[The Courte of Vertu contaynynge many holy songes, Sonettes, psalmes and ballettes] [by John Hall] |
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 | [The Courte of Vertu |  |
The x. commaundementes of almighty God written, in ij. tables of stone with ye finger of God. The first table conteyning iiij preceptes concerneth our duety towardes God: The second table conteyning the other vj. preceptes concerneth our duetye towardes our neyghbour.
written in the xx. Chapiter of Exodus, and in the v. Chapiter Deuteronomium.
Argument.
The lyuyng God our onely Lorde
That all thinges with his word hath made,
And (as the scripture doth recorde)
Doth gouerne all in godly trade,
And knowth how apt man is to stray
And all good thynges to disobay.
That all thinges with his word hath made,
And (as the scripture doth recorde)
Doth gouerne all in godly trade,
And knowth how apt man is to stray
And all good thynges to disobay.
Wyth hys fynger (for mannes behoue)
In tables twayne of stone dyd wryte
Commaundementes ten, hys heart to moue
From guyle and wrong to truth and right:
In godlynes to guyde hys wayes
They folow here note what he sayes.
In tables twayne of stone dyd wryte
Commaundementes ten, hys heart to moue
From guyle and wrong to truth and right:
In godlynes to guyde hys wayes
They folow here note what he sayes.
48
1
I am thy Lorde and God aloneFrom Egypt land that brought the ryght.
Beholdyng thy distresse and mone:
From house of bonde I freede thee quight.
Wherefore thou shalte I say to thee
None other Goddes haue before mee.
2
Thou shalt no grauen Image make,Nor picture be it greate or smalle.
Or fygure that thy minde may take,
In heauen earth or waters all:
Nor honour them, that shalt not thou,
Nor vnto them ne knele nor bowe.
For I thy God and onely Lorde
A ielouse God am of suche synne,
And fathers faultes I haue abhorde
Upon their childern and their kynne:
In kynreds iij. or iiij. or mo
I vysit them that hate me so.
A ielouse God am of suche synne,
And fathers faultes I haue abhorde
Upon their childern and their kynne:
In kynreds iij. or iiij. or mo
I vysit them that hate me so.
Which iustyce yet doth me not stay
From mekenes, mercy, nor from grace:
Which I extende to them alway
My holy lawes that do embrace:
To thousandes though none can deserue,
That I commaunde if they obserue.
From mekenes, mercy, nor from grace:
Which I extende to them alway
My holy lawes that do embrace:
To thousandes though none can deserue,
That I commaunde if they obserue.
3
The holy name thou shalt not vseOf me thy lord and God in vayne,
Unlawfull othes thou shalt refuse,
Sweare not for false or fylthy gayne:
The Lorde will thee not holde vngylt
Hys name in vayne if take thou wilt.
[48]
4
Remember that in any wysethe Sabaoth day thou sanctifie,
Syx dayes thou shalt thee exercise,
And labour for necessitie:
The seuenth day the Sabaoth is
Of god almyght the lorde of blys.
Therfore this day beare well in minde
No kinde of worke that then thou do,
Unto whiche lawe thy sonne I bynde,
Thy daughter shall it kepe also,
Thy man thy mayde and eke thy beast:
In fyne within thy gate thy geast.
No kinde of worke that then thou do,
Unto whiche lawe thy sonne I bynde,
Thy daughter shall it kepe also,
Thy man thy mayde and eke thy beast:
In fyne within thy gate thy geast.
For in syx dayes the lorde created
Heauen, earthe, sea, and all of noughte,
The seuenth day take his rest he dyd:
Wherfore the lorde that all hath wrought,
The Sabaoth day dyd sanctifie,
And blessed it perpetually.
Heauen, earthe, sea, and all of noughte,
The seuenth day take his rest he dyd:
Wherfore the lorde that all hath wrought,
The Sabaoth day dyd sanctifie,
And blessed it perpetually.
5
Thy father and thy mother dereSe that thou reuerently honour,
Let none ingratitude appere
In thee to them, but them soccour:
So in the lande longe shalt thou lyue,
Whiche thy lorde God to thee shall gyue.
6
Thou shalt not kyll note thou it well.7
Also thou shalt no wedlocke breake.8
I say also thou shalt not steale.9
Nor witnes false thou shalt none speake.Against thy neyghbours, them to wrong:
But lyue vprightly them amonge.
49
And to conclude of this take hede
What my lawes chieflye doe requyre,
Not onely to forbere the dede,
But also from the heartes desyre,
Of that thy neighbour doth possesse,
Of any thyng in more or lesse.
What my lawes chieflye doe requyre,
Not onely to forbere the dede,
But also from the heartes desyre,
Of that thy neighbour doth possesse,
Of any thyng in more or lesse.
10
Particularlye to recite,Thy neyghbours house couet thou not:
Nor yet hys wyfe, his heartes delyght,
Hys man or mayde whych is his lot:
Hys oxe or asse or ought of hys,
Couet thou not, thynke wel on thys.
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