Coloss. iii.

If ye bee rysen agayne
with CHRIST, seke the
thynges, whiche are aboue,
where Christe sitteth on the
ryght hande of GOD. Set
youre affection on thynges
that are aboue: and nat on
thynges, whyche are on the
earthe.
MOST BEnigne
lorde
Iesu, grau~t
me thy grace,
that it
mai alway
woorke in
me, and perseuer with me
vnto the ende.
Graunt me, that I maie
euer desyre and wille that
whiche is moste pleasaunte,
and moste acceptable to the.
Thy will be my will, and
my will be to folowe alway
thy will.
Let there be alwaye in me
oone wille, and one desire
with the, and that I haue

A ii

no desire to wille, or not to
will, but as thou wilte.
Lorde, thou knowest what
thynge is moste profytable
and moste expedient for me.
Gyue therfore what thou
wilt, as muche as thou wilt,
and whan thou wilt.
Dooe with me what thou
wilte, as it shall please the,
and as shal be moste to thyne
honour.
Put me where thou wilte,
and freely do with me in all
thynges after thy wille.
Thy creature I am, and in
thy handes, leade and turne
me where thou wilt.
Loo, I am thy seruaunt,
readye to all thynges that
thou commandest: for I desire
not to liue to my selfe,
but to the.
Lorde Iesu, I praye the
graunt me grace, that I neuer
set my herte on the thynges
of this worlde, but that
all worldly and carnall affections
maie vtterly dye &
be mortifyed in me.
Graunt me aboue all thinges,
that I maie rest in the,
and fully quiete and pacifie
my herte in the.
For thou lorde, arte the veraie
true peace of herte, and
the perfeite rest of the soule:
and without the, al thinges

A iii

be greuous and vnquiet.
My lorde Iesu, I beseche
the, bee with me in euerye
place, and at all tymes, and
lette it be to me a special solace,
gladly for thy loue to
lacke all worldly solace
And if thou withdraw thy
comforte fro~ me at any tyme,
kepe me O lorde, frome desperacion,
and make me paciently
to abide thy wyll and
ordinaunce.
O lorde Iesu, thy iudgementes
bee rightuouse, and
thy prouidence is muche better
for me, than all that I
can imagine or deuise.
Wherfore do with me in
all thinges as it shall please
the: for it maie not bee but
well all that thou doest.
If thou wilt that I be in
light, be thou blessed: if thou
wilte I bee in darknesse, bee
thou also blessed.
If thou vouchesafe to comfort
me, be thou highly blessed:
if thou wilte I liue in
trouble, and withoute comforte,
be thou likewyse euer
blessed.
Lord, gyue me grace gladly
to suffre whatsoeuer thou
wilt shall fall vpon me, and
paciently to take at thy ha~d
good and badde, bitter, and
swete: ioye and sorowe, and
for all thinges that shall befal
vnto me, hartily to tha~k
the.
Kepe me lorde from synne,
& I shall then neither dread
deathe nor hell.
O what thankes ought I
to gyue vnto the whiche hast
suffered the greuouse deathe
of the Crosse, to deliuer me
frome my synnes, and to obteyn
euerlasting life for me.
Thou gauest vs moste perfect
example of pacience, fulfilling
and obeying the will
of thy father euen vnto the
deathe.
Make me wretched sinner,
obediently to vse my selfe after
thy wyll in all thynges,
and paciently to beare the
bourden of this corruptible
lyfe.
For though this life be tedious,
& as an heuy burdein to
my soule: yet neuerthelesse
throughe thy grace, and by
example of the it is nowe
made muche more easye and
comfortable then it was before
thy incarnacio~ and passyon.
Thy holy life is oure waye
to the, and by folowynge of
the, we walke to the, that
arte our head and sauiour:
And yet excepte thou haddest
gone before, and shewed vs

