Other thus it is: or thus it shoulde bee.
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THe golden world is now come agayne,
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God is knowen, beleved, loved, & obeyed:
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True doctryne is taught, and false exyled cleane,
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Sinne is mortified, all vice is decayed.
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Peace doeth take place, all warres be delayed,
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Youth is brought up in learnyng vertuouslye:
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Commonwealth doeth flourish, povertie hath ayde,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde be.
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Kynges and Princes, doe Gods lawes advaunce,
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Justice and equitie also, they doe maintayne:
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They love peace, they hate war and variaunce,
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Vice they suppresse, and vertue cause to raigne.
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To get learning & knowledge, they take great payne
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They make good lawes, and see them kepte justlie:
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To defend their cuntries, great travel they sustaine,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Majestrates and officers, each one in their degree,
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Geve good ensample of obedience and livyng:
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For the commonwealth also, they take great studie,
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They execute justice justlie, in every kynd of thyng.
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To the poore povertie, they be good and lovyng,
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The wylfull they restrayne from their iniquitie:
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To the humble and good, they be gentle & benigne,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Bishops and Ministers, doe themselves apply,
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Sincerelie to preach Gods holie law and Gospell:
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Accordyng to their doctrine, they live vertuously,
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In hospitalitie, and almes deed, they greatly excell.
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They geve good example, for other to doe well,
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They be chaste, and sobre, and full of humilitie:
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They studie the Scriptures, all vice they doe expell,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Judges that sit in judgement, matters for to heare
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Be so uncorrupte, that no bribes they wyll take:
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Tyll they heare both parties, they stop the one eare,
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By the lawe deliberately, the cases they debate.
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By evidence and witnesses, the truth they out beate
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Falsehod they fetter, but right they doe set free:
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Just judgement they geve, none can entreate,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Justices, and Gentlemen, peace doe maintayne,
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The Queenes lawes and statutes, they see executed:
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Contention and variaunce, they doe subdue cleane,
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The oppressour they punish, the naughty is rebuked.
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The sturdy they correcte, the poore be refreshed,
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They lyve on their landes, rented reasonablie:
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Matters before them, be justly and soone ended,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Mayours and Bayliffes, and all other officers,
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Of Cities, Boroughes, and of Townes corporate:
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They studie such decrees, and such godly orders,
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That the people be wel ruled. Great paine they take
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For the commonweale. Tumult and debate
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They destroy. But they encreace godly unitie:
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They cause plentie by prudence, dearth they abate,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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All Lawyers doe perswade their clients to agree,
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Rather then at the lawe, to spend out their money:
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Yf they wyl not, they search their case profoundlie,
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And therein they proceed, without fraude or delay.
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They bryng it to judgement, or to some godly stay,
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Yf they promise their clientes, they performe justly:
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They take reasonable fees for their paynes alway,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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The Commons feare God, and obey the Queene,
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They come to heare Gods wurd, and together pray:
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Disobedience in no case, is now no more seene,
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Contention they hate, they love peace alway.
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Everyone is content, to live as he may,
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The rich helpe the poore, yea and that gladly:
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The poore be content, and for them doe pray,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Parents doe bryng up their children very godly,
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Children obey their elders, and folow their advice:
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Husbandes love their wives, and they them hartely
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Women be sober and gentle, neither proude nor nice.
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Servants be faithful, they need no warning twice,
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To vertue & learning, youth geveth all their studie:
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Yf any fall in decay, he is holpen agayne to arice,
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Other thus it is, or thus it shoulde bee.
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Al Subjects faithfully, pray for their Queene,
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That God may endue her Royall hart alway:
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With faith, feare, and love, before him to be seene,
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And for her honorable counsell they humbly pray.
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That good lawes and statutes, set furth they may,
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To the wealth of the realme, and communaltie:
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That the queene may rule wel, and they truly obey,
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Amen. God graunt that so it may bee.
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