A1r

Prayers
Stirryng the

mynd unto heavenlye
medytacions


collected oute
of holy workes

by the
mooste
vertuous
and gracious princesse
Katherine
quene of
Englande, Fraunce,
and Irelande
.

1545Anno domini
1545.
A1v Colloss. iii.Col. 3 “If ye be risen agayne with
Christe, seeke the thynges.
which ar above, wher Christ
sitteth on the right hand of god.
Set your affection on thynges
that are above: and not on thinges,
whiche are on the earthe.”
A2r

Moste benynge
lord Jesu, grāant me
thy grace, that it
may alway worke
in me, and persever
with me unto the ende.

Graunte me, that I maie ever
desyre and wille that whiche is
moste pleasaunte, and moste acceptable
to the.

Thy will be my wille, and my
will be to folowe alway thy wil.

Let there be alwaye in me one
wille, and one desire with the, &
that I have no desire to will, or
not to will, but as thou wilte.

Lorde, thou knowest what
thynge is moste profytable and
and moste expedient for me.

Gyve therfore what thou wilt,
as much as thou wilt, and whan
thou wilt.

A.ii. Dooe A2v

Doe with me what thou wilt,
as it shall please the, and as shal
be most to thyne honour.

Put me where thou wilte, and
freely do with me in all thynges
after thy will.

Thy creature I am, and in thy
handes, lede and turne me where
thou wilte.

Lo, I am thy servaunt, readye
to all thynges that thou comandest:
for I desire not to live to
my selfe, but to the.

Lorde Jesu, I praye the grant
me grace, that I never sette my
herte on the thynges of this
worlde, but that all worldly and
carnall affeccions maie utterlye
dye and be mortifyed in me.

Graunt me above all thinges,
that I maie rest in the, and fully quiete A3r
quiete and pacifie my hert in the.

For thou lord, art the very true
peace of hert, & the perfeit rest of
the soule: and withoute the, all
thinges be grevous & unquiet.

My lorde Jesu, I beseche the,
be with me in everye place, and
at all tymes, and lette it be to me
a speciall solace, gladly for thy
love to lacke all worldly solace.

And if thou withdraw thy comfort
frome me at any tyme, kepe
me, O lorde, from desperacion,
and make me paciently to abyde
thy wyll and ordinaunce.

O lord Jesu, thy judgementes
bee rightuouse, and thy providence
is much better for me, thāan
al that I can imagine or devise.

Wherefore do with me in all
thinges as it shal please the: for Aiii it A3v
it maie not be but wel, all that
thou doest.

If thou wilt that I be in light,
be thou blessed: if thou wilt I be
in darknesse, be thou also blessed.

If thou vouchesafe to comfort
me, be thou highly blessed: if
thou wilt I live in trouble, and
withoute comforte, be thou likewyse
ever blessed.

Lord, gyve me grace gladly to
suffre what soo ever thou wilte
shall fal upon me, and paciently
to take at thy hande good and
badde, bitter and swete: joy and
sorowe: and for all thinges that
shall befalle unto me, hertilye
to thanke the.

Kepe me lorde from synne, and
I shall then neither dread death
nor hell.

O what A4r

O what thankes oughte I to
gyve unto the, whiche haste suffered
the grevouse deathe of the
Crosse, to delyver me frome my
synnes, & to obteyn everlasting
life for me?

Thou gavest us moste perfect
example of pacience, fulfillinge
and obeyinge the will of thy father
even unto the deathe.

Make me wretched sinner, obediently
to use my selfe after thy
wil in all thynges, and paciently
to beare the bourden of this
corruptible lyfe.

For though this life be tedious,
and as an hevy burdein to
my soule: yet neverthelesse thoroughe
thy grace, and by example
of the, it is nowe made much
more easy, and comfortable then Aiiii it A4v
it was before thy incarnacion &
passyon

Thy holy life is our waye to
the, and by folowynge of the,
we walke to the, that arte oure
head and savior: And yet except
thou haddest gone before, & shewed
us the waye to everlasting
life, who woulde endevour hym
selfe to folow the? seynge we be
yet so slow and dull, havyng the
light of thy blessed example and
holy doctrine to leade and direct
us.

O lorde Jesu, make that possible
by grace, that is impossible
to me by nature.

