In Purificationem Beate Marie, secundum Lucam.1 Postquam impleti sunt dies purgacionis Marie secundum legem Moysy, tulerunt illum in Jerusalem, ut sisterent eum Domino, sicut scriptum est in lege Domini: Quia omne masculinum adaperiens wulvam, sanctum Domino, et cetera.2
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390 395 400 405 410 415 420 425 430 435 440 445 450 455 460	In Hali Boc find we That this dai hafes names thre; The first es cald Maries clensing, The tother es cald Cristes meeting, The thred es cald Candelmesse day, Als lawed folc it calles ay. Candel that we to kirc bring Bitakenes Jesu Crist our king; For Crist was offered als todaye, Als I you sal nou son saye. And riht als ilke man mai se In brinnand candel thinges thre, That es at say, wax, wec and liht, Sua es in Crist Goddhed and miht; And tharto sawel and bodie, That er bisened apertelye Bi candel, quarin we mai se Wax, wec, liht, that er thinges thre. For riht als candel haves liht, Sua haved Crist in him Goddes miht; For liht bitakenis his Goddhede, Als we ful oft in bokes rede. Bot wec that in wax loken esse, Cristes sawel bitakenesse, That was loken and hidde in fleys, For fleys es brokel als wax, and neys. We ber todai thoru this resoun, Our candel in processioune, And bi this resoun es wel sene That this nam Candelmes wil mene.    The tother nam, als ar said I, Es cald clensing of our Lefdeye, And thohquethir hafd scho na mister To be clensed on slic maner, Bot for scho wald forfille the lawe, And meknes in hir dedes schawe, Forthi com scho this day to do For hir clensing that felle tharto. For it was comanded in the law That wif fra kirc hir sold witdraw, The faurty dayes all bidene, Sua lang was scho halden unklen, Efter that scho delivered ware Of knaf child, and thanne ful yare Quen faurty dawes wer broht til ende, Than sold scho to the tempel wende Wit hir child, and hir hosbande, To mac thar for this child offerande; And yef thaie riht riche men ware, Thai suld offer a lamb riht thare; Yef thai war pouer, than suld thay Offer opon this clensing day Tua turteles, or tua douf briddes, Als Godd in Moyses law biddes; And for Crist com noht for to spille The Alde Lawe, bot it fulfille, Forthi com his moder today, To do that fel to Jowes lay, And thoru resoun of this thing, Es this day calde Maryes clensing.    Nou haf we herd quarfor and qui This fest hatte clensing of Mary. The first nam es Candelmesse, The tother Maryes clensing esse, The thred Cristes meting es cald, Als our Godspel todai us tald. It sais hou Crist als this daie mette Wit tua men, that him comly gret. The tan was man, the tother wif, Bot bathe thai ledde ful hali lif: For he was prest in Jowes laye, And scho lele widow many daye; And Simeon hiht the carmanne, And the womman was cald dam Anne, Scho wist thoru gast of prophecye, That Godd suld send his Son in hye, Mankind nede for to do, And Cristes com lang habad scho; And als today mett scho wit Crist, And spac of him thing that scho wist, Hou he suld man on rod bye, For scho wist that thoru prophecye. And Symeon the prest alsua, Toc Jesus in his armis tua, And said, “Lauerd, nou mai I deye, For I se thee wit fleysly eye; I se that I ber in my hande Goddes awen Son and his sand, That stithe igain the fend sal stand, And les mankind out of his band.” Sain Symeon slic wordes sayd, Quen Crist was in his armes layd, For wel lang thar bifor he wist, That him byhoved se Jesu Crist; The Hali Gast haved warned him That he suld dey noht ar that tim That he havid wit his eyen sen This blized barn of quaim I men. Forthi he said, “Quen I him seye, Lauerd, in pes nou may I dey, For thou haves don that thou me hiht, And schued theeself to mi siht. I se that thou mankind haves tan, And for mankind bicomen man.”    Nou se ye that thoru resoun That Crist mett wit Sain Symeoun, And withe dam Anne of quaim I tald, This day es Cristes meting cald; For in the tempel bathe mett thaye, With Crist and Marye als this daye.    Nou hop I that ye al se Hou this fest havis names thre. The first nam es Candelmesse, The tother Maryes clensing esse, The thred nam als ic haf talde, Es Cristes meting graitheli cald. In tempele first offered was he, And sithen on the rod tre, And ilke day in prestes hand, May we se Crist be mad offerand. Thus was Crist offered for our hele, Forthi bird us be til hym lele, Of us self bird us offerand mak Quen we for his luf fast and wak, For than pin we our bodye, With torfir and with martyrye. We offer us selven til Jesus, That offered himselven for us; For offered for us al was he, Quen he for us deyed on tre.    