<Z An edition of the Bande of Louynge, British Library, Additional 33995.>
<Z Author: usually accredited to William of Nassyngton.>
<Z Date: 2nd half of 14th century.>
<Z Language: Northern Middle English.>
<Z Copyright: Christine Robinson, English Language Dept., Edinburgh Univ.>

<Z This text is distributed through the Oxford Text Archive and is subject>
<Z to all conditions of the Archive.  In addition, this text must not be>
<Z distributed without the express approval of Christine Robinson.>


A Louerd God of might mast
Fader and Son and Haly Gast
Fader for you ert almighty
Son for you ert alle witty
<L 5> Haly Gast for you alle wille
Yat gode es and nathyng ille
A God and a Louerd in threhede
And thre persons in anhede
Yus was you ay and euer salbe
<L 10> Thre in ane and ane in thre
And byginnyng and ende of alle yat es
And yat euer was bathe mar and les
Byginnyng withouten byginnyng
And ende withouten endyng
<L 15> Yat byfor ar anythyng was wroght
Or any byginnyng was of oght
And byfor alle tymes God was yowe
And als mighty and wyse als you ert nowe
Yi might and witte of yiself was tane
<L 20> For neuer na God was bot you ane
And als you was ay God suthfast
Swa sal yi Godhede euermar last
And als you bygan alle yat euer was
Swa sal you ende alle yat sal pas
<L 25> Loued and blissed ay mot you be
And with alle my hert I thank ye
Of alle yat you has done and wroght
Fra ye first tyme yat you bygan oght
For me and for alle mankynde
<L 30> Wharfor vs aght ay haue ye in mynde
And loue ye for yat you has done for man
Als I here thurgh yi grace reherce can
First heuen and erthe for man you made
And alle yis world here wide and brade
<L 35> And alle thyng yat es yaryn
For withouten ye es nathyng bot syn
Ye whilk was neuer thurgh ye wroght
Yarfor in haly writte es syn cald noght
Heuen you made whar you duelles
<L 40> For our endeles wonnyng with aungels
And ye world our sugget here to be
To serue vs yat we yaryn serue ye
Ye firmament you made mouand
To norisshe alle thyng yarvndir lyfand
<L 45> And ye son to shede ye day fra ye night
And ye mone and sternes to tak yair light
Of ye son for to shyne on night clere
In takenyng yat we sal receyue here
Ye light of grace yat [gast]ly gyft es
<L 50> Of ye yat es son of rightwisnes
Ye monelight you made to wax and wane
Als semes yat ensaumple yarby be tane
Of our lyf yat passes here sone
And waxes and wanes als light of ye mone
<L 55> Ye sternes you made in skye standand
And ye planetes in yair courses passand
For ensaumple til vs to knawe and se
Howe we suld lyf here in ilka degre
Ye four elementes you made sere
<L 60> To sustayne our bodily kynde here
And alle othir creatures als was yi wille
In sere kyndes you made for certayne skille
Of whilk som er noyand til vs kyndely
And som er profitabel and esy
<L 65> And alle er yai for our profit wroght
Bathe yai yat noyes and yat noyes noght
Ye noyand you made vs for to chasty
And to clense vs here of our foly
And for to make vs to knawe and se
<L 70> Howe febel and howe freyle er we
Ye vnnoyand to sustayne vs and fede
And to helpe vs and eese vs in our nede
Yi creatures er aywhar in sere sted
Of whilk som er qwik and som er ded
<L 75> For som semes noght bot als ded thyng
Als stanes yat has noght bot beyng
Som als gresse and trese yat men sese spryng
Has beyng and lifyng bot na felyng
Som als bestes yat crepes and rynnes
<L 80> And als foghels with feders and fisshes with fynnes
Has bathe beyng and lifyng and felyng
Bot na witte ne skille of demyng
Som als men and aungels has thurgh ye
And thurgh yi might beyng and lifyng fre
<L 85> And felyng bathe of gode and ille
And discrecion of witte and skille
Yus has men beyng als men sese
With stanes and lyf with gresse and trese
And felyng with bestes of sere kynde
<L 90> And with aungels skille and mynde
Yus wald you ar you oght bygan
Yat somwhat of ilk creature had man
Man you made maste digne creature
And mast semely of shap and stature
<L 95> Of alle othir creatures mar or les
For you made hym aftir yin awen liknes
And gaf hym lordshipe and powere
Obouen alle vnskilwys creatures sere
And to rewel hym with witte and skille
<L 100> And for to knawe bathe gode and ille
Wharfor gret luf til man you kid
When you yus ordaynd for man and did
