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God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ,
Gal. 6.14.
1.
MY Song is love unknown;
My Saviours love to me.
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
Oh who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh, and die.
2.
He came from his bless'd Throne,
Salvation to bestow:
But men made strange, and none
The long'd-for Christ would know.
But oh! my Friend;
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend.
3.
Sometimes they strow his way,
And his sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day,
Hosannah's to their King.
Then Crucifie
Is all their breath,
And for his death
They thirst, and crie.
4.
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage, and spite?
He made the Lame to run,
He gave the Blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease,
And 'gainst him rise.
5.
They rise, and needs will have
My dear Lord made away,
A Murderer they save:
The Prince of life they slay.
Yet cheerful he
To suff'ring goes,
That he his Foes
From thence might free.
6.
In life no house, no home,
My Lord on earth might have:
In death no friendly tombe,
But what a Stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav'n was his home;
But mine the tombe
Wherein he lay.
7.
Here might I stay, and sing;
No story so divine.
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like thine.
This is my Friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my daies
Could gladly spend.
Samuel Crossman, c.1624-1684, in The young mans meditation, or Some few sacred poems upon select subjects, and scriptures, in The young mans monitor, or, A modest offer toward the pious, and vertuous composure of life from youth to riper years (1664).
c. 1537: The primer in English for children after the use [(or vse)] of Sa[lisbury/rum], also titled The manual of prayers, or the prymer in Englysh & Laten (and variants) (1539):
O Lord Jesu Christ without whom nothing is sweet. . . .
1545: The primer set fvrth by the kings maiestie & his clergie, to be taught lerued, and red: & none other to be used thorowout all his dominions. London: Richard Grafton, 1546 [1545]:
O Lord Jesu Christ, without whom nothing is swete nor
sauery, we beseche the to blesse us and our supper, and wyth thy blessed
presence to chere our hertes, that in al our meates and drynkes we maye tast
and sauoure of the to thy honor and glorye, Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, without whom nothing is sweet nor savory, we beseech thee to bless us and our supper, and with thy blessed presence to cheer our hearts, that in all our meats and drinks we may taste and savor of thee, to thy honor and glory, Amen.
This is often called the King's primer, or Henry VIII's primer. The full title is, in some printings, The primer set foorth by the Kynges maiestie and his clergie. . . . So far as I can tell, the table grace does not occur in the 1545 Primer: in Englishe and Latyn, set foorth by the Kynges maiestie and his clergie to be taught learned, and read: and none other to be vsed throughout all his dominions.
1553: A prymmer or boke of private prayer nedefull to bee used of all faythful Christians: whiche boke is auctorised and set forth by the Kynges Maiestye, to be taught, learned, read, and used by his lovynge subiectes. . . . Here we see the later Edwardian (?) incipit:
O Lord Jesu Christ, without whom nothing is good, nothing is
holy, . . .
[O Domine Jesu Christe sine quo ni(c)hil est bonum ni(c)hil est sanctum, . . .]
[O Domine Jesu Christe sine quo ni(c)hil est ualidum ni(c)hil est sanctum, . . .]
[O Domine Jesu Christe sine quo ni(c)hil est sanctum ni(c)hil est ualidum, . . .]
The phrase sine quo ni(c)hil est is fairly common, but returns (in Google) mostly (from the Gelasian sacramentary) Corpus orationum no. 4745 (which does not list the Gelasian sacramentary, but only the late 8th-century Gellonesis) =Bruylants no. 911 (which does):
Protector in te sperantium, deus, sine quo nihil est validum, nihil sanctum, multiplica super nos misericordiam tuam, ut, te rectore, te duce, sic transeamus per bona temporalia, ut non amittamus aeterna.
