 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
162. The Testament of a Christian
Terram terra tegat, demon peccata resumat,
Mundus res habeat, spiritus alta petat.
Mundus res habeat, spiritus alta petat.
Terram terra tegat
Ffour poyntis, my will or I hence departe,Reason me moveth to make as I maye:
ffirst, to the erthe I bequeth his parte—
My wretched careyn, is but fowle claye.
Like than to like, erthe in erthe to laye,
Sith it is according, by it I woll abide,
As for the first parte of my will, that erthe erth hide.
Demon peccata resumat
Myne orrible synnes that so sore me bynde,With weight me oppresse, that lyen so many fold,
So many in numbre, soo sondry in kynde.
The ffeende by his instaunce to theym made me bold—
ffrom hym they come, to hym I yelde wolde.
Wherfore, the second parte of my will is thus,
That the fende receyue all my synnes as his.
Mundus res habeat
Whate availeth goodys, am I ones dede and roten?Them all and some I leve, peny and povnde,
Truely or vntruely, some I trowe mys-goten—
Though I wot not of whome, howe, nor in whate grovnde.
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And therfore the thirde parte is of my wille,
All my worldly goodis Let the worlde haue still.
Spiritus alta petat
Nowe for the fourth poynte, and than haue I doo.Nedefull for the soule me thinketh to provide;
Hence muste I nedes, but whother shall I goo?
I dowte my demeryttys, which weyen on euery side,
but goddys mercy shall I truste to be my guyde,
Vnder whoes liecens, yet while I maye breth,
Vnto heven on high my Soule I bequeth.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |