The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 171r
14 of 14 folios
Thou welle of mercy synful soules cure
In whom þat god for bounte chees to wone
Thou humble and heih ouer euery creatur
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Thou nobledest so ferre oure nature
That no desdeyn þe maker hadde of kynde
His sone in blood and fleissch to cloþe and wynde
¶ Wiþinne þe cloystre blisful of þine sydes
Took mannes schap þe eterne loue and pees
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That of þe trine compas lord and gyde is
Whom erþe and see and heuene out of reles
Ay herien and þou vigine wemmeles
Bare of þy body and dwelledest mayde pure
The creatour of euery creature
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¶ Assembled is in þi magnificence
Wiþ mercy goodnesse and with such pite
Þat þou art þe sonne of excellence
Nouȝt only helpest hem þat prayen þe
But ofte tyme of þin benignite
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Ful frely er þat men þin helpe beseche
Þou gost byforn and art here lyfes leche
¶ Now help þou meke and blisful faire mayde
Me flemyd wrecche in þis desert of galle
Thenk on þe wōman Canane þat sayde
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That whelpes eten some of þe crōmes aƚƚ
Þat from here lordes table ben y faƚƚ
And þougħ þat I þe vnworþy sone of eue
Be synful ȝit accepte my byleeue
And for þat feiþ is deed wiþoute werkes
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So for to worchen ȝif me witte and space
Þat I be quyt from place þat most derk is
O þou þat art so fair and so ful of grace
Be myn aduocate in so heih a place
Ther as wiþouten ende is longe Osanna
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Thou cristes moder and doughter of Anna
And of þin ligħt my soule kepe in prisoū
That troubled is by þe contagioun