HM_144

And whan she had her reson seyde. That / grou[n]dyd was uppon skylle The hie Iuge be m[er]cy is enclyned To condisende of grace to her wylle And in suche wise hir axing / to fulfylle That Right be servyd & trouthe not dismayed That / pes & she shal eke be wele payde. /

And be sentence a none diffynytyf Sche seyde as for conclusion And innocent / pure and clene of / lyffe Shalle mekely deye to pay the ransom For manys gylte and transgrescion And soo frely shalle the dethe obey In alle his peyne [tha]t he no worde shal sey

And thus shal Right / in alle man[ner] thinge Have her desyre and throuthe shal not / fayle To execute fully hyr axinge Fynally to styntyn this batayle And for [tha]t pes so moche may avayle And mercy eke shal undertake This myghty quarel of / Mercy & Pyte

To suffre dethe only for manys sake Un compellyd frely of / volunt / That / as a lambe w[ith]oute spotte shalbe And w[ith] his bloode shal wasshen undefouled The gylte of / man w[ith] ruste of / synne Imowled But / for to wete of / what / stoke he shal sprynge Of / what / kynrede or of / what / estate. /

My sothfaste worde eternally lyvynge Myne owne sonne w[ith] me in create Shalle downe be sent / to bene in carnat / And wrappe hym self / in the mortal kynde Of / man for loue so [that] he may fynde A clene gronde his paleis on to bylde In alle the erthe nother of / lyme ne stone

But / in a mayde debonoure and mylde Hu[m]ble toughter of Iuda and Syone And vnto hir shal trouthe & mercy gone By one acorde sent / afore my face Lyche my devyce to chese me a place And seyne to hir in alle man[er] thynge Her tabernacle [that] she make fayre. /

A yen the comynge of / hir myghty kynge Whiche is my sonne and myne owne heyre That / in her breste shal have repeyre Where trouthe and mercy shal to gedyr mete Be oone assente and her rancore leete And ther shal pes kyssen ryghtwisnes And al the sustryn a corden in [that] place. /

And Right shal leve al hir sturdynes And Trouthe shal his swerde no more manace And fynally Mercy shal purchace A chartyr of / p[ar]don liche this mayde clene Whiche shal be for ma[n] bee so good a man That / he shal mowen to a stapen dangerles Amyd the foreste ferre from ev[er]y trappe. /