and as I dout not héerafter I shall prooue vnto you so directly and so euidently that you shall either confesse your owne prooues fallible and falls orels you must and shal say that causes produce no effects orels clean contrary effects which is to reuerse and to ouerthrow the order of Nature and all the law and rule of reason as to say there can be a Father or a Mother without a Sonne or a Daughter or that betwéen a man or a woman there should be begotten a dogge or a cat And for proof héerof I wil alleadge bothe reason as strong as you haue alleaged any and also myne owne experience which I my self haue déerly bought and paid for I pray you Neighbour let mée hear that quoth our Hoast Pierce Plovvmans first tale for that purpose vvhere hee sbevveth hovv his Neighbour and hee vvent to the Tauern and to the dauÌ„cing Schoole and vvhat hapned there Cha. 11. AT my béeing in London this last terme quoth Pierce it fortuned one after noone hauing little or nothing to doo as God knoweth what Idlenes and vngodlynes commeth of our idle wayting and attending vpon our dayes of hearing as they tearm them when in the mean time wée run vp and down in the stréets and if happily wée méet with any Fréend or acquantaunce it is holden great humanitie to offer him the curtesie of LondoÌ„ which is as much to say to haue him to the Tauern there to sit bibbing vntil neither of theÌ„ can scant finde the way foorth again So as I was about to tel you one day amongst all others wee met a company of Neighbours and Fréends togither in Poules six in number all Cuntrie men and Neighbours saue one that was a Londoner a Neighbour borne of ours who was our Leader to many a good place dout you not so on Gods name néeds wée must to the Tauern and so wée went to the Tauern there fast by wherby that time wée caÌ„e foorth again our heds were better laden with heare then with Wit so on Gods name when our heds were wel fraughted wée must néeds go to see some pleasures of the Cittie that were straunge and noueltie vnto vs of the Cuntrie and so on Gods name wée went into a dauncing Schoole not very far thence now was there one man of our Company that was as deaf as a doore naile ¶ When wée weare come into the Schoole the Musitions were playing and one dauncing of a Galiard and euen at our entring hée was beginning a trick as I remember of sixtéens or seuentéens I doo not very wel remeÌ„ber but wunderfully hée leaped flung and took on which the deaf man beholding and not hearing any noyse of the Musick thought verily that hée had béen stark mad and out of his wit and of pure pittie and compassion ran to him and caught him in his armes and held him hard and fast The Dauncer not knowing his good meaning and taking it to the wurst and hauing a Dagger drew it out and smot the man a great blowe vpon the hed and brake his hed very sore The man sore mooued and gréeued therwithall and béeing a man of great strength threw him from him with all his strength among the MusitioÌ„s and bée lighting vpon one of the greatest and fairest Vialles brake it all in péeces Therwithall vp start the Musitions for him and wée for to help the other béeing our Fréends and Neighbours and then went out Daggers vp went Pantotles all the rest of the Instruments in the the throng wâ—re all to trodden and broken and but that Neighbours hearing the noise bustling came in and parted vs surely some of vs had béen in grea daunger to haue béen slain I lost my Cloke and had my hed broken and so had thrée of my Neighbours moe and hardly the Musitions and their part takers went not scotfrée But shortly to end come to my purpose you shall heare what followed First and formoste wée were all arrested and committed to Prison for a fraie and bloodshed where I think you may make no question if it cost vs any thing before wée gat out again But hauing paid our Fées there and thinking verily that the wurst had béen past euen at our comming foorth from thence wée were all newly arrested by latitates and remained vntil wée had put in Suretiee to appéere at the day of the return of the writ in the Kingsbench So wée laid our purses togither and went to a woorshipful and learned Lawyer that had béen of our councel aforetime and shewed him the declarations that were against vs wherof the first was at the sute of the Owner of the scoole wherin hée alleadged that with force and armes wée had entred into his house and beaten wounded and euil intreated his Seruants by reasoÌ„ wherof hée had lost their seruice by the space of right dayes to his hinderaunce and damage sixpound and also then and there thrée Instruments of Musick commonly called Vialls did spoile and break to his losse and hinderaunce sixpound Besides this euery of his Seruants the