TO THE FATHER OF HEAUEN.
O RADIANT luminary of light interminable
Celestiall father, potenciall God of might
Of heauen and earth. O Lorde incomperable
Of al perfections the essenciall most perfighte
O Maker of mankind, that formed day and night
Whose power imperial, comprehendeth euery place
Mine hart, my mind, my thought, my hole delite
Is after this lyfe, to se thy glorious face.
Whose magnificence, is incomprehensible
Al arguments of reason, which far doth excede
Whose deite doutles, is indiuisible
From whom al goodnes, and vertue doth procede
Of thy support, al creatures have nede.
Assist me good Lord, and graunt me of thy grace To liue to thy pleasure, in word thought and dede And after this lyfe to see thy glorious face.
TO THE SECONDE PARSONE.
O BENIGNE Jesu, my souerain lorde and kynge The only sonne of God, by filiacion
The second parson, without beginning
Both God and man, our faith maketh plain relacion
Mary the mother, by way of incarnacion,
Whose glorious passion our soules doth reuiue
Again al bodely, and ghostly tribulacion
Defend me with thy piteous woundes fiue
O pereles prynce, paynted to the death
Rufully rent, thy body wan and blo
For my redempcion, gaue vp thy vytal breathe
Was neuer sorow, lyke to thy deadly wo
Graunt me, out of this world when I shal go
Thine endles mercy, for my preseruatiue
Against the world, the flesh, the deuill also
Defende me with thy piteous woundes fiue.
O FIRY sentence, inflamed with all grace
Enkyndeling hertes, with brandes charitable
The endlesse rewarde of pleasure and solace
To the Father, and the Son, thou art communicable
In vnitate, which is inseperable
O water of lyfe, O wel of consolacion
Against al suggestions deadly, and dampnable
Rescu me good Lorde, by your preseruacion.
To whome is appropryed, the Holy Ghost by The third parson, one God in Trinite
Of perfyt loue, thou art the ghostlye flame
O mirrour of mekenes, peace and tranquilitye
My comfort, my counsel, my parfit charity
O water of lyfe, O wel of consolacion
Against all storms, of hard adversitie
Rescu me good Lord, by thy preseruacion.
Amen.
HERE AFTER FOLOWETH THE BOKE CALLED ELINOUR
THE TUNNING OF ELYNOUR RUM
TELL you I chill
If that ye wyll
A while be still
Of a comelye gyll
That dwelt on a hyll
But she is not gryll
For she is somewhat sage
And well worne in age
For her visage
It woulde asswage
A mannes courage
Her lothelye leare
Is nothynge cleare
But vglye of cheare
Droupye and drowsye
Scurvy and lowsy
Her face all bowsy
Comelye crinckled
Wonderously wrynkled
Lyke a roste pigges eare
Brystled with here
* A woman who sold ale near Leatherhed in Surrey, C.
Her lewde lyppes twayne They slauer men sayne Lyke a ropye rayne A gummy glayre
She is vglye fayre
Her nose some dele hoked
And camouslye croked
Neuer stoppinge
But euer dropping
Her skin lose and slacke
Grained like a sacke
With a croked backe
Her eyen gowndye
Are full vnsowndy
For they are blered
And she graye heared
Jawed lyke a Jetty
A man would have pity
To se how she is gumbed
Fingured and thumbed
Gently joynted
Gresed and annointed
Up to the knockles
The bones her buckles
Together made faste
Her youthe is farre paste
Foted lyke a plane
Legges like a crane
And yet she wyl iet
Lyke a iolly set
In her furred flocket
And gray russet rocket
With simper the cocket
Her huke of Lyncole, grene
It hadde bene hers I wene
More then fortye yeare
And so it dothe appeare
And the grene bare thredes
Looke lyke sere wedes
Wythered lyke haye
The woll worne awaye
And yet I dare saye
She thinketh her selfe gaye
Uppon the holye daye
When she dothe her araye
And girdeth in her getes
Stitched and pranked with pletes
Her kirtell Bristowe red
With clothes vppon her heade
That they way a sowe of leade
Wrythen in a wonder wise
After the Sarazins gise
With a whim wham
Knit with a trim tram
Uppon her brayne panne
Like an Egyptian
Capped aboute
Whan she goeth oute
Her selfe for to shewe
She driueth downe the dewe
With a paire of heles
As brode as two wheles
She hobbles as a gose
With her blauket hose
Her shone smered with talow
Gresed vpon dyrt
That baudeth her skyrt
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