the Parentes themselues to be an ensample in this behalfe vnto their children and seruauntes and shew euermore such reuerence vnto the name of GOD that the yonglinges maye well perceyue that it is no vayne thing that they are taught If they doe the contrary that is to say blaspheme the holy name of God then shall they vndoubtedly come vnto dishonour and a shamefull ende In this world the plague and vengeance of God shall not goe away from their houses they shall be stricken with many greuous diseases in their bodyes their goods and Cattell yea and all that euer they haue shall come to nought their kynde of liuing shall be despysed with all good men their death shal be paynful miserable and wretched and after these so great and manifolde plagues they may be sure for their wicked swearing to be cast into Helfyre where the flames of it shal neuer be quenched where weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be where the wormes shall knawe their owne consciences and shall neuer dye More ensamples might be declared at large for thys matter but you shall here further what S. Paule writeth to the Ephesians the sixt chapter vnto maysters Ye maysters sayeth he doe euen the same vnto your seruants putting away threatnings and know that euen your maister also is in heauen neyther is there anye respecte of person wyth him Puer You haue accomplished my desyre But I pray you good mayster Citizen let mee some what vnderstande your mynde of the dutye of the seruauntes and in what order the maysters do take them in London when they come rawlye as I doe out of the cuntrey Ciuis The Citizens that lack seruants and especialy those that are men of great welth will seeke to haue some sufficient Sureties for those that they wil entertayn into their seruice and good consyderation it is for a man maye take into his house one that shall soone vndoe his mayster before hee hath warning thereof I woulde GOD Citizens would take heede of mayster Lillyes sayings Happy is he whome other mens harmes canne make hym to bee warned Puer As you saye then it is requisyte that he shall haue suretyes for his truth and honest behauiour but euery one that commeth to London is not of that ability Ciuis It is so therefore some honeste man doeth put it in aduenture Puer I truste in GOD so will some honeste man doe with mee I praye you doe you knowe anye honest man that lacketh a Seruaunte I force not of what occupation Ciuis I wil say vnto you as S. Iude sayeth in his Epistle I willingly would wish you vnto him that is able to keepe you that you fall not Puer I thank you for that I pray you now shewe vnto me the order and vsage of the apprentises how they be bound what the scripture sayth agreable thervnto Ciuis I wil. Whē you haue contynued a tyme with your mayster you shall goe with him to the Hall that he is free of before the mayster and Wardones of that company be presēted that they may view see you whether you be crooked or lame they wil giue you good instructions to shew you what your dutye is as well to God and vnto your mayster and mistresse and also to know your duety as S. Peeter commandeth honour all men loue brotherly felowship and as the Lord hath called euerye person so lette him walke Also you must be bound by a payre of Indentures for so many yeares as your Mayster and you can agree for alwaies prouided whē you come out of your yeres before you haue the liberties of London you must be of the age of foure and twenty yeres the same maister as I told you in the duty of maysters must teach you or cause you to be taught your occupation he to find you meat drink linnen wollen hose shoes and all other such necessaries And if you haue serued your mayster truely then he wil make you a freeman of London wherby you may liue with the ayde of almighty God doe full well as your mayster before you hath done You must be carefull and myndfull to carry awaye good exhortations when you heare them and willing and dilligent to please your Mayster and Mistresse in which doing you shall fynde great commoditie and profyte Puer When a man is bound shal he not go into the Countrey to see his friendes during the tyme of his Apprentiship nor a shooting in the fyeldes I loue that excercise well Ciuis Not without your mayster and Mistresse giue you leaue and you must take heede you doe not tarry long abroade then neyther for when you are absent you know not occasyon of busynesse they shall haue for you to doe Puer Then the seruants are at a better poynt in the countrey although they take paynes on the working dayes yet they maye goe leape shote Daunce Dise Card and bowle and vse what gaming they shall think good on the Sondaye and Holiday Ciuis You cannot do so in London I remember there was a statute made in the sixte yeare of the reigne of King Henrye the eyght that al Constables and other head officers fynding or knowing any person vsing or exercysing any vnlawfull Games as Tenis playe bowles Claish and al other vnlawful games prohibited by many statutes shall haue full power to commit euery such offender to warde there to remayne without Bayle or Maynprise tyll such tyme he or they so offending be bound by obligation to the Kinges vse in such somme as by discretiō of the same Officer shal be thought reasonable that they from thenceforth shal not vse any vnlawfull Games and besydes in another statute the Constables doth incur the daunger of a penaltie assessed vpon them for the neglecting of their duetyes and office and is not this put in execution in your countrey Puer God forbid it shoulde what shoulde wee doe when Seruice is done Ciuis I told you in the duety of the maysters so it is the dutye of alseruauntes to vse games and honest pastymes and excercyses alowable by the lawes of this realme that is shooting or else adict your selfe if you cannot reede with some well disposed person that can reade to here the scriptures reade descant vpon them and let that be your games and pastymes Puer These are very straunge conceites and doe the seruauntes in London I pray you vse this exercise Ciuis If they doe not it is lamentable their duety it is and myne lykewyse although wee be obliuious therin God graunt that we may be more myndfull thereof Puer I pray you now proceede and shew mee some aucthours and the duety of a seruaunte towarde his mayster Ciuis I thanke God I can somewhat shew it vnto you for I haue bene a seruant and now a mayster haue charge of seruants whereby I should know both although I must needes confesse Therighteous man offendeth and so may both
