Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Sir David Lindsay (1490?–1555)

The Hope of Immortality

ALL creature that ever God creat,

As wryttis Paull, thay wys to se that day

Quhen the childryng of God, predestinat,

Sall do appeir in thare new fresche array;

Quhen corruptioun beis clengit clene away,

And changeit beis thair mortall qualitie

In the gret glore of immortalitie.

And, moreattour, all dede thyngis corporall,

Vnder the concave of the Hevin impyre,

That now to laubour subject ar, and thrall,

Sone, mone, and sterris, erth, walter, air, and fyre,

In one maneir thay have ane hote desyre,

Wissing that day, that thay may be at rest,

As Erasmus exponis manifest.

We sé the gret Globe of the Firmament

Continuallie in moveyng marvellous;

The sevin Planetis, contrary thare intent,

Are reft about, with course contrarious;

The wynd, and see, with stormys furious,

The trublit air, with frostis, snaw and rane,

Unto that day thay travell evir in pane.

And all the Angellis of the Ordouris Nyne,

Haveand compassioun of our misereis,

Thay wys efter that day, and to that fyne,

To sé us freed frome our infirmeteis,

And clengit frome thir gret calamiteis

And trublous lyfe, quhilk never sall have end

On to that day, I mak it to thee kend.