The four leaves of the true-love woodcut Hold this a token 〈◊〉 for your sake I shall it take IN a morning of may when meadows can spring. Branches and blossoms of bright colours As I went by a well on my playing Thorough a merry orchard saying mine ours Where birds full bysely began for to sing The bows to borge on board to the brows I was ware of a may that made morning She sat and sighed among the fair flowers so sweet ¶ She made mourning enough Her weeping did my heart woe To a darn I me droughe Her will for to know ¶ stilly I stalked and stood in that stead To wit of her will and of her wild thought Then cast she her kercheffes the call of heed Wrong she her hands and wrothly she wrought ¶ She said mild marry right thou my rede Of all the wealth of the world would I nought But send me some solase or soon I shall be deed A sight of that selcath I have it long sought with care ¶ Then spoke the turtle on a tree With fair words and free Bright bird of beauty Why syghest thou so sore ¶ O fair foul spare not thy speech nor thy spell They kerping doth me comfort to hearken and bear All my will and my thought would I the tell My woe and my wandering and thou would come near ¶ Then he lighted lovely with her for to dwell To comfort the comely and ever her cheer She blessed his body with book and with bell And loved our lady that sent her that fere so free ¶ When I was sorry Besought I our lady And she sent me company blessed may she be ¶ O fair foul full of love so mild and sweet To meddle on a matter now we may begin true-love I have sought far by way and bystrete In many fair orchards where flowers be in, ¶ So far as I have sought saw I none yet Full few I have found of more or ot mine Bright bird of ble my sorrow might thou beat Would thou me wish wisely a true-love to win with right ¶ For when I ween soonest To find love best Than so feeble is it fest. And fareth all on flight ¶ The wit of women is wonder to here Is all thy sorry sighing to seek a love true All thy life days may thou seek & never none be near But if thou had counsel of one that I knew ¶ If thou beset to seek true-love I shall the lere Where it is springing evermore new Without any fauting full fair and full clear Or casting of colours or changing of hew full youare ¶ I dare baldly say Three is no love that lasteth aye Without treason or traye. But if it begin there ¶ Look where thou findest growing a trulove gross That with four leaves fully is set about The first leaf we may liken to the king of bliss He that wrought all the world with in and without ¶ He made heaven with his hand and all paradise And this merry middle earth without any doubt All the wealth of the world holly is his In whom we ought to live & low for to lout full we'll ¶ Hold we this in mind Till we may these fellows find The true love and kind. That nevermore shall keel ¶ The second leaf of the true-love I liken to gods sone That to the first lief is fellow and fere The third to the holy ghost together they won All hole in a godhead and persons three ¶ They be rulers of water son and of moon The fourth lief of price without any peer When the comely king is set in his throne comely of colours and courteous of cheer with grace ¶ All this world he began And of winds and waters won Then he marked man After his own face ¶ first he made Adam and than he made Eve He put them in to paradise in great degree forbidding nothing to him and his wife But a green apple that died grow on a tree ¶ Than sorry sathanas sought them belief To awake our woe cursed might he be Then took they the apple that stirred moche strife The foul fiend was glad that sight for to see for tene ¶ The first leave was woe When flowers fell him fro That his friends should to hell go For an apple green ¶ Then began the first lief to mourn for us all For his holy handy work that was forlorn Gabryell to him he died call Forth came he comely and kneeled him before ¶ He said to mild marrow on message thou shall To bear her glad tidings of her I will be borne Thus he sent his son out of his high hall To the mild maid on a merry morn and her great ¶ Gabryell with the fair face Said marry full of grace Pyerles in every place With mirth thou art met ¶ Thou salt conceive a child comely and clear All the bale of the world in the it shall be let She said that were a marvel & I a child should bear For I was never married with no man yet ¶ He said behold to thy cousin that hath conceived to year Elyzabeth in her age that long hath been led O lord I am thy maid said marry so dear And holy in thy service is my heart set full still ¶ blessed be the sweet wight That gods son in light Become man full of might With the faders will ¶ Now is the second leaf for our love most Light in the lady that gabriel great Without any treason true for to tryst With mirth in a