parties theÌ„selues seuearlly declared against vs all iointly of an assault and battery made vpon them and that wée had beaten wounded euil intreated them to their seuerall damages fortipence the Dauncer himself declared seuerally against the deaf man for assaults and battery vpon all which matters wée prayed his councel and aduise his answere was shortly the in his opinion the law was against vs in all euery of our cases wherof hée gaue vs the causes reasoÌ„s as I shall reherse vnto you To the first point of the first delaration for forcible entrye wée praied his reason how or by what reason our entrie might be said forciblo séeing the doores were open and if they had béen shut our coÌ„ming in was but to hear sée our meaning not hurtful to any man His answere therunto was that a mans meaning that commeth into my house shal be coÌ„strued and taken to haue béen such from the beginning as is his act there doon after he is entred for the shal be taken for his meaning the declaratioÌ„ therof namely where hée entreth without speciall coÌ„maundemeÌ„t or liceÌ„ce of the party because saith hée that after your entry into y house yée did there coÌ„mit a force an vnlawful act therfore your first entry comming into the house shal be déemed iudged vnlawful forcible Then wée asked how or by what reason our act could be said vnlawful which was but y taking of a man in his armeâ— of very goodwill to stay him thinking that he had béen mad out of his wit and might haue mischeiued him self His aunswers therunto was that therin the act was not lawful nor iusticiable but a Trespassers although no farther harme had ensued therupon which yet by your confession there did for to speak generally it is not lawful to imbrace or strain any man against his wil for if him list to take
it to the wurst especially if there ensue any euil vnto the partie therby it shal not help the party to say that hée ment him good or at y least no euil therby for although that in felony the intent doo qualifie the fact it is not so in Trespassers wherfore your act was not lawful nor Iusticiable except yée had béen Officers or otherwise the yée had come in found thē dooing some felonious or vnlawful act by means wherof yée had had sufficiēt coullour to haue laid yourhāds vpon thē for euery man is an Officer for peace sake for the preseruaciō therof then quoth hée your case had béen otherwise vnto this wée aunswered that our act in all reason séemed more lawful and tollerable then theirs for that in their exercise there is little good purpose or none at all nor better end or purpose then to induc◠such euil and vnhappy euents and consequents as hapned in this case of ours and that therfore their cause ought not to haue fauour against vs as if wée had hindred or interrupted their honest or lawful exercise in any godlynes or in any thig tending vnto vertue to the glory of God or to the proffit of the common welth His aunswere vnto that was that we are not to dispute of that which the reuerend and honorable Magistrates haue established yea holden in no small reputatiō it falleth for y Magistrates Rulers Officers to beare with them in all incidents casualties otherwise should they disalowe their owne Acts and be contrary vnto them selues which were inconuenient Then wée demannded of him why for the first Viall that was broken the Maister should not bring the action against the Dauncer who in very déed was the breaker therof and not the other man His aunswer therunto was that in very déed wée were bothe Trespassers vnto him alike he at his libertie election to take his remedy aginst vs bothe or against any of vs for quoth hée although the daūser were the materiall cause yet was y other man y efficiēt cause therof asfor proof if a carter wilfully driue his cart ouer a man woman or Childe bothe the cart the horses and the Carter are guiltie of the fact wherof the deaf man is not excusable neither can plead not guiltie to the fact because hée was the first and chéef efficient cause therupon wée mooued vnto him this question why the Musitions them selues should not be said to be the first efficient cause séeing that without their noise the Daūcer would not so haue fared nor taken on neither the deaf man haue taken him for a madde man as bothe you and wée would haue doon if wée had béen in his case and had heard no more then hée heard Vnto that his answere was that whatsoeuer it séemed vnto him or vnto vs it is quoth hée at your peril and at all mens perils els that resorte haunt to such places to put on all our Sences wits and vnderstandings and also to desire God to giue them wisdome and his grace to Iudge wisely wel to digest such things as they heare and sée therin and the wée be not snared in euil thorugh ignorant appetite of our sences vnto our hinderaunces more then wée our selues are able of our selues to Iudge or think for saith hée séeing wée are not able neither is our authoritie to blame or chalenge the places neither to disalowe the things there professed which were to derogate from the Magistrate Yet if wée haue so much grace of God as to be Magistrates vnto our selues and in such cases to blame and reprooue our selues and our owne sences and inordinat desires either in due time before wée are fallen orels in some reasonable time and with our reasonable losse and hinderaunce it may suffice for answere vnto vs by them vnto whome otherwise wée must créep and pray our redresse neither able to craue it at their hands without an inconuenience aforesaid which is condemn and disalowe the things by them selues allowed and established Wée asked him what reason there was that wée should be charged in seuerall actions and vnto seuerall Persons for one trespasse as namely vnto the Maister and also to the seruants His answere thervnto was that the Maister hath a speciall interest in his seruant for the proffit hée is to receiue by his seruice for which seruice hée is to recouer not for the hurt doon vnto the person for the partie him self recouereth for that To be short his resolution was that for all our harmes and losse that wée had gotten wée weare so far from all hope of redresse or amends that wée were in the wurse case in our defēce against thē very like to yéeld amends by iudgement of law And thus you sée quoth Pierce how poore guiltlesse simple men in a far honester cause are put to the wurser end Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast as for the be as bée may But truely Neighbour you had but euil successe in going to sée pleasure and to heare Musick and yet trust mée if yée wil I suppose the you sped a great deale better then a nūber spéed in such like places who think neuerthelesse them selues to haue sped there wel and come away right wel contented which in very déed is the only cause why in my fantasie they spéed wurse then you for why you are hurt and féel it but they are hurt but haue no féeling therof vntil their hurt be past all cure for a man is neuer so daungerously sick or sore as when hée hath lost the sence and féeling of the sore or of the sicknes So fareth it in such persons as these for although they féel no euil that they contract and yet in such places yet doo they carry thence with them the séeds and radicall causes of great Infortunes as the woful and lamentable end of many a good mans Childe hath witnessed dayly dooth wil. But truely Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast you are waxen more then half a Lawyer by these meanes Nay soft quoth Pierce I haue an other matter to tel you and that almoste as straunge as this and that chaunced to my self in a mischaunce about a foure yéeres past I pray yée let vs heare it quoth our Hoast marry quoth Pierce thus it hapned A Fréend of mine would néeds giue mée my dinner at an Ordinary table where wée fared very daintily but I promise you for myne owne parte I haue thought my self better at ease many a time oft with bread chéese in other Company So Sir in the name of God when dinner was doon in stéed of grace to the dice they went on euery side vpon proper square tables fit I warrāt you for the purpose there to the hazard they go xx s. xl s. v. l. vi l. a cast I stood by and beheld Anon there came a Straunger a plain homely felowe of the Cuntrye much like my self and hée séeing such sums of
executors That is very true also quoth Pierce except they be wicked persons bothe the sufferer and the executor Then quoth our Hoste séeing all punishments are fear full and gréeuous vnto the sufferer therof no pleasure but rather sorowe and gréefe of hart vnto the erecutors therof such and so must néeds be the first causes and occasiōs therof That is very true quoth Pierce You knowe quoth our Hoste that the causes and occasiōs of punishment is sin wickednes and misgouernment of life for the woord of God telleth vs that the reward of sinne is death All that is very true quoth Pierce Very well then quoth our Hoste these Propositions which you haue graunted doo suffise for the matter which I haue taken in hand to prooue which is that these great Fées and charges were neuer ment nor yet are receiued or conuerted into priuate or proper vse I pray you Neighbour quoth Pierce let me heare how it is prooued for I promise you faithfully for any thing I haue yet herd your prooues are farther to fet You knowe quoth our Hoste that the nature of the vngooly is to be quarelous and contencious and dayly prouoking one an other and also to take no wrong doo no right That is very true quoth Pierce You knowe quoth our Host that the common weapō wher with they wil be auēged vpon eche other is the Law which indéed is the Magistrate as ye haue already graunted so that vpon the matter he is made the executor of their wilfulnes and vengeaunce which they will néeds doo vpon eche other which thing you haue alredy confessed to be gréeuous and vnpleasant to euery good man Therfore hath it euer béen and yet is thought and that very wisely and truely that the likeliest way meane to disswade their wilfulnes which no reason looue nor feare of GOD could disswade was to make their wilfulnes as déere and as heauy vnto them as reasonably might be doon to the end that they should not so lightly and for euery trifle ver and trouble bothe the Magistrate one an other which effect although it failed to woork that their madnes would not be restrayned therby that yet their vngodlines might return to the profit and reléefe of others their Neighbours Brethern that were better affected so by one self and same meane the vngodly punished fléeced and the godly amended inriched therby that this was their meaning y was the first assessors therof common experience teacheth vs for in néedfull and necessary actions as debt detinew and account and such like the charges are so reasonable as that no man would in conscience giue lesse The reason is for that they are actions of common right and such as must néeds day by day arise betwéene a man and his Brother neither doo they dishonest either of the parties which I dare not affirm vpon actions vpon cases neither did they so iudge of them as I verily beléeue and therfore did they set double and treble charges thereupon for greater is the charges in a brabble for a woord spoken then for thrée hundred pound of honest det So that the Magistrate who for such Ale house actions and brabbles should otherwise neuer be at rest except he should deny them his help which might be slaunderous and perillous to the whole estate The Magistrate I say of pure pittie and compassion was forced to set great charges vpon them for the small fauour that he bare vnto them vnto their first causes occasions The greatnes of all which charges not withstanding yet doo we dayly sée how the vngodly run togither by heaps like brute beasts and yet I dare safely say that by the greatnes of these charges and the terrour therof many a brabling matter hath béene and is dayly put vp without any reuenge sought therof and many a one hauing pursued and recouered in his action yet haue his charges so gallded him that he hath béene easier to deale with all his life after And so by this meane many a wilfull body brought to knowe him self and to honor God therby I cannot tell Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce but I my self haue had two or thrée brabbles that haue kept me dooing these seuen yéeres in which time I am sure I haue spent abooue fiftie pound beside my charges to and fro losse of time and my hinderaunce at home And what haue ye gotten for all this quoth our Hoste These papers quoth he Wel woorth fiftie points quoth our Hoste I think verily quoth our Hoste if any honest Neighbour had néeded to haue borowed ten Pound therof you would not haue it so ready to haue pleasured him withall If I should say truely quoth Pierce I think the very same What are you assessed vnto the poore in your parish quoth our Hoste A peny a wéek quoth Pierce And think you that enough quoth our Hoste Yea verily quoth Pierce Loe Sir quoth our Hoste whether commeth this vnto my saying and maintenaunce of these great Fées and charges or not Who can deny the excellency of this institution wherby the Couetous vngodly men are shot one against an other and doo punish eche other and wherby also so plentiful prouision is made for the godly poore at their charges and yet no thank to them therfore and that those things from the which they would depart vnto any Honest or godly vse or purpose with as good will as from their eyes to be plucked out of their heads or their tripes out of their bellyes by this meane vndesired of their owne accord they bring it in by handfuls so as it hath béene sayd plentiful prouision made for their godly Neighbours at their charges and yet no thank vnto them therfore Call you this a prouiding for the poore Neighbour quoth Pierce I would I had giuen you the best horse in my Plough to make this saying true and I swere to you quoth he prooue it true and you shall haue him yet or this day Seuen night for that would case my hart if I might perceiue that any godly person hath fared the better or were amended by any parte of all my great expences For then yet should I think that I haue doone some good with all the losse of my money Why Neighbour Pierce quoth Simon doo you doubt that all these sommes or the greatest part therof commeth not to the vse of the common welth and to the reléefe and sustenaunce of the godly poore and other easements of common things in maintenaunce of the common Welth Nay Neighbour Simon quoth he I dout it not for I am fully perswaded the contrary Truely Neighbour Pierce quoth he this is an vncharitable and a very erronious oppinion and that I will prooue vnto you by reasons manifest and apparant such as your self haue alredy graunted confessed I pray you neighbour Simō quoth Pierce let me heare how Simon approoueth these fees and charges as publique and not priuate by
although they be godly and probable yet as I sayd before they stand doutful for the olde Prouerb Honors chaunge maners I beléeue the godly and the learned doo dout whether it be taken in the better part or in the wurse for I am very sure that many are wurse disposed and much more vngodly in high and honorable calling then while they were in meane estate and degrée Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste there is no rule so generall that it admitteth not exception albeit I â—out not nor euer did that honors chaunge maners is and euer was meant in the better part For the wise man saith He that is vngodly in welth how much more vngodly would he be in pouertie The examples are many that doo prooue that honors chaunge men to the better namely of Saule of whom it is said that béeing called from a simple boy after his Inauguration he felt him self sudenly chaunged and as the book saith he felt a new hart in him The like examples we haue of many Kings Prophets in the holy Scripture But to come néerer bothe for the time and also the place in our English History we read of that noble King H. the fifth who in his Fathers life was of euill gouernment and kept company with riotors and vnthrifts so that there was small hope of him but after the death of H. the fourth when this yung man was placed in his kingdom he sent for all his olde companions who were not a little glad therof but when they weare come into his presence he sharply rebuked them and giuing them small rewards yet better then he thought them woorthy he forbad them during their liues to come within xij miles of the Court and that vpon great penaltie All these examples doo manifestly prooue that liberall reward of vertue and high and Honorable calling doo increase vertue in them in whom it is alredy and causeth them in whom it is not saue only in apparaunce yet for pure shame to imbrace it séeing that otherwise hot coales are heaped vppon their heads through their shamelesse vnthankfulnes vnto them that haue so thorowly prouoked theÌ„ with the greatnes of their benefits And therfore against all these reasons and proofs to say that the Magistrate and Officer should priuatly Couet and conuert so great summes of treasure it were to shamefull and slaunderous considered that they are the effects of so euill causes as hath already béene shewed And considered also the horrible and wicked conclusion that would ensue therupon as also hath already béene prooued Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce neuer tell me what might or dooth insue therupon but consider the trueth and the matter as it is in déed And if these great fées and charges doo not come vnto their receiuers and takers in proper and priuate what meanâ— they to make so great labour sute fréendship and cost to get those offices and callings And how commeth it to passe that by the meanes of such offices such as before were of small habilitie come to purchase a Barons liuing yea twaine or thrée Shortly that their care is greater to heare and learne where any Land or Lordship is to be solde then for the Money wherewith to purchase the same Simon confirmeth his assertion touching the desire to beare office to be good by the Etimologie and exposition of the vvoord Officium Chap. 9. NEighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast all these matters are easily deuided vnto the which thus I answere To the first which is their great desire to be in such Offices of receit I say you misiudge of their desire because you doo not vnderstaÌ„d the meaning of this woord Office and doo think him to be an English man wheras in very déed his Father is an Italian whose proper signification and meaning you doo not vnderstand for in our English tung Office is no more to say nor nothing els but Seruice so that whosoeuer desireth an Office hée desireth to doo seruice orles a place wherin to doo seruice now all men knowe that a priuate man is not able to compare with the Magistrate or Officer in abilitie and power Therfore to desire an Office is to desire to be