Anne Askew, intituled, I am a Woman Poor and Blind.
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I Am a woman poor and blind,
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and little knowledge remains in me;
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Long have I sought, but fain would I find,
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what herb in my Garden were best to be.
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A garden I have which is unknown,
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which God of his goodness gave to me,
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I mean my body, where I should have sown,
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the seed of Christs true verity.
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My spirit within me is vexed sore;
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my spirit striveth against the same:
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My sorrows do encrease daily more and more,
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my conscience suffereth most bitter pain.
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I with my self being thus at strife,
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would fain have been at rest:
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Musing and studying in mortal life,
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what things I might do to please God best.
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With whole intent and one accord,
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unto a Gardiner that I did know;
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I went and desired him for the love of the Lord
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true seeds in my garden for to sow.
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Then this proud Gardiner seeing me so blind,
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he thought on me to work his will,
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And flattered me with words so kind,
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to have me continue in blindness still.
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He fed me then with lies and mocks,
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for venial sins he had me go:
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To give my money to stones and stocks,
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which was stark lies and nothing so.
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With stinking meat then was I fed,
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for to keep me from my salvation:
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I had Trentals of Mass, and Balls of Lead,
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not one word spoke of Christs passion.
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In me was sown all kind of fained seed,
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with Popish Ceremonies many a one:
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Masses of Requiem, with other juggling deeds
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still Gods spirit out of my garden was gone.
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Then was I commanded most strictly,
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if of my salvation I would be sure,
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To build some Chappel or some Chauntry,
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to be pray'd for whilst the world doth endure.
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Beware of a new learning (saith he) it is lies,
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which is the thing I most abhor:
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Meddle not with it in any manner of wise,
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but do as your fathers have done before.
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My trust I did put in the devils works,
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thinking them sufficient my soul to save:
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Being worse then either Jews or Turks,
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thus Christ of his merits I did deprave.
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I might liken myself with a woful heart,
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unto the dumb man in Luke the eleven:
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From whence Christ caused the devil to depart
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but shortly after he took the other seven.
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My time thus good Lord so quickly I spent,
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alas shall I dye the sooner therefore?
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O Lord I find it written in thy Testament,
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that thou hast mercy enough in store.
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For such sinners as the Scripture saith,
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that will gladly repent and follow thy word,
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Which I will not deny whilst I have breath,
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for prison, fire, faggot, nor fierce sword.
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strengthen me good Lord in thy truth to stand,
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for the bloody butchers have me at their will,
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With their slaughter-knives ready drawn in their hand,
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my simple carcass to devour and kill.
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O Lord forgive me mine offence,
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for I have offended thee very sore,
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Take therefore my sinful body from hence,
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then shall I vile creature offend thee no more.
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I would wish all creatures and faithful friends
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for to keep from this Gardners hands,
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For he will bring them soon unto their ends,
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with cruel torments of fierce fire-brands.
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I dare not presume for him to pray,
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because the truth of him it was well known,
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But since that time he hath gone astray,
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& much pestilent seed abroad he hath sown.
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Because that now I have no space,
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the cause of my death truly to show,
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I trust hereafter that by Gods holy grace,
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that all faithful men shall plainly it know.
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To thee, O Lord, I bequeath my spirit,
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that art the work-master of the same,
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It is thine Lord, therefore take it of right,
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my carcass on earth I leave, from whence it came.
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Although to ashes it be now burned,
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I know thou canst raise it again:
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In the same likeness that thou it formed,
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in Heaven with thee evermore to remain.
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