God be with you, Sir, tidings I you bring,

A maid hath born a child full young,

The which causeth me to sing,

Nowel.

Christ is now born of a pure maid,

In an ox stall he is laid,

Wherefore sing we all at abraid,†

Nowel.

Great and small.

+ Suddenly, or loudly.

THE three subsequent poems are, perhaps, the best specimens that could be selected of the religious Carols of the fifteenth century, so far as these have been preserved in the manuscripts of the period, for we fancy that more of the hand of the poet than of the monk may be recognised in their composition. In the last of the series there is a gracefulness and tenderness in many of the touches, not often met with in poems of this early date. No further liberties have been taken with them, beyond the modernizing of the spelling, and some occasional transpositions, with here and there the substitution of a modern word for one of obsolete character, except in the case of the first poem, which has been perfected from two different versions existing in contemporary manuscripts; one belonging to the Harleian collection,* the other in the possession of Thomas Wright, Esq., who has reprinted both versions in works edited by him for the Percy Society.† A third copy of this Carol, with numerous variations, may be seen among the Sloane MSS.

No. 541, fol. 414, ro.

THE THREE KINGS.

OW is the time of Christmas come,
Together joined are Father and Son,
And with the Holy Ghost are one,
In fere-a,

God send us a good new year-a.

I would now sing, if that I might,

Of a child so fair to sight

A maiden bare this winter's night,
So still-a;

And as it was his will-a.

There came three kings from Galilee

To Bethlehem, that fair citie,

To seek him that should ever be,

By right-a,

Lord, and king, and knight-a.

+ Christmas Carols, 1841. Songs and Carols, 1847.

THE THREE KINGS.

As they went forth with their offering,
They met Herod, that moody king,

He asked them of their coming

That way-a;

And thus to them 'gan say-a :—

"From whence come ye, you kings three?”

"Out of the East, as you may see,

To seek him that should ever be,

By right-a,

Lord, and king, and knight-a."

"When you to this child have been,

Come you home this way again,

And tell me all that ye have seen,
I pray-a;

Go not another way-a."

Then of Herod, that moody king,

They took their leave both old and young,
And forth they went with their offering,
By light-a

Of the star that shone so bright-a,

Till they came to that blissful place

Where Jesus and his mother was;

There they offered with great solace,
In fere-a,

Gold, incense, and myrrh-a.

那

When they had their offering made,
As the Holy Ghost them bade,

Then were they both merry and glad,
And light-a;

It was a good fair sight-a.

Anon, as on their way they went,
The Father of heaven an angel sent

To those three kings that made present
That day-a,

Who thus to them did say-a:

"My Lord doth warn you every one,
By King Herod ye go not home,
For if you do you will be slain
Full soon-a,

And woe to you be done-a."

So forth they went another way,

Through the might of God, his lay,
As the angel to them did say

Full right-a;

It was a good fair sight-a.

When they were come to their countree,

Merry and glad they were all three

Of the sight that they did see

By night-a,

By the star's shining light-a,