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The Clerk who would see the Virgin

[An an]gel sche sent to him anon. {f.37vb}

[He g]ret þe clerk wiþ milde steuen.

[Into] þe chamber when he gan gon,

[He was] briŠter þan ani leuen.

5000 [Leuen] no no sonnes bem

[In so]mers day nas neuer so briŠt,

[Þan] þat angel, when he doun kem

[Into] þat hous about midniŠt.

[He þo]uŠt his hert schuld tospring,

1000 [Þo h]e gan on þat angel sen.

[‘Mi] clerk, drede þe noþing,

[Grace] of God be ous bitven.

[Tidan]des now y þe bring

[Fram M]arie, our heuen-quen;

1500 [I þe] telle certain tiding:

[If þou] wilt hir bodi sen,

[If sen] þou wilt þat leuedi briŠt,

[Þis p]enaunce þou most chesen:

[Þou m]iŠt be siker, þine eiŠesiŠt

2000 [Oþer þ]i liif þou schalt forlesen.’

[Þe cler]k anon gan him biþink:

[Šet y] can anoþer croke:

[Wiþ] min on eiŠe y schal wink,

[& wiþ] mi noþer y schal loke;

2500 [Mi wa]risoun y schal biswink

[Til y] may sen opon a boke,

[& haue] anowe mete & drink.

[Gode] comfort to him he tok.

[He tok] to him anon gode hede:

3000 [Iwis, m]in on eiŠe may me seruen

[Þer to] do wiþ al mi dede;

[It is] ynouŠ til y schal steruen.

[Þe cl]erk him fair answerd oŠain

[‘Ich] do me alle in her manay.

3500 [Sch]eu now what y schal mene

[To] Mari, as y þe say.

[Hir s]eriaunt ichaue long ben;

[Wiþ a]ll loue now ich [h]ir pray

[Þat] ich mot hir ones sen

4000 [Aper]tliche, er þan y day.

[Whe]n y dye, sche Šiue me grace

[To come] to hir wiþ gode entent,

[To sen] hir bodi & hir face.’

[Þe an]gel oŠain to heuene is went.

4500 ¶ Fram heuen into þe clerkes bour, {f.38ra}

RiŠt doun biforn his beddes fet,

Þe angel aliŠt wiþ gret honour,

& wel fair he gan him gret.

‘Mari, þat bar our saueour’

5000 He seyd ‘þou schalt sen as sket.’

Wiþ him þer com a gret odour;

Nas neuer no smel half so swete.

¶ So swete a smal nas neuer non,

Of rose no of no spicerie,

5500 As com into þat leueli won

Befor þat leueliche compeynie.

¶ Wiþ angel song & miri play

Our leuedi adoun sche liŠt

Into þe chaumber þer he lay,

6000 & seyd ‘clerk, drede þe nowiŠt.’

Þei a man biþouŠt him ay,

No schuld he reden a poin[t] ariŠt

Hennes vnto domesday

Hou fair sche is, þat maiden briŠt.

6500 Hou briŠt sche is no tong may telle –

Yblisced mot hye euer ben.

Of heuen, of erþe & of helle

Sche is emperice & quene.

A mantel our leuedy vnfeld,

7000 BriŠter þan sonne þat schineþ schire.

‘Clerk, drede þe nouŠt, bot be nov beld,

For þou schalt haue þi desire;

Þerwhiles þou hast þine eiŠen in weld,

Avise þe wele of min atire,

7500 Apertliche þou me biheld,

Bodi & face, brest & swire.’

¶ Swire & al hir bodi he seiŠe,

When sche hadde to him spoken:

He loked on hir wiþ his on eiŠe –

8000 Þat oþer he held stille yloken.

¶ OŠain to heuen our leuedi went

Wel stillelich out of þat clos.

Þe clerk held him foulely schent,

Amorwe, when þat he aros.

8500 His Šalu here he haþ al torent,

& in his hert sore him agros;

Al þus he seyd & him biment

‘Þis niŠt y saued on of mi fos;

¶ Mi fo y spard, allas þat while! {f.38rb}

9000 Sori icham & wele ich owe:

Min eiŠe doþ mi soule gile,

& often bringeþ it ful lowe.’

¶ RiŠt in his chaumber, þer he stode,

Him þouŠt his liif was him ful loþ,

9500 He wepe sore wiþ dreri mode,

& out of his chaumber he goþ.

out of: copied on an erasure?

