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Anne Askew (1521-1546)

The Ballad which Anne Askew made and sang when she was in Newgate


              1Like as the armed knight
              2Appointed to the field,
              3With this world will I fight
              4And Faith shall be my shield.

              5Faith is that weapon strong
              6Which will not fail at need.
              7My foes, therefore, among
              8Therewith will I proceed.

              9As it is had in strength
            10And force of Christes way
            11It will prevail at length
            12Though all the devils say nay.

            13Faith in the fathers old
            14Obtained rightwisness
            15Which make me very bold
            16To fear no world's distress.

            17I now rejoice in heart
            18And Hope bid me do so
            19For Christ will take my part
            20And ease me of my woe.

            21Thou saist, lord, who so knock,
            22To them wilt thou attend.
            23Undo, therefore, the lock
            24And thy strong power send.

            25More enmyes now I have
            26Than hairs upon my head.
            27Let them not me deprave
            28But fight thou in my stead.

            29On thee my care I cast.
            30For all their cruel spight
            31I set not by their haste
            32For thou art my delight.

            33I am not she that list
            34My anchor to let fall
            35For every drizzling mist
            36My ship substancial.

            37Not oft use I to wright
            38In prose nor yet in rime,
            39Yet will I shew one sight
            40That I saw in my time.

            41I saw a rial throne
            42Where Justice should have sit
            43But in her stead was one
            44Of moody cruel wit.

            45Absorpt was rightwisness
            46As of the raging flood
            47Sathan in his excess
            48Suct up the guiltless blood.

            49Then thought I, Jesus lord,
            50When thou shalt judge us all
            51Hard is it to record
            52On these men what will fall.

            53Yet lord, I thee desire
            54For that they do to me
            55Let them not taste the hire
            56Of their iniquity.

Notes

8] Therewith: with it, Faith.

10] Christes: pronounced as two syllables.

14] rightwisness: righteousness.

25] enmyes: enemies.

27] deprave: pervert, turn to sin.

33] list: will.

39] shew: show.

41] rial: royal.

44] moody: proud and angry.

45] Absorpt: swallowed up.

48] guiltless blood: an allusion to transubstantiation.

51] record: bring to mind.

55] hire: wages.

56] Having shown Faith and Hope (18), 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).


Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: The lattre examinacyon of Anne Askewe, latelye martyred in Smythfelde, by the wycked Synagoge of Antichrist, with the Elucydacyon of Johan Bale ([Wesel: D. van der Straten,] 1546): 63-65. STC 850. In The Early Modern Englishwoman: A Facsimile Library of Essential Works. Part 1: Printed Writings, 1500-1604, Vol. I: Anne Askew, ed. John N. King, general ed. Betty S. Travitsky and Patrick Cullen (Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1996). BR 350 .A75A3 Robarts Library
First publication date: 1546
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2002
Recent editing: 1:2002/12/25

Rhyme: abab


Other poems by Anne Askew