University of Virginia Library



[When children first begin to learne]

When children first begin to learne,
Their letters for to knowe:
Right their difference to discerne
Thei lerne their Christ crosse row.
Christ his crosse be my speede, saye they,
And good sainct Nycholas,
In our childhode this did we pray,
For so the custome was.
Then in learning we did procede,
More knowledge to attaine,
Which knowledge had, we fell in dede
To folowe fancies vayne.
For the first thing that then learnd we,
Was first our lorde to knowe,
Thre persons in the trinitie,
Whiche faith we late fell fro,
Then learned we as Christ had taught,
For what, and howe to praye:
But vice in vs such wit hath wraught,
That fewe can it well saye:
The profe wherof doth here ensue,
Let men them selues be iudge,
Wherein yf I do tell them true,
At it let them not grudge.
But now, or I do further passe,
Lest some woulde this disdayne,
For naminge here sainct Nicholas,
My meaning is this playne.
Christ his crosse all our children praye,
In learning them to spede:
So shoulde all we nowe at this daye,


In like order procede.
We haue forgot our crosse to take,
And after Christ to runne,
Therfore all slouth we must forsake,
And turne where we begonne:
Then shall his crosse truely vs spede,
More vertue to attayne,
And grace in vs such loue wyll brede,
Our crosse shall vs not payne.
The holy man sainct Nycholas
Our children call for ayde:
I thinke most men knoweth not the case
And why it was so sayde.
Sainct Nicholas a childe beinge
His crosse right soone he bore,
For his body with muche fastinge
He punished full sore:
To teache both children and old men
Their crosse to take lykewise,
And after Christ to beare it then
With often exercise,
And after this, his childhode past,
A bishop made was he,
All worldlynes from him he cast,
And walkte in charitie,
Wherof he was suche a myrrour,
That happie were we all,
Yf god by grace, gaue bishoppes power
To the lyke life to fall,
And we to walke in the lyke trade,
All sortes bothe olde and yonge,
Then mought we hope god woulde vs ayde


And styll by grace vpholde.
But now alas my heart doth quake,
To see our myserie,
My crosse row now nedes must I make,
To my mynde contrarye.
The crosse of Christ some beares alas,
Against theyr wylles we see:
Gone hence is good sainct Nicholas
And eke his charitie.
In this life he did not onely,
His bodye muche chastice
But with almes muche pouertie,
He did releue lykewyse,
As in his life it doth appeare,
Which is myne authour playne,
Wherby to you I make it cleare,
His dedes I do not fayne.
Nowe for this cause this sainct I name,
To thende that we might all,
Perceyue the cause as I do ayme,
That we his ayde dyd call.
Therfore sith the worlde at this daye,
Is tourned vp syde downe,
This A B C here tourne I maye,
In some part wronge to sowne,
But now my wyll whole to expresse,
My wit can not attayne,
Therein I finde suche feblenes,
It passeth my weake brayne,
Therfore Christes crosse now be my spede,
For here I wyll beginne,
As cause doth moue me to procede,
Thus do I enter in.


A hath fyrst place, whiche place I muste
As cause of wo to stande,
Auarice and eke fleshely lust,
Alone distroyed this lande.
B Baren are we of blessednes
Blinded with worldly care,
Boldnes in vice we se expresse,
Babes can the trueth declare.
C Couitousnes with crafty dedes
Can scarsly hence be rydde:
Conspiracie muche canker bredes
Couertly in heartes hydde.
D Drede of God and eke his iudgement
Dryuen haue we from our heartes,
Dearth without cause some doth inuent
Diuels can playe no worse partes.
E Enuy hath entred in suche wyse
Euyll men thereby we see
Enuiouslye good men dispise
Euen of mere enmite.
F Fained falshode with flatery
Faithles folke haue founde,
Faininge a face fraudelently
Frendship for to confounde.
G Gredines great for graceles gayne
Growne is in suche degree.


