No More Learning

Joseph thu savedest from daungerouse deadlye wronge.
Melchisedech and Job felt thy great goodnesse stronge,
ded good Sara, Rebecca, and fayre Rachel, With Sephora my wyfe, the doughter Raguel.
And doubtlesse
and hath bene hys sort. ought we report.
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28 GoD's PROM is Es.
[ACT v.
To prayse the, swete lorde, my faythe doth me compell,
For thy covenauntes sake, wherin rest our salvacyon, The sede of promyse, other sedes excell,
For therin remayneth our full justyfycacyon.
From Adam and Noah, Abraham's generacyon, That sede procureth God's myghty grace and powre,
For the same sede's sake, wyll synge now thys howrs. Clara tunc voce Antiphonam incipit, Emanuel, quam chorus (ut prius) prosequetur cum organis.
Wel Anglice canat
hygh kynge Emanuel, and our lege lorde the
longe expectacyon Gentyles, and the myghtye saver
their multytude, the healthe and consolacyon
synners, come now for save us, our Lorde and our Redeemer.
Finit Actus quartus.
INCIPIT ACTUS QUINTUS.
Pater calestis. For all the faver have shewed Israel,
Delyverynge her from Pharaoe's tyrannye,
And gevynge the land, fluentem lac mel,
Yet wyll she not leave her oldeydolatrye,
Nor know me for God. abhorre her myserye. Vexed her have with battayles and decayes, Styll must plage her, other wayes.
Tavid rer pius. Remembre yet, lorde, thy worthye servaunt Moses,
Walkynge thy syght, without rebuke the. Both Aaron, Jetro, Eleazar, and Phinees,
Evermore feared offende thy"mageste,
Moch thu acceptedest thy servant Josue.
Caleb and Othoniel sought the with their hart, Aioth and Sangar for thy folke ded their part.
Gedeon and Thola thy enemyes put smart,
Jayr and Jephte gave prayses thy name. These, leave ydolles, thy people ded coart. Samson the strongest, for hys part ded the same. Samuel and Nathan thy messages ded proclame.
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ACT v. ]
GoD's PROMISEs. 29
What though fearce Pharao wrought myschef in thy syght:
He was a pagane, laye not that in our lyght.
I wote the Benjamytes abused the wayes of ryght,
So ded Helye's sonnes, and the sonnes of Samuel. Saul in hys offyce was slouthful daye and night, Wycked was Semei, so was Achitophel.
Measure not by them the faultes of Israel,
Whom thu hast loved of longe tyme so inteyrlye, But of thy great grace remyther wycked folye.
Pater calestis. I cannot abyde the vyce of ydolatrye, Though I shuld suffer other vyllanye.
Whan Josue was dead, that sort from me ded fall
the worshyppynge Asteroth and Baal, Full uncleaneydolles, and monsters bestyall.
David rer pius. For they have had thy righteouse
ponnyshment,
And for moch they did wyckedly consent the Palestynes and Chananytes ungodlye
-
Idolaters, takynge them matrymonye,
Thu threwest them undre the kynge Mesopotamye, After thu subduedest them for their idolatrye.
Eyghtene years Eglon, the kynge Moabytes, And XX years Jabin, the kynge Chananytes, Oppressed they were VII years the Mydyanytes,
And XVIII years vexed the cruell Ammonytes.
three great battayles, threescore thousand and fyve,
Of thys people, not one was left alyve.
Have mercye now, lorde, and call them repentaunce. Pater calestis. So longe they synne, longe
shall they have grevaunce.
David my servaunt, sumwhat must say the: For that thu latelye hast wrought soch vanyte.
David rer pius. Spare not, blessed lorde, but saye
thy pleasure
Pater callestis. Of late dayes thu hast mysused Bersabe,
The wyfe Urye, and slayne hym the fyelde.
me.
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30 God's PRoMises.
[ACT v.
David rer pius. Mercye, lorde, mercye, for doubt lesse I am defyelde.
