My hands to Thee; my soul to Thee did call,
Like barren soil, for moisture of thy grace.
Haste to my help, O Lord, afore I fall;
For sure I feel my spirit doth faint apace.
Turn not thy face from me that I be laid
In count of them that headlong down do pass
Into the pit: Shew me betimes thine aid,
For on thy grace I wholly do depend:
And in thy hand since all my health is staid,
Do me to know what way, thou wilt, I bend;
For unto thee I have raised up my mind.
Rid me, O Lord, from them that do entend
My foes to be; for I have me assigned
Alway within thy secret protection.

Teach me thy will, that I by thee may find
The way to work the same in affection:
For thou, my God, thy blessed Spirit upright
In laud of truth shall be my direction.

Thou, for thy name, Lord, shalt revive my sprite
Within the right, that I receive by Thee:
Whereby my life of danger shall be quite.
Thou hast fordone the great iniquity,

That vex'd my soul: Thou shalt also confound
My foes, O Lord, for thy benignity;

For thine am I, thy servant aye most bound.

I

NOLI EMULARI IN MALIGNA.*

ALTHO' thou see th' outrageous climb aloft,
Envy not thou his blind prosperity.

The wealth of wretches, tho' it seemeth soft,
Move not thy heart by their felicity.

They shall be found like grass, turn'd into hay,
And as the herbs that wither suddenly.
Stablish thy trust in God: seek right alway,
And on the earth thou shalt inhabit long.
Feed, and increase such hope from day to day;
And if with God thou time thy hearty song,
He shall thee give what so thy heart can lust.
Cast upon God thy will, that rights thy wrong;
Give him the charge, for He upright and just
Hath cure of thee, and eke, of thy cares all;
And He shall make thy truth to be discust.
Bright as the sun, and thy rightwiseness shall
(The cursed wealth, though now do it deface)
Shine like the daylight that we the noon call.
Patiently abide the Lord's assured grace:
Bear with even mind the trouble that he sends :
Dismay thee not, though thou see the purchase
Increase of some; for such like luck God sends
To wicked folk.

Restrain thy mind from wrath that aye offends.

* Psalm xxxvii.

Do way all rage, and see thou do eschew

By

their like deed such deeds for to commit; For wicked folk their overthrow shall rue. Who patiently abides, and do not flit

They shall possede the world from heir to heir;
The wicked shall of all his wealth be quit
So suddenly, and that without repair,
That all his pomp, and all his strange array
Shall from thine eye depart, as blast of air,
The sober then the world shall wield I say,
And live in wealth and peace so plentiful.
Him to destroy the wicked shall assay,
And gnash his teeth eke with groaning ireful;
The Lord shall scorn the threatenings of the wretch,
For he doth know the tide is nigh at full

When he shall sink, and no hand shall him seech.
They have unsheathed eke their bloody bronds,
And bent their bow to prove if they might reach
To overthrow the

Bare of relief the harmless to devour.

The sword shall pierce the heart of such that fonds: Their bow shall break in their most endeavour.

A little living gotten rightfully

Passeth the riches, and eke the high power

Of that, that wretches have gather'd wickedly.
Perish shall the wicked's posterity,

And God shall 'stablish the just assuredly.

The just man's days the Lord doth know, and see!

Their heritage shall last for evermore,

And of their hope beguil'd they shall not be,

When dismold days shall wrap the other sore.
They shall be full when other faint for food,
Therewhilst shall fail these wicked men therefore.
To God's enemies such end shall be allow'd,
As hath lamb's grease wasting in the fire,
That is consum'd into a smoky cloud.
Borroweth th' unjust without will or desire
To yield again; the just freely doth give,
Where he seeth need: as mercy doth require.
Who will❜th him well for right therefore shall leve;
Who banish him shall be rooted away.

His steps shall God direct still and relieve,
And please him shall what life him lust essay;
And though he fall under foot, lie shall not he,
Catching his hand for God shall straight him stay

Nor yet his seed foodless seen for to be.
The just to all men merciful hath been;
Busy to do well, therefore his seed, I say,
Shall have abundance alway fresh and green.
Flee ill; do good; that thou may'st last alway,
For God doth love for evermore the upright.
Never his chosen doth he cast away;
For ever he them mindeth day and night;
And wicked seed alway shall waste to nought,

The just shall wield the world as their own right,
And long thereon shall dwell, as they have wrought.
With wisdom shall the wise man's mouth him able;
His tongue shall speak alway even as it ought,
With God's learning he hath his heart stable,

His foot therefore from sliding shall be sure!
The wicked watcheth the just for to disable,
And for to slay him doth his busy cure.
But God will not suffer him for to quail;
By tyranny, nor yet by fault unpure,
To be condemn'd in judgment without fail.
Await therefore the coming of the Lord!
Live with his laws in patience to prevail,
And He shall raise thee of thine own accord.
Above the earth, in surety to behold
The wicked's death, that thou may it record,
I have well seen the wicked sheen like gold:
Lusty and green as laurel lasting aye,
But even anon and scant his seat was cold
When I have pass'd again the selfsame way;
Where he did reign, he was not to be found:
Vanish'd he was for all his fresh array.
Let uprightness be still thy steadfast ground.
Follow the right; such one shall alway find
Himself in peace and plenty to abound.
All wicked folk reversed shall untwind,
And wretchedness shall be the wicked's end.
Health to the just from God shall be assign'd,
He shall them strength whom trouble should offend
The Lord shall help I say, and them deliver
From cursed hands, and health unto them send,
For that in Him they set their trust for ever.