No More Learning

_ Yea, on that
condicion I had liefer doo it an hundred times, if I knew
precisely the promiser would kepe touch. _HE. _ It is playne
God cannot deceaue. But now that feelyng of paine in the
fyre is longer vnto the whole lyfe of man, then is the
||lyfe of mã, in respect of the heauenlye ioye, althoughe
it were thrise so long as ye yeares of _Nestor_, for that
casting of the hand in the fyre thoughe it bee neuer so
shorte, yet it is some parte of hys lyfe, but the whole
lyfe of man is noo portion of tyme in respect of the eternal
lyfe. _SPV. _ I haue nothyng too saye against you.
_HEDO. _ Doo you then thyncke that anye affliction or
tourment can disquiet those that prepare them selues wyth a
chearful hearte and a stedfast hoope vnto the kyngedome of
God, wher as the course of this lyfe is nowe so shorte?
_SPVDE. _ I thinke not, if thei haue a sure perswasion and a
constant hope too attayne it. _HEDO. _ I coome ||E. iiii. || now
vnto those pleasures, whiche you obiected agaynst me, they
do wythdrawe them selues from daunsynge, bankettynge, from
pleasaunte seeghtes, they dispyce all these thynges, as
thus: for to haue the vse of thinges farre more ioyfulle,
and haue as great pleasure as these bee, but after another
sorte: the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard,
nor the heart of man cannot thyncke what consolations _GOD_
hathe ordeined for them that loue hym. Sayncte Paule knewe
what maner of thynges shoulde bee the songes, queeres,
daunsynges, and bankettes of vertuous myndes, yea, in this
lyfe. _SPVDEVS_ but there bee some leafull || pleasures,
whyche they vtterlye refuse. _HEDONIVS. _ That maye bee, for
the immoderate vse of leafull and godly games or pastymes,
is vnleaful: and if you wyll excepte this one thing onlye,
in al other thei excelle whiche seeme too leade a paynfull
lyfe, and whome we take too bee ouerwhelmed with all kynd of
miseries. Now I prai you what more roialler sight can ther
be, then ye cõtêplatiõ of this world? and such men as ye be
in fauour of god keping his holy cõmaûdemêtes & loue his
most blessed testamêt, receiue far geater pleasure in the
syght therof, then thother sorte doo, for while thei behold
wyth ouercurious eyes, ye wõderful worke, their mynde || is
troubled because they can not compasse for what purpose he
doeth such thinges, then thei improue the moost righte and
wise gouernour of all and murmour at his doinges as though
they were goddes of reprehension: and often finde faute with
that lady nature, and saye that she is vnnaturall, whiche
taunt forsooth with as muche spite as can bee shewed with
woordes, greueth nature: but truely it reboundeth on hym,
that made nature, if there bee any at all. But the vertuous
man with godly & simple eyes beholdeth with an excedyng
reioyce of heart the workes of his Lorde and father highly
praysyng thê all, and neither reprehêdeth nor || findeth
faut with any of thê, but for euery thyng yeoueth moste
hearty thankes, when he considereth that al were made for
the loue of man. And so in al thynges, he praieth vnto the
infinite power, deuine wisedome, & goodnes of the maker,
wherof he perceiueth moste euident tokens in thynges that
bee here created. Now fain that there were suche a palace in
verie deede as _Apuleus_ faineth, or els one that were more
royall and gorgeouse, and that you shoulde take twoo thither
with you too beholde it, the one a straunger, whiche gooeth
for this intent onely too see the thyng, and the other the
seruaût or soonne of hym that firste causeth this buyldyng,
whether || will haue more delectie in it? the straunger, too
whom suche maner of house dooeth nothyng appartain, or the
soonne whiche beholdeth with greate ioye and pleasure, the
witte, riches, and magnificence of his deerely beloued
father, especially when he dooeth consider all this worke
was made for his sake. _Sp. _ Your question is too plain:
for they most cõmunely that bee of euill condicions, knowe
that heauen and all thinges contained therin, were made for
mannes sake. _HEDO. _ Almoste al knowe that, but some dooe
not remembre it, shewyng thêselues vnthãkeful for the great
and exhuberãt benefittes of god, & al though thei remember
it, yet that mã taketh || greater delight in the sight of it
whiche hath more loue vnto the maker therof, in like maner
as, he more chearfully wyll behold the element whiche
aspireth towarde the eternall life. _SPV. _ Your saiynges
are muche like too bee true. _HED. _ Nowe the pleasures of
feastes dooeth not consist in the delicates of the mouth,
nor in the good sauces of cookes, but in health of body
and appetite of stomacke. You may not thynke that any