maid is god and man met ¶ This is the father and the son and the holy ghost Three lefes of love without any let The fourth is a maid chosen for chaste Such another trulove was never in land set for boat ¶ The fourth lief may never fall But ever they spring shall So gently they join all On a rich root ¶ Now hath the third leaf a sweet fellow taken For love in lady is our lady light joseph her wedded and with her did gone In the city of bethelem there builded the bright ¶ between an ox and an awe pride was there none A blessed child there was borne on christmas night There rose a star stabely showed and shone Three king of colayne thereon had a sight and sought ¶ They offered to him as they would Myrrh Rykyls and gold He thanked them many fold And to bliss he them brought ¶ Unhappy Herod the tidings heard tell That a child was borne that king should be He died make messengers and send them full snell To slay all male children in that country ¶ They left none alive but all did they kill They spitted them on spear points great pity was to see joseph with his wedded wife would no longer dwell But led her in to Egypte with her leaves three for to save ¶ The children could their death take For the true-love sake More mirth they died make For himself would they have ¶ Yet would our lord do more for his friends dear For his holy handy works to hell would he gone To give ensample his law for to lere Saint johan christened him in flome jordan ¶ For thirty. pens was he sold thorough a false fere Unto the jews that would him have slain All he suffered for our sake and himself was clear By a kiss was he known and soon was be taken also ¶ It was great pity for to see When he should blenke of his ble The second leaf of the three The fourth was full woe ¶ pilate was justice and spoke up on high For to dame Ihesu that judas hath sold He said look lords truth for to try The semly is faultless say what they would ¶ The jews on pilate began for to cry He calleth himself a king such boards be to bold If thou wilt not dame him to day for to die Loud before the emperor the tale shall be told for dread ¶ A fury doom he gave him there And said that he could say no more I read ye take him there And forth ye him lead ¶ Alas for the fourth leaf was left alone When her fair fellowship was taken and torn beaten which sharp scourges body and bone Sith spread on a cross and crowned with thorn ¶ Thorough his hands & feet heart nails did gone A bright spear to his heart sharply was borne He shed his blood for our love and life lived him none After and ayzell they gave him for scorn with guile ¶ It was great pity for to see When he was nailed on a tree The second leaf sycurly Died for us all ¶ The fourth leaf of the look alone she stood wringing her hands and weeping for woe With a mourning cheer and mild mode Her sons colour faded and waxed wonder blue ¶ Down by his white sides ran the red blood Hard roches did rive and temples in two Then swooned the fourth lief and to the ground yode Alas for the true-love that it should twine so full yare ¶ She saw her dear son die Saint johan stood her by 〈◊〉 comfort the lady That was cast in care ¶ Yet spoke the noble king that was nailed on the tree To his mother so mild that was mourning that tide And said leave thy weeping woman mourn not for me Take johan too thy son that woneth the beside ¶ johan take marry to thy mother for to mirth the To keep and to comfort your bliss for to bide The hot blood of his sides caused longs to see That sought by a spear shaft fro his wounds wide that day ¶ It was great pity for to see When he was take of the tree The second leaf of the three Was closed in clay ¶ When he was take of the road and delved full yare All the wealth of the world with the iij. leaves lay The fourth for woe fell and sighed full sare With truth of the world was with the true may ¶ Though his manhood was deed his might was the more On his holy handy works his heart was aye The soul with the god heed to hell died far The body and the man heed did bide the iij. day full youare ¶ All that he with his hands had wrought And saith with his blood bought Till they were out of bale brought Him longed full sare ¶ Than said sorry sathanas his follow was sad For the sight of the selcuth he was nothing fain He said to us cometh some bodworde I trow it be bad What art thou with thy fair face thus did him fray ¶ King of joy is my name thy gests to glad Let me in for their love thou should not lain He said wend away with thy might thou makest us all made What should thou do in this pythere is nothing but pain ¶ When they heard the king spoke All their gates they did shut fast soon the bars did break And all the bands burst ¶ For his holy handy works there harowed he hell All then brought out of bale that ever had been his david his darling made mirth them among With an harp in his hand he harped I wis ¶ All his retinue out could he tell And of his great mercy forgave them their miss He said I was sold for your sake and suffered wounds wide And all my good children be brought unto bliss on the rood ¶ The sooth is not to lain When they were brought out of pain To the blessed body again The holy ghost yode ¶ The fourth lief of the true-love was folden for woe She was left maid mother and wife The first lief full of might his will was so By the assent of the third leaf was there no strife ¶ They raised up the second between them two Thorough might of the godhead from death unto life He took a cross in his hand and forth he did go With his flesh and his wounds fife he yode ¶ When he was risen again He met marry magdalayne It was no marvel if she was fain ¶ He was her leech good ¶ Forth went Mary magdalayne with mirth and with mode She told the tidings to T●omas of ynde How christ was risen again that shed his heart blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Thomas thou shalt it true find ¶ Then spoke Thomas in stead there he stood Women be talking it cometh to them by kind He would never believe it till christ to him yode And appeared to the apostles so clerks hath in mind ¶ He put his hand to his side He blessed all that time That believed on his wounds wide And saw they never with eye ¶ Forth went the semly the sooth for to say To seek his dyssyples that ever were true Saith to our lady that he had loved ay All hole in his hurts of hide and of hew ¶ She was ever stable and still and failed never say The iiij. leaves of trovelove they spring ever new Our lord ascended into heaven on holy thursday Then followed his mother with mirths enough full even ¶ Before her son she kneeled down With a good devotion On her heed he set a crown And made her queen of heaven ¶ The iiij. leaf of the true-love blessed must she be She may have joy in her heart of her gentle child On his faders right hand her son may she see And the holy ghost that to them can build ¶ Now be they hole in one godhead & persons three And she is maid of might and mother full mild Such another true-love growed never on tree Who so trysteth on that true-love shall not beguiled so hende ¶ Wellis that wight That may besure of the sight Where ever is day and ever light And joy without end ¶ Thus hath the fair true-love made us all free Our souls out of bondage & bought us on the road He commanded us to keep and gave pauste Our souls out of sin for any worlds good ¶ Moche sorrow would we have & we our souls might see When they be sunken in sin as rysshe in a flood Then abide we in bondage in bale for to be He that us bought with his holy heart blood to have bliss ¶ He bad axe mercy when we may And bid our lady for us pray Or we be closed in clay Or else of our mirth shall we miss ¶ blessed be the true-love so meek and so mild Sure and steadfast and stable in faith When we have wrathed iij. with our works wild The fourth lief is gracious and good us to help aye ¶ Then kneeleth she down before her dear child Sore weeping for our sake with her eyes grey She is ever full of grace alas we were beguiled She winneth with her weeping many fair pray for to keep ¶ Sith she is wealth of our weal And all our care would keel Alas why make ye her to kneel And for our works weep ¶ There is none in this world so doughty nor so dear King nor queen though he were a crown Nor no fair ladies of colours so clear When dreadful death cometh it draweth all down ¶ Yet list us never leave it for pressed nor for friar Till we feel we fall with swelte and with swoon When the bare body is brought on bear Than faileth all fellowship in field and in town ¶ In a cloth be we knit Sith put in a pit and earth upon us done Of all the world be we quit forgotten be we soon ¶ For the caitiff corpse there is but little care & we were sure of our souls where they should dwell But now is now in this world so wise his of lare Nor no clerk in coming that thereof can tell ¶ How far and how feel our souls must far Hardwayes is to heaven and hasty to hell In purgatory is great pain who so cometh there Of moche woe shall they wit that therein shall dwell so long ¶ What so ever we do here we far Before us shall we find there We may be sure of no more When pains be full strong ¶ When great fierce grim be made in our gate Then is there no glozing but it must we glide When we be put in the pain so hard and so hot We seek after succour on every side ¶ We cry after kin folk they come to us to late Then he have felt the fire faysed is our pride Then of all our sorrow no certain we wait But trust on the true-love his mercy to abide with dread ¶ Now is time to begin The true-love to win That all our bales he may blyn When he have most need ¶ Of all the days that we have