him learne better to ken a lorde or els he sayd he wolde whyp hym naked And as they were talkynge sodenlye came rydyng towarde them the sheryffe of Murra all in veluet hauynge a cappe all full of golden agglettes The fool stepped forth to mete him and as soone as he came nere vnto hym he sayd gued day my lord and ye be not a mule Some man wyll saye that the saynge or doynge of a foole is but of smale strēgth to ouer throwe the opinion of many wyttye yonge men whyche describe a lorde or a gentle man onely by costlye apparel To whome I answere Saepe etiam stultus fuit opportuna loquutus That is a fool oft tymes hath spokē thynges to good purpose or in season Dyd not Balaams Asse speake wysely at a certayne tyme Well yf any man be greued that hys opiniō shulde be confuted wyth the sayeng and doynge of a fool let hym chuse one of these two whether he wyll the is whether the fool in thys hys doynge dyd wysely or foolyshly Yf he answer that he played the wysemās parte in takynge and halsyng the mules for lordes then muste he also do so and call al brute beastes mules that are trapped wyth veluet trimmed wyth golde lordes gyue that name whych belōgeth vnto honorable men vnto brute mules Yf he played the ryght foole then is he a foole that taketh and greteth hym for a lorde whych not by learnynge and knowlege but onely by costlye apparel differeth from an other mā Well thus dyd the poore Scottishe foole were it not pytie that manye wyse Englyshe men as they are taken shulde take and gret mules for lordes gentlemē Is it not possible that one mule may at this day cary an other Master Latemer thought so when syr Martin mydas rode to heare master Myles preache sayd when the sermō was done that hys mule was as wel absolued as he And as for buyldyng of costlye houses and trimmynge of them wyth costly hangynges and fayre waynscot manye marchauntes vse to do those thynges better thē many gētlemen do and yet for all that are no gentlemē Therfore these thinges are nether proper offices nor workes of gentlemē nether the seueral tokens whereby a gentleman may be knowē frō an other cōmon mā Then seyng these are nother offices nor workes nor markes belōgyng properly vnto a gentleman I must seke out what is his proper office what tokens he hathe and ought to haue whereby he maye be knowen from the cōmon people The propre office and worke of a ryght noble man is to set forth and defende the true religion of almyghty God to defende the innocentes to ponishe the euel doers and to shewe iustice and iudgement vnto all men that are vnder hys gouerment That the settynge forthe of Goddes worde the mayntenance of the same the destroyeng of al false doctrines contrary vnto it belōgeth vnto a noble man both general commaundemētes and proper examples in the holy Bible do playnly beare wytnes Almyghtye God geueth these commaundementes folowyng vnto all hys people and namely vnto the nobilite and iuges which are the chefe workers of these cōmaundemētes and all suche lyke as pertayne vnto iugement and ponyshynge of horrible trespasses although the cōmons be bounde in executyng of them Deute 7. to ayde them and helpe them Ouerthrowe sayeth almyghtye God the aultares of the heathen breake in peces their ymages and cut downe their groues Deuteronomi vii It is also wrytten Deuterono Deute 18. xviii Yf there by any prophete made frowarde wyth arrogancye that wyll speake those thynges in my name whych I commaunded hym not to speake or wyll speake in the name of other goddes he shal be slayne Who shall se these lawes executed but the nobles and gentlemen Thē belongeth it vnto them to destroye all false and conterfet religion and to destroye all false teachers preachers and to mayntayne the true learnynge of almyghtye God and the preachers of the same We reade in the bokes of the Kynges and Paralipomenon that all the moste excellent and best kynges soone after that they began to reigne dyd mainteyne goddes true religion in puttyng downe of Groues chappels churches wherin false religiō was mayntayned and dyd set forth the true religion and maynteyned the preachers of the same We reade in the same bokes that some of the Kynges besyde that they destroyed ydoles and their tempels dyd also both reade the scripture in the Temple their owne selues and sent out many preachers to preache the true worde of God whiche had bene before their dayes in the tyme of their fathers hyd and vnknowen vnto the folke of God 3. Reg. 15. Asa as it is wrytten in the .xv. chapter of the thirde boke of the kynges whyche dyd it that was ryght in the syght of the Lorde as hys father Dauid dyd before hym toke awaye the effeminate out of the lande and scoured quyte away al the fylth of the ydolles which his fathers had made He remoued also his mother Maachan that she should not be the cheffe in the sacrifice of Priapus and in that place that she had hallowed He also ouerthrewe her denne and brake the moste fylthy ydole burnte it besyde the broke Cedron Thys dyd the good Kynge Asa and he dyd it that was ryghte in the syghte of god But though these thinges had ben good of them selues yet yf they had not perteyned vnto his office or had perteined vnto an other vocacion then to hys God wolde haue ponyshed hym for enteryng into an other mannes office as he ponyshed the Kynge Ozias wyth a perpetual Lepry for entryng into the office of the Sacrificers when he offered vp frankencense vpon the frākencense altare ◠par 26. But the scripture maketh no mention of any ponishment of God that came vpō Asa for puttyng downe of ydoles But it sayeth expresselye that Asa dyd it that was right in the syght of God Therfore it was hys office to put downe ydolles temples and to destroye ydolatrye And it that is said of Asa muste haue place also in other good Kynges whiche did such like thinges vnto these that Asa dyd Iosaphat as the .xvii. Chapter of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon beareth wytnes 2. par 17. was a ryght good man and the Lord was wyth hym Thys Iosaphat after that hys herte had taken boldnes for the wayes of the Lorde toke also out of Iuda the high places and the groues And in the thyrde yeare of hys reygne he sente out of hys princes and ruelers Benail Abdia zacharias Nathanael and Micheas to teache in the cyties of Iuda and wyth them Leuites Semia Nathonia and zabadia wyth other wyth them Belisima and Ioram sacrificers or preestes And they hauynge the boke of the lawe of the Lorde taught the people of Iuda and they wente about into euery cytie of Iuda and taught the people The same Iosaphat as it is written in
the .xix. Chapter of the fornamed boke wēt out vnto the people he sat not playeng at dice and cardes nor dalyeng wyth his maides at home in his chāber nether wente he out only to hūtynge or to se Bearbaytinges but he wente out vnto hys people from Barsabe vnto mount Ephraim and there he cōmaūded them not to pay vntollerable sūmes of money neither to returne vnto the lernynge that they their fathers were brought vp in from their tender yeres and as their fathers foūd taught exercised But he called them agayn vnto the Lorde God of their fathers And he ordeyned iuges of the lande in euery walled cytie thorow out al Iuda Thys good kynge this good noble and gentleman thought that it was hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to sende out preachers to preache the true worde of God and he dysdayned not to go abrode in visitacion hys owne selfe to call hys people agayne vnto the true God from the whyche they had departed and fallen awaye 2. par 29 and. 30 Ezechias the noble kynge whome the spirite of god so greatly cōmendeth rekened it to be one of the principal partes of his kynglye office to destroye all ydolatrye to purge the churche of God and to set for the wyth all diligence the true worde of God And yf thys good and vertuous gentlemā take it to be one of the principall partes of hys office to destroye false religion and to set forthe the ryght and true religion all that are ryghte gentle men and not ydoles and ymages of gentlemen wyll also reken it the principal parte of their office as far as their cōmission wyll serue them to destroye and to put downe ydolatrye and to set out to maynteyne the true religion of God and the ministers of the same All ye then that are ryght gentlemen hear what the holy scripture reporteth of thys noble gentleman Ezechias was .xxv. yeare olde when he entred into the kyngdome of Iuda he dyd it that was pleasaunt in the syght of God In the very fyrst yeare and first moneth of hys reygne he opened the dores of the Lordes house and he repayred them And he brought Leuites and sacrificers and he set them together in the Gast streate And he sayd vnto thē Heare me o Leuites and be you made holy make cleane the house of the Lorde God of youre fathers and take awaye al vnclennes out of the holy sanctuary He brake downe the hygh places burned the ymages and cut downe the groues and brake the brasen serpēt whych Moses made because the chyldren of Israel offered frankincense vnto it Ezechias also wrote epistles vnto al Israel and Iuda to Ephraim and Manasses that they shulde come vnto the house of the Lorde in Hierusalem and to kepe the solēne feast of the Passeouer there Certeyne spedy messengers were sent forthe into al Israel and Iuda wyth the kynges letters at the commaundement of the kynge and his nobilite proclamyng the contentes therof accordyng vnto the kynges cōmaūdement The summe of his letters was thys O ye chyldren of Israel returne vnto the Lorde God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel and he wyll returne vnto the remnauntes whych haue escaped out of the handes of the Assirians Be not ye lyke vnto youre fathers and brethren whyche ran awaye from the Lorde God of their fathers whyche therfore brought them vnto destruccion as ye se Gyue your handes vnto the Lorde and come vnto his sanctuary whych he hath hallowed for euer Serue the Lorde God of your fathers and the wrath of hys great indignacion shal be turned awaye from you