Thou knoweste well, that I
maye litle suffre, and that I am
anone cast downe and overthrowen
with a litle adversitie: wherforefore A5r
I beseche the, O lorde, to
strengthen me with thy spyrite,
that I may willingly suffre for
thy sake al maner of trouble and
affliction.

Lorde, I will knowlage unto
the, all mine unrightuousnesse,
and I wyll confesse to the all the
unstablenesse of my herte.

Oftentimes a veray litle thing
troubleth me sore, and maketh
me dull and slow to serve the.

And sometyme I purpose to
stand strongly, but whan a litle
trouble cometh, it is to me great
anguishe and grief, & of a right
litle thing riseth a grevous tēemptacion
to me.

Yea when I thinke my selfe to
be sure and strong, and that (as
it semeth) I have upper hand: sodenly A5v
sodenly I feele my selfe ready to
fall with a littell blaste of temptacion.

Behold therfore good lord, my
weakenes, and consider my frailnesse,
beste knowen to the.

Have mercy on me, and delyver
me from all iniquitie and synne,
that I be not intāangled therwith

Oftentimes it greveth me sore,
and in maner counfoundethe me,
that I am so unstable, so weake,
and so frail in resistynge synfull
mocions.

Which although they draw me
not alway to consent, yet never
the lesse theyr assaultes be veray
grevouse unto me.

And it is tedious to me, to live
in suche battayle, albeit I perceive
that suche battaile is not vnprofi- A6r
unprofitable unto me. for therby
I knowe the better my selfe,
and mine owne infirmities, and
that I must seeke helpe onely at
thy handes.

O lorde god of Israell, the lover
of al faithful soules, vouchsafe
to behold the labour and sorow
of me thy poore creature.

Assiste me in all thynges with
thy grace, & so strength me with
heavenly strength, that neither
my cruell enemye the fende, neither
my wretched flesshe (which
is not yet subjecte to the spirite)
have victory or dominion over
me.

O what a lyfe may this be called,
where no trouble nor misery
lacketh? where every place is ful
of snares of mortall ennemies?

for A6v

For one trouble or temptacion
over passed, an other commeth
by and by, and the firste conflict
yet durynge, a newe battaile sodenly
ariseth

Wherfore, lorde Jesu, I pray
the, geve me the grace to rest in
the above all thynges, and to
quiete me in the above all creatures:
above all glorie and honour,
above al dignitie & power,
above al cunning and policie: above
al helth and beautie, above
all riches and treasure: above al
joy and pleasure: above al fame
and praise: above al myrthe and
consolacion that mans hert may
take or feele besides the.

For thou lorde god, arte beste,
moste wyse, moste high, moste
mightie, most sufficiēent, and moste full A7r
full of all goodnes, moste swete,
and most cōomfortable, moste faire,
most loving, moste noble, moste
glorious, in whom all goodnes
moste perfectly is.

And therefore what so ever I
have beside the, it is nothing to
me: for my hert may not reste, ne
fully be pacified but onely in the

O lorde Jesu, moste lovinge
spouse, who shall gyve me winges
of perfect love, that I maie
flye up from these worldly myseries,
and reste in the?

O when shall I ascend to the,
and see, & feele howe swete thou
arte?

Whan shal I holly gather my
selfe in the, so perfectly, that I
shall not for thy love feele my
self, but the only above my self, & aboue A7v
above all worldly thynges, that
thou maiest vouchesafe to visite
me in suche wise, as thou doeste
visite thy moste faythful lovers.

Now I often mourne and complayne
of the miseryes of this
life, and with sorow, and greate
heavynesse suffre them.

For many thinges happen daily
to me, which often times trouble
me, make me heavy, and darken
myne understandyng.

They hinder me greatly, and
putte my mynd from the, and so
encoumbre me many waies, that
I can not freely, and clerely desyre
the, ne have thy swete consolacions,
which with thy blessed
saintes be alwaie present.

I beseche the lorde Jesu, that
the syghynges and inwarde desiressires A8r
of my herte may move and
incline the to here me.

O Jesu, kynge of everlasting
glory, the joy and comfort of all
christen people, that ar wāandring
as pylgrims in the wildernes of
this world: my hert crieth to the
by stille desires, and my silence
speketh unto the and saith: how
longe taryeth my lorde god to
come to me?

Come, O lorde, and visite me,
for withoute the I have no true
joye, withoute the, my soule is
hevy and sadde.