lived once shall we know When we remember our foul sins sore may we moon When the great lord above his beams shall blow And high justice shall sit in his throne ¶ And all the folk in the world shall rise on a row The quick may quake when the deed shall up rise We may let for no shame our sins to show There is no gold nor fee that may make our mainprize and kin ¶ For than is all our pride gone Our robes and our rich pane Save a crysome alone That we were christened in ¶ When we be called to the court us be hoveth to here All shall be there seen bond men and free The soul and the body that long hath seen sere Be hoveth to be present at the semble ¶ Every soul shall be send to seek after his fere When christ well us gather a great lord is he With our flesh and our fell as we in world were Never more to sunder after that day be for to know ¶ Our works be written and scorde In a roll of record Before the great lord Full sharply to show ¶ We must seek thither in a simple tire Trembling and quaking as lief on a tree When all the world is set with water and fire There is no wrench nor no will will wish us to i'll ¶ When christ is grieved he is a grim sire So many sinful wretches as he there shall see Then dare not his mother if she would desire Not speak to her son so dreadful is he that day ¶ All to saints in heaven They shall be still of their steven They dare not a word moven For no man to pray ¶ The werckes of mercy he will reckon them seven When I was thrusty how hardly have ye me fed When I was thrusty how hardly have ye me given When I was naked how have ye me cledde ¶ When I was houseless harbowred ye me even Or visit me in sickness or sought to my bed Or comforted me in prison that word I here moven Or brought me to burying when death hath me stead they say ¶ Or lord when saw we the Ever in any such degree He said the least in the name of me That thou might pray ¶ He will show us his wounds bloody and bare All he suffered for our sake bitter and wide Kings and queens before him must far bishops and barons all must abide ¶ Earls and Emperors none will he spare priests nor prelate's or persons of pride justice and judges of law and of lere That now be full rial to run and to ride in land ¶ Their doom shall they take there Right as they have deemed here When they were of might more And domes had in hand ¶ Rich ladies that hath robes full yare riches and rubies with gowns full wide Bends and myrroures and fyllettes full fair Gold on their garlands with perre and pride ¶ Kalle and kercheffes that coucheth on their heir So sharply and shining to show by their side All that wealth is away and mirth much more But if we win the trulove unglad may we glide for sorrow ¶ betime is best to begin Or were sunken in sin For then is neither kith nor kin From bale may us borrow ¶ By lords and ladies all I will not say But some thing by other folks that I find full weal The galande gedling that kythiss gentry With dainty damoiselles no man may deal ¶ They have purfels and pearls and heads full high Though her corpse be the middle of her kattell If men talk of her kin away will she wry Her father and mother fair would she hill and tide ¶ When that day shall begin No man shall shame with their kin All shall shame with their sin And with their foul pride ¶ The doom of the true-love full sore may we dread For then is all the time passed of mercy to crave When every man is deemed after his own deed Then may not ourself start & send forth our knave ¶ For he reckoneth by reason so clerks can read He setteth on his right hand the souls that he will save The sinful wretches that may not speed Shall stand on his left hand away for to have for aye ¶ Then will our lady weep sore For sorrow that she shall see there When she may help no more great mourning shall be that day ¶ Now is time for to speak for them that will speed And seek after succour and folly to flee And not on domes day when we have most need Now is moche mercy and then will none be ¶ When our dear lady dare not for dread Speke to her dear son so dreadful is he How may we axe mercy for our misdeed That will not follow to it when it is free thore There is no way but ij. whether that we shall go To weal and to woe To dwell for evermore ¶ Thus the bright bird taught the true may And she blessed his body his bone and his blood To the fourth leaf I read that we pray That she would our message do with a mild mode ¶ And speak for the love before the last day To the third leaf gracious and good The love of the iiij. leaves that we win may That grace grant great god that died on the rod. walking ¶ This I herd in a valaye As I went on my way In a mourning of may When meadows can spring ¶ Enprented at London in Flete street at the sign of the son/ by winkin de word. printer's device of Wynkyn de Worde Wynkyn de word