we haue good fare I meane not long to tarry after thée Pause Whose ioy may be compared to mine I haue a wife bewtifull and gay She is yong pleasaunt proper and fyne And plyaunt to please me both night and day For whome should I pinch for whome should I spare Why should I not be liberall and frée How euer the world goe I doe not care I haue ynough for my wife and me And if my substaunce chaunce to decay I know my credite is not so ill But that I can borrow twenty pound alway To serue me at my pleasure and will For repayment thereof no care I will take No matter it is if the same I may get While it lasteth therewith I will merry make What skils it though that I come in debt While yong I am youthfull I will be And passe my time in youthfull sorte For as my wife here sayd vnto me Age doth delight in no pleasaunt sport Wherefore since pleasure I doe loue In youth it behooues to take the same Nothing there from my heart shall moue But I thereto my heart will frame I feare me that I tarry to long My wife doe looke for me before this Therefore homeward I will be gone For there is ioy and heauenly blisse Exiunt The Sergeaunt and the debtor rested entereth Debtor ¶ What infidelity in him doth rest Who no time forbeareth to take his pray Most like the gréedy or sauadge beast Who in creuelty rageth both night and day Might he not the space of one Sermon stay What care or minde gaue he to Gods word Who at preaching thereof did me so disturbe Is the Sabboth day and Paules Crosse A time and place to vex thy debtor Or hast thou Greedinesse by me had any losse Nay by me thou arte a hundereth pound the better I speake of the least and not of the greatter Yet I neuer denyed my debt for to pay But in déede I requyred a longer day Sergeant ¶ Tush syr this talke is all but in vayne Meane you thus the time to delay Dispatch therefore and please me for my payne And toward the Counter let vs away Debtor ¶ No haste but good stay yet a while Or else take the payne with me for to walke About the quantity of halfe a mile With a friend of mine that I might talke Sergeant ¶ For a Royall I will not so farre goe Therefore set your heart at quyet Debtor ¶ I meane to please no Sergeant so I am no customer for your dyet But since to goe you doe not intend You must take paynes here to tarry with me Untill for a friend of mine I doe send Which I trust shortly my bayle will be Sergeant ¶ Neyther will I with thée here remayne Therefore dispatch and let vs away Thinkest thou that I hauing naught for my payne Will eyther goe with thée or heare for thée stay Debtor ¶ And what wilt thou aske with me here to stay At one word let me that vnderstand Sergeant ¶ At one word ten groates thou shalt pay Or else to the Counter we must out of hand Debtor ¶ That will I doe with a right good will Rather then so much thou shalt get I will not so much thy minde fulfill If that my harte my hand may let Sergeant ¶ Why then with speede let vs away This déede thou wilt repent I trow Debtor ¶ Well wherefore now doe we stay I am ready hence to goe Sergeant ¶ Come on then They two go out Christianity must enter with a sword with a title of pollicy but on the other syde of the tytle must be written gods word also a Shield wheron must be written riches but on the other syde of the Shield must be Fayth Christian ¶ Christianity I doe represent Muse not though the sword of pollicy I beare Neyther marueile not what is mine intent That this fayleable shield of riches I weare Gréedy great will haue it so euery where Gréedy great for this cause I haue named For that the greater parte vse gréedines which is to be blamed As the greater parte will thereto must I yéeld Their cruell force I may not withstand Therefore I beare this deformed sword and shield Which I may be ashamed to hold in my hand But the Lord deliuer me from their thraldome and band For if the enemy assayle me then am I in thrall Because I lack such Armoure as is taught by S. Paule For in steade of Gods word and the shield of fayth I am deformed with pollicy and riches vayne And still I say as the greater parte sayeth I am still a christian and so shall remayne My Christianity say they no domage doth sustaine But alas they are deceiuēd their armoure is not sure For neyther pollicy nor ryches may long time indure Yet vpon those two we greatly depend We say by pollicy our selues we can saue Riches as a shield we say will defend And by riches we possesse what euer we craue So that for riches we sell all that we haue Not onely the body and all thinges terestriall But also the soule which ought be celestiall Faythfull few enter Faythfull ¶ Alas I lament to heare the report Which of vs cittizens in euery place is spread It is not long synce I came from the court Where I would haue bene glad to haue hid my head With the spoyle of the symple there they say were fed So that for the couetous gréedines which some cittizens vse A shamefull ill reporte to the whole ensues But I must néedes confesse some among vs there be For whose sakes the whole number beareth great blame They abuse themselues so towardes euery degrée As man without reason and past wordly shame Neither regard they their owne nor their ill name So they may haue the chassy treasure of the world They passe not both with God and man to be abhord There is no time nor place that they will forbeare When any of their helpe hath moste néede Then shall he pay treble for his money or ware Or else of them he is not like to spéede They nothing regard his pouerty or néede But who is it which yonder doth stand he goeth toward him Holding the Sword of Pollicy in his hand Moste certayne I am that face I should know Syr is not your name Christianity Christian. ¶ Yes vndoubtedly my name is so As you are faythfull few imbraser of verity Faythfull ¶ And shall the Sword of Pollicy by Christianity be borne Truely that is contrary to your nature and kinde Now are you deformed like a thing forlorne Which maketh me suspect of me in my minde Christian. ¶ Oh Faythfull fewe of me haue no doubt I am Christianity though thus deformed And though thus abused by the great route Yet by God I trust my tytle shal be turned Faythfull ¶ By the power of God I wil not delay he turneth the titles To turne this tytle most vntrue and fayned And I will indue thée and that straight way With such weapons
as Saynt Paule hath ordayned Christian ¶ Alas in vayne this payne you do take For as you faythfull in number are few So the power is but small that you can make To resist the greedy great ones who are agaynst you Faythfull ¶ Si Deus nobiscum quis contranos If God be with vs who may vs resist Weigh not then the number but weigh his purpose Who ruleth all thinges as himselfe doth lift I know how Gréedinesse with the great part is vsed Their pilling pouling pinching and spoyling How both the simple and others with them are abused They liue by the fruites of other mens toyling But God is not dead neyther is he asleepe Although for a time his hand he doth hold Yet doth he remember his little shéepe And will reuenge the wrong done to his folde Corage and Greedines enter as though they saw not Christianity Corage ¶ Let them say what they wil doe thou as I told thée Trust thou not to any knaue of them all Not a Preacher of them all in thy néede will vphold thée Try them who will their deuotion is small Greedines ¶ Thou wilt not beléeue how the Knaue did prate Ye cittizens repent thus he did crye Looke about in time quoth hée or it be to late For the vengeaunce of God at hand is full nye As though he knew what were in Gods minde Surely it is a shame they are so suffred to lye Corage ¶ But in my talke great profyte thou doste fynde They are all lyers as their talke doth trye By my doctrine thou haste great profyte and gayne Great riches and substaunce therby thou doest win To instruct thée dayly I take great payne Which way thou shalt thy riches bring in Greedines ¶ Thou doest so in déede and thankes I thee giue But syrra now I remember a thing Which made me not long since to laugh in my sléeue To me a yong Gentleman the Broker did bring Whose Father was dead of late as it séemed And his landes in Morgage to a Marchaunt was layde Wherefore it behooued the same were redéemed For the day was at hand when the same should be payde And I perceauing his néede to be such I thought I would pinch him or that I went To giue mine owne asking he did not greatly grudge And when I had girded him thence I him sent Faythfull ¶ More shame for thée and such as thou art That with life thou arte permitted it is great pitty Thou arte a Christyan with a canckered heart And the cause of reproch to a whole citty Christianity by thée is greatly abused Of his righteous Armour thou doest him bereaue And in stead thereof by him to be vsed The Armour of Sathan with him thou doste leaue Greedines ¶ Why would you not haue me how to inuent Which way were best to bring in my gayne Faythfull ¶ But not in such sort to set thine intent That all the world of thée should complayne Greedines ¶ I crye you mercy I know where you are now In a Courtyers behalf this oration you make Of late there was one complayned how Excessiue gayne of him I did take It is the cast of them all so to say When prodigally their money is spent Or if the Prince will them not pay Then on the Marchaunt some lyes they inuent Faythfull ¶ Arte thou not ashamed of thy Prince to speake ill Thine owne abused doing to excuse No marueyle though the citty haue all mens ill will When both in word and déede thy selfe thou doest misvse Sed Reginum est male audire cum besecerint Antisthenes doth truely this saying resite It is geuen to Princes sayeth he though they be beneuolēt To be euell spoken of which is agaynst all right Greedines ¶ Syr you are best say no more then you are able to proue Least I make you to repent your boldnesse For if my pacience you to much do moue I may chaunce turne your heate into a coldnesse Why I lende my money like a friend for good will And thereby doe helpe men at their néede Faythfull ¶ A friend thou arte in déede though a friend but ill Pithagoras thy friendship hath playnely decréede There be many sayth he who no friendes do lacke And yet of friendship they haue but skant So thou arte a friend for their moneys sake And yet thy friendship they alwayes shall want Christian ¶ Assuredly thou highly offendest For that so double in dealing thou arte Aristotle sayeth by the same thou pretendest And not so to beare a dissembling harte A Christian ought not vnto riches to yéeld For it is a thing but fayleable and vayne Riches is no perpetuall shielde But the shield of Fayth shall euer remayne Take therefore fayth and Gods word for thy sworde And arme Christianity in this wise Greedines ¶ Shall pollicy and riches then be abhord Syr they are fooles that them will despise I put case pouerty should me assayle Can Gods word and fayth me any thing ayde Pouerty agaynst riches can neuer auayle I am sure syr this may not be denayde Faythfull ¶ We deny not but in this world riches beare the sway Yet it not riches to be called sure For in Gods power it is to make riches decay Whereas Gods word and fayth shall euer endure Greedines ¶ But geue me riches take you Gods word and fayth And sée which of vs shall haue the better gayne Christian. ¶ Now Faythfull few you here what he sayth Therefore to turne the tytles I must be fayne Faythfull ¶ Well since it will no better be To God let vs the cause betake Whome I trust when as time he doth sée He will for vs a deliueraunce make Corage ¶ Come Mayster Welthinesse let vs away What should we here any longer doe Greedines ¶ In déede I hold it best as you say Therefore your saying I agrée vnto They two go out Faythfull ¶ Sorry I am to sée his estate Now neare he is to the Founte of perdition God graunt him repentaunce or it be to late That of his sinnes he may haue remission Christian. ¶ But alas he goeth the contrary way For of his couetousnesse he taketh no ruth And Aristotle I remember doth say The couetous man cannot learne the truth Wherèfore he cannot or will not know The way to reforme me Christianity Therefore from this place now I will goe To pray vnto God to shew him the verity Now Faythfull few adue vnto thée I will pray vnto God for thy comfort and ayd I beséech thée make like intercession for me And that my reformation be not long delayd Exiunt Faythfull ¶ Doubt not thereof good Christianity My indeuour herein shall not be delayde Alas what is man not knowing the verity No man but a beast he may be sayd Yet many there are which in the world doth liue Who for Christians will néedes accoumpted be Though to all abhominations their selues they doe giue And from no kind of vice be cleare or frée Couetousnesse is accoumpted no
encorager to all kindes of vice The Aged to auaryce and greedy desyre The yonger sorte lack none of thine aduice To all such acts as the Deuill doth require Corage ¶ Loe Syr I thought you did me mistake I know right well the man whome you meane To fetch him heather good spéede I will make I warrant you I wil shortly be here agayn Fayne to go out Faythfull ¶ Nay softe he is here whome that we would haue Therefore you néede not him for to fetch Corage ¶ Yes I will fetch him for he is a very knaue And almes it is that a rope he should stretch Still fayn to go out Authori ¶ Upon thy selfe iust iudgement thou doest giue Iuuenall sayeth Citties are well gouerned Whereas such rebelles are now suffered to liue But after their desertes are iustly punished Corage ¶ They which are Rebelles it behooueth in déede That they be corrected and punished so For they doe much harme in euery stéede But I am none such I would you should know Authori ¶ Thou shalt know what thou art or hence we depart Faythfull few vpon him lay holde Corage ¶ By gis sir then I will cause him to smart Therefore to touch me be not so bold Faythfull ¶ Syr sée where commeth Correction also Correction enter Autho. ¶ Draw neare Correction and thine office doe Take here this caytife vnto the Iayle Correcti. ¶ Syr to doe your commaundement I will not fayle Come on Syrra and let vs away Corage ¶ Nay softe a whyle your wisedome stay Hold me when you haue me but you haue me not yet And perchaunce ere you haue me your nose I will slit Correcti. ¶ Thinke it thou with bragges to make me afeard And beginneth to lay handes on him Corage ¶ You are best stand further least I shaue your beard They striue he draweth his dagger and fyghteth Correcti. ¶ In fayth sir now I wil geue you the check catcheth him Corage ¶ Oh gods passyon wilt thou breake my neck Is there no man here that hath a curst wife If he will in my stead he shall end his life Correcti. ¶ Tush let vs hence thy talke is in vayne Corage ¶ Sithēns there is no remedy best is a short payne Exit Faythfull ¶ When all malifactors are duely thus punished According to the good and godly lawes Then shall Christianity duely be burnished And to prayse God we shall haue cause Autho. ¶ O Faythfull few doubt not but as we Are able Christianities estate to reforme So his reformation in short time thou shall sée For we for his estate doe lament and mourne Of our selues we are not able to compasse this thing But by this sword of Gods power which to vs is lent Wherefore Faythfull few haue thou no doubting But we therevnto doe gladly consent For to Socrates saying some respect we haue Who sayeth a citty is not to be praysed For he greatnesse or buildings gorgious and braue But for the good inhabitauntes which therein are placed So we accoumpt those countreyes but ill Which vicious persons doth mainteine and norish Although they haue all thinges at their will And although in treasure they aboundauntly florish Faythfull ¶ Oh noble Authority by this your occasion Great tranquillity to vs shall befall We shal be a ioy to ech godly nation When Christianity is deliuered from thrall For better it were vnchristened to be Then our Christianity for to abuse The Iewish Infidell to God doth more agrée Then such as Christianity do so misuse But sée yonder where he doth appeare Whome abused armour doth greatly oppresse Christianity enter in as at the fyrst Authour ¶ O Christianity vnto vs draw neare That we thy abused estate may redresse And as fréely as this power vnto vs is lent Here we now by force of the same To thée faytfull few do here condiscent That thou Christianities estate shalt frame In such good forme fashion and shape As the same shall not be turned agayne But shall continue in a Godly rate From henceforth euermore to remayne Faythfull ¶ God graunt that so it may be kept As all Christians it may become And for my part it shall not be slept But my duty shall straight way be done he turneth the titles Christian ¶ Now God be praysed who thus agayne Hath restored me to my former estate And hath extinguished from me all payne God graunt that now I be not founde vngrate And God graunt that all Christians may me duly imbrase In such sorte as Gods will it is So shall they be sure of a resting place In Heauen where raigneth all ioy and blisse FINIS