c. Thus dyd the good kynge Ezechias thynke that it was the chief parte of his vocacion to destroye ydolatrye and to set forth the true religion The noble and vertuous gentleman kyng Iosias who as the holye worde of God beareth wytnesse dyd it that was ryghte in syght of the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys father Dauid and nether bowed to the ryght hande nor lefte hande toke it to be the moste principall parte of hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to set forthe and to promote the true religion and worde of God And therfore when as he was but a boye of xvi yeres of age As the .xxxiii. Chapter of the second boke of Paralipomenō wytnesseth began to seke the God of his father Dauid and in the twelft yeare of hys reygne that is when he was but twentye yeare olde for he began to reygne whē he was but .viii. yeare olde he clensed Iuda Hierusalem from the hygh places and groues from caste ymages and graued ymages And they destroyed before hym the aulters of Baal and they destroyed the ymages that was set aboue He cut also downe the grauen ymages and the groues and brake them in peces he scattered and strowed the peces vpon the graues of them that had wont to offer And burnt all the sacrificing preestes bones vpon the alters of the ydolles he made cleane Iuda and Hierusalem But also in the cyties of Manasses Ephraim Simeō vnto Nepthalim he destroyed al suche thynges And when he had broken downe the alters the groues and had broken the grauen ymages into peces and had pulled downe al the temples of false goddes in Israel he returned to Hierusalem And in the .xviii. yeare of his reigne when as he was but .xxvi. yeare olde when as the lande was clenged and the temple made clene he sent certayne of his seruauntes to repaire the house of the Lorde his God 2. par 34. And whyles they were aboute that busines Helkias the hyghe sacrificer or preest founde the boke of the lawe whyche was geuen by the hande of Moses in the house of the Lorde and he gaue it vnto Sapha the secretary and the secretary brought it vnto the Kinge and red it before them After that the kynge had hearde the wordes of the lawe he rent hys clothes and commaunded Helkia and diuers other sayeng go your wayes praye vnto the Lorde for me and for the remnant of Israel and Iuda for all the wordes of thys boke that is founde For the hyghe displeasure and angre of almyghtye God hath ben poured vpon vs for not kepynge all the wordes that are contayned in the boke that is founde Then what blynde madnes is it to cōmende gouerners and rulers whyche saye that God hath poured hys vengeaunce vpon vs because we haue not kepte vnwritten tradicions of man I muste nowe my lordes and maisters are you a question as it becommeth the Phisicion to do wyth his patientes and it is thys Yf it had not belōged vnto the kynge and had not bene hys office to se the worde of God set forth that al the people myght read it heare it What nedeth he to haue rent hys clothes what should he haue neded to desyre the hygh preest or sacrificer with other to praye for hym and to sende to a prophetise to
A nevv booke of spirituall Physik for dyuerse diseases of the nobilitie and gentlemen of Englande made by William Turner doctor of Physik Prouer. 12. The waye of the folyshe man semeth ryght in hys owne eyes but he that is wyse wyll heare counsell Ad nobilem Britannum Viuere fi cupias multos feliciter annos Et post hanc vitam regna videre Dei Pharmaca quae grata Turnerus mēte propinat In mentem penitus sume quam tutus eris Anno. 1555. 10. Calen. Martij ¶ To the ryght honorable Dukes Erles the Duke of Northfolke the Duke of Suthfolke the Erle of Arundale the Erle of Derbi the Erle of Shrosbery the Erle of Huntyngton the Erle of Combrelande the Erle of Westmerlande the Erle of Penbrook and the Erle of Warwik William Turner Physician wyssheth perfyt knowlege in Goddes holy worde and grace to lyue acordyng vnto the same RYght myghtye princes honorable lordes thys haue I marked in dyuers places of Germani that after that the burgesses and cytezenes haue bylded them cyties and haue made good and holsome lawes for the maintenaunce of all kynde of good order there haue chosen vnto them certeine lordes whyche they call in theyr tounge Schermheeren that is defendyng lordes to defende theyr cities when as they are perfytlye bylded and set in good order Knowyng wel by experience that there is no cytie so strongly bylded and well ordered but it shal haue enuyers and mortal enemyes at one tyme or other Euen so I after that I had made thys lytle boke and set it in as good order as I coulde fearyng nay rather precyslye knowynge that there shall many aryse whych wyl either slaunder it and blame it or els wyl condemne it and burne it as an hereticall and seditius booke before they haue caste and reproued it by any sufficient wytnesses ether of scripture or of reason amonge all the hole nobilite of Englande I am compelled by great nede to chuse you and desyre you to be patrones and defenders of this my lytle boke onely so farre as it agreeth with natural reason and wyth the wrytten worde of God Yf that any wise and learned man can reproue and iustly ouercome any thynge that I haue wrytten in thys booke wyth reason and scripture I wyll amende it that is amysse and recant it whyche is wrytten agaynst the scripture But yf no suche thynge can be founde in it I beseche you as Goddes ministers and officers vnder hym to defende it so longe as it shal be founde reasonable and godly But leste I shuld put you vnto to muche paine I wyll aunswere aforehand to sum obiections whych I reken wyll be made agaynst me Some who wold be loth that theyr sores shulde be touched wyll saye why do ye not go aboute as well to heale the clergye the cōmones as ye go aboute nowe to correcte vs There is neither of bothe those orders but it hadde as muche nede of Physike as the nobilite hath I aunswere that yf the clergye be sik the nobilite ought to be their phisicianes and healers Howe can the nobilite heale them when they are sik them selues Howe shall the cōmones be healed when as their physicians in politike thynges the noble men and theyr physicianes in spirituall matters the shepherdes are bothe so sik that they are not able to do theyr owne duties Therfore it is not possible to heale the other two orders excepte the order of gentylmen be fyrst healed Forthermore whē as I intende to intreate of diuerse matters after the order of physike what a foolyshe Physician shulde I haue bene yf that I shulde beselye haue gone aboute to heale the legges and the thyghes and not offered any remedye at all vnto the harte the lyuer and the hede When as all physik wolde that the principall partes shulde be fyrst loked to and healed because all the prosperite and health of the lower partes hange vpon the health and welfare of the ouer and principall partes and the nether partes muste nedes be sike as long as the ouer partes are not perfytlye healed Thys matter is proued to be true not only by physik and naturall reason Eccl. 10. but also by the scripture whyche sayeth Eccle 10. As the gouerner of the cytie is so are also they that dwell in it Then seynge that these gentylmen wyll be the principall partes and the hede of the common wealth acording vnto reason and to nature they muste go before all the reste in the cōmon wealth whyche thinge they can not do yf they be not healed before Therfore it is necessary that the gētlemen be fyrste healed Where in when I haue done as muche as I can do for my parte I wyll offer some physike both vnto the clergye and to the yemanry of thys realme leste I shulde seme to fauour one kynde of men more then an other Yf any man thynke that I dishonor your lordshippes in dedicatyng my boke vnto you and in speakynge vnto you and to other lordes in many places of the booke as thoughe ye were onely the sik men to whom I offer physik onely to I aunswere that therin I dyshonour you not but honor you as muche as lyeth in me whilse I make you the heade of all the nobilite in Englāde vnder the Quene For when as ye are the heade of the bodye of the nobilite it were no wysedome for me to speake vnto the sik belly fete and backe whyche for lacke of eares can hear nothing at all When a man hath the goute in his too or the ciatica in hys huckell bone or the collik in hys bellye no wyse physician wyll speake vnto the too nether vnto the hukkell bone nether vnto the bellye but he speaketh vnto the heade whych heareth and receyueth counsell and physik also for all the reste of the partes of the hole bodye and thoughe these aboue named partes be onely vexed and the hede be hole and sounde yet God and nature haue ordeyned that the hede shall bothe receyue all maner of counsel medicines be they neuer so bitter vgly for the vylest parte of al the bodye Therfore I dishonor not your lordships but honor you as mych as lyeth in me whē as I do none other wyse vnto you then God and nature wolde that I shulde do Thys in moste humble wyse I beseche your lordshippes for the loue that ye owe vnto God and to the cōmon welth of Englande that ye loke well vpon my physik and trye it to the vttermoste yf ye fynde it lawfull then take it vnto you and into you and dispose it and sende it to suche partes of the bodye of the nobilite as haue moste nede of it and I dout not but that many that are nowe sicke shal be well healed to the glorye of God and to the profyt of the common welthe The Lorde Iesus the great Physiciane whyche is able to heale both bodye and soule heale all them that are sik and
men and gentyll men sick in England To proue that dyuerse gentle men and noble men in Englande do not their offices that belonge vnto them it is required that I first tell who is a noble mā or a gentil man what is the office of a gentlemā how many workes and properties belōge vnto a noble or gentleman and wherin hys office standeth It is therfore necessary to shewe what is a nobleman or a gentilmā because in thys boke I make so ofte mention of noble men and gentlemen lest some shuld not knowe to whome I ordeyne prepare thys phisick Nobilis in latine be tokeneth any gentilman what so euer degre he be of so that he be aboue the cōmō people not only a Duke or suche gentilmen as are onely aboue the degrees of a knyght as this worde Noble is cōmonly vsed in our Englyshe tōge now a dayes Nobilis cōmeth of Notabilis by taking awaye of ta He is Notabilis which is well knowen and may be discerned from the cōmon sorte by some excellent qualitie of body or mynde A gentleman hath hys name of thys worde gens gentis whych may be called in Englyshe a folk a nacion or a family so that it appereth that a gentleman is he that is commed of some notable house famely or surname for gentlemen cōmonly haue their surnames other of their famely or mansion houses where as they were borne The cōmon sorte of men which are no gentlemen in many countres haue none other name of their folk or kin but suche as they receyued of their Godfathers when they are baptised As it is in lowe Germany and in Scotlande In low Germany where as I haue ben moste there is almoste no man sauyng gentlemen that haue any surname or name of theyr famely or kynred For the yemen are ether called by the townes that that they are borne in as Herman van Vtrecht Ian van Munster Henryk van der Busche Or of their fathers name as Iohan Henricus Bernard Clause or of their occupacion or of their fathers occupacion as Bert luchtemaker Hanse Dretler The Scottes in great plentye and some Englyshe men which are yemē men and of no famose famelye or kynred haue their syrnames of their fathers christē names and of their fathers occupatiōs as Iohn Wilyems Thomas Diksen Rafe Robson Steuen Gardiner Thomas Turner Laurēce Taylor and many suche other whose parentes haue bene no gentlemen but of the low and base sorte of the people Hetherto haue I onelye spoken of the etymologi of the name of a noble man and a gentle man Now wyll I describe a gentleman as well as I can A gentle or noble man is an excellent persone ether in qualities of body or mynde or one that is cōmed of noble parētes forefathers ordened promoted of God alone or of God and his gouerners vnder hym in earthe to dignitie and to gouerne ether all or some parte of the cōmon wealth or churche of Christe in matters pertaynyng vnto the outwarde gouernement And thys description is grounded vpon Scripture Reason Philosophie as I shall partly declare here after ¶ Of the office workes learnynge and knowlege that belonge vnto a noble or gentilman NOwe after that I haue tolde you what a gentilman is and that it is God that maketh hath made all ryght gentlemen let vs se for what ende purpose he made them and whether a gentleman serueth for any purpose in the cōmon welthe or no or he is but an ydle superfluus and a dead parte of the politike bodye or no. And yf he be a parte of the bodye whether is he the belly that wasteth all thynge that the rest of the bodye wynneth or he is an arme that defendeth the body wyth hys strength or the head that saueth it wyth wit and learnyng or no. The common sorte of gentlemen beleueth that God hath made them in vayne and that they are bounde to do nothyng at all for their lyuyng that they haue and that the proper office worke and callynge of a gentleman is onlye to hauk and to hunt to dyce and to carde to sweare and to bragge to pype synge and daunce to make fyne cursy to banket to weare proude apparell and to haue gorgius houses The Philosophers and wyse men of the gentyls whych by the lawe of nature that was wrytten in their hartes knewe partlye the nature of god by his creatures wyth one assent and agremēt holde that God made nothyng in vayne The same thynge maye ye learne of the partes of a mans body wherin no parte is so lytle or smale but it serueth for one purpose or other As ye maye well learne of Galene the Phisiciane in hys boke that he wrote of the vse and office of the partes of a mans bodye Then whē as the politike bodye of the common welthe ought to be lyke vnto the naturall bodye of man whyche is called of some wyse men the lesse world ther ought no part to be in the politik body without office wherfore yf ye be creatures of Goddes makyng true members of the politik bodye ye muste nedes haue some worke office in it or els ye muste be vnprofitable brāches which brynge forth no frute and therfore worthy to be cut of and to be caste into the fyre Yf ye requyre scripture to proue it that I haue proued before by Philosophers and by reason I wyl proue you by scripture that gentlemen ought to haue some worke and office in the cōmon wealthe and that they are not ordened of God to be idle and to haue no office as many idle ruflers do beleue at thys tyme. Moses sayeth that God dyd se that all thynges that he made were very good Then yf gentlemen be of goddes creation they are very good for somthynge Yf they be made good and that for some good thyng then are they not ordened for to be ydle and vnoccupied Whē as almyghty God sayd vnto Adam in the sweate of thy browes shalte thou eate thy breade he graūted no priuilege vnto gentlemē that they should be exempted frō all labour for they were at the tyme of that curse as well in the loynes of Adam as the yemen men were Therfore they muste also labour haue some office and do some seruice to God for their meat and drynke for their other good turnes that they receyue of their lorde and maister almyghty God Paule the Apostle in the seconde epistle vnto the Thessalonians cannot abyde suche ydle felowes as wil go vp and downe wyl do no good for their meat drynke And the same Paule cōmaundeth suche as are warned to labor and to fall to some kynde of honest exercise profitable for the cōmon wealth and wyl not shulde be excōmunicated The wordes of Paule 2. thes 3 2. thes 3. are these Brethren we commaunde you thorowe the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ that ye wythdrawe your selues frō euery brother
whych behaueth himselfe inordinatly not according vnto the ordināce which he hath receaued of vs. For ye know how ye ought to folowe vs. For we haue not behaued our selues inordinatly amongest you Nether haue I receyued bread of any mā for nothīg but with labor sweate working day and night for this end that I wold not be thargeable vnto any of you Not because that it is not lawful for any of vs but that I might set my self out as an exāple vnto you to folow For whē we were with you this did we cōmaūd you that yf any man wold not labor that the same shulde not eat For we hear that there are some cōuersant amonge you lyuyng inordinatly doyng no worke but doyng curiously Them that are suche we comaūd beseche in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they workyng with quietnes eat their owne bread Ye that are my brethrē be not wery of well doyng Yf ther be any that obeyeth not our worde certifye me of hym by a letter haue no felowship with hym that he maye be ashamed Hetherto Paule The Lorde Iesus our kyng maister also cōpareth himselfe vnto a man that goeth from home into a far cōtre he cōpareth his disciples christianes vnto suche seruaūtes as haue receiued their maisters substance or power haue euery man their worke and office apointed vnto them Our maisters wordes are these Marci 13. As a man that goeth frō home leaueth his house a hath geuen vnto hys seruauntes power or hys substance and to euery man hys worke c. Yf gentle mē that is to saye Kynges Dukes Erles Lordes Knyghtes Squiers be Christes seruauntes and he hath geuen vnto them any of his power or substance then hath he geuen them also a worke for he hath appointed euery one of hys seruaūtes a worke Yf they haue a worke a vocacion appointed vnto them then thei are not wythout an office then maye they not thinke that they are bound to do nothyng profitable for the rest of the congregacion or politik body that they are of When as Christe shall saye in the daye of iudgement or in the ende of euery mans lyfe gyue accompt of thy stewardship shall the nobilite make no accompt at all Yf gentlemen may be ydle haue no worke nor office appointed them then shall they not nede to make any accompt of their stewardship But they shall gyue accompt of their stewardship therfore they haue some office and work appointed them by the kynge of heauen their Lorde and maister Saint Paule sayeth that we muste al out taking no man be opened before the iugement seat of Christ that euery man may receyue accordyng vnto those thynges that he hath done in hys bodye whether it be good or euel And Christ sayeth that in the daye of iudgement they that haue done good thynges shall go into euerlastynge lyfe they that haue done euel thinges shall go into euerlasting fyre Then they that are idle men and do no good shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen but God hath ordened heauen for gentlemen for he wolde that all men shulde be saued therfore they are ordened to do good vnto the common wealth and not to be ydle Some wytty gentleman perchaunce wyll saye we shall not be taken out of the nombre of ryght gentlemen for lack of labour and for idlenes labour we not whē we hunt and hauke is it not labour to daunce he that hunteth longe foloweth ernestly his game and he that daūseth longe laboreth I warrant you and sweateth wyth laboryng he that dyceth and cardeth laboreth earnestly wyth hys mynde thus do we Therfore we are not al together ydle Ye are in dede when ye do these thynges nether vtterly idle nor yet altogether wel occupied your maister which gaue you your lādes goodes wyl not alowe these youre vnthrifty pastymes for a ryght labor because he cōmaūded you neuer to occupye them therfore wyl he saye vnto you that bragge so muche of gentlenes nobilite do nothyng that belongeth therto but hunt hauk dyce carde who required these thinges of your hādes As ye haue not done vnto my congregacion so haue ye not done vnto me But ye haue don no good vnto it therfore ye haue done no good vnto me therfore haue I no place for you in my kyngdome Furthermore haukynge and huntynge dycynge cardyng sweryng of great othes wearyng of costly apparel and buyldyng of costly houses and trimmyng of them wyth costly hangynges are not the offices and laboures properly and seuerally belongyng vnto a noble or gentlemā For Lyons Beares and Wolues hunt for Calues Foules and suche lyke beastes Kytes and Kestrels hauke for chikens goslinges and butterflies As for dycyng and cardynge and abominable swearyng and fyne lutynge and daunsynge and making prety curtesye baudes and brothelles ruffianes and rybaldes pypers and players can do all these thynges as well and do them as ofte as any gentleman in England doth or can do They that thinke that costly apparel doeth make a gentle or noble man may be bothe merely mocked and strongly confuted by a tale whych was tolde me of an honeste man borne and brought vp in Scotlād The tale was of one Ihoan of Low the kynge of Scottes fool Thys symple mā stode in a place where as many lordes other gentlemen cam by but the sely fool nether greted nor put of his hood to any of al the lordes that came by The which thing a certein curtier of the kynges house seyng rebuked the fool sharply bet him a lytle and threatned him that he wolde whyp hym except he wolde grete the nexte lordes that he sawe Poore Iohn sayd that he wolde gladly grete the nexte lordes that he sawe yf the curtier wolde tell hym howe that he myght knowe a Lorde from an other man For he sayd that he knewe not a lorde from an other man Then quod the curtier thou shall knowe lordes by these tokens They weare veluet and haue golde vpon their cappes and about their neckes Well quoth the fool I shal lexe token them as well as I kan And vpon the nexte daye as soone as Iohn cam abrode he sawe a great sort of byshoppes other lordes mules standynge at the court gates trapped with veluet costly trimmed wyth golde wherfore he remembring his lesson that the curtier had taught hym strayght waye as soone as he sawe them he went vnto them and cryed a great whyle to euery one after an other gued daye my lorde gued daye my lorde euen vntyll the Curtier hys scolemaister came oute sawe hym making curtesy and gretynge the mules As soone as the foole sawe hys scoolmaister he said vnto him Am I not a good sun nowe Thou art mad quoth the curtier for these are mules no lordes Why quoth the fool but these weare veluet and gold on their heades The curtier bet the fool and bad
authoritie out of the newe testament to proue that it belongeth vnto the Kinges Dukes Erles Lordes and other noble and gentlemen to exercyse iustice and iugemēt Rom. 13. and to defende the innocent and to ponishe the euell I wyl shew two euident places to proue the same Paule in the .xiii. of the epistle vnto the Roma declareth expressedly that the office of prynces is to defende the innocent to ponyshe the euel His wordes are these They that do well nede not to feare the princes but suche as do euel Wyll thou not be afrayed of the power do it that is good and thou shalt haue prayse of hym For he is goddes seruaunt or officer to thee vnto good But yf thou do it that is euell feare for he beareth not the sworde in inuayne for he is Goddes officer and an angry aduenger vnto hym that dothe euel Peter also in the seconde chapter of hys former Epistle teacheth vs that it is not onely the office of a kynge to defende the good and to ponyshe the euel but that the same is also the office of other rulers and officers vnder hym as ye be His wordes are these Be you obedient vnto euery creature of man for the Lordes sake whether it be the king as moste execellent or dukes or gouerners whyche are appointed by hym for the ponyshment of the euel doers and for the commēdation of weldoers These thynges are they where in chiefly stāde the office dutie of a ryght noble or gentleman all these thynges are al Emperores Kynges Dukes Erles Barons Knyghtes Squyers and all other gentlemen bounde to do But these thynges can they not do wythout great learnyng and knowlege and specially in the holy scripture For howe shall that noble man knowe whether he be kynge duke or erle howe to destroye ydolatrye and fats worshippynge of God and set out the true religion whyche hathe not learned what is ydolatrye what is true religion and wherin the one standeth and wherin the other standeth He that knoweth not both the contraries knoweth not parfytlye one of them Howe shall he be able to iuge and say thys is ryght whyt whych knoweth not blacke Howe shall he knowe what is euell that knoweth not what is good Howe shal he iudge whyche is whyte and whych is blacke that is blynde and can se no colour Howe shall he iuge after the ciuile lawe that neuer knew it Howe shall he iuge after the law of God or man that neuer learned nor knewe any of both Aristotel Quae quisque no uit de ijs vere iudicat eorumque est aequus aestimator Sayeth Aristotel that is euery man iudgeth those thynges truly that he knoweth Therfore wythout great learnyng and namely in the word of God no person cā rightly exercyse the office of kynge or gouerner or of a noble or gentleman When a man of the contre cōmeth to a gentlemā that is his landlorde or to a iustice of peace or to a knight or to a lorde or an erle or a duke or a kynge and accuseth hys neyghbour of blasphemy or heresy for sayeng it that was ones breade cā not be made God Yf the gentleman be ygnoraūt in the scripture to whom thys accuser cōmeth and wote not what is blasphemy but only foloweth that learnynge that he hath receyued of vnlearned preestes false prophetes putteth in pryson the mā accused for thys sayeng and the poore man dyeth in prison in the meane season whyche myght haue lyued yf he had ben out of pryson what shall we saye of thys Iuge is he not a murtherer Thinke ye that on the daye of iudgement whē god shal inquyre why that gentleman kylled or cast in pryson an innocēt thynke ye that yf the gentylman answere I knew no better that God the great iuge which made althing and was neuer made wyll allowe thys excuse I trowe not Thynke ye that the gentlemē of Cambridgeshyre and the Iudges whyche keste Iohn Warde paynter into pryson amongest theues and murderers for sayeng that it was as lawful to set a candle before hys hat as before a paynted ymage shall scape vnponyshed yf they dyd not repent them afterwarde Wyll thys excuse I knewe no better be then allowed in suche as were by the expressed commaūdemēt of God charged to haue parfyt knowlege of the law of God I trowe naye Was it not a greate shame that Iudges whyche wyth a fewe other of that profession wyll are almoste only called learned mē shulde be so ignoraunt in scripture that they kest an innocent into pryson namely whē as a paynter told hys matter so that no scripture learned iudge wolde haue condemned hym to prison but rather wolde haue commended hym That Iuges maye learne herafter to iuge better and to auoyd the shame that the forsayd iuges had and the ponishment that abideth for them except they haue repēted thē selues I wyl reherse the hole storye Ihon warde aboute xx yeares ago made a fayre paynted ymage of S. Christophor where vnto he had ioyned a deuout interpretacion of saint Christophors lyfe and he had set out the ymage very lyuely in a table this set he before him in hys pew in the churche to learne to be a ryght Christophor But with in a moneth that he had set vp hys table certein supersticius people set were candels before the ymage that he had painted trimmed set vp Therfore he beynge offended wyth the supersticion of the people keste downe all the candelles and toke awaye out of the churche hys ymage agayne and caried it home and vntyl he came agayne he left hys hatte in the place where hys ymage was before And when he came agayne to churche one axed hym what he ment to set hys hatte in the place of hys ymage and he answered to se whether any wyll be so mad to worship my hatte as they were to worshyp my ymage Thynke you quoth the Papist to Ward that any man wyl be so mad to worship your hat Ward answered they maye as wel worshyp my hatte as my ymage for the hatter is as holy a mā as I am and hys handworke deserueth as well to haue candelles set vp before it as myne dothe And for thys hys sayeng whē as he was accused therof and cōfessed it he was iuged worthy to haue lyke imprisonmēt wyth theues and murderers Wolde not the knowlege of scripture haue don good seruice vnto these blynde iudges yes a great deale more then .x. queyres of pedlers frenche But perchaunce the great men I meane Kynges Dukes Erles Lordes Knyghtes and other gentlemen wyll saye there are lawyers learned mē enough to do this busynes what yf it be our duetye and office to gyue iudgemēt in suche maters when as we maye do thys parte of our office and dutie by our seruauntes or other why shulde we be combered therwith Do not ye knowe my lordes and masters that ther is none of you all that
shamefully many hundreth yeres and no maÌ„ is able to defende the contrarye I do perceyue that some of you are indiffereÌ„t and are not maryed vnto one kynde of men more then another wherfore ye maye in these controuersies be the more indiffereÌ„t iudges But I hear saye that there is an other sorte of the nobilite that are so partial in these maters that are nowe in controuersie that what so euer reason or scripture be brought of the other parte that they fauour not they wil not beleue it but yet wythout any reason or scripture or any other sufficient profe or trial of theyr doctrine embrace and gladly receyue all suche doctrine and tradicions as theyr chosen prophetes teache them whome they fauour and fantasye The same affectionate people whyche truste so in these men wythout any trial of theyr doctrine whether it be good or bad are so tender ouer theyr owne bodyes that they wyll nether eare any meate nor drynke any drinke though theyr cokes and butlers be neuer founde fautye in theyr offices in al theyr liues except there be an assay takeÌ„ of their meat and drynke before Yea I heare say that some dare not eate of the meat that is dressed of theyr coÌ„moÌ„ cookes in the coÌ„mon kytchens be the cokes neuer so honest men and these wyll neither truste their cookes nor assayers and therfore eate no meate but suche as is dressed of their maidens in theyr owne presence in theyr owne secrete chambers Wolde to God these loued their soules so wel the soules of all them that are vnder their gouermeÌ„t as they do their owne natural bodyes As the meat of the bodye yf it be good fedeth and norysheth the body and saueth it froÌ„ peryshynge and yf it be poysoned it kylleth the bodye euen so the doctrine or preachynge whych is the food of the soule yf it be good saueth the soule so yf it be noughty and false it poysoneth and kylleth the soule Is it theÌ„ godly wysedome to se and trye it which goeth into their bodies wyth theyr owne eyes to be good holsome before they receyue it and to receyue of their olde gostly cokes what so euer they dresse for them vnsene vntasted and vnassayed Though their bodely cokes haue serued them neuer so longe they wyl take nothyng that is dressed of them except they se it wyth theyr owne eyes assayde whye truste they then their spirituall cookes so well that wythout any further assay or trial receyue into theyr soules what so euer meate they dresse for them gyue them Perchance they wyl say that seculare and maried cookes hauing wyues and chyldren may easely for a brybe be brought to poysone their masters and maistresses but spiritual and vnmaryed men are more to be trusted in their spiritual cookery because they are wyuelesse and nede not to be compelled vnto poysenynge for lacke of lyuinges because they haue enoughe and also by touchyng dayly the body bloud of Christ are holyer then the worldly cookes are and so halowed wyth the holy oyle wherwyth they were anoynted in the tyme of their consecracion that they can not kyll vs with poysoned meate as the secular may easely do And therfore what so euer our spirituall cookes sende vs that is good and holsome that wyl we receyue wythout any further tryal We knowe them and trust them so well To whom I answere that not only forein stories but also that our owne cronicles beare wytnes that these spirituall wyueles cookes for all their touchynge of their Christes bodye dayly and for all theyr holye oyntment haue euen bodely poysoned not onely kynges and princes but also dyuers other honest men besydes that I can proue that spiritually they haue poysoned many thousandes In the cytie of Berna iiii freres poysoned a tayler wyth the poysoned bread of the sacrameÌ„t in our dayes the same were burnt for their labor A spiritual wiueles cooke a black monke wel anointed poysoned kinge Iohn as our stories beare wytnes We reade in dyuers stories the monkes other wyueles anointed cookes poysoned not only Emperors kynges but also poysoned the sacramentall bread whyche they toke for their Lord their God TheÌ„ euen wyueles spiritual cookes wyll poysone kynges quenes wheÌ„ as they ar not aferd to poyson their God him selfe Thus far haue I spoken of bodely poyson But as touching spiritual poison that is to say concernyng marring of mens mindes with false doctrine the coÌ„ningest beste betrusted cooke that they haue nowe at this tyme who rueleth the roste alone hathe ether serued out poyson vnto kynge Henry the .viii. to al Europa or els Quene Mary is a bastard yf false doctrine be poyson of the soule she be a bastarde that is borne out of lawfull matrimony Steuen Gardiner an vnder cooke in the Cardinal Wolfe Wolsey hys house and afterwardes alowed of kynge Henry the eyght to be a maister cooke and hys principall cooke for a loÌ„ge tyme râ—led the roste in the kynges house as boldly as saucely as hys maister dyd before hym as the blowe vpon his cheke that my Lorde of Warwyke gaue hym maye beare wytnes But wheÌ„ as thys cooke shoulde serue out a dyshe of obedience vnto the kynge and vnto all the West churche he poudered it wyth suche poyson that he made the kynge an hore master our Quenes mother an hore oure Quene Mary a bastard Is it good trustyng of suche a wyueles anoynted cooke Are not then wyueles cookes as muche to be suspected of spiritual poyson as other cookes are to be suspected of bodely poyson Yea a great deale more For your bodely cookes were neuer taken wyth any suche offece for yf they had ben taken therwith they shoulde haue bene streyghtwaye hanged or scalded to death for their labour Thys cooke for all hys poysoned seruice is so trusted nowe that he is made Chancelor of England and presideÌ„t of all the counsell But lest any maÌ„ should denye that theyr maister cooke S. Garde dyd euer any suche thing I wyll brynge hys owne wordes wherin he confesseth opeÌ„ly to al the worlde hys dede and as yet I for my parte haue neuer herd nor red that he repeÌ„ted him of his so doyng Hys wordes are these The Leuiticall coÌ„maundementes of the forbydden and vnnaturall horyshe matrimonies pertaynyng vnto the chastitie and clenenes of matrimonye wherin the hole felowship of mannes lyfe is conteined and the beginnyng of encrease of issue standeth haue alwayes so ben takeÌ„ as fyrst to be geueÌ„ in dede vnto the Iewes because they were expounded to set clerely forth the lawe of nature and therfore shoulde alwayes perteyne vnto all kyndes of men Wherein doutles both the voyce of nature the coÌ„maundement of God agreing together forbad it that was contrarye vnto the condicion of bothe But amongest these when as the coÌ„maundement of not mariyng the brothers wyfe is also conteyned what other thynge ether oughte or coulde the excellent maiestie
a gētlemā thē a paynted ymage hath of a man The palsey in a natural body cōmeth of colde tough humores whyche are ingendred in the heade by often dronkennes and to muche excesse of meate drynke Yf the age the tyme of the yere and the strength of the patient wyll abyde it the letting of bloud in the begynnyng is very good for the healynge of thys disease but yf it be differred to longe thē is the disease incurable Euē so the spiritual hole palsey ignoraunce when as yonge gētlemen in theyr youth begyn to loyter wyl not learne but wyll rūne a huntyng and haukynge when as they shulde be at theyr booke they muste be let bloude oft tymes in the buttokes for the noble spiritual phisicion Salomon in the .xxii. of the Prouerbes teacheth vs thys remedie against the spiritual palsey Pro. 22. and the recepte of it is thys Stultitia colligata est in corde pueri virga disciplinae fugabit cam Folyshnes or vnlearnednes is bounde together in the harte of a boy but the rode of correction wyll driue it awaye Yf that the disease be so great that nether wordes nor herbes be able to heale it thē we muste accordyng vnto the greatnes of the disease vse remedies made of greater thynges Therfore thys receyte that I wyll apoynte wyll be verye good both to auoyde the disease and to dryue it away after that it hath ben taken of a chylde Recipe virgarum betulce aut salicis manipulum vnum quotidie pueri natibus adhibeatur ad sanguinis vsque effusionem donec conualuerit Plus millies me dicamentū hoc efficax esse probatum est And Salomon in the .23 Pro. 23. of hys Prouerbes sayeth playnlye that thys remedye can not hurte any chylde Noli sayeth he subtrahere a puero disciplinam c. Take not awaye correccion frō a chylde for yf thou beate hym with a rode he shal not dye Thou shalte beate hym wyth a rod thou shalte delyuer hys soule from hel The rod and correction gyue wysedome but the chylde that is suffred to haue his owne wyl shal shame hys mother Thus far Salomon yf this disease be ones healed in the nobilite it shall be the easyer to heale al other diseases whych they haue are in daunger of They that are disposed vnto this dysease or haue it muste vomit out the opinion that the parasites holde that gentlemē nede not to be learned they muste absteyne from to muche wyne and from al excesse of meate and drynke and then by the grace of God they shal be hole Yf thys physyke had ben wel practised L. yeares ago ther had not bene so many sycke in thys palsey as nowe are And they that now for age and by the oldnesse of the sycknesse are incurable myght haue bene easelye holpen But seyng the olde palsey can not be holpen by mannes physyke let vs carye with our prayers al olde ignoraunt men vnto Christ that he may make them fele hys truth and speak of his worde to the glory of God almyghty ¶ Of the Dropsye I Se so manye tokens in many gentlemen in Englande of the dropsie that I muste nedes thinke that there are many gētlemen sycke in that syckenes The cōmon tokēs of all the .iii. dropsies are these To be swelled puffed vp wyth wynde and water and to be excedyng thursty The fyrste kynde called Anasarca is almoste of hole water The seconde kynde called Ascitis is of two partes water and one parte wynde The thyrde parte called Timpanitis is of two partes wynde one of water as some phisicians holde The nobilitie in my tyme haue swelled so muche that nether theyr owne clothes whyche they had wonte to weare nor theyr fathers clothes whych was as byg men as these be wyll not holde thē but they muste haue bygger clothes and more costly garmentes Some swell so great that they can not be content wyth theyr fathers houses whych were as great men as these be for theyr fathers house wyll not holde thē for they bylde wyder houses and mo then theyr fathers dyd for one or two wyll not holde them And some swel so great that all the houses that theyr fathers and they haue buylded wyll not holde them but they muste also haue byshoppes houses and deanes houses parsons houses vicares houses and poore beggers houses called hospitalles And yet they swell so great that all these wyll not holde thē except they amende their maners vntyll they come to hell There is a place greate ynoughe for suche as can neuer get place enoughe for them but eyther by crafte or by compulsion or by frayng of their inferiors or by vnshamefast begging get theyr places and houses from them The other kynde of cōmon tokens that the watersyke haue is an excedyng greate thyrst and so greate that the more they drynke the more they desyre to drynke no drynke is able to quenche their thyrst Suche a thirst haue some of the nobilitie nowe suche one hath some had of late wherfore the nobilite hath now hath had the dropsy Some hauynge landes of theyr owne to lyue on haue peltyngly gone about from courte to court biynge fermes and bargaynes and ouerbyddyng al mē so that pere mē cā get no resonable price of ani ferme or bargaine for thē Sōe are so thirstye of fermes and namely of benefyces that they snatch vp all the reuersions that can be had in a countre though the fermers haue yet .xl. or .l. yeares to come There is one knyght that hathe ten benefices in one shere in hys handes and an other hath .xxii. as credible persones haue tolde me Some are so thyrsty for the fermes of vicarages parsonages that they bagge or bye the aduousons of them of the patrones as soone as they fall they wyll lette none haue the benefice but suche as wyl let them the benefice to ferme wyth house and lande and tythes wyth all that belongeth therto Other drinke vp the glebe lande let the reste alone Some haue by brybery simony and other vnlawful wayes robbed many a poore paryshe in Englande of their parsonages and persones and haue dronkē vp quyte the parsonages for them their heyres for euer wherwyth the churche of Christe had wonte to be fed both bodely and goostly Some newe gentlemen haue dronken vp not onely a great part of byshoppes landes but also haue dronken vp diuers churcheyardes hospitalles chapelles and chauntries to patche and cloute vp theyr lyuynges wyth all because their father lefte them neuer a foote of lande One of the nobilite lawe of late yeares a prety churche wyth a good large churche yarde the same was lorde of the towne there and he desyred the paryshe that they wolde lette hym haue the churche and churchyard promysing them a newe church a new church yarde in an other place the poore tenauntes durste not saye hym naye because he was theyr lorde In
the meane season he lent the paryshe a foule euell fauored hole an ende of an olde abbey very strayt narow euell couered and euery daye lyke to fal vpō the poore peoples heades and as for other churche the poore people cā get none vnto thys houre Where is there any good parsonage in Englande but it is ether bought and dronken vp of some gentlemen or els is let to ferme to some gentleman As wyth great honesty and prayse the noble mennes seruauntes had wont to come home to theyr maisters houses wyth hares wylde cattes foxes vpon their backes so wyth muche shame they come wyth tythe pygges by theyr tayles wyth tythe egges and tythe hemp and flaxe Well they that cam from the donghyl muste go thether agayne Nature wyll out although it be holden in wyth forke a whyle as the dauncyng of the ape doth testefye in Esopes fables whych daūced wel vntyl the nuttes were castē abrode in the floure In dede I fynde this dropsy for the moste part alwayes in the crowish stert vppes Crowish stert vp and not so muche in the ryght and olde nobilitie How be it euen some of the stocke of the olde nobilitie haue growen and gone out of kynde and are also sycke in thys common sycknes There was an erle wythin these fewe yeares that had lande good enoughe coulde not quenche hys thyrst therwyth vntyl he had gotten one of the greatest deanryes in Englande and so was made my Lorde deane also But he left to hys successours the lādes vndiminshed and therfore dyd muche better then he shoulde haue done yf he had takē the Deanerye quyte awaye into his owne handes for euer for hym and his heyres Some haue bene so thirsti of late that they drank vp not onlye hole comones and great fyldes but also the very hyghe wayes and the foule puddels in them A certayne felowe of mine which had ben lōge from hys frendes gat leue to go to them and went thetherwarde but when he came wythin a litle of hys fathers house he could fynd no way a lōge tyme into his fathers house the thirsty gentleman had so dronk vp al the hygh wayes there Some haue dronke vp of late hole riuers and meres and fennes whych had wont to be common and wyl not suffer a mā to angle therin nether any man to put a veast there but let them to ferme Some when as they haue dronken vp as muche of the cōmones of abbey landes of byshoppes landes of deanes landes of persones lādes and of beggers landes I meane of hospitalles as wolde serue .iiii. as honest and as honorable men as they be yet for to spare theyr owne drynke at home are not ashamed to begge drynke of suche poore mē as I am When as I had but .74 lib. to spende in the yeare my fyrst frutes yet vnpayd And yet they neuer gaue me a cup of ale vndeserued ī al their lyues I haue yet copies of theyr begging letters here in germany to be witnesses of their shameles beggynge I wolde there were some acte of parlament made agaynst suche valiāt beggers whiche vexe poore men as I was much worse then the lousye beggers do Honest gentlemen that are not syke in the dropsye when as they are verye thyrstye and entre into a cytie they do not lyght and drynke in the fyrst alehouse that they se in the cytie but for sauyng of theyr honestye differ to drynke vntyl they come into an honest in there they drinke as muche as they nede but no more He that is an honeste gentleman wyll leuer suffer great honger and thyrst at home then to earne drinke in the market with sellyng of coles or bere or of bullockes of plowes of shepe or of shepes dōge or of pisse or of suche like vile thinges as some haue done do at thys tyme wyth shame enough yf they were not past shame Buth suche gentlymē as the dropsye hath taken awaye theyr honestye shamefacednesse frō them that they care not howe they get drinke whether it be wyth honour or shame so that they maye haue it while as some gentlemen yea some Knightes and lordes do nowe in Englande not be ashamed to sell oxen shepe bere corne mele malt coles thynges muche vyler then these be Nowe it is euident that there are many of the nobilitie of Englande sycke in the spiritual dropsye let vs se whether it is any perilus disease or no. This dropsye is a disease very harde to heale and kylleth many a man and woman and it bryngeth not onely death of bothe bodye and soule but in the lyfe tyme mocketh men and bryngeth men into false opiniōs The holy scripture sayeth that the spirituall dropsy bryngeth death and euerlastyng damnacion as Paule .i. Corin .vi. 1. Cor. 6 wytnesseth in these wordes Nether theues nether couetous men nether dronkerdes nether cursed speakers where extorcioners or rauen ous men shall haue the heritage of the kyngdome of God He that is syke in the dropsye thynketh that plentye of drynke shall helpe hys disease and that hys drynke shal be turned into bloude and that he shal be noryshed therwyth So is it also in the dropsy that our gentlemen are sycke in They thynke that in heapyng together of muche golde and syluer in gettynge of many fermes in gettynge of many benefyces that their gredye appetite shall therwyth be quenched but they are deceyued For the noble poetes in these verses folowyng affirme the contrary Crescit amor nūmi quamtum ipsa pecunia crescit Quanto plura parasti tanto plura cupis Semper auarus eget quare quia competit vsus Tangere parta timet cur ne minuatur aceruus At primum scelerem matrem quae semper habendo Plus sitiens patulis runatur faucibus aurum Trudis auaritiam Crescit indugeirs sibi dirus hydrops Nec sitim pellit nisi causa morbi Fugerit venis aquosus albo corpore langor The loue of the peny groweth as muche as the pkny groweth The more thynges that thou haste gottē the more thou desyrest A couetous man is euer nedy and why the vse requyreth he is afrayed to touche that whych he hath gotten why because that his heape should not be mynished or made lesse But fyrst thou thurstest downe couettousnes the mother of myschiefe whyche the more it hathe the more golde it gapeth for wyth open iawes and is more thyrsty The cruel dropsye fauourynge it selfe to muche can not put awaye thyrste excepte the cause of the syknes flye out of the veynes the wattery siknes leue the pale body The preacher in the .v. Eccle. 5. cha cōfirmeth the same that the poetes haue sayd A couetous man sayeth he wyll neuer be fylled wyth mony Furthermore as in the bodely dropsye the great plentye of drynke is not turned into bloud nether into any good noryshment of the body but is turned all into water and wynde and the body is neuer
praesenti seculo ne sitis elato animo neque spem ponite in diuitijs incertis sed in Deo viuente qui praebet nobis omnia affatim ad fruendum Benefacite vt diuites sitis bonis operibus Estote faciles ad impertiendum libenter communicantes recondentes vobis ipsis fundamentum bonum in posterum Psa 39. vt apprehendatis vitam eternam Spera in Domino fac bonitatem inhabita terram pasceris in diuitijs eius Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitionem tuam Nouit Dominus dies immaculatorum hereditas eorum in aeternum erit Inimici vero Domini mox vt honorificati sunt exaltati deficientes quemadmodum fumus deficient Iunior fui Psa 36. senui non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius querens panem Psa 118 Iniusti puni entur semen impiorum peribit Inclina cor meum in testimonia tua non in auaritiam I haue wrytten thys in latin for theyr sake that had leuer read their confortatiue and diet in latin then in Englyshe But yf I shoulde leue thys latine not turned into English I wolde be aferde that some vnlearned persones shulde abuse thys my wrytyng as the Popyshe sacrificeyng prestes and the coÌ„mon popyshe sorte of the vnlearned people abuse the physicke of Christ written in latin For when as Christ had made many noble medecines against dyuers diseases and the Apostles and Euangelistes had written the same in Greke and learned men hadde turned them out of Greke into latin some of the coÌ„mon people beleuyng that Christes medicines was very good desyred the prestes to reade vnto them Christes preparatiues purgations confortatiues and diet to their comforte and for the same cause they came euery sondaye vnto the churche But the Popyshe prestes rede ouer the sicke ê‘sons heades Christes aboue named medicines iÌ„ latin as though the bare redynge of the phisicians byll in a straunge tonge shulde helpe the syck men when as they vnderstande neuer one worde thereof And the same prestes nether taught the people howe they sholde vse theyr preparatiue nether theyr purgation nor confortatiue nether dyd they declare what diet the people shulde holde but read the diet other medicines in a strauÌ„ge tonge I wyll therfore make my hole counsell and my other medicines in Englyshe for them that vnderstande no latin and yet I counself them that are sycke in thys disease when as I couÌ„sell them that they daylye reade thys confortatiue and preseruatiue that they loke for no helpe of the only readynge of them but that they shoulde do those thynges that are wrytten not onely heare them or se them or saye them but also order theyr lyfe according vnto the coÌ„fortatiue the foreappointed diet The sonne of maÌ„ came to seke out and to saue that which was lost I came not to call the ryghteous but synners vnto repentaunce Repente you for the kyngdome of heauen is at hande Come vnto me all ye that labour and are ladeÌ„ and I shal refreshe you So God loued the worlde that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that all whych beleue in hym sholde not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge I wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he conuert and lyue The preseruatiue Thou shalt not desire thy brothers wyfe nor hys house nor hys lande nor hys seruauÌ„t nor hys mayde nor hys oxe nor his asse nor any thynge that is hys Be ye not carefull what ye shal eate nor what ye shal drynke or wherwyth ye shal be clothed Fyrst seke the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes therof al these thinges shal be gyuen you The Lorde shall not suffer the soule of the ryghteous to be greued wyth honger The yonge Lyons are greues wyth penurye and honger but they that searche out the Lorde shall lake nothyng that is good When thou shalte be made a kynge thou shalte not purchace vnto thee many horses thou shalte not haue many wyues nether exceadynge greate weyght of golde and syluer A ryghteous kynge setteth vp the laÌ„de but a couetus man destroyeth it Extreme pouerty nor great ryches gyue not vnto me giue me necessary thinges for my lyuyng leste paraduenture I beyng fylled shal be intysed vnto the deniyng of thee and saye who is the Lorde or I beynge compelled wyth pouerty shulde stele forswere the name of my Lorde God i. timo vi 1. tim 6 Seperate thy selfe from those whyche thynke gaynes to be godlynes for godlynes is great vauÌ„tage when a man is content in hys owne mynde for we brought nothyng into the world nether we can cary any thynge out therof but hauyng sufficient fode and clothynge let vs be content therwyth for those that wyll be ryche entre into many temtacions and snares and wycked desyres folyshe and hurtfull whyche drowne men cast them into death daunger and destruction For couetousnes is the roote of all euell You that are riche in this present world be not of an hyghe mynde 1. tim 6 and put not your hope in vncerteine riches but in the lyuyng God whych shall gyue you all thynges plenteously to inioye them Do you well that ye maye be ryche in good workes Be you easy to distribute gladly giuing parte layeng vp for your selues a good foundacion agaynst the tyme to come that ye maye take holde of euerlastyng lyfe Psal 37. Psal 37 Trust in the Lorde and do good and dwel vpon the earth and thou shalt be fed in the ryches of it Delyte or trust in the Lorde and he shall gyue the thy desyre The Lorde knoweth the dayes of the vndefyled and theyr inheritaunce shal be euerlastyng But the enemyes of the Lorde streyght way as they be honored and set vp they fadynge awaye do vanyshe as the smoke I was yonge and am olde and I haue not sene the ryghteous forsaken nor theyr sede beggynge their breade The vngodlye shal be ponyshed and the sede of the wicked shall peryshe Moue my harte vnto thy wytnesses and not vnto couetousnes So farre the preseruatiue After that they be ones perfytly healed they muste not onely vse thys foresayd dyet but they muste also exercise them selues leste they by to muche reste fall into theyr sycknes agayne For thys diet that I haue prescribed after Goddes phisik wyl not helpe except they be exercised in some good workes for the spirite of God sayeth Psal 33. declina a malo fac bonum flie euel do good But your chiefe exercyse shall stande in goynge walkynge and runnyng Exercise ye muste rune wyth Dauid Psal 118 which sayd viam manda torum tuorum cucurri I haue runne the waye of thy coÌ„maundementes ye muste also walke as Dauid sayeth in lege Domini in the lawe of the Lord and ye muste go as the same prophet sayd a virtute in virtutem from one vertue to another Althoughe there be many vertues wherein a
Christe hymselfe Let there be one rome for honest plowmen artificers other straungers vnder the degre of gentleman let some nombre of meses of meate be also prouided acustomably euery day for these Yf there coÌ„e no straungers gyue thys meate vnto the poore neyghbours and labourers in the village or towne next by These ones done ye maye make your freÌ„des and al maner of honest gentlemen suche chere as your conscience shall counsell you as your landes wyl be able to beare suche expenses Yf that ye be disposed to kepe ryght and christian hospitalite ye muste kepe it as I haue tolde you or els your liberalitie wyl not be alowed for liberalitie of almyghtye God Yf that ye wyll be perfyt in lyberalitie ye muste haue some to go before you to leade you the way for we are all blynde of nature of whoÌ„ ye maye learne to go a good pace in the hyghe waye of liberalite that ye nether fall into the way of couetousnes nor of prodigalite 3. gydes There are iii. gydes whyche yf ye wyll folowe ye shal not misse but fynde the hygh waye Nature good men both vnder the law of nature and vnder the law of God God hym self Of the whych coÌ„meth bothe the lyberalitie that nature teacheth and lyberall men haue exercised and do exercise They that wryte of the nature of the ryght egle saye that when he hath gotten a good pray and hath tasted a lytle of the best of it he cryeth and calleth other byrdes to hym and letteth them eat wyth hym After the same maner sparrowes goldfynches lynettes and suche smale byrdes that flye by flokkes together yf they fynde any sedes that like them they cal other of the same kynde vnto them because they wolde not eat alone but haue coÌ„pany wyth them The Emperor Titê° vsed euery daye at the leste to do one good turne to some bodye Titus doynge yf at any tyme about nyght he perceyued that he had gyuen no rewarde that daye he was very sory Abraham and Lot called into their houses all that they sawe passe by and made theÌ„ good chere as the .xviii. Gen. 18 and .19 of Genesis and the .xix beare wytnes Ezechias gaue vnto the people when they came vnto Ierusalem to worship God there and to kepe theyr Passeouer to the Lord 2. par 30 a thousande oxen and .vii. thousand shepe and the noble meÌ„ gaue them a thousande oxen and ten thousand shepe Here was a ryghte scripture man and an ymage breaker and his gentlemen were also ryght scripture men I wolde se when as any vnlearned blynde traditioner that was vnlearned in the scripture dyd euer gyue hys commons any suche gyftes as thys scripture learned kynge and hys gentlemen gaue vnto hys commons because he and they woulde haue the people continue in the lawe of God and in hys seruyce whyche he appointed them In my tyme one kynge at one parlament tyme to make men the sonner to embrace Goddes religion whych he toke in hande to set forth tokeÌ„ awaye frome the commones and frome the gentlemen muche aboue the value of a thowsande oxen and .vii. thousande shepe but I haue not herd muche of it that he gaue at any time vnto the coÌ„mons to make them embrace theyr newe and trewe religion All ye that are ryght gentlemen and true gospellers folowe these noble gentlemen though ye can not ouertake them folowe them as nere as ye can and not the gredy gripes which hauing croked clawes euer receyue and neuer gyue any thynge Almyghtye God gyueth all thynge that all men and al lyuyng creatures in the world receyue and for all that he gyueth he receyueth nothynge sauynge a kynde herte and a thankfull The nobler that any prince is and the mightier and rycher the more nere he ought to be a folower of almighty God Who kepeth open houshold at all tymes and as well prouideth for flyes sparowes pisemiers and yonge rauenes as he dothe for olde goshaukes herones bustardes swaÌ„nes egles and great oxen As I haue set you these .iii. God nature good men to be folowed and to be your gydes because I wold ye werfully exercysed I wyll appoint you whome ye ought to flye and runne away froÌ„ for it beloÌ„geth vnto hym that wyl appoint a diet wel as diligently to tell what thynges oughte to be auoyded as what ought to be occupied Flie the water birdes Ye muste flye froÌ„ al kyndes of waterbyrdes whych exercise both the water and the lande that is from the couetus men that are both lay men and spiritual men as they are called and from all suche as can not be content wyth one sufficient vocacion or office but wyl haue many to the hynderaunce of theyr brethren Also ye muste absteyne from the horse leche from the Tyk froÌ„ the Sow and the Molde from the Heron. All these are to be eschued aboue all other beastes and byrdes Auoyde the horse leche The Horseleche and the Tyk haue mouthes to receiue blood and they tary stil in one place vntil they be full but they haue no place to auoyde it out agayne and so kepe it all to themselues A sow is alwayes amonge the dyrt and neuer dothe good vntyl she dye Then her puddynges and bagges go abrode and euery bodye of the house hathe hys parte of her For as longe as the Sow lyueth men nether haue mylke of her nor woll And for gredines soÌ„e time she eateth and worrieth vp her owne pigges as some gentlemen haue done whyche for mony haue solde their doughters awaye to pokky olde carles and theyr sonnes to yonge euel fauored meseld noughty horyshe and euell manered wenches The mole The Mole is euer in the earth and there can he shyfte for hymselfe wel enough he hath a longe snowt and eyes to but can se nothynge at all There are to many folowers of this mole which in erthly matters caÌ„ talke meruelus wyttely but take them ones out of the earth that is out of world erthly maters theÌ„ are they starke blynde can se nothynge at al. But in smellyng profyt aduauntage be it neuer so farre of they are nothing behinde the mole The Heron with his loÌ„ge snout The Heron is euer about the water sydes euer fyshyng yet is he euer lene as soÌ„e doth say the fishe somtyme goeth out as faste at the one ende as they are taken in at the other The heron and hys folowers are to be eschued of all ryght gentelemen whych as they gredely gette ryches so they vnthryftlye spende them agayne and yet nether they nor theirs are the better therby Nowe haue I tolde you the tokens of the dropsye the causes and incomodities ieopardies of the same I haue taught you lykewyse a preparatiue and a purgation or two to heale it wythall I haue also tolde you a confortatiue to comforte you after your purgatioÌ„ and what
Abbattes and Byshoppes by simony but the story telleth that thys was the cause He wolde not alowe the Popes doyng and therfore was thryse acursed of the Pope and therfore the chylder coulde not suffer hym to reygne whome theyr father hated The byshop canones and prebendaries of Colon vpon a tyme assayed to brynge all the hole cytie in to theyr bondage For in the yeare of our Lorde .1074 as the hystorye sayeth Episcopus aliquod sibi vsurpauit in vrbe dominum ciuium abutens officio The byshop toke vnto hym vnlawfullye certayne gouerment or lordshippe in the cytie and wrōgfully occupied the office of the cytizenes at whyche tyme it chaunced that a certayne cytizen had a ship whyche the byshop wolde haue taken awaye by force but he wythstode the byshop and gathered the cytie on hys syde The bisshop perceyuyng that the citizenes wolde ryse agaynst hym made a longe sermone vnto the citizens wherein he threatned goddes curse vnto all those that toke parte wyth the forsayd cytizen The citizens beyng sore greued wyth hys vndiscre◠sermone at nyght after folowynge altogether rose vp against the bysshop and burst into the bisshoppes pallace slue diuers there but the bishop fled to Nuice wher as he gathered a great hood and set sodenly vpon the cytie and suffered his soudiers to spoile the cytie and as many as they coulde get they ether cut of theyr heades or put out theyr eyes and so he brought the cytie into hys bondage But afterward the Coleners delyuered them selues from that bōdage And in the yeare of our Lorde .1260 the byshop went about ones agayne to bryng the cytie into bōdage but the cytizes marked him wel and disapointed hym At length for all that two canones had the borow maister to dyner and when he came the canones bad hym go into a fayre chamber Merke the canones of Colones banket wherin was a hongrye Lyon and as sone as he was in they clapte to the dore and let the lyon do wyth the borow maister what he coulde But the borow maister put hys left hande into the lyons throte and wyth the other hande toke out hys dagger and killed the lyon and wythin few dayes after he hanged harde by the cathedral churche the two canones But after that rose suche stryfe amonge them and the byshop that it coulde not be ended vntyll the cytezens wan theyr lyberte wyth the swerde The byshop of Luke in the yeare of oure Lorde .1460 was so desyrus of lordship ouer the cytie that when he coulde not win the cytie hym selfe he procured Charles duke of Burgondye to besege the cytie and when the cytezens sawe that they were not able to make theyr partye good they fell to intreat for peace but the byshop wolde not hear them therfore suffered hys cosin Charles to kyll .xl. thousande men and to drowne .xii. thousande women in the floud Mosa called the Mase Thys practise hath bene so common amonge the vnpreaching prelates of Germany that the Germaynes made thys ryme of theyr ambition and cruelnes The ryme of the germanes against the ambitiō of the clergie Monike nunnē vnd papen Segen rotten vnd apen Vliegē rupen vnd muse horen keuer vnd luse Dardi crygen di ouerhandt vorderuense stede vnd landt That is Mōkes nonnes and papes gotes rattes apes flies caterpillers and myse hores weueles and lyse where they get the ouerhand they destroy both cytie and lande But what nede I ferche exāples farre of out of strāge cuntres when as we haue so many at home reade the practise of prelates and there shal ye fynd what ambitius myndes they beare and how gladly they wold raygne ouer you Call to your remembraunce Thomas Wolsey the Cardinall and bysshop of York and hys handelyng of the nobilite in hys tyme. Loke nowe vpon youre lorde of Winchester your lorde Chaunceler youre lorde President of the counsel is not he a chykkē of the same cok Let al noble me take hede of this lordly pape betyme leste some of them whych can not abyde his vnbearable pryde haue suche a rewarde at hys handes as the duke of bockinggam had at hys father wolfes Wolsei hys hāde The remedy against these lepres biles scabbes scalles lumpes pokkes and cancres whych disbeuty dysgrace the face of the hole nobilite at thys tyme is to dryue these ydle ambitius byshoppes home to theyr bysshoprykes to cause them to preach Goddes worde there truely and to studye your owne selues nyght and daye to get learnyng and vntyl you may be lerned your selues to make good and honest ciuilianes and scripture learned cōmon lawyers and other learned me and no prestes in the meane tyme to be knyghtes and lordes coūsellers Iustices of peace chauncelers and presidentes of the marches and to take your owne of fices vpō you and do them your selues And after that ye be learned your selues ye maye not wythstandynge take as many as ye shal nede vnto you of these forsayd lawyers and learned men But holde in no wyse the bysshoppes from theyr pulpittes leste the vengeaunce of God fall both vpon you and them Vpon you for holdyng of them from doyng of theyr dutye vppon them for not doyng of theyr dutie Yf ye dryue these forsayd falsly named lordes and gentlemen out of your order company and wyll do your offices and duties in your owne persones as almyghtye God wolde haue you to do then shall ye haue iuste honour in thys worlde and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlastyng ¶ The prayer of the prophete Daniel conteyned in the .ix. chaptre of hys boke very necessary for thys troublesome tyme. VVe beseche the o Lorde thou great and fearfull god Baruch 1. that kepest couenāt and mercye wyth them whych loue thee kepe thy commaundementes We haue synned we haue offended We haue bene disobedient gone back yea we haue departed from all thy preceptes and iudgementes We wolde neuer folowe thy seruauntes the prophetes that spake in thy name to our kynges princes to oure fathers and to all the people of the lande Thrano 1. O Lorde ryghteousnes belongeth vnto thee vnto vs pertayneth nothynge but open shame as it is come to passe thys daye vnto euery mā of Iuda and to them that dwel at Hierusalem Yea vnto al Israel whether they be farre or nye thorow out all lādes wherin thou strowed them because of the offences that they had done against thee Yea O Lorde vnto vs to our kynges princes Psal 106 to oure fathers euen vnto vs al that haue offended thee belongeth open shame But vnto thee O Lorde our God perteyneth mercy forgyuenes As for vs we are gone backe from hym haue not obeyed the voyce of the lorde oure God to walke in hys lawes whych he layd before vs 2. Pet. 1. Zacha. 6. by hys seruaūtes the prophetes yea all Israel haue trāsgressed and gone backe from thy lawe so that they haue not herkened vnto thy voyce Deute 27 Leui. 26. Baruch 2 Wherfore the curse othe that is written in the lawe of Moises the seruaūt of God against whom we haue offended is powred vpon vs. And he hath perfourmed hys wordes whych he spake against vs agaynst our Iudges that iudged vs to brynge vpon vs suche a great plage as neuer was vnder heauen lyke as it is nowe come to passe in Hierusalem Yea all thys plage as it is wrytten in the lawe of Moises is come vppon vs yet made we not our prayer before the Lorde our God that we myght turne agayne from our wyckednes to be learned in the veritie Therfore hath the Lorde made haist to bring thys plage vpon vs for the Lorde our God is ryghteous in al his workes whyche he dothe for why Haruch 2 Exo. 12.13.14 we wolde not herken vnto hys voyce And nowe o Lorde our God thou that wyth a myghtye hande haiste brought thy people out of Egypte to get thy selfe a name whyche remayneth thys daye we haue synned o Lorde done wyckedly againste all thy ryghteousnes yet let thy wrathfull displeasure be turned awaye I beseche thee from thy cytie of Hierusalem thy holy hyll And why for oure synnes sake and for the wyckednes of our fathers is Hierusalem and thy people abhorred of al them that are aboute vs. Now therfore o our God hear the prayer of thy seruaunt and hys intercessiō O let thy face shyne ouer thy sanctuary that lyeth waste for the Lordes sake O my God inclyne thyne eare and herken at the leest for thyne owne sake Opē thyne eyes behold howe we be desolated Yea and the cytie also whyche is called after thy name for we do not cast our praiers before the in our owne righteousnes no but onelye in thy great mercies O Lorde heare O forgyue Lorde O Lorde cōsyder tary not ouer longe but for thyne owne sake do it O my God for thy cytie and thy people is called after thy name Amen God sende vs peace and quietnes in Christ and destroy the workes of Antechriste All good people saye AMEN ¶ Imprented at Rome by the vaticane churche by Marcus Antonius Constantius Otherwyse called thraso miles gloriosus