Te deum laudamus.

Saynt Austyn and saynt Ambrose made fyrste thys *. [Alleged composi∣tion of Te Deum, by St Augustine and St Ambrose, under the influ∣ence of the Holy Ghost.] Hympne. For after saint Austyn had lyued not only out of crysten faythe. but also as an herytyke. and an enmy of cristen byleue. tyl he was aboute thyrty yere of age. And then by the prayer of hys mother. and by prechynge of saynte Ambrose was conuerted vnto the ryghte faythe when saynte Ambrose had baptized hym. he gaue thankynges to god and sayde. Te deum laudamus. And saynt Austyn answered. Te dominum cofitemur. And then saynte Ambrose. Te eternum patrem omnis terra veneratur. And then saynt Page  117 Austyn the nexte verse and so fourthe the tone one verse and the tother a nother vnto the ende. as the feruente grace of the holy gooste wroughte in theyre soulles. and enformed theyr tongues ¶ Nethelesse ye shulde take no greate hede in the syngynge or saynge therof who made yt but ye oughte in thys and in all *. [But each one to sing it as their own words.] youre other seruyce as saynte Austyn sayeth. dresse youre mynde to god and say yt as youre owne speche to hym or to hys blyssed mother as the seruyce asketh. ¶ But ye shall vnderstande that thys Hympne deuoutly *. [Cesarius. dist. viij. Capi. 90.] songe{punctel} ys an Hympne of ryghte grete deuocyon. For we rede that in the contre of saxony. there was a yonge & an holy vyrgyn in a Monastery of nunnes. *. [The vision of a young nun while the Te Deum was being sung.] And yt happenyd ones in a greate feaste that she was at mattyns in the quyere. But for her mystres dred her feblenesse{punctel} she bad her go rest her in the dortour. The mayde was sory and lothe to go thense. and ther∣fore after she was gone oute{punctel} she abode a whyle wyth∣oute the quyer. And when thys hympne. Te deum laudamus, was begonne{punctel} she se in spirituall vysyon heuen open, and the systers quyer lyfte vp to heuen. *. [The sisters' quire was lifted up to heaven, where the angels and saints joined with them in singing the hymn,] And when they came to thys verse. Tibi omnes angeli, She se all the orders of aungels knele downe. and wyth greate reuerence do worshyp to god, syngynge wyth the quyer. Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, dominus deus sabaoth, And when they came to thys verse. Te gloriosus, she se the apostels knele doune to god and singe fourthe with the quier. The same dyd the prophetes. when they came to thys verse. Te prophe∣tarum. [Folio .lxiij.] And the martyrs also. at thys verse. Te martyrum. And then all confessours, and vyrgyns. ioyned them to the quyer & sange fourthe wyth them wyth grete praysynge and ioye. And when the laste *. [until it was ended, when the sisters' quire re∣turned to earth, full of spiritual joy.] verse. In te domine speraui, was in syngynge{punctel} the quyer came easely downe agayne towarde the erthe. and heuen closed. and that blyssedfull heuenly company Page  118 was sene no lenger. But moche gostly gladnes and ioye abode in theyre soulles. that were that tyme in the quyer. And by thys ye maye se how moche owre lorde god and all hys aungels and sayntes are pleased wyth the deuoute saynge of thys holy hympne. All the matyer of thys same Hympne ys praysynge and *. [The Te Deum is all praise and prayer.] prayer. And fyrste ye prayse god by youre selfe. and by all creatures in erthe and saye. Te deum. we prayse the god we knowelege the lorde. Te eternum patrem. And all erthe. that ys to saye all erthely creatures. worshypeth the, endelesse fader. Here ye call hym god *. [Praising the Father as God to be loved, Lord to be feared, Father to be worshipped.] to whome longeth loue. ye call hym lorde. to whome longeth dreade. And ye call hym father. to whome longeth worshyp. Therfore yf ye loue hym soueraynely in the holnesse of all youre harte. as god. And dreade hym reuerently in the same holenesse of harte as lorde. And soueraynely worshyp hym on the same wyse. as father{punctel} then prayse ye hym trewly in these tow fyrste verses. ¶ But for ye thynke youre *. [Addint to our praises the re∣hearsal of those given by angels and saints,] praysynge lytell{punctel} therfore ye reherse to hym in spyrytuall ioye. and desyre. the praysynge that he hathe in heuen of aungels and of sayntes. And firste of aungels. when ye saye. Tibi omnes angeli, All aungels synge to the heuens That ys all spyrytuall creatures that are in heuen. And all powres. That ys to saye that order of aungels that are called potestates. synge to the. Tibi cherubym, That order of aungels that ys called Cherubyn. And that order of aungels that ys called Seraphyn. synge to the wyth voyce that neuer cessyth. And what synge they. Sanctus. Sanctus.*. [who all praise the thrice holy in Trinity, Lord God in Unity.]Sanctus. Dominus deus sabaoth, Holy. holy. holy Lorde god of hostes. Here ye saye fyrst thryes holy for the trynyte of parsones. Father and Sonne, and holy Gooste And after ye saye. Lorde god. not Lordes, ne goddes, for the vnyte of substaunce. and of godhed. ye saye also. of hostes, that ys to say of aungels. for as an hooste in Page  119 batayle ys departed in thre. that ys to saye. the for∣warde. *. [The nine orders of angels divided into three prince∣doms, as an army into van, middle, and rear.] the mydel warde. and the rerewarde{punctel} so are the nyne orders of aungels departed in thre pryncehoodes. as in thre hoostes. And eche pryncehode ys departed in thre orders. as in thre wardes. Thys aungels songe is taken of the prophete Isaye. that se in spyrytuall *. [Esaie .vj.] vysyon oure lorde god sytte on an hygh sete. and Cherubyn and Seraphyn syngynge lowde eyther to other. Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus deus*. [Sanctus sung antiphonally, as by the angels,]sabaoth, And therfore accordynge to the aungels, ye synge quyer to quyer, one Sanctus on the tone syde, and another on the tother syde. and so fourthe of other verses. And for by cause that aungels prayse god in grete reuerence therfore ye enclyne when ye synge *. [with a reverent inclination of the head.] theyr songe. Pleni sunt, Heuens and erthe ar full of the glory of thy maiesty. Thinke euer on this verse. Thynke inwardely theron. and lett yt neuer oute of [Folio .lxiiij.] youre mynde. Heuens and erthe are fulle of the glory of thy maieste. A thynge that ys fulle, hathe no place voyde. Then ys there no place in erthe ne aboue *. [The Omnipresence of God's glory,] erthe. ne bynethe yt. no londe. no contre. no place wythin vs. without vs. aboue vs. bynethe vs. but all ys full of the glory of the maiestye of god. O god of pytye. and father of mercyes. lyghten oure darke soulles. that we may se. and contynewally beholde the presence of thy godly mageste. O wyth what reuerence. wyth what drede. wyth what inwarde deuocyon & wyth what besy kepynge of oure selfe in thoughte in worde and in dede. oughte we to haue vs in euery place. and in euery *. [a reason for reverent and godly living.] tyme. and in euery thynge that euer are in presence of thys gloryous maieste. Heuens and erthe ar full of the glory of thy maieste. ¶ After ye haue thus songe how aungels prayse thus god in heuen{punctel} ye reherse how sayntes prayse hym. And thys ys done to make you lyfte vp youre myndes to ioye of theyre ioye. and to prayse god with them. and to desyre thyder where ye Page  120 shall euerlastyngly prayse and ioye. Therfore ye say to oure lorde god. Te gloriosus, The gloryous Company of the Apostels prayse the. Te prophetarum The praysable nombre of Prophetes. prayse the. Te martirum, The fayre hoste of martyrs that ar wasshed whyte and fayre in theyr owne blode. prayse the. ¶ And not only sayntes in heuen but all holy chyrche in erthe prayseth hym. And therfore ye say. Te per orbem, Holy Chyrche knowlegethe the. and prayseth the thrugh out all the worlde. ¶ And who yt is. that is thus praysed{punctel} ye telle that yt is the blyssed Trynyte Father and Sonne. and holy Gooste. when ye saye Patrem, Father of greate and of vnmesurable maiestye. Venerandum, Thy very and worshypfulle and onely Sonne. Sanctum quoque, And the comforter the holy goste. ¶ When ye haue thus shewed the *. [After the praise of the Holy Trinity follows the praise of our Lord, both God and Man.] praysynge of the blyssed trynyte{punctel} ye turne to the praysynge of oure Lorde Iesu cryste. and fyrste after hys godhed saynge vnto hym. Tu rex, Thow christe arte kynge of blysse. Tu patris, Thow arte the ende∣lesse sonne of the father ¶ And then ye prayse hym after hys manhoode for foure thynges. One ys hys incarnacyon. Another. hys passyon. the thyrde. hys ascensyon. And the fourthe hys comynge to the dome. And these foure are shewed in the foure nexte verses after when ye saye. Tu ad liberandum. when thou *. [1. For His In∣carnation.] shuldest take vpon the mankynde for the delyueraunce of man{punctel} thow horydest not the vyrgyns wombe. ¶ Here ye enclyne. bothe in token and in reuerence of *. [A ritual inclina∣tion at this verse.] our lordes meke comyng downe for to be man. and also in worshyp of that moste clene and holy vyrgyns wombe. wherin almyghty god ioyed for to dwelle. For yt is redde that when a deuoute woman had vsed to enclyne alwayse when she sayd thys verse in worshyp of that moste reuerente wombe{punctel} on a tyme she se oure lady stonde before her and enclyne ageyne to her. Page  121 And therby ye may se that oure lady ys pleased wyth suche reuerente enclynynge. Tu deuicto, Thow ouer∣came *. [2. For His Passion.] the turmente of dethe{punctel} and opendest the kyng∣dome of heuens to them that beleued. Tu ad dex∣teram,*. [3. For His As∣cension.] Thow syttes on goddes ryghte hand in the glory of the father. Iudex, we beleue that thou arte the *. [4. For His Second Coming.] Iudge that shall come. ¶ After ye haue thus praysed oure Lorde Iusu cryste, ye pray vnto hym and say. Te*. [Then begins the prayer of the hymn.]ergo, Therfore we pray the helpe thy seruauntes whome thow haste boughte wyth thy precyous bloude. [Folio .lxv.] ¶ All thys verse ye enclyne for tow causes. One for here ye *. [A ritual inclina∣tion at this verse also.] begynne fyrste in thys hympne to pray. A nother cause is. in worshyp of that most riche lyquore. that most precyous pryce of our soulles. the reuerent and holy bloude of oure lorde Iesu cryst. Eterna. Make thy seruantes to be rewarded in endeles blysse. with thy sayntes. Saluum fac. Lorde make thy people safe. & blysse thyne heritage. Thys Herytage ys the *. [The Heathen became the "heritage" of our Lord.] hethen people. that after. the passyon of our lorde Iesu cryste. are turned to ryghte faythe & now are called crysten people. And of them saythe the Father of heuen. to hys sonne Iesu, by the prophete thus. Pos∣tula*. [Psalmo .secundo.]a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam, That ys Aske of me. and I shall gyue the. the hethen people to thyne herytage. Therfore ye pray hym here to blysse hys herytage. Therfore ye pray hym here to blysse hys herytage. that ys to say crysten people. Et rege eos. and gouerne them. here by grace. And enhaunce them in to blysse wythout ende. Per singulos, Eche daye we blysse the. Et laudamus And we prayse thy name from tyme to tyme vnto the ende of the worlde. and after wythouten ende. Dignare domine, Lorde vouche safe to kepe vs. thys day wythout synne. Miserere nostri, Haue mercy on vs. lorde. haue mercy on vs. Fiat misericordia, And thy mercy mote be vpon vs. as we haue trusted in the. In te domine, In the lorde I haue trusted. that I be not confounded without ende. Page  122 Here in this worlde that hathe an ende. I will be con∣founded. and shamed for so I must nedes. by knowlege of my synnes. Here I wyll be reproued and despysed. for yt is to my beste, Here I wyll be scorned. & in al wyse 1. [[MS. "nought∣ed."]] set at noughte. as thow were lorde thy selfe that so I myghte come to thyne endeles worshyp. for thys lyfe hathe a shorte ende. and yt is noughte. And ther∣fore lorde for I haue thus hoped in the. takynge and wylfully sufferynge a lytell shorte shame. in thys shorte tyme of noughte. I shall not be shamed. ne con∣founded without ende.