Page:Ludus Coventriae (1841).djvu/88

VIII. THE BARRENNESS OF ANNA.

Contemplacio. Cryst conserve this congregacion
  Fro perellys past, present, and future,
And the personys here pleand, that the pronunciacion
  Of here sentens to be seyd mote be sad and sure.
And that non oblocucyon make this matere obscure,
  But it may profite and plese eche persone present,
ffrom the gynnynge to the endynge so to endure,
  That Cryst and every creature with the conceyte be content.

This matere here mad is of the modyr of mercy,
  How be Joachym and Anne was here concepcion,
Sythe offred into the temple, compiled breffly,
  Than maryed to Joseph, and so folwyng the salutacion.
Metyng with Elyzabeth and therwith a conclusyon,
  In fewe wurdys talkyd, that it xulde nat be tedyous,
To lernyd nyn to lewd nyn to no man of reson,
This is the processe, now preserve ȝow Jhesus!

Thereffore of pes I ȝow pray alle that ben here present,
  And take hed to oure talkyn what we xal say,
I be-teche ȝow that lorde that is evyr omnypotent,
  To governe ȝow in goodnes, as he best may,
          In hevyn we may hym se.
Now God that is hevyn kynge,
Sende us alle hese dere blyssynge,
And to his towre he mote us brynge.
          Amen, ffor charyté!