Like as the armed knight, appointed to the field,
With this world will I fight, and Christ shall be my shield.
Faith is that weapon strong, which will not fail in need:
My foes, therefore, among therewith will I proceed.
As it is had in strength and force of Christ’s way,
It will prevail at length, though all the devils say nay.
Faith in the fathers old obtained righteousness;
Which makes me very bold to fear no world’s distress.
I now rejoice in heart, and hope bid me to do so;
For Christ will take my part, and ease me of my woe.
Thou sayest, Lord, whoso knocks, to them thou wilt attend;
Undo therefore the lock, and thy strong power send.
More enemies now I have than hairs upon my head:
Let them not me deprave, but fight thou in my stead.
On thee my care I cast, for all their cruel spite:
I set not by their haste; for thou art my delight.
I am not she that list my anchor to let fall,
For every drizzling mist, my ship substantial.
Not oft use I to write, in prose, nor yet in rhyme;
Yet will I show one sight that I saw in my time.
I saw a royal throne, where justice should have sit,
But in her stead was one of moody, cruel wit.
Abhorred was righteousness, as of the raging flood:
Satan, in his excess, sucked up the guiltless blood.
Then thought I, Jesus Lord, when thou shalt judge us all,
Hard is it to record on these men what will fall.
Yet, Lord, I thee desire, for that they do to me,
Let them not taste the hire of their iniquity.
God save the King!
*Anne Askew or Ascui, the younger daughter of Sir William Askew, Knight of Lincolnshire, was born at Stallingborough, Lincolnshire, in 1521. She was accused of heresy in regard to the sacraments, and driven from her home by her husband for her steadfast adherence to the new faith. She was arrested as a heretic in London, and burned at Smithfield in 1546.—D. N. McL.
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And the base things of the world, which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence.”—I. Cor. i. 26-29.