or fauour falshod what say you now is this maÌ„ guilty in that wherof you haue acused him why do you not speake though one of your tongs is swoln by the right iudgement of God yet I beléeue god hath reserued some of your tongs to vtter the truth and to excuse this innocent lambe appointed to the slaughter Then the false witnesse that was stroken lame said to the Iudge we haue worthily deserued the wrathe of God which now is iustlye fallen vpoÌ„ vs we might haue takeÌ„ héed before by your good admonitions profitable persuasions witty warnings but that we lacked the good grace of God Therfore as one y t is compelled by the great God ruler of al things I wil open vnto your Lordship al the whole truth This good man that is accused is moste falsely and vniustly accused and this man whose tong is thus swoln in his head as you sée and I that am so sodainely become lame for gréedinesse of mony giueÌ„ vnto vs by this now wicked blind maÌ„ haue acused this good maÌ„ witnessed that he heard him speake such words of treson wheras the Lord knowes we neuer heard him speake anye such thing And euen as this blinde wicked wretche didde entice with money and faire promises these two good men but all in vaine who haue helped to saue thys innocente euen so he gaue vs money wyth manye fayre promises of greate rewardes to condemne moste vniustlye this innocente Whereat the manne with the â—wolne tong made signes with his hands looking towarde heauen affirming therby that all was true y t his lame fellowe had said TheÌ„ y â— Iudge said oh vile varlets not worthy to liue what sayest thou thou wicked accuser to this whome God most righteously hath stricken blinde are not thy diuelishe deuises come to a trim drift Then the blind accuser knéeled downe vpon his knées and saide I am worthy to dye it is onely I that for spite and malice and hope of worldely gaine haue mused this mischiefe and procured this practise against this godly vertuous and innocent man Then said the Iudge to y e innocent maÌ„ giue God the praise for it is he that hath wrought this wonder then said the innoceÌ„t man knéeling vpon his knées O Lord I thanke thée that thou hast not onely heard me but also hast deliuered me blessed be thy name for euer Then the accuser and the two false witnesses by the iudgement of the Iudge were tyed in foure seuerall partes to foure strong horses that is eyther arme to a horse and either leg to a horse and then wheÌ„ the horses were ierked euery one of them was torne a sunder and all their landes and goodes were sold and giuen to the reliefe of the poore SIVQILA Surely herein God wrought wonderfully and the Iudge very godly and truely If this lawe were so executed with vs as it is with you many that are troubled should liue more in quiet many should haue right that now haue much wrong many should be vnaccused that now are falsly accused OMEN Where Gods worde is plentie there Iustice should not be daintie I muse that Sin is so suffered where Gods worde is so preached I perceiue with you there are mo Professors than Followers SIVQILA I would it were not so Is there anye with you that vse to play at Dice OMEN None at all but if there were any they would not be swearing Dicers that will eate the Diuell at a bitte in the likenesse of a Spider according as you tolde the tale of late we haue a lawe with vs that euery one that playeth at Dice or Cards for mony or for any other thing of any value the winner shal forfeite so much twice as much more as he winneth and the looser shall forfaite as muche more as he looseth whiche forfaiture shall be deuided into thrée equall partes one parte whereof shall be to the vse of the King one other part thereof shal be to the vse of the reuealer and the third part thereof shall be equallye deuided among tenne of the poorest neyghbours dwellyng nexte to the house or place where the sayde money is wonne or loste And for euerye houre that they playe at one time both the winner and looser shall bée imprisoned one moneth SIVQILA If this lawe be as strictlye executed and as narrowlye looked to as the rest of your Lawes then there is not so muche money wonne and loste with you in a whole yeare as there is with vs in one daye naye in one houre OMEN Whether it be executed or not I know not but there is not one Dicer nor yet Carder in all our Country Oure Rulers Lords Knightes and Gentlemen wishing rather to profite other than to fill their purses with other mens pence and to solace their wearied mindes by honest pastimes thaÌ„ to get gréedie gain by diuellish and detestable Diceplaye doe vse diuerse times when they do playe to playe at Chesse the Astronomers game and the Philosophers game whiche whettes theyr wittes recreates theyr minds and hurts no body in the meane season SIVQILA These games you speake of are too busie for manye of our heades and many of oure heades are otherwise too busie to followe your good orders Diceplaye is so commonly vsed with vs that manye boyes seruingmen and other are more expert in playing at Dice than in Dauids Psalmes OMEN Haue you no lawes againste suche vnlawfull games SIVQILA Yes we haue Lawes to forbid them and licences to allow them OMEN That is as though a Father should command his sonne to goe to Schoole and immediatly giue him leaue to play the Trewant Those lawes shall neuer be wel kept that are licenced to be broken Nay if we haue lawes wée kéepe lawes SIVQILA And if we haue lawes we breake lawes If men woulde consider what perâ—lles Diceplaye procureth what mischiefes it maintaineth and what driftes it doeth driue then many woulde loath it that nowe do loue it manye woulde detest it that nowe delighte in it and manye woulde forsake it that nowe do fauour it Haue not manye loste in one yeare at Dice so muche as their friendes were getting all their whole life Haue not many loste at Dice in a wéeke that that woulde wel haue serued them a whole yeare Howe many honorable and worshipfull houses haue bene so ouerthrowne by Diceplay that they are vtterly vnknowne at this day and perhappes some nowe begge theyr breade whose auncestours haue hadde Lordly liuings and vtterly consumed by Diceplay and other vnthriftie games Hathe not Diceplay driuen many a one to borrowe that else had bin able to lende Do not many lose so much at Dice in an houre as they cannot get honestly and truelye in a whole Wéeke Whosoeuer shall playe at Dice or at anye other game for money or other gaine the best is he can but win and then one or other that he playeth withall muste néedes lose Then consider God sayeth thou
if they do so for if they giue all to the poore for Christs sake and leaue themselues nothing can all the money they haue spente on themselues can all the goodes they haue giuen to their children can all the fines they haue payde for Farmes can all the presents they haue giuen to great menne can all the money they lay out for Merchandise can all the mony they lende to Usurie or can all the mony they spend on feasting their friends bring the like gaine no I warrant them Foâ— they shal haue no recompence nor gaine for that they spend on theÌ„selues vnlesse for that they spend voluptuously viriously excessiuely and vainely which the Diuel wil reward them for in Hel. And as for that they giue to their children they may happe haue a thanke and peraduenture be suffred to beg if they chaunce to stand in néede And for their fines they haue an earthlye Farme for a â—elve yeares and perhaps thrust out ere the yeares be halfe ended and for their presents to great men they may happily haue something and giue thrée giftes ere they get one rewarde and though they obteyne the thing they require yet it can be no better than an earthly gifte that is got painefully kept carefully and lost sodainely And what is gained by the money layde out for Marchandise is not the ship and al the merchandise lost sometimes is it not solde sometimes to suche as neuer pay therfore is not much therof somtimes coÌ„sumed by vnthrifty seruants nay is not y e MerchaÌ„ts throate somtimes cut for the mony he toke therfore And though none of these things chaunce the greatest gaine that the Merchaunt can haue is to be riche build faire houses fare finely and goe trimly which if he vse vngodly and bestowe vncharitably he shall gaine therby hel fire eternally and what wil be the gaine they shal haue for their mony lent to vsurie Forsooth they shal not dwel in y e Lords Tabernacle where then truly in Hell for they that shall not dwell in Heauen of force their habitation must néeds be in Hell where they shal pay a greater vsurie to the diuel thaÌ„ they receyued for the loane of their mony And for the feasting of their friends they shal haue faire words double thankes another feast for it and counterfayte countenaunces and if they chance to come to pouertie or to decay they will recompence theÌ„ with a frowning face a loftie looke and a disdainefull spéeche and they maye be as bolde to begge a péece of bread at