O ye children, let your time be well-spent,
Apply your learning, and your elders obey;
It will be your profit another day.
Now, for the Queen's royal majesty let us pray,
[_He kneeleth down_.
That God (in whose hands is the heart of all queens),
May endue her highness with godly puissance alway:
That her grace may long reign and prosper in all things,
In God's word and justice may give light to all queens.
Let us pray for the honourable council and nobility,
That they may always counsel us[252] wisdom with tranquillity,
God save the Queen, the realm, and commonalty!
[_He maketh courtesy and goeth out_.
FINIS.
* * * * *
A SONG.
_It is good to be merry
But who can be merry?[253]
He that hath a pure conscience,
He may well be merry.[254]
Who hath a pure conscience, tell me?
No man of himself, I ensure thee,
Then must it follow of necessity,
That no man can be merry.
Purity itself may pureness give;
You must ask it of God in true belief;
Then will he give it, and none repreve:[255]
And so we may be merry.
What is the practice of a conscience pure?
To love and fear God, and other allure,
And for his sake to help his neighbour:
Then may he well be merry.
What shall we have, that can and will do this?
After this life everlasting bliss,
Yet not by desert, but by gift, i-wis:
There God make us all merry!_
FINIS.
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