Yet wil I you on Englis saye, Quat was offered for Crist todaye. We find that Josep and Marye War bathe pouer, and forthie Offered thai for Crist, Mari son, Slic thing als pouer men war won. Tua turteles, als I haf you tald, Or tua douf briddes yef thai wald And I wil tel you forthie, Quat thir foules menes gastelye, In thir tua fules may we se Bathe mildenes and charité; For doufe a ful mec fuel es, And bitakenes riht mildenes, And by the turtel douf mai we Ful riht understand charité; For yef the turtel tin hir mak, Never mar wil scho other thac; Forthi bi hir mai bysend be Riht clen lif and charité.    Fand we forthi sua for to lif, That we may Godd god offerand gif, Of chastité and mildenes, That bi thir foules bisend es. We offer turtel douf gastlye, Quen we feyht igain lecherye, And quen we hald our hert fra wreth, And hastines, and brother lethe, And loves our brether inwardlye, We offer doufes gastilye.    We may als by thir fouls tuinne, Undirstand sorue for our sinne; For bathe thir foules haves crowding Insted of sang, and stille murning; And bitakenes that sinful man, That schilwisnes and insyt can, Suld of thir fules bisenes take, To murne for his sin and sake. For better es that man her murne, Than for his sin til helle turne. Nou understand ye, I wene Quat the fest of todaye wil mene.    A tal of this fest haf I herd, Hougat it of a widou ferd, That lufd our lefdi sa welle, That scho gert mac hir a chapele; And ilke day devotely, Herd scho messe of our lefdye. Fel auntour that hir prest was gan His erand, and messe haved scho nan; And com this Candelmesse feste, And scho wald haf als wif honeste Hir messe, and for scho moht get nan, Scho was a ful sorful womman. In hir chapel scho mad prayer, And fel on slep bifor the auter, And als scho lay and slep, hir thout That scho intil a kyrc was broht, And saw com gret compaynye Of fair maidenes wit a leuedy, And al thai sette on raw ful rathe, And ald men and yong bathe Com efter thaim and sette thaim bye, And a clerc broht cerges in heye, And everilcan gaf he an, And an toc this slepand womman; An tua clerkes scho saw comande In surplices wit serges berande, And efter thaim revested, rathe Com suddeken and deken bathe, And Crist himselven com thar nest, Revested als a messe prest. Thay yod til auter gainli graythede, And privé prayer thar thai sayde, And clerkes son bigan the messe, Als costom in Hali Kirk esse; And quen thai com til thair offerande, This leuedy yed with serge in hande, And ofered first als comly quene, And efter hir, other bidene. This wif satte ay stille, als hir thoht, For offer hir candel wald scho noht. The prest abade bifor the auter, Bot scho no wald noht cum him ner. And word til hir send our Leuedy, And said that scho did vilanye To ger the prest bide hir sa lang, And bad scho suld ris and gang, And offer hir serge als other had don. And scho ansuerd and sayd son, “Wel moht the prest his messe forthe sing — My candel wil I noht him bring; Bot ga and say til my lefdye, That Godd havis send me, hald wil I.” And igain yod this messager, And tald his leuedy hir ansuer. His leuedi bad him suithe ga, And tac the serge with steece hir fra, Yef scho wald noht with god it yeld. Bot quen he com, fast scho it held For al that he moht pray and say, Feithely scho hir candel held aye; And he raht til hir at the laste And droh the cerge, and scho held fast. This candel brac bituix thaim tua, And scho stec of hir slep riht sua, And fand a tronchoun redy broken, And fast in bathe hir hendes loken. Hir thoht tharof ful gret ferlye, And thanked Godd and our Lefdye, That wald suilc priveté hir schawe, And ger men it with taken knaw. For graithe takening was that tronchoun, Of hir ferlic avisioun. This tronchoun for relic scho held Al hir lif, with worschip and beld, And it dos yet, als find we tald, Ful fair mirakeles mani fald.    Bi this schort tal, als thinc me, Mai we our Lefdyes confort se, That wald profe this wifes wille, And hir langing wit joy fulfille, And noht allan in heven rike, Bot her in erthe with fair ferlyc; For fair ferlic was this tronchoun, That scho gatte wit devotyoun.    Yet wil we spec of our Lefdye, That bar that barn of hir bodye, That was offered als himselven wald On thrinne wis, als ic haf tald. Of his offering today spec we, For als today offered was he In tempel, and sithen on rode, Thar he for our sak sched his blod; And on the thred wise es he Offered at messe, als we mai se. Forthi me thinc that god it es To spek sumthing of hir godnes, That bar of hir bodi that birth, That broht mankind til mensk and mirht.    