As Storys Wryght And Specyfy

Words and Music: Traditional English

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (London: The Percy Society, 1847), Song #48, printed verbatim from a manuscript probably owned by a professional musician, and apparently written in the latter half of the fifteenth century, circa 1471-1485.

    Make we joy both more and lesse,
    On the dey of Sent Thomas.
    Pastor cecus in gregys medio
    Pacem emireruory precio.

As storys wryght and specyfy,
    Sent Thomas, thorow Goddes sond,
Beyng a byschop of Canturbery,
    Was martyrd for the ryght of Englond.

Hys modr be blyssyd that hym bar,
    And also hys fader that hymn begatt!
For war we wol beth fro sorow and care
    Thorow the deth of the prelat.

Thys holy mane of God was accept,
    For what so ever that he ded prayd,
Us frome the daunger conservyd and kepte.
    Of the ransom se xuld have payd.

To and fyfty poyntes onresonabyll,
    Consentyd of byschoppes many on,
Thou wast no(th)yng thereto agreabyll,
    Therfor thou sufferyd this passyn,

Of knytes cruell and also wykyd,
    Thou sufferyd thi deth with myld mod.
Wherefor the church is gloryfyyd
    In the schedyng of thy blood.

To Cryst therefore pray,
    That for us deyyd on the rood,
Conserve us al both nyght and day,
    Thorow the schedying of Thomas blood.

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Note from Wright:

The whole of this song of St. Thomas has been designedly blotted out with a pen in the MS.

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