I beynge nowe offe sounde Mynde doe hope thatte thys mye wyshe wille,
att mye deathe, bee acceded toe, as I nowe lyve in Londonne, and as mye
soule maye perchance, soone quittee thys poore bodye, itte is mye desire
thatte inne suche case I maye bee carryed toe mye native place, ande
thatte mye Bodye bee there quietlye interred wythe as little pompe as
canne bee, and I doe nowe, inne these mye seryouse moments, make thys
mye professione of faythe, and which I doe moste solemnlye believe. I
doe fyrste looke toe oune lovynge and Greate God and toe his glorious
sonne Jesus. I doe alsoe beleyve thatte thys mye weake and frayle Bodye
wille returne to duste, butte for mye soule lette God judge thatte as
toe himselfe shalle seeme meete. O omnipotente and greate God I am fulle
offe synne, I doe notte thinke myeselfe worthye offe thye grace and
yette wille I hope, forre evene thee poore prysonerre whenne bounde with
gallying irons evene he wille hope for Pittye and whenne the teares of
sweete repentance bathe hys wretched pillowe he then looks and hopes for
pardonne thenne rouse mye soule and lette hope, thatte sweete cherysher
offe all, afforde thee comforte also. O Manne whatte arte thou whye
consideres thou thyselfe thus gratelye, where are thye great, thye
boasted attrybutes; buryed, loste forre everre in colde Death. O Manne
whye attemptest thou toe searche the greatnesse off the Almyghtye thou
doste butte loose thye laboure. More thou attempteste, more arte thou
loste, tille thye poore weake thoughtes arre elevated toe theyre summite
and thenne as snowe from the leffee tree droppe and dystylle themselves
tille theye are noe more. O God, manne as I am frayle bye nature, fulle
offe synne, yette great God receyve me toe thye bosomme where alle is
sweete contente and happyness alle is blyss where dyscontente isse
neverre hearde, butte where oune Bonde offe freyndeshippe unytes alle
Menne forgive O Lorde alle our synnes, ande withe thye greate goodnesse
take usse alle toe thye Breaste; O cheryshe usse like the sweete
chickenne thatte under the coverte offe herre spreadynge wings Receyves
herre lyttle Broode and hoverynge overre themme keepes themme harmlesse
and in safetye.
Wm. Shakespeare.
Margaret finished the perusal of the MS. before her uncle; her
quicker and more youthful eye would probably have done so in any
case, but his reverence for the matter forbade rapid reading; she
waited respectfully, but also with some little apprehension, for the
expression of his opinion.
‘This is a godsend!’ he exclaimed at last, with a sigh that had almost
as much relief as satisfaction in it. ‘There can be no longer any doubt
about Shakespeare’s creed. Is it not beautiful, and full of humility,
my child?’
‘Yes, uncle.’ She knew that the least fault-finding would be resented,
yet she could not shut out from her tone a certain feeling of
disappointment; ‘it is hardly, however, so simple as I should have
expected.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account