It loved itself, because itself was fair,
    For fair is loved; and of itself begot
  Like to itself his eldest son and heir,
    Eternal, pure, and void of sinful blot,

  The firstling of his joy, in whom no jot
  Of love’s dislike or pride was to be found,
  Whom he therefore with equal honour crowned.

* * * * *

  Out of the bosom of eternal bliss,
    In which he reigned with his glorious Sire,
  He down descended, like a most demisse humble.
    And abject thrall, in flesh’s frail attire,
    That he for him might pay sin’s deadly hire,
  And him restore unto that happy state
  In which he stood before his hapless fate.

* * * * *

  O blessed well of love!  O flower of grace! 
    O glorious Morning-Star!  O Lamp of Light! 
  Most lively image of thy Father’s face! 
    Eternal King of Glory, Lord of might! 
    Meek Lamb of God, before all worlds behight! promised.
  How can we thee requite for all this good? 
  Or what can prize that thy most precious blood? equal in value.

  Yet nought thou ask’st in lieu of all this love
    But love of us for guerdon of thy pain: 
  Ay me! what can us less than that behove?[56]
    Had he required life of[57] us again,
    Had it been wrong to ask his own with gain? 
  He gave us life, he it restored lost;
  Then life were least, that us so little cost.

  But he our life hath left unto us free—­
    Free that was thrall, and blessed that was banned; enslaved; cursed.
  Nor aught demands but that we loving be,
    As he himself hath loved us aforehand,
    And bound thereto with an eternal band—­
  Him first to love that us[58] so dearly bought,
  And next our brethren, to his image wrought.

  Him first to love great right and reason is,
    Who first to us our life and being gave,
  And after, when we fared had amiss,
    Us wretches from the second death did save;
    And last, the food of life, which now we have,
  Even he himself, in his dear sacrament,
  To feed our hungry souls, unto us lent.

  Then next, to love our brethren that were made
    Of that self mould, and that self Maker’s hand,
  That[59] we, and to the same again shall fade,
    Where they shall have like heritage of land, the same grave-room.
    However here on higher steps we stand;
  Which also were with selfsame price redeemed,
  That we, however, of us light esteemed. as.

  And were they not, yet since that loving Lord
    Commanded us to love them for his sake,
  Even for his sake, and for his sacred word,
    Which in his last bequest he to us spake,
    We should them love, and with their needs partake; share their
  Knowing that, whatsoe’er to them we give, [needs.
  We give to him by whom we all do live.