University of Virginia Library

Psalm 143.

Domine exaudi orationem meam

Here my prayer o lord, here my request,
Complyshe my bone, answere to my desire,
Not by desert, but for thyn own byhest,
In whose ferme trowgh thou promest myn empyre
To stond stable. And after thy Justyse,
Performe, o lord, the thing that I require;
But not off law after the forme and guyse
To entre judgement with thy thrall bond slave,
To plede his ryght, for in such maner wyse
By fore thy syght no man his ryght shall save.
Ffor off my sellff lo this my ryght wisenes,
By skourge and whipp and prykyng spurrs I have
Skante rysen vp, such is my bestlynes;
Ffor that my enmy hath pursuyd my lyff,
And in the dust hath foyld my lustynes;
Ffor that in heins to fle his rage so ryff,
He hath me forst as ded to hyd my hed;
And for by cawse within my sellff at stryffe
My hert and spryte with all my force were fled.
I had recourse to tyms that have ben past,
And did remembre thy dedes in all my dred;
And did peruse thi workes that euer last,
Wherby I knew above those wondres all
Thy mercys were. Then lyfft I vp in hast
My handes to the, my sowle to the did call
Like bareyne soyle for moystre off thy grace.
Hast to my help, o lord, afore I fall;
Ffor sure I fele my spryte doth faynt a pace
Torne not thi face from me, that I be layd
In compt off them that hedlyng down do pase
In to the pitt. Shew me by tyms thyn Ayde,
Ffor on thy grace I holly do depend.
And in thi hand sins all my helth is stayde
Do me to know what way thou wolt I bend,
Ffor vnto the I have reysd vp my mynd.
Rydd me, o lord, from that that do entend
My foos to me, ffor I have me assind
Allway within thi secrette protection.
Tech me thy will, that I by the may fynd
The way to work the same in affection.
Ffor thou my god, thy blyssyd spryte vp right,
In lond off trowght shalbe my dyrection.
Thow for thy name, lord, shalt revive my spryte
Within the ryght that I receyve by the,
Wherby my lyff off danger shalbe quyte.
Thow hast fordon theire grete Iniquite
That vext my sowle, thou shalt also confownd
My foos, o lord, for thy benignite,
Ffor thyn ame I, thy servant ay most bownd.