beare office and authoritie in your Parrish yée iâ— the whole Shire where we both dwell so that I hope from hencefoorth we shall haue great store of you and that of the greatnes of such fées and charges of sutes in Law and of the fiâ—st Assessors and the now receiuers therof ye are vtterly coâ—cluded estopped to speak or think saue in all honor reueâ—ence Doo you think so Neighbour quoth he Yea verily quoth he for you haue confessed all this your reformatioÌ„ aâ—endment to haue commen thence and look what effect it hatâ— wrought in you ye are of charitie bound to think that it hath wrought woorketh wil woork in a number mo then you and the mony that you haue or rather think that haue departeâ— from is in their hands who are treasurers therof as I haue aleaged towards the good and godly vses intents purposes that may or shall arise héerafter in coÌ„mon benefit to wit serâ—ice of the whole common welth wherin your part is as farrâ— foorth as theirs Doo you call this a mending Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce In very déed quoth he I must néeds confesse that these great and excessiue Charges and large Expences haue rebuked me haue chasticed and amended me but to say that I think or iudge it thank woorthy vnto them that haue receiued my money I say the Deuil kisse his arsse that so amendeth me or any fréend of mine for verily such amending in my iudgement deserueth asmuch and the very like thanks as did the Wife who gaue her husband two strong poisons meaning to spéed him in déed but the poysons béeing of contrary natures wrought one vpon an other and destroyed either others force wherby the man béeing hardly handled for a season yet béeing driuen into a lask by their extremitie auoyded them bothe and with them much corruption so that where before he was a very corrupt body he was by their clensings the better xx yéers after Thus she did him good by accident but far from her intent or purpose and vtterly against her will And surely they that take so excessiuely of me and of others our money by that kinde of punishment amend and refourme vs I holde them woorthy as much thank therfore as was this Wife at her husbands hand for his amendment which was wrought by her meane For I dare safely vndertake that for our affliction and punishment or for the dishonour of God and other vngodlynes that dependeth therupon they are as sorowful as was the parish Clark of a Town that was sore visited with the Plague who said vnto his wife vpon a day Wife quoth he if there come two corpses to day we will haue a shoulder of Mutton and a quart of Sack to supper if there come but one wée will haue a shoulder of Mutton and but a pinte of Sack Content husband quoth she And verily I think that as hartely as this good man his Wife praied for their recouery that were visited so hartely pray these for peace quietnes and the honor and seruice of God and the Godly charitable dealing and liuing of their Neighbours and Bretheren Pierce prooueth that the sufferaunce of wickednes and vngodlynes increaseth their gaine who are and should be therebukers and punishers therof and that to be the cause of great in iustice and vnrighteousnes Cap. 14. NEighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste I pray you let me further vnderstand wâ—at yée doo meane by this history for it should séem that ye haue alleadged it against mee not with standing that it maketh for me by â—he wunderfull effect which you your self â—re forced to confesse that it hath wrought vpon you I knâ—we what I haue confessed Neighbour quoth Pierce and also in what maner I haue confessed it far enough from your â—urpose or any confirmation therof And where in maintenanâ—e of these great fées and reuenues you haue alleaged that theâ— are publique and also how many and how good godly are the'ffects and fruits therof without proof made of them or oâ— any one of them either by your owne experience or by othâ—r necessary demonstration There in proof of the contrary tâ— wit that they are proper and priuate and therfore excessiuâ— and vnreasonable which is my assertion I haue brought you this proffe of mine owne experience wherby I haue sâ—fficiently shewed that the first causes of all these great gaineâ— and profits are prosecuted as I haue affirmed and not perâ—ecuted as you pretend For I haue partely shewed you héer what leaue and libertie the common people namely youth haue to follow their own lust and desire in all wantonnes and dâ—ssolution of life For further proof wherof I call to witnesse â—he Theaters Curtines Heauing houses Rifling boothes Bowling alleyes and such places where the time is so sâ—amefully mispent namely the Sabaoth daies vnto the great â—ishonor of God and the corruption and vtter distruction of youth All which I say are either the causes or the effecâ—s of these great gaines and reuenues or els both causes aâ—d effects interchaungeably For I dare vndertake that if eitâ—er these gains and profits were publique as you pretend or els if there were as great gain and proffit to the Maiestâ—ates and Officers in the godly liues and honest conuersation of the common people as there is in the contrary these haâ—bours of vngodlines misnurture would haue lesse fauour and maintenaunce then they haue and godlines Sobrietie and modestie of liues maners would be in greater estimation then they are and the honor and glory of God more aduaunced therby But alas that the honor and glory of God and the vaine glory pompe and maiestie of man cannot stand together and that one of theÌ„ must néeds fall in the others exaltation for certainly the more libertie vnto wickednes sinne and the more falling from God through the same and the more humbly complainings vnto your good Lordships and vnto your good Woorships The more Recognances for the peace and good a bearing aswel by the Godly as by the vngodly the one inuading and the other defending the more praying paying waiting attending dowking crowding courtesing procuring of fréendship by meanes bribing of his flatterer bribing of her flatterer this driueth the great welth and abundance into few mens hands For where the vngodly through misgouerment is fallen into daunger of the Law what wil he not giue to redéem his life or his infamye yea euen vnto them who were the first causes and occasions of his fall into such folly and mischaunce through libertie and not restraint of the contempt of God his Lawes and seruice which he will not fayle to measure and fully to reward vnto all libertines contemners and despisers of his maiestie and will giuen them ouer into a reprobate minde from vice to vice vntil he hath fully brought him to naught So dangerous and fearfull a thing is libertie and not restraint of the beginning of euil which
affection vnto your Lordship which hath been somewhat hard for me to doo for the cause abooue remembred And therfore hauing gathered this little conference I â—ade bold to dedicate it vnto my good Lord. A thing meeter to bâ— my gift then woorthy to be presented vnto your Honor or to go further vnder the name of such a Patron Howbeit my trust is â—hat your Lordship of your accustomed clemency will accept a simple thing of him at whose hands nothing at al was looked for and will alowe my good will towards the reparation of such faults and Imperfections as are heerin So praying God to blesse your Lordship and prâ—sper you From London the twentie six of Nouember 1579. Your Lordships in all humillitie T. F. ¶ TO THE GODLY and Gentle Reader THou hast heer Godly and gentle Reader the Conference betwéen Sim Certain and Pierce Plowman two great Clarkes as thou maist vnderstand by their Discourse which I haue gathered and reported as faithfully and as truely as my simple memory could retaine the same and that with some trauaile which I occounted my dutie First vnto them and others by them héerin mentioned And secondly vnto all and euery good man and woman whose mindes and harts God may sturre vp vnto Godlynes and Vertue by their good ensample Namely all such as are Fathers and Maisters of housholdes but chéefly and principally of common Innes and Tauerns whose good or euill example spreadeth far and wide and I feare in these our daies rather in corruption of life and maners then in edifiyng or increase of Vertue and Godlynes according to the saying of Iesus of Sirach that it is as hard for a Merchant to be no lyar and for a Tauerner or Inholder to be no drunkerd which thing although hée hath said to be very hard yet for the Inholder that his rule admitteth exception thou maist héer finde with out traueling to Rippon in Yorkshire to learne and so for a grote or sixpence thou maist know that which cost mée aboue fiue markes to learne besides my trauail and time spent which yet if it please thée to accept I shal account right wel bestowed which God graunt and that in all thy Iourneis thy head ake not before thou alight in such an Hostry Farwel Aut bibe aut abi The Printer to the Reader GENTLE READER IF THOV finde any Imperfection in this woork either for the matter in substance or els for the deuision the maner and forme therof I trust thou wilt alow a râ—asonable excuse aswel vnto the Author as vnto mâ—e betwen whome thy blame is otherwise to be deuided Thou knowest that to write and reporte a thing at the mouth of the Speaker asketh a nimble haâ—d and a great memory if a man had his Tooles ready for the purpose which yet this Author had not ready for nothing so like as any such matter and therfore was forced to put his braine-pan in trust withall and to write it in his way homeward In dooing wherof his care was greater to couch the matter truely in substance then to parte or to deuide or otherwise to digest the same Which he referred