IN may quben Flora the fresh lusty queen  
the snyl hath clad in red qubyte green aright  
And phoebus 'gan to shed his streams sheen  
amid the bule with all his beams bright  
And Lucifere to chase avey the night  
again the morrow or orisent hath take  
To bid loveris out of there sleep alvake.   

And hearts hevy for to reconfort  
From dreryhede and hevy nychtes sorrow,  
Nature bad him rise and disport  
again the goodly glad grey morrow  
And hope with saint john to borrow  
Bad in despite of danger and despair  
For to take the holesmn lusty a●e   

And with a such I 'gan to abreide  
Out of my slumber and suddenly up slert  
As he alas that neigh for sorrow died  
My sickness sat ay so neigh my heart  
Bot for to find succour of my smart  
Or at the lest sum relesche of my pain  
That me so sore held in ewiry vain   

I rose anon and thought I would gone  
Into the wood to here the birddes sing  
Quhen that the misty vapour was all gone  
And clear and feire was the dawing  
The due alsso like silvir in shining  
Upon the leaves as any balm suete  
Till sire Titan with his psant heat.   

Had dryet up the lusty liquor new  
Wpon the heibes in the green meid  
And that the flowers off many diverse hue  
Upon there stalks gonner for to spreid  
And for to splay out their leves in breid  
against the soii gold burned in his spear  
That dou● to thame cast his beams clear.   

And by a river come I forth costey  
Of wat● cler as berial or cristalle  
Till at the last I fond a little weigh  
To●art a park enclosyt with a wall  
In compass round and by a gate small  
Who lo that would freely might gone  
In till this park wallit with green stone   

And In I went to here the birds long  
Quhithe in branchis and in plane vale  
So loud fond that a●●●e land rung  
Like as it should shew●● in pecis small  
And as me thought that the nyghtgale  
With lo great might her wise 'gan out breast  
Right as her heart for love would to breast   

The s●yle was pleyn smoht and wound soft  
Al over spread with t●pitis that nature  
Had maid herself silvered eke aloft  
With bewis green the flouris for to cure  
That in there beauty they mow long endure  
From all assault off phoebus fervent sere  
Quhiche in his spear so hoot schene & clear   

The air attemper and the smooth wind  
Off phoebus among the blosummes quhite  
So ●ools●m was and nourishing be kind  
Thate small birds and round blomes light  
In manner 'gan off there breath delight  
To gift ws hop that they fruit shall take  
again autompne ready for to shake.   

I saw the ●aphyn closed wnd rind  
Grene laurere and the wholesome pine  
Chemyrre also that weepeth ewir of kind.  
The hay cydryce up right as a line  
The filbart eke that law doth incline  
Her belwis green unto the erred ado●●  
Wnto her knight callit demephoun   

There saw I eke the fresh haw thorst  
In quhite ma●●e that so suete doth smell  
A●●he fir and ache with many a yhong accorn  
And many a tree more than I kan tell  
And me before I saw a litil w●ll  
That had his course as I can bihold  
Wndyr a hill with quick streams cold   

The gravale like gold the wacter pure as glassh  
The bounkes round the well enveronning  
And soft as velvet the yhong grass.  
That there upon lustily 'gan spring  
The number of trees about compaising  
There shadew cast closing the well round  
And all the herbs growing on the ground   

The water was so hoolsum and virtouse  
Throu my ᵗ of herbs growing be side  
Nought liche the well where as Narcisus  
Slayen was throw vengeance of cupide  
Quhere so conjunctly he did abide  
The greyn of death upon the brink  
For death mote follow who that ever it drink   

No liche the pute of pegate  
Wnder pernaso quhare that poets slept  
No like the well of pure chastity  
Quhiche as diam with her nymphs kept  
Quhen she nakit in the water leapt  
That slew anceon with her hundis fell  
Only for he come so neigh the well   

Bot this well that I here rehearse  
So hoolsum was that it walled asuage  
Beling hearts and the venom press  
Of pensyffe heed with all the cruel rage  
And evermore refresh the visage  
Of 'em that were in any hevinese  
Of great labour or follen in distrese   

