University of Virginia Library

ORACIO PRESIDENTIS

Hayle! Saint Robert, a confessoure
Þate suetely serued oure Sauioure;
Hayle! peirles patrone of þis place,
I besek the send vs grace,
Strength and myght—þat wounes herin—
The to serue wythouten syne,
And wyth our seruice þat we maye
Her perfytely please the aye,
And helpe vs i necessite
Sen þou arte our avowe fre
And saint on whayme mast tryst we haue,
This house and vs to kepe and saue
Fray dett and dedlye synnes seuenn,
And forto bryng vure saules to heuenn;
And of thi godenes graunt me grace
Sway ryghtwislye to reul this place,
And sway to gouernn to my degre
Þat I, all yff I simple be,
Occupyes als presidentt
By grace þat God here has me sentt—
May be vnto the saluacioun
Off all this congregacioun,
And hape and helefull mayntenaunce
Off the place for my gouernaunce—
And helpe to me in all my nede
And sauyng to my saule and mede;
And suffrandly, I the beseke,
Of maners to be myld and meke,
In persecuciounes pacientt
And in myne office diligentt—
My malicoly thou amese
And comfurthe me in all dishese—
And sway tholemode of my thoght
That ire ne wrath ouersett me noght;
And boxum to euiralkay ded
Þat may multiply my mede;
Of thoght and dede forto be chaste
And mercyfull þou make me maste,
And to be abstinentt at borde
And trew and lele to be of worde
And sobyr whene I am assayled—
And send me helpe þat neuer fayled—
And compacientt forto be
Of all in anger þat I se.
Forgyffnes gett me of my syne
And of my mysded gar me mynne—
And forto vse all vertues ilkay day,
And of all vices to voyde away—
And victorye of this warld als
Off my fleshe and the feinde fals—
And stythe bath well & way to drye.
Als ane of thine þoue socoure me
And all my brether, lered and lewed,
And my systers, seryne or shwed;
In charyte generalle
Haue mercy, Roberd, of thayme alle;
Helpe me to kepe myne obseruaunce,
And, sen I haue the gouernaunce
By eleccion of this place,
I beseke the send me grace
To gouernn ytt in prosperyte
That ytt to the lele louyng be,
To hym þat hyrd ys of this shepe
Þat I haue cure of forto kepe,
And to hys Moder free
And to all hys halowes he;
And to my felaghes mare and lesse
Helpe and hele and halynes,
And bath of saule and body blysse
And saluacion aftyr this;
And graunt me myght, strengh and grace,
Þair simple prelate of this place,
With discrecion that I maye
Sway gouernn ytt bath nyght and day,
And Goddes seruice wyth instance
And all vther obseruaunce,
In pece, in quiete, and i reste
And in charete þat ys beste,
By meke sufferaunce & pacience
Þat, for my dughty diligence,
When I am ded and doluenn lyse
Tha[t] I may passe to paradyse,
And att þase fre yhates wyth the mette
And here thi voce þat ys so swette
To me sayand on this wyse,
‘Welcom vnto paradyse.
Welcom, son, vnto this place,
For sen þou hase thrugh grace
Well gouerned thi lytyll cell,
Wythowten end here sall þou dwell
In joy and solace and in blysse.’
Saintt Robertt, thou grauntt me this,
And helpe þus þat ytt may be.
Amen, Amen per charite.