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| 1 | Miserere mei. The first Part.
O THOU, that madst the world of nought, | |
| Whom God thy creatures call; | |
| Which formedst man like to thyself, | |
| Yet suffredst him to fall: | |
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| 2 | Thou God, which by thy heauenlie word | 5 |
| Didst fleshe of virgin take, | |
| And so becamst both God and man, | |
| For sinful fleshe’s sake: | |
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| 3 | O thou, that sawest when man by sinne | |
| To hell was ouerthrowne, | 10 |
| Didst meeklie suffer death on crosse, | |
| To haue thy mercies knowne: | |
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| 4 | Thou God, which didst the patriarks | |
| And fathers old diuine | |
| From time to time preserue and keepe | 15 |
| By mercies great of thine: | |
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| 5 | O thou, that Noah kepts from floud, | |
| And Abram daie by daie, | |
| As he along through Ægypt past, | |
| Didst guide him in the waie: | 20 |
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| 6 | Thou God, that Lot from Sodom’s plague | |
| Didst safelie keepe also, | |
| And Daniel from the lions’ iawes, | |
| Thy mercie great to shew: | |
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| 7 | O thou good God, that didst diuide | 25 |
| The sea like hils to stand, | |
| That children thine might thorough pas | |
| From cruell Pharoe’s hand; | |
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| 8 | So that when Pharoe and his host | |
| Thy children did pursue, | 30 |
| Thou ouerthrewst them in the sea, | |
| To prooue thy saiengs true: | |
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| 9 | O thou, that Ionas in the fish | |
| Three daies didst keepe from paine, | |
| Which was a figure of thy death | 35 |
| And rising vp againe: | |
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| 10 | I say, thou God, which didst preserue | |
| Amidst the fierie flame | |
| The three young men which sang therein | |
| The glories of thy name:— | 40 |
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| 11 | Thou, God, haue mercie on my soule, | |
| Thy goodnesse me restore, | |
| And for thy mercies infinite | |
| Thinke on my sinne no more. 1 | |
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| 12 | O Lord, the number of my sinnes | 45 |
| Is more than can be told; | |
| Wherefore I humblie doo desire | |
| Thy mercies manifold. | |
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| 13 | For small offense thy mercie small | |
| May soone small faultes suffice; | 50 |
| But I, alas! for manie faults | |
| For greater mercie cries. | |
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| 14 | And though the number of my sins | |
| Surpasseth salt sea land, | |
| And that the filth of them deserue | 55 |
| The wrath of thy iust hand; | |
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| 15 | Yet doo thy mercies farre surmount | |
| The sinnes of all in all; | |
| Thou wilt with mercie vs relieue, | |
| For mercie when we call. | 60 |
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| 16 | Right well I knowe man hath not power | |
| So much for to transgresse, | |
| As thou with mercie maist forgiue | |
| Through thine almightinesse. | |
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| 17 | I doo confesse my faultes be more | 65 |
| Than thousands else beside, | |
| More noisome, and more odious, | |
| More fowler to be tride, | |
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| 18 | Than euer was the lothsome swine— * * * * * * | |
| 19 | Wherefore, good Lord, doo not behold | 70 |
| How wicked I haue bin; | |
| But wash me from my wickednesse, | |
| And clense me from my sin. 2 | |
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| 20 | The Israelites, being defil’d, | |
| Durst not approach thee nie, | 75 |
| Till they their garments and themselues | |
| Had washed decentlie. | |
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| 21 | The priests also eke clensed were | |
| Ere they thy face would see; | |
| Else had they perisht in their sinne— | 80 |
| Such Lord was thy decree. | |
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| 22 | Alas! how much more need I then | |
| To craue while I am heere, | |
| To wash my foule and spotted soule, | |
| That it may cleane appeare! | 85 |
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| 23 | Polluted cloths with filth distaind | |
| Doe manie washings craue, | |
| Ere that the launder can obteine | |
| The thing that he would haue. | |
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| 24 | My soule likewise, alas! dooth need | 90 |
| The manie dewes of grace, | |
| Ere it be cleane; for cankred sinne | |
| So deepe hath taken place. | |
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| 25 | The leprosie that Naaman had | |
| Could not be done away, | 95 |
| Till he seuen times in Iordan floud | |
| Had washt him day by day. | |
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| 26 | How manie waters need I then | |
| For to be washed in, | |
| Ere I be purged faire and cleane, | 100 |
| And clensed from my sin! | |
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| 27 | But, Lord, thy mercie is the sope, | |
| And washing lee also, | |
| That shall both scowre and clense the filth | |
| Which in my soule doe grow. | 105 |
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| 28 | Why should I then, alas! despaire | |
| Of goodness thine to mee, | |
| When that thy iustice willeth me | |
| To put my trust in thee? | |
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| 29 | Thy promise, Lord, thy mouth hath past, | 110 |
| Which cannot be but true, | |
| That thou wilt mercie haue on them | |
| That turne to thee anew. | |
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| 30 | I know, when heauen and earth shall passe, | |
| This promise shall stand fast: | 115 |
| Wherefore vnto thy Maiestie | |
| I offer now at last | |
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| 31 | An hart contrite and sorrowfull | |
| With all humilitie, | |
| For heinous sinnes by it conceiu’d | 120 |
| Through mine iniquitie. | |
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| 32 | I doo acknowledge all my faultes; | |
| My sinnes stand me before; 3 | |
| I haue them in remembrance, Lord, | |
| And will for euermore. | 125 |
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| 33 | Because thou shouldst the same forget, | |
| I still doo thinke thereon, | |
| And set it vp before my face, | |
| Alwaies to look vpon. | |