And I that had through danger and dedeyn  
So dry a thirst thought I would assay  
To taste o draft of this well or tueyn  
My bitter langur if It might allay  
And on the bank anon down I lay  
And with my heed unto the well I reached  
And of the water drunk a good draft   

This herbere was full of flowers of ynde  
In to the quhiche as I behold can  
Atuix one hoser and o would bind  
As I was war I saw where lay o man  
In black and quhite cauloure pale and wan  
And wonder deadly was he alsso of hue  
Off hurts green and fresh wounds new   

And evermore ●istreyned with siknese  
Beside all this he was full grevoulely  
For upon him he had a great accese  
That day by day him shoke●ul p●●ousely  
So that sore constraint of his malady  
And heartily woe thus lyand alone  
It was a death for to hear him groan   

Quhereof astonaid my foot I 'gan with draw  
greatly wounding quhat it myht be  
That he so lay and had no pelaw  
Ne that I houth no wight with him see  
Quhereof I had ruth and eke pite  
And can anon so softly as I koud  
Among the busks me privily to ●chroud   

If that I might In any wise aspy  
Quhat was the cause of his deadly woe  
Or quhy that he so pitou●ely gau cry  
On his fortune and his ●●re a●●lo  
With all my might I layed mine ere to  
●ui●y wovid to me●k quhat he ●eid  
Out of his suouche among as he abreid   

●ot first if I should make mentioned  
Of his perloun and plenely him disc●yue  
He was in sooth with out exception  
To speak of manhood one the belt on live  
Thore may no man again threuth strywe  
For off his time and off his age alsso  
He preved was there men should have ado   

For one the best both off breed and leuth.  
So we'll ymaid be good proporcioun  
Iff he had been in his deliwir streuth  
Bot thought and sickness weren occasion  
That he thus lay in lamentation  
Grouffe on the hround in place desolate  
Sole by himself he wept and was mate   

And for me seemeth that It is sitting  
His words all to put in remembrance  
To me that herd all his compleyning  
And all the ground off his woeful chance  
If there with all I may do you pleasance  
I will his words right as I can anon  
●●ch as he said rehearse tha●m everyone   

Bot who shall help me now to complain  
Or who shall now my stilegy or lead  
Oeyne tuo lat● now yhour tears rain  
In to my pen and help now in this need  
Thou woeful myrrh thou feelest my heart ble●  
Of pitouse woe and my hand eke quake  
Quhen that I writ eke for this man's saik   

For unto woe accordeth complaining  
And dole full cheer unto hevinese  
To sorrow alsso syking and weeping  
And piteous mourning unto drerynese  
And who that schall write of distress  
In party needeth to know selyngly  
The cause and rute of● suiche a malady   

B●t I allate that am off wit bot dull  
And has no knowledge of suiche mate●●  
For to discern and wyrten at the full  
The woeful complaint quhiche that yheschal her●  
Bot evyn like as doth a ●cryuenere  
That can nemore bot that he schal w●te  
Right as his master beside him dotth end●te   

Right so far I that of no sentement  
Can say right nought in conclusio●ne  
Bot as I herd quhen that I was present  
This man complain with a p●touse son  
For ewyn like with out additioun  
Off disseveren other more or lose  
For to rehearse anon I well me drese.   

And if that any now be in this place  
That feel in loving bryining of fervence  
Or hendrit war in to his lad●s grace  
With false towng● or with pe●●lence  
To see true men that newir did offence  
In word nor died in there intent  
Iff any suiche be here now in present   

let him of ruth lay to audience  
With duleful cheer and sober countenance  
To here this man beful he sentence  
His mortale woe and his pturbaunce  
Compleyn now lynig in a trance  
With luke wp cast and with rewful cheer  
Th'effect of quhiche was as yhe shall here   

The thought oppressit wytht in wart sikes' sor●  
The painful life the body langwising  
The woeful ghost the heart rend and tore  
The pitouse cheer pale in complening  
The deadly face like ashes in shining  
The salt tears that from mine eyn fall  
plain can declare the ground of my pain all.   

Quhois heart is ground to bleid in hevinese  
The thought refette of woe and complaint  
The breast is chest of dole and drerynese  
The body eke so feeble and so faint  
With hot and cold mine axes is so meint  
That now I chill for default of heat  
And hoot as gleid now suddenly I sweet   

Now hoot as fire and cold as asses deed.  
Now hoot from called and cold from hot again  
Now cold as ice now hot as coals read  
For heat I burn and thus bituix tueyun  
ypossed am and all for cast in peysi  
So that my cold pleyenely as I feel.  
Off grevaunce cold is cause ewiry deal   

This is the caulde of inwart high distress  
Cold of despite and cold of cruel hate  
This is the cold that doth his business  
Ayenest truth to fight and to debate  
This is the cold that would the fire a ba●e  
●f true meaning alas the hard quh●e  
This is the cold that would me beguile.   

For ewir the bet that I truth meant  
With all my might faithfully to serve  
With heart & all to be diligent.  
The less thank alas I can deserve  
Thus for my truth danger doth desterue  
For one that should my death of mercy let  
Hath maid despite now his suerd to quhett   

Ayenes me and his arrows file  
To take vengeance of wilful cruelty  
And tongues falls throw there slightly wile.  
Have goun awere that will not styntid be  
Of false envy of wretch and innymyte  
Have conspirit against all ry ᵗ and low  
Of there malice there throv Ishcalbe sllow   

And malebousche gone first the tale tell  
To sklander truth of indignatioun.  
And falls report so loud rung the bell  
That myserabile if and falls suspection.  
Have truth I brought to his damnation  
So that alas wrongfully he dieth  
And his place now falsnese occupieth   

And entered is in to treuthis land.  
And hath there of fully possessioun  
Of that full god that first the treugh fond  
How mayst you suffer suiche oppressioun  
That falsehood should have iurisdictioun  
In treuthis ry ᵗ to slay him giltlese  
In his franchise he may not live in pese   

Falsely accused and of his soon foriugede  
withouten ansuare quhill he was absent  
He dampened was and may not been excusit  
from cruelty sat in judgement  
Off hastisnese with out a wisement  
And bad de deny be execute anon▪  
His judgement in presence off his fon   

Auctornay may none admittit be  
To excuse truth now in ward to speak  
To faith nor sooth the judge list nought see  
Their is no gain bot he will be wreak  
A lord of truth to the I call and clepe  
How may thou see thus in thy presence  
Withouten mercy inurihit innocence   

Now god that art off truth sovereign  
And seist how I lig for truth ibound  
Sore knett in loves fire chain  
Evyn at the death overgirt with many o wound  
That likely been flewir for to sound  
And for my truth am damned to the death  
And not to abide bot draw longere thy breath   

Consider and see in thinen eternal right  
How that mine heart professyt sum time was  
For to be true with all my full myhht  
Only to one the quhiche now alas  
Offa volente with out any trespass  
Mine accusoures hath take unto grace  
And cheriseth them my death to purchase.   

Qubat meaneth this quhat is this wound wre  
Off purveyaunce though I shall it call  
O god of love that false thai so assure  
And true alas down of thy quheil be fall  
And yhite in sooth this is the worst of all  
That wrongfully false heed of truth hath she name▪  
And treuch ayenwart of falsehood birth the blame.   

