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 our Lady was purified. Capitulo. lxxvii. (Book 77)

Glorie / and pryce / laude / & hygh honoure O blessed quene / be gyuen vnto the That were of golde / the close chaste toure Surely founded vpon humilite

Shette with the keye / of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 From all synne / fully to be assured And of the holy ghoste / rounde aboute enuired.

¶ That neuer no brennynge of flesshely hete Assayle might thyne holy tabernacle With dewe of grace / thy closette was so swete Fulfilled with vertue / onely by myracle God chase thy wombe for his tabernacle And halowed it so clene in euery cooste To make it sacrarie / for his owne ghooste.

¶ Natwithstandynge / that thou were so clene Aboue all other by eleccion Of mekenes onely / o thou heuenly quene Thou liste to haue none indignacion The day to passe of thy purificacion But to fulfille the precepte of the lawe In euery thynge / & nat a poynte withdrawe.

¶ But euen lyke as it is specified Leuitici who so can vnderstande To the Temple / to be purified Thou mekely come thyne offrynge in hande All be the lawe sette / on the no bande For it is there made mencion Touchynge the lawe of purificacion.

¶ If a women conceyue by a man And haue a chylde / by medlynge hem betwene That it be a male / the lawe teacheth than

Fourty dayes that she shulde be vnclene And kepe her close / ••that no man shulde her sene And after that she shulde her offrynge In lawe expressed / to the Temple brynge.

¶ But taketh thede in conclusion Howe this lawe lyke as ye shall fynde Ne was nat put / but by condicion Onely to them that corupt weren by kynde Through touche of man / of suche is made mynde The dayes nombred of her purgacion To come and make her oblacion.

¶ And brynge a lambe / the whiche in sacrefise Shulde all be brought in the holy place And a pygeon / as lawe doth deuise She shulde eke offre / as for her trespace And than all fylthe from her to enchace She of the preste halowed & sacrefied Retorneth home / and fully purifyed.

¶ And if she had in her possession Redely no lambe / onely for pouerte Than shulde she take for her oblacion Two turtell Doues / & therwithall go fre Or two pygeons / like as ye may se Leuitici / where as by distinction Of this offerynge is made discripcion.

¶ But this may de / who so can take hede Excluded ••as fro this condicion

That bare a chylde / without mannes sed•• Brynge euer cle••e from all corruption Where through / she was from suche oblacion By lawe excepte / & was vnder no charge For her clennes / standynge at her large.

¶ For of her wombe / the cloyster virginall Was euer eliche / bothe firste and laste Closed & shytte / as Castell pryncipall For the holy ghoste / deuised ••t and caste And at bothe tymes shytte as lyke faste In her chyldynge nomore through grace ybroke Than at her conceyuynge / than it was vnloke.

¶ For nature withouten any stryfe Repugnaunce / or any resistence Gaue this maybe prerogatyfe As mother to haue experience Onely of chyldynge / & fele none offence Nether of sekenes / ne of suche maner wo In trauelynge as other women do.

¶ She was excepte from all suche passion For her clennes / & so was none but she And yet her tyme of purification She dyd abyde of her humilite And like as lawe ordeyneth by decrete After all this of custome as she oughte To the Temple she her offerynge broughte.

¶ To gyue example onely of mekenes

To the lawe she mekely wolde obeye Fro poynte to poynte the Gospell sayth expres And on no syde wolde it ••at withsaye And though that she ••are of golde no keye To bye a lambe / for pouerte constreynynge yet she full mekely to make her offerynge.

¶ Brought two Turtels / as it is sayde aforne That was the offrynge of pore folke echone Whiche to the Temple / whan she hath borne As custome was / she offered hem anon And after that olde Simeon With humble herte and a full payne The chylde embracynge in his armes twayne.