Like as the armed knight
Appointed to the field,
With this world will I fight
And Faith shall be my shield.
Faith is that weapon strong
Which will not fail at need.
My foes, therefore, among
Therewith will I proceed. (1)
As it is had in strength
And force of Christes way (2)
It will prevail at length
Though all the devils say nay.
Faith in the fathers old
Obtained rightwisness (3)
Which make me very bold
To fear no world's distress.
I now rejoice in heart
And Hope bid me do so
For Christ will take my part
And ease me of my woe.
Thou saist, lord, who so knock,
To them wilt thou attend.
Undo, therefore, the lock
And thy strong power send.
More enmyes now I have (4)
Than hairs upon my head.
Let them not me deprave (5)
But fight thou in my stead.
On thee my care I cast.
For all their cruel spight
I set not by their haste
For thou art my delight.
I am not she that list (6)
My anchor to let fall
For every drizzling mist
My ship substancial.
Not oft use I to wright
In prose nor yet in rime,
Yet will I shew one sight (7)
That I saw in my time.
I saw a rial throne (8)
Where Justice should have sit
But in her stead was one
Of moody cruel wit. (9)
Absorpt was rightwisness (10)
As of the raging flood
Sathan in his excess
Suct up the guiltless blood. (11)
Then thought I, Jesus lord,
When thou shalt judge us all
Hard is it to record (12)
On these men what will fall.
Yet lord, I thee desire
For that they do to me
Let them not taste the hire (13)
Of their iniquity. (14)
Appointed to the field,
With this world will I fight
And Faith shall be my shield.
Faith is that weapon strong
Which will not fail at need.
My foes, therefore, among
Therewith will I proceed. (1)
As it is had in strength
And force of Christes way (2)
It will prevail at length
Though all the devils say nay.
Faith in the fathers old
Obtained rightwisness (3)
Which make me very bold
To fear no world's distress.
I now rejoice in heart
And Hope bid me do so
For Christ will take my part
And ease me of my woe.
Thou saist, lord, who so knock,
To them wilt thou attend.
Undo, therefore, the lock
And thy strong power send.
More enmyes now I have (4)
Than hairs upon my head.
Let them not me deprave (5)
But fight thou in my stead.
On thee my care I cast.
For all their cruel spight
I set not by their haste
For thou art my delight.
I am not she that list (6)
My anchor to let fall
For every drizzling mist
My ship substancial.
Not oft use I to wright
In prose nor yet in rime,
Yet will I shew one sight (7)
That I saw in my time.
I saw a rial throne (8)
Where Justice should have sit
But in her stead was one
Of moody cruel wit. (9)
Absorpt was rightwisness (10)
As of the raging flood
Sathan in his excess
Suct up the guiltless blood. (11)
Then thought I, Jesus lord,
When thou shalt judge us all
Hard is it to record (12)
On these men what will fall.
Yet lord, I thee desire
For that they do to me
Let them not taste the hire (13)
Of their iniquity. (14)
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(2) Christes: pronounced as two syllables.
(3) rightwisness: righteousness.
(4) enmyes: enemies.
(5) deprave: pervert, turn to sin.
(6) list: will.
(7) shew: show.
(8) rial: royal.
(9) moody: proud and angry.
(10) Absorpt: swallowed up.
(11) guiltless blood: an allusion to transubstantiation.
(12) record: bring to mind.
(13) hire: wages.
(14) Having shown Faith and Hope, Anne here expresses Charity. Paul writes: "Now there remain faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13.13).