*1050 5 10 *1060 15 20 *1070 25 30 *1080 35 40 *1090 45 50 *1100 55 60 *1110 65 70 *1120 75 80 *1130 85 90 *1140 95 100 *1150 105 110 *1160 115 120 *1170 125 130 *1180 135 140 *1190 145 150 *1200 155 160 *1210 165 170 *1220 175 180 *1230 185 190 *1240 195 200 *1250 205 210 *1260 215 220 *1271 225 230 *1281 235 240 *1291 245 250 *1300 255 260	CONTEMPLACIO Fowre thowsand, sex undryd, foure yere, I telle, Man, for his offens and fowle foly Hath loyn yerys in the peynes of helle, And were wurthy to ly therin endlesly, But thanne shulde perysche youre grete mercye. Good Lord, have on man pyté! Have mende of the prayour seyd by Ysaie: “Lete mercy meke thin hyest magesté.” Wolde God, thu woldyst breke thin hefne myghtye And com down here into erth And levyn yerys thre and threttye, Thyn famyt folke with thi fode to fede. To staunche thi thrysté, lete thi syde blede, For erste wole not be mad redempcyon. Cum vesyte us in this tyme of nede! Of thi careful creaturys have compassyon! A, woo to us wrecchis of wrecchis be! For God hath haddyd sorwe to sorwe. I prey thee, Lord, thi sowlys com se! How thei ly and sobbe for syknes and sorwe! With thi blyssyd blood from balys hem borwe, Thy careful creaturys cryenge in captyvyté! A, tary not, gracyous Lord, tyl it be tomorwe! The devyl hath dysceyved hem be his iniquité! “A,” quod Jeremye, “Who shal gyff wellys to myn eynes That I may wepe bothe day and nyght To se oure bretheryn in so longe peynes?” Here myschevys amende may thi mech myght. As gret as the se, Lord, was Adamys contryssyon ryght. From oure hed is falle the crowne. Man is comeryd in synne — I crye to thi syght: Gracyous Lord, gracyous Lord, gracyous Lord, come down! VIRTUES Lord, plesyth it thin hygh domynacyon, On man that thu made to have pyté, Patryarchys and prophetys han made supplycacyon. Oure offyse is to presente here prayerys to thee — Aungelys, archaungelys, we thre That ben in the fyrst ierarchie For man to thin hy magesté: Mercy, mercy, mercy we crye! The aungel, Lord, thu made so gloryous Whos synne hath mad hym a devyl in helle, He mevyd man to be so contraryous. Man repentyd, and he, in his obstynacye, doth dwelle. Hese grete males, good Lord, repelle And take man onto thi grace! Lete thi mercy make hym with aungelys dwelle Of Locyfere to restore the place. PATER Propter miseriam inopum Et gemitum pauperum Nunc exurgam.1 For the wretchydnes of the nedy And the porys lamentacyon Now shal I ryse that am almyghty. Tyme is come of reconsyliacyon: My prophetys with prayers have made supplicacyon; My contryte creaturys crye all for comforte. All myn aungellys in hefne, withowte cessacyon, They crye that grace to man myght exorte. VERITAS Lord, I am thi dowtere Trewth. Thu wylt se I be not lore. Thyn unkynde creaturys to save were rewthe. The offens of man hath grevyd thee sore. Whan Adam had synnyd, thu seydest thore That he shulde deye and go to helle. And now, to blysse hym to resstore — Twey contraryes mow not togedyr dwelle. Thy trewthe, Lord, shal leste withowtyn ende. I may in no wyse fro thee go. That wretche that was to thee so unkende, He may not have to meche wo! He dyspysyd thee and plesyd thi fo! Thu art his creatour, and he is thi creature. Thu hast lovyd Trewthe, it is seyd evyrmo. Therfore in peynes lete hym evyrmore endure! MISERICORDIA O, Fadyr of Mercy and God of Comforte That counsell us in eche trybulacyon, Lete youre dowtere Mercy to yow resorte And on man that is myschevyd have compassyon. Hym grevyth ful gretly his transgressyon. All hefne and erthe crye for mercy! Me semyth ther shuld be non excepcyon, Ther prayers ben offeryd so specyally. Threwth seyth she hath evyr be, than. I graunt it wel, she hath be so. And thu seyst endlesly that Mercy thu hast kept for man. Than, mercyabyl