University of Virginia Library

The fruites of charitie, loue, and pacience.

Cap. x.

Charitie seketh not
that to her doth belonge,
But paciently a-bydinge,
sustainynge rather wronge;
Not enuiynge, but bearinge
with loue and pacience,—
So noble is her nature,—
forgeuing all ofence.
And loue doth moue
the mynde to mercie,
But malice againe
doth worke the contrarie.
whiche in the wicked
wyll euer beare stroke,
Pacience thee teacheth
therof to beare the yoke.
where pacience and loue
to-gether do dwell
All hate and debate,
with malice, they expell.
Loue constant and faithfull,
Pithagoras doth call
To be a vertue
most principall.
Plato doth speake
almoste in effecte
‘where loue is not,
no vertue is perfecte.’
Desire then god
to assiste thee with his grace
Charitie to vse
and pacience to imbrace;
These three folowinge
will thee instructe,
That to vertues schoole
they wyll thee conducte,
And from vertues schoole
to eternall blisse
where incessaunt ioie
continually is.