I am in prison, and bound with
fetters of sorowe, tyll thou, O
lord, with thy gracious presence
vouchesafe to vysite me, and to
bryng me againe to libertie and
joy of spirite, and to shew thy favourableuourable A8v
countenance unto me.

Open my herte lorde, that I
maie behold thy lawes, & teache
me to walke in thy commandementes.

Make me to know and folowe
thy will, and to have alwaies in
my remembrance thy manyfolde
benefyttes, that I maie yeld due
thankes to the for them.

But I knowlage and confesse
for trouthe, that I am not able
to gyve the coōondigne thankes for
the least benefit that thou haste
gyven me.

O lorde, al giftes and vertues
that any man hathe in body or
soule, naturall or supernatural,
be thy gyftes, and come of the,
and not of our selfe, and they declare
the great riches of thy mercycy B1r
and goodnesse unto us.

And though some have mo giftes
than other, yet they all procede
from the, and without the,
the leaste can not be had.

O lord, I account it for a great
benefit, not to have many worldly
giftes, wherby the laude and
prayse of men might blynde my
soule, and deceyve me.

Lorde, I knowe, that no 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 be glad and rejoyce thereat.

For so muche as thou hast chosen
the poore and meke persons,
and suche as are despised in the
worlde, to be thy servantes and
familiar frendes.

B Witnes B1v

Wytnesse be thy blessed Apostels,
whome thou madest chiefe
pastours and spirituall governours
of thy flocke, whyche departed
frome the counsail of the
Jewes, rejoising that they were
counted worthy to suffre rebuke
for thy name.

Even so, O lorde, graunt, that
I thy servaunt maie be as well
content to be taken as the least,
as other bee to be greatist, and
that I be as wel 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 & famous.

Lord, it is the work of a perfeit
māan, never to sequester his minde
frōom the, and among many worldly
cares to go withoute care: not B2r
not after the maner of an ydle or
a dissolute person, but by the prerogative
of a free mynde, alway
minding heavenly thinges, and
not cleaving by inordinate affeccion
to any creature.

I beseche the therfore my lorde
Jesu, 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.

Preserve me from al thynges,
which hindereth my soule helth,
that I be not overthrowen with
them.

O lorde god, which arte swetenes
unspekable, turne into bytternes
to me al worldly and flesh
ly delites, whiche mought draw Bii me B2v
me from the love of eternal thinges,
to love of short and vile plesures

Let not fleshe and bloude overcomme
me, ne yet the world with
his vaynglory deceyve me, nor
the fend with his manifold craftes
supplant me: but give me
gostely strengthe in resistinge
them, pacience in suffring theim,
and constance in persevering to
the ende.

Geve me, for all worldly delectacions,
the most swete consolacion
of thy holy spirite, and for
all fleshely love indue my soule
with fervent love of the.

Make me stronge inwardly in
my soule, and caste oute therof al
unprofitable cares of this world,
that I be not ledde by unstable desires B3r
desyres of earthly thinges, but
that I maie repute all thynges
in this worlde (as they be) transitory,
and sone vanishing awai,
and my self also with them, drawing
towarde mine ende.

For nothynge under the sonne
may longe abide, but all is vanitie
and affliction of spirite.

Geve me lorde therfore hevenly
wysedome, that I maie lerne
to seke, and finde the, and above
all thynges to love the.

Geve me grace to withdrawe
me from theym that flatter me,
and pacientlye to suffre theym,
that unjustely greve me.

Lord, whan temptacion or tribulacion
cometh, vouchesafe to
succour me, that all may tourne
to my gostly comfort, & paciēently B.iii. to B3v
to suffre, and alway 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 every
syde, helpe nowe I beseche
the in this howre, thou shalte be
lauded and praised, whan I am
perfectly made meke before the.
and whanne I am clerely delyvered
by the.

Maie it therfore please the to
deliver me, for what may I most
synfull wretche do? or whither
maie I go for socour but to the?

Geve me pacience now at this
time in al my troubles, helpe me
lord god, and I shal not feare ne dreade B4r
dreade, what troubles so ever
fall uppon me.

And now what shal I say? but
that thy will be done in me: I
have deserved to be trobled and
andgrieved: and therfore it behoveth,
that I suffre as long as
it pleaseth the.

But wold to god, that I might
suffre gladly, tyll the furious
tempestes were overpassed, and
that quietnesse of herte myght
come again.

