How Our Lady's Sauter was First Found

General notes

Leuedi swete & milde, {f.259rb} View Facsimile
For loue of þine childe,
Ihesu ful of miȝt,
Me þat am to wilde
5000 Fram schame þou me schylde,
Bi day & bi niȝt.

¶ Ichil bigennen here
& tellen þe manere
Now in þis stounde
1000 Of þi sauter here,
Wiþ wel gode chere,
Hou it was yfounde.

¶ Sende me þi grace
Now in þis place,
1500 So wele for to done,
Y bid þe þi grace.
Þerto liif & space.
Yhere now mi bone.

¶ A riche man was while,
2000 Þat loued no gile;
He loued holi chirche.
Bisiden him a mile
An abbay of seyn Gile
His eldren dede wirche.

2500 ¶ Gode liif þis man ladde.

On sone he hadde,
Þat gode dedes dede.
Wiþ cloþ & wiþ bedde
His sone fair he schredde {f.259va} View Facsimile
3000 In þilke stede.

¶ Monke þerin he bicam
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....
3500 ..... .... ..... ...
.... .... .... ....

.... .... .... ....
.... { 13 lines lost where miniature removed. }
.... .... .... ....
4000 ..... .... ..... ...
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....

.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....
4500 Queint man & sleiȝe.
For it was euer his wone
To teche him bi costome.
Þe order, fer & neiȝe.

¶ He ȝede forþ aboute
5000 Wiþinne & wiþout
Wiþ þe lord aday.
His sone he lete þerout;
He ȝede for to aloute –
Tellen ich ȝou may –

5500 ¶ Þe leuedi ful of miȝt

Þat bar our driȝt,
In a chapel þere,
Bi day & bi niȝt
When he þerto com miȝt,
6000 Were where he were.

¶ ȝou al tellen y may
An hundred ich day
Greteinges he seyd.
Wele he held his lay
6500 & þe order, par ma fay,
For loue of þat mayde.

¶ Wele he hadde ywrouȝt
For gode was his þouȝt;
Þat was wele ysen.
7000 He no lesse it nouȝt,
Heuen he hadde ybouȝt
Þurth his gode ben.

¶ No lete he non stounde {f.259vb} View Facsimile
Þat he no fel to grounde
7500 & aknewes badde
& þouȝt on þe fif wounde
Þat God for alle þe mounde
On rode hadde ysprad.

¶ An hundred to þe maide
8000 Greteinges he seyd
Bi tale ich day.
He nouȝt it no layd,
Ac so wele he playd,
Riȝt soþe for to say,

8500 ¶ Þat he seiȝe wel briȝt

Our leuedi ful of miȝt
On a Saterday, ywis,
Where sche sat vpriȝt
Half-cloþed bi siȝt,
9000 & seyd to him þis:

‘Mi monk, no drede þe nauȝt,
For y þe haue ylauȝt
& y þe wil take.
Þou hast don a gode frauȝt.
9500 No bestow nouȝt bicauȝt;
God ne schal þe lake.

¶ Y þanke þe here nouþe
For þatow wiþ þi mouþe
Me hast paid so wel;
1000 Bi norþ & bi souþe
It schal be wel couþe
Þine dedes eueridel.

¶ Ac þou most more say,
For me now ich day
1050 Fifti al bi score
Of aue maries,
Ich day þries.
Wite now wharfore:

¶ Þat is riȝt mi sauter.
1100 & þou it schalt ywite her
Hou it schal be do:
Fifti say bifore,
& euer ten bi score,
& þe antemis þerto.

1150 ¶ In tokne of þe blisse

Þat fel me wiþ, ywis.
Þo þe aungel to me cam {f.260ra} View Facsimile
& seyd me tiding
Þat of me schuld spring
1200 God bicome a man.

¶ After say þou sone
Fifti middidone
Al for þat ich blis
Þat he wiþouten sore
1250 Wald of me be bore;
Þerof þat þou no misse.

