XIV

“Maskelles,” quod þat myry quene,
“Vnblemyst I am wyth-outen blot,
& þat may I with mensk menteene;
Bot makeleȝ quene þenne sade I not,
Þe lambes vyueȝ in blysse we bene,
A hondred & forty þowsande flot
As in þe apocalyppeȝ hit is sene;
Sant Iohan hem syȝ al in a knot,
On þe hyl of syon þat semly clot.
Þe apostel hem segh in gostly drem
Arayed to þe weddyng in þat hyl coppe,
Þe nwe cyte u Ierusalem.

Of Ierusalem I in speche spelle.
If þou wyl knaw what-kyn he be,
My lombe, my lorde, my dere Iuelle,
My ioy, my blys, my lemman fre,
Þe profete ysaye of hym con melle,
Pitously of hys debonerté
Þat gloryous gyltleȝ þat mon con quelle,
With-outen any sake of felonye,
As a schep to þe slaȝt þer lad watȝ he
& as lombe þat clypper in lande nem,
So closed he hys mouth fro vch query,
Quen Iueȝ hym iugged in Iherusalem.

In Ierusalem watȝ my lemman slayn
& rent on rode with boyeȝ bolde;
Al oure baleȝ to bere ful bayn,
He toke on hym self oure careȝ colde,
With boffeteȝ watȝ hys face flayn,
Þat watȝ so fayr on to byholde;
For synne he set hym self in vayn,
Þat neuer hade non hym self to wolde,
For vus he lette hym flyȝe & folde
& brede vpon a bostwys bem,
As meke as lomb þat no playnt tolde.
For vus he swalt in Ierusalem:

Ierusalem, Iordan & galalye,
Þer as baptysed þe goude saynt Ion,
His wordeȝ acorded to ysaye;
When Ihesuc con to hym warde gon
He sayde of hym þys professye,
“Lo godeȝ lombe as trwe as ston,
Þat dotȝ away þe synneȝ dryȝe!”
Þat alle þys worlde hatȝ wroȝt vpon,
Hym self ne wroȝt neuer ȝet non,
Wheþer on hym self he con al clem,
Hys generacyoun quo recen con,
Þat dyȝed for vus in Ierusalem?

In Ierusalem þus my lemman swatte,
Twyeȝ, for lombe watȝ taken þere,
By trw recorde of ayþer prophete,
For mode so meke & al hys fare,
Þe þryde tyme is þer-to ful mete
In apokalypeȝ wryten ful ȝare.
In mydeȝ þe trone þere saynteȝ sete,
Þe apostel iohan hym saytȝ as bare,
Lesande þe boke with leueȝ sware,
Þere seuen syngnetteȝ wern sette in-seme
& at þat syȝt vche douth con dare,
In helle, in erþe & Ierusalem.