plante in his kynde All herbes rootes that growe on earth Their vertue I can fynde And howe they differ in degre In qualitie and powre All secrete and vnsought knowledge Doth spryng in wysdoms flowre Whiche he hath geuen vnto me That all this worlde hath made He taught me howe to vse this flowre That dures and doth not fade In hyr is spirite to vnderstande In holy exercyse In knowledge great she doth abounde And all thynges that are wyse I saye that with almyghty God All only she is one Subtyll and full of gentylnes And gracious alone She is courteous and discrete Quycke vndesiide and playne Swete and doth loue all that is good Reiectyng that is vayne She is sharpe yet forbideth not To doe ryghtly and well Kynde sure and free and to be briefe In vertue doth excell In althynges she is circumspecte Wherof she taketh cure All knowyng spirites she doth receyue That are both cleane and pure For wysdom doth in nymblenes All other thynges excell And therby through all thynges to pas She doth atayne full well For of the lyuyng god she is The breath of powre doubtlesse The cleanes of almyghty god Therby she doth expresse Therfore can no defyled thyng Come once within hyr syght For she the very bryghtnes is Of euerlastyng lyght She is the myrror vndefylde Wherin all good men see The Image of almyghty god In his great maiestie And for so muche as she is one All thynges are hyrs as due And beyng stedfast in hyr selfe She doth all thinges renewe Among the multitude of folke She doth hir selfe conuaye And entreth into holy soules In them to byde and staye She maketh god prophetes and frends The truthe to preache and tell For god doth loue none but suche men With whom wysdome doth dwell The sonne and starres may not compare With hir in lyght I saye For why hyr lyght doth farre excede The brightnes of the daye For be the daye neuer so bryght Yet night approcheth faste To quenche the beautie of the same And pattes it out in haste But wisdome can not be subdude I saye by wickednes Nor in hir sight to blemyshe hyr Can byde no folyshnes ¶ An example of a contemplatiue minde in the seruice of God out of the xxv Psalme THe noble king Dauid by name Hauing the spirite of truthe Who euer truly serued God Euen from his very youth He knowyng that by humblenes He sonest should aspyre To haue his prayer heard of God And obteine his desyre Disdeined not vpon his knees Hym selfe to prostrate lowe For sithe the harte must humble be Let outwarde members knowe That they shal not them selues refrain Their dutie to expresse My knees therfore shall doe their due So shall my handes no lesse Myne eyes shall vpwarde also tourne The heauens to beholde With stretched handes and bowed knees My prayer to vnsoulde My voyce I wyll not silent kepe But wyll expresse with tongue The meaning of a faythfull hatte And sing it in a song Debating with him selfe this thing Directing all aryght In this wyse he began to sing To god with all his myght Ad te dominum leuaui TO the oh lorde I lyfte my soule My god I truste in thee O suffer not myne enemies To tryumphe ouer me Ne yet let such as in thee truste Rebuke or shame susteyne But rather confounde scornefull men That spitefully dysdeyne To the I praye my kyng and god O shewe to me thy wayse And teach thy pathes O lord to me Thy name that I may prayse O lorde leade me to speake thy truthe And learne me to be iuste Myne only god and sauyng health All daye in thee I truste Forget not lorde but call to minde Thy tender mercy pure Let not thy louyng kyndnes slacke That euer hath ben sure Forget my sinnes remember not The fraylnes of my youthe For thy goodnes and mercy lorde Thynke vpon me with ruthe O ryghteous lorde with frendlynes Wytsafe to shewe thy myght Wherby thou shalt the sinners teach◠To walke thy waye a ryght The simple thou doest teache guyde Thy perfect wayes to knowe And thou doste suche instructe aright As humble be and lowe Thy wayes O lorde are mercifull Thy faythfulnes is bent To all that kepe thy couenant And faythfull testament For thy names sake therfore O lord◠Be mercifull to me And to my synnes that are so great And myne iniquitie Who so therfore doth feare the lorde He wyll hym shewe I saye His hyghe and his diuine preceptes His pure and chosen waye His soule shall euer be at ease His wayes shal prosper well His sede also shall styll possesse The lande therin to dwell The lorde his secretes dothe shew forth To suche as feare him styll Declaring them his testament His couenant and will O lorde my god to the therfore I wyll myne eyes dyrecte And praye to thee tyll thou haste losde My fete out of the nette O turne thee vnto me therfore Now for thy mercies sake Consider lorde my mysery Howe I am desolate The sorowes of my harte are great Ryght sore they doe me greue O ryd me from these troubles all For in thee I beleue O loke on myne aduersitie And my great mysery Forgeue me all my