 | Theophilus |  |
103
VI.
Of the moste humble and motherlye medyation of the glorious vyrgin Marye to her moste gloryous sonne and Lorde for the poore penytent person (Theophylous), of his gracious perdoninge him for hys mercyes sake and her meeke supplication, and howe moste benygnlye and chearfullye shee acertayned hym of the same, to hys most great comforte and emendation of lief.
122
Off this saide synner the pyteous complayntAdmounted the heavins, before the mercye seate;
To whom there syttinge, thys Ladye most quaynte
In humblest wyse sued his perdon to geate,
And after this sorte her sonne dyd entreate:
‘O Lorde and Kinge! of mercye springinge well,
Vowchsafe to heare the sute that I shall tell.
123
Yon wretche, which thee hath offendyd so sore,For thye mercyes sake forgeve hys offense
At my supplication somewhat the more,
Heere kneelinge on knee before thye presence.
Accept, gratious Lorde, hys hartes penytens.
So heynowse a syn, foregeaven in theis deyes,
For evermore shall redounde in thye preyes.
124
Remember, hee ys thye creature, perdye,Formed vnto thy gloryous image.
What though hee hath doone moste myserablye,
So greevous no syn, but mercye maye asswage.
Yon enemye, the ffynde, brought hym in þat rage,
That ravyshed owte of reasons iudgement,
Hee wrought that right sore hee now doth repent.
125
Remember thy dolorous peyne on the crosse,Which thow for synners such as hee dydst sustayne.
Of such on repentant greevous were the losse;
So weare vnto hym thy passion in vayne.
Thye wonted mercye on hym lette remayne,
And I, gratious Lorde, betwene hym and thee,
For amendment of lief his suretye shall bee.
126
Remember, in earth I was thye poore nurse.Thow willedste mee so before women all.
Ffor my sake nowe let him not fare the worse,
Sith he, in his neade, for my ayde lyst call.
I neades must for thy sake helpe eas(e) this thrall,
104
I loth am, therfore, to see him take wronge.
127
Oure enemye, the ffnde, him wrongeth in this waye,On hym makinge sawte to fall into syn.
Of malyce he doth yt, as I dare saye,
In youre displeasure to bringe him therin.
No one hee letteth goe, but layeth his false synne,
As by this poore Theophilus doth prove,
Whois heavye hartes greif thow graunt to remove.
128
In earth, sith I dyd thee my obsequye,As pleased thye maiestye mee to assigne,
And, at thy deathe, with thee readye to dye
Of motherlye loue that so dyd enclyne;
Sith peyne of thy passion was partlye myne:
My boone nowe gravnte thow, of thy great goodnes,
Þat synners trespasse clearelye to release’.
129
‘Right deare belovid’, answeared that Lorde,‘Your humble requeste I cannot denye.
To what your self will, I gladdlye accorde.
So to amende all former myserye,
Ffor your sake towardes him such my clemency:
Sithe I will ye showlde be synners refuge,
For whom ye dooe praye, I beare shall no grudge.
130
My ffather, I wote, as I will, will he,Who hath mee geaven the iudgement ouer all,—
And thus I doe meane for to demeane mee:
Who vnto penaunce for hys syn doth falle,
Ceasinge therfrom as hym behoue shall,
I cannot but neades, of brotherlye loue,
My wrath from all such vtterlye remove.
131
Of humayne nature I knowe the frailtee,And of our enemye the great vexation;
In which streyte neadis man callinge vpon mee
Shall haue assiste in that certation.
But therto geavinge inclynation,
Then can I not, but penaunce come betweene,
Accordingelye iudge as lief in sight is seene.
132
Your sute, therfore, concerninge yonder man,Take and doe with him what your pleasure ys;
Advertise and counsaile as ye beste can,
To enter againe into owre service;
And that your kindnes hee not overmysse.
105
As doone to owre self we shall yt accompte’.
133
‘Moste soveraigne Lord’, answearde that Queene,‘All honoure be yours in eaverye place:
To on Godhead which in three persons beene,
Ffather, Sun, Spyrite, geaver of all grace’.—
In moment of thowght, which is but short space,
The gloryous Ladye her self dyd present
To fore Theophilus, that poore penytent,
134
Sayinge vnto him much mercyfullye:‘Thowe servaunt of God, doe gladlye aryse!
My soveraigne sun hath sent thee mercye.
As rysinge from grounde, so rise from all vyse.
Thy penaunce appeased hath his iustice.
While tyme in this worlde thow shalt haue to lyue,
This reconscilement in thee lett revyve.
135
And myne endeaver doo thow not forgett.For what of honore thow gavest vnto mee,
I whoallye referre, in manner moste greate,
Vnto my sunnys dyvine maiestee;
Which, as but on Godhead is certayne to bee,
And but on will in the Trynyte fownde,
So all laude and praise to that one redounde’.
136
Theis wordis rehersed, departed that sight,Which to Theophylus was syght soveraigne.
So wonderfullye his harte yt dyd light,
That hee, contented to see yt agayne,
Though so might not, in harte yt dyd remayne,
And rysinge vppe from wheare as he dyd lye,
These wordis as ffolloweth hee spake bye and bye:
| Theophilus | |