Karolles wrastelynges or somour games, Whosoever haunteth any swyche shames, Yn cherche other yn cherche yerd, Of sacrilage he may be aferd; Or entyrludes or syngynge, Or tabure bete or other pypynge; All swyche thyng forboden es, Whyle the prest stondeth at messe; But for to leve in cherche for to daunce, Y shall you telle a full grete chaunce, And y trow the most that fel, Ys sothe as y you telle. And fyl thys chaunce yn thys londe, Yn Ingland as y undyrstonde, Yn a kynges tyme that hyght Edward, Fyl this chaunce that was so hard. Hyt was upon crystemesse nyzt That twelve folys a karolle dyzt, Yn Wodehed, as hyt were yn cuntek,[13] They come to a toune men calle Cowek:[14] The cherche of the toune that they to come, Ys of Seynt Magne that suffred martyrdome, Of Seynt Bukcestre hyt ys also, Seynt Magnes suster, that they come to; Here names of all thus fonde y wryte, And as y wote now shal ye wyte Here lodesman[15] that made hem glew,[16] Thus ys wryte he hyzte[17] Gerlew; Twey maydens were yn here coveyne, Mayden Merswynde[18] and Wybessyne; All these came thedyr for that enchesone,} doghtyr Of the prestes of the toune. } The prest hyzt Robert as y can ame, Azone hyzt hys sone by name, Hys doghter that there men wulde have, Thus ys wryte that she hyzt Ave. Echone consented to o wyl, Who shuld go Ave out to tyl, They graunted echone out to sende, Bothe Wybessyne and Merswynde: These women zede and tolled[19] her oute, Wyth hem to karolle the cherche aboute, Benne ordeyned here karollyng, Gerlew endyted what they shuld syng. Thys ys the karolle that they sunge, As telleth the Latyn tunge, Equitabat Bevo per sylvam frondosam,} Ducebat secum Merwyndam formosam, } Quid stamus cur non imus. } By the levede[20] wode rode Bevolyne, Wyth hym he ledde feyre Merwyne, Why stonde we why go we noght: Thys ys the karolle that Grysly wroght, Thys songe sung they yn chercheyerd, Of foly were they nothyng aferd. The party continued dancing and carolling all the matins time, and till the mass began; when the priest, hearing the noise, came out to the church porch, and desired them to leave off dancing, and come into the church to hear the service; but they paid him no regard whatever, and continued their dance. The priest, now extremely incensed, prayed to God in favour of St. Magnes, the patron of the church: That swych a venjeaunce were on hem sent, Are they out of that stede[21] were went, That myzt ever ryzt so wende, Unto that tyme twelvemonth ende. Yn the Latyne that y fonde thore, He seyth not twelvemonth but evermore. The priest had no sooner finished his prayer, than the hands of the dancers were so locked together that none could separate them for a twelvemonth: