might To magnifie a fleshly King a man a mortall wight Then let not such the Scepter sway whose glorie is of nought Least they deride vs when that we to miserie are brought And those deuises they haue wrought t'intangle vs withall May turne vnto their owne decay and on their heads may fall Remember Lord and shew thy selfe to vs in time of need And strengthen me thou King of kings Lord of power indeed Instruct my tongue with eloquence my speaches to impart Before the Lions face and by thy wisdome turne his heart To hate our deadly enemie so wholly bent to ill Destroy him and al such as doo consent vnto his will But let thy hand deliuer vs and help and succour me Sith I am now left comfortlesse and haue no help but thee Thou know'st right well all things O Lord this thou knowest then I hate the glory and the pompe of wicked sinful men And vtterly detest the bed of any heathen wight Vncircumcised most vnpure and odious in thy sight Thou knowest my necessitie and that with hate I beare This token of preheminence which on my head I weare And as a filthy menstruous cloath I take thereof such shame As being by my selfe alone I neuer weare the same And that at Hamans table yet thy handmaid hath not fed Nor tooke delight in princes feast nor drank wine offered And neuer wi'd in any thing since first I hether came Vntil this day but in the Lord thou God of Abraham Oh thou the high and mightie God heare thou the voice crie Of them whose hope whose trust and stay only on thee doth lie And now in need deliuer vs out of their cruell hand And from the dread and feare O Lord wherin we dayly stand The Praier of Mardocheus In the xiii Chap. of Hester Oh Lord my Lord that art the King of might Within whose power all thinges their being haue Who may withstand that liueth in thy sight If thou thy chosen Israell wilt saue For thou hast made the earth and heauen aboue And al things els that in the same do mooue Thou madest all things and they are all thine own And there is none that may resist thy will Thou know'st all things and this of thee is knowne I did not erst for malice nor for ill Presumption nor vaine glorie els at all Come nor bow downe vnto proud Hamans call I could haue bin content for Israels sake To kisse the soles euen of his verie feet But that I would not mans vaine honor take Before Gods glorie being so vnmeet And would not worship none O Lord but thee And not of pride as thou thy selfe doost see Therefore oh Lord my God and heauenly king Haue mercie on the people thou hast bought For they imagine and deuise the thing How to destroy and bring vs vnto nought Thine heritance which thou so long hast fed And out so far from Egypt land hast led Oh heare my praier and mercie doe extend Vpon thy portion of inheritance For sorrowe now some ioy and solace send That we may liue thy glorie to aduance And suffer not their mouthes shut vp oh Lord Which stil thy name with praises doo record A Praier in the person of the Faithfull The xxxvi Chap. of Ecclesiasticus HAue mercie on vs blessed Lord Which madest all thinges with thy word Behold vs Sauiour from aboue Illuminate vs with thy loue And let the wicked dread thy name Which neuer sought vnto the same And knowe that thou art God alone And like in woonders to be none Oh Lord lift vp thy mightie hand The world thy power shall vnderstand As by vs thou art sanctified By them so be thou magnified That they may learne thy power to knowe As we that be thy seruantes doo Thou art the liuing Lord alone And other Goddes besides thee none Renew the signes Lord thou hast showne And let thy woonderous woorks he knowne Declare the strength of thy right hand Let them thy power vnderstand Arise to iudgment in thine yre Poure out thy wrath as hot as fire Destroy the cruell aduersarie To spoile our foes Lord doo not tarie Shorten thou these wicked daies Thinke on thine oath at all assaies Let thy woonders Lord appeare And be thou praised farre and neare In burning fire Lord let them die Which doe escape and seek to flie And let them perish with annoy Which seeke thy people to destroy Cleaue thou the heads of mighty kings Our enemies in godly things And let the world behold and see That we are chosen vnto thee Lord gather Iacob vnto thee That they thy might power may see that they thy wondrous works may show And to be thine themselues may know Vnto thy folke impute no blame Which euer cald vpon thy name To Israel Lord be thou milde Thy only heir thy first borne child Vnto Ierusalem shew pitie Thy sanctuarie and thy citie Blesse Sion where thy prophets liue Thy glorie to thy people giue And be thou witnesse vnto those Which haue bene thine still to dispose And raise them vp oh Lord on hie Which in thy name doo prophesie Reward them Lord that waite for thee That they thy Prophets trueth may see Heare thou thy seruants praier oh Lord As thou to Aaron gauest thy word Guide vs in way of righteousnesse The earth thy glorie shall expresse And to the world it shall be knowne Thou art eternall and alone A Praier of Tobias exhorting all men to praise the Lord. Tobias Chap. xiii BLess'd be that king which euermore shal raign So euer may his kingdome blessed be Which punisheth and pittieth againe Which sends to hell and likewise setteth free Before whose presence may no creature stand Nor any thing auoid his heauie hand Ye children of his chosen Israell Before the Gentles stil confesse his name With whom he hath appointed you to dwell Euen there I say extol and laude his fame He is a Lord and God most gracious And still hath bene a father vnto vs. He wil scourge vs for our iniquitie Yet mercie will he take on vs againe And from those nations gathered shall we be With whom as strangers now we do remaine Yf in your harts he shal repentance find And turne to him with zeale and willing mind When as your dealings shall be found vpright Then wil he turn his face from you no more Nor thenceforth hide his presence from your sight But lend his mercie then laid vp in store Therefore confesse his name praises sing To that most great and highest heauenly King I will confesse him in captiuitie And to a wicked people shewe his might Oh turne to him vile sinners that you be And doo the thing is vpright in his sight Who's there can tell if he will mercie showe Or take compassion on you yea or noe I will extoll and laude thy name alwaies My soule the praise of heauens King expresse All tongues on earth shall spread abroad his praise All nations shew foorth his righteousnesse Ierusalem thou shalt be scourged then But he wil spare the sonnes of righteous men Faile not to giue the Lord his praises due And still extoll that euerlasting King And help to build his Tabernacle newe In which his Saints shall euer sit and sing In which the captiues shall haue end of griefe In which the poore shall euer find reliefe Many shall come from countries far and neare And shall great giftes vnto his presence bring Many before his presence shall appeare And shal reioice in this great heauenly King Cursed be those which hate thy blessed name But bless'd be those which loue like the same Triumph with ioy ye that be good and iust Though scattered now yet shall you gathered be Then in the Lord fix all your hope and trust And rest in peace till you these blessings see blessed be those which haue bin touch'd with griefe when they haue seen thee scourg'd want reliefe Those only shall reioice with thee againe And those shall be partakers of thy glorie And shall in blisse for ay with thee remaine Now passed once these troubles transitorie Then oh my soule see thou reioice and sing And laud the great and highest heuenly King And he will build Ierusalem full faire With Emeralds and Saphyrs of great price With precious stones he will her walles repaire Her towers of golde with worke of rare deuice And all her streetes with Berall will he paue With Carbunckles and Ophirs passing braue And all her people there shall sit and say Praised be God with Aleluiah FINIS
THE HARMONIE of the Church Containing The Spirituall Songes and holy Hymnes of godly men Patriarkes and Prophetes all sweetly sounding to the praise and glory of the highest Now newlie reduced into sundrie kinds of English Meeter meete to be read or sung for the solace and comfort of the godly By M. D. LONDON Printed by Richard Ihones at the Rose and Crowne neere Holborne Bridge 1591. To the Godly and vertuous Lady the Lady Iane Deuoreux of Meriuale GOod Madame oft imagining with my selfe howe to manifest my well meaning vnto your Ladishippe and in my loue towardes you most vnwilling to bee founde ingratefull either in the behalfe of my Countrie or the place of my byrth To the one your godlie life beeing a president of perfect vertue to the other your bountifull hospitalitie an exceeding releefe Then good Ladie my selfe as an admyrer of your manie vertues and a well-wisher vnto your happie and desired estate doo here present the fruites of my labours vnto your modest and discreet consideration hoping that you will measure them not by my abilitie but by their authoritie not as Poems of Poets but praiers of Prophets and vouchsafe to be their gracious Patronesse against any gracelesse Parasite And endeuour your selfe with this good Debora Hester and Iudith whose songes of praise I here present to your Ladiship to the aduancing of Gods glorie and the beautifieng of his Church Thus committing your Ladiship and all your actions to the protection of the Almighty and my short translation to your curteous censure I humbly take my leaue London this 10. of Feb. 1590· Your Ladiships to commaund in all dutifull seruices Michaell Drayton To the curteous Reader GEntle Reader my meaning is not with the varietie of verse to feede any vaine humour neither to trouble thee with deuises of mine owne inuention as carieng an ouerweening of mine owne wit but here I present thee with these Psalmes or Songes of praise so exactly translated as the prose would permit or sence would any way suffer me which if thou shalt be the same in hart thou art in name I mean a Christian I doubt not but thou wilt take as great delight in these as in any Poetical fiction I speak not of Mars the god of Wars nor of Venus the goddesse of loue but of the Lord of Hostes that made heauen and earth Not of Toyes in Mount Ida but of triumphes in Mount Sion Not of Vanitie but of Veritie not of Tales but of Truethes Thus submitting my selfe vnto thy clemencie and my labours vnto thy indifferencie I wish thee as my selfe Thine as his owne M. D. The Spirituall Songes and holy Hymnes contained in this Book 1 THe most notable Song of Moses which he made a litle before his death 2 The Song of the Israelites for their deliuerance out of Egypt 3 The most excellent Song of Salomon Containing eight Chapters 4 The Song of Annah 5 The Praier of Ieremiah 6 The Song of Deborah and Barach 7 A Song of the Faithfull for the mercies of God 8 Another Song of the Faithfull 9 A Song of thankes to God 10 An other Song of the Faithfull Other Songes and Praiers out of the bookes of Apocripha 11 The Praier of Iudith 12 The Song of Iudith 13 A Praier in Ecclesiasticus of the Author 14 The Praier of Salomon 15 A Song of Ihesus the sonne of Sirach 16 The Praier of Hester 17 The Praier of Mardocheus 18 A Praier in the person of the Faithfull 19 A Praier of Tobias FINIS The most notable Song of Moses containing Gods benefites to his people which he taught the Children of Israell a litle before his death and commanded them to learne it and teach it vnto their children as a witnesse betweene God and them Deutronom Chap. xxxii YEe Heauens aboue vnto my speach attend And Earth below giue eare vnto my will My doctrine shall like pleasant drops discend My words like heauenly dew shal down distil like as sweet showers refresh the hearbs again Or as the grasse is nourish'd by the raine I will describe Iehouahs name aright And to that God giue euerlasting praise Perfect is he a God of woondrous might With iudgment he directeth all his waies He onely true and without sinne to trust Righteous is he and he is onely iust With loathsome sinne now are you all defilde Not of his seed but Bastards basely borne And from his mercie therefore quite exilde Mischieuous men through follie all forlorne Is it not he which hath you dearly bought Proportion'd you and made you iust of nought Consider well the times and ages past Aske thy forefathers and they shall thee tell That when Iehouah did deuide at last Th'inheritance that to the Nations fel And seperating Adams heires he gaue the portion his Israell should haue His people be the portion of the Lord Iacob the lot of his inheritance In wildernesse he hath thee not abhorr'd But in wild Deserts did thee still aduance He taught thee still and had a care of thee And kept thee as the apple of his eie Like as the Eagle tricketh vp her neast Therein to lay her litle birdes full soft And on her backe doth suffer them to rest And with her wings both carie them aloft Euen so the Lord with care hath nourisht thee And thou hast had no other God but he And great Iehouah giueth vnto thee The fertilst soyle the earth did euer yeeld That thou all pleasure mightst beholde and see And tast the fruit of the most pleasant field Honey for thee out of the flint he brought And oile out of the craggie rocke he wrought With finest butter still he hath thee fed With milke of Sheep he hath thee cherished With fat of Lambes and Rammes in Bazan bred With flesh of Goates he hath thee nourished With finest wheat he hath refresht thee still And gaue thee wine thereof to drink thy fill But hee that should be thankfull then for this Once waxing fat began to spurne and kicke Thou art so crancke and such thy grosenesse is That now to lust thy prouender doth pricke That he that made thee thou remembrest not And he that sau'd thee thou hast clean forgot With Idols they offend his gracious eies And by their sinne prouoke him vnto yre To deuils they doo offer sacrifice Forsake their God and other goddes desire Gods whose beginnings were but strange new Whom yet their fathers neuer fear'd nor knew He which begat thee is cleane out of mind The God which form'd thee thou doost not regard The Lord to angre was therewith inclinde His sonnes and daughters should him so reward And there he vow'd his chearfull face to hide To see their end and what would them betide For faithlesse they and froward are become And with no God moue me to ielousie To angre they prouoke me all and some And still offend me with their vanitie And with no people I will mooue them then And angre them with vaine and foolish
garden plot loe I am present now I gathered haue the Myrrhe and spice that in aboundance growe With honey milke wine I haue refresht me here Eat drink my friends be mery there with harty frieÌ„dly cheare Although in slumbering sleepe it seemes to you I lay Yet hâ—â—râ— I my beloued knock me thinks I heare him say Open to me the gate my Loue my hearts delight For 〈◊〉 my locks are all bedewed with drizling drops of night My garments are put off then may I not doo so Shal I defile my feet I washt so white as any snow Then fast euen by the dore to me he shew'd his hand My heart was then enamoured when as I saw him stand Then straight waies vp I rose to ope the dore with speed My handes and fingers dropped Myrrhe vpon the bar indeed Then opened I the dore vnto my Loue at last But all in vaine for why before my Loue was gone and past There sought I for my loue then could I crie and call But him I could not find nor he â—ould answer me at at all The watchmen found me then as thus I walk'd astray They wounded me and from my head my vaile they took away Ye daughters of Ierusalem if ye my Loue doo see Tell him that I am sicke for loue yea tel him this from me Thou peerelesse Gene of price I pray thee to vs tell What is thy Loue what may he be that doth so far excell In my beloueds face the Rose and Lilly striue Among ten thousand men not one is found so faire aliue His head like finest gold with secret sweet perfume His curled locks hang all as black as any Rauens plume His eies be like to Doues on Riuers banks below Ywasht with milk whose collours are most gallant to the show His cheeks like to a plot where spice and flowers growe his lips like to the Lilly white froÌ„ wheÌ„ce pure Myrth doth flow His hands like rings of gold with costly Chrisales His belly like the Yuory white with seemly Saphyrs set His legs like Pillers strong of Marble set in gold His countenance like Libanon or Cedars to behold His mouth it is as sweet yea sweet as sweet may be This is my Loue ye Virgins loe euen such a one is he Thou fairest of vs al whether is thy Louer gone Tel vs and we will goe with thee thou shalt not goe alone The sixt Chapter DOwne to his garden place mine own true Loue is gone Among the Spice and Lillies sweet to walke himselfe alone True am I to my Loue and he my louing make Which in the Lillies makes abode and doth his pleasure take With Tirzah or Ierusalem thy beautie may be waide In shew like to an Armie great whose Ensignes are displaid Oh turne away thine eies for they haue wounded me Thy haires are like a heard of Goats on Gilead mount that be Thy teeth like new washt sheep returning from the flood Whereas not one is barren found but beareth twins a good The temples of thy head within thy locks to showe Are like to the Pomgranet fruit that in the Orchards grow Of Concubines four score there are of Queens twice treble ten Of Virgins for the multitude not to be numbred then But yet my Doue alone and vndefiled Fere Her mothers only daughter is to her exceeding deare The Virgins saw my Loue and they haue lik'd her well The Queens eke the Concubines they say she doth excell Who's she I doo behold so like the morning cleare Or like the Moon when towards the ful in pride she doth appear Bright as the radiant raies that from the Sun descend Or like an Army terrible when Ensignes they extend Vnto the nuts downe will I goe and fruitfull valeyes lowe To see if that the Vine doo bud and the Pomgranets growe My selfe I know not I ne nothing knew I then Let me be like a chariot euen of thy noble men Return againe oh make returne thou Shulamite so deare Let vs enioy thy company I pray thee soiorne here What see you in the Shulamite in her what may you see But like a troupe of warlike men that in the armies be The seuenth Chapter HOw stately are thy sâ—eps with braue and loftypace Thou daintie princesse darling deare with comely gallant grace the wiues of thy fait thighs the which so straight do stand Are like to cutions iewels wrought by cunning workmaÌ„s hand Thy nauell like a gobler is which stil with wine doth flowe Thy belly like an heape of wheat about which Lillies growe Thy breasts I may compare like to two litle Roes which follow on their mothers steps when forth to feed she goes Thy necke like to a Tower of costly Iuory fram'd thine eies like HeshboÌ„ waters clear by that Bathrabbin nam'd Thy nose like Libanon Tower most seemly to the eie Which towards Damascus citie faire that stately town dothly Thy head like Starlet red thy hatre of purple hue The King in thee doth take delight as in his Lady true How faire art thou my Loue and seemly to the sight The pleasures that abound in thee they are my chiefe delight Thy statute like the Pasiue the call and straightest tree Thy breasts the which do thee worne most like to clusters be Vpon the pleasant palme I said I wil take holde And rest vpon her pleasant