delicious person suppeth more pleasauntly hauyng before hym
partriches, turtelles, leuerettes, bekers, sturgeon, and
lamprayes: then a vertuous man hauyng nothîg too eat, but
onely bread potage, or wortes: and nothyng || too drynke,
but water, single bere, or wyne well alayde, be cause he
taketh these thinges as prepared of God vnto all lyuyng
creatures, and that they bee now yeouê vnto him of his
gentyll and mercifull father, praier maketh euery thyng
too sauour well. The petition in ye begynnyng of dyner
sanctifieth all thynges and in a while after there is
recited some holy lesson of the woorde of God: whiche more
refresheth the minde, then meate the body, and grace after
all this. Finally he riseth from the table, not ful: but
recreated, not laden, but refreshed: yea, refreshed both in
spirit and bodie, thynke you that any chief deuiser of these
muche vsed bãkets, & || deintye delicaces fareth nowe more
deliciously? _SPudeus. _ But in _Venus_ there is greate
delectacions if we beleue _Arestotell_. _Hed. _ And in this
behalfe the vertuous manne far excelleth as well as in good
fare, wiegh you now the matter as it is, the better a manne
loueth his wife, the more he delecteth in the good felowship
and familiaritie that is betwene theim after the course
of nature. Furthermore, no menne louê their wiues more
vehemêtly then thei that loue theim euê soo, as Christ loued
the churche. For thei that loue thê for the desire of bodely
pleasure, loue thê not. More ouer, the seldomer any man
dooeth accompany with his wife, the greater pleasure, it ||
is to hym afterwarde, and that thyng the wãtõ poete knew
full well whiche writeth, rare and seldome vse stereth vp
pleasures. Albeit, the lest parte of pleasure is in the
familiare company betwene theim. There is forsothe far
greater in the continuall leadyng of their liues too gether,
whiche emongest none can be so plesaunt as those that loue
syncerely and faithfully together in godly and christian
loue, and loue a like one the other. In the other sort, oftê
whêthe pleasure of ye body decaieth & waxeth old loue waxeth
coold & is sone forgottõ, but emõgest right christê mê, the
more ye the lust of ye flesh decreaseth & vanisheth away,
ye more thê al godly loue encreseth || Are you not yet
perswaded that none lyue more pleasauntly thê they whiche
liue continually in vertue and true religiõ of god?
_SP. _ Would god all men were as well perswaded in that
thyng. _He. _ And if they bee Epicures that lyue pleasauntli:
none bee righter Epicures then they that liue vertuously,
and if we wyll that euery thyng haue it right name none
deserueth more ye cogname of an Epicure, then that Prince of
all godly wisedome too whõ most reuerêtly we ought alwaies
too praye: for in the greeke tonge an Epicure signifieth
an helper. Nowe whan the lawe of nature was first corrupted
with sinne, whê the law of Moses did rather prouoke euil
desires ||F. i. || then remedy them. Whã the tyraunte Sathanas
reygned in this worlde freely and wythout punishement, then
thys prynce onely, dyd sodenlye helpe mankynde redy to
perishe: wherfore thei erre shamefully which scoff and
bable that _CHRIST_ was one that was sadd and of a
malancolye nature, & that he hath prouoked vs vnto an
vnpleasaunt kynde of lyfe, for onely he did shewe a kind
of liuing most godly and fullest of al true pleasure, if
we might haue the stone of _Tantalus_ taken awaye from vs.
_SPVD. _ What darke saiyng is this? _EDO. _ It is a mery tale
too laugh at, but this bourd induceth verye graue and sadde
thynges. _SPV. _ I tary too heare ||this mery conceite, that
you name too bee so sage a matter. _HE_ Thei whiche gaue
their studye and diligence to colour and set furth the
preceptes of Philosophie wyth subtil fables, declare that
there was one _Tantalus_ broughte vnto the table of the
goddes, whych was euer furnished wyth all good fare, and
most nete and sumptuous that myght bee, whan thys straunger
shoulde take hys leave, Iupyter thought it was for his great
liberalitie and highe renoume, that his guest shuld not
depart wythout some rewarde, he wylled him therfore too
aske what he woulde, and he shoulde haue it: _Tantalus_
(forsooth) lyke a verye leude and foolyshe person, ||F. ii. ||
for that he sette all the felicitie and pleasure of man in
the delectation of the bely, and glotonye, desired but
only too sytte at suche a table all the dayes of hys life,
Iupiter graunted him his desire, and shortly his vow was
there stablished and ratifyed. _Tantalus_ nowe sytteth at
the table furnyshed wyth all kindes of delicates, such
drinke as the goddes druncke of was set on the table, and
there wanted no rooses nor odours that could yeoue any swete
smel before the Goddes, _Ganymedes_ the buttler or one lyke
vnto hym, standeth euer redye, the _Muses_ stande rounde
aboute syngyng pleasauntly, mery _Silenus_ daunseth, ne ther
wanted noo fooles || too laugh at, and breuely, there was
euerye thynge that coulde delyght any sence of mã but
emongist all these, _Tantalus_ sytteth all sadde, syghyng,
and vnquiet with hym selfe, neither laughing nor yet
touching such thynges as were set before hym _SPVDE. _ What
was the cause? _HED. _ Over his head as he sate there hãged
by an heere a great stone euer lyke too fall. _SPV. _ I
woulde then haue conueied my selfe from suche a table.
_HEDO_ But his vowe had bound hym too the contrarye, for
Iupyter is not so easye too intreate as oure _GOD_, which
dooeth vnloose the pernitious vowes of menne, that bee made
contrary vnto his holy woord, if thei bee ||F. iii. || penitent
and sorye therfore, or elles it myght bee thus, the same
stoone that woulde not suffer hym too eate, would neither
suffer hym to ryse, for if he had but ones moued he shuld
haue been quashed al in peeses with the fall thereof.
_SPVDE. _ You haue shewed a very mery fable _HEDON. _ But nowe
heare that thing, which you wil not laugh at: the commune
people seeke too haue a pleasaunt life in outwarde thynges,
where as noothyng can yeoue that, but onely a constant and a
quiet mind: for surely a far heuier stone hangeth ouer these
that grudge with them selues, then hanged ouer _Tantalus_:
it only hangeth not ouer them, but greueth and || oppresseth
the mynde, ne the mind is not troubled wyth any vayn hoope,
but looketh euery houre to bee caste in too the paynes of
hell, I praye you what can bee so pleasaunt emongist all
thinges that bee yeouen vnto man, that coulde reioyse the
mynde, whyche were oppressed wyth suche a stoone?
_SPVDE. _ Truely there is nothyng but madnes, or elles
incredulitie. _HEDO. _ Yf younge menne woulde weygh these
thynges, that bee quyckly prouoked and entised with pleasure
as it were wyth the cuppe of _Circes_, whiche in steade of
theyr greatest pleasures receiue poysone myxte with honye.
Howe circumspecte would they bee too doo anye thynge
||F. iiii|| vnaduisedly that shoulde grudge their mindes
afterward? What thinge is it that thei would not doo too
haue suche a godly treasure in store against their latter
daies? that is a minde knowyng it selfe cleane & honest and
a name that hath not been defiled at any time. But what
thyng now is more miserable then is agee? Whan it beholdeth,
and loketh backward on thinges that be past seeth plainly
with great grudg of conscience howe fayre thynges he hathe
despiced and sette lyght by, (that is, howe farre he hath
discented and gone astray from the promyses made vnto God in
baptime) & agayn, how foule & noughty thîges he hath clipped
and enbraced, and whã || hee looketh forwarde, hee seeth
then the daye of iudgemente drawe neere, and shortely after
the eternall punyshemente of of hell. _SPVDE. _ I esteme
theim most happie whych haue neuer defyled theyr youthe,
but euer haue increased in vertu, til thei haue coomne vnto
the last puincte of age. _HEDO. _ Next them thei ar too bee
commended that haue wythdrawne theim selues from the folie
of youth in tyme. _SPVDE. _ But what councel wil you yeoue
agee that is in suche great myserie. _HEDO. _ No man shoulde
dispayre so long as life endureth, I wyl exhorte him to
flee for helpe vnto the infinitie mercye & gentilnes of God.
_SP. _ But the longer that he hath liued || the heape of his
synnes hath euer waxen greate and greater, so that nowe it
passeth the nomber of the sandes in the sea, _HE_ But the
mercies of our lord far excede those sãdes, for although the
sande can not bee numbred of manne, yet hit hath an ende,
but the mercie of God neither knoweth ende, ne measure.
_SP. _ Yea but he hath no space that shall dye by and by,
_HEDONI. _ The lesse tyme he hath the more feruêtly he should
cal vnto god for grace, that thyng is long inough before
God, whiche is of suche power as too ascende from the yearth
vnto heauê, for a short prayer forsoth streght entreth
heauê, if it bee made with a vehemêt spirit. It is written,
that || ye womã synner spoken of in the gospell did penaunce
al her life dayes: but with how fewe wordes again did the
thief obtain Paradise in the houre of death? If he will
crye with hearte and mynde, God haue mercie on me after
thy great mercie: God wil take awaye from hym _Tantalus_
stone and yeoue in his hea-
ryng ioye and cõfort
and his bones hu-
miled throughe
cõtrition, wil
reioyse
that
he
hath his synnes
foryeouen
hym.

*FINIS. *

* * * * *

Imprinted at London within the
precinct of the late dissolued house
of the gray Friers, by Richarde
Grafton, Printer too the
Princes grace.
the. XXIX.
daie of Iuly, the yere
of our Lorde.

[C]Two dyaloges
wrytten in laten
by the famous clerke. D. Eras-
mus of Roterodame/ one called
Polyphemus or the gospeller/
the other dysposyng of thynges
and names/ translated
in to Englyshe by
Edmonde
Becke.
And prynted at Cantorbury
in saynt Paules paryshe
by Johñ Mychell.
[+]

* * * * *


The preface to the Reader.

Lucius Anneus Seneca amonge many other pratie
saienges (gentle reder) hathe this also, whiche in
my iudgement is as trew as it is wittie. Rogãdo
cogit qui rogat superior. And in effecte is thus
moch to say, yf a mãnes superior or his better
desyre any thige, he might aswell cõmãde it by
authoritie as ones to desyre it.

A gentleman a nere cosyn of myne, but moch nerer
in fryndshyp, eftesones dyd instant and moue me to
translate these two dyaloges folowynge, to whose
getlenes I am so moch obliged, indetted and
bounde, that he myght well haue cõmaunded me to
this and more paynes: to whome I do not onely owe
seruyce, but my selfe also. And in accõplysshynge
of his most honest request (partly by cause I
wolde not the moost inhumane fawte of Ingratitude
shuld wor||thely be imputed to me, & that I
might in this thynge also (accordynge to my
bounden dutie) gratifie my frende) I haue hassard
my selfe in these daungerous dayes, where many
are so capcyous, some prone and redy to malygne &
depraue, and fewe whose eares are not so
festidious, tendre, and redy to please, that in
very tryfles & thynges of small importaunce, yet
exacte dylygence and exquisite iudgement is loked
for and requyred, of them whiche at this present
wyll attempte to translate any boke be it that the
matter be neuer so base. But what diligence I have
enployed in the translaciõ hereof I referre it to
the iudgement of the lerned sort, whiche cõferynge
my translacion with the laten dyaloges, I dowte
not wyl condone and pardone my boldnesse, in that
that I chalenge the semblable lybertie whiche the
translatours of this tyme iustlie chalenge. For
some heretofore submytting them selfe to
seruytude, haue lytle ||respecte to the
obseruaciõ of the thyng which in translacyõ is of
all other most necessary and requisite, that is to
saye, to rendre the sence & the very meanyng of
the author, not so relygyouslie addicte to
translate worde for worde, for so the sence of the
author is oftentimes corrupted & depraued, and
neyther the grace of the one tonge nor yet of the
other is truely observed or aptlie expressed. The
lerned knoweth that euery tonge hathe his peculyer
proprietie, phrase, maner of locucion, enargies
and vehemêcie, which so aptlie in any other tõg
can not be expressed. Yf I shal perceyue this my
symple doinge to be thankefully taken, and in good
parte accepted, it shall encorage me hereafter to
attempte the translaciõ of some bokes dysposing of
matters bothe delectable, frutefull, & expedient
to be knowen, by the grace of God, who gyuynge me
quyetnes of mynde, lybertie, and abylytie, shall
not desyste to communicat the frute of my
||spare howers, to such as are not lerned in
the laten tonge: to whome I dedycat the fyrste
frutes of this my symple translacyon.


* * * * *

A declaracion of the names.

Poliphemus sygnifieth, valyant
or noble, and in an other sygnifi-
cacion, talcatyfe or clybbe of tong. The
name of a Gyant called Cyclops, ha-
uynge but one eye in his forhed, of a
huge stature and a myghtie personage.
And is aplyed here to sygnifie a great
freke or a lubber, as this Poliphemus
was, whiche beynge a man of warre or
a courtyer, had a newe testament in his
hande, and loked buselie for some
sentence or text of scrypture
and that Cannius his
companyõ espyed
and sayd to
hî as fo-
loweth.


* * * * *

[C]The parsons names are Cannius and Poliphemus.

