 | Theophilus |  |
VII.
Of Theophilus moste earneste rendring thankis to Christe Jesue and his gloryous mother for hys reconciliation to his mercye agayne: receavinge allso hys byll of abnegation. Hys offise and goodis, goaten bye the devill, he vtterlye dyd fforsake, geavinge him self from thensfourth whoallye to amendement of lyef.
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‘O what maye I saye, contryve or deviseBy all the powers and wytte in mye headde,
Prayse worthye to saye in anye manner wyse,
In sight of oure Lorde worthelye to steade
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By his deare mother, floure of womankinde,
Godes speciall choasen toverthrowe the ffynde?
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But I can, o Kinge and Lorde of all!I render thankis, prayse, honor and lovinge
To thye devyne maiestye eternall,
For mee vnto thye ovyle restoringe,
As speciallye ys mee behovinge,
Beseachinge thye grace therwith to assiste
That I neaver be owte of the same myste’.
139
A while departinge owte of the chappell,With somewhat to refreshe his longe fastinge,
Returninge agayne, on face he downe fell,
As earste before, thus pyteouslye sayinge:
‘O blessed Ladye, I geue thee praysinge
For thye moste mercyfull releavinge of mee,
For which for eaver moste bounden vnto thee.
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But, blessed Ladye, on suite haue I more,In which I beseeche thye mercyfull ayde:
My cursed handwrytinge as to restore,
That to my confusion yt be not layde,
Of which I am moste grevouslye afrayde,
Leste when in iudgement I shall be made stande,
Be layde againste me my owne wrytinge hande’.
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To prayer he went moste earneste agayne,The blessed Ladye to helpe in that case.
On sleepe hee soone fell, as God dyd ordayne,
And therin continuinge no longe space,
To whom happened this singuler grace:
He awakinge, the wrytinge he dyd fraye,
Depryved the ffynde, vpon his breste laye.
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Which he receauinge was passinge gladde,And rendered thankis to the Allmightye,
For that agayne his hande wrytinge he hadde,—
And to the gloryous virgin Marye,
Whom all hys lyef after, as good cawse whye,
He hadd in honor, nexte to her blessed soon,
For the mercyes shee hadd vpon hym doon.
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All this thus browght to good conclusion,Theophylus then became a newe man.
The devill, which seekethe mannys confusion,
At our Ladye he cursed and dyd ban,
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So hadde he not the fyrst woman at wyll,
But contrarywise, this other to fullfyll:
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Theophilus, rydde owte of the ffyndes thrall,He meant never more with him to meddle.
His lief, yt was then so penytentyall,
In which his mynde so firme he dyd settle,
That he seemed formed of a newe mettle:
So fraile not before to falle in myssehappis,
As after warefull tavoyde all relapsis.
145
Hys office he let then take yt who wolde.His servantis, he sett now bye there servise;
He wolde be maister no more of howsholde.
He hadd to him take farre better advyse.
The worldes vaine pleasure no more him tentyse,
To which he became as man crucyfyed,
And hee to the world, for he yt denyed.
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Hys goodis that so rose to him by the devyll,The dyvill and his servauntis, the worlde, he let take.
For he is author of eaverye evyll,
Whateaver he doth, to eavill ende doth make.
No more he myndede to come in his brake.
As childe onse burned of fyer will beware,
Theophylus so tavoyde the devylles snare.
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Hys mynde from the earth was upwardes elevate,Of purpose to seeke celestiall thingis.
All wordlye vnder foote he dyd conculcate,
For that to sowles health no good thynge yt bringeth.
The gloryous Ladye he ofte in mynde myngeth,
How her to serve and here sun magnyfye,
That had for him doone so mercyfullye.
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Beseach God hee dyd with tearys yssuinge,His harte to illumyne so with hys grace,
That nyght ne deye his lief contynuynge
Otherwyse then well; to spende tyme nor space
But to all goodnes; his harte vnlase,
Hys former fraile lief to haue yt present
Before hys iyen, worthelye to lament.
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Thus geavin from the worlde whoallye to GodThis Theophilus wee certayne nowe see,
108
As when hee from God to the devill dyd flee.
From good so to badde is chaunge to pytee,
But chaunginge from evyll the lyfes conversation,
Of all that is, sure, the best commutation.
| Theophilus | |