their dore as they were bold to sit at their table and fare of the beste but for that they giue to the poore for Christs sake they giue the same to Christ can that be lost they giue vnto Christ no truly for he will not only succour them defende them féede them in this world therefore but also wyll giue them the Kingdome of heauen to dwell in for euer And thus for giuing Christ a little worldly trash that he giues vs before he giues vs the greate Kingdome of Heauen farre passing all the kingdomes of the world OMEN Spende what they will lende what they wyll and giue what they wil al is but lost in comparison of that that is layde oute on thys sorte to the poore for Christes sake SIVQILA Therefore what wicked wretches are they that are suche niggardes to Christ that is so lyberal to theÌ„ How would that man be praysed estéemed and loued that shoulde giue that pore man a hundreth pound a yeare that lends willingly for his loue one peny out of a groat whych he before gaue him then howe muche more shoulde we estéeme honor loue and obey Christ and thinke al too little that we do or can do for Christ whyche doth not onely gyue vs here al the worldly riches we haue but wil gyue vs the kingdome of Heauen if we bestowe on the pore for his sake part of this vaine worldly goods whiche he before hathe gyuen vs What if God should kéep the Sun that it shold not heate the earth the raine that it shoulde not moysten the earth and shoulde stay the grasse from growing the corne from encreasing the trées from bearing fruite and the fish birdes and beast from bréeding What riches should the welthiest and proudest of vs all haue what foode should we féede on where should we haue garments that make vs so gay howe long coulde we liue then this well considered they are farre vnworthy to haue eyther foode or raymente or any other things in this world at Gods hand much lesse in the worlde to come that wil not giue part of that to the pore for his sake that hathe giuen al before OMEN There is one worthye sentence that Christe spake that is muche consydered and greatlye folowed of vs. SIVQILA What is that I pray you OMEN Whatsoeuer you would that men shoulde doe to you euen so do yee to them Thys sentence is paynted on the postes of houses and there is suche a straighte Lawe wyth vs for the doyng accordyng to thys saying that if they followe it not for the loue of Chryste they dare not breake it for feare of the penaltie that belongeth to it SIVQILA How is that OMEN Forsooth as they doe they shal be done vnto for there was with vs a very rich man that came by a poore naked lame soule that lay in the colde who though he lamentably and pitifully cryed out of the saide riche manne for to haue some reléefe or succor he did not onelye chide and rate at him for asking some almes of him but also went awaye and gaue him nothing at al wherof when the Ruler of the Citie there hearde he sente for the said churlish rich man and asked hym what the sentence of Christe was that was commaunded so straightlye to be kepte amongst them and the saide riche man saide Whatsoeuer you would that men shoulde doe to you euen so do ye to them then the sayd Ruler of the Citie coÌ„manded that he should put off his clothes and then he was compelled to sit in suche pore thynne and beggarly ragges as the pore man did in the open stréete a whole day togither and none could be suffred to giue him al that while either meate drinke or clothes or any other thyng to succour hym and at night he was broughte before the said Ruler againe when he asked hym whether he had done to the pore man as he woulde be done to himself and he answered no and then the Ruler said to him as you like this your selfe doe so to other And then all the riche mans clothes that he did weare at that time was giuen by the ruler to the saide poore man Whiche worthy example dyd so much good that what for the loue of God and what for feare of the law the pore euer since with vs haue bin maruellouslye well succoured and reléeued SIVQILA Truely me thinkes it is Too