vnto mee and which also I haue doon as the shortnes of the time gaue me leaue Both which excuses if it please thee to admit thou maist in time to come receiue it in more perfection aswel for his part beeing the matter in substance wherof I dout not much hath escaped him and also for the diuision beeing mine Farwell W. M. in Commendation of the Author LEauing at large the Brunts of brinish flood The pitched Feelds and fables finely pend This Author heer to doo his Cuntry good One woork of woorth his time toile dooth spend The busie Brain with cankred Enuie fraught That sues and striues for sturring of a straw May read heerin his lesson largely taught And by the same descrie him selfe a Daw. The Counsailer the spokesman and the rest Who simple soules to needlesse lawing eg May learne heerby such dealings to defame As driue poor men their bread with teares to beg The prating Sot whose peremptory speech Is brayed foorth all Lawyers to defame Not far from hence may finde a cunning Leech To charme his tung and shroud it in with shame But in few woords my meaning to imparte If you demaund what mine opinion is Hee hath doon wel Gods blessing on his hart Who send me store of Books so good as this Coelum non Solum W. M. Anthony Munday to all curteous and freendly Readers in commendation of this Woork AS Tully did of vertuous life define And Ouid paint the odde conceits of looue And Maro squared in a direct line The hard assaults that valiant harts did proue In bloody Battails for their fames behoue As fliering Fortune should them chaunce to pâ—y In vaunting verse as Maro tells the way But leauing now at large such fond delights Such Fables fond as pratling Poets vse This Author heer presenteth to your sights Such tales of trueth as may you force to muse To iudge aright the crime of eche abuse As heer twixt Sim and Pierce he dooth compâ—und Such wise conceits as seldome hath been fouâ—d When you haue read Iudge then the Authors pains His tedious toyle in wishing well to thee Thy freendly thanks he craues no other gaineâ— Which vnto him more welcome sure shall bâ—e Then riches store if thou couldst giue it free Wherfore my Freends doo this at my request To heare and see and alway say the best Honos alit Artes. A. M. * Thomas Procter in reporte of the Authors good wil. AMong the woorthy woorks whith learned Tully pend The care of Cuntrie and of Freends he greatly dooth commend ¶ Which lesson in my minde the Man which took in hand To pen this pleasant History did perfect vnderstand ¶ For in the same he showes a looue vnto his Frends Beside a zealous minde of good that to his Cuntrie tends ¶ Of Louers liues of Warres ne yet of Wunders great Hee seemes to publish vnto vs but simply dooth intreat ¶ Of silly Men whose proof dooth such experience giue As for Examples of our liues learnes eche estate to liue ¶ Wherin the Author sought such meanes to publish it As in my simple Iudgement sure might seem to prooue his wit ¶ But for the careful paines which he hath spent heerin Hee only craues for recompence your fauours good to win ¶ wherby you may him mooue to vtter his good wil when as occasion shall him serue in woorks of greater skil Nil Melius Arte. T. P. ✿ Iohn Peeterhouse to the Reporter of this Historie THou that hast reported this pleasant History Wherof thine eyes and eares are a witnâ—sse And hast intreasured the memory Of Pierce and Simon for their woorthines Withouten hope of hire or recompeâ—ce For thy long Iourney or for thy disâ—ence ¶ Thou hast acquit thy dutie vnto them In this behalf and if I gesse aright Thou hast deserued well of other men
But as if for example you wil say Women ought to be â—shamed to be séen bibbing wine in common Tauernes or to be séen at common lasciuious and bawdie Stage Playes therfore they are ashamed therof This is an argument gathered from posse to estâ— to wit from should or ought to be to is simply and hath not any necessitie nor firmitie and that shall you see if you will goe with me to London this next Terme How be it you séem to inforce your antecedenâ— by the honorable existimation wherin I am bound to haue the Magistrate and Officer and therby you think that of dutie I ought to graunt it you for the shamefull consequencâ— whiche necessarily ensueth vpon the deniall therof Truely that notwithstanding me thinketh all this but a very bare and naked proof ¶ Simon maintaineth his assertion by authoritie of holy Scripture and diuersitie taken between the reward of Vertue Learning and Knowledge and the hire of seruile trauaile and labour Cap. 7. CAll you this a bare and naked proof Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast if you denye this proof quoth hée you reuerse ouerthrow all humain societie which is maintained and vpholden by giuing vnto God that which is due vnto God and vnto man that which is due vnto man But vnto God what can wée giue saue honor praise glory first and immediatly vnto him self and secondly vnto his Deputies and Lieutenants to wit Magistrates Officers whose calling and appointing therunto as it is of God so must and ought wée to think that it is for their godlynes and vertues for God him selfe hath said them that honor me I will honor and they that dishonour mée I wil dishonour wherfore our wise and reuerend Elders and Forefathers in their assessing these great fées and charges did mean to honor them whome God honoured And therfore vnto their callings appoiÌ„ted they great and honorable reuenues knowing that their gain is the punishment of vice and the rewarde of Vertue and that the part portion of all the godly is therin knowing also that there is not so great Incouragement vnto Vertue and Godlynes as the liberall rewarde therof and that all vngodlynes and vnthankfulnes is measured by the greatnes of thy goodnes and benefit receiued either at the haÌ„ds of God or man Lastly knowing that they might not prosecute but persecute the causes occasioÌ„s of these gains as hath alredy béen prooued and therfore I say abooue all common reason and discretion they assessed these Fées and reuenues that the gains might be great and yet the causes therof few quite contrarie to all other estates and faculties for what other reason is there that one man shall labour sore a whole day at night shall receiue twelue pence or eight peÌ„ce for his hire Another for half or a quarter of an houres easie trauail shall receiue xx shillings or sometime more what is thâ— cause of this diuersitie euen this the one is a hire and a pricâ— of a seruile labour and trauell and is receiued in proper aâ—d priuat vse the other is an honor doone vnto vertue Godlâ—nes and knowledge which doo receiue nor holde or accouâ—t any so base things proper or priuate or can be so basely mâ—nded as to ioy therin further then they may glorify God theâ—by what other reason is there that one man in the returne of a Reame of paper shall gaine xij pence or xvi peâ—ce cléer and yet where he layd out ij pence the other laid ouâ— x. shillings And after the same rate in Wax that one â—an shall sell more for vi pence then an other shall sell for viij pound which neuerthelesse bought as déer as he within â—ij pence at xx shillings waring and both laid out more monâ—y longer looked for the return therof I say there is no reaâ—on other then is already made ¶ Pierce denyeth the calling to office to be such as Simon hath alleaged Cap. 8. NEighbour Simon quoth Pierce whâ—ras you maintaine your assersion by the wâ—orthines of the Magistrate and Officer and doo insist thervpon alledging that they are â—alled by God and that for their godlines anâ— vertue The first part I greatly dout for thâ—t many of them buy their offices and pay very déerly therfâ—re yea some sell their very inheritaunces for that purpose I mean to buy offices now did I neuer read that euer God receiued Money for an office how be it I referre my self héerâ—n to my Maisters that are learned The next part that they are called for their Vâ—rtue and Godlines surely then I verily suppose some of theâ— are called for the things that neuer were in them before â—nd then were the caller deceiued which God cannot be eâ—cept you will say that God of his méere goodnes and mercy called them for the vertues and godlynes which he meaneth to call them vnto and in this order beginneth to woork I meane in bestowing vpon theÌ„ so liberally and by that meanes to charge them with his expectation in respect of their great Tallent committed vnto them which thing you séem to alledge as no small cause and consideration of the high assessing of the fées and charges aforesaid and that so great mercies graces bestowed vpon them by God and so liberall reward appointed vnto them by men should suffise to make them godly and vertuous from thence foorth what so euer they were or had béen before All which arguments although they be godly and probable yet as I said before they stand doubtful for the olde Prouerb Honors chaunge manners I beléeue the godly and the learned doo dout whether it be taken in the better part or in the wursse 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 degree Neighboure Pierce quoth our Hoste there is no rule so generall that it admitteth not exception albeit I dout not nor euer did that honours chaunge manners is and euer was meant in the better parte For the wiseman 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 whome it is said that béeing called from a simple boy after his Inauguration he felt him selfe suddainly chaunged and as the book saith he felt a new hart in him The like example we haue of many Kings and Prophets in the Scripture But to come néerer both 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 euil 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