University of Virginia Library



Certayne Psalmes of Dauid, drawen into Englyshe meter.

The .li. Psalme.

[Haue mercye lorde, vpon my soule]

Miserere mei deus.

Haue mercye lorde, vpon my soule
thy goodnes me restore,
And for thy mercy infinite
my synne thynke on no more.
From wickednes lorde wasshe thou me
and clense me from my synne,
For I confesse my euyll lyfe
that I before was in.
Onlye to the haue I synned
and done yll in thy syght,
That in thy wordes whe men the iudge
myghtest ouercome by ryghte.


Beholde I was begotte in synne
and so my mother bare me
Wherfore I clayme thy sauynge helthe
Mercy good lorde and spare me.
That I maye render vnto the
truthe in the inwarde parte
Then secretely I shall receiue
thy wysedome in my hart.
With ysope lorde thou sprinkell me
And so shall I be cleane,
And whyter thus shall I be made
then euer snowe hath ben.
Replenyshe me with ioye and myrth
my brused bones restore.
From my mysdedes turne thou thy face
In mynde haue them no more.
A parfyt spyryte and a pure harte
O god renewe in me,
And caste me not out of thy syght
For myne iniquitie.


Geue me the comfort of thy helpe
And stablyshe me for aye
And I shall then, the wicked menne
conuert vnto thy waye.
Delyuer me from bloude gylte
thou god my helth alwayes
Thou shalt open my lyppes to speake
my mouth shall shewe thy praise
Burnt offeringes ye wouldest none haue
elles I had geuen it the
A broken and a contrite harte
as it that pleaseth the.
To Syon lorde be good agayne
after thy godly wylle
And lette thy kyndnes, there abyde
thy promys to fulfyll.
Then sacrifices of rightousnes
thou lorde wilt well regarde
And they shall offer their bullockes
thyne aulter to rewarde.


Praise we the father and the sonne
and eke the holy ghost
As hath ben is and styll shalbe
in euerye age and coste.

The .lvi. psalme.

[Be mercyfull to me o god]

Miserere mei deus quoniam.

Be mercyfull to me o god
myne enemies withstande
Whiche alwayes go about to seke
my lyfe to haue in hand
For they runne dayly to and fro
my body to annoye
And manye they in number be
that woulde my soule destroye
And thoughe sometyme I am afrayde
Yet do I trust in the
Wherefore o lord, I wil not feare
what flesh can do to me.


My wordes alwayes they do mistake
thus for to do me yll,
Often they do ymagen howe
My lyfe and soule to kylle.
They cleue and hold, as thick as burres
and kepe thus on a thronge.
They marke the steppes, that I do vse
and all to do me wronge.
O lorde for this their wyckednes
thou wylt them sone confounde
And in thy rage thou shalt them cast
hedlonge vnto the grounde.
My commynge in, and goinge out
is knowen, to the o lorde
And eke my teares, be in thy syght
thy worde doth it recorde.
When so that I shall calle to the
thou wylt guyde me aryghte,
So that my foes shall haue no power
But runne and take their flyght


My myrth and ioye is in the word
of god, and parsons thre
In hym I trust and wyll not feare
What man can do to me.
The vowes of thankes and rightousnes
to the lorde, wyll I geue
My tonge shall neuer stynt thy prayse
so longe as I here lyue
For thou hast kept my soule from death
and eke my fete from fallynge
That I may walke before thy face
in the lyght, of the lyuyng.
Prayse we the father. &c.

The .lvii. Psalme.

[Be mercyfull to me o god]

Miserere mei deus.

Be mercyfull to me o god
be mercyfull to me,
My fleshe, and hart, my soule and minde
putteth their truste in the.


Under the shadowe, of thy wynges
there shall be my defence
Untyll this time of tyrannye
be paste awaye from hence
I call vnto the moost iust god
whyche made both sea and lande
He will perfourme his seruauntes cause
that he dydde take in hande
He shal send downe from heauen aboue
his stretched arme in myghte
And wyl me saue from their reprofe
whiche woulde do me vnryght
God shall sende furth his mercy great
and therwith wyll me arme
And he shall stoppe the lyons mouthes
to saue my soule from harme
For it doth lye amonge those men
that be so set on fyer
Whose teth are speares, their tonges be wordes
so hote is their desyre.


But set thou vp thy selfe o god
and let thy power be knowen.
So that the wycked men in earth
may quyte be ouerthrowen
They lye in waite, and haue layde furth
a nette to take me in
A pytte also they made for me
But they be caught therin.
This is the goodnes of my god
Suche comfort to vpraise
My hart alwaye shall ready be
to synge, and to geue prayse
Awake my lute and eke my harpe
and geue forth pleasaunt sounde
And I shall praise the lorde with you
as I therto am bounde
I wyll gyue prayse to the o god
thy people shall it here
And I shall synge vnto thy praise
amonge them euery where


Thy mercyes greate, excede the heuyns
in bredth and eke in lengthe.
euyn as thy truth doth passe the cloudes
in beuty and in strength.
O god, exalte thy selfe therefore
aboue thy heauyns hye,
Thy glorye is aboue the earth
no man can it denye.
Prayse we the father, &c.

