The song of the Shepherds.
O happy is the wight
That grounds him self aright
On God, and maketh him his shield:
And lets the worldly wise,
Which look above the skies,
Go wander where they list in field.
No rich, ne poor estate,
Can puff or yet abate,
The godly and the faithful hart:
The faithful goeth free
Although he martyred be
A thousand times with woe and smart.
The mighty God him leads,
In chiefest of his needs,
And hath of him a special care,
To make him to abide,
Even at the point to slide,
When worst of all he seems to fare.
Whereof a proof we see
Our master well may be:
For why, the more him men assail
And urge on every side:
Less fear in him is spied,
And less his courage doth him fail.
He left his native soil,
⟨p. 15⟩Hard famine did him foil,
Which drave him into Egypt land,
And there a king of might,
Took Sarah from his sight,
Unjustly even by force of hand.
But straight on suit to God,
The King through Gods sharp rod,
Did yield to him his wife straight way,
And abraham never staid,
But as the King him prayed,
Departed thence without delay.
And during this his flight,
He grew to so good plight,
That Loth to part away was fain:
Because, as stood the case,
To little was the place,
To keep the flocks of both them twain.
There fell a sudden jar
Between nine Kings through war,
Wherein five kings were put to flight,
And Loth him self, with all
His goods both great and small,
Away was carried clean and quite.
Our faithful Master straight,
On news of this conceit,
Made fresh pursuit immediately:
⟨p. 16⟩And having but as then
Three hundred eighteen men,
Did make the enemies all to fly.
And of the rescued pray
The tenth to the priest did pay.
And having done each man his right,
Returned home anon,
With commendation,
For putting so his foes to flight.
But neither son he had,
Nor daughter him to glad.
Which thing when Sarah did perceive,
She put her maid in bed,
To serve her husbands stead,
Because her self could not conceive.
So Hagar bare a son
A thirteen years outrun,
Whose name is called Ismael.
And to this present day,
Our masters goods are ay
Increased passing wondrous well.
Then for the covenants sake
Which God him self did make,
Between him and our master deer,
Our master and we all,
As well the great as small,
At once all circumcised were.
The song of the Shepherds.
O happy is the wight
That grounds him selfe aright
On God, and maketh him his shield:
And lets the worldly wize,
Which looke aboue the skies,
Goe wander where they list in field.
No rich, ne poore estate,
Can puffe or yit abate,
The godly and the faithfull hart:
The faithfull goeth free
Although he martred be
A thowsand times with woe and smart.
The mighty God him leeds,
In chiefest of his needes,
And hath of him a speciall care,
To make him to abide,
Euen at the poynt to slide,
When worst of all he seemes to fare.
Whereof a proofe we see
Our maister well may be:
For why, the more him men assayle
And urge on euery side:
Lesse feare in him is spyde,
And lesse his courage doth him fayle.
He left his natiue soyle,
⟨p. 15⟩Hard famin did him foyle,
Which draue him into Egypt land,
And there a king of might,
Tooke Sara from his sight,
Uniustly euen by force of hand.
But streit on sute to God,
The King through Gods sharp rod,
Did yeeld to him his wife streit way,
And abraham neuer stayd,
But as the King him prayd,
Departed thence without delay.
And during this his flight,
He grew to so good plight,
That Loth to part away was faine:
Bycause, as stoode the case,
To litle was the place,
To keepe the flockes of both them twayne.
There fell a sodeyn iarre
Betweene nine Kings through warre,
Wherein fiue kings were put to flight,
And Loth him selfe, with all
His goods both great and small,
Away was caried cleane and quite.
Our faithfull Maister streit,
On newes of this conceit,
Made fresh pursute immediatly:
⟨p. 16⟩And hauing but as then
Three hundred eighteene men,
Did make the enmies all to fly.
And of the reskewd pray
The tenth to the preest did pay.
And hauing done ech man his right,
Returned home anon,
With commendacion,
For putting so his foes to flight.
But nother sonne he had,
Nor daughter him to glad.
Which thing when Sara did perceiue,
She put her maid in bed,
To serue her husbands sted,
Bycause her selfe could not conceiue.
So Agar bare a sonne
A thirteene yeares outronne,
Whose name is called Ismael.
And to this present day,
Our maisters goods are ay
Increaced passing wondrous well.
Then for the couenants sake
Which God him selfe did make,
Betwene him and our maister deere,
Our maister and we all,
As well the great as small,
At once all circumcized were.
