The Ballad which Anne Askew made and sang…

Like as the armed knight

Appointed to the field,

With this world will I fight

And Faith shall be my shield.

Faith is that weapon strong

Which will not fail at need.

My foes, therefore, among

Therewith will I proceed.

As it is had in strength

And force of Christes way

It will prevail at length

Though all the devils say nay.

Faith in the fathers old

Obtained rightwisness

Which make me very bold

To fear no world's distress.

I now rejoice in heart

And Hope bid me do so

For Christ will take my part

And ease me of my woe.

Thou saist, lord, who so knock,

To them wilt thou attend.

Undo, therefore, the lock

And thy strong power send.

More enmyes now I have

Than hairs upon my head.

Let them not me deprave

But fight thou in my stead.

On thee my care I cast.

For all their cruel spight

I set not by their haste

For thou art my delight.

I am not she that list

My anchor to let fall

For every drizzling mist

My ship substancial.

Not oft use I to wright

In prose nor yet in rime,

Yet will I shew one sight

That I saw in my time.

I saw a rial throne

Where Justice should have sit

But in her stead was one

Of moody cruel wit.

Absorpt was rightwisness

As of the raging flood

Sathan in his excess

Suct up the guiltless blood.

Then thought I, Jesus lord,

When thou shalt judge us all

Hard is it to record

On these men what will fall.

Yet lord, I thee desire

For that they do to me

Let them not taste the hire

Of their iniquity.

Copyright Credit: The lattre examinacyon of Anne Askewe, latelye martyred in Smythfelde, by the

wycked Synagoge of Antichrist, with the Elucydacyon of Johan Bale

([Wesel: D. van der Straten,] 1546): 63-65. STC 850. In The Early Modern

Englishwoman: A Facsimile Library of Essential Works. Part 1: Printed Writings,

1500-1604, Vol. I: Anne Askew, ed. John N. King, general ed. Betty S. Travitsky

and Patrick Cullen (Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1996). BR 350 .A75A3 Robarts Library