Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: w JUDICIUM VENERIS. Ramce. Dicat Urbanus Papa. HAT is this growing through my hand, That hurts me like a knife ? Dicat Sanctus Raphael, adsistens fratris minoris habitu. Father, you shall understand That the Cross, which was brought from Holy Land, Was made of the Tree of Life, Which groweth in Paradise far away; But the Cross shall grow on the Judgment Day, And overshadow the earth; And a piece thereof in your staff is set, And it grows to-day, for it is wet With a dew of passing worth, With one loving tear of a penitent, To whom ye said, " Ere thou repent My dry staff shall be green." And this is the answer which God hath sent, For He will have it seen That it is evil in His eyes That ye should think of ease, So He maketh your light words prophecies, Because ye keep His keys. Dicat Urbanus Papa. Draw forth the sharp leaves from my hand, And give me of thy rede, Where I. may send, by sea or land, To help that knight at need. Dicat Sanctus Raphael. He is surely gone to the sorceress, For ye made Christ's sheep to be comfortless, Whom He gave to you to feed. Dicat Urbanus Papa. If he is gone to her again, I fear me it will be but vain, Yet I will send with speed. Dicat Sanctus Raphael. Father, take heed lest you despair, For though the she-devil be very fair, Another is fairer still; And ye must strengthen my heart with prayer As I journey to Venus' hill. But give to me the holy veil, Imprinted with the visage pale Of Him who died on rood; And give me the lean portraiture Of Margaret, a lady pure, Who died in widowhood. For he shall look on the sorceress, And he shall look on these, And choose Christendom or heathenesse As he himself shall please. Dicat Urbanus Papa. If he shall not...