SIVQILA Too good to be true OMEN Though so at a vewe Yet all that I tolde you Is true I vpholde you Now cease to aske why For I can not lye Herein is shewed by way of Dialogue the wonderful maners of the people of Mauqsun with other talke not friuolous Seen and allowed according to the order appointed Printed at London by H. Bynneman dwelling in Thames streate neere vnto Baynards Castell Anno Domini 1580. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis TO THE RIGHT HONOrable sir Christopher Hattō Knight Captaine of hir Maiesties Garde Vizchamberlaine to hir Highnesse and of hir Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsayle ALTHOVGH I CANNOT right Honorable procure my Countries commoditie as I woulde for that my power is not to my pretence my might to my meaning nor my abilitie to my industrie yet I cannot choose but vtter my goodwill in shewing what I wishe to the same But because I would not be thoughte to counsel others that haue more need my selfe to be taught to set forth orders for others that ought rather to be guided and to direct others that am more meete to be ledde therefore what I haue written to that end is none other thing than that whiche now is obeyed and most diligently folowed throughout that most ciuil countrey called Mauqsun The like whereof is not elsewhere so vniuersally practised And thoughe the things thereof written wil be hardly credited but more faintly folowed for that they are so rare and strange and in such an vnknown place yet they are not to be reiected as false considering it is harder for the reporter thereof to tel a lye than for a common lyar to tell a true tale which must needes be granted if his name called OMEN and the name of his Countrey called Mauqsun before mentioned be aduisedly marked and considered especially è conuerso construed And nowe for that the maruellous maners the honest behauiour the faithful friendship the curteous conditions the commendable customes the plain meaning and true dealing the Lords liberalitie the Ladies great curtesie the husbands fidelitie the wiues obedience the maydens modestie the maisters sobrietie the seruants diligence the Magistrates affabilitie the Iudges equitie the commons amitie the preferring of publique commoditie the generall Hospitalitie the exceeding mercie the wonderful Charitie and the constant Christianitie of that Countrey is such I hope the honest affectioned wil hereby take no small pleasure and profite Not ignoraunt that there are not a fewe of an other secte that loath they ought to loue disdaine they ought to desire fleere at that they ought rather to fauor and discommend that they cannot amend Which if euery Writer shoulde haue weyed many good things had lyen hid that now are vttered great knowledge would haue bin kept close that now is discouered and many profitable things vnknowen that now are practised And therfore as they respected rather to pleasure some honestly than to please many foolishly so I meane hereby rather to content the wel minded with things commendable than to flatter fooles with vnnecessarie matter Trusting your Honor wil rather weigh my good wil and zeale than my rude rashenesse in that I presume to presente vnto you such a simple gift Cōforted herewith that seeing the Persian Prince was contente to accepte a poore mans handfull of water which had no better thing to giue him I hope your Honour will take in good parte this handful of paper not withoute something in it whiche is the beste thing nowe I am able to giue you And though this is not the first booke that hath bene dedicated vnto you yet your Honor is the firste man to whome I haue dedicated any Whose wisdome hathe willed me whose modestie hath moued me whose clemencie hath encouraged me whose loue to learning hathe allured me and whose common commendations hathe enticed me to offer it vnto you Thinking my selfe happily recompenst if you receiue it but halfe as thankefully as I doe giue it faithfully and willingly Thus omitting any further herein to trouble your Honour desires God earnestly to guide you in goodnesse to defende you from dangers to fence you from foes to lende you long life and to bring you to blisse Your Honors moste obedient to commaunde THOMAS LVPTON ¶ The Preface to the Reader AS I haue published this gentle Reader to pleasure and profit many so I wish the meaning thereof not to be hyd from any which though I haue described at large in my former Epistle yet for that I thinke many will not reade the same as I wish they woulde herin I haue displayed the effect and discourse thereof which is that one SIVQILA a man that lyued godlye loued honestie and esteemed equitie was so wearie with the wickednesse naughtinesse falsehode and other great enormities of his owne Countrie that he trauelled to finde out a Countrie and people that were agreable to his owne affection Who at the last when he had trauelled thorowout the whole