in his life and after her prayer made vnto God she tooke asworde that hanged by and tooke him by the heyry lockes and with two strokes vpon the neck smot of his hed Antonius a Ruler a vāquisher in many battails had so laden himselfe with wine that as he sate to giue iudgement in the Tribunall Seate in the morning was constrained to vomite Puer These mē did drinke wyne and were dronken with excesse and it made bitternesse and sorrow vnto their minds I confesse dronkenesse filleth the mind of the flesh with shame as it did vnto Noe Lot and Antonius and to the rest I haue hard say that Sisera was dronk was slain of Iahel although his drink was milk not wine Ciuis It was so as the story doth declare The Apostle sayth be not dronken with wyne wherein is excesse Wo be vnto them that rise vp earlye to vse themselues in dronkennesse and yet at night are more superfluous with wyne Wo be vnto them that are cunning men to suppe out wyne and expert to sette vp dronkennesse Be not thou a wyne biber for as I haue told you wyne hath destroyed many a man The fyre proueth the hard yron euen so doth wine proue the harts of the prowd when they be dronken A dronkarde sayth the Apostle or extorcyoner with such shall ye not eate but put away from you him that is euill The Elder men be sober not geuen to muche wyne Keepe no company with wyne bibbers and royotous eaters of flesh for such as bee Dronkards and roioters shal come to pouerty Wine inordinately taken doubleth mans reason maketh euill vnderstanding infeebleth remembraunce sendeth in forgetfulnesse poureth in errours and bringeth forth sluggishnesse Hee that is geuen to much sleepe shal go with a ragged coate Puer This saying is verifyed by our old priest in the Countrey for ragged and drowsye he is and lightly is neuer frō the Alehouse but when he goeth to the Mattens and Euensong if hee did perceyue and printe these sayinges in his mynde he would be ashamed thereof yet hee thinketh himselfe wyser then seuen men that sit and teach Ciuis They lack good gouernmente whereas it is and a good Pastour or a Sheapehearde whiche is carefull to suppresse all manner of vyce Salomon sayeth Giue Kinges no wyne giue Kinges and Princes no strong drinke lest they forget the Law and regarde not the cause of the pore and needy geue strong drinke and wyne vnto such as are condēned to death and wyne vnto those that mourne that they maye drinke it and forget their miserye and aduersitye Puer The Lord GOD be mercifull vnto vs and geue vs grace one to pray for another that the same vyce of dronkennesse might be rooted out whereby they may become new mēbers of our Sauiour Christ For he destroyeth both the righteous and vngodlye what a myserable estate are they in to vse their selues in such disorder Ciuis I pray God that thou doest remember this another day be bolde if you come where any such vyce is vsed to say speake euery man the truth vnto his neighboure execute Iudgement truely and peaceably within your portes none of you imagine euill in his harte agaynste his neighbour Puer I gather out of this saying that whych I would it were well noted and followed then they woulde neyther lye nor deale falsely one with another Ciuis Then all bitternesse and fearefulnesse and wrath and roaring and cursed speaking shold be farre from you with al maliciousnesse but be you wheresoeuer you shall dwell curteous one to another merciful and forgeue one another euen as GOD hath forgeuen you in Christ Come not in the path of the vngodlye and walk not in the way of the wicked eschew euill and goe not therein departe aside passe ouer Puer I thanke you for your counsel but I pray you now let vs passing along by the way haue some more of the communication howe the duety and vsage of the Maysters at London and howe their Apprentises are bounde Ciuis I will tell you how it is as breefely as I canne Fyrst of the duety of maysters and so consequently as tyme doth serue of the Seruauntes Puer You shall doe very well vnto me for you haue bene a good instructer to me I pray God that I may beare it wel in memorye Ciuis You say well I haue read in the first Epistle of S. Paule to Titus the second chapter That the elder men be sober honest discreete sounde in the faith in loue in pacience and the elder women like wise that they should shew themselues as it becommeth holynesse that they be no false Accusers not giuen to much wyne that they teach honest thinges that they informe yong womē to be sober minded to loue their husbands to loue their Children to be discrete chast huswiuely good obedient vnto their own husbands also he saieth in the same chapter exhorte the yong men likewyse that they be sober mynded Puer What doth S. Paule meane by the elders Ciuis That is a mayster a gouernour ouer his houshold Puer Is that his meaning well I vnderstand that but yet you come not to that I loked for Ciuis I will doe then as nigh as I can but I would be loth to do cōtrary to the saying of S. Paule to Timothy in the. v. Chapter Puer What saith he Ciuis He sayeth if any man teach otherwyse and agreeth not vnto the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of Godlinesse he is pufte vp knoweth nothing but wasteth his brayne aboute questyons and striuinges of wordes whereof spring enuy strife railings euil surmising vain disputacions of such men as haue corrupte minds are robbed of the truth which thinke that lucer is Godlines Puer I do not so desyre you to teach or instruct me any thing contrary to the scripture for if I might perceue you did I would willingly eschew it Ciuis I am ioyfull thereof for S. Paule sayeth to the Colossians the third chapter Ye maisters do to your seruants that which is iust and equall know that ye also haue a mayster in heauen Also the duty of a mayster is that he must dilligētly prouyde that he gouern thē Godly iustly Godly shal he gouern thē if while they bee in his seruice he excercise thē not only in seruil manual works but also in deeds of godlynes vertue and to forsee that no kind of sin be vsed of his seruants in his house neither ydlenes suffred neither swering picking neyther stealing neyther whoring nor any fylthy cōmunication but that all Godlinesse honesty and vertue be practysed among them when they come from the Church vpon the Saboth day or holiday to examyne them what fruitefulnesse the haue learned there that by this meanes God maye the more aboundantly
