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 vertuous pouerte and mekenes of our Lady Capitulo. lxxiii. (Book 73)

O She that was of heuen and erthe quene And of hell lady and prynces O what was she / alas that might fustene To be proude considered her mekenes O pryde alas / o rote of our distres Though thy booste aboue the skye blowe Thy byloynge / hygh shallbe brought full lowe.

¶ O Surquedrie / alas why n••••te thou se Howe that she had heuen in her demeyne And lady is bothe of lande and see And of the axtre / betwene the poles tweyne And of the enbracynge / of the golden cheyne yet vnto her / I saye in sothfastnes Aboue all this / agryed her mekenes.

¶ O pompe elate / with thy cheres bolde Remembre and se / and loke howe that she Of whome kynges haue ioye to beholde In her presence to knele on her kne

Though she of women / be hyest in degre Take hede & se howe louly in a stable Howe that she sat this lady honourable.

¶ Were there of golde any clothes founde Of Sylke Damaske / or ryche Tartaryne Or whas there Aras aboute her hede bounde Or was there any Uelwet Crymsyne Or was there any Samyte or Satyne Or were there any Tapytes / large or wyde The naked grounde / to couer or to hyde.

¶ Or was her paleys bylte of lyme and stone Or the pylers set on marbell graye Or the grounde pauyd on to gone Or fresshe parlours / glased bright as day Or were therin chambres of aray Or for estates / was there any hall Saue a Dongeon / and an Oxes stall.

¶ Or of her bed was the appareyle Of Golde & Sylke / corteyned large aboute Or were the shetes of longe or wyde entayle Kytte out of raynes / naye without doute Or were there any ladyes for to loute To her hyghnes / with besy obseruaunce Or of maydens any attendaunce.

¶ O as me semeth of very dewe right ye women all sholden take hede With your Perles / and your stones bright Howe that our quene / floure of womanhede

Of no deuise embrouded hath her wede Ne furred with Ermyn / ne with Christi graye Ne Martyr••e / ne Sabil•• I trowe in good faye.

¶ Was none founden in her garmente And yet she was the fayrest for to se That euer was vnder the firmamente That me semeth / ye sholden haue pyte To se a lady of so hygh degre So semely atyred / o ye women all So narowe closed in an Oxes stall.

¶ Let be your pryde / and your affeccion Of riche araye / & nothynge you delite In wordly pompe / and suche abusion Of soūdry clothes / rede / blacke / and whyte And be well ware / or the spere byte Of cruell deth / and the fell smerte My councell is to lifte vp your herte.

¶ To that lady / & to that worthy quene That you may beste helpe in your nede And you releue / in euery wo and tene And delyuer from all mischyef and drede And thynke playnly / & take right good hede That all shall passe araye / & eke riches Whan ye leste wene / & all your semelines.

¶ Let hem afore be to a Kalendere I sowde Eleyne / and eke Policene Hester also / and Dido with her chere

And riche 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / of Ethiope quene Lygge they nat graue / vnder colours grene And yet all this / maye nat your pryde atame Natwithstandynge / that ye shall do the same.

¶ And after deth abydeth no memorie For ay with deth / cometh foriet fulnes And fare well than araye / and all vayneglorie Saue onely vertue / that standeth in sikernes I take recorde of the hygh mekenes Of her that is of holines well Of whome I thynke / sothely for to tell.

¶ Howe that she satte / for all her worthynes Holdynge her chylde / lowly on the grounde And kynges knelynge / as ye haue herde expres Beholdynge her in vertue moste habounde Till at the laste / they haue a leyser founde To take her leue / and the same night They gan to ryde homwarde all her might.