Album: other songs

A New Dial

An almanack from 1625, in the Bagford Collection, contains the song "A New Dial,"
which was probably already quite old when the almanack was printed - from the Oxford
Book of Carols, 1928

Chorus:
|: In those twelve days let us be glad :|
For God of His power hath all things made.
What are they that are but one?
What are they that are but one?

We have one God alone
In heaven above sits on His throne:

What are they which are by two?
Two testaments, the old and new,
We do acknowledge to be true:

What are they which are but three?
Three persons in the Trinity
Which make one God in unity:

What are they which are but four
Four sweet Evangelists there are,
Christ's birth, life, death which do declare:

What are they which are but five?
Five senses, like five kings, maintain
In every man a several reign:
What are they which are but six?
Six days to labor is not wrong,
For God himself did work so long:
What are they which are but seven?
Seven liberal arts hath God sent down
With divine skill man's soul to crown:

What are they which are but eight?
Eight Beatitudes are there given
Use them right and go to heaven:

What are they which are but nine?
Nine Muses, like the heaven's nine spheres,
With sacred tunes entice our ears:

What are they which are but ten?
Ten statutes God to Moses gave
Which, kept or broke, do spill or save:

What are they which are but eleven?
Eleven thousand virgins did partake
And suffered death for Jesus' sake:

What are they which are but twelve?
Twelve are attending on God's son;
Twelve make our creed. The Dial's done: