Holy hat berys as rede as any rose, The foster þe hunters kepe hem fro þe dos. Nay iuy, nay, hyt, &c. Iuy hath berys as blake as any slo, Ther com þe oule & ete hym as she goo. Nay iuy, nay, hyt, &c. Holy hath byrdys a ful fayre flok, The nyghtyngale þe perpyinguy, þe gayntyl lauyrok. Nay, &c. Gode iuy what byrdys ast þu? Non but þe howlat þ^{t} kreye how how. Nay iuy, nay, hyt shal not, &c. V. NOW ys Crystemas y-cum, Fadyr and Son togedyr in oon, Holy Goste, as ye be oon, in fere-a, God sende us a good n(e)w yere-a. I wolde yow synge for and I mygȝhgt, Off a chylde ys fayre in syghgȝt, Hys modyr hym bare thys yndyrs nyghȝt so stylle-a, And as yt was hys wylle-a. There cam iij kynges fro Galylee Into Bethleem, that fayre cytee, To seke hym that ever shulde be by ryghȝt-a Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a. As they cam forth with there offrynge, They met with Herode that mody kynge, thys tyde-a, And thys to them he sayde-a. “Off wens be ye, yow kynges iij.? Off the Este, as ye may see, To seke hym that ever shulde be by ryghgȝt-a Lorde and kynge and knyghȝt-a.” “Wen yow at thys chylde have be, Cum home aȝeyne by me, Tell me the syghȝtes that yow have see, I praye yow; Go yow no nodyr way-a.” They toke her leve both olde and yonge Off Herode that mody kynge; They went forth with there offrynge by lyghȝth-a, By the sterre that shoone so bryghȝt-a. Tyll they cam in to the place There Jhesu and hys modyr was, Offryd they up with grete solace in fere-a Golde and sence and myrre-a. The fadyr of hevyn an awngylle down sent, To thyke iij kynges that made presente thys tyde-a, And thys to them he sayd-a. “My lorde have warnyd yow everychone, By Herode kynge yow go not home; For and yow do, he wylle you slone and strye-a. And hurte yow wondyrly-a.” Forthe them wente thys kynges iij, Tylle they cam home to there cuntré Glade and blyth they were alle iij, Off the syghȝtes that they had see, by-dene-a. The cumpany was clene-a. Knele we now here a-down, Pray we in good devocioun To the kynge of grete renown, of grace-a, In hevyn to have a place-a. VI. NOWELL, nowell, nowell, nowell, Tydyng gode y thyngke to telle. The borys hede, that we bryng here, Betokeneth a prince withoute pere, Ys born this day to bye us dere, Nowell.