The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 186r
2 of 14 folios
ANd thow / that flour of virgines art alle
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Of whom that Bernard / list so wel to write
To thee / at my bigynnyng first I calle
Thou confort of vs wrecches / do me endite
Thy maydens deeth / that wan thurgħ hir merite
The eterneel lyf / and of the feend victorie
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As man may after / reden in hir storie
Thow mayde and mooder / dogħter of thy sone
Thow welle of mercy / synful soules cure
In whom / that god for boūtee / chees to wone
Thow humble and heigħ / ouer euery creature
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Thow nobledest so ferforth / oure nature
That no desdeyn / the makere hadde of kynde
His sone / in blood and flessħ / to clothe and wynde
With Inne the Cloistre blisful of thy sydis
Took mannes shape / the eterneel loue and pees
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That of the tryne compas / lord and gyde is
Whom erthe and see / and heuene out of relees
Ay heryen / and thou virgine wemmelees
Baar of thy body / and dweltest mayden pure
The creatour / of euery creature
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Assembled is in thee / magnificence
With mercy / goodnesse / and wt swich pitee
That thou / that art the sonne of excellence
Nat oonly / helpest hem that preyen thee
But often tyme / of thy benygnytee
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Ful frely / er that men / thyn help biseche
Thou goost biforn / and art hir lyues leche
Now help thow meeke / and blisful faire mayde
Me flemed wrecche / in this desert of galle
Thynk on the wōman Cananee / that sayde
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That whelpes eten / sōme of the cromes alle
That from hir lordes table / been yfalle
And thougħ that I / vnworthy sone of Eue
Be synful / yet accepte my bileue
And for that feith is deed / with outen werkis
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So for to werken / yif me wit and space
That I be quit fro thennes / þt moost derk is
O thou / that art so fair / and ful of grace
Be myn Aduocat / in that heigħe place
Theras with outen ende / is songe Osanne
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Thow Cristes mooder doghter deere of Anne