Mary mild and maiden clene, Es Goddes moder of quaim I mene, And bathe of heven and erthe quen, And helpes sinful men biden; Bot namlic helpes scho tha, That turnes noht thair lof hir fra, Bot menskes hir on al thair wyse And er sysel in hir servyse. Bot scho es moder of mercye, And til sinful men ay redye. Scho fayles nevermar in nede, That mai we se bi many dede That scho dos oft for sinful man That haves igain hir Son mistan. For do man never sa gret sinne, And he haf wil his sinne to blin, And ask hir holp riht inwardlye, He may be siker of mercye. That may ye se bi a lefdy, That was abbes of a nunrye;    Bot als scho for apon a day About nedes of hir abbay In cloutes bi the gate scho fande A yong mayden child suelande. Scho havid pyté of this funding And gert it til hir nunry bring, And gert it be ful gaynli gette, And sithen til boc scho it sett, And mad hir nunne in that nunrye, And lufed hir ful inwardlye; For scho lufid als god womman Hir dohteris gastely everilkan, And sa wel order lufed scho That na misse moht hir dohteres do, That scho no chastid thaim in hye, And gert thaim lef thair folie. And god wimmen lufid hir forthie, And foles hated hir dedelye. And at hir haved the fende envye, And fanded hir ful ithenlye. For niht and day he was bysye To kindel lust in hir bodye, And at the last in licherye He gert hir fal ful wrechelye For hir spense knew hir fleyslye, And hir wamb wex gret in hye, Bot fair scho bar hir nohtforthye, Als wimmen can that dos folye. Scho umthoht hir niht and daye, Quaim scho moht best hir consayl say; And hir thoht wele that best moht scho Hir dern dede til hir undo Quaim scho hafd a funding fedde, And fair in nunne wede cledde; For scho was halden til hir mast, To be til hir lele and stedefast. Scho cald this nunne ful privelye, And said til hir, “Dohter mercye, Ic haf a derne priveté To schew bytuixe me and thee, Bot dede war me lever to be, Than thou of my dede melded me, For yef thou tharof me melde, Ic haf tinte werdes mensc and belde.”    This nune ansuerd and said, “Leuedye, For al this werld gold ne wald I Do thing that war igaines thee; Forthi, lefedy, thou telle me Witouten dout thi priveté, For than mai thou prof my leuté; Schew baldely thi wil to me, For siker may thou of me be.”    This abbes trowed wele hir sawe, And hir sinne scho gan hir schawe, And said, “Lef dohter, me es wa, For gret with child riht now I ga.” This nunne ansuerd and said, “Lefdye, Be thou for this thing noht sarye, For wel I sal thi consayl hele, And do wit thee als dohter lele, For quen the childe es born, sal I Do it of daw sa prively,3 That na wiht sal the squeling here, And delf it sithen in our herbere.”    This abbes troued hir ful wele, And wend that scho war treu als stele. Bot qua sa leses fra hinging Thef, or bringes up funding, Of nauther getes he mensc ne mede, No socour quen he havis nede. For that was sen ful openlye In this funding, that hir leuedye Wreyed til the bischop sone,4 And tald him al quat scho havid don. And qua was wrathe bot that bischop? For of this abbes haved he hop That scho havid ben a god womman, And forthoght that scho havid mistan. Hir dohteres herd of hir folye, And sum war gladd and sum sarye; For fole wimmen war ful fain That thai haved chesoun hir igain, And wit thair letteres prayed thaye [To the bisschope, and he sette daie For to prove the priores plaie That scho might noght it agaynesaie. When daie was sette hir tyme come nye That this priores hir payne suld drie And be deliver of hir chylde, Scho made hir mane to Mary mylde. That night scho in hir chapell woke That wyves on the morn suld hir loke, For the bihsschope againe the morne Gert somonde wifis him beforne, That him all the sothe suld saie Whether this priores ware wife or naie; And forthi was scho full ferde When scho this sorowfull tithandes herd. Scho grette full sare on oure Ladie And askid hir help and mercie; When scho was werie of hir praiere On slepe scho fell before the awtere. Than sone to hir come oure Ladie And reprovid hir of hir folie, And on hir wambe scho laide hir hand, And this priores was all slepeand Delyvir of a knave chylde, That sithen was a gude man and a mylde. Oure ladie toke this childe all warme And laide it in ane aungele arme, And bade him bere the childe tyte Apon hir halve to ane ermite That wonid theine ovre myles sevene; And the childe name gon scho nevene And saie, “I bid him this childe baptise And bringe him uppe als gode norise.” When this was saide scho wynte awaie, And this prioresse woke thare scho laie. Than on hir bare knees scho