Nor slack at this bargyn Mary here he cometh I have him aspyde No more words stand thou a side For it is he plain ¶ My friend where about goist thou all day cor. B ¶ Marry sir I came hither to a say whedyr these folk had been here And yet they be not come So help me god and holy doom Of that I have moche marvel/ that they tar ¶ Marry go thy way/ & wit where they will or cor. B ¶ ye god a vow shall I so ¶ ye marry so I say cor. B ¶ yet in that point as seemeth me ye do not according to your degree ¶ I pray the tell me why cor. B ¶ Mary it would be come them well I now To be here afore and to wait upon you And not you to tarry For their laysyr and abide them here As it were one that were led by the ear For that I defy By this mean you should be their drudge I tell you truth I And yet the worst that grieveth me Is that your adversary should in you see So notable A folly Therefore witdraw you for a season ¶ By saint johan thou sayest but reason cor. B ¶ ye do so hardly And when the time draweth upon That they be come everichone And all thing ready ¶ Than shall I come straight a way ●or to fetch you without delay ¶ Be it so hardly But one thing while I think there one Remember this when I am gone yef hit happen so That lucre's come in first alone Go in hand with her anon How so ever thou do For to feel her mind toward me And by all meanis possible to be In duce her there unto ¶ Than some to●●●… you must give me For else she will not believe me That I came from you ¶ Marry that is even wisely spoken Command me to her by the same token She knoweth it well I now That as she and I walkyde onis together In her garden hedyr and thither There happonde a strange case For at the last we did see Abyrd sitting on a hollow tree An ash I trow it was Anon she prayed me for to assay if I could start the bird a way ¶ And died ye so/ alas alas ¶ why the devil sayest thou so ¶ By collis bonis for it was a kocko And men say among He that throweth stone are stick At such a byrde he is lick 〈…〉 that birds song ¶ what the devil reck I therefore cor. Here what I say to the ever more And mark thine errand well Sir I had no stone to throw with all And therefore she took me her must ball And thus it befell I kiss it as straight as any pole So that it lyghtyde even in the hole Of the hollow ash Now canst thou remember all this ¶ By god I would be loath to do amiss B For some time I am full rash ye say that ye kiss it even in the hole Of the hollow ash as straight as apole Said ye not so ¶ yes. cor. B ¶ well then let me alone As for this erande it shall be done As soon as ye be go ¶ Far well then I leave the here cor. And remembyr well all this gear How so ever thou do ¶ Et exeat corn● ¶ yes hardly this erande shall be spoken B But how say you sirs by this token Is it not a quaint thing I went he had been a said man But I see well he is amade man In this message doing But what. chose he for me I am but as a messenger perdie The blame shall not be mine but his For I will his token report whether she take it in earnest or sport 〈◊〉 will not thereof miss ●e she wroth or well a paid 〈◊〉 will tell her even as he said ¶ Intrat lucre's. 〈◊〉 God a vow here she is 〈◊〉 is time for me to be wise ●ow welcome lady. flower of prize 〈◊〉 have sought you twice or thrice within this hour I iwis 〈◊〉 Me sir have ye sought me ●ye that I have by god that bought me 〈◊〉 To what intent 〈◊〉 Mary for I have thing is a few ●he which I must to you show ●y my masters commandment ●ublius Cornelius is his name ●ur very lover in pain of shame ●nd if ye love him not ye be to blame ●r this dare I say ●nd on a book make it good 〈◊〉 loved you better than his one heart blood His hard blood nay nay ●alf that love would serve for me yet sith he died you first see ●n the place where he dwellis 〈◊〉 had loved you so in his heart ●hat he setteth not by himself a fart ●●r by no man else ●nd by cause ye should give credence ●nto my saying in his absence ●●d trust to that I say 〈◊〉 told me tokens two. or iii ●…iche I know well as he told me 〈◊〉 ●●●yns what be they