Lorde, kepe us bothe to. Thu seyst: “Veritas mea et Misericordia mea cum ipso.”2 Suffyr not thi sowlys, than, in sorwe to slepe. That helle hownde that hatyth thee, byddyth hym ho! Thi love, man, no lengere lete hym kepe. JUSTICIA Mercy, me merveylyth what yow movyth! Ye know wel I am youre systere Ryghtwysnes! God is ryghtful, and ryghtffulnes lovyth! Man offendyd hym that is endles; Therfor, his endles punchement may nevyr sees. Also, he forsoke his makere that made hym of clay, And the devyl to his mayster he ches! Shulde he be savyd? Nay, nay, nay! As wyse as is God, he wold a be! This was the abhomynabyl presumpcyon! It is seyd ye know wel this of me, That the ryghtwysnes of God hath no diffynicyon.3 Therffore, late this be oure conclusyon: He that sore synnyd ly stylle in sorwe. He may nevyr make aseyth be reson: Whoo myght thanne thens hym borwe? MISERICORDIA Systyr Ryghtwysnes! Ye are to vengeabyl! Endles synne, God endles may restore! Above all hese werkys, God is mercyabyl! Thow he forsook God be synne, be feyth he forsook hym neverthemore. And thow he presumyd nevyr so sore, Ye must consyder the frelnes of mankende. Lerne and ye lyst — this is Goddys lore: The mercy of God is withowtyn ende. PAX To spare youre speches, systerys, it syt. It is not onest in Vertuys to ben dyscencyon! The pes of God overcomyth all wytt. Thow Trewth and Ryght sey grett resoun, Yett Mercy seyth best to my pleson. For yf mannys sowle shulde abyde in helle, Betwen God and man evyr shulde be dyvysyon. And than myght not I, Pes, dwelle. Therefore, mesemyth best ye thus acorde; Than hefne and erthe, ye shul qweme: Putt bothe youre sentens in oure Lorde. And in his hygh wysdam, lete hym deme. This is most syttynge, me shulde seme. And lete se how we fowre may all abyde. That mannys sowle, it shulde perysche, it wore sweme, Or that ony of us fro othere shulde dyvyde. VERITAS In trowthe hereto I consente; I wole prey oure Lorde it may so be. JUSTICIA I, Ryghtwysnes, am wele contente, For in hym is very equyté. MISERICORDIA And I, Mercy, fro this counsel wole not fle Tyl Wysdam hath seyd I shal ses. PAX Here is God now; here is unyté: Hefne and erth is plesyd with Pes. FILIUS I thynke the thoughtys of Pes and nowth of wykkydnes. This I deme, to ses youre contraversy: If Adam had not deyd, peryschyd had Ryghtwysnes, And also Trewth had be lost therby. Trewth and Ryght wolde chastyse foly Yiff another deth come not, Mercy shulde perysch, Than Pes were exyled fynyaly. So, tweyn dethis must be yow fowre to cherysch.4 But he that shal deye, ye must knawe, That in hym may ben non iniquyté, That helle may holde hym be no lawe, But that he may pas at hese lyberté. Qwere swyche on his, prevyde and se And hes deth, for mannys deth, shal be redempcyon. All hefne and erth seke now ye. Plesyth it yow, this conclusyon? VERITAS I, Trowthe, have sowte the erthe withowt and withinne,5 And, in sothe, ther kan non be fownde That is of o day byrth withowte synne Nor to that deth wole be bownde. MISERICORDIA I, Mercy, have ronne the hevynly regyon rownde, And there is non of that charyté That, for man, wole suffre a deddly wounde. I cannott wete how this shal be. JUSTICIA Sure, I can fynde non sufficyent, For servauntys unprofytable we be ech on. Hese love nedyth to be ful ardent That, for man, to helle wolde gon. PAX That God may do is non but on.6 Therfore this is Pesys avyse: He that gaff this counsell, lete hym geve the comforte alon For the conclusyon in hym of all these lyse. FILIUS It peyneth me, that man I mad, That is to seyn, peyne I must suffre fore. A counsel of the Trinité must be had — Which of us shal man restore? PATER In youre wysdam, Son, man was mad thore, And in wysdam was his temptacyon. Therfor some sapyens, ye must ordeyn herefore And se