The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

8. A Prayer full of comfort to the Trinitie, one onely God, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost.

Oh Deity, in three persons coequall and coeternall, in one essence, one God and true God, (Father, Son and holy Ghost) which only dwellest in eternity, & in vnaccessable light to all flesh, which art, which was, and which continuest for euer, the first and the last, the be∣ginning and the ending of all things: soueraigne and most puissant Creator and gouernor of all things that are, that liue, that feele, and that vnderstand, which hast spread abroad the heauens by the diuine wisedome, and layd the foundation of the earth by thy great pow∣er, by whose prouidence consisteth all moderation, beauty and order in the vniuersall world, in the contemplation whereof consisteth the only good and true felicity of man, the chiefe of all thy creatures: holy and triple holy: admirable and amiable, who be∣ing iust, wouldest not suffer, that man made afte•• thin•• owne Image, for thy glory, and to serue thee, in blessed estate, should goe vnpunished hauing sinned, who beeing mer∣cifull, diddest not withdraw thy mercy from him: and who beeing good, hast not negle∣lected the least of thy works, euen to the haire of a beast, the smallest feather of a bird, & the least flower or leafe of an herbe, ingrauing in euery one of thy creatures, certaine signes of thy glorie and maiestie, by the proportion and agreement of all their parts, as it were a sweet peace. Oh onely God in Trinitie, make, (I humblie beseech thee) thy wisedome and light, by their vertue, to enter into my soule, which honoureth and inuoketh thy name to make me vnderstand, and inwardly to see thy diuine wonders, in thy Spirit, which can do althings, which vnderstandeth and beholdeth all things, which animateth al things, and which without ceasing, passeth through all peaceable knowledge, and resideth in euery one of thine elect.

Grant mee (oh eternall God, and most great and rich Father of heauen) that by this ho∣ly Spirit, I may with the eyes of faith, penetrate into the middle of thy celestiall habitati∣on, that there I may behold thy glorious face, and in it the blessednesse of thy children to praise thee incessantly; for thou hast promised to open the gates of thy kingdome, to all those that knocke thereat. Now is the time (oh God most mercifull) that the desires of my heart famished for want of heauenly bread, eleuate and lift vp themselues to thy holy sanctuarie, and make mee knocke at thy doore. Before thy eies is all the desires of my soule, and my thoughts are not hidden from thee. Then turne not thy face away from mee, neither withdraw thy selfe, because of my indignity: but rather let it please thee benignly to hearken vnto the crie of thy seruant, that hath for his warrant the onely righ∣teousnesse of Iesus Christ, our Emanuel, and God with vs. Therefore gracious Father, stretch foorth thy comfortable hand, to draw me out of the waters and filthinesse of th•• earth, out of this lake of miserie, and out of this bottomlesse pit of euils, to the end that I bee not shut out of the sight of thy compassions, but rather that at the day when I shall leaue this earthly habitation. I may happely mount vp to thy supercelestiall dwelling, to be fully vnited to Christ my Sauiour, and by him to the••, oh Father, which art the foun∣taine of eternall life. It hath pleased thee (oh mercifull Father) to witnesse and s••••w forth the great goodnesse, to make me know, according to the measure of thy grace which I haue receiued, the incomprehensible secret of thee, oh Father, begotten of none; of thee oh Sonne of God, eternally begotten of the Father; and of thee, oh holy Ghost, eternally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, one onely God, vncreated, infinite, eternal, Lord and most puissant: grant then, oh ineffable and vnspeakeable Trinity, that beleeuing in my heart, and confessing with my mouth, the propriety of three persons, the vnitie of the Essence, and the equalitie of the glorie. In thee, true and onely God, I may adore,

and serue thee for euer, according to thy holy ordinance; and that by this firme and con∣stant faith, grounded vpon obedience. I may more and more drawe vnto mee the fauour of thy blessings, to the ende that as the Angels praise and glorified thee, the supercelestiall powers honour thee, and all the host of heauen magnifie thee. I may also once haue the honour to ioine my Canticles and songs with that celestiall company, and enioy the same beatitude in the beholding of thy eternall light, oh glorious God. I hope in thee, I haue no trust nor confidence but in thy bounty, preserue mee then, from all euill, and from all corruption, to the end, that while I shall be clothed with this fraile flesh, my soule may alwaies praise thee, my tongue sing Psalmes vnto thee, and all my senses may agree and consent together, to say, Lord, and God, three in one, who is like vnto thee, which by thy infinite power hast made vs, euen when wee were not, and when wee were lost and vtterly ouerthrowne by our owne fault: thou by thy loue, hast created vs anew, for thy greater glory. Then suffer me not to forget thy vnspeakable mercie, but make, that encrea∣sing by faith in thy word, with hope in thy promises, and with true charitie, shewing forth the fruit thereof by good workes; I may ioyfully proceed in the course of my life, follow∣ing my vocation, vntill I may obtaine the price of celestiall felicitie, where beholding thy face, Oh holy and vnseparable Trinitie, I may fully adore thy Maiestie, singing this Himne with the blessed. Glory bee to thee oh Father, which hast created vs, glorie be to thee, oh Sonne, which hast redeemed vs, glorie be to thee oh holy Spirit which hast san∣ctified vs, and glorie bee to the most high Trinitie, one onely true God, whose king∣dome is euerlasting.