Mankynde mad ys to do Goddus wille,
Und alle hys byddyngus to fulfille.
For of al hys making more and les,
Man most principal creature es.
Al that he made, for man hit was done,
As ye schal here after sone.
Ces morceaux sont extraits, pour la plupart, de Warton, Ellis, Thomas Wright, Ritson. Jusqu'au seizième siècle l'orthographe varie selon les auteurs et les éditeurs.
[116]: Temps de Henri III. Reliquiæ antiquæ. Edited by Th. Wright et Halliwell.
Blessed beo thu, Lavedi,
Ful of hovene blisse,
Swete flur of parais,
Moder of milternisse....
Blessed beo thu, Lavedi,
So fair and so briht;
Al min hope is upon the
Bi dai and bi nicht....
Bricht and scene quen of storre,
So me liht and lere
In this false fikele world,
So me led and steore,
That ich at min ende dai
Ne habbe non feond to fere.
[118]: Vers 1278. Ritson's Essay on national Song. Ritson's ancient Songs.
Bytuene Mershe and Aueril,
When spray biginneth to springe,
The lutel foul hath hire wyl
On hyre lud to synge,
Ich libbe in loue-longinge
For semlokest of alle thynge.
He may me blysse bringe,
Ich am in hire baundoun.
An hendy hap ich abbe yhent,
Ichot from heuene it is me sent.
From all wymmen my love is lent,
Lyht on Alysoun.
Suete lemmon, y preye the, of loue one speche,
Whil y lyue in world so wide other nulle y seche.
With thy loue, my suete leof, my bliss thou mihtes eche,
A sue cos of thy mouth mihte be my leche.