A Carolle. Poem by Nicholas Bacon

CHORVS
O gratyous Lorde, ohe sauyor dere,
Our onelye hope and all our chere,
Our presente ayde in euerye woe,
Our hole defence agaynste eache foe,
With handes heued vppe and with bowed knee,
With harte deuoute yelde wee to thee
Honor and thankes glorye and prayse
Bothe here and hence nowe and alwayes.

All that be here singe and reioyse,
Prayse and geue thankes with worde and thoughte,
With strynge well strayned, with cherefull voyce,
With tune well tymed as musicke oughte,
To him that all hathe wroughte and boughte,
Our protector our kinge our lorde,
Prayse we thus him with one accorde.

O gratyous &c.

Fyrste not beinge thou madeste vs bee,
Then our beinge Lorde thou dideste blysse
With witte with shape with soueranytye
Passeinge the reste that here made is,
Placeinge vs then from synne cleane free
In ioye eterne: wherefore synge wee.

O gratyous &c.

O vnkynde manne O stonye harte,
Beinge thus bleste what furye fell
Coulde moue thy mynde fro god to parte,
Leaueinge this blysse seekeinge for hell,
Whiche for offence happed to Angell,
But godds mercye to thee is more
Then to Angell: synge thus therefore.

O gratyous &c.

Throwe seas drye shodde whoe made thee passe?
With couered cloudes whoe did thee saue?
In deserte place where noe foode was
Whoe Angells foode made thee to haue?
From the drye rocke whoe drinke thee gaue?
Seeinges god thus dothe preserue his,
With harte and voyce wee thus him blysse.

O gratyous &c.

Yet beyonde all O Lorde is this,
That thou shouldeste sende thyne onelye sonne
Eternall god from heauenlye blysse
In this vyle worlde manne to become,
Throwe manne to dye for manns ransome,
Seekeinge manns lyfe whoe soughte his deathe:
Wherefore singe wee whiles thou giueste breathe.

O gratyous &c.

For theis thye giftes and thousandes moe
Eache heauenlye goste, eache earthelye wyghte,
Eache fowle, eache fishe, eache beaste alsoe,
The Sunne, the Mone, the starres soe brighte,
All thinges vnsene, all thinges in sighte
Bothe here and hence with one accorde
Incessantelye lawde thee ohe Lorde.

O gratyous &c.