beholde & see Tofore that they remeue from that place His godely chere / and his fayre face.

¶ Considerynge his fetures by and by

With grete insight / and humble enten••ion And ay the more they loke besely The more they thynke in her inspeccion And thoughten alwaye / as in her reason Though kynde & god / hath sette in one figure The beaute hooly of euery creature.

¶ It might nat in sothenes / heuen ben liche To his fayrnes / neyther peregall For he that is aboue nature riche Hath made this chylde / ••ayreste in speciall For in his face / they beholden all The hole beaute / and fayrnes eke also Of heuen and e••the / to gyder bothe two.

¶ Wherfore no wonder / though they hem dely•••• Moste passingly vpon hym to se For they in herte reioysen hem nat alyte On hym to loke / that they haue liberte For ay the more playnly that they be In his presence / the parfyte hote fyr•• Of hertely ••oye / hem brente in desyre.

¶ And of one thynge good hede they toke Howe that the chylde / demurely caste his sight Towarde hem / and godely gan to loke On her faces / with his eyen bright And howe that he put his armes right Goodely to hem makynge a maner signe To them of thankynge / with chere full benigne.

¶ And of his mother / they moche thynge enquere Touchynge his byrthe / with humble affeccion And she answereth moste femynyne of chere Full prudently to euery question With chere demure / and loke ycaste adowne With all the porte of womenly clennes Her selfe demenynge / chefely with mekenes.