❧ A BENEDICITIE or Blessing to be said over the Table before Meat and a GRACE or Thankesgeevingeto be said after Meat.  
 

MY Children: when ye are come to the Table for to eat▪ then bless and praise always the Lord: and feed 〈…〉 vense in thankfulness▪ on the Lord his Meat and Drink all which He hath blessed and hallowed▪ to our moderate Repast.  
B 〈…〉  

B●sse the Lord in all Lands: 
〈…〉   
Bless Him in all the Books of his Hands:  
For his right-hand that ever doth endure  
Hath blessed it all and sanctified it sure. 
〈…〉    

2.  
Blessed be the Lord the High est exalted rife  
Which feedeth his People in their Life 
〈…〉   
With Meat and Drink in his lovely Accord:  
And n●●rtereth us with his living word: 
〈…〉   
Namely his Children of the Love right-due/  
In all good blessings: It is very true.   

3.  
O God heavenly Father with good Discipline/  
Nourter our Hearts in thy Fear divine:  
Bless us also with thy holy Wisdoms Gift/  
That we may bless thee in thy Righteousnesses Drift:  
And not abuse thy Gifts (O God of comlie-fame)  
Which we take unto us in thy holy Name/ 
1. Tim. 4. Col. ●.   
But receive those-same of thy bountiful Hand/  
In all Obedience of the Love pleasand/  
With Thankfulness in Love/ together as is meet/  
And so to enjoy them/ in Christ jesu/ sobeete.    

MY Children" when ye have eaten and drunken 〈…〉 are reasonably satisfied then 〈…〉 Goodne●… which He to damn 〈…〉 〈…〉  
G●  

Thank and praise the Lord in ever 〈…〉 anes/  
For all the Gifts of his bountiful Goodness:  
For in the Doctrine of his Love w●●hout nay/  
He feedeth mightily our Souls every Day/  
With his Word of Life ●very kind and lovely: 
〈…〉   
Gee 〈…〉 a also to our natural Manhood behovelie/  
His due Food and Cover 〈…〉 a without 〈…〉 s: 
〈…〉   
●a●e it all what on Earth to us needful is/.   

2.  
Therefore thank our God of Love for the same:  
Exalt in every-behalf his high holy Name:  
For his great Mightiness renowned so high/  
Dureth from Tribe-to-tribe perpetually. 
〈…〉    

3.  
O Lord God heavenly Father free  
O very true God we thank and laud thee/  
For all thy Goodness expressed always.  
For thy Blessing wherethrough we thee praise▪  
Is evermore over us: For thou enlargest thee wide/  
In thy Doctrine of Love where thou dost us ●a●●de/  
With thy right-hand thy everlasting clear Light.  
In the same Doctrine also rejoicest thou aright  
Our Souls with thy pure living Word in all:  
And satisfiest also (be they great or small:  
Our Bodies with thy Meat and Drink doubtless:  
For all which (O God) we ever thank thy Goodness.   

4.  
Laud Honour and Thankesgeeving for evermore.  
Be to that God over the whole World therefore  
Which for us out of his mere Goodness manifoldly/  
Hath prepared all this to the Praise of his Glory:  
And unto us by name that are the loves Children/  
He giveth yet thereto his everlasting Life. AMEN.    CHARITAS EXTORSIT  

 

   

Translated out of Base-almaine into English. Anno. 1575.