Thy mightie hande lorde,
is stronge inough to take this
trouble frome me, and to as
swage the cruell assaultes therof,
that I be not overcome with
theim, as thou haste oftentimes
doen before this tyme, that whāan
I am clerely delivered by the, Biiii I B4v
I maie with gladnesse saie: The
right hande of him that is hyghest,
hath made this chaunge.

Lorde, graunt me thy singular
grace, that I may come thether,
where no creature shall 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 nothyng
maie longe delite or plese: for if
any thynge shuld be liking and
savory, it must be through helpe
of thy grace seasoned with the
spyce of thy wisedome.

O everlastyng lyght, far passyng
all thynges, sende downe
the beames of thy brightnes frōom aboue, B5r
above, and purifye and lyghten
the inwarde partes of my herte.

Quicken my soule and all the
powers thereof, that it may cleve
fast and be joyned to the in joyfulle
gladnesse of gostely ravishynges.

O, when shal that blessed hour
come, that thou shalt visite me,
and glad me with thy blessed presence,
when thou shalte be to me
all in all? verily until that time
come, there can be no perfect joy
in me.

But alas, myne olde man, that
is my carnal affections, live stil
in me, and are not crucified, nor
perfitly deade.

For yet striveth the fleshe against
the spirite, and moveth the
gret battail inwardly agaīinst me, and B5v
and suffereth not thy kingdome
of my soule to lyve in peace.

But thou good lorde, that hath
the lordeshyp over all, and power
of the sea to asswage the rages
and surges of the same, aryse
and help me, destroy the power
of myne enemies, whiche alwaies
make bataile against me,
shewe furth the greatnes of thy
goodnesse, and let the power of
thy right hāand be glorified in me,
for ther is to me none other hope
nor refuge, but in the onely, my
lorde, my god, to the be honour
and glory everlastyng.

O lorde, grant me, that I may
wholly resigne my selfe to the,
and in al thynges to forsake my
selfe, and paciently to beare my
crosse, and to folowe the.

O B6r

O lord, what is man, that thou
vouchesavest to have mynde of
him? and to visite hym?

Thou arte alwaie one, alway
good, alway rightwise and holy,
justly and blessedly disposing al
thynges after thy wisedome.

But I am a wretche, and of
my selfe alwaie ready and prone
to evill, and do never abyde in
one state, but many tymes do
vary and change.

Neverthelesse it shall be better
with me, whan it shal please the,
for thou, O lorde, onely art he,
that maiste helpe me, and thou
maiest so confirme and stablishe
me, that my hert shal not be changed
from the, but be surely fixed,
and finally reste and be quieted
in the.

I am B6v

I am nothyng elles of my self
but vanitie before the, an unconstant
creature and a feble, and
therfore, wherof maie I rightfully
glory? or why shoulde I
loke to be magnified?

Who so pleaseth hym self without
the, displeseth the: and he
that deliteth in mennes prayesinges,
loseth the true prayse before
the.

The true prayse is to be praysed
of the: And the true joy is to
rejoyce in the.

Wherfore thy name (o lord ) be
praysed, and not myne.

Thy workes be magnified and
not myne, and thy goodnesse be
alwayes lauded and blessed.

Thou art my glory, and the joy
of my herte, in the shall I glory, and B7r
& rejoyce, and not in my self, nor
in any worldly honour or dignitie,
whyche to thy eternall glory
compared, is but a shadow and
veraie vanitie.

O lorde, we lyve here in great
darknes, and are sone deceived
with the vanities of this world,
and are sone greved with a litle
trouble: yet yf I coulde beholde
my selfe wel, I shulde plainly se,
that what troble so ever I have
suffered, it hath justely commen
uppon me because I have often
synned, and grevously offended
the.

To me therfore confusyon, and
dispite is due: but to the laude,
honour, and glorie.

Lord, send me help in my troubles,
for mannes helpe is lyttell worth B7v
worthe.

How often have I ben dispointed,
where I thought I shoulde
have founde frendeship? And
howe often have I founde it,
where as I least thought?

Wherfore it is a vain thing, to
trust in man, for the true trust &
helthe of man, is onely in the.

Blessed be thou lorde therfore
in all thinges, that happeneth
unto us: for we be weke and unstable,
soone disceyved, and sone
chaunged from one thyng to an
other.