sinnes also Where I offended thee Consider how myne enemies Are many and peruearte That towardes me maliciously Are bent with hatefull hearte Oh preserue thou my soule therfore Within thy kepyng iust And let me not confounded be For in thee doe I truste Let iust dealyng and innocent O god styll with me dwell And from all vyle aduersitie Delyuer Israell ¶ An example how that we should alwayes be thankefull vnto almighty God for his benefites out of the xxxiiii psalme of Dauid AS in our streightes of nede We all are glad and fayne Some comfort at the handes of god By prayer to obtayne So when we haue recevd Of god our whole desyre That we should therfore thankfull be Good reason doth require For who so benefites At mortall men receaue If afterwarde the geuer dothe Ingratitude perceaue The same will streyght withdrawe His liberalitie From suche a stubberne blocke hed beaste As can not frendshyp see If vyle ingratitude To men be suche a cryme That it wyll frendly loue kepe backe Against an other tyme What beastly dogges are they Howe can we call them lesse That for great kyndnes of the lorde Doe paye vnthankfulnesse Whiche asketh nought of vs But honour laude and prayse For all the good he doth bestowe On vs a thousand wayes Wherfore that noble kyng And prophet of the lorde Dauid who dyd after Gods harte Agree and well accorde Gods glorie doth expresse In doyng of his due And for the benefites of God His harte declareth true Not only in hym selfe To flee ingratitude But other also to instructe That are vnlernde and rude In darke obliuion Gods goodnes for to hyde Or to forget his benefites Dyd neuer hym vetyde His harpe he toke in hande And thus began to
prayse in mynde The noble aray Of martyrs aye Thy prayse doth styll expresse The Church holye Where euer it be The lyke prayse doth confesse Infinitlye Thy maiestye O father doth endure And thy Sonne styll We honour wyll Onely so true and pure The holye ghost Our comforte most We do confesse to be Thou Chryst Iesu Mesias true Art the kynge of glory Thou art euer Of the father The euerlastyng sonne Which we confesse Both more and lesse That in this worlde do wonne When for our sake Thou dyddest take On thee man to restore The wombe so cleene Of the Virgin Thou dyddest not abhorre When thou the darte Of death so sharpe Dydst vanquishe and depriue Thou dydst vnlose Thy blesse to those That truelye dâ— beleue On the ryghte hande We vnderstande Of the father so dere In glorye greate There art thou set Tyll the last day appere Then we beleue Iudgemente to geue That thou from thence shalt come Most ryghteouslye Our iudge to be And iudge vs all and some Thy seruauntes pray Thee day by day Of thee some helpe to haue Whom wyth thy bloude Precious and good Thou dydst redeme and saue Make them indede To be numbred Wyth thy holy sayntes all For euermore Thy face before In glory eternall Thy people saue Whiche on the craue And blesse thyne heritage Gouerne them styll To doe thy wyll Euer from age to age For we dayly Thee magnifie And worshyp styll thy namâ— And styll intende Worlde without ende To continue the same Vouchsafe we praye O lorde this daye From sinne vs to defende For on thyne ayde Oure faith is stayde And euer doth depend Mercy O lorde Haue mercy Lorde Shewe vs thy mercy iuste On vs let lyght Thy mercy bright As we in thee doe truste And synce alway My truste and staye In the lorde is fyxed Oh graunt that I Eternally Be neuer confounded To the father And his sonne dere And to the holy ghoste Glory and prayse Geue we alwayes As we are bounden moste As was and is And shall not mys To be eche tyme and when For euer more Laude and honor To our lorde god Amen ¶ To his friend E. H. at whose requeste the author drue into metre the songe of the three chyldren whiche were put into the whot burning ouen which were called properly in the hebrue tongue Ananias Asarias Misael whose names Nebucadnezer chaÌ„ged into Cidrach Misach and Abednago in the Chaldey tongue Written Daniel in MY louyng friende Your boune and mynde Doth seme to me this tyde As Phaet on vayne Should once againe The sonne his chariot guide Who folyshly Immediatly May set the world on fire Till Ioue almight Most iust and right Doe sley him in his Ire Or one vnwise Should enterpryse To make or cause tapere From flynt stones dure Swete fountaynes pure Of waters cristall clerâ— Yet for to chuse Or once refuse Your most frendly request Is not in me Nor can not be At any time possest Therfore take well This small cantell Of my due and good will Though momus secte Then it reiecte No force it shall not skyll BLessed be thou O lorde god nowe The god of our fathers For thou alwayes Arte worthy prayse And of all great honers The name holy Of thy glory Worthy to be praysed Styll in worldes all Continuall Is to be magnified Be thou blessed In euery sted Of thy temple holy Whiche doste vs moue All thynges aboue To set vp thy glory More then worthy Thou arte truly Of laude and prayse eche daye Wherfore euer We wyll preferre And set the vp for aye Blessed alone In thy hyghe throne Be thou in thy kyngdom Thee aboue all We styll blesse shall In worlde of worldes to come Blessed be thou That lokest throwe The depe and yet doste syt The Cherubes on Worthy alone Of prayse descruing it The fyrmament And heauens hente Thee prayse which arte worthy For thy fauour Of all honoure Vnto eternitie Benedicite omnia opera Domini domino OYe workes all In generall Of god the lyuing Lorde Se that his prayse Ye shewe alwayes Set vp and it recorde Ye angels bryghte And heauens lyght And waters all aboue The fyrmament With one consent Prayse hym as doth behoue The lorde his powres Sonne Moone in cours Tell and shewe forth his prayse And neuer let Hym vp to set In his due laude alwayes O all ye sterres Dewe and showers O all ye wynds of God His prayse tell ye Hym magnifye As in his worde he bod Heate and fyer Wynter sommer Ye dewes and frostes hore Ye frost and coulde His prayse be boulde To set forth euermore O Ise and snowe His prayse forth showe Hym laude and magnifye Ye nyghtes and dayes With the lyke prayse Laude hym eternally Lyght and darknes His prayse expresse Lyghtnyng and cloudes I saye Let the earth speake And his prayse breake Forth for euer and aye Mountaines and hilles With your good wylles Herbes grasse al grene things Welles seas and flood Of hym speake good And declare his praysyngs Ye whales that lyue And all that meue In floodes and waters clere All soules of thayre Lykewyse repayre To make his prayse appere Bestes and cattâ—ll His prayse forth tell Ye chyldren of men pure Let Israell In prayse excell For euer to endure With one accorde Prayse ye the lorde That the lordes seruantes are Sprites and soules iust His prayse syng must Hym set vp and declare Let holy men Prayse hym eche when And humble men of harte With good pretence Euer from hence From his prayse neuer starte Ananias Azarias And Misaell prefer His prayses great And hym vp set For euer and euer Whiche hath from hell Vs saued well And clene delyuered And hath our breath Kepte safe from death And also hath vs ryd From burnyng flame Amydste the same And made the heate retire When we dyd craue He dyd vs saue In the mydst of the fyre Vnto the lorde Let vs recorde Both prayse and thankes therfore His hearte is kynde For we doe fynde His mercy euermore O all men ryght That are contryte Speake good and prayse the lorde For he truly Is almyghtie And of all gods the God O geue him prayse With thankes alwayes Whose mercy doth extende And doth indure Remayning pure Euer worlde without ende Prayse glorious Euer let vs Magnificently moste Geue the father And the sonne dere And to the holy ghoste From beginning Continuyng And nowe doth perseuer And shall doe aye From daye to daye For euer and euer Numeri .xiii. ¶ Sing this as The dawnyng daye beginnes to glare c. LEt now thy powre be great O lorde Lyke as thy lyps dyd once repeate And as we fynde it in thy worde Thy suffrance long thy mercy great For as thou doste our synnes forgyue And trespasses when we repent So are we sure no man on lyue From synne is free and innocent And of their father the misdede Thou visitest vpon the childe His generation and his
sede In .iiii. degrees therwith defylde But nowe oh lorde be gracious Vnto thy flocke and their offence And of thy mercy bounteous Remember not our negligence Thy people as thou didst forbeare From Egypt into wyldernes We the beseche in lyke maner That we may taste thy gentylnes ii Esdras .i. ¶ Syng this as O lorde our god we turne to thee c. LOrde god that in the heauens hie Doste kepe thy residence Thou art a god of terrible And great magnificence Thou that hast kept thy couenant And mercy eke in store For them that loue thee and obserue And kepe thy holy lore Oh let thine eares be attendante And marke what I doe saye And let thyne eyes be vigilant Beholde me when I praye For I am bent both daye and nyght To praye before thy face That to thy seruant Israell Thou wilt geue health and grace And to forgeue them all their synne That they did thee transgresse For in the person of them all Their faultes I doe confesse For I my selfe among them all Doe in the number syt My fathers house hath not bene free But did lyke synne commyt Corrupted haue we bene in that Thy lawes we haue not kept Thy wyll and thy commaundementes Because we did reiecte Yet call to mynde thy worde O lorde By Moyses that was sayde Thy seruant whom thou didst commaund For to proclayme thyne ayde The punishment that thou hast made For our transgressions Is for to scatter vs a broade Among the nacions But thou hast sayd and promysed That if we turne agayne Obseruyng thy commaundementes And in thy lawes remayne That though we scattred were abroade Neuer so farre about Yea in the vtmost partes of all