¶ Þerafter þou shalt say
Eft fifti ich day,
Bi þine fingres ten,
1300 Of aue maries,
Ich day þries –
Telle it fele men –

¶ Fifti at þe nende,
For y shulde wende
1350 To mi sone þo
For blis, & for to amende,
Þat he to me gan sende,
To me comen & go.

¶ He brouȝt me to þe blis
1400 Þat neuer no schal mis,
schal: altered from original sshal.
In þat ich stounde.
Blisced be þe time
Þat he brouȝt out of pine
Þerin were ybounde.’

1450 ‘A, leuedi, y þe grete,

For þou art fair & swete
& gode to serue wel.
Graunt me þi nore,
For y schal eueremore
1500 Don þis eueri del.

¶ ȝif y durst & couþe,
Ich wald wite nouþe,
Leuedi, here of þe,
Whi þe failes gore,
1550 Sleuen & no more
Of cloþ ich on þe se?’

¶ ‘Þis cloþe þou me ȝeue
Of Friday at eue,
Þurth aue maries,
1600 Þo þou me gun grete
& no day nold lete {f.260rb} View Facsimile
Ac seydest fifti tviis.

¶ For þou most say more
Þries fifti bi score.
1650 Also y teld þe.
Today a seueniȝt
Ycloþed al ariȝt
Þou schalt me fair yse.

¶ Be here of al scille,
1700 & say wiþ gode wille
Al þis greteinges,
& y schal þe bring
Fram mi sone, þe king,
Gode tidinges.’

1750 ¶ Mari went þo oway

& þe monke ich day
Seyd riȝt þre siþes
Wiþ wel gode wille
Boþe loude & stille
1800 His aue maries.

¶ Þat day a seuenniȝt
Our leuedi, ful of miȝt,
leuedi: i is written superscript.
To þe monk cam,
In hir wede riȝt
1850 Ycloþed swiþe briȝt
& þonkede þe man.

¶ ‘Fair is now mi wede,
For bedes þat þou bede,
Þatow hast ȝeue me.
1900 Mi sone þe wil rede,
Þat þou noþing no drede
For soþe y telle þe.

¶ Þou schalt abot bicome,
When þou art hom ynome,
1950 For ȝour abot schal dye.
Haue þou euer in wone
To sigge bi costome
Þine aues ich day.

¶ Wende al about
2000 & preche it in & out
Þat þis is mi sauter;
For al þat ich day
Wil þis for me say,
Y schal hem ben wel ner.

2050 ¶ Leue monke, ich telle þe {f.260va} View Facsimile

Þat þou most al for me
Wenden ner & wide
& tellen of þis þing
& so my sone bring
2100 Fele him biside.

¶ For þurth aue maries
Þat men schal siggen þries
In þe worþschippe of me,
Y schal hem help alle
2150 Þat to me wille calle,
For soþe y telle þe.

¶ Nis non þat schal day,
Þat þries wil say
Þis aue maries –
2200 Wiþouten housel & schrift –
Bi day no bi niȝt,
For non folies.

¶ He schal in ich place
Wele finde mi grace
2250 At his liues ende,
& he schal finde space
& haue gode grace
Him al for to amende.

¶ Gon ichil hanne.
2300 Say it mani man
Þis & make it couþe.
For seuen ȝer after þis
Þou schalt dien, ywis –
Y telle þe wiþ mouþe.

2350 ¶ So long is þi time

To hold þe & þine
& hem for to teche.
After þat of pine
Þou worst ybrouȝt to mine,
2400 For y schal be þi leche.’

¶ Marie went forþ hir way.
& þe monke ich day
Folk to God bring,
Þurth þis ich þing
2450 & his precheing.
Gode was þis tidinge.

¶ Now ich bidde here,
& on alle wiþ gode chere,
Þat ȝe sigge þries
2500 Wiþ wel gode wille
Boþe loude & stille
Þis aue maries.

¶ & God our alder driȝt
So ȝiue ous strengþe & miȝt
2550 So wele for to done
Þat at our ending
He mot ous alle bring
To blis swiþe sone.

Amen