A v

the waye to euerlasting lyfe.
who would endeuoure hym
selfe to folowe the? seynge
we be yet so slowe and dull,
hauyng the light of thy blessed
example & holy doctrine
to leade and directe vs.
O lorde Iesu, make that
possible by grace, that is impossible
to me by nature.
Thou knowest well, that
I maie litle suffre, and that
I am anone cast downe and
ouerthrowen with a litle aduersitie:
wherfore I beseche
the O lorde, to strengthen me
with thy spirite, that I may
willingly suffre for thy sake
all maner of trouble and affliction.
Lorde, I will knowlage vnto
the, al mine vnrightuousnesse,
and I wyll confesse to
the all the vnstablenesse of
my herte.
Oftentymes a veraie litle
thyng troubleth me sore, and
maketh me dull and slow to
serue the.
And sometyme I purpose
to stande strongly, but whan
a litle truble cometh, it is
to me great anguishe & grief,
and of a right litle thyng riseth
a greuous temptacion
to me.
yea when I thinke my self
to be sure and stronge, and
that as it semeth I haue ye
vpper hand: sodenly I feele
my selfe ready to fall with
a littel blaste of temptacion.
Behold therfore good lord,
my weakenesse, and consyder
me frailenesse, best knowen
to the.
Haue mercy on me, and delyuer
me frome all iniquitie
and synne, that I be not intangled
therwith.
Oftentymes it greueth me
sore, and in maner confoundeth
me, that I am so vnstable,
so weake, and so fraile
in resisting synfull mocions.
which although they drawe
me not alway to consent, yet
neuer the lesse theyr assaultes
bee veraie greuouse vnto
me.
And it is tedious to me, to
lyue in suche battaile, albeit
I perceyue that suche battaile
is not vnprofytable vnto
me. For therby I knowe
the better my selfe, and myne
owne infirmities, and that
I muste seeke helpe onely at
thy handes.
O lorde god of Israell, the
louer of all faithfull soules,
vouchesafe to behold the labour
and sorowe of me thy
poore creature.
Assiste me in all thynges
with thy grace, & so strength
me with heauenly strength,
that neither my cruell enemie
the fende, neither my
wretched flesshe whiche is
not yet subiect to the spirite
haue victory or dominion ouer
me.
O what a lyfe mai this be
called, where noo trouble
nor mysery lacketh? where
euery place is full of snares
of mortall enemies.
For one trouble or temptacion
ouer passed, an other co~meth
by and by, and the first
conflicte yet durynge, a new
battaile sodenly ariseth.
Wherfore, lorde Iesu, I
pray the, geue me the grace
to rest in the aboue all thynges,
and to quiete me in the
aboue all creatures: aboue
all glory and honoure, aboue
all dignitie & power, aboue
all cunnyng and policie: aboue
al healthe and beautie,
aboue all rychesse and treasure:
aboue all ioye and pleasure:
aboue al fame & praise:
aboue all myrthe and consolacion
that mans hert maie
take or feele besides the.
For thou lorde god, arte
beste, moste wise, moste high,
most mightie, most susticie~t,
and most full of al goodnes,
moste swete and moste comfortable,
moste faire, moste
louyng, moste noble, moste
glorious, in whom all goodnesse
moste perfectly is.
And therfore what so euer
I haue beside the, it is nothing
to me: for my hert may
not reste, ne fully be pacified
but onely in the.
O lorde Iesu, most louinge
spouse, who shall gyue me
wynges of perfect loue, that
I maye flye vp frome these
worldly myseries, and reste
in the?
O when shall I ascend to
the, and see, and feele howe
swete thou arte?
Whan shal I holly gather
my selfe in the, so perfectly
that I shall not for thy loue
feele my selfe, but the onely
aboue my selfe, and aboue
all worldly thynges, that
thou maiest vouchsafe to visite
me in such wise, as thou
doest visite thy moste faithfull
louers?
Nowe I often mourne and
complayne of the miseryes
of this life, and with sorow,
and great heauynesse suffre
them.
For many thynges happen
daily to me, whiche oftentymes
trouble me, make me heuy,
and darken myne vnderstandyng.
They hinder me greatly,