It semes you had gret luf til man
Byfor ar you euer oght bygan
<L 105> Louerd I am man for wham you did yus
And yat man es ilkan of vs
And als wele alle yis you did for me
Als for ilkane yat man es made thurgh ye
And forthy yat I am yat man
<L 110> For wham you alle thyng bygan
I aghe thurgh right to luf ye ay
And to loue ye bathe night and day
And to worshipe ye with saule and body
Right als you had done for me alle anely
<L 115> Louerd God allemighty yhit thank I ye
Yat mykel mar wald do for me
And for alle mankynde thurgh yi godenes
And yi mercy yat til vs ay redy es
Yat fra heuen til erthe doun wald com
<L 120> To bryng vs here out of thraldom
And of ye fendes daunger yat we war yn
Thurgh our formest fader syn
Louerd mykel you meked ye for our sake
Yat come fra swa heghe our kynde to take
<L 125> And vouched daue swa lawe to light
Yat swa heghe a Louerd es of gret might
Bot luf ye made of vs mercy haue
Yat fra ye was tynt vs for to saue
Thurgh processe of lyf yat you wald lede
<L 130> In erthe in our kynde of manhede
First you lighted intil a mayden chast
Yat conceyued ye of ye Haly Gast
And of hir yat was ay wemles
You tuke flesshe and blode and our liknes
<L 135> And our kynde here and of nan othir
And bycome man for vs and our brothir
And for ye luf yat you had til vs
You wald be borne of hir and called Ihesus
For Ihesus es als mykel at say
<L 140> Als hele or heler yat alle hele may
You come to hele vs yat war lorne
Bot in na real place wald you be borne
Nouthir in palays castelle ne tour
Ne in nane othir sted of honour
<L 145> Bot in a lawe house and layd you was
In a cribbe byfor an ox and an as
You wald nouthir in purpre ne byse
Be lapped ne in nane othir clathe of pryse
Bot in vile cloutes for to couer yi body
<L 150> For we suld tak ensaumple yarby
To luf mekenes and gastly pouert
And fra ricches and pompes withdrawe our hert
On ye aghted day of yi birthe here
Yat ye first day es of newe yhere
<L 155> Circumcist in body wald you be
Als ye lawe was yan in sere cuntre
In saufyng of ye lawe and in fulfillyng
And in ensaumple of vs and in takenyng
Yat als you was circumcist in body
<L 160> Swa suld we circumcyse vs here gastly
Yat es we suld cutt fra vs oway
Alle yat til lust and likyng stirre vs may
On ye twelft day you was visit of kynges
And worshiped with thre precious thynges
<L 165> Yat es at say with gold and encens
And mirre yat yai offred in yi presens
By ye gold may vndirstanden be
Yat you ert kyng of mast pouste
Ye encens yat yaraftir was offerd neste
<L 170> Bytakens yat you ert souerayne preste
Ye mirre yat kepes alle thyng fra rotyng
Bytakens yi ded and yi biriyng
Ye threttyd yhere of ye elde of ye
Of Saynt Ion wald you baptized be
<L 175> In ye flum Iordan specialy
For to gyf vs ensaumple yarby
Yat alle suld be yat til heuen suld pas
Baptized in water als you was
Bot for na cause of syn in ye hid
<L 180> Was you baptized yat neuer syn did
For in ye was neuer funden gile
Ne nathyng yat any saule mught file
Bot for to lere vs howe we suld bygyn
To wasshe vs of ye originalle syn
<L 185> And for to make vertu in alle waters to be
For to get vs ogayne with grace to be fre
Sithen when you had fasten thurgh yi might
Fourty days and fourty night
You suffred yiself tempted to be
<L 190> Of ye deuel yat yarto had leue of ye
To lere vs to  wristel and to stand stifly
Ogayne ye fandyng of yat enemy
You lete ye of Iudas traytour balde
For thretty penys til ye Iewes be salde
<L 195> You lete ye als thief be tane bodily
Of ye Iewes yat til ye had enuy
Ye whilk til Anna hous ye led
And yan alle yi disciples fra ye fled
Til ye was done yar at ye biginnyng
<L 200> Manyfalde despite and hethyng
First yai spitted opon ye yare
And gaf ye many buffetes sare
And yin eghen with a clathe yai hid
And smate ye and asked ye wha it did
<L 205> Sithen yai did ye mar hethyng
Yai led ye to Herodes hous ye kyng
Yat held ye a fole als hym thoght
For you til his speche answerd noght
He did clethe ye in a white garnement
<L 210> And til Pilat ogayne he ye sent
Aftirward you was scourged sare
In Pilats hous alle naked and bare
Yat yi hide was alle toryuen yan
And ye blode on ilk syde doun ran
<L 215> Ye knightes aftir yat scourgyng
Obout ye lapped a mantel on hethyng
