_Symeon._ Welcome, prynce withowte pere! Welcome, Goddys owyn sone! Welcome, my Lord so dere! Welcome, with me to wone! _Suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam._ Lord God in magesté, We have receyvyd this day of the, In myddys of thi temple here, Thy grett mercy, as we may se. Therfore thi name of grett degré Be wurchepyd in alle manere, Over alle this werde, bothe fere and nere, ȝevyn onto the unterest ende! ffor now is man owt of daungere, And rest and pes to alle mankende. _“Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, et cætera.” The psalme song ther every vers, and ther qwyle Symeon pleyeth with the child, and qwhan the psalme is endyd, he seyth_, Now lete me dye, Lord, and hens pace! ffor I thi servaunt in this place Have sen my Savyour dere; Whiche thou hast ordeyned beforn the face Of al mankynde, this tyme of grace, Opynly to appere. That lyth is shynand clere, To alle mankyndys savacion; Mary, take ȝour childe now here, And kepe wel this manis savacion. _Anna prophetissa._ Ne I rowth nere to dye also, ffor more than ffowre skore ȝere and to This tyme hath bede to se. And sythe that it is come therto, What Goddys wyl is with me to do, Ryght ȝeven so mot it be. _Joseph._ Take here these candelys thre,— Mary, Symeon, and Anne; And I xal take the fowrte to me, To offre oure childe up thanne. _Maria._ Hyest ffadyr, God of powere! ȝour owyn dere son I offre ȝow here, As I to ȝour lawe am sworn. Receyve thi childe in glad manere, For he is the fyrst, this childe so dere, That of his modyr is born. But ȝow I offre hym ȝow beforn, Good Lord, ȝit ȝyf me hym aȝen! ffor my comforte were fully lorn, If we xulde longe a-sondyr ben. _Mari leyth the childe on the autere._ _Joseph._ Sere prest of the temple, now Have he ffyffe pens unto ȝow, Oure childe aȝen to take. _Capellanus._ It is the lawe, as ȝe woot how, Joseph, ȝe an do rygh a-now, As for ȝour childys sake. But othere offerynge ȝett must ȝe make; And therfore take ȝour sone, Mary! In meche joye ȝe may awake, Whylys he is in ȝour company. _Maria._ Therto I am ful glad and fayn, ffor to receyve my childe agayn, Ellys were I to blame. And afterewarde ffor to be bayn, To offre to God in ful certayn, As in my sonys name, With ffowlys bothe wylde and tame,— ffor in Goddys servyse I xal nevyr irke. _Joseph._ Lo! Mary, have here tho same, To do thi dewtys of holy kyrke. _And ther Mary offeryth ffowlys onto the autere, and seyth_,