The myroure of Oure Ladye, containing a devotional treatise on divine service, with a translation of the offices used by the sisters of the Brigittine monastery of Sion, at Isleworth, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Edited from the original black-letter text of 1530 A.D., by John Henry Blunt.

¶ Of the psalmes at Laudes.

In these Laudes ye say .viii. psalmes. which be∣token [Eight orders of the elect signified by the eight souls saved by the flood.] eyghte orders of goddes chosen in holy chyrche. in thys sayde tyme of grace. And these eyghte orders were fygured in the eyghte soulles that were saued in the shyppe in tyme of Noes floudde when all other [Genesis .vij. Prima petri .3.] perysshed. for all that ar wasshed in the floude of baptym. & kepe them in the shyppe of holy chyrche. [Some saved by the flood of bap∣tism, other per∣ish in it.] by stedfaste faythe. and trew obedyence to god & to the chyrche shall be safe. And all other shall be peryshed in the floudde. for theyr baptym shall not helpe them. but if they be founde in the shyppe of holy chyrche at theyr ende. ¶ The fyrste order was [1. Jews converted by Christ and His apostles.] of the iewes that were conuerted to the ryghte faythe by oure lorde Iesu cryste. as were hys apostels and dyscyples & other that were turned by them. in whome oure lorde Iesu cryste reyned fyrste by grace. and began to buylde hys chyrche. And hereof speketh the fyrste psalme of laudes. that ys. Dominus regnauit. ¶ The seconde order was of hethen that were called to [2. Heathens con∣verted by the apostles.] the faythe and praysynge of god. in all the partyes of the worlde by the apostels & therto longeth the seconde psalme that ys. Iubilate domino omnis terra. ¶ The thyrd order was of them that were in tyme of

persecucyon of tyrauntes and of heretykes. when [3. Christians in the ages of mar∣tyrdom.] crysten people a woke in busy prayer. and in ware kepynge of themselfe. that they myghte be redy to suffer martyrdom & many thrysted that tyme in greate desyre to be martyrde for the loue of oure lorde Iesu cryste. And therto longeth the thyrde psalme. that ys. Deus deus meus, ad te de luce vigilo. ¶ The forthe order [4. Christian people from the end of the ages of martyrdom till antichrist, i. e. in the ages of peace.] ys of trew crysten people. that ar and shall be from thense vnto the comynge of antycryst. And to thys tyme longeth the forthe psalme that ys. Deus miseri∣atur nostri. And take hede that the thyrde psalme & thys forthe. are ended vnder one. Gloria patri. For in tyme of persecucyon. whyche is vnderstonded by the thyrde psalme as I sayde before{punctel} crysten people lyued in caues. and in dennes. and durste not. or myghte not come togyther to synge the praysynge of god. But after the persecucion was ceassyd and holy chyrche had founde peace. whyche ys vnderstonded by the forthe psalme{punctel} then they myghte restfully prayse god to gyther. And therfore after bothe psalmes ys songe one Gloria patri. ¶ The fyfte order shall be in tyme of antecriste that was figured by the kynge of baby∣lone. [Folio .lxvij.] For as holy scrypture sayeth the kynge of baby∣lone [Danielis .iij.] when he had goddes people in thraldome. he put [5. Those who live in the days of antichrist, when persecutions will be revived.] thre of them in a burnyng furneyse of fyre bycause they wolde not worshyp a certeyne ymage that he had set vp. But god kepte them in the fyre vnhurte and there they made and songe thys psalme. Benedicite omnia opera domini domino. And lyke wyse in tyme of antycryste they that wyll not worshyp hym. shall suffer the greatest persecucyon that euer was done to crysten people. But god of hys specyall mercy & grace shall kepe hys chosen in that fyre of trybulacyon vnhurte so that they shall abyde in faythe and prays∣ynge of god. And in token therof ys thys fyfte psalme. Benedicite, songe at laudes wythoute Gloria

patri. For the greatenes of that persecucyon. shall lette [Why "Bene∣dicite" has no "Gloria Patri" in its ancient form.] the open praysynge of god that ys vsed in holy chyrche. And yet tho few that shall then abyde in trew fayth and charite. shall not cease of goddes praysyng. And therfore the laste verse of the psalme saue one, that is Benedicamus patrem, ys the same sentence. that Gloria patri, ys. but not of the same wordes. For thoughe [The elect will not work miracles then as in the first ages.] the chosen of god in that tyme haue not power to warke myracles and to do other open dedes to the praysynge of god as martyrs and sayntes haue done be∣fore{punctel} yet they shall not be lesse of merite to warde god. then eny of them were. And therfore ye encline at that verse, Benedicamus patrem, as ye do at Gloria patri. ¶ The syxte and the seuenthe. and the eyghte [6. 7. 8. The elect from the three parts of the world who shall survive antichrist, and enter on a time of great peace.] orders shall be of them. that shall abyde. and be con∣uerted of all the thre partyes of the worlde. after the dethe of anticrist whyche shall then prayse god in more peace then hathe ben in holy chirche before that tyme. And for these chosen shall not be of one people. ne of one nacyon. ne at dyuerse tymes but at ones of all the thre partyes of the worlde for all the worlde ys departed in thre{punctel} therfore they are vnderstonded by these thre last psalmes of laudes that are songe vnder one Gloria patri, that ys to saye Laudate dominum de celis, Cantate domino, and Laudate dominum in sanctis eius, For these thre psalmes. were made in ioye and praysyng to god. for delyueraunce of goddes people out of the thraldome of babylone, And therfore they ar couenyently songe in thankynge and praysynge to god for delyueraunce of hys chosen from the persecucyon of antycryste. whiche ys vnderstonded by the kynge of babylone. as yt ys sayde before.