Grounde of our griefe which doth vs payne
Graunted this nedes must be.
H Horably do they our lorde offend
His poore folke here to sterue,
Hauing wherwith as god shall send,
Honestly them to serue.
I Iniquitie so ouerfloweth,
I neuer sawe the lyke,
Ingratitude so her selfe showeth,
Iustly God must vs stryke.
K Knowledge of God and our estate,
Kinges to obey eche one,
Kunninge our heartes so doth inflate
Knockinge for grace is gone.
L Libertie lept ouer this lande,
Lously at his owne will,
Letchery to breake wedlockes bande
Likewise doth luste fulfyll.
M Madnes of mynde money to get,
Makes some god to forsake:
Money iustice and law can let,
Much mischiefe it doth make.
N Nigardes nedeles by nigardie
Neuer doth any good,
Not he him selfe hath ioye thereby
Nor one of the like broode,


O Odible sinne suche doth commit,
Offering to God to make
Of goodes got by craftie wit,
Or bribes falsly to take.
P Pennury pincheth poore men sore,
Percing with hungers griefe,
Pride yet did neuer raigne here more,
Practise doth make dewe priefe.
Q Quickely if we do not amende
Quenching our sinnes by grace,
Questionles God great plagues will sende
Quietnes to deface.
R Riches from plagues will no man saue,
Regarde them here who will,
Rebellious heartes God will depraue
Rest they neuer so still.
S Sweare and forsweare some do not passe
Surenes of trueth is gone,
Shame hath got on a face of brasse
Sinne thei thinke it is none.
T Traiterous tonges telling tales vntrue,
Tumultes to make therby,
Trust this thei may if thei will vewe
Time treason out will trie.
U Usurie is so vsuall
Uertue thei woulde it make,


Uile vice it is, as know they shall,
Uengeaunce when God wyll take.
X Extorsion is purchase right,
Experience hath taught,
Expelled is mercie by might
Extremitie so wraughte.
Y Yockt are we vnto miserie,
Yet sinne we without feare,
Yelde we will not to charitie,
Yonge nor olde, any where.
Z Zache wronges did ful recompence,
Zele had he right therfore.
Zacharies doubtfull diffidence,
We rather folowe more.
& And if God will punishe for sinne,
And vengeaunce on it take,
And if heauen we intende to winne.
We must our sinnes forsake.
con Confesse our faultes therfore must we,
Consideringe our euill estate
Constrained by goddes plagues we be,
Conuert then not to late.
Little though it no letter be,
In wordes may trueth deface
A foole set in authoritie
Doth iustice ofte vnplace.


By prayer to God nowe let vs call,
To procure grace, and then
After this life, haue heauen we shall
To this saye we Amen.

The Pater noster.

Our vnblessinge.

In nomine of whome do we our workes beginne?
Patris, nay God knoweth to much we do sinne,
Et filij his wisedome so small we esteme,
Et spiritus sancti, his grace eke so litle deme,
Amen, we can not saye till we amende, and then
Being turned, enioying grace, then may we saye Amen.
Pater noster, to God dayly we do call,
But lord, qui es in cœlis, alas fro the we do fall:
Sanctificetur, If all oure liuinges were,
Nomen tuum, in more honour should appeare.
Adueniat, say we, but what must it be,
Regnum tuum, nay lorde fro that farre be we:
Fiat, as we lust in our couetousnes,
Voluntas tua, therby to transgresse,
Sicut fro this worlde we should neuer go,
Our hartes is on earth, and not in cȩlo:
Et in terra, couetous hartes are so set,
That panem nostrum scarsly we can get,
Quotidianum, great hunger poore folke sustaine,


Da nobis hodie they crye, but it is in vaine.
Et dimitte nobis, our synnes howe can we say,
When debita nostra we force not to pay.
Sicut et nos, deserue lorde rewarde not vs,
But forgeue vs our sinnes more then dimittimus,
Debitoribus nostris, graunt vs grace to forgeue,
Et ne nos inducas lorde as our selues wold lyue,
In tentationem most greuously we fall,
Sed libera nos by grace, and then we shall,
A malo, be sure defended to be.
That God wyll heare our prayers, amen say we.

The aue Maria.

Ave blessed lorde, to the we may say,
Praisyng thy goodnes in our Maria:
Who gratia plena, did so to vs appeare,
That dominus tecum to her we may say cleare,
Benedicta tu all men may thynke plaine,
In mulieribus, that euer here did raigne,
Et benedictus muche more thou shalt be,
If fructus ventris tui borne we may see,
Iesus Christus, graunt this we the pray:
Amen all faythfull christen heartes wyll say.

The Crede.