This blind chamise this stormy adventure  
In love hath most his experience  
For who that doth with truth moist his cure  
Schall for his meid find moist offence  
That serveth love with all his diligence  
For who can feign wnd loulyhede  
He falleth nought to find grace and spe●d   

For I lovet one full long sithen gone  
With all my heart body and full might  
And to been deed my heart can nought gone  
From my behest bot hold that I have height  
Though I be banyst out of her sight  
And by her mouth dampened that I schal they  
Wnto my behest yhite I will obey   

For ewir sithen that the world began  
Who so lust luke and in story read  
He shall ay find that the true man  
Was put aback/ where as y● fall heed  
yfurtherede was for love takꝭ now heed  
To slay the true and hath of thame no charge  
Quhere as the falls goeth freely at his large   

I take record off palamydes  
The true man the noble worthy kny ᵗ  
That ewir loved and of his pain no release  
Nought wythstonding his manhood and his my ᵗ  
Love unto him did full great unright  
For ay the bet he do in chivalry  
The more he was hendryt be envy   

And ewir the bet he did in eviry place  
Throw his knythede and his busy pain  
The ferthir was he fro his ladiis grace  
For to her mercy might he nevir acteyne  
And to his doth he could It not refrain  
For no danger bot ay obey and serve  
As he best could plainly till he starve   

Quhat was the fine alsso of Hercules  
For all his conquest and his worthynese  
That was of strength alone peerless  
For like as books list of him exprese  
He set pillars throw his hay prows  
A way at gaddis for to singnyfy  
That no man might him pass in chenalry   

The quhiche pileris bene far be yond Jnde  
ysett of gold for a remibraunce  
And for all that yhite was he set byhynd  
Myth thame that love list ●●billy advance  
For him set last upon adaunce  
Ayenes quhois help may none strive  
For all his truth yhite he lost his live   

Phoebus also with all his psaunt light  
Quhen that he went here in erred low  
Wnto the heart with Menus sight  
ylvoundit was throw Lupidis olun bow  
And yhite his lady list nought him to know  
Though he ●o: her love his heart did bleed  
she let him go and took of him no heide   

Quhat shall Isey of yhong Pyramus  
Offtrew trestram for all his hay renown  
Of Achilles or off Antonyus  
Offarcite or of him palamoun  
Quhat was the end off here passioun  
Bot after sorrow death and than there grave  
Lo here the guerdoun that this lovers have   

Bot falls Jasoun with his doubilnese  
That was untrue to kokes to med●●  
And the●●●s rute of unkyndnese  
And with thes two eke the false enee  
Lo thus the falls ay in o degree  
Had in love there lust and all there will  
And save falsehood there was none other skill.   

Off thebes eke the falls arcite.  
And demephoun eke for his sleuth  
They had there lust and all that might delight  
For all there falsehood and great untruth.  
Thusewir love alas in that is ruth  
His false legis furtherith quhat he may  
And sleith the true ungudely day by day   

For true adone was sleyn with the bore  
Amid the forest in the green slade  
For venus' love he felt all the sore  
Bot ulcanus with her no mercy maid  
The foul chulle had many nights glade  
Quhere mars her kny ᵗ and her man  
To find mercy nor confourt none he can   

Alsso the yhong fresch ypomenes  
A lusty fire as off his courage  
That for to serve with all his heart he cheise  
Athalamices so feire of her visage  
Bot love alas quit him so his wage  
With cruel danger plainly at the last  
that with the death guerdounlese he past   

Lo here the fine off loves service  
Lo how he can his servant quite.  
Lo how he can his faithful men despise  
To slay the true and false to respite  
Lo how he doth the suerde of sorrow bite  
In hearts such as most his lusts obey  
To save the falls and do the true day   

For faith ne oath word nor assurance  
true meaning a wait nor besinese  
Still port ne faithful actendaunce  
manhood no my ᵗ in arms worthinese  
Pursoyte off worship nor no high proness  
In strong long riding nor travail  
Full light or nought in love doth avale   

Perele nor death in see nor a land  
Hunger nor thirst sorrow nor seknese  
Ne great emprise for to take on hand  
Sheddnig of blood no manful hardinese.  
Nor oft wounding at sautes by distrese  
Nor in parting in lift nor death alsso  
Al is for nought love taketh no heed thereto   

