<County: Yorkshire North Riding>
<Code: L0007>
<MS reference: Oxford, Corpus Christi College 155>
<Text: Lay Folk's Mass Book>


<fol. 252v>The worthyest thynge þe maste of gudnes
Jn all þe welde þan is the mes
Jn all þe bokes of haly kyrke
yt haly men yt tyme gone wyrke
ye messe is praysed many falde
ye vertues may neuere be talde
For if a Ml clerkes did noght els
After yt þe boke tels
Bot talde ye vertus of messe singynge
And ye profet of the messe herynge
3itte soulde thay neuere fifte parte
For all yere crafte & yere arte
Tell ye vertus medes pardone
To yame yt wt deuocyon~
Jn clennes and gode entente
Dos worschyp to yt sacramente
<fol. 253r>Jn boke fynde J writen of ane
Saynte Jerome was his name
A deuoute man & religyous
Jn his buke he spekes thus
He says þu soulde gude entent take
yt þu at þe mes na jangelynge make
Grete ensaumple he settes yere-to
Why it is full yll to do
Alsswa he telles how
yu soulde ye mes yt þu heris now
When the priest sayes or if he synge
To hym þu gif gude herkenynge
when the prieste Prayes in priuate
Tyme of prayer~ than is to þe
Jf þou apon the boke kan knawe it
Jnto Jnglische þu drawe it
When þe priest hym revistis & ye messe bigynnes
And mekes hym to god for his synnes
þan say þou wt hym þy <lat>Confiteor</lat>
Or elles on ynglische yus yer-fore
J knawe to god full of myght
And to his moder mayden bryght
And to all halowes here
And to þe fader gastly
yt j haue synned largely
<fol. 253v>Jn many synnes sere
Jn thoghte in speche & in delyte
Jn worde in werke J am to wyte
And worthy forto blame
yerfore J praye the marye
And thy halowes haly
Jn goddes haly name
And þe priest to praye for me
yt god haue mercy and pite
for his grete mede
Of my wricchyd synfulnes
And gif me grace of forgifnes
Of my mysdede . Amen
When þu yere þy <lat>confiteor</lat> has done
Say a <lat>pater noster</lat> & an <lat>Aue</lat> fast yere-on
yan wt-owten any tariynge
On þis wise be saiynge
God for yi gudnes
At the beginnynge of yis mes
Graunte all yt it sall here
Of yere synnes yt yay be clere
Lorde saue the priest yt it sall saye
Fra temptacyon~ yis ilke daye
yt he be clene of will & thoght
yt ye ill wild spirite noy hym noght
<fol. 254r>yt he fulfill this sacramente
Wt clene herte & gude entent
Firste hyghly to þe honour
yt suffrayne is of all socour
And to ye moder mayden clene
And to thy halowes all be dene
yt this mes be till sure sawll hele
Helpe & grace in allkyns wele
and to all yt we have in mynde
Syb and fremd be any kynde
Gode lorde graunte for this mes
Of yere synnes forgifnes
and reste and pes yt lastes aye
To cristenyd sawlles passyd awaye
And to vs all thy socour sende
And brynge vs all to þy ioy wtouten ende Amen
& Jf þu of letter kan
To þe priest herken yan
hys office prayer~ & pistill
And answere yere-to wt gude will
Or on a boke yy-selfe it rede
J wate yerfore nane vnspede
Jf þu kan noghte rede ne saye
yy Pater noster rehers alwaye
To dekyn or preste ye gospell sall rede
<fol. 254v>Yere-till þu take righte gude hede
At the biginnynge tente þou take
A large crosse on þe þu make
Saiand þus on this maner~
Als þu may se writen here
¶ Ye name of the fader & sone & haly gaste
And sothfast god of myghtes maste
Goddes wordes be welcome vnto me
Joy and louuynge lorde to þe
After þe gospell ay whil þe crede
Ye tyme is nere wt-owten drede
Yt men soulde profer yere offrandes
Or the priest take water to his handes
Offer or leve whether þe liste
How þou soulde praye j walde þu wyste
Als nexte is writen j rede þu saye
On this manere god to paye
Jhesu yt was in bedlem borne
And thre kynges come þe biforne
Yere thay offerd þe golde ensens & myrre
And þu forsoke noon of þir
Bot wyssed yame wele all three
Hame agayne to yere cuntre
Right so oure offrandes yt we offyr
And oure prayers yt we profer~
<fol. 255r>Þu take lorde to thy lowynge
And be oure helpe in alkyn thynge
Yt all perils before done
Oure gode 3ernynge þu graunte vs sone
Of all oure mys þu vs amende
Jn all oure nedes vs socour sende <mrg>Amen</mrg>
After the waschynge ye priest will loute
Ye awter and sithen turne hym aboute
Yt he askes with still steven
Jlke man prayers to god of heuene
Swilke prayers j walde 3e toke
Als nexte folowes on the buke
¶ The haly gaste in þe light
And sende grace into þe righte
To rewle thy herte and þy spekynge
To godes worschep & his lovynge
God resceyf thy servyce
And this solempne sacrifice
For the priest and for vs all
Yt now er here or be sall
this mes to here or worschep do
Yis sacrynge to se or praye yere-to
And for all yt leves in goddes name
Yt thay be kepyd fra synne and schame
And for the saulles yt er past
Yt thay have reste yt euere sall laste
<fol. 255v>The priest will than in yt place
Sethen bigynne the preface
Yt begynnes with <lat>per omnia</lat>
& sethen wt <lat>sursum corda</lat>
And at the ende says <lat>sanctus</lat> thryes
*<lat>Jn excelsis</lat> he newen bot twys
Of all gude þu thankes god yan
And praye also euere-ilke a+man
Of ilke a-state and ilke degre
So will the lawe of charite
Yer-fore begynne this prayer~ sone
When þe preste the preface has doone
Oure lorde honourde þou be
With all my herte and my degre
J thanke the lorde as me wele awe
Of mare gude than j kan knawe
Yt j haue of þe resceyved
Sen the tyme j was consauyd
My lyfe my lyms you has me lente
My righte witte þou hase me sente
Þou has me kepid of thy grace
Fro many perils in many place
All my helpe and my levynge
Haly hafe of thy givynge
Þou boghte me dere wt thy blode
<fol. 256r>And dyed for me opon the rode
J have done agayne thy will
Synnes many grete and ill
Þu erte redy of thy gudnes
For+to graunte me forgifnes
Of this gude and many ma
J thanke the lorde & prayes alswa
Þt all my gilte þu me forgif
And be my helpe whils j sall lyf
Gif me grace for+to eschewe
To do yt me sall rewe
And gif me will aye for+to wyrke
Lorde thynke of state of haly kyrke
Of the pape byschope priestes clerkes
Yt yay be kepyd in all gude werkes
the kynge the lordes of the lande
Yt thay be wele mayntennand
Yere states and all gudnes
And rewle the folke in rightwisnes
Oure sybmen and oure wele-willandes
Oure frendes sugettes & servandes
Pater noster Aue Credo & c~
All thy childer & wymmen
Merchaundes men of craftes & tilmen
Ryche & pore grete and small
J pray the lorde for thame all
<fol. 256v>Yt thay be kepyd specially
Jn gode hele and lyfe haly
To thame yt er in ill lyfe
Jn sclaunder myscomforth or in stryfe
Seke men or prisoned or apon ye se
Pore or exsilyd disheryd if thay be
To all this þou sende socoure
To hym worschep & hym honoure
All yt er in gude lyfe to-daye
And clene lyues to þy paye
kepe thame lorde fro all foly
& fro all synne for thy mercy
And gif thame grace to laste and lende
Jn yy servyce to yere ende
Yis werlde yt turnes many ways
Make gude to vs in all days
the wedders grete and vnstabill
lorde make gude and sesonabill
Ye frute of the erthe make plentevous
As þu seys best ordan for vs
Swilke grace to vs þou sende
Yt on oure laste daye at oure laste ende
When this werlde and wee sall seuere
Bringe vs to yt ioye yt lastes euere Amen
<lat>Pater noster Aue Maria & c~</lat>
¶ than is the tyme nere of ye sacrynge
<fol. 257r>A litill bell men is to rynge
Yan is skill to do reuerence
To ihesu criste awghen presence
Yt may lese all bandes
Kneland halde vp thy handes
And with inclinacyon~
Behalde þe Eleuacyon~
Swylke prayer~ þan þou take
As the likes best for+to make
Many men prayes sere
Jlke man prayes on his manere
Schorte prayer soulde be wt-owten drede
And yere-with a pater-noster & crede
J set here & may be sayde
Jf þou be vnpuruayde
Jf j merke it here in letter
Þou may schewe it for a better
¶ Welcome lorde in fourme of brede
For me þu sufferde herd deede
Als þou bare the crown~ of thorne
Þou suffer me noghte be+forlorne
When the preste the eleuacyon~ has made
He will sprede his armes on brade
Sethen dresdam in ye firste stede
Þan is tyme to praye for þe dede
For all cristen saulles sake