Credo that plagues from vs shall not passe,
Til couetous mē in deū doth set their solasse:
Patrē they call God as they his childrē were,
But omnipotentem that they graunt not cleare,
Creatorē of all thinges for man they be cōfessors,
But cœli et terræ they would here be possessors.
Et in Iesum Christum their fayth is they cry oft,
But echone filium eius on yearth would set aloft,


Vnicum on auarice they so set their delite,
That dominum nostrū fro thē they banishe quite:
Qui conceptus est, of the flesh that they folowe so,
They regarde not the workes de spiritu sancto,
Natus was Christ onely for our sake,
And ex Maria virgine our nature did take.
Passus doth Christes mēbres almost as muche wo,
As Christ did him selfe sub pontio Pilato:
Crucifixus was Christ of the Iewes rigorous,
So do they for honger stryke many mortuus:
Et sepultus is charitie fro many men so lowe,
That dissēdit ad inferna, here he makes smal show
Tertia die, nay the third yere god graunt this,
We may say that charitie resurrexit a mortuis.
Ascendit vp is Christ to thende that we,
Ad cœlos might come by faithful charitie,
Sedet ad dexteram in the substaunce deuine,
Patris omnipotentis as faith doth define,
Inde certainly when thinke least we shall,
Venturus est in glorie with his angels all,
Iudicare vpon earth all people in all partes,
Vitros & mortuos both after their desertes.
Credo some thinkes that day wyl neuer be
In spiritum sanctum very few settes their felicitie.
Sanctam ecclesiam while we do dispise,
Catholicam charitie shal neuer arise.
Sanctorū we thoughte great scorne to be faught,
Communionem tyl they in vntruly brought,
Remissionem I pray God graunt vnto them all
Peccatorum wherein God suffereth them to fall,
Carnis they did, and doth take such carefulnes,
Resurrectionem frō sin they thinke nothing lesse,


Et vitam which Christ bought for them so dere,
They regarde not, eternā they hope to lyue here,
Amen, god forbid I shoulde say to this,
Yet I feare couetousnes wyll byde where it is.

The psalme of venite wherein god calleth vs from couetousnes as I applie it.

Venite worldly people, and with one minde
Exultemus in vertue as god hath assignde
in domino we should trust, and not in richesse
iubilemus for his giftes whiche we do possesse,
Deo lift we our heartes from all vanitie,
Salutari nostro eke most louing let vs be,
Præoccupemus to him then shal we be sure,
Faciem eius to beholde for euer to endure
in confessione of his glorious maiestie,
Et in Psalmis his name for euer magnifie,
iubilemus and set we all vice a syde,
ei we should runne, but the fleshe saith abyde.
Quoniā worldly riches our heartes we set vpon,
deus magnus we make of that wicked mammon,
dominus, of all sinnes hateth most that kynde,
et rex magnus in punishement thei shall him sure fynde,
super all his creatures honorde he wyl be,
omnes deos beside him are but vanitie.
Quoniā this couetousnes god doth threate sore,
non repellet doth man tho, one whit the more,
dominus graunt his grace to turne couetouse mē
plebem suam for hunger so sterue shall not then,
Quia though wicked men wil be wicked styll,
in manueius it is to amende all at his wyll,
sunt omnes so set not on the soules health
fines terræ they seke out for their worldly welth.


et altitudines yf they might here attayne,
montium of golde to them selues shoulde ragne
ipse yet our lorde aboue raigninge I do meane,
conspicit their madnes & wil confounde it cleane
Quoniā ipsius is the earth & al wordly goodes,
His est mare and al other water fluddes,
et ipse fecit illud: for the loue of mankynde,
et aridam for all mens welthes he also assignde,
fūdauerūt tho, our comō welth in a wretched case.
in manus eius the euil mā wold welth alon enbrase
venite frō couetousnes our lord againe calleth vs
adoremus his maiestie, and fly workes vicious,
et procidamus with repentaunce trew,
ante deum then, our sinnes we shal not rewe
ploremus it is time, expirience hath vs taught
corā dn̄o was neuer more wickednes wrought.
Quia fecit nos not in sinful lyfe to lyue,
Quia ipse est dn̄s whihch is life for vs did giue:
deus noster by grace and creation is he,
nos autem populus eius alas in meane degree
et oues in few mens handes styll do remayne,
pascui eius poore men smal pleasure shal attayne.
Hodie and many God, on vs doth call
si vocem can perse your eares, to more charitie fal
eius whose voice but gods hath called you frō syn
audieritis, but to amend when wyll ye begynne?
nolite obdurare as ye haue done many a daye
corda vestra against god, running frō him astraye
sicut ye forced not for gods anger one whit
in exacerbatione o man beware of it.
secundum thou art warned in time to amende
diem of deth yu knowest not how sone god wil sēd


