A godly new Ballad, Entitled, A dozen of Points.  
A dozen of Points you may here read,  
Whereon each Christians soul may feed.  
 
 

THe gift is small, a dozen of points,  
Wherewith I've wish you knit your joints,  
Keep well the same and credit me.  
Thy life most pure and just shall be.   

The first Points this I wish you keep,  
Is that at night before you sleep:  
Still see you ask God forgiveness  
Of all your sins and wickedness.   

The second Point is this I say,  
When thou dost see the cheerful day,  
Arise and praise the God of might  
That hath defended thee all night.   

The third is this that thou wouldst require,  
And on thy bended knees desire,  
The God of heaven to be thy stay,  
For to preserve thee night and day,   

The fourth doth bid thee to be ware,  
And to avoid the subtle snare,  
For Satan with his crafty power  
Doth seek men's souls for to devour.   

The fifth good counsel doth thee give,  
And warn thee well whilst thou dost live,  
To keep thy conscience clear and pure  
Then God will bless thee to be sure.   

The sixth of these my Points do will  
That thou devise no subtle skill,  
Whereby to work thy Neighbour's woe,  
Take heed I say and do not so.   

The seventh saith, defraud no man,  
But deal as justly as you can;  
The Widow and the Fatherless defend  
So God will bless thee to the end.   

The eighth doth bid thee more or less  
Still to beware of drunkenness;  
For drunkenness is abhorred of God  
On whom he lays his heavy rod.   

The ninth saith, Fornication fly,  
Those wicked Harlots will make thee die:  
Thy body they'll consume I say,  
And bring thy soul unto decay.   

The tenth doth say, do not forswear,  
False witness against no man bear:  
Let no affection sway thy mind  
The eye of Justice for to blind.   

The eleventh enjoins thee not to desire  
Thy Neighbour's goods for to require,  
But the ten Commandments observe,  
So shalt thou stand and never swerve.   

The twelfth saith, fear the God of might,  
And truly serve him day and night:  
Obey the King as 'tis thy part  
To thy Country bear a faithful heart.   

See these my Points thou dost possess,  
Even when thou thyself dost rest:  
Keep well each one in his degree,  
And knit them fast and credit m●    

The Angel Gabriel, his Salutation to the Blessed Virgin MARY.  
To the tune of, The Blazing Torch.  
 

WHen righteous Joseph wedded was  
to Israel's Hebrew maid,  
A glorious Angel came from Heaven,  
who to the Virgin said:  
Hail blessed Mary full of grace,  
the Lord remains in thee:  
Thou shalt conceive and bear a Son  
thy Saviour to be.   

That's wondrous strange quoth Mary then  
I should conceive and breed,  
Being never touched by mortal man,  
but pure in thought and deed,  
Fear not, quoth Gabriel by and by,  
it is no work of man:  
But only God's, ordained at first  
before the world began.   

Which heavenly message she believes,  
and did to Jury go,  
Threé months with her friends to stay,  
God's blessed will to show:  
And then returned with Joseph back,  
her Husband meek and mild,  
Who thought it strange his wife should be  
untouched, thus grown with child.   

Wherefore (thought he) to shun that shame  
he thought her to forsake:  
But that God's Angel in his sleep  
God's mind did undertake.  
Fear not just joseph this thy wife  
is still a spotless Maid,  
And no consent to sin (quoth he)  
against her can be laid.   

For she is purely Maid and Wife,  
the mother of Gods own Heir,  
The Babe of Heaven, and blessed Lamb,  
of Israel's stock so fair:  
To save lost sheep to Satan sold,  
whom Adam lost by fraud,  
When first in Eden's Paradise  
the Lord had them bestowed.   

Thus Mary with her Husband kind,  
together did remain,  
Until the time of jesus birth  
as Scripture doth make plain.  
Thus Mother, Wife, and Virgin pure,  
our Saviour sweet conceived,  
All three in one to bring us joy,  
of which we were bereaved.   

Sing praises then both old and young,  
to him which wrought such things,  
That thus without the help of man  
sent us the King of Kings:  
Which is of such a blessed power,  
that with his word can quell  
The World, the Flesh, and by his Death  
could conquer death and hell.    

Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere and W. Gilbertson.