ADAM PRIMUS HOMO. Incessant praising to thee, most heavenly Lord, For this thy succour and undeserved kindness: Thou bindest me in heart thy gracious gifts to record, And to bear in mind now, after my heaviness, The bruit of thy name with inward joy and gladness. Thou disdainest not, as well appeareth this day, To fetch to thy fold thy first sheep going astray. Most Mighty Maker, thou castest not yet away Thy sinful servant, which hath done most offence. It is not thy mind for ever I should decay, But thou reservest me of thy benevolence, And hast provided for me a recompense By thy appointment, like as I have received In thy strong promise, here openly pronounced. This goodness, dear Lord, of me is undeserved, I so declining from thy first instruction At so light motions. To one that thus hath swerved, What a Lord art thou to give such retribution! I, damnable wretch, deserved execution Of terrible death without all remedy, And to be put out of all good memory. I am enforced to rejoice here inwardly, An imp though I be of hell, death, and damnation, Through my own working: for I consider thy mercy And pitiful mind for my whole generation. It is thou, sweet Lord, that workest my salvation And my recover. Therefore of a congruence From hence thou must have my heart and obedience. Though I be mortal by reason of my offence, And shall die the death,[289] like as God hath appointed: Of this am I sure, through his high influence, At a certain day again to be revived. From ground of my heart this shall not be removed. I have it in faith, and therefore I will sing This anthem to him that my salvation shall bring. _Tunc sonora voce, provolutis genibus, Antiphonam incipit_, O sapientia, _quam prosequetur chorus cum organis, eo interim exeunte_. _Vel sub eodem tono poterit sic Anglicè cantare_. O eternal sapience, that proceedest from the mouth of the highest, reaching forth with a great power from the beginning to the end, with heavenly sweetness disposing all creatures, come now and instruct us the true way of thy godly prudence. _Finit Actus primus_. ACTUS SECUNDUS.