B

and put my mynd from the,
and so encombre me many
wayes, that I can not freely,
and clerely desyre the, ne
haue thy swete consolacio~s,
whiche with thy blessed saintes
be alwaie present.
I beseche the lorde Iesu,
that the syghynges and inwarde
desires of my hert
maie moue and incline the
to here me.
O Iesu, kynge of euerlasting
glory, the ioie and comfort
of all christen people,
that are wandrynge as pylgrims
in the wyldernesse of
this worlde: my hert crieth
to the by stil desires, and my
silence speketh vnto the, and
sayeth: howe longe taryeth
my lorde god to come to me,
Come, O lorde, and visite
me, for without the I haue
no true ioye, without the,
my soule is heuy and sadde.
I am in prison, and bound
with fetters of sorow, till
thou, O lorde, with thy gracious
presence vouchesafe to
visite me, and to brynge me
agayne to libertie and ioy of
spirite, and to shewe thy fauourable
countenaunce vnto
me.
Open my hert lorde, that
I maie beholde thy lawes,
and teache me to walke in

B.ii.

thy commandementes.
Make me to know and folowe
thy will, and to haue
alwayes in my reme~braunce
thy manyfolde benefyttes,
that I maie yelde due thankes
to the for them.
But I knowlage and confesse
for trouthe, that I am
not able to gyue the condigne
thankes for the least benefit
that thou hast gyuen me.
O lorde, al giftes and vertues
that any man hath in
body or soule, natural or supernaturall,
be thy gyftes,
and come of the, and not of
our selfe, and they declare
the great richesse of thy mercy
and goodnesse vnto vs.
And though some haue mo
giftes than other, yet they
all procede from the, & without
the, the leste can not be
hadde.
O lorde, I accompte it for
a greate benefit, not to haue
many worldly giftes, wherby
the laude and prayse of
men might blynde my soule,
and deceyue me.
Lorde, I knowe, that noo
man ought to be abasshed or
myscontent, that he is in a
lowe estate in this worlde,
and lacketh the plesures of
this lyfe: but rather to bee
glad and reioyse therat.

B iii

For so muche as thou hast
chosen the poore and meeke
persons, and suche as are dispised
in the worlde, to bee
thy seruantes and familiar
frendes.
witnesse be thy blessed Apostles,
whom thou madest
chief pastours and spiritual
gouernours of thy flocke,
whiche departed frome the
counsail of the Iewes, reioysynge,
that they were counted
worthy to suffre rebuke
for thy name.
Euen so, O lorde, graunt,
that I thy seruaunt maie be
as well content to be taken
as the least, as other bee to
be greattist, and that I be as
well pleased to be in the lowest
place, as in the hyest?
and as glad to be of no reputacion
in the worlde for thy
sake, as other are to be noble
and famous.
Lorde, it is the worke of a
perfeite man, neuer to sequester
his minde from the, & amo~g
many worldly cares to
go without care: not after
the maner of an ydle or a dissolute
persone, but by the prerogatiue
of a free mynde, alway
minding heauenly thinges,
and not cleauyng by inordinate
affection to any creature.

B iiii

I beseche the therfore my
lord Iesu, kepe me from the
superfluouse cares of this
worlde, that I be not inquieted
with bodily necessities,
ne that I be not taken with
the voluptuous pleasures of
the worlde, ne of the fleshe.
Preserue me from all thynges,
whiche hyndereth my
soule healthe, that I bee not
ouerthrowen with them.
O lorde god, whiche arte
swetenesse vnspekable, turne
in to bytternesse to me all
worldly and fleshly delites,
whiche moughte drawe me
frome the loue of eternall
thynges, to the loue of short
and vile pleasures.
Let not fleshe and bloude
ouercomme me, ne yet the
worlde with his vaynglory
deceyue me, nor the fe~d with
his manyfolde craftes supplant
me: but giue me gostely
strength in resisting them,
pacience in sufferyng theim,
and constance in perseuering
to the ende.
Geue me, for all worldly
delectacions, the most swete
consolacion of thy holy spiritte,
and for all fleshly loue
indue my soule with feruent
loue of the.
Make me strong inwardly
in my soule, and caste out