Thou wouldst yet fynd vs out And gather vs from thence agayne Inâ—o the very place That thou vs gaue to dwell therin Of thy bountie and grace O heare vs nowe thy seruantes lorde And people of thy lande That were deliuerd by thy powre And by thy myghty hande O lorde nowe let thyne eares attendâ— To marke what we requyre For thee to serue and feare thy name Is nowe our whole desire Tobias .xiii. ¶ Syng this as The. 6. of Mathew If ye reade c. O Lorde our God for euer more Thy greatnes doth extende Thy powre thy kyngdom thy might For euer without end For after scurges helth Insues And pleasure after payne And vnto hell when thou hast brought Thou bringest out againe Wherby thou hast instructed vs That we may vnderstande That there is none by any meanes That may escape thy hande Geue thankes therfore vnto the lorde Ye children of the iuste Before the Heathen let his prayse Be shewed and discuste For therfore hath he scatred you His wondrous workes to showe Among the Heathen and the folke That dyd him neuer knowe That they may knowe and eke confesse That other there is none That is a god omnipotent But our good God alone Whiche hath vs made for our misdedes His chastisment to take And wyll vs saue and helpe agayne For his owne mercies sake Then praye to hym with feare dread And ponder well this thing And magnifie in all your workes The euerlastyng kyng For I will prayse him in the land Of my captiuitie For he dyd shewe the synfull folke His myghty maiestie O turne you vnto God therfore Ye sinners and doe ryghte Ye may be sure with mercy then That he wyll you requite And as for me so wyll I doe In soule and with my voyce For why my god is only he In whome I wyll reioyce O prayse the lorde all ye that be His chosen and electe In ioâ—full dayes geue hym the thankes That still doth you protecte Tobias .iii. ¶ Sing this as the forme of perfect prayer beginnyng The .vi. of Mathewe O Lorde god thou art righteous Thy iudgements all are true Thy iust wayes thy faithfulnes Doth mercy styll ensue Be myndfull nowe O lorde on me And plage not for my sinne Nor haue no mynde of my misdedes Ne of myne elders kynne For we to thy commaundementes Weare not obedient wherfore among all nacions Thou hast vs captiue sent And scattred haste vs them among That dayly vs deryde For dredfull death most vyle shame Doth euer vs betyde In whiche thou hast declard O lorde Thy iudgementes great and hye We did not as thou didste commaunde Nor walkt innocently And therfore now O liuing lorde My prayer shall be styll That thou commaunde deale with me According to thy wyll Receaue O lorde my sprite in peace To thee I doe it gyue For it is more expedient For me do die then lyue Iudith 16. ON tabrets to the lorde let vs our thankfull songes begin Vpon the simbals let vs syng a new songe vnto hym With ioyfull thankes his name to prayse And call vpon the same It is the lorde that warres doth cease Yea the lorde is his name Which pitched hath his tentes of streÌ„gth His people all among Vs to delyuer from the handes Of all our enmies strong For from the mountaynes of the northe Came the Assirian And many thousandes myght we see Within his army than His multitude had shut the streames In all our coastes throughout And with his horsmen couerd were The valleys all about My markes boundes he sayd he wold Consume with burning fyre To kyll my young men with the sworde Was also his desyre To brayne my suckyng babes and geue Myne infantes for a praye My maydens and my virgins pure He thought to dryue awaye But through the lorde omnipotent Suche grace we vnderstande Of their purpose they are decevd Euen by a womans hande For with the handes of youÌ„g meÌ„ strong He truly was not slayne Nor they that were of Tytan borne To kyll hym toke no payne Nor gyant great but Indith lo Daughter of Merari For with hyr face she scattred them And with hyr great beutye Hir wydowes clothes hir morninge wede She gan theÌ„ to forbeare And did on suche as she was wonie On holy dayes to weare To helpe the wofull Israelites Whom ieopardie had hent Hir vertuous face she did anoynte With oyntment excellent And with an houe she trimde hyr heare Hir worke thus could she weaue She ware a lyÌ„nen stole also Thus did She him deceaue Hir slypers rauished his eyes Hir beutie eke his mynde And through his necke his own sworde went Suche ende lo did he fynde The Persians weare in doubt feare At hir audacitie The Medes dyd maruell very muche Hir bouldnes suche to be The humble folke reioyced then They Ioyde that erste dyd crye And they dyd feare that bragd before And fayne were nowe to flye Our womens sonnes then killed them Lyke slaues they ran away The seruantes of the lorde my God Thus caused them to straye A song of prayse vnto the Lorde To syng I will procure Thy glory lorde and strength also Inuincible and pure For eche thing y â— thy hande hath made Doth serue thee in his kynde