●ot losingeris with there slatterye  
Throw there fallehede and with there doubilnese.  
With tales new and many tenyeit lic  
By false semblance and count fetid humblesse  
Wnder colour depaint with stedefastnese  
With fraud cowert wnder a pitouse face  
Excep be now rathest unto grace  
And 'gan thame self best magnify  
With fenyeid port and presumptioun  
They change there cause in false sucquydry.  
Ondir meaning of double ententiousi.  
To think on in there opynioun  
And scy they ought to set h●● selue aloft.  
And hender truth as It is seen full oft  
The quhiche thing I by now all to der●  
Thounkid be venus and by'r god Cupid  
As It is seen by my oppressit cheer  
And by his arawes that s●iken in my side  
That sane death I nothing abide  
From day to day alloce the hard quhsle  
Quhenewir his dart that him list to file  
My woeful heart for to rive a two  
For fault of mercy and lak of pite  
Of her that causeth all my pain and woe  
And list not once of grace for tose  
Wnto my truth for her cruelty  
And most of all yhste Inte complain.  
That she hath Joy to lauche at my pain  
And wilfully hath my death I snorn   

All giltelese and wilt no cause quby  
Save for the truth that I have had afore  
To her alone to serve most faithfully  
A god above unto the I cry  
And to thy blind doublen deite  
Of this great wrong I complain me   

And to thy stormy wilful variance  
Mengit with change and get unstabilnese  
Now wp now doun● so running in thy chance  
That the to trist may be no sikenese  
I wite It no thing bot thy doubilnese  
And who that is one archer and is blind  
Merheth no thing bot shooteth be the weynd   

And for that he hath no discretioune  
Withoutyn a wise helattith his a-row go  
For lack of sight and alsso of resoune  
In his schuting it hapeth oft so  
To hurt his friend rathare than his foo  
So doth this god with his scharp stone  
The true sleith and letteth the false gone   

And of his wounding this is the worst of all  
Ouhen he hurteth he doth so cruel wretch  
And maketh the sick for to cry and call  
Wnto his foo for to been his leech  
And hard it is for a man to seche  
Upon the point of death in iupardye  
Wnto his foo to find remedy   

Thus fareth now evynly by me  
That to my foo that gave my heart o wound  
Moot are mercy grace and pite  
And nomely there where none may be found  
For now my sore my leech will confound  
And god of kind so hath set mine bre  
My lives foo to have my woe in cure   

Alas the quhile now that I was borne  
Or that I saughe ever the bright son  
For now I see that full long afore  
I was borne my destance was spun  
By percas syscryn to slay me if they koune  
For they my death shapen ere my shirt  
Only for truth I may it not aster●   

The mighty god's alsso of nature  
That under god hath the governance  
Of worldly things co●●u●t it to her cure  
Disposeth hath throw their wise purveyance  
To yif my lady so much suffiliaunce  
Of all virtuous and there with all purveyed  
To murthir truth hath take danger to guide   

For b●unte beauty schap and semebly heed  
Prudence wit and passingly f●●ren●se  
Bening port glad cheer with loulyhede  
●f womanhead right plentoule larges  
Nature did full in byremprese  
Ouhan she by: wrought and all their last dysedeyne  
To hendre truth she maid her chamberlain   

Ouham to mschief and fal●s suspectioun  
With mile believe ●che maid for to be  
Then of 〈…〉 his conclusion  
For to exile ruth and eke pite  
Out of her court to make mercy i'll  
So that despite holdeth forth his rain  
Throw hasty bileve of tales that men feign   

And thus I am for my truth alas  
Murtherit and slay with words scharp and keen  
Gylthes' god wot of all trespass  
Andlig and bleed upon this cold green  
Now mercy suete mercy my lyvis queen  
And to your grace of mercy yite I prey  
In ●hourc service that your man may they   

Bot if so be that I shall they algate  
And that I schal none vy ● mercy have  
And of my death let this be the date  
That be yhoure will I was brought to my grain▪  
Erhastely if that ye list me save  
My scharp wounds that ache alsso and bleed  
Of mercy charm and als of woman heed   

For other charm plainly Is there none  
Bot only mercy in to this case  
For though my wound bleed ewir in one  
My life my death stant all in yhour grace  
And thought my gilt be nothing alas  
I ask mercy in almy best intent  
And ready to d'ye if that yhe assent   