poure forth his blessing vpon him and all his housholde Puer These are good exhortations which delighteth me verye well I pray you as you haue begon so reherse more to me and you can Ciuis Yes I thanke God I can for the duety of a mayster is to dele iustly truely and faythfully with his seruants he must take heede that he do not onely require of them faythfull and dilligent seruice due and true worke and labour but that he also wythout fraud or deceyt giue them their dutyes and couenaunts as meate drinke lodging linnen wollen apparell their occupation and whatsoeuer is agreede vpon betwene them that there be found no vnrighteous dealing in hym but all iustice all equitie and truth Let him not euill intreate his seruaunt that worketh truely but let him loue a discreete seruaunt as his owne soule and defraude him not of his duty If the mayster intreate a good seruant euill and keepe him harde and make him to be prowd and to run away from him he cannot tell what way to seeke him Puer It is most true for as much as you tolde me that the duety of the mayster is to foresee that neyther ydlenesse should be suffred you haue tolde me your mynde for that I pray you in lyke manner let me vnderstande what is agaynste swearing Ciuis Saynt Iames sayeth sweare not neyther by heauen nor by earth neyther by anye other oth But let your yea be yea and your nay nay least you fall into ypocrisye Thou shalte not take the name of thy Lorde God in vayne for the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vayne Wherfore I aduertise thee let not thy mouth be vsed to swearing The wyse man sayeth wheÌ„ that men here such swearing the heire of their heades should arise for feare and they should stop their eares and not here such vnreuerence and despysing of Gods name Thou shalt not sweare at all neyther by Heauen for it is Gods seate nor yet by the earth for it is his footestoole neyther by Ierusalem for it is the Cittie of the great King neyther shalte thou sweare by thy heade because thou canst not make one heare whyte or blacke who so sweareth by the Aulter sweareth by the same and by all that is thereon and who so sweareth by the Temple sweareth by the same and by him that dwelleth therein and who so sweareth by heauen sweareth by the seate of God and by him that sitteth thereon Puer Why ought not a man to sweare at anye tyme Ciuis If they be called before a Iudge for the iust tryall of matters in controuersy it is lawfull for them to swere and then they must take heede For when God made promise to AbrahaÌ„ because he had none greater to sweare by hee sware by himselfe and sayd surely I wil blesse thee multiplie thee in deede As for men they swere by hym that is greater then their selues and the oth is the end of al strife Who so swereth by any creature he sweareth by him that made that creature Puer Then you alow to sweare before a Iudge to be agreable to the scripture If they sweare falsly what is to be accounted vpon them Ciuis Those that swere falsely do contrary to the scripture For it is written thou shalt beare no false witnesse agaynst thy neighbour False witnesse procureth mallice thefte mansianter and other vyces to be hidden it is the oryginall of vyce for a Iudge sitting in iudgemente cannot indifferentlye minister iustice because that false witnesses do blynd the truth often tymes Ye shall not sweare falslye by my name and so to vnhalow the name of thy God for I am the Lord sayth god Better is the pore man that liueth Godly then the blasphemer that is but a foole The wyseman sayth a false witnesse shall not remayne vnpunished A false witnesse laugheth iudgementâ—â— scorne A false witnesse shall perish Who so beareth false witnesse agaynste his neighbour he is a very speare and sword and a sharpe arrow Thou shalte not forsweare thy self but shalt performe thine oth to God swere not at all be no false accuser Let thy tongue be ignorant of swearing and loue so wel truth that whatsoeuer that thou speakest think that thouswearest Herod sware to Herodias daughter what so euer she did aske of him he woulde giue it her he performed it although he was sorry for hys othes sake The Romayns had a law that as such as were found to be periured shold be thrown downe he adlong from the top of a high Rocke called Tarpeius The counsell of Iosephus was that hee which blasphemeth God and vnreuerentlye vse his name should be stoned vnto death and then hanged vp by the space of one day and so taken down and buryed without all manner of honour The Egiptians law was that no swearing shoulde be vsed among them at all except it were for a waighty cause if anye were founde to be periured the same shoulde loose his heade Doualdus King of Scots made this acte within his land that al periurers and common swearers should haue their lippes seared with a burning hote Iron Puer These are very sore and strayghte lawes which you haue tolde me of but canne you tell mee if anye suche strayghte lawes were at any tyme made in England coÌ„cerning the blaspheming of the name of God. Ciuis I remember I haue hearde say that King Henry the fyfte made a statute for swearers in hys owne Pallace that if he were a Duke that did sweare he should forfeite for euery tyme fortye shillings to the ayding and helping of the pore if he were a Lord or a Baron tweÌ„ty shillings if he were a Knight or an Esquyre x. shillings if he were a Yoman twenty pence if he were a Page or a Lackey or a slaue to be scourged naked eyther with a rod or else with a whip Puer If this law were in these dayes put in execution there would not be so much swearing vsed as is which for lack of the feare of GOD prouoketh many to offende which God of his goodnesse ingrafte into their stony hartes the increase of his loue and that they may feare him with all vnfayned reuerence I perceyue and doe gather of your good lessons that better it were that the bodyes of the blasphemers in this world should suffer a little payne then after this lyfe to haue both their bodyes and soules cast into Hell fyre Ciuis You say troth if al fathers and mothers and maysters would dilligently watch vppon their children and seruants it shall cause them not onely not to be defyled with the moste greuous sinne of swearing but also that the most holy name of God should be had in high reuerence great estimation and perpetuall honour for euer after so long as they liue But aboue al thinges I woulde wishe