Cannius. what hunt Polipheme for here? Poliphemus.
Aske ye what I hunt for here, and yet ye se me
haue neyther dogges, dart, Jauelyn, nor huntyng
staffe. Cannius. Paraduenture ye hunt after some
praty nymphe of the couert. Poliphemus. By my
trouth and well coniectured, be holde what a
goodly pursenet, or a hay I haue here in my hande.
Cannius. Benedicite, what a straunge syght is
this, me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin,
Poliphemus with a boke in his hande. This is a
dogge in a doblet, a sowe with a sadle, of all
that euer I se it is a non decet. Poliphe. I haue
not onely paynted and garnyshed my boke with
saffron, but also I haue lymmed it withe Sinople,
asaphetida, redleed, vermilõ, and byse. Can. It is
a warlyke boke, for it is furnished with knottes,
tassils ||plates, claspes, and brasen bullyons.
Poliphe. Take the boke in your hand and loke
within it. Canni. I se it wery well. Truly it
is a praty boke, but me thynkes ye haue not yet
trymmed it sufficiently for all your cost ye have
bestowed upon it. Poliphe. Why what lackes it?
Canni. Thou shuldest haue set thyne armes upon it.
Poliphemus. what armes I beseche the? Cãnius. Mary
the heed of Silenus, an olde iolthed drunkard
totynge out of a hoggeshed or a tunne, but in good
ernest, wherof dothe your boke dyspose or
intreate? dothe it teache the art and crafte to
drynke a duetaunt? Poli. Take hede in goddes name
what ye say lest ye bolt out a blasphemie before
ye be ware. Cãnius. why bydde ye me take hede what
I saye? is there any holy matter in the boke?
Poli. what mã it is the gospell boke, I trow there
is nothynge can be more holye. Cannius. God for
thy grace what hathe Poliphemus to do withe the
gospell? ||Poli. Nay why do ye not aske what a
chrysten man hathe to do with christe? Cannius.
I can not tell but me thynkes a rousty byll or a
halbard wold become such a great lubber or a
slouyn as thou arte a great deale better, for yf
it were my chaûce to mete such one and knewe
him not upon seeborde, and he loked so lyke a
knaue and a ruffyã as thou dost I wolde take hym
for a pirate or a rouer upon the see/ and if I met
such one in the wood for an arrante thefe, and a
man murderer. Poli. yea good syr but the gospell
teache vs this same lesson, that we shuld not
iudge any person by his loke or by his externall &
outwarde apparaunce. For lyke wyse as many tymes
vnder a graye freers coote a tyrannous mynde lyeth
secretly hyd, eue so a polled heed, a crispe or a
twyrled berde, a frowninge, a ferse, or a dogged
loke, a cappe, or a hat with an oystrich fether, a
soldyers cassocke, a payre of hoose all to cut and
manglyd, may co||uer an euangelycall mynde.
Cannius. why not, mary God forbyd elles, yea &
many tymes a symple shepe lyeth hyd in a wolfes
skynne, and yf a man maye credite and beleue the
fables of Aesope, an asse maye lye secretely
unknowen by cause he is in a lyons skynne.
Poliphe. Naye I knowe hym whiche bereth a shepe
vpon his heed, and a sore in his brest, to whome I
wold wysshe with al my hart that he had as whyte
and as fauorable frendes as he hathe blacke eyes.
And I wolde wisshe also that he were as well guylt
ouer and ouer as he hathe a colour mete to take
guyltynge. Canni. Yf ye take hym to were a shepe
vpon his heed, that weareth a cappe of woll, howe
greuously than art thou lodyn, or what an
excedynge heuy burdê bearest thou then I praye the
whiche bearest a hoole shepe and an ostryche to
vpon thy heed? But what saye ye to hî doth not
he more folyssly which beareth a byrd vpon his
heed, and an asse in his ||brest. Poliphemus.
There ye nypped & taunted me in dede. Cannius. But
I wolde saye this geere dyd wonderous wel yf this
gospel boke dyd so adourne the with vertue as thou
hast adourned lymmed, and gorgiously garnysshed it
with many gay goodly glystryng ornamentes. Mary
syr thou hast set it forth in his ryght colours in
dede, wolde to god it might so adourne the with
good cõdiciõs that thou myghtest ones lerne to be
an honest man. Poli. There shall be no defaute in
me, I tell you I wyll do my diligence. Can. Naye
there is no doute of that, there shall be no more
faute in you now I dare say then was wonte to be.
Poli. Yea but (youre tarte tauntes, and youre
churlysshe checkes, and raylynges set asyde) tell
me I pray the this one thynge, do you thus
disprayse, condempne, or fynde faute with them
whiche caryeth aboute with them the newe testament
or the gospel boke? Canni. No by my fayth do I not
good ||praty man. Poliphe. Call ye me but a
praty one and I am hygher then you by ye length
of a good asses heed. Can. I thynke not fully so
moche yf the asse stretch forth his eares, but go
to it skyllis no matter of that, let it passe, he
that bare Christ vpon his backe was called
Christofer, and thou whiche bearest the gospell
boke aboute with the shall for Poliphemus be
called the gospeller or the gospell bearer. Polip.
Do not you counte it an holy thynge to cary aboute
with a man the newe testament? Cãni. why no syr by
my trouth do I not, except thou graunte the very
asses to be holy to. Poli. How can an asse be
holy? Cannius.
For one asse alone is able to beare
thre hundreth suche bokes, and I thynke suche a
great lubber as thou art were stronge inoughe to
beare as great a burden, and yf thou had a hansome
packesadle sette vpon thy backe. Poliphe. And yet
for all your iestynge it is not agaynst good
reason to saye ||that ye asse was holy which
bore christ. Cannius. I do not enuye you man for
this holynes for I had as lefe you had that
holynes as I, and yf it please you to take it I
wyll geue you an holy & a religious relyke of the
selfe same asse whiche christ rode vpon, and whan
ye haue it ye may kysse it lycke it and cull it as
ofte as ye lyst. Poli. Mary syr I thanke you, ye
can not gyue me a more thanckefull gyfte nor do me
a greatter pleasure, for that asse withouten any
tayle was made as holye as any asse could be by
the touchynge of christes body. Cannius. Undouted
they touched christes body also whiche stroke and
buffeted christ. Poliphe. yea but tell me this one
thynge I praye the in good ernest. Is it not a
great sygne of holynes in a man to cary aboute the
gospel boke or the newe testament? Cannius. It is
a token of holynes in dede if it be done without
hypocrysie, I meane if it be done without
dissimulacion/ and for ||that end, intent &
purpose, that it shuld be done for. Poliphe. What
the deuyl & a morten tellest thou a man of warre
of hypocrisie, away with hypocrisie to the monkes
and the freers. Cannius. Yea but bycause ye saye
so, tell me fyrste I praye you what ye call
hypocrisie. Po. When a man pretendis another thyng
outwardly then he meanis secretly in his mynde.
Cannius. But what dothe the bearynge aboute of the
newe testament sygnyfie. Dothe it not betoken that
thy lyfe shulde be conformable to the gospell
which thou carryest aboute with the. Poli.
I thynke well it dothe. Cannius. Wel then when thy
lyfe is not conformable to the boke, is not that
playne hypocrisie. Poliph. Tell me thê what you
call the trewe carienge of the gospell boke aboute
with a man. Cãni. Sõme men beare it aboute with
them in theyr hãdes (as the gray freers were wonte
to beare the rule of saynt Fraunces) and so the
porters of Londõ, Asses ||& horses may beare
it as well as they. And there be some other that
carry the gospel in theyr mouthes onlie, and such
haue no other talke but al of christ and his
gospell, and that is a very poynt of a pharysey.
And some other carrye it in theyr myndes. But in
myne opynion he beares the gospell boke as he
shuld do whiche bothe beares it in his hande,
cõmunes of it with his mouth whan occasyon of
edyfyenge of his neyghboure whan conuenyent
oportunytie is mynystred to him, and also beares
it in his mynde and thynkes vpon it withe his
harte. Poli. Yea thou art a mery felow, where
shall a man fynde suche blacke swãnes? Cannius. In
euery cathedrall church, where there be any
deacons, for they beare the gospel boke î theyr
hãde, they synge the gospell aloude, somtyme in a
lofte that the people may heare thê, althoughe
they do not vnderstand it, and theyr myndes are
vpõ it when they synge it. Polphe. And yet for all
your ||sayenge all suche deacons are no saynttes
that beare the gospell so in theyr myndes.
Cannius. But lest ye play the subtyle and
capcious sophystryar with me I wyll tell you this
one thynge before. No man can beare the gospell in
his mynde but he must nedes loue it from the
bothum of his harte, no man loueth it inwardly and
from the bothû of his harte but he must nedes
declare and expresse the gospell in his lyuinge,
outwarde maners, & behauour. Poli. I can not skyll
of youre subtyle reasonynges, ye are to fyne for
me. Can. Thê I wyll commune with you after a
grosser maner, and more playnly. yf thou dyddest
beare a tankard of good Reynyshe wyne vpon thy
shulders onelye, what other thynge were it to the
then a burden. Poliphe. It were none other thynge
truly, it is no great pleasure so beare wyne.
Cannius. What and yf thou dranke asmoche as thou
coudest well holde in thy mouthe, after the manner
of ||a gargarisme & spyt it out agayne. Po.
That wolde do me no good at all, but take me not
with suche a faute I trow, for the wyne is very
bad and if I do so. Canni. But what and yf thou
drynke thy skynne full as thou art wont to do, whê
thou comest where good wyne is. Poliphe. Mary
there is nothyng more godly or heuynly. Cannius.
It warmes you at the stomacke, it settes your body
in a heate, it makes you loke with a ruddy face,
and setteth your hart vpon a mery pynne. Poliphe.
That is suerly so as ye saye in dede. Canni. The
gospell is suche a lyke thynge of all this worlde,
for after that it hathe ones persed & entered in
the veynes of the mynd it altereth, transposeth,
and cleane changeth vpsodowne the whole state of
mã, and chaungeth hym cleane as it were into a
nother man. Polip. Ah ha, nowe I wot wherabout ye
be, belyke ye thîke that I lyue not accordynge to
the gospell or as a good gospeller shulde do.
||Cannius. There is no man can dyssolue this
questiõ better then thy selfe. Poli. Call ye it
dissoluynge? Naye and yf a thynge come to
dyssoluynge gyue me a good sharpe axe in my hande
and I trow I shall dyssolue it well inoughe.
Canni. What woldest thou do, I praye the, and yf a
man shulde say to thy teth thou lyest falsely, or
elles call the by thy ryght name knaue in
englysshe. Poli. What wolde I do quod he, that is
a question in dede, mary he shulde feele the
wayghte of a payre of churlyshe fystes I warrant
the. Canni. And what and yf a man gaue you a good
cuffe vpon the eare that shulde waye a pounde?
Poliphe. It were a well geuen blowe that wolde
aduauntage hym. xx. by my trouthe and he escaped
so he myght say he rose vpon his ryght syde, but
it were maruayle & I cut not of his head harde by
his shulders. Canni. Yea but good felowe thy
gospell boke teacheth the to geue gentle answers,
and fayre wordes ||agayne for fowle, and to
hym that geueth the a blowe vpon the ryght cheke
to holde forth the lyfte. Poliphe. I do remembre I
haue red suche a thinge in my boke, but ye must
pardone me for I had quyte forgotten it. Can. Well
go to, what saye ye to prayer I suppose ye praye
very ofte. Poli. That is euyn as very a touche of
a pharesey as any can be. Cannius. I graunt it is
no lesse thê a poynte of a pharesey to praye longe
and faynedly vnder a colour or pretêce of holynes,
that is to saye when a man prayeth not frõ the
bothum of his hart but with the lyppes only and
from the tethe outward, and that in opyn places
where great resort of people is, bycause they wold
be sene. But thy gospel boke teacheth the to praye
contynually, but so that thy prayer come from the
bothu of the hart. Poli. Yea but yet for all my
sayenge I praye sumtyme. Can. When I beseche the
when ye art a slepe? Poli. When it cometh in to
my mynde, ones ||or twyse may chaunce in a weke.
Can. what prayer sayst thou? Poliphe. The lordes
prayer, the Pater noster. Canni. Howe many tymes
ouer? Poli. Onis, & I trowe it is often inoughe,
for the gospell forbyddeth often repetynge of
one thynge. Canni. Can ye saye your pater noster
through to an ende & haue youre mynde runnynge
vpon nothynge elles in all that whyle? Poli.
By my trouthe and ye wyll beleue me I neuer yet
assayed nor proued whether I coulde do it or no.
But is it not sufficient to saye it with my
mouthe? Can. I can not tell whether it be or
no. But I am sure god here vs not excepte we praye
from the bothum of our harte. But tell me another
thyng I wyll aske the. Doest thou not fast very
often? Poli. No neuer in all my lyfe tyme and yf
it were not for lacke of meate. Can. And yet thy
boke alowes and commendes hyghly bothe fastynge
and prayer. Polip. So coulde I alowe them but that
my belly can ||not well affare nor a way with
fastyng. Cannius. Yea but Paule sayth they are not
the seruauntes of Iesus Christe whiche serue theyr
belly & make it theyr god. Do you eate fleshe
euery day? Po. No neuer when I haue none to eate,
but I neuer refuse it when it is set before me,
and I neuer aske question not for cõscience but
for my belly sake. Can. Yea but these stronge
sturdy sydes of suche a chuffe and a lobbynge
lobye as thou arte wolde be fed well inoughe with
haye and barke of trees. Poliphe. Yea but chryste
sayd, that which entereth in at the mouthe
defyleth not the man. Canni. That is to be
vnderstand thus yf it be measurably taken, and
without the offendinge of our christian brother.
But Paule the disciple of chryst had rather
peryshe & sterue with hunger then onys to offende
his weyke brothren with his eatynge, and he
exhorteth vs to followe his example that in all
thynges we maye please all men. Poli. What tel
||ye me of Paule, Paule is Paule and I am I.
Cannius. Do you gladly helpe to releue the poore
and the indygent with your goodes? Poli. Howe can
I helpe them whiche haue nothynge to gyue them,
and scant inoughe for my selfe. Cannius. ye myght
spare somthynge to helpe thê with yf thou woldest
playe the good husband in lyuynge more warely, in
moderatynge thy superfluous expenses, and in
fallynge to thy worke lustely. Poliphemus. Nay
then I were a fole in dede, a penyworth of ease is
euer worth a peny, and nowe I haue found so moch
pleasure in ease that I can not fall to no labour.
Canni. Do you kepe the commaundementes of god?
Polip. Nowe ye appose me, kepe the cõmaundementes
quod he, that is a payne in dede. Cannius. Art
thou sory for thy synnes and thyne offences, doest
thou ernestly repent the for thê. Poliphemus.
