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

¶ How one lady receynge the seuen yestes of the holy ghoste. Ca. v. (Book 5)

THe fyrste yeste▪ was the yeste of drede To ••fthe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••he thynge th•••• shall god disples•• The nexte pyte of veray women hede To rewe on all▪ that she sawe in dysease The thyrde conuynge / god and man to please The fourthe str••ng the / th••r•• we her stedfastnesse Onely by vertue / al vyces to oppresse.

¶ Of counceyll the / she had excellence To kepe her pure in virgynyte For ay with counceyll / ••••yed is prudence Of vnderstandynge / eke the yeste had she For god hym selfe / chose with her to be And of wysdome / so god lyst her ••uaunce To knowe erhe thyuge / that was to his plesaūce.

¶ She was also / the Trone voyde of synne That standeth so royall / in godes owne syght To fore whiche seuen lampes brenne With heuenly fyre / so spyrytuall of lyght That neuer wast / but euer alyche bryght Contynued in one / here aboue in heuen By the whiche Trone: and the lampesseuen.

¶ Is vnderstande / this mayde moste entere With seuen vertues / that in her were ••ounde That somtyme were•• / w^t ghostely lyght so clere Thorowe lyght of vertue / in w••rd••ly ••••co••nde.

Onely thorowe ••ence / that dyd in her 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And all they / were grounded in me••enes Her lyght to god: more pleasauntly to distres.

¶ For fayth in her / had a grounde so stable That it was voyde / of all doublenes Her hope of truste / was also mayntynable Ro••yd in god / by parfy••e sykernes Whose charite / so large gan hym dres That vp to god / hasted ranne the fyre With herte of clennes / to all by desyre.

¶ Str••nge in vertue / prubent in gouernaunce She hath also conueyed with clennes And ••oueraynly / she had attempetaunce In all her werkes / with grete aduysione•• And euer annexyd / vnto righwysnes within her herte / of womanly bounte She had of custome mercy and pyte.

¶ Sothfaste ensample also of chastyre As sayeth Ambrose / she was in thought and ded•• And treue myrrour of virginite Of poorte benygne / full of lowlyhede As humble of chere / and feminine of drede Prudent of speche / of what she lyste to shewe Large of sentence / and but of wordes ••ewe.

¶ To praye and rede / that was euer her lyfe Of herte w••••er: by deuocyon To god alwey with thought contemplatyfe

Ful ••eruent 〈…〉〈…〉 And ydel neuer from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 And specially / to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Her hands was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••edy at the ••ede.

¶ And full she was of compassyon To rewe in all that ••alt woo or smerte Well wylled euer / with hole affeccion To euery wyght / so longe was her herte Sad with all this / that her neuer asterde A looke a ••••s / of her eyen fayre So close of sight was this debonayre.

¶ And in Psalme of holy prophecye To loke and rede / she founde most desyte And ••dan she sawe / and founde in Isaye Of Cristys hyrthe / how he dyd wryte To god she ly••••e / her tender handes whyte Besechyng hym / she myght abyde and se•• The blesfull day of his na••yuy••e.

¶ And in the boke of Elyzabeth That ••yrulyd is of her auysions I synde howe this mayde of Nazareth Sayd euery day / seuen orisons That callyd ben her peticions With humble herte / this blesfull yonge mayde Full lowly knelyng euen thus she sayde.