better abled to expresse and declare the hartie goodwil and affection which hée hath to bée seruiceable vnto God and his common welth for that in priuat estate his power answereth not vnto his goodwil therin and therfore the better man the more desirous to be in Office and in the more Offices for the greater is his power to shew his good affection towards God who is the Giuer of all these things ¶ Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce I cannot tel what Cuntrie mans Office is neither doo I greatly force whether his Father be an Italian Spaniard or Frenchman but if he be the same in Latin that seruice is in English I am sure that both in Latin French Spanish and English hée stinketh when he is to frely offered and that I am very sure did Aesop mean in his Fable of the Sowe great with pig vnto whome saith hée there came a For who alleadging vnto her his great skil in the art of a Midwife profferd her his seruice toward her deliuerance vnto whome shée answered that the greatest and best seruice that hée could doo vnto her was to kéep him far inough from her which shee also prayed him to doo wherby you may gather what the Authors opinion was vpoÌ„ this voluntary offer of seruice and yet hée dooth not alleage that the For offered any money I suppose because hée had no money to offer But SimoÌ„ Magus offered money in y Acts of the Apostles and what the holy Ghost thought therof you may there vnderstand Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast this is a colde reason and no Argument to say that a mans earnest desire to haue an Office argueth his desire of priuate gaine proffit and so for his great desire to doo good condemne him of euil without proof therof Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce I doo not so barely reason neither so nakedly as you haue alleaged if you did mée right in repetition of my Argument not intercepting the same nor seuering the partes ther of as you haue doon and so haue answered the first part by it self which is the weakest and haue said nothing to the second part which is their great purchase and the strength effect of the first for my Argument taken wholly togither is thus much to say that their great desire to haue the Offices and their great purchase of Lands and liuing following the same sheweth that from the beginning there was ment nought els but priuate pouching for euer the act that is last in exception is the first in ImaginatioÌ„ in all mens dooings this is moste assured Neighbour quoth our Hoast this Argument of yours which you holde so forcible is of no force at all whither the parties therof be considered iointly or seuerally neither dooth this great desire to be in Office neither the
yet the Farmers not equall in welth the one hauing béen blessed as it should séeme abooue y other for the one of them was very welthie and vpheld his Tenament in very good repair offered the Lord at the first woord fortie pound for a fine for one and twentie yéeres The other was poore and yet his Tenament in decay neither was hée able to giue fiue pounds for a fine wherof the Landlord hauing challenged him and warning him to looke to it therafter willed the other to lay down his fourtie pounds which hée did without delay The Gentleman when hée had counted it put it into a bagge and fréely gaue it vnto the poor man with these woords One of you beare an others burdeÌ„ wher with the other was so farre from béeing all content that hée humblie praised God and gaue the Gentleman right hartie thanks therfore and so hée sent them away bothe very well contented Since which time I heare of the poor man that hée is growen to great welth and of such benignitie and hospitalitie as are not many Owners or Landlords dwelling néer him Thus quoth our Hoast I haue confirmed my first Assertion and haue sufficiently auoided your reasons and examples alleadged in disproof of the same and these haue I doon by Example and demonstrations bothe moe in number then yours are and also more euident apt and proper vnto y purpose That is not so Neighbour quoth Pierce for admitting that your Examples were all or any of them true which for the moste parte I wil not graunt yet are they perticuler and cannot make any generall Couclusion besides y you tender mee an issue vpon two affirmatiues which is against the grounds of law as I haue learned by mine owne experience deerly bought For I have alleadged against you the generall Corruption of liues and manners beeing the effect of libertie vnto excesse and dissolution which I also haue alleadged prooued to be an effect of priuate desire to pouch to purchase and to wax rich from all which causes effects conuertly my Argument is nescessary and infallible therfore béeing alleadged affirmatiuely it demaundeth a direct generall trauerse to the effects which effects béeing not disprooued y causes therof cannot be denyed against all which matters you haue answered in the affirmatiue also alleadging the examples of some good men which whether they be true or not I doo not greatly force without a generall denyal of that which I haue alleadged although that for euery example alleadged you had brought fiftéen and so is my first Assertion maintained and standeth fast and yours vtterly disprooued The Conclusion of the Conference and the preparation to the Questions beeing the second Book Chap. 21. BY this time it was waxen euen dark night our Hoast speaking vnto Pierce said vnto him Neighbour Pierce quoth hée wée haue reasoned so very long to and fro that the night is stolen vpon vs and the purpose of your comming hither vtterly forgotten through our earnest disputation in these matters Truely Neighbour ê™ Pierce I cannot think this time ill spent I would I had neuer spent time wurse if it had pleasen God and therfore quoth he if it please you to lend me this v. l. I will be gon home for I knowe the way at midnight Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste your v. l. is redy and ye shall haue it with you but not to night for hence shall ye not depart before to morowe God willing and namely for this straungers sake whom I wil desire you to accompany for this night for in his countrye I haue receiued many folde humanitie as partly ye haue heard and therfore I gladly would doo him some héere to my power and therefore this night or a conuenient part therof we will indeuour our selues to spend togither in honest mirth and exersises And therwithall I spake and giuing our Hoste harty thanks desired Pierce that it might so ve Who at my request did soone condiscend and was very well contented therwithall Then quoth I seeing that we haue so well spent the fore part of the night wherin I my self haue doon nothing but harkened let vs agrée vpon some meane to passe the time with all after supper vntill bed time no wurse then we haue doon the time before Now verely Gentleman quoth our Hoste and that is very well spoken I beshrewe him that disagréeeth therunto if it be my self Amen quoth Pierce Plowman if it be I. Very well then quoth I this is my order if it may please you After Supper euery man shall put his question and tel his tale in order by course wherunto eche of the others shall speak to wit vnto the question shall giue an aunswere of dissolutioÌ„ of the saying and vnto the talâ— shall shew their good or il likeing and hée that telleth the best and wisest tale to wit of highest and best sentence and putteth the sharpest and wisest question moste tending to vertue and edyfying of the hearers or giues the wisest and best solution hée shall haue his breakfast héer to morrow at the charges of the other twain Content with all my hart quoth our Hoast Content quoth Pierce Plowman But to whose IudgemeÌ„t shall wée stand heerin ê™ hée Truely ê™ I euen to the doome of our Hostesse if it please her to take it vpon her whervpon shée béeing called very willingly vndertook it so was the matter fully agréeed and our hands giuen theruppon And then was the table couered for supper our Hoast hauing him self first giuen thaÌ„ks to God to supper wée went where wée fared right wel were mery and when wée had supped the Cloth béeing remooued and thanks likewise giuen After wée had sitten stil and reposed our selues a little while I my self began as followeth The end of the first Book THE SECOND BOOK DECLARING THE Questions and Answers between the Author the Hoste and Pierce Plowman 1 THe first Question put by me whether it be more proper to vertue and godlines to giue or to lend or to pay that a man oweth Pierce Plowman answered that of those thrée to giue was the best to lend was the next as for paying that which a man oweth he héeld it a dutie in dooing of dutie there staÌ„deth no Godlines neither lyeth there any thank therin that he sayd appëereth by Christe his owne woords who sayeth that when we haue doon that which was our dutie we are vnprofitable seruants neither hath paying of debts any expresse testimony of Godlines or vertue in the Scriptures of God or by common experience among men wheras giuing hath a name of vertue namely of liberalitie wherof the Prophet Dauid speaketh thus He hath dispersed and giuen vnto the poore and his rightuousnes remaineth for euer Again of lending he saith The rightuous is mercifull and lendeth will guide his woords with discresion To be short liberalitie which extendeth bothe vnto giuing also lending is a propertie of God
