Classic Poem

By reason of two and poore of one
This tyme God and man was set at one.

God against nature thre wonders haith wrought:
First of the vile earthe mad man without man,
Then woman without woman of man maid of nought,
And so man without man in woman than.
Thus, lo, God and man together begane,
As two for to joine together in one,
As at this good tyme to be sett at one;
Thus God begane
This world for to forme and to encrease man.

Angell in heaven for offence was damned,
And man also for beinge variable;
Whether shuld be saved was examyned,
Man or yet angell; then God was greable
To answer for man, for man was not able,
And said man had mocyon and angell had none,
Wherefore God and man shuld be seit at one.
Thank we him than
That thus did leaue angell and saved man.
The devill clamed man by bargan as this:
For an appell, he said, man was bought and solde;
God aunswered and said the bargan was his:
" Withe myne to be thyne how durst thoue be so bolde?
Man myne, syne thyne; wherfore thoue art now told
Thoue bought nought; then taike nought; thi bargan is don;
Wherfore God and man shal be set att one."
Nowe blessed be he,
For we that are bownde, loe, nowe are maid free.

Betwene God and man ther was great distaunce,
For man said that God shuld haue kept him upryght,
And God said man maid all the variaunce,
For th'apple to sett his commaundement so light;
Wherfore, of his mercye sparinge the ryght,
He thought God and man shuld be set at one.
Seing that God and man was set at one,
What kindnes was this
To agree with man and the fault not his!

Withe man and woman ther was great traverse:
Man said to the woman, " Woe myght thou be!"
" Nay," quod the woman, " Why dost thoue reverse?
For womans entisinge woe be to the!
For God made man the heade and ruler of me."
Thus God sawe man and woman were not at one;
He thought in a woman to sett theime at one
To our solace;
His mercye he graunted for our trespace.

Of womanhede, lo, thre degres there be:
Widowehede, wedlocke, and virginnitie.
Widowehede clamed heauen; her title is this:
By oppressions that mekelie suffrethe she,
And wedlocke by generacion heauen hires shuld be,
And virgins clame by chastite alone.
Then God thought a woman shoulde set them at one
And cease ther strife,
For Marie was maden, widowe, and wife.

The ritche and the pore ther title did reherse:
The pore clamed heauen throughe his pacient havour;
He saide, " Beati pauperes," and further the verse;
The riche man by ritches thought hym in favour,
For who was so ritche as was our Saviour?
And againe who so pure as he was one
In hey when he ley to set us at one?
Who graunt us peace
And at the last ende the great joyes endles.