Good husbond, ryse up, I beseke ȝow, And go we to the temple now fast To wurchep God with that we mow, And thank hym bothe, this is my cast Of the tyme that is comynge now; ffor now is cum mercy, and venjauns is past: God wyl be born for mannys prow, To brynge us to blysse, that ever xal last. _Contemplacio._ Lystenyth, sovereynys, here is a conclusyon, How the Ave was mad here is lernyd us; The aungel seyd “Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu in mulieribus.” Elyȝabeth seyd, “Et benedictus fructus ventris tui.” Thus the chirche addyd Maria and Jhesus her: Who seyth oure ladyes sawtere dayly for a ȝer thus, He hath pardon ten thowsand and eyte hundryd ȝer. Than ferther to oure matere to precede, Mary with Eliȝabeth abod ther stylle iij. monthys fully, as we rede, Thankynge God with hertly wylle. A! Lord God, what hous was this on? That these childeryn and here moderes to, As Mary and Eliȝabeth, Jhesus and John, And Joseph and Zakarye also. And evyr oure lady abod stylle thus, Tyl John was of his modyr born, And than ȝakarye spak i-wus, That had be dowm and his speche lorn. He and Eliȝabeth prophesyed as thus, They mad _Benedictus_ them beforn; And so _Magnificat_, and _Benedictus_, ffyrst in that place ther made worn. Whan alle was don, oure Lady fre Toke here leve; than aftere this, At Eliȝabeth and at ȝakarie, And kyssyd John and gan hym blys. Now most mekely we thank ȝow of ȝour pacyens, And beseke ȝou of ȝour good supportacion, If here hathe be seyd or don any inconvenyens, We asygne it to ȝour good deliberacion; Besekynge to Crystes precious passyon, Conserve and rewarde ȝour hedyr comynge! With Ave we begunne, and Ave is oure conclusyon, _Ave regina cœlorum_ to oure Lady we synge. XIV. THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH AND MARY. _Den._ Avoyd, seres, and lete my lorde the buschop come, And syt in the courte the lawes ffor to doo; And I xal gon in this place them for to somowne, Tho that ben in my book the court ȝe must com too. I warne ȝow here alle abowte, That I somown ȝow alle the rowte, Loke ȝe fayl, for no dowte, At the court to pere. Bothe John Jurdon, and Geffrey Gyle, Malkyn Mylkedoke, and fayr Mabyle, Stevyn Sturdy, and Jak at the Style, And Sawdyr Sadelere. Thom Tynkere and Betrys Belle, Peyrs Potter and Whatt at the Welle, Symme Smalfeyth and Kate Kelle, And Bertylmew the Bochere. Kytt Cakelere and Colett Crane, Gylle Fetyse and fayr Jane, Powle Pewterere and Pernel Prane, And Phelypp the good Flecchere.