 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
57. God Governs for the Best
Blessid god, souereyn goodnesse,
mercy to me, thy synfull creature!
though fre wyll be graunted me at largess[e],
Ȝett this freell body, of wrechid natur[e],
That my slepy soule hath vndir cure
is so asayled with sotell treson
þat fre will is often venquessched, & resone.
mercy to me, thy synfull creature!
though fre wyll be graunted me at largess[e],
Ȝett this freell body, of wrechid natur[e],
That my slepy soule hath vndir cure
is so asayled with sotell treson
þat fre will is often venquessched, & resone.
whi woldest [þu], lord, mankynd make
the worthiest Creature of all this werkes?
nouȝt to dampn hym ne to forsake,
but for þu lovist hym, as witness clerkis.
þu knowist my ȝerus, dayes and werkis,
what I haue done, now do, or schall—
my hert, my wyll, my purpose and all.
the worthiest Creature of all this werkes?
nouȝt to dampn hym ne to forsake,
but for þu lovist hym, as witness clerkis.
þu knowist my ȝerus, dayes and werkis,
what I haue done, now do, or schall—
my hert, my wyll, my purpose and all.
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then, good lord, wilt þu Constren
my wykked wil fro wrong gouernance.
I am bridelid, þu holdist the reyne—
then rule me, lord, at thi ordenaunce.
thy wyll, good lord, be don & þi plesance,
þat after thi wyll euer be my wyll,
& my will after þi wyll, & þat is skyll.
my wykked wil fro wrong gouernance.
I am bridelid, þu holdist the reyne—
then rule me, lord, at thi ordenaunce.
thy wyll, good lord, be don & þi plesance,
þat after thi wyll euer be my wyll,
& my will after þi wyll, & þat is skyll.
for thu wilt euery mannes sauacioun;
for no thing in this worldis space
is half so dere in reputacioun
as mannes soule, before thi face.
then wilt þu, goodly, graunt vs grace
So to do her to yeve the enchesoun
for to save vs by mercy & resoun.
for no thing in this worldis space
is half so dere in reputacioun
as mannes soule, before thi face.
then wilt þu, goodly, graunt vs grace
So to do her to yeve the enchesoun
for to save vs by mercy & resoun.
than mercy, lord, my savioure,
of al my synnes & wickidnesse,
from my begynyng in-to this oure,
Ȝet oones mercy! I ask for-yeveness,
not of deserving, lord, but of þi godness.
graunt me schrift of mouþ, gret repentaunce,
satisfaccioun, and perseueraunce
of al my synnes & wickidnesse,
from my begynyng in-to this oure,
Ȝet oones mercy! I ask for-yeveness,
not of deserving, lord, but of þi godness.
graunt me schrift of mouþ, gret repentaunce,
satisfaccioun, and perseueraunce
of al angers and aduersite,
losse of frindes and worldly richesse,
hunger, thurst, myscheff or pouerte,
labour, travell, bodely sekenesse,
wrong defamacioun or gret distresse,
sklaunder, repreff or vylonye,
dispyt, perell or wicked Company,
losse of frindes and worldly richesse,
hunger, thurst, myscheff or pouerte,
labour, travell, bodely sekenesse,
wrong defamacioun or gret distresse,
sklaunder, repreff or vylonye,
dispyt, perell or wicked Company,
of perell on see, water or lond,
hurtes, fallis, or wrong in-presonyng
for wreth or Envy falsly borne on hond,
of stryvis, scornes, fals bakbyting,
sorow of hert, pensyfnes, wrong demyng,
and of al oþer dissese or stryff
þat I haue had seþ I had first lyff.
hurtes, fallis, or wrong in-presonyng
for wreth or Envy falsly borne on hond,
of stryvis, scornes, fals bakbyting,
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and of al oþer dissese or stryff
þat I haue had seþ I had first lyff.
I thanke þe, lord, with al my hoole entent,
with hert, soule and good effeccioun,
lord goromercy, of all þat þu hast sent
as for my merit & my Correccioun;
for I trust hool with out Susspeccioun
al is for the best seþ I was borne,
as þi wyll is, as I haue seyd aforne.
with hert, soule and good effeccioun,
lord goromercy, of all þat þu hast sent
as for my merit & my Correccioun;
for I trust hool with out Susspeccioun
al is for the best seþ I was borne,
as þi wyll is, as I haue seyd aforne.
for bettur is to ly seke in my bed
then, hoole, to be drenched in the see;
& better wer þat my fingger bled
þen in foly stryff fully slayn to be;
and better wer al aduersite
in þis world þat eny tong can tell
then, after þis Ioye, for to go to hell.
then, hoole, to be drenched in the see;
& better wer þat my fingger bled
þen in foly stryff fully slayn to be;
and better wer al aduersite
in þis world þat eny tong can tell
then, after þis Ioye, for to go to hell.
this, lord god, of this disposisscioun
is thi will don, for þi will is best.
þat litell dissese is remyssioun
of gret disseses be-forne kest,
for after werr comyth pes & rest,
and often, for þe gretter aduerssite,
after-ward the gretter prossperite,
is thi will don, for þi will is best.
þat litell dissese is remyssioun
of gret disseses be-forne kest,
for after werr comyth pes & rest,
and often, for þe gretter aduerssite,
after-ward the gretter prossperite,
wher ellis in pride our herttis wold rise,
and oft forffet thi graciouse wyll.
me þerfor, lord, I pray the Chastice,
but sle me not, lord, þouȝ þu haue skyll,
Seþ I am submyt hooly to thi wyll,
kneling for mercy be-fore thi face.
for body and soule I ask thi grace,
and oft forffet thi graciouse wyll.
me þerfor, lord, I pray the Chastice,
but sle me not, lord, þouȝ þu haue skyll,
Seþ I am submyt hooly to thi wyll,
89
for body and soule I ask thi grace,
that al sorowes and trybelacion
þat I haue suffred her be-fore
mot suffice, lord, for my savacioun.
[bu]t now I pray þe, ho, lorde, no more
[bu]t þat thu wilt my soule restore
[to] verrey pes and cherite,
[to] love þe, lord, for þu lovust me.
þat I haue suffred her be-fore
mot suffice, lord, for my savacioun.
[bu]t now I pray þe, ho, lorde, no more
[bu]t þat thu wilt my soule restore
[to] verrey pes and cherite,
[to] love þe, lord, for þu lovust me.
[lo]rd, after [as] it is nessesary
[for] al Cristen in þis world found—
[fo]r my frend, for my aduerssary—
[a]fter as I love, and am I-bound
so to do, in this worldis ground,
[th]ey may haue grace, þour wyll of the,
[as] best may avayle to euery degre,
[for] al Cristen in þis world found—
[fo]r my frend, for my aduerssary—
[a]fter as I love, and am I-bound
so to do, in this worldis ground,
[th]ey may haue grace, þour wyll of the,
[as] best may avayle to euery degre,
[f]or body & soule, under thy law;
[th]at euery bad purpose & wicked entent
[ha]ue not his Course but be with-drawe,
[&] euery good hert, þat well haþ ment
[a]fter thi Chirch & þi Comaundement,
[In] word & werk well to spede,
[&] in Charite so forth to procede
[th]at euery bad purpose & wicked entent
[ha]ue not his Course but be with-drawe,
[&] euery good hert, þat well haþ ment
[a]fter thi Chirch & þi Comaundement,
[In] word & werk well to spede,
[&] in Charite so forth to procede
that, with oone hert in love & vnyte,
[a]fter this schort worldly passage,
[t]hrough þi passcioun þat is mene & mot be,
[that] we may Come to þat heritage,
wher we may be-hold thi bryȝt visag[e],
with angellis & senttis synggung in kynd,
‘scs, scs, scs, lord god with-out ynd.’
[a]fter this schort worldly passage,
[t]hrough þi passcioun þat is mene & mot be,
[that] we may Come to þat heritage,
wher we may be-hold thi bryȝt visag[e],
with angellis & senttis synggung in kynd,
‘scs, scs, scs, lord god with-out ynd.’
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |