CHRISTE’S CHILDHOODE.
Reading edition
Till twelve yeres’ age, how Christ His childhoode spent All earthly pennes unworthy were to write;
Such actes to mortall eyes He did presente, Whose worth not men but angells must recite:
No nature’s blottes, no childish faultes defilde, Whose Grace was guide, and God did play the childe.
In springing lockes lay chouchèd hoary witt, In semblance younge, a grave and aunchient port;
In lowly lookes high maiestie did sitt, In tender tunge, sound sence of sagest sort:
Nature imparted all that she could teache, And God supplyd where Nature coulde not reach.
His mirth, of modest meane a mirrhour was, His sadness, tempred with a mylde aspecte;
His eye, to trye ech action was a glasse, Whose lookes did good approue and bad correct;
His nature’s giftes, His grace, His word, and deede, Well shew’d that all did from a God proceede.
—Southwell.