A New Year's Gift

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¶A new-yeres gyfte, wherein is taught the knowledge of our-selfe and the feare of God. Worthy to be geuen and thankefullye receyued of al Christen men.

Imprynted at London bi Robert_Crowley dwellinge in The rentes in Holburn. The yere of our Lord .M.D.xlix. the laste daye of December

Autore eodem Roberto_Croleo

¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

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¶To the Christian Reader.

HAue here (gentle reader) a thinge verie small

In vtter aparaunce (as thou maiest wel see)

And yet in effecte it conteineth all

That Christ in his Gospel requireth of the

Wherfore as a miroure or glasse let it bee,

Wherein thou maist se thine owne Image plaine,

And haue therby cause thy luste to restraine.

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AS bread to the hungry is better than golde

And Drincke in oure drought, a treasure most hie:

And as the fyre pleaseth the man that is colde

So doeth honest knowledge such as be wittie. Prouerb .ix.

For suche men do fele them-selues eased therby.

And as the man that doeth a greate treasure finde

So are they delyted therwyth in theyr minde.

¶Intending therfore to geue to the wyse.

A present of pleasure at this new yers tyde

A more pleasant thinge. I coulde not deuise

Emonge all the treasure of thys world so wyde

To suche men as be not pufte (vp with pride)

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Then for to teach them with wordes most plaine

By what meanes they mighte all theyr vices refraine

¶First se that ye learne your-selfe for to knowe

From whense ye are come, and whither you shall

And that God wyll iudge as well hyghe as lowe Rom .xiiii.

When he shalbe set on hys tribunall.

Not fearynge the greate, nor sparynge the small

But geueyng to all men of euerye degre

Accordynglye as theyre doynge shall be. ii Cor .v.

For who-so that knoweth him-self thorowly

Shall neuer be haute nor loftie of mynde

But shalbe in herte euermore lowlye

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Confessynge the fautes that are in mankynde.

The loue of him-selfe shal him neuer blynde. Esai .lxiiii

He shall knowe him-selfe to be but vyle duste

Whych knowledge shal cause him to brydle his lust.

¶If he be a kynge, a Lorde or a knighte

And haue of his contrey the cheife gouernaunce

He shall euer haue him-selfe in hys syght

When flattering fortune shal him aduaunce.

Hys rentes and hys fees he shall not enhaunce

For he shall alwayes haue mynde of his ende Eccl .vii.

And studie the innocente for to defende.

For-why he ne knoweth howe soone he shall go

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To duste whense he came as nature doth bynde

And certen he is to haue endeles wooe

If happlye he frame not his herte and his minde

Wyth all his endeuoure to search and to fynde

The waye that shall lede him into endles blisse

Whiche all men haue loste bi that one dyd amisse Roma .v.

He knoweth not the tyme, the maner nor place

Of hys goynge hense, it is so vncertayne

Wherefore he will call to God for hys g[r]ace grace] g ace 1549

To gouerne the Fancies of hys fleshlye, brayne

That after thys lyfe he maye lyue and reigne

Wyth the kyng of al kinges, who geueth the same

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To all that do aske it in Christe (his sonnes) name. Iohn .xiiii.

In fine, al estates what-so-euer they be

That do know them-selfe, & thinke on their ende Eccles .vii.

Wyll seke to walke ryght in their owne degre

And all their enormities for to emende.

And that whiche they seke for, god wyll them sende.

For he of his promise is certen and sure Math .vii.

And wil be as longe as this world shall endure.

I areade you therefore thys knoweledge to gette

With al maner haste and expedite spede

Remoueynge al thinges that may do you lette

Leste haplye ye lacke it in tyme of youre nede

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And compt your-selfe corne when you be but vyle wede

Or else to be braunches of Christe the true vine

When your fruite is apt to make no good wyne.

Fyrst know that the matter wherof ye do growe

Is more vile in sight then the dirt of the strete. Gene .ii.

And when ye be growne vp ye do not knowe howe

Then do ye begynne awaye for to flete

Euen as doeth the floud after plentie of wete Iob .xiiii.

And when ye be furnished beste to enoure enoure ='accustom yourself'; see OED s.v. inure, enure v1, 2

Then of youre abydynge you are most vnsure

Youre norishyng vp in youre tender age

Is very paynful, and ryght daingerous

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And when ye be stronge, then ginne you to rage

And to folow maners voluptuous

Not one emonge twentie is found desyrous

To furnish him-selfe with maners vprighte

And to be founde honeste in euery manes sighte manes: =mans

¶Yea where haue we one that doeth him apply Psal .xiiii,

To any good thinge by hys owne accorde?

Wythoute chastismente we do nothinge pardie

Tyll we be out of the reache of the rodde

Except speciall grace be geuen vs of god

To brydle our luste and our fleshly wyll

Whiche can of it-[s]elfe do nothynge but yll it-selfe] it-felfe 1549

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And when we be come to oure owne gouernaunce

Then either we endeuoure ryghte shortli to clime

Or else do we geue vp our-selfe to pastaunce

And in Idlenes consume all oure tyme

As thoughe Idlenes were not a foule cryme. Math xxiiii. Luke .xii.

And for to mispend that god hath vs sent

Dyd not at godes hand, deserue punishmente

Nowe when we wax olde and drawe to oure ende.

Then entereth Auarice into oure herte

And causeth that when we ought chiefli to emende

We are geuen wholi to the contrarie parte

No promyse nor threatnynge can vs conuerte

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Unles the lorde god do drawe vs bi his gr[a]ce grace] gr ce 1549

Forgeueinge oure sinnes and our wicked trespase.

Thus see yee howe vile, howe weake and how wilde

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Howe wyckedly bente, and howe abominable

How hard to emende, and eke how defylde.

Ye are, and in all poyntes how miserable,

Howe in your desyres vnsatiable

And how of your-selfe ye be worst in the ende

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When reasone woulde rather that ye shoulde emende

¶Consyder therfore your-selfe in this glasse

And let not youre Image go oute of your syghte

And then I ne doubte it will come well to passe

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That you shal endeuour to walke styll vprighte

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And in the Lordes law to set your delighte Psal. .xviii.

So that by hys grace ye shall neuer blinne

To call for his mercie and repent youre synne

¶Thys done, you muste learne that god is your iudge

Who iudgeth all men, wythouten respecte. Iob .xxxiiii.

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He is not a_frayde of youre armes hudge

Nor of the stronge fortes that you do erecte.

He is euer able suche thinges too deiecte.

And wil when he lusteth beat doune to the ground

All suche mightye thinges, wherso they be founde

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He feared not Caine that kylled Abell Gen .iiii.

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No more dyd he spare poore Lamech the blynde

Stoute Nemroth also that buylded Babel, Gene .x.

In parte of his plages was nothyng behynde:

The fylthie Sodomes dyd small fauoure fynde Gene .xix.

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Ryght so dyd in Egipte the kyng Pharao, Exo .xv.

And Nabuchodonozer with other moe. Dani .iiii.

What shulde I rehearse howe in wildernes Nume .xi. Exod .xxxii.

He plaged his people that oft did repine

And how afterward for vnthankfulnesse

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They planted the vines & dranke not the wyne

Suche is the power of the Godhead diuine

Wherefore I aduise you for to repente.

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Before he do come to syt in iudgemente.

¶For when he is set, he will iudg[e] you righte iudge] iudg 1549

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It is then to late for mercy to craue

And in no place can you be out of his sighte

For he seeth the corners of euerye caue

To him lyeth open bothe hell and the graue. Psal. .xxxxix.

Wherefore while you mai do ther-vpon thyncke

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And let the lordes feare into your hertes syncke.

Embrace the lordes feare for therof doth springe

The rote of all wisedome, as Dauid doeth say Psalm ,cxi.

And if ye lacke that then know ye nothinge

Belongynge vnto the heauenlye waye.

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For vpon goddes feare all knowledge must stay

Else muste it nedes be reproued as vayne

Because it procedeth of manes Idle braine.

¶But knowledg that doeth spryng oute of the Lordes feare

Is euermore constante, certen and sure

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And causeth eche man hys crosse for to beare

And in all hys trouble for to endure

It causeth a man to haue litle plesure,

In anye-thynge that doeth vpon the earth lye

And to seke his conforte in heauen on hie.

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Goddes feare teacheth as to seke for his will

And eke for to frame oure lyfe to the same

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Ryght so doeth it teache vs to do no man yll

In hurtinge his person or staineynge his fame

It teacheth vs to lead a life withoute blame.

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And to do our best to profit al men

With al the giftes that God hath to vs geuen.

Thus knowyng my-selfe, and fearinge the Lorde

I wyshe to all men a luckie newe-yere,

And grace for to seeke after peace and concorde

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That the loue of Christe maye in them apeare

And that banketting in spirituall chere

They maye all theyr faultes espye [an]d emende and] d 1549

Before the twelue monethes bee come to an ende.

Finis.