The canticles or Balades of Salomon phraselyke declared in Englysh Metres, by William Baldwin |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IIII. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
 | VIII. |
| lx. |
| lxi. |
| [lxii]. |
| lxiii. |
| lxviii. |
| lxv. |
| lxvi. |
| lxvii. |
| lxviii. |
| lxix. |
lxix. Christe to his Spouse.
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| lxx. |
| lxxi. |
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The .viii. Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon |  |
lxix. Christe to his Spouse.
The argument.
Christe hauyng by fayth coupled all his Churches together, and made them all one vineyard, calleth to mynde the vineyarde which Kyng Salomon had at Baalhamon, a place nere Ierusalem: whiche vineyarde he let out to hyer, receyuyng of euery keper, a thousande pieces of syluer for the friucte. This story Christe counteth to his Spouse, that she maye know howe muche he loueth her better than Salomon dyd his, in that he wyll kepe her hym selfe: And geue to Salomon, that is euery peacefull person, an inestimable reward: and to the kepers, that are his byshoppes, two hundred and the fruite. (O happy kepers that shall be so rewarded.) This promis maketh he to his Spouse, syngyng.
Of all the gydes that Israel euer had,
In wyt, in welth, in peace, prince Salomon
The chyefest Kyng, was not a litle glad
Of a vineyard he had at Baalhamon.
Whiche vineyard though it pleased his desyer,
Yet at the length he let it furth to hyer
To kepers suche, who yerely euery one
Should for suche frute as they tooke thence away,
Of syluer good a thousand pieces paye.
In wyt, in welth, in peace, prince Salomon
The chyefest Kyng, was not a litle glad
Of a vineyard he had at Baalhamon.
Yet at the length he let it furth to hyer
To kepers suche, who yerely euery one
Should for suche frute as they tooke thence away,
Of syluer good a thousand pieces paye.
Thus dyd this kyng with his beloued vine:
But I contrary haue so great delyght,
That I myself this vineyard of myne
My churche I mean, wyll kepe styll in my syght:
And vnto thee O salomon I geue,
A thousande pieces for thy good beleue:
Eke to them all that kepe my vine vpryght
I geue two hundred, and the fruite to boote
Of lyfe eterne, whiche spryngeth from the roote.
But I contrary haue so great delyght,
That I myself this vineyard of myne
My churche I mean, wyll kepe styll in my syght:
And vnto thee O salomon I geue,
A thousande pieces for thy good beleue:
Eke to them all that kepe my vine vpryght
I geue two hundred, and the fruite to boote
Of lyfe eterne, whiche spryngeth from the roote.
If Salomon myght iustly well requier
A thousande for his vineyarde let to hyer,
Howe muche than is my churche nowe bounde to me,
Who doe both paye, and also ouersee?
A thousande for his vineyarde let to hyer,
Howe muche than is my churche nowe bounde to me,
Who doe both paye, and also ouersee?
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The .viii. Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon | |