_Episcopus._ A! gracyous Lord, this is a mervelyous thynge, That we se here alle in syght, A babe of thre ȝer age so ȝynge, To come up these greeys so up ryght; It is an hey meracle, and by Goddys myght No dowth of she xal be gracyous. _Maria._ Holy ffadyr, I beseche ȝow forthe ryght, Sey how I xal be rewlyd in Goddys hous. _Episcopus._ Dowtere, God hath ȝovyn us commaundementes ten, Whiche shortely to say be comprehendyd in tweyn, And tho must be kept of alle Crysten men, Or ellys here jugement is perpetual peyn. ȝe must love God severeynly and ȝour evyn Crystyn pleyn, God fyrsst ffor his hyȝ and sovereyn dygnyté: He lovyd ȝow fyrst, love hym ageyn, ffor of love to his owyn lyknes he made the. Love ffadyr, Sone, and Holy Gost! Love God the Fadyr, ffor he gevyth myght; Love God the Sone, ffor he gevyth wysdom thou wost; Love God the Holy Gost, ffor he gevyth love and lyght. Thre personys and on God thus love of ryght, With alle thin hert, with alle thi sowle, with alle thi mende, And with alle the strenghthis in the be dyght, Than love thin evyn Crystyn as thiself withowtyn ende. Thu xalt hate nothynge but the devyl and synne: God byddyth the lovyn thi bodyly enmy; And as for ȝourself here, thus xal ȝe begynne,— ȝe must serve and wurchep God here dayly; ffor what prayȝer with grace and mercy, Sethe have a resonable tyme to fede, Thanne to have a labour bodyly, That therin be gostly and bodely mede. ȝour abydynge xal be with ȝour maydenys ffyve, Whyche tyme as ȝe wole have consolacion. _Maria._ This lyff me lyketh as my lyve: Of her namys I beseche ȝow to have informacion. _Episcopus._ There is the fyrst Meditacion, Contryssyon, Compassyon, and Clennes, And that holy mayde Fruyssyon: With these blyssyd maydenes xal be ȝour besynes. _Maria._ Here is an holy ffelachepp, I fele I am not wurthy amonge hem to be: Swete systeres, to ȝow alle I knele, To receyve, I beseche, ȝour charyté. _Episcopus._ They xal, dowtere, and on the tothere syde se, Ther ben sefne prestys indede, To schryve, to teche, and to mynystryn to the, To lerne the Goddys lawys and Scrypture to rede. _Maria._ ffadyr, knew I here namys, wele were I. _Episcopus._ Ther is Dyscressyon, Devocion, Dylexcion, and Deliberacion,— They xal tende upon ȝow besyly; With Declaracion, Determynacion, Dyvynacion; Now go ȝe, maydenys, to ȝour occupacion, And loke ȝe tende this childe tendyrly; And ȝe, serys, knelyth, and I xal gyve ȝow Goddys benyson, In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti! _Et recedent cum ministris suis omnes virgines, dicentes “Amen.”_