Here begynneth the testame[n]t of Iohn Lydgate monke of Berry which he made hymselfe, by his lyfe dayes.

¶Nota.

¶Beholde: O man / lyft vp thyne eye and se What mortall payne / I suffred for thy trespace With pyteous voyce / I cry and say to the Beholde my woundes / beholde my blody face Beholde the rebukes / that do me so manace Beholde myne enmyes / that do me so dyspyce And howe that I / to refourme the to grace Was lyke a lambe / offred insacryfice.

¶Beholde the paynes / of whom that I was take Beholde the cordes / with which that I was boūde Behold y^e armours / which made myne hert quake Beholde the gardyne / in which y^t I was founde

Beholde howe Iudas / toke .xxx. pens rounde Beholde his treason / beholde his couetyse Beholde howe I / with many a mortall wounde Was lyke a lambe / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Se my dysciple / which that hath me solde And se his fayned / false salutacyon And se the money / which that he hath tolde And se his kyssing / of false decepcyon Beholde also / the compassed false treason Take as a thefe / with lanternes in their gyse And afterwarde / for mannes redempcyon Was lyke a lambe / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Beholde to Cayphas howe I was presented Beholde howe Pylate / lyst gyue me no respyte Beholde how bysshops / were to my deth assented And se howe Herode / had me in dyspyte And lyke a fole / I was cladde in whyte Drawen as a felone / in moost cruell wyse And last of all / I after their delyte Was lyke a lambe / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Beholde y^e mynisters / which had me in kepyng Beholde the pyller / and the ropes strong Where I was bounde / my sydes downe bledyng Moost felly beate / with their scourges long Beholde the batayle / that I dyd vnderfong The brunt abyding / of their mortall emprise Thorough their acusyng / and sclaunders wrong Was lyke a lambe / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Beholde and se / the hatefull wretchednes Put agayne me / to my confusyon Myne eyen hydde / and blynded with darkenes Beat and eke bounde / by false illusyon Salewed in skorne / by their false knelyng downe Beholde all this / and se the mortall gyse Howe I onely / for mannes saluacyon Was lyke a lambe / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Se the wytnesse / by whome I was deceydue Beholde the iudges / that gaue me iugement Beholde the crosse / that was for me deuysed Beholde my body / with beatyng all to rent Beholde the people / which of false entent Causeles / dyd agayne me ryse Which lyke a lambe / of malyce Innocent Was for mankynde / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Beholde the woman / that folowed me afterre That sore wept / whan I thus was assayled Beholde the iewes / which by their cruell werre Haue my body / vnto a crosse nayled Beholde my tourmētes / moost sharply aparayled Atwene two theues / put to my iewyse Beholde howe moche my dethe / hath eke auayled That was for man / offred in sacrifyce.

¶Behold y^e spere / moost sharply grounde & whet Myne hert wounded / vpon the right syde Beholde the redespere / gall and ysell fet Beholde the scourgyng{is} / which that I dyd abyde

And fyue woundes / that were made so wyde Which / no man lyst of ruthe to aduertyse And thus I was of mekenes agayne pride For mannes offence / offred in sacryfice.

¶Se my dysciples / howe they haue me forsake And fro me fledde / almoost euery chone Se howe they slept / lyst nat with me wake Of mortall drede / they left me all alone Except my mother / and my cosyn saynt John̄ My dethe complayning / in moost dolefull wyse Se / fro my crosse they wolde neuer gone For mannes offence / offred in sacryfice

¶Se howe I was iudged / to the dethe Se Baraban gone / at his lyberte Se / with aspere / howe Longyus me slethe Beholde two lycours / dystillyng downe fro me Se blode and water / by mercyfull plente Rayle by my sydes / which ought ynough suffice To man / whan I vpon the rode tre Was lyke a lambe / offred insacryfice.

¶Beholde the knyght{is} / which by their frowarde chaunce Sate for my clothes / at the dyce to pley Beholde my mother / sownyng for greuaunce Vpon the crosse / whan she sawe me dey Beholde the sepulture / in which my bones ley Kept with strong watche / tyll I dyd a ryse Of hell gates se / howe I brake the key And gaue for man / my blode in sacryfice.

¶Agayne thy pride / beholde my great mekenesse Gayne thyne enuy / beholde my charyte Gayne thy lechery / beholde my chast clennesse Gayne thy couetyse / beholde my pouerte Atwene two theues / nayled tyll a tre Rayled with reed blode / they lyst me so disgyse Beholde: O man / all this I dyd for the Meke as a lambe / offred insacryfice.

¶Beholde my loue / and gyue me thyne agayne Beholde I dyed / thy raunsome for to pay Se: howe my hert is open / brode and playne Thy goostly enmyes / onely to affray An harder batayle / no man might assay O all tryumphes / the grettest hygh emprise Wherfore: O man / no lengar the dismay I gaue my blode for the / in sacryfice.

¶Tourne home agayne / thy synne forsake Beholde and se / if ought be left behynde Howe I to mercy / am redy the to take Gyue me thy hert / and be nomore vnkynde Thy loue and myne / togyther do them bynde And let them neuer part / in no wyse Whan thou were lost / thy soule agayne to fynde My blode I offred / for the in sacryfice.

Enprint these thynges / in thyne inwarde thought And graue them depe / in thy remembraunce Thynke on them well / and forgete them nought All this I suffred / to do the allegyaunce

And with my sayntes / to gyue the suffysaunce In the heuenly court / for the I do deuyse A place eternall / a place of all plesaunce For which my blode / I gaue in sacrifyce.

¶And more my mercy / to put at a prefe To euery synner / that none ne shall it mysse Remembre / howe I gaue my mercy to the thefe Which had so long trespased / and done a mysse Went he nat frely / with me to paradysse Haue this in mynde / howe it is my gyse All repentaunt / to bring to my blysse For whom my blode / I gaue in sacrifyce.

¶Tary no lengar / towarde thy herytage Haste on thy way and be of right good chere To eche day onwarde / on thy pylgremage Thynke howe short tyme / thou shalt abyde here Thy place is bylded / aboue the sterres clere None erthly palaes / wrought in so stately wyse Come on my frende / my brother moost entere For the I offred / my blode in sacrifyce.

¶Thus endeth the testament of Iohn̄ Lydgate monke of Bery / on whose soule Iesu haue mercy.

Et sic est finis / sit laus et gloria trinis.