Christ hath payed the raunsome of synne and
satisfied for it alredy. Cannius. Howe ||prouest
thou then that thou louest the gospell and
fauoris the word of god as thou bearest men in
hande thou doest. Poliphemus. I wyll tell you that
by & by, and I dare saye you wyl confesse no
lesse your selfe then that I am an ernest
fauorer of the worde then I haue told you ye
tale. There was a certayne gray frere of the
order of saynt Fraunces with vs whiche neuer
ceased to bable and rayle agaynste the newe
testament of Erasmus, I chaunsed to talke with the
gêtylman pryuatly where no man was present but he
and I, and after I had communed awhyle with hym I
caught my frere by the polled pate with my left
hande and with my right hãde I drew out my daggar
and I pomelled the knaue frere welfauardly aboute
his skonce that I made his face as swollen and as
puffed as a puddynge. Cannius. what a tale is
this that thou tellest me. Poliphemus. How say you
is not this a good and a sufficient proue that I
fa||uer the gospell. I gaue hym absolucion afore
he departed out of my handes with this newe
testament thryse layde vpon his pate as harde as I
myght dryue yt I made thre bunches in his heed
as bygge as thre egges in the name of the father,
the sone, & the holy goost. Can. Now by my trouth
this was well done & lyke a ryght gospeller of
these dayes. Truly this is as they saye to
dyffende the gospell with the gospell. Poliphe.
I met another graye frere of the same curryshe
couent, that knaue neuer had done in raylynge
agaynst Erasmus, so sone as I had espyed hym I was
styrred and moued with the brenninge zele of the
gospell that in thretenyng of him I made hym knele
downe vpon his knees and crye Erasmus mercie and
desyred me to forgyue hym, I may saye to you it
was hyghe tyme for hym to fall downe vpon his
marybones, and yf he had not done it by and by I
had my hal||barde vp redy to haue gyuen hym
betwyxt the necke and the heade, I loked as grymme
as modie Mars when he is in furyous fume, it is
trewe that I tell you, for there was inoughe sawe
the frere and me yf I wolde make a lye. Cannius.
I maruayle the frere was not out of his wyt. But
to retourne to oure purpose agayne, dost thou lyue
chastly? Poliphemus. Peraduenture I maye do here
after when I am more stryken in age. But shall I
confesse the trouthe to the? Canni. I am no preest
man, therfore yf thou wylt be shryuen thou must
seke a preest to whome thou maye be lawfully
confessed. Poliphe. I am wont styl to cõfesse my
selfe to god, but I wyl confesse thus moche to the
at this tyme I am not yet become a perfyte
gospeller or an euangelical man, for I am but yet
as it were one of ye cõmune people, ye knowe wel
perde we gospellers haue iiii. gospels wrytten by
the . iiii. euange||lystes, & suche gospellers
as I am hunt busely, and chefely for . iiii.
thynges that we may haue. Unde. to prouyde dayntie
fare for the bellie, that nothynge be lackynge to
that parte of the body whiche nature hath placed
vnder the belly, ye wote what I meane, and to
obtayne and procure suche liuinge that we may lyue
welthely and at pleasure without carke & care. And
fynally that we maye do what we lyst without
checke or controlment, yf we gospellars lacke none
of all these thynges we crye and synge for ioye,
amonge our ful cuppes Io Io we tryumphe and are
wonderfull frolycke, we synge and make as mery as
cup and can, and saye the gospell is a lyue agayne
Chryst rayneth. Cannius. This is a lyfe for an
Epycure or a god belly and for no euangelicall
persone that professeth the gospell. Poli. I denye
not but that it is so as ye saye, but ye knowe
well that god is omnipotent and can do al thynges,
he can turne vs ||whê his wyll is sodenly in
to other maner of men. Cannius. So can he
transforme you in to hogges and swyne, the whiche
maye soner be done I iudge thê to chaunge you into
good men for ye are halfe swynyshe & hoggyshe
alredy, your lyuynge is so beastlie. Poliphe.
Holde thy peas mã wolde to god there were no men
that dyd more hurt in the world then swyne,
bullockes, asses, and camelles. A mã may se many
men now adayes more crueller then lyons, more
rauenynge thê wolues, more lecherous then sparous,
and that byte worse then mad dogges, more noysom
thê snakes, vepers and adders. Cannius. But nowe
good Polipheme remembre and loke vpon thy selfe
for it is hyghe tyme for the to laye a syde thy
beastly lyuynge, and to be tourned from a brute
and a sauage beast in to a man. Poliphemus. I
thanke you good neyghbour Cannius for by saynt
Mary I thynke your counsayle is good/for the
prophetes of this ||tyme sayth the worlde is
almost at an end, and we shall haue domes daye
(as they call it) shortely. Cannius. We haue
therfore more nede to prepare our selues in a
redines agaynst that day, and that with as moche
spede as maye be possible. Poliphemus.