Comforte me, Iesu, with thy remyssion,
By the lovyng mercye and intercession
Of thys blody streme; thereof take no dysdane;
Now, Iesu, graunte it for thy greuous payne.
[From the same Manuscript as the foregoing; with a drawing of a naked body, apparently new risen from a grave, having a mattock on the right hand, and a spade at the feet.]
ERTH oute of erth is wondyrlye wrought,
For erth hath gotten of erth a nobul thyng of noght;
Erth uppon erth hath set alle hys thoght,
How erth uppon erth may be hygh broght.
Erth uppon erth yet wolde be a kynge,
But how erth shall to erth thynketh he nothyng;
But when erth hyddeth erth hys dute hom bryng,
Then shall erth fro erth have a peteus partyng.
Erth wynneth uppon erth both castellys and towris,
Than sayth erth unto erth-" this is alle owres ;”
But whan erth uppon erth hath bylded all hys bowrys,
Than shall erth for erth suffer sharpe showres.
Erth byldyth uppon erth as molde uppon molde,
And erth goth uppon erth glyttering alle golde,
Like as erth unto erth never goe sholde,
And justly than shalle erth go to erth rather than he wolde.
Memento hoc, quod cinis es, et in cinere reverteris ;
Fac bene dum vivis, post morte vivere si vis,
Whan lyffe is most lovyd, and deth most hated,
Than deth drawyth hys drawght, and maketh man ful naked.
Principal Works:-The Crowne of Laurell, the Bouge of Courte, and many satirical pieces.
A Prayer to the Father of Heaven.
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.
BORN 1480. BEHEADED 1535.
Principal Works:-Utopia, Letter to Erasmus, and Miscellaneous Controversy.
A ruful lamentacion of the deth of quene Elisabeth mother to king Henry the eight, wife to king Henry the seventh, and eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth, which quene Elisabeth dyed in childbed in February in the yere of our Lord 1503, and in the 18 yere of the raigne of king Henry the seventh.
O YE that put your trust and confidence,
In worldly ioy and frayle prosperite,
That so lyue here as ye should neuer hence,
Remember death and loke here vppon me.
Ensaumple I thynke there may no better be.
Your selfe wotte well that in this realme was I,
Your quene but late, and lo now here I lye.
Was I not borne of olde worthy linage?
Was not my mother queene, my father kyng?
Was I not a kinges fere in marriage?
Had I not plenty of euery pleasaunt thing?
Mercifull God, this is a straunge reckenyng:
Rychesse, honour, welth, and auncestry,
Hath me forsaken, and lo now here I lye.
If worship myght haue kept me, I had not gone;
If wyt myght haue me saued, I neded not fere;
If money myght haue holpe, I lacked none;
But, O good God, what vayleth all this gere,
When deth is come, thy mighty messangere,
Obey we must, there is no remedy,
Me hath he sommoned, and lo now here I lye.
Yet was I late promised otherwyse, This yere to liue in welth and delice.
Lo whereto cometh thy blandishyng promyse,
O false astrolagy and deuynatrice,
Of Goddes secretes makyng thy selfe so wyse;
How true is for this yere thy prophecy
The yere yet lasteth, and lo nowe here I lye.
O bryttill welth, as full of bitternesse,
Thy single pleasure doubled is with payne.
Account my sorrow first and my distresse,
In sondry wyse, and recken there agayne,
The ioy that I haue had, and I dare sayne,
For all my honour, endured yet haue I,
More wo then welth, and lo now here I lye.
Where are our castels, now; where are our towers? Goodly Richmonde soue, are thou gone from me? At Westminster that costly worke of yours, Myne owne dere lorde now shall I neuer see; Almighty God vouchesafe to graunt that ye, For you and your children well may edefy; My palyce bylded is, and lo now here I lye.
Lines written while he was a prisoner in the Tower.
Ex! flatering Fortune, loke thou never so faire,
Or never so plesantly begin to smile,
As though thou wouldst my ruine all repayre,
During my life thou shalt not me begile;
Trust shall I God, to entre in a while
Hys haven or heaven sure and uniforme;
Ever aftir thy calme, loke I for a storme.
A Scottish Poet, who flourished 1450 to 1500.
Thank God for all.
ALONE, as I went up and down,
In abbey was fair to see,
Thinking what consolation
Was in adversity;
On case (a) I cast on side mine ee,
And saw this written on a wall,
"Of what estate, Man, that thou be,
Obey, and thank thy God for all."
Thy kingdom, and thy great empire,
Thy royalty, nor rich array,
Shall nought endure at thy desire,
But, as the wind, will wend away:
Thy gold and all thy goodis gay,
When Fortune list will fra thee fall:
Sen thou sic samples sees each day,
Obey, and thank thy God for all.
Though thou be blind or have an halt,
Or in thy face deformed ill,
So it come not by thy default,
No man shall thee reprief (b) by skill:
Blame not thy Lord, so is his will;
Spurn not thy foot against the wall;
But, with meek heart and prayer still,
Obey, and thank thy God for all.
God, of his justice, man correct,
And of his mercy, pity have;
He is a Judge, to none suspect,
To punish sinful man or save;
Though thou be Lord atour the laif, (c)
And afterwards made bound and thrall,
(b) Reprove. (c) Above the rest.
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