A DIAMONDE most Precious worthy to be marked Instructing all Maysters and Seruauntes how they ought to leade their lyues in that Vocation which is fruitfull and necessary as well for the Maysters as also for the Seruants agreeable vnto the holy Scriptures Reade me ouer and then iudge If I be not well then grudge Thinke well of him that mee made For Gods worde shall neuer fade Rom. 10. The beleife of the hart iusâ—â—â—yeth and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man saâ—e ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetestreete beneath the Conduite at the Signe of S. Iohn Euaungegelist by Hugh Iackson 1577. ⧠To the Right Worshipful the Maysters and Wardens of the companies of the Cittie of London Iohn Fit Iohn wisheth long lyfe continuall health and prosperous felicitie ALthough I haue bene somewhat bold and rude to intermeddle my selfe wyth that kynde of excercyse which I haue made and enterpryse to doe it maye be aunswered that I had nothing to doe withall I haue to excuse my selfe that the frayltye of this world is such that I am perswaded duety inforceth me and necessitye so vrgeth me thereto consydering the vnstedfast stabilitye that is vsed among those men which are maysters and also of yonglinges which are seruauntes or Apprentyses vse the tearme of spéech thereof as it shall please you I thoughte good to gather this my symple Harueste into Barne and to bestowe it abroade whereby the poore indigent and néedy might be sufficed with the fruitefulnesse thereof of necessitye I may call them pore and needy which I am sure eyther for lacke of good instructions otherwyse for wante that they be not good hearers are and doe fall the more is the pittie headlong into so many daungers and perrils that they are innumerable for that it is a thing most wholsom and conuenient for al those which haue and doe take vpon them the charge of a stewardship or to be a Captayne of a number of Souldyers whervnto they ought to haue care regard And séeing that Agapetus was not abashed to wryte vnto the Emperour Iustinian and dyuers others without feare hath written vnto Kinges Noble men and others I without blame thought good therefore Worshipfull to dedicate this my Haruest vnto your Worships for as much as you are in place to be instructoures fathers and sheapheardes ouer a great Flock of shéepe and I know your carefull myndes is ouer them as much as the Henne is ouer her Chickens your Worshippes good willes is not withdrawne to plucke and roote out Vice and to extoll right equitie and Iustice and that with Conscience In lyke maner do I wysh that those Souldyors or Flocke which are vnderneath your authoritye would follow the commaundements of the Apostle Omnis anima potestatibus superemineÌ„tibus subdita sit NoÌ„ enim est potestas nisi a Deo. Let euery soule submit himself vnto the authority of the higher powers For there is no power but of God all powers are ordayned of God whosoeuer therefore resysteth power resisteth the ordynaunce of god And they that resiste shall receiue to themselues damnation S. Peeter also exhorteth commandeth that we ought to be subiect to euery humayn creature for the Lords sake Siue regi tanquam precellenti siue presidibus Whether it be vnto the King as vnto the chiefe head eyther vnto Rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers but for the lawde and prayse of them that doe well Further the wyse man Cato sayth Da locum maioribus He willeth vs to giue place vnto the Elders In lyke manner you are aunciente and discreete men growen in age being in Authoritie and aboue all thinges ought so to behaue your selues that both your workes and wordes may so shyne that they may glorifye the father which is in heauen Godlynes is a thing moste worthy to be imbraced and practysed both of old and yong which bringeth as S. Iohn sayth by knowledge euerlasting lyfe Especially what is more comely for olde age whose departure from thys worlde by the course of nature is at hand then the consydering and meditation of heuenly things Age which is reuerend is not accouÌ„ted by length of time or number of yeres for the wyt of man is not the hore heyres But very age is the life vncorrupted How séemely is it to a whyte head to haue a good iudgement and to old men to vnderstand counsaile There is nothing more reprochful sayth Seneca than an old man which hath none other argument to proue that he hath lyued long but only his yeares S. Paule requyreth the Eldermen that they be sage discréete and sound in the fayth and would haue them sage and and graue That is to saye such persons as neyther in countenaunce gestures words or behauyour shoulde shew any poynt of lightnesse incontinencie impudencie or whatsoeuer is contrary to the dignitye of olde age but rather so behaue themselues in all poynts as becommeth their age whose life ought to be vnspotted and a Myrrour of Vertue and a spectacle to all yong folkes Also he requyreth those that be aged or in Authoritie to be discréete temperate quyet not rash not vncircumspect not furyous in doing any thing of head but with good aduysement and iudgement vuÌ„ng such temperaunce and grauitie and such discretion in all their enterprises as shal not be counted vnworthy nor vnsemely for their age For as much as wheÌ„ I had finished this mine enterpryse which I haue takeÌ„ in hand I thought good with my selfe that this my dedication before recyted would accomplish my desyre for that your wysedomes are such to consyder well therof and somewhat herein I admonish al those which are in authoritie exhorting them as it is written Thou shalte take no giftes for giftes blynd the syght and peruert the words of the righteous Iob sayth the fire shal consume the houses of such as are ready to receyue gyfts For as gyftes and brybes causeth the subuersion of Iustice Likewyse doth friendship many times and the old Prouerb herein is true As a man is friended so is his matter ended He is a iust maÌ„ that spareth not himselfe King Agesilaus being demaunded which was the better eyther Iustice or Fortitude He aunswered if all men were iust we néeded no Fortitude The glorye of a man is to doe Iustice Some that are in authoritye are so rash and vndiscréete that when matters of controuersye be brought before them the fyrste Tale doth preuayle and the other partye cannot be harde although his cause be neuer so iust and good Wherefore it is to be well marked of Alexander the great which when any man complayned to him of another being absent he vsed to stoppe the other eare with hys hand he being demaunded why he did so he aunswered that as he lefte open one eare to the Accusante so he would kéepe one eare stopped and close for the Defendaunt
Esay sayeth learne to doe right applye your selues to Equitye delyuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right The Prophet Zachary sayth Execute true iudgement shew mercy and louing kyndenesse euery man to his Brother The Apostle sayth Let not the Sunne go downe vpon your wrath neither giue place vnto the backbyter Let vs not loue in worde or in tongue but in worke and truth for he that is sound in loue loueth his neighbour as himselfe and is the very same vnto his neighbour that Christ is to him Briefely haue I calculated and gathered togither the flowers which are swéete and pleasaunt out of the Garden of lyfe which is the holy scriptures not thinking any offence to be committed herein to slaunder any perticuler person concerning Iustice but shewing the estate as the world is now adayes which is a thing not decent nor agréeable to scripture we English people are geuen to desyre new toyes and conceites thinking the newnesse thereof to be more of price then the olde although it be neuer so fond The scriptures are olde my trauayle and industry herein is but new and the newnesse thereof is for the reformation and instructing as well of Maysters as also of seruaunts haue I made in a new Dyalogue the vnderstāding and true meaning of my mind whereby it might the better be perceiued And to show for whoredome swearing lying thefte Dronkennesse Idlenesse Couetousnesse and Correction for the offenders How the scripture and other Godly Authours doe alow The Apostle sayeth What sonne is he whome the Father chastneth not if ye indure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes but if ye be not vnder correction whereof all are partakers then are ye no sonnes but Bastardes For whome the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth yea he scourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth I moste humbly craue your worshippes pacience herein if ought I haue varyed for my Eloquence is not so fine as Cicero wryteth of dueties to his sonne and as herein it might haue bene shewed and am a yong beginner of such excercyse this being the fyrst tyme of myne enterpryse I must cōfesse as before I haue declared vnto you the occasyon thereof In lyke maner Tobias the auncient father and faythfull seruaunt of God taught his yong sonne Tobias euen frō his tēder age to feare God and to refraine frō al sin His admonicious which he gaue to his sonne are so Godlye and profitable so aduauncing vertue and repressing Vyce that they may iustly séeme worthy to be written in letters of Golde The Parentes of Susanna broughte her vp from her youth that shée was so Godly so vertuous and so honest that God would not suffer the wicked Iudges to preuayle against her Phillip the Euangelist which was one of the seauen Deacons had fower Daughters Virgines he brought them vp so Godly and learnedly that they were able to Prophecy and vnderstande the holy Scriptures S. Paule declareth that Timothie euen from his infancye and chyldhood had learned and vnderstoode the holy scriptures which alone are able sufficiently and euen to the vttermost to iustructe the men of God vnto Saluation through fayth in Christ Iesu Prouoked with such like examples I haue done myne indeuour to the vttermost of my power to shew vnto your worships thys wholsome séede of Doctryne and my symple labour trusting hereby not so to weary my self to get nought but displeasure for Salust sayth It is extreme péeuishnesse yet doe I commend this vnto you desyring your worships to accept it as a synguler gifte profytable and delectable to be read and necessary for the right and perfect instructions according to the tenour which I haue taken in hand whereof to be ignoraunt is to much vngodlinesse but also not attempt any thing that shall eyther be displeasaunt to God or to Godlye and well learned or to your selues Take it therefore I beséech your Worships with ioyfull hartes as a good wil towardes you for other gyfte haue I not to giue you and I shall most humbly beséech God to be your defendour and to giue you his holy spiryte which may gouerne you all in your doinges that you maye walke blamelesse in his sight and be fonnde in the number of Gods elect The euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the contynuall ayd strength ioy and comforte of his most pure holy and mighty spirite with the increase of fayth be most effectually wroughte in your hartes to your owne commodities eternal ioy and comforte Amen Your Worships Iohn Fit Iohn ⧠The Speakers names of thys Dialogue Ciuis Puer CIVIS Well ouer taken in the name of God my good fellow Whether art thou now going thus al alone Puer Forsooth good maister I am a Straunger hereabouts and very willing I am to go to London Ciuis To go to London alas what wouldst thou do there Puer Here in the countrey they say it is a goodly famous Town and very gladly I would see it if I knew the way thyther Ciuis How darest thou go abroade now the world is so hard on this order the Constables and other Offycers as thou goest will apprehende and haue thee before some Iustice for a Rogue Puer I trust they will not doe so for I neuer dwelte with Mayster nor Dame. Ciuis Notwithstanding yet the Lawes of this Realme are verye straightly looked vpon now a dayes concerning such matters especially if they haue not a Pasport from whence they come Puer It is euen so for in the countrey wheras I did dwell they looke very straightly vnto those that are suspected persons and haue them vnto some Iustice and they bee not onely punished with imprisonmente but with whipping and burning in the eare Ciuis It is a thing chiefest to be loked to for if they doe not they ought in all places by the statute to forsee that matter The Constables are charged there with and for default incurre the daunger of the statute Puer I am sure they will not examine me so straightly if they doe I must declare vnto them the troth and the effecte of my matter for I dwelte alwayes with my Father and Mother I haue come a good way and yet I haue not bene examined Ciuis Then I perceyue that you did dwell with your father Puer Yea in deede I dwelt with my mother but my father is dead and lyeth buryed in the bodye of our Churche almost three yeares past but my mother I trust is alyue Ciuis If thy mother be alyue what didst thou with her Puer Marye I did go to Plough and Carte and kepte the Crowes out of the fielde and fetch home the Kyne and other such lyke thinges which appertayne vnto husbandry Ciuis In so doing thou didst well for Adam did worke in the Garden of Eden Cayn was a Plough man and tilled the earth hys brother Abell was a Sheaphearde and kepte Sheepe Noye
maysters and seruauntes for to be so precyse as scripture teacheth vs we cannot yet we wish good will to follow the same Puer I praye you then recyte vnto me those Sentences which you thynke good for that purpose Ciuis Somewhat I tolde you before of ydlenesse yet Salomon sayeth A slouthful body wil not go to Plough for cold therefore shall he go a begging in wynter and haue nothing Slouthfulnesse bringeth sleepe and an ydle soule shall suffer hunger Puer That is most true for I remēber sometyme when I should keepe the Crowes out of the fieldes I was so slouthfull that although the wether was colde yet was I asleepe Ciuis Idlenesse weryeth strēgth as rust doth Iron the brōd vnstirred burneth slouly if he be moued he causeth the fire eftsones to kīdle Idlenes without lerning is deth the graue of a quick mā The wise māsayth I went by the field of the slothfull by the vyneyard of the folish mā and loe it was al couered with nettles stood ful of thistles and the stone wall was broken down He that spareth the rod hateth the chyld but whoso loueth him holdeth him euer in correctiō Puer That is a very streight saying how can a man loue his chyld when he chasteneth him and holdeth him euer in correction I pray you what is ment by the same word correctiō Ciuis Correctiō is an amēdment of our former euil life taming of our carnall wil mortifying of our flesh applying of our selues to the commaundement will example of Christ to take away and banish the euil to bring in and establish the good as Dauid sayth Eschew euil and do good for euil works always taketh away the credite of good wordes To take hede vnto the chastning of nurtoure is the waye of lyfe but he that refuseth to be reformed goeth wrong He that thinketh skorne to bee reformed commeth to pouertye and shame but who so receyueth correctyon shall come to honoure A scornefull bodye loueth not one that rebuketh him neyther will he come among the wyse withholde not correction from the chylde for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die The correction of the wise is an obediēt eare a golden chayne and a Iewell of golde Puer This is a good correcting euery mā to examin his owne conscience so to correct himself but this is not the correction that I meane Ciuis there is another kind of corectiō which is to be ioyned vnto the sayings of the wise mā the rod correction ministreth wysedome but if a chyld be not looked to hee bringeth his mother to shame therfore sayeth he Nurtour thy sonne with correction and he shall comforte thee yea he shall doe thee good at thy harte A seruaunt will not be the the better for words for though he vnderstand yet wil he not regard them He that delicately and familyerly bringeth vp his seruaunt shall make him his mayster at the length He must not make him fellow with his mayster neyther at his table nor yet in any other place these wordes signify as the old prouerb is of cōmon people vsed a yōg bough wil bend while it is greene but when it is old it wil not moue so is it to be accounted for youth they must be looked vnto whyle they are yong they must not be wantonly broughte vp but with feare they must be vsed at the fyrst as they shal continue and for their faultes be corrected Puer I gather much of your talk but though you speake of children is the meaning thereof by seruanntes lykewyse Ciuis Yea all is one for where there is a child or a sonne named or a seruaunt all is as one thing For where the wyse man sayeth Chasten thy sonne whyle there is hope but let not thy soule be moued to sley him is not ment but that hee shall geue him reasonable correction and not in anger for correction is as necessary for youth as meate drinke and apparrel Puer All this I doe not deny but yet I thinke it is very harde for these are sore threatnings Ciuis They are so yet He that byndeth a frantick man and waketh him that hath the letargye or sleeping sicknesse displeaseth both loueth both healeth both both whyles they be sick do disdain him and whē they be whole yet both doe thanke him In correction wrath is specially to be prohibited for he that will punish when he is angry shall neuer keepe well the meane which is betweene to much and to little It is better to be of a wyse man corrected then to bee with the flattery of fooles deceyued Be of thyne owne liuing a sharpe correctour and of other mens a gentle reformer Correcte thy friende secretlye and praise thy friende openly Puer I applye vnto your sayinges I remember a saying the Seruaunt that knoweth his Lordes will and prepared not himselfe neyther did according to his will shall be beaten with many strypes I confesse these wordes touch seruauntes Ciuis You haue sayde truth but if you will I will declare vnto you many Godlye examples out of the scriptures concerning the duety of seruauntes towarde their maysters and yet God forbid that the seruauntes should be so euill in their doinges that they should haue according to the threatnings commandements of scripture Puer Are the thratninges and preceptes in scripture so extreame had I knowne this by the instruction of our olde Prieste I woulde not haue gone all this way for to be an Apprentise in London rather had I tarryed with my mother at Plough and Carte or else to haue bene a Seruingman for your wordes pierce my harte Apprentises and children in London are not so vsed I pray you tell me Ciuis You neede not to be so fearefull for there commeth no harme in wel doing For rulers are not to be fered for good works but for euil Wilt thou be without feare of the power do wel then and so shalt thou bee praysed for the same for he is the Minister of God for thy welth but and if thou doe euil then feare The Apprentises are not so straightly vsed as some of them doe deserue for they are vsed in London as they be in other places are as the prouerb sayth some good some bad but be you not dismayd for there are worshipful men in London men of great wealth who haue gone to London to serue as an apprentise as simple as you go Puer Your friendlsnesse I pray God I might quite for where you haue giuē me a choking bone so you giue me drink to qualifye the force thereof for I am as one dismayde and al by your talke but I trust in God it is all for the best and for my commoditie Ciuis It is so be of good comforte and haue a mans harte with you you go to be a Souldyer you must not retyre
haue deuysed a plague whereout you shall not pluck your neckes Wo be vnto them that seeketh vyolently to heape vp other mens goods The Prophet Zachary saw a flying booke of twenty cubits long and ten cubits broade in the which was written the curse that shall fall vpon all theeues In the booke of Iosua we reade that Achan the sonne of Zereth stole and conuayed away a goodly Babilonish Garment and two hundred sickles of Siluer and a tongue of Gold of fyftye sickles weight and that therefore at the commaundemente of God he was stoned to death and his stollen good with all that euer he had besydes his sonnes and his daughters his Oxen and his Asses his sheepe his Tent were burnt with fyre King Antiochus which when he with hys Armye entred into the Temple purposing to haue spoyled it and to take out of it great soms of money was stayne both he and his company and hewne in peeces Now you vnderstande some sentences of scripture according to your desyre yet whatsoeuer is gotten wyth crafte and subteltye with vnrighteous bargening with false weights and vniust mesures is before God playne thefte and therefore it ought to be restored Puer Thē by your sayings there is as I conceaue two kynde of theftes the one is to steale from another man and the other is to deceaue his Neighboure by false weyghtes and vniust measures Ciuis It is so For a false Balaunce is an abhomynation vnto the Lord but a true weight pleaseth him A true measure and a true Ballaunce are the Lords he maketh all weyghts Treasures that are wickedlye gotten profyte nothing but righteousnesse deliuereth from death To vse two maner of weights or two maner of mesures both these are abhominable vnto the Lorde The Lorde abhorreth two manner of weightes and a false ballaunce is an euill thing ye shall do no vnrighteousnesse in iudgemēt in metyard in weight or in measure True balaunces true weights a true Epha a true Hin shall ye haue I am the Lord your god And agayne Thou shalte not haue in thy bagge two maner of weights a great a small neyther shalte thou haue in thy house dyuers measures a great and a small But thou shalt haue a right and iust weyghte and a perfect and iust measure shalt thou haue that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thee Puer These thinges I must needes looke vnto for loath I am that it should happen so to me I thanke God there was none of my kindred that euer I did know was found guylty concerning such cryme I haue heard people say with the same measure you mete withthe same shall others meate to you agayne And whatsoeuer you wil that mē should do to you euen so doe ye to them I will labour to get the truth and will not sell away wysdome nurtour and vnderstanding for Wisedome is better then strēgth But now let me heare further of obedience Ciuis I told you at your fyrst meeting of obedience and it is a thing very necessary to be remēbred you must please your mayster mistresse as S. Peter cōmandeth in the second chapter of his fyrst Epistle seruants obey your maysters with al fere not only if they be good curteous but also thogh they be froward for what prayse is it sayeth S. Peter if when ye be buffeted for your faults you take it paciently but if when ye suffer wrongfully ye take it paciētly then is there thank with God for hervnto were you caled For Christ also suffred for vs leuing vs an example that we should folow his steps which did no sin neyther was there deceit found in his mouth which whē he was reuyled reuyled not agayne when he suffered he threatued not but cōmitted the cause to him thatiudgeth righeously Puer If you treade a worme on the tayle she will tourne agayne much more should a man when he is buffeted to stryke agayne Ciuis Ioseph mooued to quarrell agaynst his Brethren and did not and you must remember what I sayde vnto you Christ did forgeue his death so must you forgiue your mayster and there is no man that would giue correction vnto his seruaunt vndeserued Puer Correction I can holde well withal but there may be correction deserued and correction vndeserued Ciuis Your duety is to be swifte to heare sloe to speake and slow to wrath For the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous before God therefore you must not geue worde for word or taunt for taunt nor to pleade with him as it were a counseler should pleade a case at the Barre before a Iudge For I tolde you before you must not be stowt and stubborn but lowly and obediente which thinges by your talke you haue already forgotten and yet you sayde Obliuyon should not enter so soone into you you haue two eares the one to heare the other to carrye away the sence and true meaning of such thinges as are taught you Saint Paule wryteth to Timothie in the fyft Chapter Rebuke not an Elder but exhorte him as a father Puer I graunt I sayde so and so I say still and your former wordes I haue printed in my mynde yet this worde to be buffeted greeueth me I am of some stature I thinke to serue my Prince wherefore I trust these wordes shall not displease you I can away with all things you haue sayde to me sauing that Ciuis Do you not beleeue me and can you not awaye with that I haue tolde you by scripture I coulde recyte more to you and one thing more I will shewe you It is written in the. xxi Chapter of Deutrinomium wherein is shewed and declared the greate daunger and perrill of those which are disobedient children which say as you say and will refuse correction and good gouernmente That is if any man hath a sonne or a seruaunt that is stubborne and disobedient and wil not hearken vnto the voyce of his father and mother and they haue taughte him nurtoure but he will not hearken vnto them this worde father and mother is taken here for Mayster and mistresse it followeth what shall be done vnto him Then let his father and mother take him and bring him out vnto the Elders of the Citty and saye This our sonne is stubbern and disobedient and will not hearken vnto our voyce he is a ryoter and a dronkarde then let all the men of that Cittie stone him with stones vnto death and thou shalte put euill from thee and all Israell shall heare and feare If suche correction should be vsed in these dayes what would seruauntes and children doe God forbid it should but yet it is not hurtfull for mee to exhorte and perswade you by scripture to bring you out of darkenesse into light which light shall be your comforte and I tolde you before of two corrections Puer You did
so and I remember your sayinges well if I should offend my mayster at any tyme should he not forgeue me Ciuis Vpon an amendment a man will do it for Mathew sayeth if thy Brother trespase agaynst thee rebuke him if he repente forgiue him Puer If you forgiue men their faults your heauenly father will also forgiue you Yet I confesse a seruaunt may offend if he do I pray you tell me whether it is lawfull for a mayster to geue his seruaunt vnlawfull correction Ciuis Due correctiō is alowable for seruants if a mayster shall take an vnreasonable thing to correct his seruaunt whereby he putteth out one of his eyes breake his arme or legge or his head it is not lawfull for he must consyder with himselfe that his seruaunt is of the same mould made that himselfe is and that God will requyte euill for euill an eye for an eye c. The Prophet sayth Learne to doe righte applye yourselues to equitie Puer You haue certifyed my desyre perswacions of one friende to another may doe muche good Lorde what happy fortune was it that wee two did meete togeather for your aduertisementes I trust shal doe me much good and I shall be bound to pray vnto God for you that it was my good fortune to haue your company being such a friendly mā as you are if I were learned I woulde make some remembraunce what you haue sayde to mee and I woulde send it downe into the countrey to our olde Duns shewing him what good exhortacions you haue shewed to me and what the duety of seruaunts is vnto their maysters It is a thing in my iudgemente requisyte and necessarye for Seruauntes and Maysters to print these wordes which you haue recited vnto me in their myndes I remember a saying Forgeue one another if thy Brother trespase agaynst thee goe and tel him his fault betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou haste wonne thy brother But if he he are thee not then take with thee one or two but I thanke God you haue so vsed me that it shall not be shewed to any Ciuis Remember what is written in the same place Better it is for thee to enter into life with one eye then to haue two eyes and be cast into hell fyre So likewise better it were for thee to suffer wrong and iuiury then to reuenge agayne Recompence to no man euill for euill Let euery soule be flowe vnto anger Loue your enemyes doe good vnto them that hate you blesse them that curse you pray for them that wrong and trouble you And who so smyteth thee on the one cheeke offer him the other And who taketh thy cloake forbid him not thy coat and whoso taketh that is thyne aske it not agayne and as yee woulde that men shoulde doe vnto you euen so doe ye vnto them Lykewyse and if you loue them that loue you what thanke haue you therefore But rather loue those whome you thinke to be your enemies iudge not and ye shal not be iudged Forgiue and ye shall be forgeuen Thus now you heare what benefyte and commoditie commeth and what a fountayne or Wellspring of lyfe is shewed vnto you concerning sufferaunce A good name is more worth then a precious oyntment and the day of death is better then the day of byrth Let him that hath an office wayghte on his office Let him that ruleth doe it with dilligence Let loue be without dissimulacion Be kynde one to another with brotherly loue In geuing honour goe one before another Loue brotherly fellowship Be not weary in well doing Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath The Vngodly shall be so plagued that they shall seeke death and shall not fynd it they shal desyre to dye and death shall flye from them A discreete Seruaunte shall haue more rule then the sonnes that haue no wysedome An vndiscreete sonne is a greefe vnto his father and heauinesse vnto his mother that bare him Euery tree is knowne by his fruite so is a faythfull and a true seruaunt knowen by hys good and honest behauyour He that is true and iust to his mayster is lyke vnto a precious Iewell Dauid sayeth Myne eyes looke vpon such as be faithful in the land that they may dwell with me Who so leadeth a godly lyfe he shall be my seruaunte There shall no deceitful seruaunt dwell in my house he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sighte A froward harte shal departe from me I will not know a wicked person Puer Truth it is I can it not denye for if I should I were to blame the thing it selfe lyeth so playne before me that I cannot vary I am vpholden so by your talke that I cannot fall Heare my crying O God geue heede vnto my prayer for I cleaue vnto the same staffe which you haue geuen me to leaue vpon euen Iesus Christ Notwithstanding these wordes are not consydered on nowe a dayes For whereas my mother doth dwell if a man may fynde any occasyon of extremitie of Lawe agaynst his brother or neighboure immediatly he will procure by himselfe or his Soliciter to haue a Writ to make him to appeare at the Tearme whereby they doe not followe those wordes you told me That is if my neighbour shoulde desyre my Cloake shall I giue my Coate to him also peraduenture I shall go naked my selfe the fraylty of the fleshe will not be so aunswered for sure I beleeue though it be so written in scripture there is another meaning therein which if it were declared especially vnto those that are the couetous persons of this worlde I thinke it woulde touch them somewhat for the moste parte of them are all gathering and seeking to inrich themselues and nothing will part from yet they haue a good example of the rich man Diues the pore begger Lazarus Ciuis That is wel remembred of you they haue the more to aunswere those which are in this world in substaunce lyuing haue a great accoumpt to make at the latter day and the pore man that hath his helth followeth his labour and getteth his liuing with the sweate of hys browes is better at his hartes case then they which hath golde and treasure mixed with sicknesse and diseases Albeit I pray God that thou when thou commest to be a man able to kepe a house of thine own that couetousnesse doth not enter into thy brest as it doth into many in these dayes Puer I thanke you for your good wishing towards me for the auoyding therof let me heare some of your mynd Ciuis God cōmandeth that thoushalt not couet thy neighbours goods For couetousnesse is the roote of al euil Dauid sayd Inclyne my hart O Lord to thy testimonies not to couetousnes He that hordeth vp his corn shal be cursed among the people but blessing shal light vpō his head that giueth