And as a childe of iij. ȝere age here she xal appere, To alle pepyl that ben here present, And of here grett grace now xal ȝe here, How she levyd evyr to Goddys entent With grace. That holy matere we wole declare, Tyl ffortene ȝere how sche dyd ffare; Now of ȝour speche I pray ȝow spare, Alle that ben in this place. _Here Joachym and Anne, with oure lady betwen hem, beyng al in whyte as a childe of iij. ȝere age, presente here into the temple, thus seyng Joachym_, _Joachym._ Blyssyd be oure Lord, ffayr ffrute have we now! Anne, wyff, remembyr wole ȝe, That we made to God an holy avow, That oure fyrst childe the servaunt of God xulde be! The age of Mary oure dowtere is ȝeres thre, Therfore to thre personys and on God lete us here present; The ȝonger she be drawyn the bettyr semyth me, And for teryeng of our avow of God we myth be shent! _Anne._ It is as ȝe say, husbond, indede, Late us take Mary our dowter us betwen, And to the temple with here procede: Dowtere, the aungel tolde us ȝe xulde be a qwen! Wole ȝe go se that lord ȝour husbond xal ben, And lerne for to love hym and lede with hym ȝour lyf? Telle ȝour ffadyr and me her, ȝour answere let sen; Wole ȝe be pure maydyn and also Goddys wyff? _Maria._ ffadyr and modyr, if it plesynge to ȝow be, ȝe han mad ȝour avow, so ssothly wole I, To be Goddys chast servaunt whil lyff is in me, But to be Goddys wyff I was nevyr wurthy; I am the sympelest that evyr was born of body. I have herd ȝow seyd God xulde have a modyr swete, That I may leve to se hire, God graunt me for his mercy, And abyl me to ley my handys undyr hire fayr fete. _Et genuflectet ad Deum._ _Joachym._ I-wys, dowtere, it is wel seyd, ȝe answere and ȝe were twenty ȝere olde. _Anne._ Whith ȝour speche, Mary, I am wel payd, Can ȝe gon alone? lett se beth bolde. _Maria._ To go to Goddys hous wole ȝe now beholde, I am joyful thedyrward, as I may be. _Joachym._ Wyff, I ryght joyful oure dowter to beholde. _Anne._ So am I wys, husbond; now in Goddys name go we! _Joachym._ Sere, prince of prestes, and it plese ȝow, We that were barreyn God hath sent a childe, To offre here to Goddys service we mad oure avow, Here is the same mayde, Mary most mylde. _Isakar._ Joachym, I have good mende how I ȝow revyled, I am ryght joyful that God hath ȝove ȝow this grace, To be amonge fruteful now be ȝe reconsylid, Come, swete Mary, come, ȝe have a gracyous face! _Joachym flectendo ad Deum, sic dicens_,