O lorde god, moste rightuous
judge, stronge and pacient, whiche
knowest the frailtee and malice
of manne, be thou my hole
strēength and comfort in al necessities:
for myne owne conscience (lorde) B8r
(lorde) suffiseth not.

Wherfore to thy mercie I do
appeale, seyng no man maie be
justified ne appere rightuous in
thy syghte, if thou examine hym
after thy justice.

O blessed mansion of thy heavenly
citie: O most clerest daie
of eternitie, whom the night mai
never darken.

This is the daie, alwaie clere
and mery, alway sure, and never
chaungyng his state.

Would to god this daie might
shortely appere and shyne upon
us, and that this worldely fantasies
were at an ende.

This day shineth clerely to thy
saintes in hevēen with everlasting
brightnesse, but to us pilgrims
in earthe, it shyneth obscurely, and B8v
and as through a mirroure or
glasse.

The heavenly citezyns know,
how joyous this day is: but we,
outlawes, the chyldren of Eve,
wepe and waile the bitter tediousnesse
of our daye, that is of
this present life, shorte and evil,
full of sorowe and anguishe.

Where man is often tymes defyled
with syn, encombred with
affliction, inquieted with troubles,
wrapped in cares, busied
with vanities, blinded with errours,
overcharged with labours,
vexed with temptacions,
overcome with vaine delites &
pleasures of the world, and grevousely
tormented with penury
and nede.

O, when shal thende come of al these C1r
these miseries?

When shal I be clerely delivered
from the bondage of synne?

When shal I (lorde) have onely
mynde on the, and fully be glad
and mery in the?

When shall I be free without
lettynge, and bee in perfeite libertie
withoute griefe of body &
soule?

When shal I have peace withoute
trouble? peace within and
withoute? and on every syde stedfaste
and sure?

O lorde Jesu, when shall I
stande and behold the? and have
full sight and contemplacion of
thy glorie?

When shalt thou be to me al in
all? and when shal I be with the
in thy kingdom, that thou haste C ordeyned C1v
ordeyned for thyne electe people
from the beginnyng?

I am lefte here poore, and as
an outlawe, in the lande of mine
ennemies, where dailye be battailes
and great misfortunes.

Comforte myne exile, aswage
my sorowe, for al my desyre is to
be with the.

It is to me an unpleasant burdeyne,
what pleasure so ever the
worlde offereth me here.

I desyre to have inwarde fruicion
in the, but I can not atteine
therto.

I covette to cleave fast to heavenly
thynges, but worldely af
fections pluck my mynd downewarde.

I wolde subdue al yvel affections,
but they daiely rebelle and ryse C2r
ryse ageynste me, and wil not be
subjecte unto my spirite.

Thus I wretched creture fight
in my selfe, and am grevouse to
my self, whyle my spirite desireth
to be upward, and contrary, my
fleshe draweth me downewarde.

O, what suffre I inwardly:
I go aboute to minde heavenly
thinges, and streighte a greate
raabble of worldely thoughtes
rushe into my soule.

Therefore lord, be not longe away,
ne depart not in thy wrath
from me.

Sende me the lyghte of thy
grace, destroye in me all carnall
desires.

Sende forthe the hotte flames
of thy love, to burne and consume
the cloudie fantasies of my Cii mynd C2v
mynde.

Gather, O Lord, my wittes and
the powers of my soule together
in the, and make me to dispise
all worldly thynges, and by thy
grace strongely to resiste and overcome
all mocions and occasions
of synne.

Helpe me, thou everlastynge
trouthe, that no worldli gyle nor
vanitie hereafter, have power to
deceive me.

Come also thou hevenly swetenesse,
and let al bitternes of syn
flee farre from me.

Pardon me, and forgeve me,
as ofre as in my praier my mynd
is not surely fixed on the.

For many times I am not ther,
where I stande or syt: but rather
there, whyther my thoughtes carie C3r
carie me.

For there I am, where my
thoughte is, and there as customably
is my thoughte, there is
that that I love.

And that oftentimes commeth
into my mynde, that by custome
pleaseth me best, and that deliteth
me most to thynke upon.

Accordyngly as thou doest say
in thy gospell: where as a mans
treasure is, there is this herte.

Wherefore if I love heaven, I
speke gladly therof, and of suche
thinges as be of god and of that
that apertayneth to his honour,
and to the glorifieng of his holy
name.

And if I love the world, I love
to talke of worldly thinges: and
I joye anone in worldely felicitie,C.iii. tie C3v
and sorowe, and lament ssone
for worldly adversitie.

If I love the flesshe, I imagine
oftentimes that pleseth the
fleshe.

If I love my soule, I delite muche
to speake and to here of thinges,
that be for my soule helthe.

And what so ever I love, of
that I gladly here and speake,
and beare the ymages of theym
still in my minde.

Blessed is that man, that for
the love of the, lorde, setteth not
by the pleasures of this world, &
lerneth truely to overcome hymself,
and with the fervour of spirite
crucifieth his fleshe, so that
in a clene and a pure conscience,
he maie offer his prayers to the,
and be accepted to have cōompany of C4r
of thy blessed aungelles, al erthly
thynges excluded frome his
herte.

Lord, and holy father, be thou
blessed, nowe and ever: for as
thou wylte, so is it done, and
that thou dooest, is alway beste.

Let me thy humble and unworthy
servaunt, joye onely in the,
and not in my selfe, ne in any
thyng els beside the.

For thou lord, art my gladnes,
my hope, my crowne, and all
myne honour.

What hath thy servaunte, but
that he hath of the, and that without
his deserte?

All thinges be thyne, thou hast
create and made them.

I am poore, and have been in
trouble and peyne ever from my C.iiii. youth C4v
youth, and my soule hath ben in
great hevinesse through manyfolde
passions, that come of the
worlde and of the fleshe.

Wherfore lord, I desyre that I
maie have of the, the joye of inward
peace.

I aske of the, to come to that
rest, whiche is ordeined for thy
chosen children, that be fed and
nourished with the lighte of hevenly
comfortes: for withoute
thy helpe, I can not come to the.

Lorde geve me peace, geve me
inwarde joye, and then my soule
shalbe full of heavenly melody,
and be devoute and fervente in
thy laudes and praisynges.

But if thou withdrawe thy self
from me (as thou haste somtyme
doen) than maie not thy servant ren C5r
ren the waie 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 upon my hed,
and I was defended under the
shaddowe of thy wynges frome
all perylles and daungers.

O mercifull lord Jesu, ever to
be praised, the tyme is come, that
thou wilte prove thy servaunte,
and ryghtfull is it, that I shall
now suffre somewhat for the.

Nowe is the houre commen,
that thou hast knowen from the
beginnyng, that thy servant for
a tyme shulde outwardly be sette
at naught, and inwardly to lene
to the.

And that he shulde be dispised
in the syghte of the worlde, and be C5v
be broken with affliction, that
he may after arise with the in a
new lighte, and be clarified and
made glorious in thy kingdome
of heaven.

O holy father, thou haste ordeined
it so to be, and it is done
as thou hast commanded.

This is thy grace (O lorde ) to
thy friende, to suffre hym to bee
troubled in this worlde for thy
love, how often so ever it be, and
of what person so ever it be, and
in what maner so ever thou wilt
suffre it to fal unto him: for without
thy will or sufferaunce what
thyng is doen upon earth?

It is good to me (O lord) that
thou haste mekened me, that I
maye therby lerne to know thy
rightuous jugemēentes, & to put frome C6r
from me all maner of presumpcion,
and statelinesse of herte.

It is veraie profitable for me,
that confusion hath covered my
face, that I maie learne thereby
rather to seke to the for help and
succour, then to man.

I have therby learned to drede
thy secrete and terrible jugementes,
which scourgest the rightuous
with the synner, but not
without equitie and justice.

Lorde, I yelde thankes to the,
that thou hast not spared my sinnes,
but hast punyshed me with
scourges of love, and haste sent
me affliction and anguyshes
within and without.

No creature under heven may
comforte me but thou (Lorde
god) the hevenlie leche of mans soule, C6v
soule, which strikest and healest,
which bryngest a man nygh unto
death, and after restorest him
to life agayne, that he maie therby
learne to knowe his owne
weaknesse and imbesilitie, and
the more fullye to truste in the
(lord.)

Thy discipline is layde upon
me, and thy rodde of correction
hath taught me, and under that
rod I holly submitte me.

Strike my back and my bones
as it shall please the, and make
me to bowe my croked will unto
thy will.

Make me a meeke and an humble
disciple, as thou haste sometime
done with me, that I maye
walke after thy wil.

To the I committe my selfe to be C7r
be corrected: for better it is to be
corrected by the here then in time
to come.

