DE PROFUNDIS.

FROM depth of doole wherein my soule doth dwell,
From heauy heart which harbours in my brest,
From troubled sprite which sildome taketh rest,
From hope of heauen, from dread of darkesome hell,
O gracious God, to thee I crye and wail.

My God, my Lorde, my louely Lorde aloane,
To thee I call, to thee I make my moane.

And thou (good God) vouchsafe in gree to take
This woeful plaint,

Wherein I faint,

Oh heare me then for thy great mercies sake.

Oh bende thine eares attentiuely to heare,
Oh turne thine eyes, behold me how I wayle,
Oh hearken Lord, giue eare for mine auaile,
O marke in minde the burdens that I beare:
See how I sinke in sorrowes euerye where.
Beholde and see what dollors I endure,
Giue eare and marke what plaintes I put in vre.
Bende willing eare: and pittie therewithall,

My wayling voyce,

Which hath no choyce,

But euermere vpon thy name to call.

If thou good Lorde shouldest take thy rod in hande, If thou regard what sinnes are daylye done,

If thou take holde where wee our workes begone,
If thou decree in Judgement for to stande,
And be extreame to see our scuses skande,

If thou take note of euery thing amysse,
And write in rowles howe frayle our nature is,
O gloryous God, O King, O Prince of power,
What mortal wight,

Maye then haue light,

To feele thy frowne, if thou haue lyst to lowre?

But thou art good, and hast of mercye store, Thou not delyghst to see a sinner fall, Thou hearknest first, before we come to call, Thine eares are set wyde open euermore, Before we knocke thou commest to the doore. Thou art more prest to heare a sinner crye, Then he is quicke to climbe to thee on hye. Thy mighty name be praysed then alwaye, Let fayth and feare

True witnesse beare,

Howe fast they stand which on thy mercy staye.

I looke for thee (my louely Lorde) therefore, For thee I wayte, for thee I tarrye styll, Myne eyes doe long to gaze on thee my fyll. For thee I watche, for thee I prye and pore. My Soule for thee attendeth euermore.

My Soule doth thyrst to take of thee a taste, My Soule desires with thee for to bee plaste. And to thy worde (which can no man deceyue) Myne onely trust,

My loue and lust,

In confidence continuallye shall cleaue.

Before the breake or dawning of the daye, Before the lyght be seene in loftye Skyes, Before the Sunne appeare in pleasaunt wyse, Before the watche (before the watche I saye) Before the warde that waytes therefore alwaye :

My soule, my sense, my secreete thought, my sprite,
My wyll, my wishe, my joye, and my delight:
Unto the Lord that sittes in heauen on highe,
With hastye wing,

From me doeth fling,

And stryueth styll, unto the Lorde to flye.

O Israell, O housholde of the Lorde,
O Abrahams Sons, O broode of blessed seede,
O chosen sheep that loue the Lorde in deede :
O hungrye heartes, feede styll vpon his worde,
And put your truste in him with one accord.
For he hath mercy euermore at hand,

His fountaines flowe, his springs do neuer stande.
And plenteouslye he loueth to redeeme
Such sinners all,

As on him call,

And faithfully his mercies most esteeme.

Hee wyll redeeme our deadly drowping state,
He wyll bring home the sheepe that goe astraye,
He wyll helpe them that hope in him alwaye;
He wyll appease our discorde and debate,
He wyll soone saue, though we repent vs late.
He wyll be ours if we continewe his,

He wyll bring bale to ioye and perfect blisse.
He wyll redeeme the flocke of his elect
From all that is,

Or was amisse,

Since Abrahams heyres dyd first his Lawes reiect.

GASCOIGNE.

UNA.

NOUGHT is there under Heavens wide hollownesse,
That moves more dear compassion of the mind,
Then beautie brought t' unworthie wretchednesse,
Through envies snares, or fortunes freakes unkind.
I, whether lately through her brightness blynd,
Or through alleageance, and fast fealty,
Which I do owe unto all womankynd,

Feele my hart perst with so great agony,
When such I see, that all for pitty I could dy.

And now it is empassioned so deepe,
For fairest Unaes sake, of whom I sing,

That my frayle eies these lines with teares do steepe,
To thinke how she through guyleful handeling,
Though true as touch, though daughter of a king,
Though faire as ever living wight was faire,
Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting,

Is from her knight divorced in despayre,

And her dew loves deryved to that vile witches shayre.

Yet she, most faithful ladye, all this while
Forsaken, wofull, solitarie mayd,

Far from all peoples preace,' as in exile,
In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd,
To seeke her knight; who, subtily betrayd,

Through that late vision which the enchanter wrought,
Had her abandond: she, of nought affrayd,

Through woods and wastnes wide him daily sought; Yet wished tydinges none of him unto her brought.

1 Press, crowd.

One day, nigh wearie of the yrkesome way,
From her unhastie beast she did alight;
And on the grass her dainty limbs did lay
In secrete shadow, far from all mens sight;
From her faire head her fillet she undight,
And layd her stole aside her angels face,
As the great eye of heaven, shyned bright,
And made a sunshine in the shady place;
Did never mortall eye behold such heavenly grace.

It fortuned, out of the thickest wood
A ramping lyon rushed suddeinly,
Hunting full greedy after salvage blood:
Soone as the royall virgin he did spy,
With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,
To have attonce devourd her tender corse:
But to the prey when as he drew more ny
His bloody rage aswaged with remorse,

And, with the sight amazd, forgat his furious forse.

Instead thereof he kist her wearie feet,
And lickt her lily hands with fawning tong;
As he her wronged innocence did weet.
O how can beautie maister the most strong,
And simple truth subdue avenging wrong!

SPENSER.

CAVE OF DESPAIR.

ERE long they come, where that same wicked wight His dwelling has, low in an hollow cave,

Far underneath a craggy cliff ypight,

Darke, dolefull, dreary, like a greedy grave,