For there ayenes' shall I newir strive  
In word no work plainly I ne may  
For lynar I have than to be a live  
To dye soothly and it be her to pay  
yha though it be this ilk samy day.  
Or quhen that ewir her lust to devise  
sufficeth me to dye in her service   

And god that knowetst the thought of ewiry wight  
Right as it is in ewire thing thou mayst see  
yet ere I day with all my full might  
●ouly I pray to grant unto me  
That ye goodly fair fresh & free  
Quhiche sleith me only for default of ruth  
Or than I day yhe may know be my truth   

For that in sooth sufficeth unto me  
And sche it know in ewiry circumstance  
And ester I am weal apaid that she  
If that her list of death to do grevance  
To me that am under her legiance  
yhite schal I not her doom discobey  
Quhere so her jest to do me live or day   

Withouten gruching or rebelliousi  
In will or word holy I assent  
Or any manner of contradictionne  
Fully to be at her commandment  
And If I dye in my testament  
My heart I send and spirit alsso  
On hat ewir she lust with yaim for to do   

And aldirlast to her woman heed  
And to here mercy I me recommaund  
That lig now here betuir hope and dread  
Abiding plenyly quhat she list command  
For utrely this nys no demand  
Welcome to me quhil me melestith breath  
Ryth at her choose quhethir It be life or death   

In this matter more quhat might I say  
Sith in her hand and in her will is all.  
Both life or death my joy o: all my pain  
And fynaly my hest hold I shall  
Till my spirit be destiny fatal  
Quhen that her lest fro my body wend  
Have here my truth and thus I make one end   

And with that wourd he kan sick as sore  
Like as his heart would ●ybe atueyne  
And held his piece and spoke o word nemore  
But for to see his woe and mortale pain  
The tears 'gan from mine ee●e reyun  
Full pitousely for very in wart ruth  
That I him sangh solauguissnig for truth   

And all this quhile myself I kept close  
Among the leves and myself 'gan hide  
Till at the last the woeful man arose  
And to lug went there beside  
Quhere all the may his custom was to habide.  
Sole to complene of his pains keen  
From year to year wnd the leaves green   

And for the cause that it drew to that ny ᵗ  
And that the son his ark diurnal  
ypassyt was so that his ꝑsaunt lie ᵗ  
His bright beams and his streams all  
War in the waves of the wacter fall  
Wnder the border of our occiane  
his char of gold his course so swiftly rane   

And quhill the twilight and the rewis red  
Of phoebus lie ᵗ werren deaurat alight  
I took a pen and 'gan me fast sped  
The woeful plaint of this man to write  
Word be word as he did indite  
Like as I herd and koud him to report  
I have here set yhour hearts in disport   

Oyfoucht be miss lay the wit on me  
For I am worthy for to bear the blame  
If any thing miss report it be  
To make this dyte for toseme lame  
Through my unkonning bot for to seem the same  
Like as this man his complaint did exprese  
I axe mercy and for gefnese   

And as I wrote me thought I sow a far  
In to the west lustily appear.  
E●perus the goodly bright star  
So glad so feire so psaunt eke of cheer  
I mean venus with her beams clear  
That hevy hearts only to relief  
Io wont of custom for to show at eve   

And I als fa●● fell down on my knee  
And evyn to her thus I kan prey  
O lady venus so feire upon the see  
let not this man for his truth day  
For that Joy thou hadst quha thowley  
With Mars thy kny ᵗ quha that ulcanus fond  
And with a cheyn unvisible you bond   

together both tueyne in the same quhile  
That all the court above celestial  
At yhoure ●chame 'gan la●ch and smile  
A feire lady we'll willy fond at all  
Comfourt to careful o god's immortal  
Be helping now and do thy diligence  
To let the streams of ynie influence   

Descend down in furthering of thy threuth  
Nomely of they that be in sorrow bond  
Show now thy might and of there woe have ruth  
Or falls danger slay him and confound  
And specially let thy might be found  
For to s●ccure quhat so thou may  
The true man that in the herbere lay   

And all true men thou furthyr for his saik  
O goodly star o lady venus mine  
And cause his lady him to grace take  
Her heart of ste●le to mercy so incline  
Or that the beams go up to decline  
And or that thou go now fro w● adoune  
For that love thou hadst to adone   

And quhen that she was gone to her rest  
I rose anon and home to bed went  
For verily me thought it for the best  
Preying thus in all my best en●ent  
That all true that been with danger schent  
With mercy may in relesche of there pain  
Recoverit be or may come eft again   

And for that I may no longer wake  
Far we'll yhe loneris all that been true  
Prēyn●g to god and thus my le●f I take  
That or the son to morrow be risen new.  
And or he have ayne his rose hue  
That each of yhou may have s●●che a grace.  
His ol●●n lady in arines to embrace   

I mean thus in all honest  
With out more yhe may to gidd speak  
Quhat so yhou list at good liberty  
That ●●h may till other there heart break.  
On Jalousy only for to b●lwreke  
That hath so long of his malice and envy  
Werreid truth with his tyranny.   

Prince's plesith to your benignity  
This little dyte ho have in mind  
Of woman heed also for to see  
your true man may sum mercy find  
And pite eke that hath long be by hind  
●at tha● in ayen be provoked to grace.  
For by my truth it is ayenes' kind  
Falls danger to occupy his place   

Go litil quare go to my lyvis queen  
And to my very hearts sovereign  
And be right glad for she schal the seen  
Suiche is thy grace bot I alas in pain  
Am left behind and not to quhom to pley●  
For mercy ruth grace and eke pite  
Exiled been that I may nought acteyne  
Recowir to find of mine adu●isite.    


Q When be divine deliberation  
Of persons three in a god heed yfere.  
The great message/ and high legacion  
Was send unto that blyssit lady dear  
Be gabriel scho being in her prayer  
Ask of god as prophety dois exprime  
To send the son that should the world redeem   

The angel to the virgin Is removit  
And to marry he said, on this manner  
Hail full of grace dost and best belovit  
God is with thee/ thou art till him most dear  
Must precious, and principal but peer  
Thou sweet wine tree & well of sanity  
God will of the take his humanity   

The virgin wonderit of that high message  
And was abaisit in her humyl spirit  
Wnto the angel having this language  
With sobir mind/ and words wonder suete  
As scho that was full of grace & replete  
How may this be/ I should consave a child.  
I know no man/ my maidynhede is unfylde   

Be nought ꝑturbit in thine advertence  
Thy benign ere unto my voice incline  
The fadis powere the sonis sapience  
The virtue of the holy ghost divine  
Within thy wame shall obumbit & schyne  
Thou shall consave bath clean in deed & thought  
Him that the maid/ and all this world of nought.   

All creaturis on kneis fall ye down  
Consent virgin unto this high message  
Quhare by folowiss the redemption  
Of Abraham/ and all his hale lineage  
Thy word may now insernale folk discharge  
The fadis eke that dirknes doth inhance  
With woeful Adam weeping in penance.   

This glorious lady quhom towe ostyme call  
As god so walled his prophecy fulfil  
Remembering eke the weal far of us all.  
Lo here scho said God's humyl ancill  
Be it to me eftir thy word and will  
And be scho had her words thus exprimyt  
Consamt was he that all the world redemyt   

Thou Moses' busk remaining incombust.  
Quhilk was far sign of thy virginity  
Refrene us fra all fraw art ●●e●chly lust  
Nothing to joy, bot in thy son & the  
And give us grace/ that hour quhen we shall dee  
Be thy meek mean that place in hevin to win  
That ordanyt was, for Abraham & his kin   
Exp●icit  
Heir endis the maying and disport of cha●cer Imprētit in the south gait of Edinburgh be Walter chepman and Androw myllar the fourth day of apile the yhere of god. M. CCCCC. and viii. yheris.    


Androv myllar  
  
Here begynnys the maing or disport of chaucer.  

Walterus▪ chepman  
WC