Page:Ludus Coventriae (1841).djvu/110

  And wurchep God in love and drede.
          Than God fful of grace,
He herd here longe prayour,
And than sent hem bothe seed and flowre:
Whan I was born in here bowre,
          To the temple offryd I was.

Whan that I was to the temple brought,
  And offerde up to God above,
Ther hested I, as myn hert thought,
  To serve my God with hertyly love.
Clennesse and chastyté myn hert owth,
  Erthely creature nevyr may shove;
Suche clene lyff xuld ȝe nought
  In no maner wyse reprove;
          To this clennesse I me take.
This is the cawse, as I ȝow telle,
That I with man wylle nevyr melle,
In the servyse of God wyl I evyr dwelle,—
          I wyl nevyr have other make.

Episcopus. A! mercy God, these wordys wyse,
  Of this fayr mayde clene;
Thei trobyl myn hert in many wyse,
  Her wytt is grett, and that is sene;
In clennes to levyn in Godys servise,
  No man here blame non here tene,
And ȝit in lawe thus it lyce,
  That suche weddyd xulde bene:
          Who xal expownd this oute?
The lawe doth after lyff of clennes,
The lawe doth bydde suche maydenes expres
That to spowsyng they xulde hem dres:
          God help us in this dowhte!