32 



UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



such poems. In Lamb, the stanza corresponding to this is imbe'dded in 

 the middle of the poem.' Lines 69-96 of Camhr. X follow naturally the 

 subject-matter preceding. The hnes, however, corresponding to these 

 in Lamb, there complete the poem, following very unnaturally the subject- 

 matter immediately preceding it. For these reasons, I am inchned to 

 believe that Lamb, is based on Cambr. Whether the peculiarly con- 

 fused arrangement of Lamb, is due to the fact that the scribe purposely 

 made the change, or made a mistake in copying from leaf to leaf, I am 

 unable to conjecture. 



I quote the two versions side by side : 



CAMBR. MS. 

 IX 



(I) Hesu god son, lord of mageste, 

 Send wil to my hert anly to couayte te; 

 Reue me lykyng of \>\s land, my lufe fat t>ou may be; 

 Take my hert in til ti hand, sett me in stabylte. 



LAMBETH MS. 



Loue is lijf I)at lastit" ay 



Pere it is in crist made fest, 

 Whanne wele ne wo it slake may, 



As writen han men wisest. 

 I>e nyjt it turnet) in-to day, 



Traueile it turnet) in to rest: 

 If t)ou wolt do as y {)ee say, 



Pou schalt t)anne be with te best. 



Ihesu \>t mayden son, \)a.t wyfh V\ blodp me boght, 

 Thyrl my sawule with I)i spere, tat mykel luf in men 



hase wroght. 

 Me langes, lede me to \>\ lyght, & festen in t)e al my 



thoght. 

 In \>'i swetnes fyll my hert, my wa make wane till 



noght. 



Loue is a toujt with greet desijr, 



And also of a fair loouynge; 

 Loue y likne in-to a fier 



t*at slakeen may for no ting. 

 Loue clensit us of oure synne, 



loue oure blis schal bringe, 

 Loue te kingis herte may wynne, 



loue of ioie euere may synge. 



Ihesu my god, Ihesu my keyng, forsake noght my 



desyre, 

 My thoght make it to be meke, I hate bath pryde and lo 



Ire: 

 I>i wil as my zhemyng; of lufe tou kyndel \>t fyre. 

 E>at I in swet louyng.with aungels take my hyre. 



Pe socour of loue is liftid hie, 



For into heuen it ran; 

 Me tenkit in herte tat it is sHje, 



Pat makit te peple bote pale & wan. 

 Pe beed of blis it goit ful ny, — 



I telle 30U it as y can, — 

 Perof us tenkit te wey to dric. 



For euere loue couplit god to man. 



Wounde my hert with-in, & welde it at ti wille: 

 On blysse, tat neuer sal blyn, tou gar me fest mi 



.skylle; 

 Pat I ti lufe may wyn, of grace my thoght tou fylle. 

 And made me clene of syn, tat I may come te tylle. 



Loue is better tan te cole 



To hem tat of it is fayn & frike, 

 Pe flawme of loue, who my^te it tole. 



If it were euermore hjke: 

 Loue us heUt, & makit in qwart. 



And Uftit us up in-to heuene-riche, 3 

 And loue rauishit crist in-to oure herte, 



I wot nowhere no loue it is lijke. 



■ The stanza is there printed, however, Ihesu instead of ihesu. 