world as he thought chanced to meete with one whose name was OMEN dwelling in a countrie there called MAVQSVN wherein as he sayde generally be such blessed Byshops such perfect Preachers suche vertuous Ministers suche godly Governours suche merciful Magistrates suche iust Iudges suche worthie Lawes suche charitable Lawyers such honest Attorneys suche pitifull Physitions such friendlie Surgeons suche liberal Lordes suche lowlie Ladies such gentle Gentlemen such louing Husbandes such obedient Wiues suche humble Children such modest Maydes such diligent Seruantes such good and plaine Dealing such Hospitalitie such wonderfull Charitie such practizing of Godlinesse and such stryuing to Do wel that the same SIVQVILA did wonder at it saying It is TOO GOOD TO BE TRVE wherof this Booke hath his title which if the Discourse therof be wel marked I doubt not but that it will like the Godlie please the Honest and warne the Wicked And therefore as I haue taken long paynes in framing it so I beseech thee take a little paynes to reade it thorowly which is al that I wish And thus I ende THOMAS LVPTON Too good to be true The whole discourse wherof doth follow and is declared by two whose names are OMEN and SIVQILA OMEN I Meruayle what fellowe this is that commes towardes me thus spéedily he thinkes belike to haue some succour here but he is much deceyued for we neuer goe to trouble anye neyther any shall trouble vs. What art thou sirra what is thy name from whence dost thou come and what wouldest thou haue SIVQILA O sir I am come from the furthest partes of the worlde I thinke there is no place nor Countrey but I haue bin in it I beléeue except this where you dwell my name is SIVQILA a sinner I confesse but one that feares God loues his word estéemes equitie and abhors wickednesse my chiefe desire is to find out such a countrey and people as are altogither affectioned as I am OMEN You may go round about the whole world and thorowe and thorow it
swearers were brydeled wyth oure Bytte and were punished without pardon as they in oure Countrey are if they doe-chaâ—â—ice to offende their greate othes woulde be turned into Yea and Nay SIVQILA I haue suche good lyking to your law that I wishe it or suche like were executed with vs as a Law But sir I pray you what if anye be troubled sewed or imprisoned by false reporte or wrong information wyth you OMEN What if Fire be turned into Water Byrdes into Fishes Tabers and Belles into Buckets I tel you there are none with vs that wil once tel a lye or will giue any wrong information against any SIVQILA You dwell in suche a Countrey as I neuer hearde of you haue not so fewe suche but we haue as many such OMEN Yea but if you did vse suche I durst laye a wager that shortly you shoulde haue none suche SIVQILA Howe woulde you vse suche if you had any such OMEN If anye with vs should falsely suggest or molest or giue any wrong information againste any the party that hath wrongfully suggested or informed shal incur the like danger penaltie and punishmeÌ„t as the partie against whoÌ„ the information was made shoulde haue done if the suggestion or information against him had bin true As if the partie complained of should haue lost his eies eares hands or tong if the information had bin true then the false suggester or wrong informer shal lose his eies eares handes or tong And if the partie complained of should haue loste hys life if the information had bin true then the informer or suggester shal lose his life if his information be false And so of losse of landes goodes prisonment or anye other punishement A rare example I wil tel you of one wyth vs how hée was vsed that gaue wrong and wicked information against one onelye of malice and spite and the rather bycause hée thought to haue begged his liuing SIVQILA Tel it for I wil heare you attentiuely OMEN There was once in oure Countrey a very wicked fellowe that dwelled nighe vnto a very godly and honest man who as the Diuel doeth not loue God so thys diuelishe fellowe coulde not abide his godly neighbor as he hated him so he hasted to worke his destruction And bycause he soughte no more but his lyfe he deuised wordes of high treason that he should speake against the King and he enformed y â— Ruler there of his own deuised wordes saying that he himself heard him speake theÌ„ And to make the thing more cock sure he hyred two witnesses to affyrme that they hearde him likewise speake the same words of treason whiche when the Ruler heard he