rour of the holy faith catholike: In the whiche I was regenerate in the holy fonte of baptesme. Lord god, in good minde, in which I hold me nowe by thy grace (wherof wyth al my hert I thanke thee) that errour wyth my power I resiste, and here renounce, and of the same me confesse, in protestyng that I wyll lyue and deye in the fayth of holy chirch our moder, and thin espouse. And in wytnesse of this confession and protestation, and in despite of the fend of helle, I offre to thee the Credo, in whyche alle veryte and trouthe is conteyned. And to thee I recommaunde my soule, my feythe, my lyf and my deth. Amen. Credo in Deum. The Prayer of Saint Thomas of Aquine.* THE prayer of Saynt Thomas of Aquyne, translatyd oute of latyn ynto Englyshe, by the moste exselent Prynces, Mary, doughter to the moste hygh and myghty Prynce and Prynces kyng Henry the viii. and Quene Kateryn hys wyfe. In the yere of oure lorde god M. cccccxxvii: And the xi. yere of here age. Order MERCYFULL God, graunte me to couyt wyth an ardent mynde, those thingys whiche may please the, to serche them wysely, to know them truly, and to fulfyll them perfytely, to the laude and glory of thy name. my lyuyng, that I may do that whiche thou requirest of me, and geue me grace that I may know yt and haue wyll and powre to do it, and that I may obtayne those thingis, whiche be moste conuenient for my sowle. Good Lorde, make my way sure and streight to the, that I fayle not betwene prosperite and aduersyte, but that in prosperous thingis I may geue the thankys, and in aduersite be pacient: soo that I be not lyfte wyth 2 The following prayer is written upon the two leaves, originally blank, at the end of the MS. Horæ, in my possession, which contains several Royal Autographs, and of which I have given an account in the Dissertation on the Service Books. Below the prayer, is a short sentence, in the handwriting of Mary, signed “Marye," probably followed by "princesse " which has been erased; as well as the words "Prynces" and "Queen Kateryn hys wyfe," in the title to the Prayer: but fortunately these last are still legible through the ink, with which they have been blotted. the oon, nor oppressid with thother: and that I may reioyse yn nothing but in this whiche movith me to the, nor be sory for nothing but for those whiche drawith me frome the: Desiring to please nobody, nor fering to displese anny besidis the. Lorde, let all worldly thingis be vile to me, for the: and that all thi thingis be dere to me. And thou, good Lorde, moost speciall above them all. Let me be wery withe that Joye whiche is withoute the, and let me desire nothing besidis the. Let the labor delite me whiche is for the, and let all the rest wery me whiche is not in the. Make me to lyfte my harte oftyntymys to the: and when I fall, make me to think and be sory with a stedfast purpose of amendement. My God, make me humble withoute faynyng, mery withoute lyghtnes, Sade withoute mystruste. Sobir withoute dulnes: Fearing withoute dysparacion: Gentill withoute doblenes Trusting in the withoute presumpcyon: Telling my neybors fawtis withoute mokking: Obedyent withoute arguyng: Pacient withoute grutching: And pure without corrupcion. My most louyng Lorde and God, geue me a waking hart, that no curyous thought withdrawe me frome the. Let it be so strong, that no unworthy affeccion drawe me bakwarde: So stable, that no tribulacion breke it: And so free, that no electyon by vyolence make anny chalenge to it. My Lorde God, graunt me wytt, to know the: Dilygence, to seke the Wisedome, to finde the: Conuersacion, to please the Contynuance, to loke for the and fynally Hope, to enbrace the: by thi penaunce here to be ponysshid, and in oure wey to use thi benefittis by thy grace. And in heuyn, through thi glory, to haue delyte in thy Joies and rewardys. Amen. Prayers to the Proper Angel. In the Salisbury Hora and Prymers, is commonly to be found an Office to the "Proper Angel." That is, prayers addressed to the invisible Being, who is supposed to be ever attendant upon individual Christians, as their guardian and protector : and advocate also before the Almighty Father. So our Blessed Lord Himself has spoken: "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven." S. Matt. c. xviij. v. 10. I shall add no further observations: but extract, leaving the reader to his own judgment, first, this Office from the Horæ ad usum Sarum, edit. 1531: in my possession: and next, two Prayers to the Proper Angel, from MSS. in the Library of the British Museum. A prayer to thy proper aungel. Antiphona. NGELE qui meus es custos, pietate superna: Animam cum corpore precor tuearis, Prayers to the Proper Angel. 269 num ac etiam angelorum, sub tanto pastore merear inter sui gregis pecora numerari. Per. ¶ An other prayer to thy proper aungell. SANCTE angele Dei, minister cœlestis imperii, cui Deus omnipotens mei custodiam deputavit: per majestatem ejus et pietatem te humiliter deprecor, ut custodias animam meam et corpus meum: et omnes sensus meos a pravis et illicitis desideriis: a noxiis, vanis, et immundis cogitationibus, et ab illusionibus malignorum spirituum: a pollutione mentis et corporis: et ab insidiis inimicorum meorum visibilium et invisibilium quærentium animam meam : et sis mihi protector tutus, ubicunque iero diebus ac noctibus, horis atque momentis, et conserva me in mundo opere: et confirma me in timore et amore Jesu Christi cum sanctis desideriis: et post hanc miseram et caducam vitam perduc animam meam ad æternam felicitatem: ubi cum Deo et omnibus sanctis gaudeat sine fine : præstante Domino nostro Jesu Christo: cui est honor et gloria in sæculorum sæcula. Amen. To the propre angell a devoute prayer.3 H Gloriouse angell, to whom our blessyd lord of his most mercyfull grace hath taken me to kepe: to thee, I, synful creature, crye and calle, with hertely mynde, besechyng the ever to be singuler comfort to me in all my nede. Suffer me never to be over come with tentacyon or synful dede, but helpe me, that by grace I may ever in virtuous livynge procede. At the hour of my deth be present, that my gostly enemy in 3 Harleian MS. 2445. fol. 134. |