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Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.

Stanzas from “Newes out of Powle’s Churchyard”

LIX. Edward Hake

O ENDLESSE powre! O welspring, whence

All wisdom wisely flowes;

O God, whose grace doth guide the good,

In whome all bounty growes:

Thou knowst the hearts and seest the raynes,

Yea th’ inwarde thoughts of men

Doe open lye before thy face:

Thou knowst how, where, and when

Ech thing hath, is, or shall be done,

Or else committed: thou

Hast perfite, newe, and insight good,

Which way man’s heart doth bow.

Thou, thou, I say, sole God of might,

Beholdst the harts of men,

What they pretend, what yll they worke:

So iustly iudge me then,

And shut thy mercy from my soule,

If slandrously my lypps

Doe ope at all; or if my tongue,

Of vaine presumtion, skypps

From this to that, or rashly run

More than the truth doth vrge;

Or more then that through extreame rage

And force of sinfull surge.

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