B.v.

therof al vnprofitable cares
of this worlde, that I be nat
ledde by vnstable desyres of
earthly thinges, but that I
maie repute all thinges in
this world as they be transitorie,
and soone vanishyng
awaie, and my self also with
them, drawyng toward min
ende.
For nothynge vnder the
sonne maie longe abide, but
all is vanitie and affliction
of spirite.
Geue me, lorde, therfore
heauenly wisedome, that I
maie lerne to seke and fynde
the, and aboue all thynges
to loue the.
Geue me grace to withdrawe
me from theym that
flatter me, and paciently to
suffre theym, that vniustely
greue me.
Lorde, whan temptacion
or tribulacion cometh, vouchesafe
to succour me, that
all maie tourne to my gostly
comforte, and pacientely to
suffre, and alwaye to saye,
Thy name be blessed.
Lorde, trouble is nowe at
hande. I am not well, but I
am greately vexed with this
presente affliction. O moste
glorious father, what shall
I dooe? anguishe and trouble
are on euery syde, helpe
nowe I beseeche the in this
hower, thou shalt be lauded
and praised, whan I am perfectly
made meke before the,
and whan I am clerely delyuered
by the.
Maie it therfore please the
to deliuer me, for what maie
I most synfull wretche do?
or whither maie I go for socour
but to the?
Geue me pacience nowe at
this time in all my troubles.
helpe me lorde god, and I
shall not feare ne dreade,
what troubles so euer fall
vppon me.
And now what shal I say:
but that thy will be done in
me? I haue deserued to bee
troubled and grieued: and
therfore it behoueth, that I
suffre as longe as it pleaseth
the.
But wolde to god, that I
might suffre gladly, tyll the
furious tempestes wer ouerpassed,
and that quietnesse
of herte myght come again.
Thy mightie hande lorde,
is strong inough to take this
trouble from me, and to asswage
the cruell assaultes
therof, that I be not ouercome
with theim, as thou
haste oftentymes dooen before
this tyme, that whan I
am clerely deliuered by the,
I maie with gladnesse saie:
The right hand of hym that
is hyghest, hath made this
chaunge.
Lorde graunte me thy singular
grace, that I maie come
thether, where no creature
shal let me, ne kepe me frome
the perfeit beholding of the.
For as longe as any transitory
thing kepeth me backe,
or hath rule in me, I maie
not freely ascende to the
O lorde, without the, nothynge
maie longe delite or
plese: For if any thing shuld
be liking and sauory, it must
be through helpe of thy grace,
seasoned with the spyce
of thy wysedome.
O euerlastyng lyght, farre
passynge all thynges, sende
downe the beames of thy
brightnesse from aboue, and
purifye and lyghten the inwarde
partes of my herte.
Quicken my soule, and all
the powers therof, that it
maie cleaue fast and be ioyned
to the in ioyful gladnes
of gostly rauishynges.
O when shall that blessed
houre come, that thou shalt
visite me, and glad me with
thy blessed presence, when
thou shalt be to me al in all:
verily vntil that tyme come,
there can be no perfecte ioye
in me.
But alas, myne olde man,
that is my carnall affectio~s,
lyue styll in me, and are not
crucified, nor perfitly deade.
For yet striueth the flesshe
against the spirite, and moueth
great battaile inwardly
against me, and suffereth
not thy ki~gdom of my soule
to lyue in peace.
But thou good lorde, that
haste the lordeshyppe ouer
all, and power of the sea to
assuage the rages and surges
of the same, aryse and
helpe me, destroy the power
of myne enemies, whiche alwaies
make bataile against
me, shew furth the greatnes
of thy goodnesse, and let the
power of thy right hande be
glorified in me, for there is
to me none other hope nor refuge,
but in the onely, my
lorde, my god, to the be honor
and glory euerlastyng.
O lorde, grant me, that I
maie wholly resigne my self
to the, and in all thynges to
forsake my selfe, and paciently
to beare my crosse, and
to folowe the.
O lorde, what is man, that
thou vouchesauest to haue
mynde of him: and to visite
hym?
Thou arte alwaie one, allwaie