when I would departe my Hoast and Pierce Plowman would whether I would or no bring mée on my way to Doncaster and did and there caused mée to haue great intertainment with out a peny charges for one whole day and then wée took either leaue of other and departed each of vs toward his owne After which departure vpon the way as I traueled I remebred the Prophet Dauid who saith I was glad when it was said vnto mee we shall go into the house of the Lord. which I suppose he neuer ment by a coÌ„mon Inne or hosterie where neuer the lesse I may safely say I found it And therfore ful true it is y Ouid saith there is oftentimes a good fish in a water where a man would little think Wée boast much of ciuilitie nurture in the South partes of this land namely in London and dispraise and dispise the North as rude and vnciuil but surely for mine owne parte that am a Southern man and borne in Kent to speak indifferently for any thing that euer I haue found in all my trauel in bothe the parâ—es I cannot sée nor knowe why the Northern People should should not rather pitie vs then enuie vs concerning either Godlynes Vertue or good manners for héer I haue spoken of the basest kinde of people wherby it may partly approoue what hope there is of the Gentlemen Merchaunts and them of the good Townes and Citties for whose sakes and generally for all others I vndertook to gather and to reporte this little Conference and with Gods good help and fauor haue doon it as neer accordant to the trueth as I rould neither adding therto nor taking therefrom the desire wherof caused mée to take the lesser Iourneyes home warde and to write it by parcels at my Innes lest I might haue forgotten it And héerin I protest that I haue neither flattered nor belyed any man for my meaning is trueth and the commendation therof and therin is no flattery for surely if I haue flattered any body it is myne owne self in y that where before I was perswaded that pride had vtterly corrupted this whole common welth and had clean ouer spred it with his generation of all vngodlynes wickednes wherof all times and ages doo agrée him to be the father sithince this Iourney I begin to hope y God wil haue mercy vpon vs and hath that hée hath reserued vnto him self a remnaunt as hée did in the time of Elias for whose sakes hée wil spare the rest as hée offered vnto Abraham touching Sodome and Gomorra Therfore the intent of this my collection thus appearing I referre my self to the Iudgment of theÌ„ to whose hands it shall héerafter come desiring their good woord in recompence therof and also of my long and weary Iourney wherof this labor was myne only rewarde Beséeching Almightie God of his great mercy and clemency to graunt vnto the same no wurse effect then I haue ment therin and that by the Appostles counsel wée may consider that wée are but Straungers and Pilgrimes héer in Earth and that there after wée may order our liues conuersation longing for our owne Cuntrie content to suffer and to forbeare and glad to heare or sée the thing that may be for our edifying learning and knowledge to bée the méeter and better welcome into our Cuntrie which is the heauenly Ierusalem whither God for Christes sake bring vs all Amen FINIS Laus Deo. Foelix quipotuit rerum cognocere caâ—sas VVho wil arise with mee against the wicked or who wil take my part against the euil Dooers THE APOLOGIE and Conclusion of the Author THus ended is this short Collection Rude vnperfect for his want of skil Who should haue giuen it perfection And would if his might had been to his wil Or els if time had therunto suffised To haue perused it and recognised ¶ But for asmuch as I did fayle of bothe To wit of learning and also of time And to let dye such matter I was lothe Though I ne could it duely enlumine Yet for my God and for my Countries sake Me thought of force I must it vndertake And namely for the woorthy Shire of Kent Famous of olde time for humanitie As is to find in writing auncient Besides what dayly proof dooth restifye Sith I was borne in her me thought of right I ought to bring this matter into light ¶ So strongly ruleth looue the hart of man Namely that looue which is so naturall To doo his Countrie good in what he can That his good hart is to be borne withall For God requireth of a man but will Although he want wherwith it to fulfill ¶ These are the causes why I took on mee To be reporter of this Conference Which I haue doon as heere is plaine to see As neere as I could followe their sentence Wherin if I haue fayled any whit I pray you in good part to taken it ¶ For first touching the matter in substaunce The speakers are the Authors and not I As for the order in deliueraunceâ— I put it in the Readers courtesie To mend it or to take it as it is For he is wise that dooth nothing amisse FINIS Aut bibe aut abi ‡ ‡