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The Testament of John Lydgate:
British Library Harley 218 Verses

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f.57 recto
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Folio 57 Recto
Compare Witnesses: •
Age is crepe in / calleth me to my grave •
To make rekenyng / how I my tyme haue spent •
Bareyne of vertu / allas who shałł me saue •
Ffro fendes daungere / tacounte for my talent •
But Ihesu1 be my staf And my potent •
Ouerstreite audite / while tencombre me •
Or dome by youen / but mercy be present •
To alle that knele to Ihesu2 •
Now in the name / of my lord Ihesu3 •
Of ryght hole herte / in ałł my best entent •
My lif remembryng froward and vicious •
Ay contrarye / to the comaundement •
Of Cryst Ihesu now with avisement •
The lord be sechyng / to haue mercy And piete •
My youthe myn age / hou þat I haue myspente •
With this word seid / knelyng on my kne •
O Ihesu mercy / with support of thi grace •
Ffor thi meke passioun / remembre on my compeynte •
Duryng my lyf with many gret trespace •
By many wrong path / where I haue myswente •
I now purpose be thy grace influent •
To wryte a trites / of surfetes don to the •
And calle it my last4 testament •
Witħ Ihesu5 •
Notes
  1. This is bracketed on the left. ↩
  2. This is bracketed on the left side. ↩
  3. This is bracketed on the left. ↩
  4. The EETS edition suggests there should be an "e" at the end of the word here, but the manuscript lacks any indication. ↩
  5. This is bracketed on the left. ↩

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