‘Þat me no deined, ich was wode,

To loke wiþ min eiŠen boþe

Opon þat leuedi fair & gode;

1000 Y wot þerfore þat sche is wroþ.

¶ Wroþ sche is, & wele sche may,

Wiþ me, þat am sinful chaitif,

Þat y schuld hir so bitraye,

Þat ichaue loued in al mi liif.

1050 ¶ Euer me may rewe þat ich while

Þat y schuld for ani drede

Do Marie þat gret gile.

Allas, what schal me to rede?

Mi soule y brouŠt in gret periil.

1100 A, leuedi, for þi maidenhed

ForŠiue me mi sinnes vile,

& help me in þis muchel nede.

¶ In þis nede þou me saue,

Þat y no be neuer forlorn;

1150 Graunt me þat y þe craue,

For his loue þat of þe was born.

¶ A, leuedi, to me þou liþe,

For care min hert wil toriue;

Michel loue ichil þe kiþe

1200 & worþschip þine ioies fiue.

Lene me grace, anoþer siþe

To se þi bodi wiþouten striue.

Bi so, ichil be bliþe

To be blinde in al mi liue.

1250 ¶ In al mi liue ichil be glad

In swiche penaunce for to ben,

Bi so þou graunt þat y þe bad:

Efsones y mot þe sen.’

¶ Alday he was in sorwe strong;

1300 & afterward þat com þe niŠt;

His white honden hard he wrong,

He ne may for wo slepe nowiŠt.

He herd þan a miri song {f.38va}

Of angels þat were so briŠt;

1350 Our leuedi com hem among,

& seyd ‘clerk, drede [þe] nowiŠt.’

¶ Sche spac þe clerk so fair vntille

‘Ich forŠiue þe al þi gilt;

Þi praier y schal fulfille:

1400 Loke on me, Šif þat þou wilt.

¶ Þerwhiles þat þou art hayl & quert,

Biheld me wele euerich a bon.

Biþenche in þine owhen hert

Þat warisoun no hastow non;

1450 Þine axing sore schal þe smert,

Šif þou be blinde as ani ston;

Þou most liue in gret pouert,

[W]hen þou hast þine eiŠen forgon.

¶ When þou forgos þi warldes wele,

1500 & loue of frendes, fremed & sibbe,

Angwis þou most suffri fele,

In alle time þat þou schalt libbe.’

¶ Þe clerk answerd, & louŠ

‘Min hert is ful of gret solas;

1550 Icham bliþer þan brid on bouŠ

Þat ich haue seyn þine holy face;

Of al ioie ichaue anouŠ,

Sende me now, leuedi, of þi grace –

To suffren wo mi body is touŠ,

1600 Bi so ich mot hauen a place.

¶ A place graunt me, Marie,

Þat mi soule mot wone,

Wiþ ioie & wiþ melodye;

In heuen bifor þi swet sone.’

1650 ¶ Sche seyd ‘mi clerk, no wepe þou nouŠt,

No make no mornand chere.

Þi bon þou hast me bisouŠt,

Ich graunt þe in al maner;

Into þat ioie þou schalt be brouŠt,

1700 When þou hast laten þi liif here,

Þat mi swete sone haþ wrouŠt

To hem þat ben him leue & dere.

¶ Dere þou art to me, ywis.

OŠain to heuen now ich mot wende;

1750 Þou schalt com into þat blis,

When þou hast laten þi liues ende.’

¶ Vp into heuen anon sche steyŠe, {f.38vb}

Þer sche is quen & leuedi corn.

Þe clerk his eiŠen fast he wreiŠe,

1800 He wende his siŠt were forlorn.

forlorn: second r superscript
with caret mark.

When it was day, ful wele he seiŠe

day superscript with
insertion point marked.

Þis warldes pride al him biforn.

‘Merci, leuedi’ he crid on heiŠe

‘Wele be þe time þat þou were born.

1850 ¶ Þat þou were born of o wiman,

Blisced be euer þe day.

Þer liueþ no wiŠt þat telle can

Þe ioie þat of þe springeþ ay.’

¶ Leuedi, flour & frout of Iesse,

1900 Þou art maiden, gode & hende,

Godes moder, mild & fre;

Michel þou helpest al mankende:

On þi seruaunt haue pite,

& saue ous, lord, fram þe fende

1950 & graunt ous, Šif þi wille be

When we schul of þis warld wende

¶ When we schal wend out of þis liue.

Here our prayer & our steuen:

Bring ous, for þine ioies fiue,

2000 Into þe swete blis of heuen. Amen.

Explicit