Pater calestis. I constytute the a kynge over Israel, And the preserved from Saul, whych was thy enemye. Yea, in my faver, so moch thu dedyest excell,
That of thy enemyes I gave the vyctorye.
Palestynes and Syryanes to the came trybutarye.
Why hast thu then wrought soch folye in my syght, Despysynge my worde, against godlye ryght?
David rer pius. have synned, lord, beseech the, pardon me.
Pater calestis. Thu shalt not dye, David, for thys inyguyte,
For thy repentaunce; but thy sonne Bersabe
Shall dye, for moch my name blasphemed Among my enemyes, and thu the worse estemed. From thy howse for thys the swerde shall not depart.
David rer pius. am sorye, lorde, from the bottom my hart.
Pater calestis. To further anger thu doest me yet compell.
David rer pius. For what matter, lorde? beseech thy goodnesse tell.
Pater calestis. Why dedest thu numbre the people of Israel
Supposest thy mind, therein thu hast done well?
David rew pius. cannot saye naye, but have done undyscretelye,
To forget thy grace, for humayne pollycye.
Pater calestis. Thu shalt these three- chose whych plage thu wilt have,
For that synnefull acte, that thy sowle maye save.
scarcenesse vii. years, else monthes exyle, Eyther for dayes the pestylence most vyle,
For one thu must have, there remedye.
David rer pius. Lorde, thy pleasure, for thu
mercye.
Pater calestis. Of pestylence, then score thou sand and ten,
full
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Pater calestis.
GoD's PRom Is Es. 31
Act v. ]
In dayes shall dye thy most puysant men.
David rer pius. lorde, whych have offen thy grace,
Spare them and not me, for have done the trespace.
Though thy synnes great, thy inwarde harte's contrycyon
Doth move my stomake wonderfull condycion. fynde the man accordynge my hart.
Wherefor thys promyse make the, ere depart.
frute there shall come forth yssuynge from thy bodye,
Whom wyll advaunce upon thy seate for ever. Hystrone shall become seate heavenlye glorye, Hys worthy scepture from ryght wyll not dyssever, Hys happye kingedome, fayth shall perysh never.
heaven and earthe was autor pryncypall, And wyll contynue, though they do perysh all.
Thys sygne shalt thu have for token specyall,
That thu mayst beleve my wordes unfaynedlye, Where thu hast mynded, for my memoryall,
buylde temple, thu shalt not fynysh trulye. But Salomon thy sonne shall that accyon worthye,
token that Christ must fynysh every thynge That have begunne, my prayse everlastynge.
David rer pius. Immortall glorye the, most hea venlye kynge,
For that thu hast geven contynuall vyctorye me thy servaunt, ever sens my anoyntynge, And also before, by manye conquestes worthye.
beare and lyon slewe through thy strengh onlye.
slew Golias, which was cubites longe. Agaynst thy enemyes thu madest me ever stronge.
My fleshlye fraylenesse made me deadlye wronge,
And cleane forget thy lawes ryghteousnesse. And though thu vysytedst my synnefulnesse amonge, With pestylent plages, and other unquyetnesse:
Yet never tokest thu from me the plenteousnesse thy godly sprete, which thu me dedest plant.
havynge remorce, thy grace coulde never want. For conclusyon, thy everlastynge covenaunt
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32 - GOD’s PROMISES. ” [ACT VI.
Thu gavest unto me for my wycked synne;
And hast promysed here protestacyon constant,
That one my sede shall soch hygh fortune wynne, As never ded man sens thys worlde ded begynne.
hys power shall put Sathan from hys holde, rejoyce whereof synge wyll bolde.
Canora voce tunc incipit Antiphonam, Adonai, quam (ut prius) prosequetur chorus cum organis.
Vel sic Anglice:
lorde God Adonai, and gyde the faythfull howse
Israel, whych sumtyme aperedest the flamyng bushe Moses, and hym dedst geve lawe
mounte Syna, come now redeme strengthe thyryght hande.
Finit Actus quintus.
