| 60 | For the sely child wolde alwey sone lere | |
| | But ay when I remembrid me on this matere | |
| | Seynt Nicholas stont euer in my presence | |
| | For he so yong to crist did reuerence | |
| | This litil childe his litil book lernynge | |
| 65 | As he sat in the scole . at his prymere | |
| | He Alma redemptoris mater herd syng | |
| | As children lernyd here antiphoner | |
| | And as he durste he drew hym nere and nere | |
| | And herkenyd ay the wordis and the note | |
| 70 | Til he the firste vers coude al be rote | |
| | Naught wiste he what this latyn was to say | |
| | For he so yong and tender was of age | |
| | But on a day his felow gan he pray | |
| | To expoune his song and his langage | |
| 75 | Or telle hym why this song was in vsage | |
| | This prayde he hym to constrew and declare | |
| | Ful ofte tymes vp on his knees bare | |
| | His felow whiche that elder was than he | |
| | Answerde hym thus this song I haue herd sey | |
| 80 | Was makid of our blissid lady fre | |
| | Her to salue and eke her forto preye | |
| | To be our help and socour whan we deye | |
| | I can nomore expoune in this matere | |
| | I lerne song I can but litil gramere | |
| 85 | And is this song maad in reuerence | |
| | Of cristis moder said this Innocent | |
| | Now certeyn I wol do my diligence | |
| | To conne it al or cristmas is al y went | |
