praye you name some one of al theÌ„ that you be as you saye better acquainted with men I meane that are out of prison for I knowe me thynke as fewe of theÌ„ as you knowe of the tother Vincent That were vncle a strauÌ„ge case for euery maÌ„ is vncle out of priesoÌ„ that may goe whither he will though he be the poresâ— begger in the towne And in good faith vncle because you reckeÌ„ imprisoÌ„ment so smal a matter of it self the poore begger that is at his libertie maye walke where he wil is as me semeth in better case then is a king kepte in prieson that can not goe but where men geue hym leaue ☞ Antony Well Cosin whether euery waye walking beggre be by this reason out of priesoÌ„ or no we shal coÌ„sidre farther wheÌ„ you wyl but in the meane while I can by thys reasoÌ„ see no prince that semeth to be out of prison For if the lacke of libertie to goe where a maÌ„ wyll be impriesonment as your selfe saye it is Than is the great Turke by whom we so feare to be put in prisoÌ„ in prison already him selfe For he may not goe where he wil for and he mighte he woulde into Portingale Italie Spaine FrauÌ„ce Almayne EnglaÌ„d as farre on an other quarter to both preter Iohns land the graund Canis to Nowe the begger that you speake of if he be as you saye he is by reason of hys libertye to goe where he will in muche better case then a kinge kepte in prieson because he can not goe but where meÌ„ geue hâ—m leaue thaÌ„ is that begger in better case not onely then a prince in prieson but also theÌ„ many a prince out of prison to For I am sure there is many a begger that maye wtout let walke farther vpoÌ„ other mennes grounde thaÌ„ many a prince at his best libertie maye walke vpoÌ„ his owne And as for walking out abrode vpon other meÌ„nes that prince might happe to be sayd naye holden faste where that begger with hys bagge and hys staffe would be suffered to goe forth holde on his waye But for as much Cosin as neyther the begger nor the prince is at free liberty to walke where they will but that if they would walke in some place neither of theÌ„ both should be suffered but men would wtstand theÌ„ say theÌ„ nay Therfore if priesonmeÌ„t be as you grauÌ„te it is a lacke of liberty to go where we lust I can not se but as I saye the begger the prince whom you recken both at libertie be by your own reasoÌ„ restrayned in prison both Vincent Yea but vncle the tone the tother haue waye inough to walke the tone in his owne grounde the tother other mennes or in the common hye waye where they may walke till they be both wery of walking ere any maÌ„ say theÌ„ nay Antony So may Cosin the king that had as your self put the case al the wole castle to walke in yet you say not nay but that he is prisoner for al that though not so straitly kept yet as verely priesoner as he that lieth in the storkesâ— Vincent But they may goe at the least waies to euâ—ry placâ— that they nede or that is coÌ„modious for them therfore they doe not will to goe but where they may goeâ— and therfore be they at libertie to goe where they will Anthony Me nedeth not Cosin to spende the time about the inpugning euery parte of this answere for letting passe by that though a priesoner were with his keper brought into euery place where nede requiered yet â—ith he might not wheÌ„ he woulde goe where he would for his onely pleasure he were you wote wel a prisoner stil. And letting passe ouer also this that it were to thys begger nede to this kinge coÌ„modious to goe into diuerse places where neither of theÌ„ both maye come And letting passe also that neyther of them bothe is lightly so teÌ„peratly determined but that they both faine so would doe in dede if this reason of youres put theÌ„ out of prisoÌ„ sette theÌ„ at libertie make theÌ„ fre as I wil wel graunt it doth if they so do in dede that is to wit if they haue no wil to goe but where they maye goe in dede ThaÌ„ let vs loke on our other prisoners enclosed wtin a castleâ— we shal finde that the sâ—raitesâ— kepte of theÌ„ both if he get the wisdome the â—race to quiet his own mind holde him selfe content with that place long not like a womaÌ„ wyâ—h child for her lustes to be gadding out any where elsâ— is by the same reasoÌ„ of youres while hys will is not longing to be any where elles he is I saye at his free liberty to be where he will and so is out of prieson to And on the tother sideâ— if though his wyll be not longing to be any where elles yet because that if is wyll so were he shoulde not â—o be suffered he is therefore not at hys free libertye but a prisoner styll so sith your free begger that you speake of and the prince that you cal out of prieson to though they be which I weene verye fewe be by some special wysdome so teÌ„perately disposed that they haue not the will to be but where they see they maye be suffered to be yet sith that if they would haue that wil they could not thaÌ„ be where they would they lacke theffecte of free libertie bâ— both twayne in prison to Vincent Well Uncle if euery man vniuersally be by thys reason in priesoÌ„ already after the very property of imprisoÌ„meÌ„t yet to be imprisoned in this speciall maner which maner is onely comonlye called imprisonmeÌ„t is a thing of great horror feare both for the straytnes of the keping the harde handling that many meÌ„ haue therin of al which griefes paines displeasures in this other general imprisonmeÌ„t that you peake of we fele no thing at al therfore euery maÌ„ abhorreth the tone would be loth â—o come into iâ— no maÌ„ abhorreth the tother for they fele no harme nor find no faulte therin Wherefore vncle in faith though I can not finde answeres coÌ„uenient wherwyth to auoyde your argumeÌ„tes yet to be plaine with you tell you the very trouth my mind findeth not it selfe satisfied in thys pointe But euer me thinketh yâ— these thinges wherwith you rather coÌ„uince coÌ„clude me thaÌ„ induce a credence perswade me that euery man is in prison alreadyâ— be but sophistical faÌ„tasies And that except those that are comonly called prysonersâ— other men are not in prieson at all Antony Wel fare thy heart good Cosin Uincent There was in good faith no word that you spake since we talked of those matters that halfe so well liked me as these that you speake nowe For if you hadde assented in wordes and in your minde departed vnperswaded than if the thing be true that I
in good faith vncleâ— that his vyage shal be hither Howbeit he that wrote the letter sayeth that it is secretly sayd in Constantinople that greate parte of his armye shal be shipped and sent eyther into Naples or into Cicile ¶ Anthony It may fortune Cosin that the letter of the â—enecian dated at Constantinople was deuised at Uenice From theÌ„ce come there some among sometime froÌ„ Rome to sometime alâ—o froÌ„ other places letters al farced fâ—l of such tydinges that the Turke is ready to doe some great exploitieâ— which tydinges they blowe about for the fartheraÌ„ce of some such affayres as thei thaÌ„ haue themself in hand The Turke hath also so many men of armes in his retinew at his continual charge that lest they should lye still and doe nothing but peraduenture fall in deuising of some nouelties among theÌ„self he is fayn yerely to make some assemblies and some changeing of theÌ„ from one place vnto another and paâ—te some sort asundre that they waxe not ouer well acquaynted by dwelling ouer long together By these wayes also he maketh those that he mindeth sodeynly to inuade in dede the lesse to loke therfore and therby the lesse preparacion to make before while they see him so many times make a great visage of warre when he mindeth it not but then at one time or other they sodeinly feele it when they feare it not Howbeit full likely Cosin it is of very trueth the into this realme of Hungarye he will not fayle to come For neither is there any countrey thorow christeÌ„dome that lyeth for him so mete nor neuer was there any time tyll now in which he might so wel and surely winne it For now cal we him in our self God saue vs as Esope telleth that the shepe toke in the woulfe vnto them to keepe them from the dogges Vincent Than are there very like good vncle al these tribulacions to fal vpon vs here yâ— I spake of in the beginning of our first communicacion here the other day Anthony Uerye trueth it is Cosin that so there wil of likelihod in a while but not forthwith all at the fyrst For while he cometh vnder that colour of ayde for the one against the other he wil sumwhat se the profe before he fully shew himself But in conclusion if he be able to geat it for him you shal see him so handle it that he shall not fayle to geat it from him that furthwith out of hand or euer he suffer him settle himself ouer sure therin Vincent Yet saye they vncle that he vseth not to force any man to forsake his fayth Anthony Not any man Cosin They say more than they can make good that tell you so he maketh a solemne othe among the Ceremonies of that feast in whiche he fyrste taketh vppon hym hys aucthoritie that he shall in all that he possible maye mynyshe the fayth of Christ and dilate the fayth of Machomet But yet hath he not vsed to force euery whole countrey at once to forsake theyr faith For of some couÌ„treyes hath he been content onely to take a tribute yerelye and let them liue than as they lust Out of some he taketh the whole people away dispersyng them for slaues among many sundry countreyes of his very farre from their own without any sufferance of regresse Some countrey so great and populous that they cannot wel be caried and conuayed thence he destroyeth the gentlemen and geueth their landes part to such as he bringeth part to such as willingly wil reuye their fayth and kepeth the other in such misery that they were in maner as good to be dead at once In rest he suffreth elles no christeÌ„ man almost but those that resort as marchaÌ„tes or those that offer themselfe to serue him in his warre But as for those christen countreyes that he vseth not for only tributories as he doth Thio Ciprys or Candy but reckoneth for cleare conquest and vtterlye taketh for his owne as Morea Grece Macedony and such other like And as I verelye thinke he wil Hungary if he geat it In al those vseth he christeÌ„ people after sondry fashions He letteth theÌ„ dwel there in dede because they wer to many to cary al away to many to kil them all to But if he should either leaue the land dispeopled and desolate or els some other countreyes of his own from whence he should which would not wel be done conuay the people thether to people that land withall There loe those that wil not be turned froÌ„ their faith of which god kepeth lauded be his holy name very many he suffereth to dwell still in peace But yet is theyr peace for all that not verye peacible For landes he suffereth them to haue none of theyr owne offyce or honeste rowme they beare none with occasyons of his warres he pylleth them with taxis and tallagis vnto the bare bones their children he choseth where he lust in their youth and takeâ—h them froÌ„ their parentes conueying theÌ„ whither he lust where their frendes neuer see theÌ„ after abuseth theÌ„ as he lust Some yong maidens maketh harlots some young meÌ„ he bringeth vp in warre some young children he causeth to bee geldyd not theyr stones cut out as the custome was of olde but cutteth of their whole members by the body howe fewe scape and lyue he litle forceth for he wyll haue in oughe And all that he so taketh younge to any vse of his own are betaken vnto such Turkes or false renagates to kepe that they be turned froÌ„ the fayth of Christ euery chone or els so handled that as for thys world they come to an euil cheuing For beside many other coÌ„tumelyes dispightes that the Turkes and the false renagate christians many tymes doe to good christen people that still perseuer and abyde by the faith they find the meane somtime to make some false shrewes say that they heard such a christeÌ„ man speake opprobrious wordes agaynst Machomet vpon that poynt falsely testified wyl they take occasion to compell him forsake the fayth of Christe and turne vnto the profession of their shamefull supersticious secte or els will they put him to death with cruel intollerable tormeÌ„tes Vincent Our lord vncle for hys myghtie mercy kepe those wretches hence For by mi trouth if thei happe to come hither me thinke I see many moe tokens than one that we shall haue of oure owne folke heare ready to fall in vnto them For lyke as before a greate storme the sea begynneth some tyme to worke and roare in it selfe ere euer the wynde waxe boysteous so me thynke I heare at myne eare some of our own here amoÌ„g vs whiche within these fewe yeres coulde no more haue borne the name of a Turke than the name of a deuill begin now to find litle fault therin yea some to praise them to litle and litle as they maye more glad to finde faultes at euery state of
he dayly seeth most abounde in the handes of many that be nought Doe not now this great Turke and his baâ—â—awes in al these auauncementes of fortune surmount vâ—â—y farre aboue any christen eâ—tate and any lordes liuing vnder hym And was there not yet hence vpoÌ„ a xâ— yere a goe the great Soudan of Siri whiche many a yere together bare as great a porte as the great Turke and after in one somer vnto the great Turke that whole Empier was loste so maye al his Empire nowe shal hereafter by God his grace be loste into christen mennes handes lykewiâ—e when christen people shal be mended and growe into god his fauour againe But wheÌ„ that whole kingdomes and mighty greate Empiers are of so lytle surety to stand but so soone straâ—slated froÌ„ one man vnto an other what greate thing can you or I yea or any Lorde the greatest in this lande reckon him selfe to haue by the possession of an heape of siluer or golde white and yelowe metâ—al not so profitable of theyr owne nature saue for a litle glistering as the â—ude rusty metâ—all of yron ¶ The .vi. Chapiter ¶ Of the vnsuertie of landes and possessions LAndes and possessions many men yet muche more esteme then money because the landes seme not so casuall as money is or plate for that though theyr other substaunce may be sâ—olne and taken away yet euermore they thinke that theyr land wyll lye styll where it layeâ— but what are we the better that our land can not be styrred but wyl lye sâ—yll where it laye while our selfe maye be remoued not suffered to come neare it what great difference is there to vs whither our substauÌ„ce be mouable or vnmouable syth we be so mouable our selfe that we may be remoued froÌ„ them both lese theÌ„ both twaineâ— sauing yâ— somâ— time â—n the money is the suertie somewhat more For when we â—e fayne our selfe to â—â—ee we may make shifte to cary some of our money with vs where of our land we can not cary one inche If our laÌ„d be a thing of more suertie than ourâ— money howe happeth it than that in this persecucion we be more frayde to lefe it For if it be athing of more surety than can it not so soone be lost In the translacion of these two greate Empiâ—rs Grece first sith my self was borne And after Siry since you were borne to the land was loste before the money was founde Oh Cosin Uincent if the whole worlde were anymated with a reasonable soule as Plato had went it were and that it had wytte and vnderstanding to marke perceiue all thing Lorde God howe the grounde on which a Prince buildeth his palace would lowd laugh his lord to sâ—orne when he sawe him proude of hys possession and hearde hym boaste him selfe that he and his bloud are for euer the very Lorde and oweners of that land For than woulde the grounde thinke that while in him self Ah thou sely poore soule that weneste thou were halfe a God and arte amidde thy glory but a man in a â—aye gowne I that am the grounde here ouer whom thou arte so proude haue had an hundreth such owners of me as thou callest thy selfe mâ—e than euer thou hast hearde the names of And some of them that proudly went ouer my headdeâ— lye nowe lowe in my belly and my â—yde lyeth ouer themâ— and many one shall as thou doest nowe call hym selfe myne owner after theâ— that neyther shal be sybbe to thy bloud or any worde heare of thy name who ought your castle Cosin thre thousand yere a goe Vincent Thre thousand Uâ—eâ—e Naye naye in any Kyng christen or heathen you maye strike â—f a thyrde parte of that well inoughe and as farre as I weene half of the remnauâ—te â—oo In farre feâ—er yeres than thre thousand it maye well fortune that a poore plough mannes bloud maye come vp to a kingdome and a kinges right royal kynne on the other syde fal dâ—une to â—he plough and carteâ— and neither that king knowe that euer he came fro the carte nor that carter knowe that euer he came from the crowne ¶ Antony We finde Cosin Uincent in ful Antentique storyes manye sâ—raunge chaunces as meruelous as that come aboute in the compasse of very fâ—we yeres in effect And be such thinges than in reason so greatly to be sette by that we shoulde esteme the losse at so greate when we see that in the keping our surety is so lytle ☞ Viâ—cent Marrye Uncle but the lesse suretye that we haue to kepe itâ— syth it is a greate commoditie to haue it the fearder by so much and the more lothe we be to forgoe it ☞ Anthony That reason shall I Cosin turne againste your selfe For if it be so as you saye that syth the thinges be commodious the lesse suerty that you see you haue of the keping the more cause you haue to be afrayde of the losing Than on the other side the more that a thinge is of hys nature such that the commoditye thereof bringeth a man lytle suerty and much feare that thing of reason the lesse haue we cause to loue And than the lesse cause that we haue to loue a thinge the lesse cause haue we to care theâ— fore or feare the losse thereof or be loth to goe therefrom The .vii. Chapter ¶ These outvvarde goodes or giftes of fortune are tvvo maner vvise to be coâ—sidered WE shal yet Cosin considre in these outwarde goodes of fortune as riches good nameâ— honest estimacion honorable fame aâ—d authoritie In all these thynges we shal I saye consydre that eyther we loue them and set by them as by thynges commodious vnto vs for the state and condicion of thys present lyfe or els as thynges that we purpose by the good vse therof to make theÌ„ matter of oure merite with god his helpe in the lyfe after to come Let vs than first consider theÌ„ as thinges set by and beloued for the pleasure and commoditie of them for thys presente lyfe The .viii. Chapter ¶ The 〈…〉 of riches being â—â—t by â—ut for this â—â—â—â—â—nt lyfe NOwe riches loued and set by for such if we consider it wel the commoditâ—e that we take therof is nâ—t so great as our owne fond affeccion and faÌ„tasy maketh vs imagine it It maketh vs I say not nayeâ— goe muche more gaye and glorious in sight garnished with silke but cloth is within a litle as warme It maketh vs haue great pleâ—â—y of many kinde of delicate and delicious victual and thereby to make more exceâ—se but leâ—se exquisâ—te aâ—d lesse superfluous fare with feâ—er suâ—â—aytes and fewer feuâ—rs growyng theron to were within a litle as wholesome than the labour in the getting the feare in the keâ—yng the payne in the partyng fro doe more thâ—n â—ounteâ—payse a great parte of al the pleasure and commoditie that they bryng Besydes thys that riches is the thyng that taketh many tymes froÌ„â—is maister al his
heare it hearken it but as they would an ydle tale rather for a pastime or for maner sake thaÌ„ for any substancial enteÌ„t or purpose to folow good aduertisement and take any frute therby But verely if we would not onely laye our eare but also our hearte therto considre that the saying of our sauiour Christe is not a Poetes fable nor an harpers song but the verye holy woord of almighty god himselfe we would wel we might be full sore ashamed in our self ful sory to when we felt in our affeccion those wordes to haue in our heartâ—s no more strength and wayght but that we remayn still of thesame dull mynde as we did before we hearde them This maner of ours in whose breastes the great good counsaile of God no better setleth nor taketh no better roote may wel declare vs that the thornes the bryers and brambles of our worldly substaunce growe so thicke spring vp so high in the ground of our hertes that they strangle as the gospell sayeth the woorde of God that was sowen therein And therfore is god very good lord vnto vs when he causeth like a good husband man his folke to come afield for the persecutors be his folke to this purpose and with their hookes their stocking yrons grubbe vp these wicked wedes busshes of our earthly substance cary them quite awaye from vs that the woorde of God sowen in oure heartes may haue rowme therin and a glad rounde aboute for the warmesome of grace to come to it and make it growe For surelye these woordes of our Sauiour shal we finde full true Vbi thesaurus tuus ibi est et cortuum Where as thy treasure is there is also thy heart If we lay vp our treasure in earth in earth shal be our herts Yf we send our treasure into heauen in heauen shall we haue our hertes And surely the greatest coumfort that any man maye haue in this tribulacion is to haue his heart in heaueÌ„ If thy heart wer in dede out of this world and in heauen al the kyndes of tormente that al this world could deuise could put theÌ„ to no pain here Let vs theÌ„ send our hertes heÌ„ce thither in such maner as we may by sending thither our worldly substaunce hence please god And let vs neuer doubte it but we shal that once done finde our heartes so conuersant in heauen with the glad consideracioÌ„ of our folowing the gracious counsayle of Chriâ—t that the coumfort of his holy spirite inspired vs therfore shal mitigate minishe asswage in a maner quenche the great furious feruour of the payn that we shal happe to haue by his louing sufferaunce for our farther merite in our tribulacioÌ„ And therfore like as if we saw that we should be within a while drieuen out of this land and fayn to flee into another we would wene that man wer mad whiche would not be content to forbeare his goodes here for the while and sende them into that lande before him where he sawe that he shoulde liue al the remnaunt of his life So maye we verely thinke yet oure selfe muche more madde seeyng that we be sure it can not be long ere we shal be sent spyte of our teeth oute of this world if the feare of a litle lacke or the loue to see our goodes here about vs and the lothnes to part from them for this litle while which we may kepe theÌ„ here shal be able to let vs from that sure sendyng them before vs into the tother worlde in which wee may be sure to liue wealthely with them if we sende them thither or els shortly leaue them here behinde vs and thaÌ„ staÌ„d in great ieopardy there to liue wretches for euer ¶ Vincent In good faythe vncle me thinke that concerning the losse of these outward thinges these coÌ„sideracions are so sufficieÌ„t comfortes yâ— for my own part saue onely grace well to remembre theÌ„ I woulde me thinke desyre no more ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Another comfort and courage agaynst the losse of vvorldly substaunce MUche lesse then this may serue Cosin with calling trusting vpon gods helpe without which muche more than this cannot serue But the feruour of the christen fayth so sore fainteth now adaies and decayeth coming from hote vnto leuke warme from leuke warme almost to kaye cold that men must nowe be fayne as at a fire that is almost out to lay many drye stickes therto and vse much blowing thereatâ— but els woulde I wene by my trouth yâ— vnto a warme faithful man one thing alone wherof we spake yet no word wer comfort ynough in this kind of persecuâ—ion agaynste the losse of all goodes ¶ Vincent What thing may that be vncle ¶ Anthony In good fayth Cosin euen the bare remeÌ„braunce of the pouertie that our Sauior willingly suffered for vs. For I verely suppose that if there wer a great king that had so teÌ„der loue to a seruaÌ„t of his that he had to helpe him out of daunger forsaken left of al his worldly welth royaltie become poore nedy for his sake the seruaÌ„t couldscant be found that wer of such an vnkind villayn corage that if himselfe came after to some substance would not with better wil lese it al â—gain than shamefully to forsake such a maister And therfore as I say I doe verely suppose that if we woulde wel remeÌ„bre in wardly considre the great goodnes of our sauiour Christ toward vs not yet being hys poore siuful seruantes but rather his aduersaries hys enemies And what welth of thys worlde that he willinglye forsoke for our sake being in dede vniuersal king therof so hauing the power in hys own haÌ„dâ— to haue vsed it if he had woulde in stede whereof to make vs ryche in heaueÌ„ he liued here in nedines pouertie al his lyfe nether would haue autoritie nor kepe netherlaÌ„des nor goodes The depe coÌ„sideracion earneâ—â— aduisemeÌ„t of this one point alone wer able to make ani kind christeÌ„ man or womaÌ„ wel conteÌ„t rather for his sake again to geue vp al that euer god hath lent them lent theÌ„ hath he al that euer they haue than vnkindly vnfaithfully to forsake hym And him they forsake if that for feare â—hey forsake the confession of his christen faith And therforâ— to finish this pece wiâ—hal concerning yâ— drede of lesing our outward worldly goodes let vs consider the slâ—ndre coÌ„moditie yâ— they bring with what labor they be bâ—ught how litle while they abyde with whoÌ„soeuer they be loÌ„gest what payn theyr pleasure is mingled withal what harme the loue of them doth vnto the soule what losse is in yâ— keping Christes fayth refused for theÌ„ what winning in the losse if we lese theÌ„ for gods sake how muche more profitable they be wel geuen than euil kept And finally what vnkindnes it wer if we would not rather forsake theÌ„ for Christes sake thaÌ„ vnfaythfully