C

good, alway rightwise
and holy, iustly and blessedly
disposyng all thynges after
thy wisedome.
But I am a wretche, and
of my selfe alwaie redy and
prone to euill, and doo neuer
abyde in one state, but many
tymes do vary and chaunge.
Neuerthelesse it shall be
better with me, whan it shal
please the, for thou, O lorde,
only art he, that maist helpe
me, and thou maiest so confirme
and stablishe me, that
my hert shall not bee chaunged
from the, but be surely
fixed, and finally rest and be
quieted in the.
I am nothyng elles of my
selfe but vanitie before the,
an vnconstant creature and
a feble, and therfore, wherof
maie I rightfully glory? or
why should I loke to be magnified.
who so pleaseth hym selfe
without the, displeseth the:
and he that deliteth in mennes
praysynges, loseth the
true prayse before the.
The true prayse is to bee
praised of the: And the true
ioye is to reioyse in the.
wherfore thy name o lord
bee praysed, and not myne.
Thy workes be magnified
and not myne, and thy goodnesse

C.ii.

bee alwayes lauded
and blessed.
Thou arte my glorie, and
the ioye of my herte, in the
shal I glory, and ioye in the,
and not in my selfe, nor in any
worldly honour or dignitie,
whiche to thy eternall
glory compared, is but a shadow
and veraie vanitie.
O lorde, we lyue here in
great darkenes, and are sone
deceiued with the vanities
of this worlde, and are sone
greued with a lytle trouble:
yet yf I coulde beholde my
selfe wel, I shuld plainly se,
that what trouble so euer I
haue suffered, it hath iustely
commen vpon me, because I
haue often synned, and greuously
offended the.
To me therfore confucion
and dispite is due: but to the
lawde, honour, and glorie.
Lord, sende me helpe in my
troubles, for mannes helpe
is lyttell worthe.
How often haue I ben dispointed,
where I thought I
shoulde haue founde frendeship?
And howe often haue
I found it, where as I least
thought?
Wherfore it is a vain thing,
to trust in man, for the true
truste and helthe of man, is
onely in the.

C iii

Blessed be thou lord therfore
in all thinges, that happeneth
vnto vs: for we bee
weake and vnstable, soone
disceyued, and soone chaunged
from one thynge to an
other.
O lorde god, moste rightuous
iudge, stronge and paciente,
whiche knowest the
frailtee and malice of man,
be thou my hoole strengthe
and comforte in all necessities:
for myne owne conscience
lorde suffyceth not.
Wherfore to thy mercie I
do appeale, seyng no manne
maie be iustified ne appere
rightuous in thy syghte, if
thou examine him after thy
iustice.
O blessed mansion of thy
heauenly citie, O most clerest
daie of eternitie, whom
the night maie neuer darke~.
This is the daie, alwaie
clere and mery, alway sure,
and neuer chaungynge his
state.
Woulde to god this daye
myght shortely appere and
shyne vpon vs, and that this
worldely fantasies were at
an ende.
This daie shyneth clerely
to thy saintes in heue~ with
euerlastyng brightnesse, but
to vs pylgrims in earthe, it

C iiii

shynethe obscurely, and as
through a mirrour or glasse.
The heauenlye citezyns
know, how ioyous thys day
is: but we, outlawes, the
chyldren of Eue, wepe and
waile the bitter tediousnesse
of our daye, that is of this
present life, shorte and euyll,
full of sorowe and anguishe.
Where man is often tymes
defyled with synne, encombred
with affliction, inquieted
with troubles, wrapped
in cares, busied with vanities,
blinded with errours,
ouercharged with labours,
vexed with temptacions, ouercome
with vaine delites
and pleasures of the world,
and greuousely tormented
with penury and nede.
O, when shal thende come
of all these miseries?
When shal I be clerely deliuered
from the bondage of
synne?
When shal I lorde haue
onely mynde on the and fully
be glad and mery in the?
When shal I be free without
lettyng, and bee in perfeite
lybertie without griefe
of body and soule?
When shall I haue peace
without trouble: peace within
and withoute: and on euery
syde stedfaste and sure?

C v

O lorde Iesu, when shall
I stande and beholde the?
and haue full sight and contemplacion
of thy glorie?
When shalte thou be to me
all in all? and when shall I
be with the in thy kingdom,
that thou hast ordeined for
thine electe people from the
beginnyng?
I am lefte here poore, and
as an outlawe, in the lande
of myne ennemies, where
dayly be batailes and great
misfortunes.
Comforte myne exile, aswage
my sorowe, for al my
desyre is to be with the.
It is to me an vnpleasant
burdeyne, what pleasure so
euer the worlde offereth me
here.
I desire to haue inwarde
fruicio~ in the, but I can not
atteine therto.
I couette to cleaue faste
to heauenly thynges, but
worldely affections plucke
my mynde downeward.
I wolde subdue al yuel affectyons,
but they daiely rebelle
and ryse ageynste me,
and will not be subiecte vnto
my spyrite.
Thus I wretched creature
fighte in my selfe, and am
greuous to my selfe, whyle
my spirite desyreth to be vpwarde,
& contrary, my fleshe
draweth me downewarde.
O, what suffre I inwardely?
I go about to minde heuenly
thynges, and streight
a great taable of worldely
thoughtes russhe in to my
soule.
Therfore lord, be not longe
awaie, ye departe not in thy
wrathe from me.
Sende me the light of thy
grace, destroye in me all carnall
desires.
Sende forthe the hotte flames
of thy loue, to burne &
consume the cloudie fantasies
of my mynde.
Gather, O lorde, my wittes
and the powers of my
soule together in the, and
make me to dispise al worldly
thinges, and by thy grace
strongely to resist and ouercome
all mocions and occasions
of synne.
Helpe me, thou euerlasting
Trouthe, that no worldely
gyse nor vanitie hereafter
haue power to deceiue me.
Come also thou heauenly
swetenesse, & let al bitternes
of synne flee farre from me.
Pardon me, and forgeue
me, as ofte as in my prayer
my mynde is not surely fixed
on the.
For many tymes I am not
there, where I stande or syt:
but rather there, whyther
my thoughtes carie me.
For there I am, where my
thought is, and there as customablye
is my thoughte,
there is that that I loue.
And that oftentymes commeth
into my mynde, that
by custome pleaseth me best,
and that deliteth me most to
thynke vpon.
Accordyngly as thou doest
saie in thy gospel: where as
a mannes treasure is, there is
his herte.
Wherfore if I loue heauen
I speake gladly therof, and
of such thynges as be of god
and of that that appertayneth
to his honour, & to the
glorifieng of his holy name.
And if I loue the worlde,
I loue to talke of worldely
thynges: and I ioye anone
in worldly felycitie, and sorowe,
and lament soone for
worldly aduersitee.
If I loue the fleshe I imagine
oftentimes that pleseth
the fleshe.
If I loue my soule, I delite
muche to speake and to here
of thynges, that bee for my
soule healthe.
And what so euer I loue,
of that I gladly here and
speake, and beare the ymages
of them stil in my mi~de.
Blessed is that man, that
for the loue of the lorde, setteth
not by the pleasures of
this worlde, & lerneth truely
to ouercome hym selfe, and
with the feruour of spirite
crucifyeth his fleshe, so that
in a cleane and a pure concience,
he maie offer his prayers
to the, and be accepted to
haue company of thy blessed
angelles, all erthly thynges
excluded from his herte.
Lorde, and holy father, be
thou blessed, now and euer:
for as thou wylte, so is it,
done, and that thou dooest,
is alwaye best.
Let me thy humble and vnworthy
seruaunt, ioye onely
in the, and not in my self, ne
in any thyng els besyde the.
For thou lord, art my gladnesse,
my hope, my crowne,
and all myne honour.
What hath thy seruaunte,
but that he hath of the, and
that without his desert?
All thynges be thyne, thou
hast create and made them.
I am poore, and haue been
in trouble and peyne euer
from my youthe, and my
soule hath ben in great heauinesse
throughe manyfolde
passions, that come of the
worlde and of the fleshe.

