aske and we shall haue Many earthly fathers mothers wil not only be angry with their children for asking but also wil not nor cannot gyue them that they aske Then what a gentle Father haue we that wil néedes haue vs to aske what a louyng Father haue we that will giue vs y ◠we aske and what a rich Father haue we that is able to giue vs whatsoeuer we aske therfore though many erthly fathers and mothers are not able to féede their children if they woulde we are sure that God our father bothe can and will féede vs and giue vs besides whatsoeuer we lack Thē thys well consydered howe can the porest creature that is the carefullest captiue that is the most miserable prisoner y ◠is the sickest person that is the lamest wretch that is or y e lothsomest Lazer that is thinke themselues in an euil case or else to be vndone that haue suche a gentle louing riche mightie and friendly father For let euery one assure thēselues that God is so louing gentle that neyther pouerty nor penurie sicknes nor sorenesse captiuitie nor miserie can make hym forsake anye that is content to be his childe or gladly wil take him to be his father Marke what a vehement argumēt Christ vseth to make vs not only to craue of God what we lacke but also to beléeue that we shal obtaine it Is ther any among you saith he which if his sonne asketh him bread wil offer him a stone or if he asketh flesh will he proffer him a Serpent If yee then which are euil cā giue your children good giftes how muche rather shal your Father in heauen giue good things if you aske him If thys be not ynough to make them cast their onely care on God their Father if this wil not allure them to aske what they lacke of God their father and if this be not able to make them firmly beléeue that they shal haue that they require of God their Father then let them refuse God for their Father and for their prouider and truste to themselues whereby they must be driuen to lye for their lyuing to steale for their sustenāce to murther for their maintenaunce to serue for their safegarde with many other mischeuous meanes whiche when they haue tryed a while they finde their newe Father will so prosper their doings that he wil bring some of those hys children to the gallowes some of thē to rot asunder some of them to sterue vnder a hedge some of thē to kil themselues and some of them to dye in desperation and then those some to endlesse damnation And this is the great gaine they get by mistrusting and forsaking God their father and in trusting to themselues and their Father the Diuel Is it not a wonder to wey the weywardnesse of those witlesse wicked wretches that mistrust in their miseries this their good God and heauenly father if one of these mistrustful misers should sée a Prince a Kings sonne and heire being tenderly and dearely beloued of the King his Father feare to lacke food mourne for money or lament for liuing would not hée thinke the same Prince to be péeuishe or almoste madde then may not we be moste sure that that wretche is more than madde that thinkes he can lacke anye thing at hys fathers handes the King of Heauen who loues him so wel that he hath chosen him to be his sonne and heire with him in that rich great mighty and endlesse kingdome of Heauen OMEN Al this that you speake is so considered of vs that not one in al our Countrey that is of anye discretion but fixes moste firmely their whole Faith on this their louing and heauenly father as wel for al things néedefull for this life as for the endlesse life to come SIVQILA Though all are faithful w t you the moste are faithlesse with vs and thogh al put their trust in God with you the most put their trust in thēselues with vs for if they did not they would not so gréedily gather their goods togyther lay lands to lands houses to houses and riches to ri ches as they do Some y ◠are worth thousands though they loke euery daye to die being of such extreame age haue so little trust and confidence in God y ◠gaue thē al they haue that they are so sparing to themselues so niggardly to their neighbours and so pinching to the pouertie as though they should liue héere euer or else as though they had not ynough to find themselues one day OMEN Well though they spare and can not finde in their hearts to spend it perhaps they will leaue it to suche that will both spend and end it It would reioyce any godly mans heart to see how the rich with vs bestowes their time and their goodes SIVQILA I pray you sir how is that OMEN Forsooth as soone as they are vp which is very early they go to visit their poore neighbours houses most gently louingly willingly they giue thē mony to relieue them withal according to their necessity and their owne abilitie and you shall sée the rich mens wines not without their husbāds cōsents carry their childrens apparell sometimes before they be halfe worne and giue y e same to theyr poore neighbours to clad theyr children withall so that the rich with vs are so godly and charitable to the poore that it is a very hard thing to find any poore with vs that wantes eyther meate drinke or sufficient clothes If a poore body with vs should chance to go in the stréete something coldly cladde the firste riche man or woman I warrant you that méetes them will not only wéepe for their going so coldly but also will carrie the poore party home with them and if they haue but two garmēts as they haue not lightly aboue thrée they will giue them one of them and bid them put the same on to kéepe them warme saying Brother Christ bids vs do as we would be done vnto therefore séeing I woulde haue one to giue me a garment if I were naked or wente coldly clothed euen so I am willing to cloth thée with thys my garment to kéepe thée from the colde SIVQILA Oh happie people that haue such charitable hearts oh burning loue that féeles the smart of their brother Your poore people were best to kéepe thēselues still w t you not to come into our country to dwel for if they shold they might happe to stande quaking in the streate in a cold frostie weather al a whole day without hauing any coate or garment giuen them yea though fortie riche folkes cōming streight from a Sermon should sée them whereof some of them perhappes haue twentie vppermost garmēts of their own at y e least not once wéeping at their want nor sorrowing at their smart thinking thēselues to be pitiful ynough if they giue thē a penny which haply they get not without a checke or
It may be that their maisters crueltie may be the occasion of their going and then it were against reason that they shoulde be both vsed cruellye and also made bondslaues OMEN You haue sayd well but if it can be proued that their maisters haue vsed them otherways than they ought or that they haue lackt either meate drincke cloath sufficient lodging or rest then their maister shall forfeyte the fourth part of his goodes which shall be sold and equally diuided among ten of his most poore neighbours that dwell next vnto him and they shall be put to other to serue SIVQILA You make your orders y e straighter that you might haue few offendors But how vse you them that are disobedient and misuse their father and mother after they are twentie yeares of age OMEN If their parents be poore and they poore they receyue on their bare skinne thirtie stripes with a whippe thirtie dayes togither and if they be poore and their pareÌ„ts rich then they shall neuer haue any of their fathers or mothers goods or lands neyther shall their fathers or mothers relieue them or cause them to be relieued with any of their goodes or liuing in paine of for feyture of all that they haue And if the child be riche and the parentes poore then the one halfe of his goods and lands shall be giuen to his parentes to help them with all and the other halfe shall be solde and the money shall equally be giuen and deliuered to tenne of their next poore neighbours children that are most obedient to their parents and that are of most honest behauiour SIVQILA Truly an excellent good order For thoughe they feare not to breaâ—e Gods commandement in disobeying their parents yet whipping the losse of their lands or goods that they haue or the goods and lands of their pareÌ„ts which they are like to haue feares theÌ„ to disobey or misuse them And the giuing of the disobedient persons goodes in such order makes poore mens children striue to excéede one another in obedience and honest behauior But what if any be rich or wealthy or come to promotion and wil not help or reléeue or succour their Parents driuen to miserie or pouertie OMEN Of truth we haue such a worthy law therefore which hath béene so straightly executed on thrée or foure offenders that neuer any since durst breake the same One example whereof I will shewe you whyche shall be sufficient for your vnderstanding and liking I hope SIVQILA Declare it I pray you OMEN A certaine Merchant man wyth vs being very rich and wealthy brought vp one of his childreÌ„ in learning and other speciall qualities sparing no cost for the trayning him vp for he estéemed him aboue all the reste Who after throughe his witte learning and other excellent qualities grew more and more in estimation and wealth so that at y â— last the King did so fauour estéeme him that he vsed him in his most secrete and waightie affaires whose father the Merchant partly by euil seruants partly by euill debtors but chiefly by great mishap and losses on the Seas ought a great deale more than he was worth and so came sodainely to great pouertie penurie Who hauing none other stay to sticke to than his sonne that was thus highly promoted went to his sonne making a full accompt that he should not lacke at his hands whatsoeuer he néeded Whom when his sonne sawe in such a pore case he did not only refuse to help or reléeue him any thing at all but also thought scorne to take him for his father and gaue him a flat answere that iâ— after he troubled him any more in such sort he would make him fast for flying And so he â—lang away in a fume Wherewith his pore father was in such a perplexitie that he knew not well what to do looking least of all other that this his son would so serue him coÌ„sidering he loued him aboue all y â— reste bestowed more on him than of all the rest and trusted to hym more than to all the reste But béeyng nowe pincht with extreame necessity and taking his sonnes ingratitude so earnestly he was fully determined to complayne to the King being assured that he would heare him speake geÌ„tly iudge according to equitie and performe iudgemeÌ„t spedily SIVQILA Yea but perhaps he might wait there a good while ere he could speake with the King OMEN No truly for coÌ„monly one whole houre togither in y â— forenoone and one other houre in the afternoone the K. sits openly in his gate that any may coÌ„plaine to him there that hath cause for that place time is only for coÌ„plaints SIVQILA If the Kings with â—â— shoulde vse this order it woulde growe shortly to a disorder for there woulde bée so many complaintes that they woulde goe neare to thrust the King out of his Chayre OMEN Yea that is a token that the Rulers Iudges do not execute their Offices truely and diligently in the countrey far from the King For if they did they woulde not go so farre to complaine that might haue equitie neare home But our King is not so troubled for we haue so fewe offenders that we haue few complayners SIVQILA Then procéed I pray you what did the pore Merchant then OMEN He wayted against the nexte day when the King came to sit in the gate with whome he was sure his sonne would come whom as soone as he saw he knéeled humblye before the King and said Oh King what is that son worthy to haue that wil not help nor succour his father being falne from great wealth to pouertie neyther will acknowledge him for his father though his father loued hym moste tenderly bestowed on him liberally brought him vp learnedly To whome the king said wheÌ„ I sée him then I will tel thée what he is worthy to haue And bicause we wish to haue him before vs with spéede we will send one of our seruants for him therefore tell vs where he is Then saide the poore man to the king your Grace shal not néede to send for him for he is here alredy And theÌ„ he pointed to his soÌ„ said This is my vnkind soÌ„ whoÌ„ you haue thus promoted which had neuer come to this if I had not bestowed so much in the bringing of him vp But it is ofteÌ„ séen y â— when y e father doth most for his child y â— child doth least for his father And those childreÌ„ whose parents do paÌ„per most those parents in néed they do succor the lest Then the K. turned to the lord being one of his priuie counsel which was the sayd merchaÌ„t mans son saying how say you my L. is this pore maÌ„ your father y â— you haue refused to succor disdain to take for your father then he said to y â— king I know not whether he be my father or not Indéede said the K. he is a wise child that knowes his own father but is this he
that brought you vp in stead of his son then he answered the king I cannot deny but that this is he that brought me vp whom I then toke for my father Was not your mother his wife wheÌ„ you were born said the king yes truly said the L. TheÌ„ the king said to him again do you know that you haue any erthly father besids him no truly said he O varlet said the king to excuse thy pride and presumptioÌ„ into what mischiefs hast thou brought thy self if this pore man be not thy father as thou séemest to deny as much as in thée lyeth the greatest gain y â— thou canst get therby is to make thy mother a whore thy self a bastard and thy father a Cuckold which is but a slender recompence to him and thy mother for their great pain expeÌ„ces in their bringing thée vp If he had bin but thy foster father his wife thy foster mother being recompenced at ful for thy féeding clothing education yet thou art bound by the law of God by the law of nature by y e law of friendship reuerently to vse theÌ„ louingly to receiue them bouÌ„tifully to reward theÌ„ in their necessity as a soÌ„ to reléeue them much more thine own father What if they had suffered thée to starue in thy youth for lack of food rayment how couldst y â— theÌ„ haue liued therfore thou owest theÌ„ for thy life And what is a sufficient price for ones life who can truly iudge and what if they had not brought thée vp in learning knowlege to their great cost charges how shouldst y â— theÌ„ haue attained to this promotioÌ„ thou arte Oh vile varlet not worthy to liue howe can I perswade my selfe but that thou obeyest me rather for reward than for loue for if thou disdainest refusest thy most louing and natural father in his pouertie where ther is no daunger how quickly wouldst thou forsake me if I stood in néede of thée in any great danger peril or necessitie therfore how durst thou be so bold to dissemble with vs and to abuse our Maiestie with thy flattering fawning al thys while for how canst thou be faithful to thy Prince that arte false to thy Father and therewithall the King cast on him a fierce and frowning countenaunce whyche when the sayde Lord perceyued he did fall downe before the King on his knées and desired hys grace to pardon him To whome the King said if thou hadst perceiued that we had little regarded this thy pore Fathers complainte thou wouldest then haue fed vs with one fable or other and so faced out thy pore Father before our face Or if we shoulde haue posted him ouer to some other to declare his cause not to haue hearde it our selues then thou wouldst haue found such meanes that either he shold not haue bin heard but put off with fair words froÌ„ time to time or to be threatned or imprisoned for presuming to complaine on such a noble man that is so nigh our person as thoughe suche as you had auctoritie to do what wrong you list But now bicause thou séest y â— we haue heard thy pore father attentiuely and taking this thy vile facte most hainously and meane to giue iudgement without parcialitie therfore thou humblest thy selfe vpon thy knées before vs more I am sure for keping thine estate for preseruyng thy lands goods and for fear of punishement thaÌ„ for offending of God angring of vs or for misusing thy father Therfore thy knéeling is coÌ„pelledly not willingly And for that we haue giuen great charge commandment through out our realme for the obseruing of this notable sentence of Christ As you would that other shouâ—de de do vnto you eueÌ„ so do yee to them betwéen one stranger and another the breakers wherof are punished wel worthy then thou oughtest with great reasoÌ„ to be much more punished for nothelping or denying thy louing father and bycause thou hast done to him as thou wouldest not haue him do to thée thou shalt be done to as thou hast done to him Therefore my iudgement and sentence is that presently thou shalt be depriued of all thine honorable estate and offices whatsoeuer al which we wil bestowe on suche as we thinke worthy thereof and all thy lands and goods whereof nowe thou arte possessed wée clearly take from thée and doe gyue al the same to thy pore father here whome thou disdaynedst or denyedst straightly commaunding and charging him that he shall neuer gyue thée nor suffer thée to enioy any part therof neither shal suc cour nor reléeue thée therewith and the apparell that thou dost nowe weare he shal haue and thou shalte haue this thy fathers pore attyre and weare it likewise and thou shalte humble thy self to thys thy father but he shal not onely refuse to reléeue thée but also shal refuse thée for his son And also my iudgement is that thou presume not at anye tyme hereafter to come in our presence neyther wythin seauen myles of our Court vpon paine of death And this is oure finall sentence and iudgement whych shall not be reuoked And when the King had thus saide a great sorte did reioice that they had suche a king that did giue so seuere and righteous iudgement of that wicked sonne not regarding him thought he was of suche honor and so highly in his fauour SIVQILA And was the Kings iudgement performed in such order as you haue declared in al points OMEN What else not one iote therof was lefte vndone or vnperformed SIVQILA Surely I perceiue your king respects not the offender but the offence the stricte and seuere punishing of the superiors is a sufficient warning to the inferiors for the pore offender may not looke to escape whore the rulers that the King loueth can finde no fauor I perceyue the kings seueritie tendeth to a good ende for he punisheth the offenders wythout any pardon bicause none shoulde offende in hope of that pardon Your country is happy that hath such laws but more happy I say that they are so kept yet much more hap py that they haue such a kyng I would al such sons were so serued Me thought you said that al the wiues with you are maruellous louyng and obedient to their husband OMEN I said so I wil stand to it for I assure you if the loue and obedience of women were loste it might be founde in them al the wiues in the world may learne to loue and obey theyr husbands at them SIVQILA We haue with vs many gentle louing and obedient wiues to their husbandes but that al are so I dare not affirm least happily I might be found a lyar But what if a rich maÌ„ w e you y â— hath a wife doth chance to come to pouertie wil not his wife theÌ„ change hir loue into hate gentle spéech into chyding obedience into frowardnes OMEN It is impossible to find such a
the poore for Gods sake without money than the rich for money yet we haue diuerse noble women wyth manye Ladies and Gentlewomen who though they are not so learned as many are that professe the same neyther can talke so woll as some of them can tatle Yet God so protectes them in their procéedings that they doe good to many helpe many and cure many not onely being at all charges themselues but also most charitablye reléeue and succour the poorer sorte wyth meate drinke and money But wee haue a greate sorte of runnagate Phisitions and Surgeons whose chiefe knowledge is in theyr tongues and wyl talke muche and promise much and yet performe little nay rather whiche is an occasion that honest learned and experte Phisitions and Surgeons comming in straunge place and knowne to be of that prhfession are as well credited as they that doe barrow of euerye one and doe paye to neuer aâ—â—ne Pedlers are preferred before them and Tinckeâ—s are taken to be the honester men and why bycause the Pedler peehaps throughe smoothe wordes and two or thrée lyes deceiues them that he deales with of two or thrée shillings and warrauntes that for the beste whiche is not the worste yet they enioye that they buye and haue that they lacke and if the Tinker mende one faulte and make two faultes yet a groate or twoo is able to recompence the wrong he hath done But these faire flattering Phisitions and these in vtile suckers surnamed Surgeons throughe pleasaunt perswasions will gette of them that be in paine and griefe twentie or thirtie pounde for so much stuffe as perhappes did not coste them a groate whiche happily killes them out-right or else puts them in great daunger of their life And then they are enforced to flye into another Countrey for newe credite for their olde is gone OMEN If such runnagate Phisitions Chirurgions be suffered to do so it is no maruaile thoughe therby the honest and learned PhisitioÌ„s and Surgeons be muche discredited truely I thinke you haue either no lawes for these and such mischiefs eyther they are too weake to shoote at such marks or they are like to a Bowe that is set vp in a corner and neuer shotte withall SIVQILA Indéede as you say oure lawes are too mylde for suche mischiefes and also are not executed to extinct such euils But I beséech you may I he so bolde to know of you whether any of your Marchant menne or any other maye lawfully conuey or carrie out of your Country any of your chief commodities which your soile of it selfe doth bréede OMEN We haue laws and statuts wherein are expressed what things are not to be solde carried or conueyed out of our Countrey into forraine Nations SIVQILA But what is the punishment of the offendors in that case OMEN He or she whosoeuer it is shal be torn in péeces for the firste fault with foure strong horsses and if he commitie the like offence againe he shal haue the Kings pardoÌ„ for it SIVQILA He may haue so wel ynough OMEN And the eldest sonne of euerye suche offendour shall be compelled to weare on his sléeue a Uiper formed in some mettall signifying that as the Uipers are destroyers of their mother and gnaws out their mothers bellye so the Father of this man that weares the same was a destroyer of his Countrey that didde nourishe and bréede him vp And his sonne shall neuer after beare anye office or be accepted to anye charge appertayning to the Common wealth And if he haue neuer a sonne then his eldest daughter shal weare the same vntil she be married and if he haue no daughters or if al his daughters be married theÌ„ his wife if he haue any shall weare the same during hir widowhed And if he haue neither sonne nor daughter vnmarryed nor wise then there shall be a signe of the Uiper set at the doore of the offendor where he dwelled at that time wheÌ„ he was apprehended for the fact which shall remaine there vntaken downe twentie yeares at the least and he shall forfeit al his goodes the one halfe whereof shall be to the kings vse and the other halfe to the vse of y â— reuealer And whosoeuer shall know of his saide offence and shall conceale the same foure and twentie houres after he firste knew it euery such offendour shall loose hys right hande and the fourth part of al hys goodes and euerye one of them shal weare the badge of the Uiper on their sléeue during their life And the same goodes shall be employed to the vses aforesayde And if any of them that is accessarie with him or made priuie to the fact do reueale it within foure and twentie houres he or she shal not only be pardoned of his offence but also shall haue the forfeyture that belongs to the reuealer therof SIVQILA Yea marry this law is something like if it be wel executed OMEN Nay marke this one thing we are well aduised before we make lawes but when they are made we hadde néede be double aduised ere we doe breake the same lawes or else we shall be sure to pay the penaltie thereof SIVQILA Yea so it shoulde then you take no gaudes for good stuffe trifles for your treasure nor vaine néedelesse things for your necessarie and substanciall wares OMEN No I warrant you but if there were no suche law with vs or it were winckt at as yours is not seuerely executed truely all our merchauntes are so godlye charitable obedient and so commodious to their Countrey that they woulde not thoughe they mighte haue neuer so greate gaine thereby conuaye or carrye anye commodities out of their Countrey nor bring anye discommoditie into theyr Countrey SIVQILA Truelye I dare not saye so muche for all our Merchants for verilye I beléeue some of them for theyr own priuate profit their gréedy gaine and to gather goodes coulde be contente to conuey and of theyr Countrey Wooll for worse wares Leather for Laâ—ans Leade for LemmoÌ„s Honny for Hobbyhorses Corne for Calues butter for Babies Beyre for Bracelets Tallow for Trifles Money for Marmesets and if they coulde God for the Diuell but thoughe the lawe of God cannot teache them to obey their Prince the lawe of nature to loue their Countrey nor the lawe of the Realme can testraine them to spoyle their common welth yet if we had your seuere lawe and as well executed on two or thrée of y e firste offendors without anye pardon as yours is we should haue as many good merchaÌ„ts against their wil as you haue by your report w t their wil. OMEN I doubt not that SIVQILA Is there anye with you sir that will breake their promise OMEN No not one in all oure whole Countreye wée haue the faithfullest meaners and truest dealers that are in all the worlde We take greate aduisemente before we speake or promise and what wée speake or promise but when it is once spoken or promised it is as sure to
againe ere you shall finde the least villedge much lesse a whole countrey of such as you name your selfe to be I pray you of what Countrey are you SIVQILA Forsooth I was borne in a famous and most fertile Iland called Ailgna OMEN If I do not mistake it there are some of youre countreymeÌ„ that would haue rapt out halfe a dozen othes in a great deale lesse talke than you haue vttered SIVQILA That is true God amende it whiche vice with many other too commonly frequented was the chiefe occasion of my comming from thence OMEN What and coulde you finde betwéene that and this no good and méete place to rest in SIVQILA No truely notwithstanding I haue bin since in diuers Countreys where gods word is truely preached and many godly professours thereof But bycause the moste part was giuen to gréedy gaine to fraude and flatterie and to wickednesse and mischiefe there was no place for me OMEN Are you so vertuous y â— you may not dwell with the wicked are you so holy you maye not abide among the haughtie and are you suche a Sainct you maye not settle your selfe with sinners Then truely either you must gette you a place in Paradise or a house in Heauen for I thinke you meane not to harbor in Hell SIVQILA The Lorde kéepe me thence and the moste enimies I haue But sir I would not haue you thinke that I take my selfe to be so vertuous y â— all other are too sinful to be conuersaunt with me For so I might séeme to be more Pharizaical than faithful more wicked than wittie more deuâ—â—ish than godly for the Fathers could not flée from theÌ„ the Prophets were present with them Christe the sonne of God was conuersant with theÌ„ y â— Apostles were alwayes amoÌ„g theÌ„ the Martyres remained stil with theÌ„ the Saints in this life cannot shunne them But truely sir I loath and detest such vile and abhominable sinne so much as is commonly vsed with many of theÌ„ at this present that my hearte did euen sinke for sorrow while I was among them OMEN Why did not you returne into your own country séeing you could find no fit place for your purpose SIVQILA Truely bycause I hoped the further the better but I founde by proofe the further the worse For after I departed from y â— carnall Gospellers I came amoÌ„g the peruerse Papists amoÌ„g whom was such Superstition Idolatrie and massing with other abhominations besids the imprisoning racking punishing killing burning the true professors of Christe that I coulde not choose but openly tel the truth their faults Whych in no wise they could abide to heare Wherby quickly I was imprisoned there so punished that the vnchristian Turks would not so haue vsed me OM. How chaÌ„ceth y â— for they name theÌ„selues Christians SI They are christiaÌ„s in name but diuels in their déeds OMEN It is maruel you escaped their handes if they be so cruell as you say they are SIVQILA It was againste their wils you may be sure But as the Lorde deliuered Peter out of hys chaines so he of hys méere goodnesse delyuered me myraculously so you would say if I did tel you how And thus as Daniel saith the Lord neuer faileth them that put their trust in him And when I was escaped their handes I trauelled further vntil I come among the Heathen Idolators from whence I wisht my selfe wyth a good wyl but to say truelye I founde more loue among them not knowing God than among y â— Papists professing God Who thoughe they woulde not beléeue my religion yet they liked it a great deale better thaÌ„ y â— Papisticall religion after I had reuealed y â— maner therof to theÌ„ And then through long trauel I hapned amongst y â— Canibals who vse to féede on mens flesh But God so guided my féete that I fled from them throughe his great prouidence escaped them OMEN You that are men of God ought neither to feare death nor flée from persecution SIVQILA No sir why so did not Christ the son of God which was without sin fear death himselfe haue we that are most wicked sinners a greater prerogatiue therin than he had And doth not Christ say also if they persecute you in one Citie flée into another then if we may lawfully flée froÌ„ Christs enimies for feare of killing we maye well flée from the Canibals that knowe not God for feare of eating OMEN You haue spoken well for the defence of youre owne life SIVQILA I haue spoken but reason I hope Sir al the sort of vs yea the best of vs all are frayle fleshe rather gyuen to defende our life than to amende oure life you must thynke vs to be earthly sinners not heauenly Saintes OMEN What wil you do now do you meane to go into your Country againe SIVQILA I intend to procéede further this waye perhaps this countrey of yours may be something better than where I haue trauelled worse it can not lightly be OMEN Nay you came neuer in the like since you were borne SIVQILA What for goodnesse or euilnesse OMEN Nay for goodnesse godlinesse obedieÌ„ce equitie vertuous lyuing plaine dealing and true meaning that in all the earth is not the like for we haue such commendable customes and excellent orders and so wel kept obserued that you woulde think theÌ„ incredible if you did heare them SIVQILA Wel though my trauaile hath bin troublesome painful and dangerous yet I repent not my iorny for now I hope I haue founde the place that wil please me I pray you let vs make haste I thinke long vntill I be in it OMEN You were beste to knowe firste whether you shall be welcome thither or not SIVQILA I trust I shal behaue my selfe in such order that none there shall mislike me OMEN Wel to be plaine you cannot come there for we kéepe none but suche as are borne and bred in our owne Countrey therefore no straunger can dwell with vs for if they shoulde we should rather learne their vices than they followe our Uertues SIVQILA As you are to be praysed for kéepyng away the wicked so are you to be misliked for refusing the godlye for you coulde learne of them no harme but goodnesse OMEN Speake better than we they may but offende so little as we they cannot And yet if we shoulde receyue any being neuer so godly and honest woulde all the broode they bréede be so godly as they no not so for the godlyest fathers in the olde tyme haue had godlesse children SIVQILA I can not deny that but if you would bée so good vnto me as to suffer me a while to remaine in youre Countrey I would by Gods helpe liue in such order that I woulde not encrease your number OMEN Are you not flesh bloud are you not a sinner SIVQILA Yes truly that I am or else I were a lyar OMEN Then we will not trust you nor put it in proofe as godly meÌ„ as you
Heauen I am sure for God did thruste hym out from thence for his pride but not to come thither again And though heauen be great and large yet it cannot hold them both and to say truth the Diuel is suche an enimie to God that he wil not haue such an euil neighbor so nigh him OMEN And on the earth I am sure he shall not rowste neither in the water aire nor in the firie region next vnder the globe of the Moone neyther in any of the Firmaments aboue that are vnder Heauen for all these shall be consumed SIVQILA And if there were a Purgatorie as I am sure there is none though some dolts do dreame of such a place yet the Diuell coulde not be there for it should likewise bée consumed wyth the earth for that it is placed in the centre of the earth as it is imagined But if their imagined Purgatorie should be saued from destruction I thinke the Pope the chiefe protector of Purgatorie woulde not suffer the great Diuell wyth suche a rabble of other Diuels to take possession there whiche hathe bin one of the richest Manors that euer he had Nor it coulde not well stand wyth his holinesse thoughe the Diuell were his deare friend to displace the séely soules that haue payed rent for it afore hand especially such of them as he hathe pardoned manye yeares after the daye of Iudgement for though the date of some of their pardons are out already yet manye of them will not be expired of a great while after Now sir if any of them are such as are appointed to go to Heauen they wil tarry there no longer if they be wise And they that are appointed to be damned they will not goe from thence wyth a good will And further the Pope shoulde do them much wrong if they shoulde be put out of their place of priuiledge before their lease is expired And many haue this opinion of the Popes good grace that he will doe neuer a liuyng man wrong Then it is to be thought if he be of that power as he is taken to be he will defend the poore Soules in Purgatorie in their right whereby it behoueth him to withstand God that he do not consume it at the last day when all the rest shall be destroyed with fire And thus the Pope must néedes kéepe the poore Soules in peaceable and quiet possession in despight of the Diuell and all that take his part OMEN But what if the Diuell through his great might and power should by force get possession of Purgatorie how then SIVQILA The best thing that the Pope can doe is to curse him out againe with Bell Booke and Candle OMEN Yea but that will not serue nor yet feare the Diuel as it hath done many a fond foole on the earth SIVQILA TheÌ„ the poore soules are like to go to wracke OMEN Yea al y â— mony is lost that they paid to y â— Pope SIVQILA Yea truely if that be lost that doth them no good nay rather continual harme for the Pope and his darlings for the gréedinesse of mony bringeth y â— simple people into such a fooles Paradise that he will saue them which is the occasioÌ„ of their damnatioÌ„ by beleuing trusting to him OMEN Woe be to theÌ„ that do sell and are sold to the diuell for money they will wish that they had not béen borne SIVQILA And therefore if the Diuell should gette the possession of Purgatorie then the miserable soules were as good to be in Hel with y e Diuel as the Diuell to be in Purgatorie with them Nowe considering the Diuell can not dwell in Heauen neyther in the Earth Water nor in the fierie Region nor in Purgatorie if there were any suche then surely he must néedes of force dwell in Hell for there is no other place for him to be in vnlesse he be no where OMEN Nay he shall not dwell there I can tell him that SIVQILA Therefore if there be any such that say there is no Hell Corax Daâ—hon Abyron if they were here would tell theÌ„ there is a Hel. If Nadab and Abihu were héere they would say that they lye If Iudas one of Christes Apostles did heare them say so he would reproue them to their face If Diues that rich glutton were with them he would affirm that there is Hel not by heare-say but by proofe Therefore such were best to beleue there is a Hell least hereafter they féele there is a Hel. But suppose ther were no Hel and one beleued there were one could hée haue any harme thereby no truely Mary if there be one and he thinke there is none thereby he might reape much harme for thinking one being none would make him shunne euil but in thinking none being one would hinder him to do well Thus no harme but much good by beléeuing ther were a Hel and be none but much harme no good by thinking there were no Hel and yet one But the children of God will not shunne sinne for feare of Hell lâ—â—t for feare of displeasing their God and most louing heauenly father for the louing sonne will shun euil rather to auoyd his fathers displeasure thaÌ„ punishmeÌ„t For the child that shuns euill for feare of beating the same is obedient in hope to haue something But oure heauenly Father hath so created vs our Sauiour Christ hath so louingly raâ—nsomed vs and the holy Ghost doth so guide and instruct vs besides the wonderful benefites y â— he dayly doth giue vs that our very duty is to loue him obey him kéep his commaundements with all our power and endeuoure though there were neyther Heauen to reward vs nor Hell for to punish vs. Well we haue bin so busie with Heauen and Hell that we haue almost forgotten the earth I pray you sir is there any alteration in the peoples manners and liuing of your Countrey since the preaching of the Gospel OMEN Alteration quoth you tutte it is wonderfull for at the first preaching thereof the men came to the Sermons like Maskers and the women lyke Players Where at the Preacher was so amazed that he was ready to go out of the Pulpit for he thought verily séeing theÌ„ in that order that there would haue bin either a play a mummerie or a May-game But when he vnderstood certainly that they came to heare the Sermon he framed his spéeche in suche order vnto them somtimes with mild and gentle exhortations with the swéet promises of God for doing wel bringing Christ for an exaÌ„ple for theÌ„ to follow saying Though he was the sonne of God equal to God the father in respect of his godhead yet he became pore humble méek gentle merciful charitable went daily in simple and pore attyre finally dyed to make vs liue And therefore whosoeuer loues Christ who woulde haue him their Sauiour who thinkes they shal stand in néed of
or fauour falshod what say you now is this maÌ„ guilty in that wherof you haue acused him why do you not speake though one of your tongs is swoln by the right iudgement of God yet I beléeue god hath reserued some of your tongs to vtter the truth and to excuse this innocent lambe appointed to the slaughter Then the false witnesse that was stroken lame said to the Iudge we haue worthily deserued the wrathe of God which now is iustlye fallen vpoÌ„ vs we might haue takeÌ„ héed before by your good admonitions profitable persuasions witty warnings but that we lacked the good grace of God Therfore as one y t is compelled by the great God ruler of al things I wil open vnto your Lordship al the whole truth This good man that is accused is moste falsely and vniustly accused and this man whose tong is thus swoln in his head as you sée and I that am so sodainely become lame for gréedinesse of mony giueÌ„ vnto vs by this now wicked blind maÌ„ haue acused this good maÌ„ witnessed that he heard him speake such words of treson wheras the Lord knowes we neuer heard him speake anye such thing And euen as this blinde wicked wretche didde entice with money and faire promises these two good men but all in vaine who haue helped to saue thys innocente euen so he gaue vs money wyth manye fayre promises of greate rewardes to condemne moste vniustlye this innocente Whereat the manne with the â—wolne tong made signes with his hands looking towarde heauen affirming therby that all was true y t his lame fellowe had said TheÌ„ y â— Iudge said oh vile varlets not worthy to liue what sayest thou thou wicked accuser to this whome God most righteously hath stricken blinde are not thy diuelishe deuises come to a trim drift Then the blind accuser knéeled downe vpon his knées and saide I am worthy to dye it is onely I that for spite and malice and hope of worldely gaine haue mused this mischiefe and procured this practise against this godly vertuous and innocent man Then said the Iudge to y e innocent maÌ„ giue God the praise for it is he that hath wrought this wonder then said the innoceÌ„t man knéeling vpon his knées O Lord I thanke thée that thou hast not onely heard me but also hast deliuered me blessed be thy name for euer Then the accuser and the two false witnesses by the iudgement of the Iudge were tyed in foure seuerall partes to foure strong horses that is eyther arme to a horse and either leg to a horse and then wheÌ„ the horses were ierked euery one of them was torne a sunder and all their landes and goodes were sold and giuen to the reliefe of the poore SIVQILA Surely herein God wrought wonderfully and the Iudge very godly and truely If this lawe were so executed with vs as it is with you many that are troubled should liue more in quiet many should haue right that now haue much wrong many should be vnaccused that now are falsly accused OMEN Where Gods worde is plentie there Iustice should not be daintie I muse that Sin is so suffered where Gods worde is so preached I perceiue with you there are mo Professors than Followers SIVQILA I would it were not so Is there anye with you that vse to play at Dice OMEN None at all but if there were any they would not be swearing Dicers that will eate the Diuell at a bitte in the likenesse of a Spider according as you tolde the tale of late we haue a lawe with vs that euery one that playeth at Dice or Cards for mony or for any other thing of any value the winner shal forfeite so much twice as much more as he winneth and the looser shall forfaite as muche more as he looseth whiche forfaiture shall be deuided into thrée equall partes one parte whereof shall be to the vse of the King one other part thereof shal be to the vse of the reuealer and the third part thereof shall be equallye deuided among tenne of the poorest neyghbours dwellyng nexte to the house or place where the sayde money is wonne or loste And for euerye houre that they playe at one time both the winner and looser shall bée imprisoned one moneth SIVQILA If this lawe be as strictlye executed and as narrowlye looked to as the rest of your Lawes then there is not so muche money wonne and loste with you in a whole yeare as there is with vs in one daye naye in one houre OMEN Whether it be executed or not I know not but there is not one Dicer nor yet Carder in all our Country Oure Rulers Lords Knightes and Gentlemen wishing rather to profite other than to fill their purses with other mens pence and to solace their wearied mindes by honest pastimes thaÌ„ to get gréedie gain by diuellish and detestable Diceplaye doe vse diuerse times when they do playe to playe at Chesse the Astronomers game and the Philosophers game whiche whettes theyr wittes recreates theyr minds and hurts no body in the meane season SIVQILA These games you speake of are too busie for manye of our heades and many of oure heades are otherwise too busie to followe your good orders Diceplaye is so commonly vsed with vs that manye boyes seruingmen and other are more expert in playing at Dice than in Dauids Psalmes OMEN Haue you no lawes againste suche vnlawfull games SIVQILA Yes we haue Lawes to forbid them and licences to allow them OMEN That is as though a Father should command his sonne to goe to Schoole and immediatly giue him leaue to play the Trewant Those lawes shall neuer be wel kept that are licenced to be broken Nay if we haue lawes wée kéepe lawes SIVQILA And if we haue lawes we breake lawes If men woulde consider what perâ—lles Diceplaye procureth what mischiefes it maintaineth and what driftes it doeth driue then many woulde loath it that nowe do loue it manye woulde detest it that nowe delighte in it and manye woulde forsake it that nowe do fauour it Haue not manye loste in one yeare at Dice so muche as their friendes were getting all their whole life Haue not many loste at Dice in a wéeke that that woulde wel haue serued them a whole yeare Howe many honorable and worshipfull houses haue bene so ouerthrowne by Diceplay that they are vtterly vnknowne at this day and perhappes some nowe begge theyr breade whose auncestours haue hadde Lordly liuings and vtterly consumed by Diceplay and other vnthriftie games Hathe not Diceplay driuen many a one to borrowe that else had bin able to lende Do not many lose so much at Dice in an houre as they cannot get honestly and truelye in a whole Wéeke Whosoeuer shall playe at Dice or at anye other game for money or other gaine the best is he can but win and then one or other that he playeth withall muste néedes lose Then consider God sayeth thou
shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe whyche if I ought to doe then I must not haue my neighbor to lose to make my selfe to winne For his losing by that meanes can not be my winning Therefore thoughe I séeme to winne by his losse yet I lose as wel as he Loue biddeth me rather lose to make my brother win and Hate bids me win with my neighbors losse therefore if I loue my neighbour as my selfe then I cannot win with his losse thoughe I séeme to win theÌ„ I must néeds lose if he lose Thus it is proued that he that doeth winne at play is a loser And also he that winneth at Dice or at any other game whereby any hath losse that playeth with hym léeseth the fauour of God bicause he fauoureth not him that hée playeth withall as himselfe and doth laughe wyth his losse which shewes he doth rather loath thaÌ„ loue his neighbour And further he that winneth at Dice or at any other kind of game loseth Time a pretious treasure not to be recouered againe in which time whiles he was doing of euil in playing he shoulde haue vsed some godly exercise Thus he that winneth at Dice or at any other game is a thréefold loser Now if they that thinke themselues winners be such great losers as I haue proued then I count them more fonder than fooles that wil play at Dice or at any other game where the loser is hurt or hindred thereby Therefore if the winners muste néedes make an accompt that they are such great loosers then the loosers by no meanes can proue they are winners So that if these Diceplayers and other gréedie gamesters woulde be ruled by me they should leaue Diceplaying and such like which are the games of the Diuell and fal to perfect prayer the exercise of the sonne of God If Diceplayers and other vaine gamsters did déepely discerne what gaine Dicing Carding and other couetous gaming do bring they would shunne them as a Serpent and detest them as the Diuel For first this Diceplay such like doth kindle Gods furie it spendes the time vainly it enticeth to enuy it consumes goods immoderatly it makes meÌ„ sweare horribly it freats the minde wonderfully it brings age vntimely it maketh a néedelesse necessitie it bringeth the rich to pouertie it tempteth a great sorte to théeuerie it helpeth many to hanging spéedily it maketh many liue miserably and I feare it driueth some to dye desperately al whiche do please the Diuel excéedingly OMEN These are braunches that suche Brambles doe beare If this be y e gain that groweth of Dicing or gaming a man can not wel put his son to a worse occupation than it Wel if you would execute the law for Dicing and suche other gaming that we haue you shoulde haue as fewe Dicers and other vnthrifâ—ie gamsters as we haue to marke it so I like your lawes excéeding well and I like the executing of them as well I pray you sir are the Lords and Ladies and suche like curteous gentle and affable with you OMEN Maruellous as euer you knew the more higher of degrée with vs the more curteous affable and gentle if there may be any excéeding therin The Lords Ladies other higher powers with vs haue alway in their mind that Christ the sonne of God was as wel borne as they especially on the fathers side and is of as high a degrée as the best King or Emperour on the Erth none excepted If I said one degrée higher I lyed not And they séeing that hée being the sonne of God was moste humble gentle and méeke of all other doe thinke that it were a méere madnes for them to be haughtie stubborne proude and stout They remember hâ—â— words very wel which saide Learne of me for I am humble and meeke And bycause they knowe that they can learne of none better than of him therefore they doe learne by him to be humble and méeke And I beléeue they shall gaine more at length by learning humblenesse méekenesse of him than by learning proudnesse and stoutenesse of the Diuel SIVQILA Are all your Nobilitie of that humilitie you speake of OMEN What else For it is as harde a thing to fynde with vs a haughty heart in the Nobilitie a lostie looke in the Ladies or a disdainefull countenaunce in the Gentlemen or their wiues as it is to finde a méeke mind in a froward woman a chast heart in a Harlot or liberalitie in a niggard â—or Sâ—udge SIVQ. Truly there are many such noble men Ladies Gentlemen and GentlewomeÌ„ with vs but I wil not say that all are so least happily I may be found a lyar Then belike they brag not of their bloude are not stoute of theyr stocke or proude of their progeny OMEN That were as though a scuruy iade should brag bycause he came of the race of Bucephalus Greate Alexanders Horsse none doe winne estimation with vs by the exploytes of other but by their owne deserts as good reason is else might manye lewde lozels loke loftily bicause they descended long since of the liue of some Lorde Naye wyth vs he that will haue prayse himselfe muste winne prayse himselfe and he that will be counted a Gentleman must vse himselfe like a Gentleman and I thinke there is none so fonde with you that meanes to merite by other mennes manners that will prate of their parentes that treade not in their steppes and will bragge of that thing they neuer did SIVQILA Thinke you so in déede then you are muche deceyued I tell you there are suche with vs and that not a fewe OMEN Then I must néeds count them fooles that brag of burthens that other men beare SIVQILA I will assure you that manye with vs will boaste of their byrth that cannot boast of their life that wil blaze out their Pedigrée that knowe not Gentilitie and that wil-prate of their Progenie that is shame to their kindred OMEN Such kinde of persons is vanitie of Uanityes What prayse can it be to a Peare trée to bryng foorthe a Crab and what dispraise for a Crab trée to bring foorthe a Peare Truly the Crab is a discommendation to y â— Peare trée that bare it and the Peare is a commendation to the Crab trée that bare it Euen so a proude and statelye sonne is a dishonoure to the gentle Parentes but a gentle son of good and worthye qualities is an honoure to his vngentle Parentes And truelye one borne of a poore parentage that doeth chaunce to aspire to promotion by Learnyng Uertue and good qualities is to be reuerenced and estéemed and he that procéedes from a greate parentage and falleth to pouertie miserie or mischiefe thoroughe ryot wickednesse or his owne follie is not to be estéemed but rather to be reproued For as the one bringeth the firste fame to hys pore kindred so the other bringeth the fâ—â—ste shame to his riche progenie SIVQILA You haue spoken both truly and