how of man may be salvacyon. FILIUS Fadyr, he that shal do this must be both God and man! Lete me se how I may were that wede. And syth in my wysdam, he began, I am redy to do this dede. SPIRITUS SANCTUS I, the Holy Gost, of yow tweyn do procede. This charge I wole take on me. I, Love, to youre lover shal yow lede. This is the assent of oure unyté. MISERICORDIA Now is the loveday mad of us fowre fynialy! Now may we leve in pes, as we were wonte. Misericordia et Veritas obviauerunt sibi Justicia et Pax osculate sunt. [Et hic osculabunt pariter omnes PATER From us, god aungel Gabryel, thu shalt be sende Into the countré of Galylé. The name of the cyté Nazareth is kende To a mayd weddyd to a man is she, Of whom the name is Joseph, se, Of the hous of Davyd bore. The name of the mayd fre Is Mary, that shal al restore. FILIUS Say that she is withowte wo and ful of grace, And that I, the Son of the Godhed, of her shal be bore. Hyge thee! Thu were there apace Ellys we shal be there thee beffore! I have so grett hast to be man thore In that mekest and purest virgyne. Sey her, she shal restore Of yow aungellys, the grett ruyne. SPIRITUS SANCTUS And if she aske thee how it myth be, Telle her I, the Holy Gost, shal werke al this. Sche shal be savyd thorwe oure unyté. In tokyn, her bareyn cosyn Elyzabeth is Qwyk with childe, in her grett age, iwys. Sey her, to us is nothynge impossyble. Her body shal be so fulfylt with blys That she shal sone thynke this sownde credyble. GABRYEL In thyn hey inbassett, Lord, I shal go! It shal be do with a thought. Beholde now, Lord, I go hereto: I take my flyth and byde nowth. Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum! Heyl, ful of grace, God is with thee! Amonge all women blyssyd art thu. Here, this name Eva is turnyd Ave, That is to say, withowte sorwe ar we now! Thow sorwe in yow hath no place, Yett of joy, Lady, ye nede more. Therefore, I adde and sey, “Ful of grace,” For so ful of grace was nevyr non bore. Yett who hath grace, he nedyth kepyng sore. Therfore, I sey, God is with thee, Which shal kepe yow endlesly thore! So amonge all women, blyssyd are ye! MARIA A, mercy, God! This is a mervelyous herynge! In the aungelys wordys, I am trobelyd here. I thynk how may be this gretynge? Aungelys dayly to me doth aper, But not in the lyknes of man, that is my fer. And also thus hyghly to comendyd be And am most unwurthy — I cannot answere. Grett shamfastnes and grett dred is in me! GABRYEL Mary, in this take ye no drede, For at God, grace fownde have ye! Ye shal conceyve in youre wombe, indede, A childe, the Sone of the Trynyté! His name of yow, Jhesu, clepyd shal be. He shal be grett, the Son of the Hyest, clepyd of kende.7 And of his fadyr Davyd, the Lord shal geve hym the se, Reynyng in the hous of Jacob, of which regne shal be non ende. MARIA Aungel, I sey to yow, In what manere of wyse shal this be? For knowyng of man I have non now. I have evyrmore kept and shal my virginyté. I dowte not the wordys ye han seyd to me, But I aske how it shal be do. GABRYEL The Holy Gost shal come fro above to thee, And the vertu of hym hyest shal schadu thee so. Therfore, that Holy Gost of thee shal be bore. He shal be clepyd the Son of God sage. And se Elyzabeth, your cosyn, thore? She hath conseyvid a son in hyre age. This is the sexte monyth of her passage, Of her that clepyd was bareyn. Nothynge is impossyble to Goddys usage; They thynkyth longe to here what ye wyl seyn.	4604 years, I say; (see note); (t-note) offence lain years; pains deserved to lie then; perish keep in mind; Isaiah temper; (see note) break open; (see note) (t-note) live 33 years Your famished; food satisfy your thirsty; (t-note) otherwise will; made Come visit On thy wretched wretches of wretches born; (t-note) added sorrow