hir sette, And sweteli scho oure Ladi grette And saide, “Marie, I thank thee, Full wele hase thou delivird me.” Thus in that chapell all that night Scho looued oure Ladie to daie light. The bisschope come with his clergie Apon the morn to that nonnerie, To give lawfull juggemente Of the priores that thare was schent. Bot he gert wives noghtforthi Luke allthir first hir bare bodie, And gert thaim swere that thai suld saye Whether thai fand hire wife or naie. And when thai had hir bodi sene, Scho semid mayden als clene, Als scho never had touchid bene. And than thir wives all bedene Come and swore scho was mayden clene; And than the bisschope was full tene To the nonne that tolde him the tale, And bad scho suld be brente in bale, Als wickid woman that wickidlie Had lyed on hir awne ladie. This priores had of hir pité That scho for hir dampnid suld be, And talde the bisschope privelie The sothe and how oure dere Ladie Delivird hir and made hir qwite, And sent hir sonne to ane ermite To kepe him and sette to lare. And than the bisschope right evene thare Assoylid hir and louid Marie That es to sinfull aie redie. And to the ermete he sente his sande And thare this childe in credil fande. And when it was of sevene yere The bisschope it made a gode scolere. And when this ilk bisschope was dede This childe was bisschope in his stede.    Be this tale may we wele se That thar na sinfull schamid be, Have thai done never so mikil folie, If thai will call on oure Ladie, Sothelie scho will helpe full yare To bringe all sorowfull oute of care. Forthi if we in any synne fall I rede we fast on Marie call, That scho purchase us grase to rise And sithen to dwell in hir servise Evermare to oure lyves ende. Than may we siker be to wende Into that courte thare scho es Qwene Thidir scho bringe us all bedene. Amen.]	purification second; the meeting with Christ; (t-note) third lay church signifies every burning wick symbolized clearly wherein (t-note) (t-note) signifies; (t-note) brittle; soft (see note) other although; need such pertained in all considered [to be] unclean soon went if turtledoves; dove birds commands; (see note) because; destroy Old faith is called meeting greeted; (t-note) one law was called; man knew; spirit soon arrival; awaited; (t-note) knew redeem (see note) sign strongly loose; bondage such he must see before blessed child peace promised showed taken on a human nature; (t-note) because whom I spoke (t-note) (t-note) readily then every healing ought; loyal We ought to make an offering of ourselves keep a vigil give pain to our bodies hardship; torture accustomed dove; meek bird lose; mate take Let us try (t-note) anger hatred; (t-note) earnestly twin sorrow cooing silent mourning Who possesses reason and intelligence follow the example guilt here think (see note) How had made It happened; was gone [away on] (t-note) she thought lady; (see note) sat down in a row; quickly tapers bearing ceremonially arrayed; at once subdeacon; deacon Attired went; suitably prepared private as a group waited wait candle Well may the priest sing his mass That which quickly force; (t-note) willingly; (t-note) Faithfully went tugged at arose fragment marvel mystery ready sign vision strength test heaven’s kingdom miracle in three manners honor (love); bliss (salvation) praise honors; in every way; (t-note) occupied; (t-note) acted against If; cease (see note) duties Wrapped in rags screaming foundling suitably cared for (t-note) (see note); (t-note) mistake (t-note) envy tempted; busily (t-note) miserably; (t-note) butler had intercourse with her; (see note) grew; soon But nevertheless she behaved graciously; (see note) pondered (reflected) secret secret; reveal Whom she had fed as a foundling; (t-note) clothing; dressed obligated; most secretly hidden secret; (t-note) rather informed on lost worldly honor; happiness For all the gold in the world I would not; (t-note) fear; secret loyalty secure believed; words (t-note) dear hide loyal (t-note) no one; squealing bury; garden (t-note) whoever spares; (see note) foundling honor nor reward help he had thought was displeased; done amiss; (t-note) foolish; glad grounds for making an accusation (t-note) prove; wrongdoing deny suffer moan kept a vigil So that; women; examine in preparation for woman [i.e., not a virgin] cried out to altar (see note) quickly on her behalf Who lived over seven miles from there to name caretaker praised; until ruined First examine pure together angry fire acquitted her instruction directly absolved; praised messenger cradle scholar need; (t-note) together