D

Wherfore lorde, I desyre
that I maie haue of the, the
ioye of inward peace.
I aske of the, to come to
that rest, whiche is ordeined
for thy chosen children, that
be fedde and nourished with
the lighte of heauenly comfortes:
For withoute thy
helpe, I can not come to the.
Lorde geue me peace, geue
me inwarde ioye, and then
my soule shalbe full of heauenly
melody, & be deuoute
and feruente in thy laudes
and praisynges.
But if thou withdrawe thy
selfe from me as thou haste
sometyme done than maie
not thy seruant ren the way
of thy commandementes, as
I dyd before.
For it is not with me, as it
was, when the lanterne of
thy gostly presence did shine
vpon my hed, and I was defended
vnder the shaddowe
of thy wynges from all perylles
and daungers.
O mercifull lord Iesu, euer
to bee praysed, the tyme is
come, that thou wilte proue
thy seruante, and ryghtfull
it is, that I shall now suffre
somewhat for the.
Now is the houre co~men,
that thou hast knowen from
the beginnyng, that thy seruaunt

D ii

for a tyme shulde outwardly
be set at naught, and
inwardly to leane to the.
And that he shulde be dispised
in the syghte of the
worlde, and be broken with
affliction, that he may after
arise with the in a new light
and bee clarified and made
glorious in thy kingdome of
heauen.
O holy father, thou haste
ordeined it so to be, and it is
done as thou hast co~ma~ded.
This is thy grace O lord
to thy friende, to suffre hym
to be troubled in this world
for thy loue, how often so euer
it be, and of what perso~
so euer it be, and in what maner
so euer thou wilte suffre
it to fall vnto hym: for without
thy will or sufferaunce
what thing is dooen vppon
earth?
It is good to me O lorde
that thou hast mekened me,
that I maie therby lerne to
knowe thy rightuous iudgementes,
and to put from me
all maner of presumpcion
and statelinesse of herte.
It is veraie profitable for
me, that confusion hath couered
my face, that I maie
learne therby rather to seke
to the for helpe and succour,
then to man.

D iii

I haue therby learned to
dreade thy secrete and terrible
iugementes, which scourgest
the righteous with the
synner, but not without equitie
and iustice.
Lorde, I yelde thankes to
the, that thou haste not spared
my synnes, but hast punyshed
me with scourges of
loue, and haste sent me affliction
and anguyshes within
and without.
No creature vnder heauen
maie comforte me but thou
Lorde god the heauenlie
leache of mans soule, which
strikest and healest, whiche
bryngest a man nyghe vnto
death, and after restorest him
to life agayne, that he maie
therby learne to knowe his
owne weakenesse and imbesilitie,
and the more fully to
truste in the lorde.
Thy discipline is layde vpon
me, and thy rod of correction
hath taught me, and
vnder that rod I holly submitte
me.
Strike my backe and my
bones, as it shall please the,
and make me to bowe my
croked will vnto thy will.
Make me a meeke and an
humble disciple as thou hast
somtime done with me, that
I maye walke after thy wil.