Yat with ye blode til yi body clyued
Sithen drowe yai it of and yat ye gryued
And raced of alle ye skyn yat tyde
<L 220> For til yat clathyng cleued fast yi hide
And when yai had done ye yis payne
Yai cled ye in yin awen clathes ogayne
And thrast yan opon yi heued yare
A coroun of thornes yat prikked ye sare
<L 225> Of whilk ye prikkes swa sharp war yan
Yat yai perced nere thurgh ye harnepan
Yai gaf ye a rede in yi hand
Insted of a septre ye scornand
And kneled byfor ye on hethyng
<L 230> And sayde til ye hayle Iewes kyng
Sithen was you demed at ye Iewes [voice]
Thurgh Pilat to be hynged on croice
Ye whilk you bar toward ye sted
Whar you was ordaynd to be done to ded
<L 235> Sithen was you streyned on ye croice swa [fast]
Thurgh ye Iewes yat ye vayns and synwes [brast]
And nayled yaron thurgh hand and fote
For hele of my saule and for my bote
And aftir yai had nayled ye on ye croice swa
<L 240> Yai did ye aftir strang payne and wa
For yai ra[y]sed ye croice with yi body
And [......] in a tremortays violently
In whilk ye croice swilk a iagge tuke
Yat yi body thurgh weght alle toshuke
<L 245> Yan rane yi woundes thurgh fote and hand
And war sene ful wyde gapand
And ye ioyntes of ilka lym and bane
And ye vaynes war strydand ilkane
Sithen you sayde hangand on rode tre
<L 250> [Ye] thristed and yan ye Iewes bed ye
A ful bitter drynk yat was wroght
Of aysel and gaule yat ye lyked noght
[......] to taste it you was boune
Bot you wald noght swelghe it doune
<L 255> For yat threst was noght elles yan
Bot a yhernyng aftir ye saule of man
You suffred many reproues yat tide
Bathe of ye thief yat hanged on yi lefte side
And of maysters and [othir of ye......]y
<L 260> Yat mykel shame ye did and [.....]
At none of ye day you cryed hely
And yhelded ye gast to ye Fad[er almi]ghty
Yus you dighed to bye vs fre
Fra ye gret thraldom in whilk war we
<L 265> Bot [myk]el payne and mykel reproue
You tholde byfor ye ded for our luf
And noght for to bye vs ogayne anely
Forwhy yi ded myght suffice vs alle to by
Bot for we suld yarby ensaumple take
<L 270> To be pacient in angres for yi sake
And for ye to thole alle yat hard es
Als you tholed for vs thurgh yi godenes
Elles thurt ye haf tholed nane othir payne
Bot ye ded anely for to bye vs ogayne
<L 275> Sithen was you smyten in yi right side
With a sper yat til yi hert gun [....]
[Fra w]hilk [out] ran to our saluacioun
Ye precious blode of our [rauncoun]
With ye water of baptyme clere and [thynn]
<L 280> [For to wasshe] vs here of ye original syn
Lord [......] bitter payns felle
With[....] yan I can telle
Yat you swa mekely suffre wald
For me synful yi traytour balde
<L 285> I thank ye here ynwardly
With alle my hert and my body
A Ihesu Crist Louerd ful of might
When I thynk outhir day or night
Of swa mykel kyndenes of ye
<L 290> And of ye paynes yat you tholed for me
And of myn vnkyndnes manyfalde
And howe I to wretthe ye haf ay bene balde
Of myn hard hert yan es gret wondir
Yat it for soru bristes noght in sondir
<L 295> Bot flesshely hert in me semes nane
For my hert es hard als it war of stane
A Ihesu I graunt til ye my trespas
And knawe I am wers yan Iudas was
Yat ye bytrayed als traitour balde
<L 300> And til ye Iewes for xxx penys salde
For I synful wrecche has oft sald ye
For a litel worldly vanite
And for a litel flesshely delite
Wharfor I am mar yan Iudas to wite
<L 305> I hald me yhit wers and mar wode
Yan ye Iewes war yat did ye on rode
Forwhy yai did bot anes yat dede
And yai knewe ye noght God in manhede
And I yat wate and knawes right
<L 310> Yat you ert God ay ful of might
Thurgh myn awen malice als I war wode
Ful oftsithes haue I done ye on rode
For als oft als I haf done dedly syn
And thurgh malice wittandly fallen yar[yn]
<L 315> Als oft I haue done ye on rode
In yat yat in me was and shed yi blode
Louerd alle yf I haue done swilk foly
Put me noght oway fra yi mercy
Bot graunt me grace yat may me wisse
<L 320> To amende me of yat I haf done misse
Sen yat you sayd yiself you wil noght
Ye ded of synful yat you has boght
Bot yat he turne hym to do yi wille
And lyf for you wil na man spille
<L 325> Louerd swilk grace you me gyf
Yat I may turne me to ye and lyf
Louerd Ihesu Crist yhit thank I ye
Yat alle yis and mar has done for me
<Z END>