132
AI.BON UND AMPHABEL.
[BUCH IT.)
By her merytes that were to her re
sented,
As I sayde erst,by a prerogatyue
She amonge women was mayden,
mother, & wyfe;
To god a mayde to fulfyll his wyll,
=9° And to the lorde a seruant by mekenes,
Doughter & mother, | & eke faythfull
ancyll; —
Whiche to remembre hath brought
gostly gladnes
Of all welfare] ourdaungers to represse,
Afonie by recorde of prophetes in
substaunce,
295 Vs to defende agayne all mortal!
greuaunce.
For whiche, dere host, sith it may
auayle,
To my doctrineyeueth hartily credence!
God hath me sent to teache you and
counsavle.
So that ye lust with humble diligence
300 Become his knyght and do hym re-
uerence,
Obeye his lawe & his preceptes all,
Taketh good hede to you what shall
befall!
His fayth to you shall gyue so great
vertue
That blynde folke ye shall make for
to see
305 By inuocation only of Christe Jesu,
Delyuer the people from all aduersite,
Leprous folke ] and tho that lame be
To be made dene | and make them
go vpryght,
And euery sykenes recouer thrugh
his myght;
3>o Ye shall escape by his prouydence
All myscheuesto you that ben contrary,
l.yue longe tyme, ] go free from pes
tilence,
From Christis fayth ] if that ye wyll
not vary;
To graunt your askynge the lorde
shall not tary.
331 Ed. Thas. I, as ye.
315 But at last or ye hens wende,
By martyrdomeye shallmake an ende;
By martyrdome yeshall ende your lyfe
And blessedly from this worlde shall
passe,
Out of all trouble and transitory stryfe
320 Whiche day by day 1 doth you here
manasse;
Thrugh Christis myght and influence
of grace
Ye shall to god | to your great auantage
By meke suffrauncemake yourpassage.
This was chefe cause and grounde of
my comyng,
325 Sent by Jesu vnto this towne
As a bedyll to brynge you tydyng
Howe by his myghty visitation
Ye shall endure payne and passyon
For Christis fayth in his moste pacient
wyse,
330 As knyght and martyr chosen to his
seruice.
That is his wyll, yeshall fyndeindede,
To recompence the great humanyte
Whiche ye haue vsed of fredome and
manhede
To indigentfolkeand people in pouerte,
335 And specially for hospitalite,
With other dedes in nombre called
seuen
Dedes of mercy, registred nowe in
heuen:
To fede the pore ] whiche had no
vitayle,
And to viset folkes in prison,
340 Receyue them that herburgh dyd fayle,
Bedred folkes that lay in mischiefe
downe,
Comforte the syke, mynystre them
foysowne,
Parte with them of that they had nede,
And bury them that laye in myschefe
dede;
345 To his seruantes | & all that ye haue
mynystred
Cronycled ben in the heuenlyconsistory,
288) women. 290) a fehlt. 293) redresse. 294) And forne-recordyd by. 296) cost. 297) hertly.
304) That ye shall make blynde folke to see. 305. Bi the. 307) liprous. thei. 311) whiche be to yow.
313) yf ye that nott varie. 317) ende, shall. 318) fro. 325) in to. 326) bidden. 329) his fehlt.
331) as ye. 333) manhode. 340) harborough. 341) Bi dredde folke (!).