D iiii

To the I committe my self
to be corrected: for better it
is to be corrected by the here
then in tyme to come.
Thou knowest al thinges,
and nothyng is hid from the
that is in mans conscience.
Thou knowest al thynges
to come before they fall, & it
is not nedeful, that any man
teache the, or warne the of
any thing that is done vpon
the earth.
Thou knowest what is profitable
for me, & howe muche
tribulacions helpen to
purge away the rust of sinne
in me.
Doe with me after thy pleasure,
I am a synfull wretch,
to none so well knowen as
to the.
Graunt me Lorde that to
knowe, that is necessary to
be knowen: that to loue, that
is to be loued: that to desire,
that pleaseth the: that to regard,
that is precious in thy
syghte: and that to refuse:
that is vyle before the.
Suffre me not to iudge thy
misteries after my outward
senses, ne to gyue sentence
after the hearyng of the ignorante,
but by true iudgement
to discerne thinges spirituall,
and aboue all thynges
alwaie to serche and folowe

D.v.

thy wyll and pleasure.
O lorde Iesu, thou art all
my richesse, and all that I
haue, I haue it of the.
But what am I lorde
that I dare speake to the? I
am thy poore creature, and
a worme moste abecte.
Beholde Lorde, I haue
nought, and of my selfe I
am nought worthe, thou art
onely god, ryghtuouse and
holy, thou orderest all thynges,
thou gyuest all thinges,
and thou fulfyllest all thynges
with goodnesse.
I am a synner, barren and
voide of godly vertue.
Remembre thy mercyes,
and fill my herte with plentie
of thy grace, for thou
wilt not that thy workes in
me shuld be made in vain.
Howe maie I beare the
myserie of this lyfe, except
thy grace and mercie dooe
comforte me?
Tourne not thy face from
me, deferre not thy visityng
of me, ne withdraw not thy
comfortes, leste happely my
soule be made as drie earthe
without the water of grace.
Teache me lorde, to fulfyl
thy wylle, to lyue meekely,
and worthily before the, for
thou arte all my wysedome
and counnyng, thou arte he,
that knowest me as I am,
that knewest me before the
worlde was made, and before
I was borne or brought
into this life, to the o lorde
be honour glorie and prayse
for euer and euer. Amen.

Laudes deo in eternum.
Amen.

A praier for the kynge.

O LORDE Iesu Christe
moste hygh, most myghty,
kynge of kynges, lorde of
lordes, the onely rular of princis,
the veraie sonne of god, on whose
right hand sytting, doest from thy
throne beholde all the dwellers vpon
earth: with moste lowly hertes
we besech the, vouchsafe with
fauourable regarde, to behold our
moste gracious soueraigne lorde,
kyng Henry the eyght, and so replenishe
him with the grace of thy
holy spirite, that he alwaie incline
to thy wyl, and walke in thy way.
Kepe hym far of from ignorance,
but through thy gifte, let prudence
and knowlage alwaie abounde in
his royall herte: So instruct hym
O LORDE Iesu reignyng
vpon vs in earth, that his humain
maiestie, alwaie obeye thy diuine
maiestie in feare and dreade. Indue
hym plentyfully with heuenly
giftes. Graunt him in helthe and
welthe longe to lyue. Heape glory
and honour vpon hym. Glad hym
with the ioye of thy countenaunce.
So strengthe hym, that he maie
vanquysshe and ouercome all his
and our foes, and be dred and feared
of all the ennemies of his realme.
Amen.

A praier for men to saie entring into battaile.

O Almyghty kyng and lord
of hostes, which by thy angels
therevnto appointed
doest minister both warre & peace,
and which diddest geue vnto Dauid
both courage and strength, being
but a litle one, vnarmed, and
vnexpert in feates of warre, with
his slyng to sette vpon and ouerthrowe
the gret huge Goliath, our
cause now being iust, and being inforced
to entre into warre and batayle,
we most humble beseche the
O lord god of hostes so to turne
the hertes of our ennemies to the
desire of peace, that no christe~ blud
be spilt, or els graunt O lorde that
with small effusion of bloud, and
to the litle hurt & damage of innocentis,
we may to thy glory, optein
victory: and that the warres being
soone ended, we maie al, with
one hert and mynde, knyt togither
in concorde and vnitie, laude and
prayse the, whiche liuest and reignest,
worlde without ende. Amen.