_Maria._ With alle mekenes I clyne to this acorde, Bowynge down my face with alle benyngnyté; Se here the hand-mayden of oure Lorde, Aftyr thi worde be it don to me. _Gabryel._ Gramercy, my lady ffre, Gramercy of ȝour answere on hyght, Gramercy of ȝour grett humylyté, Gramercy, ȝe lanterne of lyght. _Here the Holy Gost discendit with iij. bemys to our Lady, the sone of the Godhed vest with iij. bemys to the Holy Gost, the fadyr Godly with iij. bemys to the sone, and so entre alle thre to her bosom, and Mary seyth_, _Maria._ A! now I ffele in my body be Parfyte God and parfyte man, Havyng alle schappe of chyldly carnalyté, Evyn al at onys thus God began. Nott takynge ffyrst o membyr and sythe another, But parfyte childhod ȝe have anon; Of ȝour handmayden now ȝe have mad ȝour modyr, Withowte peyne in fflesche and bon. Thus conceyved nevyr woman non, That evyr was beynge in this lyff; O, myn hyest ffadyr, in ȝour trone, It is worthy ȝour son, now my son, have a prerogatyff. I cannot telle what joy, what blysse, Now I fele in my body! Aungel Gabryel, I thank ȝow for thys, Most mekely recomende me to my faderes mercy. To have be the modyr of God fful lytyl wend I,— Now myn cosyn Elyȝabeth ffayn wold I se, How sche hath conseyvid as ȝe dede specyfy, Now blyssyd be the hyȝ Trynyté. _Gabryel._ ffareweyl, turtyl, Goddys dowtere dere, ffarewel, Goddys modyr, I the honowre, ffarewel, Goddys sustyr, and his pleynge fere, ffarewel, Goddys chawmere and his bowre. _Maria._ ffarewel, Gabryel, specyalye, ffarewel, Goddys masangere expresse, I thank ȝow for ȝour traveyl hye, Gramercy of ȝour grett goodnes. And namely of ȝour comfortabyl massage, ffor I undyrstande by inspyracion, That ȝe knowe by syngulere prevylage, Most of my sonys incarnacion. I pray ȝow take it into usage, Be a custom ocupacion, To vesyte me ofte be mene passage,— ȝour presence is my comfortacion. _Gabriel._ At ȝour wyl, lady, so xal it be, ȝe gentyllest of blood and hyest of kynrede, That reynyth in erthe in ony degré, Be pryncypal incheson of the Godhede. I comende me onto ȝow, thou trone of the Trinyté, O mekest mayde, now the modyr of Jhesu; Qwen of hefne, lady of erthe, and empres of helle be ȝe, Socour to alle synful that wole to ȝow sew. Thoro ȝour body beryth the babe oure blysse xal renew, To ȝow, modyr of mercy, most mekely I recomende; And as I began, I ende with an Ave new, Enjonyd hefne and erthe with that I ascende. _Angeli cantando istam sequenciam:—_ Ave Maria gratia plena! Dominus tecum, virgo serena! XII. JOSEPH’S RETURN.