INCIPIT ACTUS SEXTUS.
Pater calestis. brought chyldren from their first infancye,
Whych now despyseth my godlye instruccyons.
An oxe knoweth hys lorde, asse hys master's dewtye,
But Israel wyll not know me, nor my condycyons. Oh frowarde people, geven superstycyons, Unnaturall chyldren, expert blasphemyes, Provoketh me hate, their ydolatryes.
my wordes, tyrauntes Sodoma, offer your sacryfyce me.
am with yow beastes Gomorra, pleasure whan your offerynges se,
Take hede vayne
Dyscontent
And have
abhorre your fastes and your solempnyte.
For your tradycyons my wayes set apart,
Your workes are vayne, hate them from the hart. Esaias propheta. Thy cytie, swete lorde, now
come unfaythfull,
And her condycyons are turned downe. Her lyfe unchast, her actes very hurtefull,
Her murther and theft hath darkened her renowne. Covetouse rewardes doth their conscyence drowne,
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Act v1. ]
GoD's PROM1 ses. " - 33
That the fatherlesse they wyll not help to ryght,
The poore wydowe's cause come not afore their syght.
Thy peceable pathes seke they neyther daye nor nyght;
But walke wycked wayes after their fantasye.
Convert their hartes, lorde, and geve them thy true lyght,
That they maye perceyve their customable folye: Leave them not helplesse in so depe myserye,
But call them from it of thy most specyall grace,
By thy true prophetes, to their sowle's helthe and solace.
Pater calistis. First they had fathers, than had they patryarkes,
Than dukes, than judges to their gydes and monarkes. Now have they stowte kynges, yet are they wycked styll, And wyll in no wyse my pleasaunt lawes fulfyll. Alwayes they applye to ydolles worshyppynge,
From the vyle begger to the anoynted kynge.
Fsaias propheta. For that cause thu hast in two devyded them,
In Samaria the one, the other in Hierusalem. The kynge of Judain Hierusalem ded dwell,
And in Samaria the kynge of Israel.
Ten of the twelve trybes bycame Samarytanes, And the other two were Hierosolymytanes.
In both these cuntreyes, accordynge to theirdoynges,
Thu permyttedest them to have most cruell kynges. The first of Juda was wycked kynge Roboam,
Of Israel the first was that cruell Hieroboam;
Abia than folowed, and in the other Nadab,
Than Basa, then Hela, then Zambri, Joram and Achab.
Then Ochosias, then Athalia, then Joas;
On the other part was Jonathan and Achas.
To rehearce them that have done wretchydlye
the syght the, were longe verelye.
Pater calistis. For the wycked synne fylthye ydolatrye,
Whych the ten trybes ded the lande Samarye, WOL.
In I.
in
of
of D
of
it all
34 GoD's PROMISEs.
[Act v I.
In space of one daye fyfty thousand men I slewe, Thre of their cyties also I overthrewe,
And left the people in soche captyvyte,
That in the worlde they wyst not whyther fle.
trybes, whan they from me went back left the hande Sesack,
Were slaoyne
The other To ydolatrye,
Egipt, whych toke awaye their treasure, tyme Achas, hondred thousande and twentye
The kynge
Convayed their cattel, and slewe them without measure.
tw e
one tyme for their ydolatrye.
thousande from thens were captyve
od
Their goodes dyspersed, and they with penurye fed.
d,
Seldom they fayle but eyther the Egipcyanes Have them bondage, els the Assyreanes.
And alone they maye thanke their ydolatrye.
Esaias propheta. Wele, yet blessed lorde, releve
them with thy mercye.
Though they have been yll, other prynces dayes,
Yet good Ezechias hath taught them godlye wayes. Whan the prynce good, the people are the better; And nought, their vyces are the greatter. Heavenlye lorde, therfor send them the consolacyon,
Whych thu hast covenaunted with every generacyon. Open thu the heavens, and lete the lambe come
hither,
-
Whych wyll delyver thy people togyther.
Ye planetes and cloudes, cast downe your dewes and
rayne,
That the earth maye beare out helthful saver playne. Pater calistis. Maye the wyfe forget the chylde
her owne bodye?
Esaias propheta. Naye, that she can not anye
wyse verelye.
-
Pater calistis. No more can them whych wyll my commandementes,
But must preserve them from inconvenyentes.
Esaias propheta. Blessed art thu, lorde, thy
actes and judgementes.
in all
in do
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all I
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he is
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AcT v
GoD's PROMISEs. 35
Pater calistis. Wele, Esaias, for thys thy sydelyte, covenaunt of helthe thu shalt have also of me.
For Syon's sake now wyll not holde my peace, And for Hierusalem, speake wyll not cease,
Tyll that ryghteouse lorde become sunne beame bryght,
And their just saver lampe extende hys lyght. rodde shall shut fourth from the olde stocke of
Jesse,
And bryght blossome from that rote wyll aryse, Upon whom alwayes the sprete the lorde shall be, The sprete wysdome, the sprete heavenly prac
tySe,
And those that wyll godlynesse devyse. Take thys for sygne, mayde Israel
Shall conceyve and beare that Lord Emanuel.
Esaias propheta. Thy prayses condygne tunge can tell,
mortal
Most worthye maker and kynge heavenlye glorye, For capacytees thy goodnesse doth excell,
Thy plenteouse graces brayne can cumpas trulye, No wyt can conceyve the greatnesse thy mercye, Declared late David thy true servaunt
And now confirmed thys thy latter covenaunt.
Of goodnesse thu madest Salomon wyt most preg naunt,
Asa and Josaphat, with good kynge Ezechias,
thy syght that was the ryght pleasaunt.
To quench ydolatrye, thu raysedest up Helias, Jehu, Heliseus, Michas, and Abdias,
And Naaman Syrus thu pourgedst leprye.
The workes wonderfull who can but magnyfye Aryse, Hierusalem, and take faythe and bye,
For the verye lyght that shall save the commynge. The Sonne the lord apere wyll evydentlye,
Whan shall resort, that nojoye wantynge. He thy saver, and thy lyfe everlastynge,
Thy release from synne, and thy whole ryghteousnesse.
Help me thys songe knowledge his great good neSSe.
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36 GoD's PROMISEs. [ACT v
Concinna tunc voce Antiphonam inchoat, radix Jesse quam chorus prosequeter cum organis.
Vel Anglice hoc modo canet
frutefull rote Jesse, that shall be set synge
amonge people, agaynst the worldly rulers shall fearce open their mouthes. Whom the Gentyles worshypp
their heavenlye lorde, come now for delyver
and delaye the tyme longar. Finit Actus sertus.
ACTUS SEPTIMUS.
Pater calistis. have with fearcenesse mankynde tymes corrected,
And agayne, have allured hym swete promes. have sent sore plages, when hath me neglected,
And then and by, most confortable swetnes.
To wynne hym grace, bothe mercye and ryghteousnes
have exercysed, yet wyll not amende.
Shall now lose hym, shall hym defende?
hys most myschefe, most hygh grace will sende.
To overcome hym favoure, may be.
With hys abusyons longer wyll contende
But now accomplysh my first wyll and decre.
My worde beynge flesh, from hens shall set hym fre. Hym teachynge waye perfyght ryghteousnesse,
That shall not nede perysh his weaknesse.
Johannes baptista. Manasses (lorde) turned from the hys harte,
Achas and Amon have now more ado,
past, whych
-
-
Jechonias with other, whych ded themselves avarte
Fro the ydolles, may now farther go.
The two false judges, and Bel's wycked prestes also, Phassur and Semeias, with Nabuchodonosore,
Antiochus and Triphon, shall the dyplease more. Thre score yeares and ten, thy people into Babylon
Were captyve and thrall ydolles worshyppynge. Hierusalem was lost, and left voyde domynyon, Brent was their temple, was their other buyldynge,
so
for
no
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Act v II. ]
GoD's PROMISEs.
37*
Ther hygh prestes were slayne, ther treasure came to nothyng.
The strength and bewtye of thyne owne heretage.
Thus dedest thu leave then in myserable bondage. Oft had they warnynges, sumtyme by Ezechiel,
And other prophetes, as Esaye and Hieremye, Sumtyme by Daniel, sumtyme by Ose and Johel, By Amos and Abdias, by Jonas and by Sophonye, By Nahum and Micheas, by Agge and by Zacharye, By Malachias, and also by Abacuch,
By Olda the wydowe, and by the prophete Baruch. Remembre Josias, whych toke the abhomynacyon
From the people, then restorynge thy lawes agayne.
Of Rechab consydre the faythfull generacyon,
Whom to wyne-drynkynge no fryndshyppe myght con
strayne.
Remembre Abdemelech, the frynde of truthe certayne, Zorobabel the prynce, whych ded repare the temple,
And Jesus Josedech, of vertu the exemple. Consydre Nehemias, and Esdras the good scrybe,
Mercyfull Tobias, and constaunt Mardocheus. Judith and quene Hester, of the same godly trybe,
Devoute Mathias, and Judas Machabeus.
Have mynde of Eleazar, and then Joannes Hircanus, Waye the ernest faythe of thys godlye companye,
Though the other cleane fall from thy memorye.
Pater calestis. I wyll Johan, I wyll, for as I sayd afore,
Rygour and hardenesse I have now set apart,
Myndynge from hens fourth to wynne man evermore By wonderfull kyndenesse to breake hys stubbeylehart,
And change it from synne. For Christ shall suffre Smart,
In mannys frayle nature for hys inyguyte,
Thys to make open, my massenger shalt thu be.
Johannes baptista. As thy pleasure blessed lorde appoynt me,
For my helthe thu art, and my sowle's felycyte.
Pater caelestis. Longe ere made the, the predes tynate,
I
I
so
is,
38 GoD's PROMISEs.
[ACT v11.
Before thu wert borne I the endued with grace.
In thy mother's wombe wert thu sanctyfycate By my godlye gyft, and so confirmed in place,
A Prophete, to shewe a waye before the face
Of my most dere sonne, whych wyll come: the untyll Applye the apace thyne offyce to fulfyll.
Preache to the people, rebukynge their neglygence,
Doppe them in water, they knowledgynge their offence;
And saye unto them, The kyngedome of God doth cum. Joannes baptista. Unmete, lorde, I am, Quia puer
ego sum.
An other than that, alac, I have no scyence
Fyt foi that offyce, neyther yet cleane eloquence.
Pater calestis. Thu shalt not saye so, for I have geven the grace,
Eloquence and age, to speake in the desart place.
Thu must do therefor as I shall the advyse,
My appoynted pleasure fourth utter in any wyse
My stronge myghtye wordes put I into thy mouthe, Spare not, but speake them to east, west, north and
southe.
Hic extendens Dominus manum, labia Joannis digito tanget, ac ori imponet auream linguam.
Go now thy waye fourth, I shall the never fayle,
The sprete of Helias have I geven the alredye. Persuade the people, that they their synnes bywayle.
And if they repent their customable folye,
Longe shall it not be ere they have remedye. ,
Open thu their hartes, tell them their helth is commynge
voyce. desart,
thynge,
hym amonge -
As a in
se thu declare the thou shalt washe
I P" hem
the
sure,
In Jordane, a floude not farre from Hierusalem. Johannes baptista. Shewe me yet, good lorde, whereby
shall I knowe that man,
In the multytude whych wyll resort to Jordan.
Pater calestis. In thy mother's wombe of hym
haddest thu cognycyon.
Johannes baptista. Yea, that was in sprete. I wolde
now knowe hys person,
Act wil. ]
God's PROMISEs. 39
Pater calestis. Have thu no feare, Johan, hym shalt thu knowe full well,
And one specyall token afore wyll I the tell.
Super quem videris spiritum descendentem & manentem Super eum, hic est qui baptizat spiritu sancto.
Amonge other whom thu shalt baptyse there,
Upon whom thu seyst the Holy Ghost descende shappe dove, restynge upon hys shuldere,
Holde hym for the same, that shall the worlde amende baptym sprete, and also man extende
Most specyall grace. For must repare hys fall, Restorynge agayne the justyce orygynall.
Take now thy journaye, and the advyse. First preache repentaunce, and than the people baptyse. Johannes baptista. Hygh honour, worshypp, and
glorye unto the,
My God eternall, and patrone puryte.
Repent, good people, for synnes that now are past, The kyngdome heaven hande very nye.
The promysed lyght yow approcheth fast,
Have faythe, and applye now recyve him boldelye.
am not the lyght, but beare testymonye hym am sent, that men maye beleve,
That hys bloude wyll for their redemptyon geve. He soch lyght men doth illumyne,
That ever were here, shall after thys.
They that receyve hym, are God's true chyldren playne, sprete regenerate, and grace shall attayne.
Manye recken, that Johan Baptyst ath he, Deceyved are they, and that wyll apere space.
All the worlde made
And yet that rude worlde wyll not knowe what Hys owne enterynge, not regarded hys.
Though come after, yet
We are weake vessels, he hys great goodnesse
By hym are we like have
was longe afore me. the welle grace,
Than ever we had the lawe Moses.
In Moses’ harde lawe we had not els but darkenes,
Fygure and shaddowe. All was not but nyght,
hys myghtye power devyne,
that we have better increes
purchace
els
of
by
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of
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40 GoD's PROMISEs.
[ACT v11.
Ponnyshment for synne, much rygour, payne and roughnes.
An hygh change is there, where turned lyght, Grace and remyssyon anon wyll shyne full bryhgt.
Never man lyved that ever God afore,
Whych now our kynde mannys ruyne wyll restore.
Helpe me geve thankes that lorde evermore, Whych am unto Christ cryar’s voyce the desart, To prepare the pathes and hygh wayes hym before,
For hys delyght the poore symple hart.
That innocent lambe from soch wyll never depart, As wyll faythfullye recey've hym with good mynde.
Lete our voyce then sounde 'some swete musycall kynde.
Resona tunc voce Antiphonam incipit, clavis David, quam prosequetur chorus cum organis, prius.
Wel Anglico sermone sic:
perfyght keye David, and hygh scepture the kyndred Jacob, whych openest and man speareth", thu speakest and man openeth; come and delyver thy servaunt mankyude, bound prison, sytting the darknesse synne and bytter dampnacyon.
asketh, enquireth.
So Chaucer's Testament of Creseide.
“Who had been there, and liking for here, “His faconde tonge and termis exquisite,
--
“Of rethorike and practike might lere.
“In brefe sermon preignant sentence write; “Before Cupide valing his cappe lite “Speris the cause that vocacion,
“And he anon shewde his entencion. ”
Again, Douglas's Virgil,
“The seik ground deny
“My fader exhortis
“To Delos, and Apollois ansuere spere,
“Be seiking him succours lere
Again,
“Aneuthir mache him was socht and sperit. ”
140.
iii.
72.
frute and fudis, turn againe our studis
B. v. p.
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ACT W II, God's PROMISEs. 41
BALEUs Prlocutor.
The matters are soch that we have uttered here As ought not to slyde from your memoryall.
For they have opened soch confortable gere, As is to the helthe of this kynde universall,
Graces of the lorde and promyses lyberall,
Whych he hath geven to man for every age,
To knytt hym to Christ, and so clere hym of bondage.
As saynt Paule doth write unto the Corinthes playne,
Our fore fathers were undre the cloud of darkenes,
And unto Christe's dayes ded in the shaddowe remayne :
Yet were they not left, for of hym they had promes,
All they receyved one spirytuall fedynge doubtles.
They dronke of the rocke whych them to lyfe refreshed,
For one savynge helthe, in Christ, they confessed.
the woman's sede was Adam first justyfyed, was faythfull Noah; was just Abraham,
The faythe that sede Moses fourth multyplyed, Lykewyse David and Esaye, that after cam.
And Johan Baptyst, whych shewed the very lam. Though they seafarre, yet they had one justyce,
One Masse (as they call and Christ one sacry
fyce.
-
man can not here God better servyce,
Than thys grounde hys faythe and understand
nge.
For the worlde's synne alone Christ payed the
pryce,
hys onlye deathe was mannys lyfe alwayes restynge,
And not wyll workes, nor yet mennys deservynge, The lyght our faythe make thys thynge evydent, And not the practyse other experiment.
Where now fre wyll, whom the hypocrytes com ment
Whereby they report they maye their owne pleasure
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42 GoD's PROMISEs. ACT WII.
Do good of themselves, though grace and fayth be absent,
And have good intentes their madnesse with to measure.
The wyll of the fleshe is proved here small treasure, And so is mannys will, for the grace of God doth all. More of thys matter conclude hereafter we shall.
Thus endeth thys Tragedy or enterlude, manyfest
ynge the chefe promyses of God unto Man by ages the olde lawe, from the fall Adam, the incar
nacyon the lorde Jesus Christ. Compyled Johan Bayle, Anno Domini 1538.
EDITION.
Tragedy enterlude manyfestyng the chefe pro myses God unto man ages the olde lawe, from the fall Adam the incarnacyon the lorde Jesus Christ. Compyled Johan Bale, Anno
Domini MDXxxv. 111. the worde (which now
called the eternall sonne God) was lyfe from the
begynnynge, and that life was the lyght men. Thys
lyght yet shyneth comprehendeth
The greater part
the darknesse, but the darknesse not. —Joan I*.
this quotatiou torn the only copy
well the date and printer's
known with certainty
exist, name, any were ever appended.
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THE FOUR P's.
John HeywooD, or Heewood, one of the most ancient
dramatic writers in the English language, was born in city London", and educated the University
Oxford, the ancient Hostle called Broadgate's,
after left Oxford, and became intimately acquainted
with Sir Thomas More, who lived the neighbour hood+. Here the latter wrote his celebrated work
Aldgate's parish.
He was his time more celebrated for his wit than his learning; and having Some fair possessions North Mims, resided there
called Utopia, and supposed Heywoods the composition
*Wood, his Athenae Oxonienses, vol.
have assisted his Epigrams
149, positively fixes
birth this place. Other writers have made him native North Mims Hertfordshire, but apparently without any autho
ity. Bale, who lived nearest the author's time, calls him Civis Londinensis which words, though they not absolutely
London, yet surely are sufficient warrant any one conclude that
was native that city,
belief that acquired the title Citizen London otherwise
prove that was born matter this uncertainty
-
Peacham's Compleat English Gentleman, 4to. 1627,
Gabriel Harvey’s MS. Note Speyght's Chaucer, Mr. Steevens's Shakspeare, vol.
than birth.
speaks
Bastard, his Chrestoleros, seven bookes Epigrams, Heywood and his reputation this department:
“Ifwitt may make poet, gesse, Heywood with auncient poets may compare.
But thou, word and deed, hast made him lesse his own witt, having yet learning spare.
The goate doth hunt the grasse, the wolfe the goat; The lyon hunts the wolfe proof we see
Heywood sang others downe, but thy sweete note,
WOL. I.
Davis, hath sang him downe, and
Then be not mov’d, nor count such To will thee what thou hast done
would thee. sinn,
him. ”
circumstance appears induce
1598, has the following, addressed Ad Johannem Davis, which
95. quoted
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Sir Notes
B. 88 his Translation
Wilson,
This would he write, else Harrington quotes one
46
Through Sir Thomas More's means, it is probable our author was introduced to the knowledge of King Henry the Eighth, and of his daughter the Princess, afterwards Queen Mary; by the former of whom, he was held in much esteem for the mirth and quickness of his conceits; and so much" valued by the latter, that he was often, after she came to the throne, admitted to the honour of waiting upon and exercising his fancy before her, even to the time she lay lan guishing on her death bed. His education having been in the Roman Catholic faith, he continued steadily attached to the tenets of that religion; and during the reign f of Edward the Sixth, fell under the suspicion of practising against the government, and
narrowly escaped the halter. After the death of patroness the queen, left the nation, says Woods, for religion's sake, and settled Mechlin Brabant,
where died about the year 15655, leaving several
The subsequent Ad Lectorem the same effect; “Reader, Heywood lived now againe,
Whom time life, hath not praise bereaved; would write, could express his vaine
am deceived. ”.
Heywood's Epigrams the Orlando Furioso; and Thomas his Rhetorique, 1553, speaks Heywood's Proverbs, adding, that his “paynes that behalfe are worthye immortall “prayse. ” Barnaby Googe's Husbandry, “our English Martiall,
“John Heywood,” quoted regarding Essex cheese. would
be goal add several other authors who quote applaud lillo
Athen. Oxon. vol. 149.
“But step backe my teske (though everie place step
“to, yeeldes me sweeter discourse) what thinke you Haywood “that scaped hanging with his mirth; the King being graciously
and (as thinke) truly perswaded, that man that wrate
“pleasant and harmelesse verses, could not have any harmfull con
“ceit against his proceedings, and the honest motion
“gentleman his chamber saved him from the jerke the six “string'd whip. ”
Harington's Metamorphoses Ajax, 1596,
Athen. Oxon. vol. 149.
The subsequent anecdote given Puttenham, his Arte
English Poesie, 1589,
230.
25.
“
§# f*
i.
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47
children; one of whom, Jasper Heywood, translated
three of Seneca's Plays, and wrote several Poems,
printed in the Paradise of Dainty Devises, 4to. 1578. This Jasper Heywood was, according to Fuller, exe
cuted in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but more pro
bably, as Sir Richard Baker asserts, was among those who were taken in 1585, and sent out of England *.
John Heywood + appears to be the second English
“The like hapned on a time at the Duke of Northumberland’s
“bourd, where merry John Heywood was allowed to sit at the
“table's end. The Duke had a very honourable and noble mynd
“alwayes to pay his debts well, and when he lacked money would
“not stick to sell the greatest part of his plate : so had he done a
“few days before. Heywood being loth to call for his drinke so
“oft as he was dry, turned his eye toward the cupboard and said,
“‘I finde great misse of your Grace's standing cups. ” The Duke “thinking he had spoken it of some knowledge that his plate
“was lately sold, said somewhat sharply, “Why, sir, will not “‘those cuppes serve as good a man as yourself? ' Heywood “readily replied, ‘Yes, if it please your Grace ; but I would have “‘one of them stand still at mine elbow, full of drinke, that I might “‘not be driven to trouble your men so often to call for it. ’ This “pleasant and speedy revers of the former wordes, holpe all the “matter againe, whereupon the Duke became very pleasaunt, and “dranke a bolle of wine to Heywood, and bid a cup should be “alwayes standing by him. ”
This story, in itself of very little worth, serves to shew the sort of terms Heywood was upon with the nobility of his time. C.
* The editor of the last edition of the Biographical Dictionary asserts, but without citing his particular authority for the fact,
that “ after many peregrinations, he died at Naples, January the 9th, 1598. ” C.
# Dr. Palsgrave, whose Play of Acolastus was printed in the year 1529, seems to have been the first. See Ames, 166.
Here is a mistake, which has likewise been fallen into in a note
on Cymbeline, edit. 1778, vol. 9, p. 317. Acolastus was not printed so early as 1529. The original Latin was, I think, produced in that year. Not having the play by me, I cannot exactly account for the misinformation given in that note ; but, if my memory is to be trusted, the original Latin is in verse, the translation in prose; and the title runs thus: Comedia Acolustus dicta, cum ecphrasi Anglica, per Johannem Palsgravium. Lond.