A New Years Gift More Precious than Gold, Title page – Dedication
¶ A new yeares gyfte more precious than golde, worthy to be embrased no lesse ioyfully than thākfully of eueryevery true christē man, newly published by Theodore Basille.
Esa. 9.
A yong chylde is borne for oure sake, and a sonne is gyuen vntounto vsus.
¶ The newe yeares gyfte speaketh.
A Newe yeares gyfte more precious
Than golde or pearle certes am I,
For I bryng forth the Lorde Iesus
Which of all treasures is moost hygh.
Many in thynges of vanite
Do reioyse and delyght greatly,
Such can hauehave no pleasure in me
For I teach Christ that Lorde moost hygh.
Christ and Christes doctryne shalt thou heare
Learne, yf thou wylte, vnfaynedly,
Wherby thou mayst become ryght deare
To God and his sonne, that Lord moost hygh.
To mortify thy lustes carnall
And to walke aye innocently,
Teache the also godly I shall
That thou mayst please that Lord moost hygh.
To good workes also I shall the moue
In them euermore to be busy,
That God the father maye the louelove
And his sonne Christ that Lorde moost hygh.
If thou therfore louest godlynes
Take me vntounto the ioyfully.
I shall fyll thy harte with gladnes
And ioyne the wt Christ that Lord moost hygh.
¶ To the ryght worshypfull Master Thomas Roydon Esquyer and Iustice of peace, Theodore Basille wyssheth long lyfe, continuall health, and prosperous felicite.
I Canne none otherwyse but highly prayse the honest fashons, commendable vsages, and frendely customes, that our auncetours & elders hauehave vsed heretofore vntounto the greate example of theyr posterite for ye mayntenāce of all humanite & gētylnes. Among many other, who wyl not recoūt ye cu…tōe of gyuyng newe yeres gyftes to be so commendable and prayse worthy, that he maye seme to be estraū ged from all ciuilite, that dothe not obserue it vntounto the vttermost of his power? For what other thing do we meane by geuyng mutuall giftes in the begynnyng of a newe yeare, thā that we desyre, that all good, lucky, prosperous and fortunate thynges maye chaunse that yere vntounto eueryevery one of vsus, and that one wylleth, wysheth & desyreth well to another, is redy to do good one to another, and to healpe what so euer lyethe in hys power? This vndoubtedly was the meanyng of thē, that fyrst were the inuētours of this moost honest and frendly custome, & to this ende hath it ben obserued, kept & mayntayned hytherto. Whan I consydered this but lately & iudged ye custome to … both good and godly, and nothyn… more mete for the preseruacion an… cōciliaciō of amite. I thought tha… for asmuch as I was not able acco… dyng to my wyll to gyue such new yeares gyftes, as commonly be sen from one to another. Yet I would prepare somthyng, wherby I might shewe my selfe to wysh well vntounto all men, and to beare an honest & frendly hart to my cōtrey mē of Englōd. I hauehave therfore prouided a newe yeres gyfte, not of corruptible gold or syluer, but of the moost sacred scriptures, whiche,Psal. xviii as Dauid saythe, are much more worthy to be desired thē golde or precious stonne, & are sweter then the hony & hony combe.
In this my newe yeares gyfte I hauehave openned many goodly & godly thynges. Amonge all other, I hauehave declared, what a precious treasure Christ is vntounto vsus,Esay. ix. whiche was gyuē vsus of God the father for our new yeres gyfte, and how many benefites we hauehave receyued by hym. I hauehave also described the whole lyfe of a christen mā, shewyng what we must do, if we wyll enioy so great benefites. Agen, I hauehave exhorted men to mortify theyr carnal affectes & worldly lustes, and shewed them howe they must walke both toward thēselues, theyr neyghbour & God, if they wyl hauehave the fruicion of the celestiall enheretaūce. To cōclude, as I hauehave shewed that all saluacion commeth by Christ, so hauehave I proued that Christ is no sauiour but to thē that repēt, beleue, lede a vertuous lyfe, & be plē teous in doyng good workes. These thinges with diuers other not to be despised shal be foūd in this my new yeares gyfte, so that I doubte not, but that it shall be no les profitable for the soule, than other worldly giftes shall be for the body.
This my labour employed herein after myne so greuous & troublous syckenesses, I dedicate and sende to your ryght worshypfull mastershyp for a newe yeares gyfte, desyrynge you to accepte it wyth no lesse good mynde, than it is offered to your gē tylnes. If I shal may perceaue, that this my lytle gyfte is acceptable vntounto you, it shall not only not repente me, but also cause me very much to reioyse of my trauayle ī this behalf.
GOD the Author of eueryevery yere mought vouchesafe to graunt that this newe yeare wythe many other maye euer begynne vntounto you withe good fortune, procede wyth better, ende with that which is best, and alway be fortunate vntounto you so long as they last, so yt ye maye alway enioye cō tinual helth & prosperoꝰ felicite accordyng to ye wyll of God, to whome be all honour & glory. AMEN.