boughes I said I wil be bolde Thy breasts are like a bunch of grapes on the most fruitful vine Thy nose in smel like to the fruit of al most pure and fine The roofe of thy sweet mouth like purest wine doth cast Which makes the very aged lagh forgetting sorrowes past I am vnto my Loue a faithfull friendly Fere And he is likewise vnto me most render and most deare Goe we into the field to sport vs in the plaine And in the pleasant villages my Loue let vs remaine Then early will we rise and see if that the vine do flourish And if the earth accordingly do the Pomgranets nourish I feele the Mandrakes smell within our gates that be The sweetest things both new olde my Loue I kept for thee The eight Chapter OH that thou weart my brother borne that suckt my mothers breast Then sweetly would I kisse thy lippes and by thee take my rest Vnto my mothers closet sure mine own Loue will I bring And be obedient vnto him in euery kind of thing There wil I giue to thee my Loue the daintie spiced wine And pleasant liquor that distils from the Pomgrauet fine With his left hand he shal support and eke my head vpreare And with the right most louingly he shal imbrace his deare Ye daughters of Ierusalem doo not my Loue disease But suffer her to take her rest so long as she shall please Who's that which from the wildernes you commeth froÌ„ aboue And in this sort familiarly dooth leane vpon her Loue Vnder a pleasant aple tree from whence like fruit doth spring Thy mother first conceiued thee euen forth
nor being haue And thou hast rooted out of memorie Oh Lord thou doost this nation multiply Thou Lord hast blest this nation with increase Thou art most glorious in thy maiesty Thou hast inlarg'd the earth with perfect peace We cride to thee and oft our hands did wring When we haue seen thee bent to punishment Like to a woman in childbyrth traueiling Euen so in paine we mourne and doo lament We haue conceiu'd and laboured with paine But only wind at last we forth haue brought Vpon the earth no hope there doth remaine The wicked world likewise auailes vs nought The dead shal liue and such as sleep in graue With their own bodies once shal rise againe Sing ye that in the dust your dwelling haue The earth no more her bodies shall retaine Come come my people to my chamber here And shut the doores vp surely after thee Hide thou thy selfe and doo not once appeare Nor let thine eies mine indignation see For from aboue the Lord is now dispos'd To scourge the sinnes that in the world remaine His seruants blood in earth shal be disclosde And she shal now yeeld vp her people slaine Finis Hereafter follovve certain other Songs and Praiers of godly men and women out of the Bookes of Apocripha The Praier of Iudith for the deliuerance of the people In the ix Chap. of the book of Iudith OH Lord the God of Simeon my soueraigne Father deare To whom thou gauest strength and might the sword in hand to beare To take reuenge on those which first the maidens wombe did tame And spoiled her virginitie with great reproch and shame For which offence thou gauest vp their princes to be slaine so that their wounds with gory blood their beds did all distain Their seruāts with their lords ech one haue felt thy wrath alike who sitting in their roial seat thou sparest not to strike Their wiues their daughters their goods thou gau'st for thy behoue As prais as captiues as spoiles to those whō thou didst loue who modu'd with zeale could not abide their blood defil'd to see Then heare me Lord a widow poore which here do cal to thee things past things not yet discern'd thy prouidence hath wrought Things present the things to come by thee to passe are brought Each thing is present at thy call thy wisdome doth deuise Thy secret iudgments long before thy knowledge doth comprise Th' Assirians now in multitude a mighty number are Whose horsmen on their barbed horse themselues to war prepare Their hope in footmen doth consist in sling in speare and shield They know not thee to be the Lord whose force doth win the field Let all their force their strength power he by thy might abated Who vow thy Temple to defile which thou hast consecrated Yea to pollute thy Tabernacle thy house and holy place And with their instruments of war thine Altars to deface Behold their pride and poure on them thy wrath and heauy yre And strength my hand to execute the thing I now desire Smite thou the seruant and the Lord as they together stand Abate their glory and their pride euen by a womans hand For in the greatest multitude thou takest not delight Nor in the strong and valiant men consisteth not thy might But to the humble lowly meeke the succourlesse and poors Thou art a help defence refuge and louing sauiour My father in thy name did trust O Israels Lord most deare Of heauen of earth of sea and land doo thou my praier heare Grant thou me wit sleight power strēgth to woūd thē which aduance Thēselues ouer thy Sion hil thine inheritance Declare to nations far and neare and let them know ful well Thou art the Lord wohse power strength defendeth Israell The Song of Iudith hauing slaine Holophernes In the xvi Chap. of the book of Iudith TVne vp the Timbrels then with laud vnto the Lord Sound foorth his praise on Simbals loud with songs of one accord Declare shew his praise also his name rehearse In song of thankes exactly pend of sweet and noble verse The Lord he ceaseth warres euen he the verie same Tis he that doth appease all strife Iehouah is his name The which hath pitcht his tent our surest strength and aide Amongst vs here least that our foes shuld make vs once dismaid From northren mountain tops proud Assur came a downe With warlike men a multitude of famous high renowme Whose footmen stopt the streams where riuers woont to flowe And horsmen couered all the vales that lay the hilles belowe His purpose was for to destroy my land with sword and fire To put my yongmen to the sword did thirst with hot desire My children to captiuitie he would haue borne away My virgins so by rape and force as spoiles and chiefest pray But yet the high and mighty Lord his people doth defend And by a silly womans hand hath brought him to his end For why their mightie men with Armes were not subdude Nor with their blood our yoong mens hands were not at al imbrude No none of Titans line this proud Assirian slue Nor any Gyants aid we crau'd this souldier to subdue But Iudith she alone Meraris daughter deere Whose heauenly hue hath bred his vaine and brought him to his beere She left her mourning weed and deckt her selfe with gold In royall robes of seemly showe all Israell to behold With odors she perfum'd her selfe after the queintest guise Her haire with fillet finely bound as Art could wel deuise Her slippers neat and trim his eies and fancie fed Her beautie hath bewitcht his mind her sword cut off his head The Perseans were amaz'd her modestie was such The Medes at her bold enterprise they marueiled as much Amongst th' Assyrians then great clamors can arise When as the fact so lately done apear'd before their eies the sons which erst my daughters haue euen on their bodies born Haue slaine them as they fled in chace as men so quite forlorne Euen at the presence of the Lord the stoutest turn'd his backe His power did so astonish them that al things went to wracke A song now let vs sing of thankes vnto the Lord Yea in a song of pleasant tune let vs his praise record Oh God thou mightie Lord who is there like to thee In strength and power to thee oh Lord none may compared be Thy creatures all obey and serue thee in their trade For thou no sooner spakst the word but euery thing was made Thou sentest foorth the spirit which did thy worke fulfill And nothing can withstand thy voice but listen to thy will The mountains shal remoue wher their foundation lay Likewise the floods the craggy rocks like wax shal melt away But they that feare the Lord and in him put their trust Those will he loue and stil impute amongst the good and iust But woe be those that seeke his chosen flocks decay The Lord God wil reuenge their wrongs at
the last iudgement day For he such quenchlesse fire and gnawing wormes shal send Into their flesh as shal consume them world without an end A Praier of the Authour In the xxiii Chap. of Ecclesiasticus LOrd of my life my guide and gouernour Father of thee this one thing I require Thou wilt not leaue me to the wicked power Which seeke my fall and stil my death desire Oh who is he that shall instruct my thought And so with wisdom shall inspire my heart In ignorance that nothing may be wrought By me with them whose sinne shall not depart Least that mine errors growe and multiplie And to destruction through my sinnes I fall My foes reioice at my aduersitie Who in thy mercie haue no hope at all My Lord and God from whom my life I tooke Vnto the wicked leaue me not a pray A haughty mind a proud disdainfull looke From me thy Seruant take thou cleane away Vaine hope likewise with vile concupiscence Lord of thy mercie take thou cleane from me Retaine thou him in true obedience Who with desire daily serueth thee Let not desire to please the greedy mawe Or appetite of any fleshly lust Thy seruant from his louing Lord withdraw But giue thou me a mind both good and iust The Praier of Salomon In the ix Chap. of the book of Wisdome OH God of our forefathers all of mercie thou the Lord Which heauen and earth and al thinges els createdst with thy word And by thy wisdome madest man like to thy selfe alone And gauest him ouer thy workes the chiefe dominion That he shoud rule vpon the earth with equity and right And that his iudgments should be pure and vpright in thy sight Giue me that wisdome which about thy sacred throne doth stay And from amongst thine own elect Lord put me not away For I thy seruant am and of thy handmaid borne A sillie soule whose life alas is short and all forlorne And do not vnderstand at all what ought to be my guide I mean thy statutes and thy lawes least that I slip aside For though a man in worldly things for wisdome be esteem'd Yet if thy wisdom want in him his is but folly deem'd Thou chosest me to be a King to sit on royall throne To iudge the folk which thou of right dost chalenge for thy own Thou hast commanded me to build a Temple on thy hill And Altar in the self same place where thou thy selfe doost dwel Euen like vnto thy Tabernacle in each kind of respect A thing most holy which at first thy selfe thou didst erect Thy wisdome being stil with thee which vnderstands thy trade When as thou framedst first the world and her foundation laid Which knew the thing that most of all was pleasant in thy sight Thy wil and thy commandements wherein thou takst delight Send her down from that heauenly seat wheras she doth abide That she may shew to me thy will and be my onely guide For she dooth know and vnderstand yea al things doth foresee And by her works and mighty power I shall preserued bee Then shal my works accepted be and liked in thy sight When I vpon my fathers throne shall iudge thy folke aright Who knoweth the counsell of the Lord his deep and secret skil Or who may search into his works or know his holy will For why the thoughts of mortal men are nothing els but care Their forecasts and deuises all things most vncertaine are The bodie is vnto the soule a waight and burthen great The earthly house depresseth down the mind with cares repleat The things which here on earth remain we hardly can discern To find their secret vse and trade with labor great we learne For who doth search or seek to know with traueill with care The secrets of the mightie Lord which hie in heauen are Who can thy counsels vnderstand except thou doo impart Thy wisdome and thy holy spirit doost send into his heart For so the waies of mortal men reformed are and taught The things that most delighteth thee which wisdom forth haue brought A Song of Ihesus the sonne of Sirach In the last Chap. of Ecclesiasticus I Will confesse thy name O Lord And giue thee praise with one accord My God my King and Sauiour Vnto thy name be thankes and power I haue bene succoured by thee And thou hast still preserued me And from destruction kept me long And from report of slaunderous tongue From lips stil exrcisde with lies And from my cruell enemies Thou me in mercie doost deliuer Thy blessed name be praisde for euer From monsters that would me deuoure From cruell tyrants and their power In all affliction paine and griefe Thou succourest me with some reliefe From the cruell burning flame Poore I inclosde within the same From the deepe infernall pit From venom'd tongues that poison spit From speeches that of malice spring From accusation to the king From all reproch and infamy From slander and like villanie My soule to death praise thou the Lord And laud his name with one accord For death was readie thee to take And thou neare the infernall lake They compassed me round about But there was none to helpe me out I look'd when succour would appeare But there was none that would come neare Vpon thy mercies then I thought And on the wonders thou hast wrought How from destruction thou doost saue Such as in thee affiance haue In praier then I did perseuer That thou from death wouldst me deliuer Vnto the Lord I crie and call That he would rid me out of thrall Therefore I still will praise thy name And euer thanke thee for the same My praiers shall of thee be heard And neuer from thy eares debard Thou sau'st me from destruction And other mischiefs more than one Therefore wil I praise thee O Lord And in my songs thy name record The Praier of Hester for the deliuerance of her and her people In the xiiii Chap. of Hester O Mighty Lord thou art our God to thee for aid I crie To help a woman desolate sith danger now is nie Euen frō my youth I oft haue hard my predecessors tel That from amongst the nations all thou chosest Israell And chosest those our fathers were from theirs that went before To be thine owne and hast perform'd thy promise euermore Now Lord we haue committed sin most grieuous in thine eies Wherfore thou hast deliuered vs vnto our enemies Because that to their heathen gods with worship we haue gone Knowing that thou art God the Lord the righteous Lord alone Yet not content nor satisfied with these our captiues bands But with their Idols they thēselues haue ioin'd shaken hands Quite to abolish and subuert what thou appointed hast And this thine owne inheritance euen vtterly to waste To shut and stop the mouthes of those that yeeld thee thanks and praise Thy glorious temples to defile thine Altars vp to raise And to induce the heathen folke to laud their Idols