1Come, my dear children, come and happy be;
2Even as I follow Christ, so follow me.
3Eight of your number finished have their story
, 4And now their souls do shine in endless glory.
5Then by these blesséd steps let us ascend
6Unto that joy that never shall have end.
Aletheia
7First
, let God’s word
your sole director be, 1st Humility
8Which sweetly leads you to Humility,
9Through whose low rooféd temple all did go
10That worshipped honor: ethnics
this did know. 2nd Patience
11Next, Patience fits you for the fiery trial;
12No going further without self-denial.
3rd Temperance
13Then, Temperance be sure you do not miss,
4th Chastity
14That Chastity’s white hand you next may kiss.
5th Prudence
15Then, Prudence that all actions doth foresee;
6th Just
16Without her, Just you cannot possibly
be. 7th Contentation
17Then, be Content, or you yourself delude,
8th Constancy, 9th Fortitude
18And Constantly go on to Fortitude.
10th Faith, 11th Hope
19By Faith and Hope we then shall mount above
12th Charity
20Into the bosom of eternal Love.
21Thy hand
, dear Aletheia, lest I miss one round
; 22Who skips but one precipitates
to ground. 23These
were got up, but yet you see they fell 24Into those sensual
ways, which leads to Hell. 25Some that these steps too tedious are do say;
26Therefore they climber
up a nearer
way, 27Leaving fair Truth and her celestial train,
28Being guided by the Spirit
as they fain
. 29But see, my children, how they tumble down
30And for their own chimera
lose a crown. 31Let Grace and Truth then guide us in our story;
32By these degrees
we shall arise to glory.