Thou knowest al thinges, and
nothing is hid frome the that is
in mans conscience.

Thou knowest all thynges, to
come before they fall, and it is
not nedeful, that any man teache
the, or warne the of any thinge
that is done upon the yearth.

Thou knoweste what is profitable
for me, and how much tribulacions
helpen to pourge away
the rust of sinne in me.

Doe with me after thy plesure,
I am a synfull wretche, to none
so well knowen as to the.

Grant me (lord) that to know,
that is necessary to be knowen:
that to love, that is to be loved: that C7v
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 judge thy misteries
after my outwarde senses,
ne to gyve sentence after the heryng
of the ignoraunte, but by
true judgement to discerne thinges
spiritual, and above al thinges
alwaie to serche and folowe
thy wyll and pleasure.

O lorde Jesu, thou art all my
richesse, and all that I have, I
have it of the.

But what am I (lorde) that I
dare speke to the? I am thy pore
creature, and a worme most abjecte.

Behold Lord, I have nought,
and of my selfe I am noughte worthe, C8r
worth, thou art onely god, rightuouse
and holy, thou ordereste
all thinges, thou gyvest al thinges,
and thou fulfyllest all thinges
with goodnesse.

I am a synner, barrein and
voide of godly vertue.

Remembre thy mercies, and fil
my herte with plentye of thy
grace, for thou wilt not that thy
workes in me should be made in
vaine.

Howe maie I beare the misery
of this lyfe, except thy grace and
mercie dooe comforte me?

Tourne not thy face from me,
deferre not thy visiting of me, ne
withdraw not thy comfortes, lest
happely my soule be made as
drie earthe without the water of
grace.

Teache C8v

Teache me lorde, to fulfyll thy
wylle, to lyve meekely, and worthily
before the, for thou arte all
my wysedom and cunnyng, thou
arte he, that knoweste me as I
am, that knewest me before
the world was made, and before
I was borne or broughte
into this lyfe, to the
(o lorde) be honoure
glorie and prayse
for ever and
ever Amen.

Laudes deum in eternum
Amen.

D1r

A praier for the king.

OLorde Jesu Christ most
hygh, moste myghty, kyng
of kynges, lorde of lordes, the
onely rular of princis, the veray
sonne of god, on whose ryghte
hande sittyng, doeste frome thy
throne behold al the dwellers upon
yearth: with most lowly hertes
we beseche the, vouchsafe
with favourable regarde, to behold
our moste gracious soveraign
lord, kynge Hēenry the eight,
and so replenisshe hym with the
grace of thy holy spirite, that he
alway incline to thy wil, & walk
in thy waie. Kepe him far of frōom
ignorāance, but through thy gift,
let prudence and knowelage alwaie
abound in his roial herte: E So D1v
So instructe hym (O Lorde
Jesu) reigning upon us in earth
that his humain majestie, alwai
obey thy divine majestie in feare
and dreade. Indue hym plentyfully
with hevenly giftes. Grāant
hym in helth and welth long to
lyve. Heape glorye and honoure
upon hym. Glad hym with the
joye of thy countenaunce. So
strengthe hym, that he may vanquyshe
and overcome al his and
our foes, and be dred and feared
of all the enemies of his realme.
Amen.

A Praier for men to say
entring into battayle.

O almyghty kyng and lorde
of hoostes, whiche by thy aungelles D2r
āangels therunto appointed doest
minister both warre and peace,
& which diddest geve unto David
both courage and strength,
beyng but a litle one, unarmed,
& unexpert in feates of war with
his slyng to sette upon and overthrowe
the great huge Goliath,
our cause now being just, and being
inforced to entre into warre
and bataile, we most humbly beseche
the (O lorde god of hostes)
so to turne the hertes of our ennemies
to the desire of peace,
that no christen blud be spilt, or
els graunt (O lorde) that with
small effusion of bloude, and to
the litle hurt and domage of innocentis,
we maye to thy glory
optein victory: and that the warres
being sone ended, we may al, E.ii. with D2v
with one herte and mynde, knyt
togyther in concorde and unitie,
laude and prayse the, whiche livest
and reignest, worlde without
ende. Amen.

Imprinted at London in
Fletestrete by Thomas Berthelet,
printer to the kinges
highnes, 1545-06-06the seconde of
June, the yere of
oure lorde M.
D. XLV.

Cum privilegio ad imprimendum
solum.