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The Testament of John Lydgate:
Long Melford Verses

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East Wall (View Model)
First PanelSecond PanelThird PanelFourth PanelFifth PanelSixth Panel

Third Panel
Compare Witnesses:
Turne hom a geyn youre synnys ye for sake
be hold and se if ought beleft behynde1
how i to mercy am redy you to take
gyue [..] [....] hertes and beth no more vnkynde2
youre loue & myn to gedir doth hem bynde3
and lete hem neuere parte in no wyse4
whan ye were lost yo[..] s[....]s a [...] tofynde5
myn blod i offerid for you [..] sacrifice6
Notes
  1. While the fourth letter of the final word in the line is missing, the remaining letter forms and the example of “unkynde” two lines below indicates the spelling here.
  2. The lack of an extended finishing stroke on the leftmost minim indicates “gyue” rather than “gyve” in the first word. Likewise, the remnant of the rightmost minim in the initial letter of the fourth word suggests that the expected “h” was what was intended. Unfortunately, the second and third words are almost entirely missing save for what appears to be part of the bottom finishing stroke of a minim on the third word. This is not enough to determine spelling of these two words, however.
  3. The terminal “r” with abbreviation mark can be seen in the first word. Based on the manuscript witnesses and the shift between formal and informal elsewhere on the east wall the initial word is “your.” The eighth word is largely missing, but the top of the initial “h” and the rightmost finishing stroke of the “m” is visible. The ninth word is also damaged, but the “de” ligature and the top portion of the letter “y” can be seen (compare with “vnkynde” in the line above). The remainder of the word can be determined from the letter forms that remain.
  4. This line is badly damaged, but the remnant of the abbreviation mark can be seen attached to the “r” in the fourth word. The “p” and “a” from the fifth word can be seen and the spacing suggests three rather than two letters following. The minims for all letters of the sixth and seventh words are badly damaged, but the remnant of the tittle above the “i” in the sixth can be seen and the four minims and lack of any remnants of a finishing stroke on the rightmost minim of the seventh indicate that it is the expected “no.” Likewise, the number of minims of the eighth word and the clear initial and terminal letters indicate that this is “wyse” with the ascender and descenders removed due to damage.
  5. Like the others on this panel this line is damaged, but much of the line can be made out from the unique attributes of the partial letter forms that remain.
  6. Parts of the line are missing but the initial “s” of the final word, the hook of the “f,” and the tittle indicating “i” rather than “y” clarifies the intended spelling.