souls come see (t-note) suffering redeem them wretched delay deceived them by give; eyes; (see note) see; pains Their sins; great sea; Adam’s; (see note) head; fallen; (see note) engulfed; before you (see note) your great; (see note) have made; (t-note) role; their; (t-note) three are; hierarchy (see note) Whose; made; (t-note) moved; rebellious His; malice; (t-note) angels (see note) (t-note) needy; (see note); (t-note) poor’s angels; heaven arise daughter Truth; (see note) see; I am not lost would be calamitous offence; grieved you greatly said there die (i.e., heaven); (t-note) Two contradictions may last; (see note) from unnatural too much despised said evermore; (see note) pains (see note) tribulation daughter; approach ruined distresses in heaven; earth It seems to me; no objection Their; are; forcefully Truth; always been, then been (see note) Then, merciful; two then; sorrow [God] bids him stop no longer lets him [the fiend] keep [you] I marvel at what moves you Righteousness righteous; righteousness; (see note) punishment; cease; (t-note) forsook master; chose he (man) would have been; (see note) (see note) let lies make atonement by then thereafter redeem him too vengeful; (t-note) his works; (see note) by though; so greatly frailty of mankind Learn; if it pleases you; teaching; (t-note) (see note) it is fitting honest; be dissenting peace; reason Though; argue well satisfaction man’s division then; Peace, exist it seems to me; agree Then heaven; shall unite judgments to high wisdom; judge fitting, it seems to me let us see; four; get along pity any; separate equity will not turn away; (t-note) said; cease unity Heaven; earth; pleased; Peace (see note) judge; cease; argument perished been (t-note) If; perish exiled forever die; know be no sin by leave as he pleases Where such a one is, search If his heaven; earth Does it please you (t-note) truly; can none one; born will; (t-note) run much love imagine; (t-note) worthless; each one (t-note) go Peace’s advice; (t-note) gave; give remains in him made for [him (i.e., man)] there (t-note) wisdom; call up see wear that clothing; (see note) since; he (man) you two lead you; (t-note) unity reconciliation day made live; peace; accustomed Mercy and Truth have met each other; (see note) Justice and Peace have kissed (Vulgate Psalm 84:11) And here they kiss each other good; sent; (see note) Galilee is called behold (see); (see note) born noble woe; (see note) born Hurry; quickly Or else haste; there Tell great fall might (see note) through; unity As a sign, her barren cousin Pregnant; indeed Tell her filled; bliss soon; message (communication) On; high embassy; (t-note) done delay (see note); (t-note) (t-note) (see note) sorrow Though never born protection greatly; (see note) uphold; there speech; (t-note) By; troubled here wonder; greeting appear companion highly respond shyness (see note) with called (see note) throne (t-note) (t-note) what way intercourse with have said; (see note) done power; overshadow; (see note) born; (see note); (t-note) there conceived; old age sixth; pregnancy was called barren God’s hear; will say; (see note)
	[Here the aungel makyth a lytyl restyng, and Mary beholdyth hym and the aungel seyth:
*1310 265 270 *1320 275 280 *1330 285 290 *1340	Mary, come of and haste thee, And take hede in thyn entent Whow the Holy Gost — blyssyd he be — Abydyth thin answere and thin assent! Thorwe wyse werke of Dyvinyté, The Secunde Persone, verament, Is mad man by fraternyté Withinne thiself, in place present. Ferthermore, take hede this space, Whow all the blyssyd spyrytys of vertu That are in hefne byffore Goddys face, And all the gode levers and trew That are here in this erthely place. Thyn owyn kynrede, the sothe ho knew And the chosyn sowlys, this tyme of grace That are in helle and byde rescu. As Adam, Abraham, and Davyd in fere And many othere of good reputacyon, That thin answere desyre to here, And thin assent to the Incarnacyon, In which thu standyst, as persevere, Of all mankende savacyon! Gyff me myn answere, now Lady dere, To all these creaturys comfortacyon! MARIA With all mekenes, I clyne to this acorde, Bowynge down my face with all benyngnyté. So here the handmayden of oure Lorde. Aftyr thi worde, be it don to me. GABRYEL Gramercy, my Lady fre! Gramercy of youre answere on hyght; Gramercy of youre gret humylyté; Gramercy, ye lanterne of lyght!	come on mind How Awaits you Through truly made; being man right here at this time How; spirits good and true believers Your; who knew the truth souls await; (t-note) together hear as preserver; (see note); (t-note) salvation creatures’ comfort agree meekness here [is]; (see note) Many thanks; (see note); (t-note) (t-note) of; (see note)
	[Here the Holy Gost discendit with thre bemys to our Lady, the Sone of the Godhed nest with thre bemys to the Holy Gost, the Fadyr godly with thre bemys to the Sone. And so entre all thre to her bosom, and Mary seyth: (see note); (t-note)
295 300 *1350 305 310 *1360 315 320 *1370 325 330 *1380    335 340	MARIA A, now I fele in my body be Parfyte God and parfyte man, Havyng al schapp of chyldly carnalyté Evyn al at onys, thus God began. Nott takynge fyrst o membyr and sythe another8 But parfyte childhod ye have anon. Of your handmayden, now ye have mad youre modyr Withowte peyne in flesche and bon. Thus conceyved nevyr woman non That evyr was beynge in this lyff. O, myn hyest Fadyr in youre tron It is worthy, youre Son — now my son — have a prerogatyff. I cannot telle what joy, what blysse Now I fele in my body! Aungel Gabryel, I thank yow for thys. Most mekely recomende me to my Faderys mercy. To have be the Modyr of God, ful lytyl wend I. Now, myn cosyn Elyzabeth, fayn wold I se, How sche hath conseyvid as ye dede specyfy. Now, blyssyd be the hygh Trynyté! GABRYEL Fareweyl, turtyl, Goddys dowtere dere! Farewel, Goddys mother, I thee honowre! Farewel, Goddys sustyr, and his pleynge fere! Farewel, Goddys chawmere and his bowre! MARIA Farewel, Gabryel, specyalye! Farewel, Goddys masangere expresse! I thank yow for youre traveyl hye. Gramercy of youre grett goodness, And namely of youre comfortabyl massage, For I undyrstande by inspyracyon That ye knowe by syngulere prevylage Most of my sonys Incarnacyon. I pray yow take it into usage Be a custom ocupacyon To vesyte me ofte be mene passage. Youre presence is my comfortacyon. GABRYEL At your wyl, Lady, so shal it be. The gentyllest of blood and hyest of kynrede That reynyth in erth in ony degré Be pryncypal incheson of the Godhede. I commend me onto yow, thu trone of the Trinyté! O, mekest mayde, now the modyr of Jhesu, Qwen of Hefne, Lady of Erth, and Empres of Helle, be ye! Socour to all synful, that wole to yow sew. Thorwe youre body beryth the babe, our blysse shal renew. To yow, Modyr of Mercy, most mekely I recomende, And as I began I ende, with an Ave new, Enjonyd hefne and erth, with that I ascende.	(see note); (t-note) perfect shape of a child’s flesh once immediately made; mother flesh and bone never has ever lived highest; throne (see note) Father’s become; mother; think gladly would I see specify turtledove; daughter sister; companion; (see note) chamber; bower (t-note) special high mission Many thanks for inspiring message what; special privilege son’s practice By; regular during the pregnancy (t-note) highest; kin on Earth; every cause appeal Through; (t-note) Hail Joined; (see note); (t-note)
	[Angeli cantando istam sequenciam: “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum virgo serena.”9; (see note); (t-note)