<fol. 257v>Swilke as þou will take
God for thy haly grace
Here oure prayere here in this place
Graunte vs lorde for oure prayer~
Yt cristen men yt passed er
Fra this life yt synfull es
Yt ilke an have parte of this messe
For yere saulles j praye derly
Yt j sall neven sekirly
Yt yis may be yam mede
Helpe & hele fro alkyn drede
For fader saulles moder & brother dere
Syster saulles sybmen & other sere
Yt vs gode wolde or vs gude dydde
Or any kyndenes vnto vs kydde
And to all in purgatory pyne
Yis messe be mede & medecyne
To all cristen saulles haly
Graunte þy grace & thy mercy
Forgif thame all yere trispase
lese thame of yere bandes & lat thame passe
Fra all pyne & fra all kare
Jnto þe ioye yt lastes eueremare
When ye preste for þe righte
Says <lat>pater omnia</lat> all on heghte
<fol. 258r>He will saye with hygh steven
his pater-noster to god of hevene
Herken hym wt gode will
And answere hym lowde or still
And saye it priualy
Other prayer noon yere-by
Eftsones the prieste on heght will saye
Be redy at answere hym allwaye
Herken how he spekes on pes
Says agnus thryes or he ses
Jn þe yt pes may noght be
Jf þu owte of charite be
than is gude on god to craue
Yt þu charite may haue
Wharfore when the priest þe pax will kysse
loke yt þou be sayand this
Goddes lambe yt best maye
Do the synne of þis werlde awaye
Of vs haue mercy and pite
And graunte vs pes and charite
For in charite er thre kynde loues
Yt profet pes nedlynges behoues
The firste luf is certanly
To thy lorde souerandly
Yerfore j praye the god of myghte
Þou make me lowe bothe daye & nyghte
<fol. 258v>Be sikirly set euerilke a dele
Soueranly to luf ye wele
Yt be thy myghte and gouernynge
J be euere in thy 3ernynge
Soueranly þe to paye
Jn all yt euere j kan or maye
And pyrst be arly and late
To my degre and myn~ astate
All gude dedes to fulfille
And to eschewe yt er ille
¶ Ye secunde is a priuay luf
Yt nedfull is to my behoue
Whilke loue is propirly
Betwix the saule and þe body
Yere make þou gude lorde
My body and my saull accorde
Yt ayther be of oon assente
To saryf the wt gude entente
And lat neuere my body do yt ill
Yt it may my saull spyll
¶ Þe thyrde luf is wt-owten doute
To luf thy neghbur the aboute
And of yt luf for no thynge þu ses
Yerfore j praye the prynce of pes
Yt þu will as þu may best
Mikell to be in pes and reste
<fol. 259r>And redy to luf all manere of men
My sybmen namely than
Neghburs seruaunt3 & ilke suget
Felawes frendes nane forget
Bot luf ilkane fer and nere
Als my-selfe wt herte clere
And turne yere herte swa to me
Yt wee fully frendes be
Yt j of yere gude & thay of myne
Have a ioye wt herte fyne
Als j praye for my selfe here
Graunte so to other on this manere
So yt ilke man luf wel other
Als he ware his awen brother
And amange vs be yt sacramente
Yt now is in presente
And be vertue of this messe
Wee mowght have forgifnesse
Of oure gilte & oure mys
Yt wee may come vnto thy blysse
¶ When the preste hase done
He will speke on heghte sone
More forthe of his offys
And sethen make ende of yt servyce
Euere þu gif gude herkenynge
<fol. 259v>lowde or still aye answerynge
For þe mes is noght sest
Or þe tyme of <lat>ita missa est</lat>
When þu has saide <lat>jte</lat>
Or <lat>benedicamus</lat> wheder it be
Yan is the messe all done
Bot 3itte this prayer yu saye sone
After yt wele þou maye
Jn goddes name lyve to paye
God be thanked of all his werkes
God be thanked of priestes & clerkes
God be thanked of ilke a man
And j thanke hym in yt j kan
J thanke god of his gudnes
And alswa of this mes
And of all the prayers yt here er prayed
J pray hym yt he be payed
Jn mynde of god here j me blysse
Wt my blissynge god sende me hys
How tyme of the messe is spendyd
How j talde now will j endyd
Þe rubryke is gude vmwhile to luke
Þe prayers to cun wt-owten buke
Jt is swilke wt-owten doute
Yt ilke man þe mes luffes and loute
For of all thinges in yis worlde is þe mes
<fol. 260r>The worthyest and maste of gudnes
<lat>Expliciunt premia misse</lat>