Tentationis towardes god man be not to bolde,
In deserto as ye knowe the Iewes were of old.
Vbitentauerunt me, saith god, by your infidelitie,
Patres vestri were dispised & that displeased me,
Probauerunt & viderunt as farre as was meete,
Opera mea yet they denied as men vndiscrete,
Quadraginta annis with xv. hūdreth & more,
Proximus fui to vs (he saieth) as I neuer was before,
Generationi huic my church, to whiche I promyst playne,
Et dixi sēper eke, I wold wt it remaine.
Hi errant corde where I to the Iewes did saye,
Ipsi vero did not erre like some at this day,
Nō cognouerūt all thinges as I shewde to you,
Vias meas to be like yours, yet some of you auow
Quibus iuraui that for this infidelitie,
In ira mea reuenged of it I wyll be
Non introibunt with that corrupt iudgement
In requiem meam vnles they repent.
Gloria geue we with one heart and minde,
Patri who to vs most louing lorde we fynde
Et filio which here our base nature did take
Et spiritui sancto proceding fro thē for mans sake.
Sicut erat before that al worldes were wrought,
In principio which passeth all mens thought,
Et nunc serue we him as doth become vs best,
Et semper let our faith by our dedes be exprest,
In secula seculorū then truly raigne we shall,
With god in the ioyes which are perpetual.
Amē.

The collect.

Oremus. Let vs praye.

Deus a quo all grace doth procede,
Sancta desideria lord geue vs we haue nede,


Recta concilia we ought here to elect
Iusta sunt opera whiche with thee takes effect,
Da seruis tuis in this Ile of Englande,
illam which is wicked by grace to with stande,
Quam mundus loueth most, that do we ensue
Dare our soules for it we force not, this is true
Non potest whiche loueth this worlde, leaue hys couetousnes,
Pacem sith he seketh to haue in his wicked riches
Vt et, in this worlde we maye liue pleasantly,
Corda nostra that to winne wholly we applie.
Mandatis tuis alas lord men should haue a loue,
Dedira to ye flesh are they, as lust doth thē moue.
Et hostiū their sore assalts though thei mighty be,
Sublata by thy grace lord, most happy then are we
Formidine of which enemies being so put away,
Tempora sint after spent, as best please thee may.
Tua protectione then we doubt not, but certainly
Tranquilla we shall haue here, and eke eternally,
Per Christum procured for vs it is playne,
Dominū nostrum geue vs grace his peace to obtaine.
Amen.

Another collect for the clergie and all other people.

Omnipotens and vndeuided trinitie
Sempiterne deus al honour be to thee,
Qui facis that by reason can not be thought,
Mirabilia magna for vs thou hast wrought,
Solus of these workes thou arte worker we se
Pretende so thy grace now of thy benignitie,
Super famulos tuos (for great is the nede)


Pontifices to excite therby thy flocke well to fede
et super cunctas persons of all degrees,
congregationes hauing as all men sees
illis commissas with errour spotted sore
spiritum gratiæ lord sende them all therfore
salutaris heauenly to haue the possession
et vt thou wilt kepe thē frō thy lawes trāgression
in veritate of fayth also and errours to destroye,
tibi complacient then and after heauen enioye,
perpetuum eis thy glory shine shall
rorem of thy grace, if thou on them let fall,
benedictionis in heauen that we maye be assurde,
infunde out thy grace, which for vs is procurde,
per Christum of his great benignitie,
dominum nostrū therfore euer praised mought be.
Amen.

The Authour.

Thus ende I thys myne A B C,
Requiring all that shall it rede
Sith thus it is applied by me,
Well to accept my wyll and dede.
For as experience doth lede,
I to the time doth it applie
Synne reprouing which styll doth brede
Therfore for grace let vs all crye.
Finis
quoth Myles Huggard.