The .c.xiii. psalme.

[O all ye seruauntes, prayse the lorde]

Laudate puen.

O all ye seruauntes, prayse the lorde
Prayse ye his holy name,
And euerye thynge that beareth lyfe
Lykewyse do ye the same.
Blesse ye the name, of god the lord
and prayses in great store
Be vnto god and Christe his sonne
From henseforthe euermore.


From the vprysynge of the sonne
vntyll his goinge downe
Prayse ye the lorde in euery place
both in the feilde and towne.
The lorde is hyghe aboue all landes
his glory passe the heauens,
Lyke as the sonne doth passe all lyghte
with clernes of his beames.
Who may be lyke vnto our god
That hath his seate on hye,
Whiche wyll not let to see the thynges
That on the earth doth lye.
The symple men he doth vprayse
and settes them vp alofte
Euyn with the prynces of his flocke
these be his doynges ofte.
And eke the woman he hath made
that longe before was barren
Nowe she remayneth in her house
a glad mother of chyldren.


Prayse we the father. &c.

The .c.xvii. psalme

[O all ye landes, praise ye the lorde]

Laudate dominum.

O all ye landes, praise ye the lorde
that in the earth doth byde
And euerye thinge that there in is
throughout the world so wyde
His mercye is to vs alwaye
increasyng more and more
And eke his truth shall styll remayne
praise ye the lorde therfore
Prayse we the father, &c.

The .c.xlvii. psalme.

[How good it is to praise the lord]

Laudate dominum.

How good it is to praise the lord
no tongue can it expresse
A ioyfull and a pleasaunt thinge
the lordes praise is doutles


The lord doth buylde Ierusalem
So that it shall remayne
And the out castes of Israell
he bryngethe home agayne
The lord doth heale, the contrytt hatt
and medecyne doth hym gyue
And in his sycknes, thus sayth he,
thou shalt not dye, but lyue
The sterrys also he dothe number
and callyth them by name,
And euerye one in order due,
doth ansuer to the same
Great is our god, & eke his power
hys wysdome hath no ende,
He settyth vp the meke in hart,
the wyckyde do contende,
O synge vnto the lord our god,
a songe of thanckfulnes
Synge prayse vpon the tunyd harpe
hys goodnes to expresse


For he doth hyde ye heuens with cloudes
that no man may it se
And doth prepare the rayne for earth
to water the plant and tre.
And on the hylles that be so hye
he maketh grasse to growe
And al is for the vse of man
such kyndenes he dothe showe
And eyke the bestes, that be in feilde
he helpeth, them at nede
And the yonge rauyns, that call on hym
he doth them al wayes fede
As in the strengthe of horsys great
the lord hath no delyght
Nor neyther in the legges of men
that be so full of myght
The lordes delyght, is in those men,
that feare, and do hym serue,
And they whyche put their trust in hym,
for mercye shal not sterue


Ierusalem, Ierusalem
praise thou the lorde aboue,
And thou Syon do not forget
his mercy and his loue.
For he hath fortified thy gates
With barres that be ryght suer
And he in the hath blest thy sede
for euer to endure:
And in thy borders, he hath set
peace in euery place,
Wyth grayne and corne he hath the fild
of him thou founde suche grace.
He sendeth furth his holy worde
the worlde to runne aboute,
That euery mā myght know his power
and therin haue no dout
He gyueth snowe whyter then woll
as we oftene do se.
And skatereth the hory frostes
lyste ashes made of tree.


He casteth forth his yse abrode
Whose colde no man maye byde
Againe his worde sone doth them melte
throughout the worlde so wyde
To Iacob then the lorde dydde shewe
hys worde both pure and right
And Israel his ordynaunce
to kepe both day and nyght
He hath not delt with any lande
suche kyndnes for to shew
Neither his wordes nor yet his lawes
the he then doth not knowe.
Praise we the father, &c.

The songe of zacharias.

Benedictus dominus deus Israel

The lorde our god of Israel
Be blessed now therefore
That hath his people visited
with mercy euermore


And hath lyft vp his sauynge helth
that is both fyrme and stronge
To Dauyd who hys seruaunt is
and all that of him spronge
As god dyd speake by his prophets
Euen synce the worlde begonne
Whose sayinges true shall styl remaine
vntyll the worlde be done.
That we shulde thus be saued than
from all oure enemyes handes
And from those gyantes crueltye
that woulde vs tye with bandes.
This shall he do whiche promysed
Our fathers mercy great
And wyll remember his couenaunte
Of promys that is swete
And eke the othe, performe will he
whiche longe before was sworne
Unto our father Abraham
before that we were borne


That we beynge delyuered
out of the wycked hande
Myght serue the lorde in loue and feare
as well by sea as lande.
In holynes and rightousnes
abhoryng bate and stryfe
Before the lorde and Christe his sonne
the dayes of all our lyfe.
And then thou chylde shalt called be
the prophete of an hye
For thou shalt go before the lorde
his worde to preache truelye.
And to geue knowledge of his health
Unto his people deare,
For the forgiuenes of their synnes
that they before in were.
And through the mercy of our god
whereby the daye doth springe
That from an hye, doth vysyt vs
and lyghte on earth doth brynge


That they whiche sytte, beneth in darke
and lyght, ther can none se
Myghte se to guyde their feete in peace
that they from death myght fle.
Prayse we the father. &c.

The songe of the thre chyldren.

Benedicite omnia opera.

O all ye workes, in heauyn and erth,
and angelles in due order,
Speake ye good of the lorde our god
and set hym vp for euer.
O ye heauyns and waters hyghe
and powers great perseuer
To speake good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer.
O sunne and mone that is so bryght
and sterres of heauen endeuer,
To speake good of the lorde our god
and set hym vp for euer,


O ye showers ye dewes and wyndes
that goeth no man knoweth whether
Speake ye good of the lord our god
and sette hym vp for euer.
O ye fyer and heat feruent
eke ye wynter and sommer
Speake ye good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer
Ye froste and colde, with yse and snowe
praise ye the lorde together
And speake good of his holy name
and set him vp for euer.
O nyghtes and dayes lyght & darkenes
adioynynge eche together
Speake ye good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer.
O mountaynes hylles, & ye grene wods
that fruite in tyme doth render
Speake ye good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer.


O all ye welles, with seas, and fluddes
and all that mouyth in water
Speake ye good of the lord our god
and set hym vp for euer.
O all ye cattell beastes and foules
bearynge heare, or fether,
Speake ye good of the lorde our god
and set hym vp for euer.
O Israell prayse thou the lorde
And eke ye men, and chylder
Speake ye good of the lorde oure god
and set him vp for euer:
Ye preistes and seruauntes of the lorde
alwayes do your indeuer:
To speake good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer.
Ye soules of men of meke in harte
from this do not dysseuer
To speake good of the lorde our god
and set him vp for euer:


O Ananias Azarias
and Mysaell together
Speake ye good of the lorde oure god
and set him vp for euer
Prayse we the father and the sonne
and eke the holy ghoste
As hath ben, is, and styll shalbe
in euery age and coste
Finis

A THANKESGEVINGE TO god for delyuerynge from aduersitie.

Ecclesiastus the laste.

I thanke the lorde & god my kynge
And praise the Christe my sauyour
Early and late whiles I here lyue
Alwaye to exalte thyne honoure.
I wyll yelde prayse vnto thy name
For thou hast bene my buckeler
Against those men that sought my lyfe
Thou art my ayde and soccoure


And hast preserued my body
Irō them that thought to destroy it
With their false and trayterous tonges
Yet coulde they nothynge anoye it
Thou gauest me the vpperhande
Of them that rose vp against me
So that my foes could find no cause
Of right to triumph ouer me.
When I was compassed rounde about
And no man by that coulde helpe me
I loked backe but none was there
that then myght helpe or succour me
Then lord thought I vpon thine actes
And had in mynde thy great mercye
Namely of olde howe thou doest them
Preserue that put their truste in the
Thus lyft I vp my prayer then
and prayed for delyueraunce
Thou lorde dyddest heare me by and by
Wherof I had perseueraunce,
Therfore wil I acknowledge the


So longe as lyfe doth in me byde
I wil not stynt thy name to praise
Throughout the worlde so wyde:
Finis.

The complaynt of a synner.

Alas wretched synner that I am
Comfortles and of men forsaken
A synner into the worlde I came
From whence I knowe I shalbe taken
Yet of my synfull lyfe amendynge
to the I crye O Lorde swete Iesus.
Miserere mei deus.
I haue offended both heauen and erth
Nowe whether shall I go or turne me
I haue transgressed from my byrthe
The lawes of god and that greuouslye
To whome shulde I for succour flye
But vnto the o lorde swete Iesus
Miserere mei deus.
To heauen I dare not lyft vp mine eyes
I haue so sore synned against it


Yet lorde thy seruaunt do not dispise
Whiche wyllyngly doth nowe repent it
Al sinnes hast thou forgeuē & graunted
To him in faith that doth cry thus
Miserere mei deus.
In earth I fynde no place of defence
I haue ben so noysome vnto it
Shall I dispaire in this my offence
Then am i dampned God forbyd it
My soule shal cry in the lordes presence
Euermore continuallye thus
Miserere mei deus.
Mercy is with god my sauyour
And he onlye shalbe my refuge
He wyll not dispice his creatoure
Ne yet forsake his owne ymage
But gyueth increase of knowledge
To hym that in fayth doth stil cry thus
Miserere mei deus.
FINIS.