sent for the party that was coÌ„playned of to whom wheÌ„ he was come the ruler and Iudge said Sirra here is one of thy neighbors as I vnderstande hath enformed that thou hast spoken words of high treason against the kyng he hath not only heard thée speak them but here are also two witnesses that didde heare thée also Which wheÌ„ this goodman heard he was so astonied that he could scantly speake one word to whome the Ruler saide Sirra you were beste speake your selfe and to excuse youre selfe for here are thrée come to accuse you And then y â— man remembring himselfe knéeled downe and saide O my God and heauenly father thou knowest whether I am guilty in this that is layde to my charge or not as thou deliueredst Daniel out of the Lyons denne the thrée children out of the â—ierie fornace and chast Susanna from the two wicked Iudges Deliuer me Lord for thy mercies sake at this present from these raâ—enors that séeke guiltlesse my spoile destruction and with that he rose vp and saide to the Ruler as foloweth I beséeche you to examine them seuerally by themselues what were the wordes I spake where I spake them and when I spake them and the Iudge didde so Whyche when he had done he found euery one of them agrée in one tale And then the Ruler said to the accused man these men doe all agrée that in such a place and in such a day and how thou didst speake such words against the King therfore as farre as I séé I muste be constrained to giue iudgement against thée according to the lawe At whose wordes the accused man knéeled downe again and said with wéeping teares Oh Lord as I am guiltlesse so let me not be helplesse in thée is al my hope thou neuer deceiuest them that putte their trust in thée thou art able to pleade in my cause TheÌ„ the Ruler had him arise and saide vnto him I perceiue thou hast a seruent trust in God Wel I wil charge these thy aduersaries a little straighter Wel Maisters thys good man whom you haue accused here of high treason is iudged of al that knowe him to be as faithful to God as obedient to his Prince and as louing to his neighbors as curteous to straÌ„gers as liberall to the pore and as commodious to his couÌ„try as any of vs al and a great deale more than any of you thrée that haue accused him But for that we are to doe Iustice we meane not but according to your accusations to procéede against him Notwithstanding I wil say to you by the way that if he die guiltlesse through your false accusatioÌ„s God wil not only plague you as long as you liue with a troubled tormented conscience but also with desperate minds at your deaths whiche is the verye line that leades you to hel Let Iudas be a pattern to you that falsely betraid Christ his Maister for as soone as he had taken the money y â— he betrayd him for did he not straitways dispaire whereby he neuer asked pardon of God for his fault so desperatly hanged himself and his vowels gushed out so he is become the child of perdition whereby he hath lost heauen for Hel pleasure for pain gladnesse for sadnesse and God for y â— Diuel Is not this a proper gain that his mony hath broughte him Therfore you that are witnesses if you haue takeÌ„ mony for the betraying of this accused man your mony wil bryng you Iudas gaine vnlesse you repent you otherwayes than Iudas did whiche gaine is to be for euer in the torments of Hel fire with the Diuel and his Angels and to be expulsed from the presence of God And thereat the accused man knéeled downe and sayde Oh Lorde defende me and pleade now my cause And as soone as the accused man had spoken these words there came one man in great hast and preased to come before the Iudge saying as foloweth Oh worthy Iudge you sit here in the place of God the most high and greatest Iudge the Iudge of al Iudges to heare the truth without any partialitie and to iudge according to right and equitie whose faith is so firme whose godlinesse is so greate and whose trueth is so tryed that I am assured that nothing
be a line to leade the lewder sorte whose gentlenesse and goodnes ought to be a guide to y e baser degrées and whose perfect kéeping of promises should be a patterne to the rest of the people be moste lewd in their liuing most currishe in conditions moste false of their Faith moste haughtie in theyr heartes and most vnthankfull for benefites howe is it possible that the common or inferior sorte shoulde be any other for as it is saide such Soueraigne suche Subiecte suche Superiour suche inferior such Maister suche Manne suche Maistresse suche Maide such Schoolemaister suche Scholier suche Pastoure suche Parishioner and such Shéepehearde suche Shéepe The moste Writers agrée that the Moone receiues hir lyghte of the Sunne then if the Sunne be darkened the Moone muste lacke hir lighte Euen so if the Superioures and Gentlemen haue loste the lighte of lowlinesse be berefte of the brighte beames of bountifulnesse doe wante the glistering gleames of gentlenesse be not furnished wyth faithfulnesse nor yet adourned with thankefulnesse whyche are the very markes and true badges to knowe a Gentlemanne by then must the inferiours of force wante all kinde of Uertue honestie and goodnesse bycause the lighte that shoulde leade them in the superiours is quite extincte and put out What a horrible tale haue I hearde of you You haue oughte this poore manne money a great whyle and he can not get it of you though moste lamentably and humblye he hath diuerse times required it of you whyche money you doe not onelye kéepe forceably from him but euen nowe lately you haue maymed him for askyng hy◠owne a good rewarde for hys crediting of you and a preatie paymente for profyting of you What doe you thynke you haue a righteuus GOD in Heauen a Uertuous King on the Earth and a iuste Iudge here nyghe that will reuenge thys facte punishe offendours and doe equitie and righte as well to the poore as the rich as wel to the highe as the lowe and as well to the meane as the mightie Then the Gentleman saide to the Iudge my LORDE I neyther owe thys man anye money neyther haue I beaten him maymed him or misused hym To whom the Iudge aunsweared can you make mée béeléeue that as thoughe a Gentleman cannot lye and as thoughe your wordes were here of suche credite that the poore man should therby be driuen out of countenaunce do you think that this poore man would aske you mony if you oughte him none especiallye being so liberall patiente and gentle as you are Can you make me beléeue that thys manne durste bée so bolde to saye you haue hurte or maymed him if you did it not he had bene very wel occupyed to Father such lyes on you I am sure that he had rather be at home about his businesse than here vnlesse necessitie didde vrge him thereto You knowe that we execute Iustice equally iustly respecting no persons he may well knowe that if wée punishe riche and mightie offendours wée wyll not suffer the poorer malefactoures to escape vncorrected And where you saye that you owe him no money here is your hande whiche I knowe verye well at his debt booke And therin you haue offended the law for lying which assure your selfe shall be executed on you You that wil deny such a manifest thing you wil not stick to lye in a secret thing You that are wealthy haue aucthoritye to lye belike but the children of God haue aucthoritye onely to saye true And wheras you haue saide before me that you haue neither hurt maimed nor misused him if beating and mayming be well vsing of a man then you haue vsed hym wel But if it be proued that you haue hurt or maimed him then you haue made another lye the penalty of both which lyes you shall surely pay Then saide the Iudge to y e maymed mā hast thou any witnesses here that he thus did beate thée and mayme thée yea my Lorde saide the man I haue thrée witnesses here readie to be deposed therof which thrée the Iudge deposed and they affirmed the same Then the Iudge said haue you not vsed this honest man that was so good vnto you more like a foe thā a friend truly it gréeues me that suche a one as you should be called by the name of a Gentleman you haue not only kept this pore mās mony frō him a gret whyle wherby he is much impouerished but also you haue maymed him whereby he is like to liue the worse But it is no matter you are like to paye for that for though you know not the price of maiming I wil tech you y ◠price of mayming Cōsider the wares that you had of this mā were his not yours but it séemes that you haue made thē yours not his but if they were his as you cannot deny if you wil not pay him for them as you vtterly refuse then you meane to deteine them by force and to kéepe them as your own Whiche though you are loath I shoulde call robbery yet I cānot say that you haue them iustly and truly which signifyes as much as you haue them falsely As you now hold the name of superioritie so ought you to take héed you deserue not the contrarie I know you abhorre the name of Théeuerie then why haue you done that that belongs to such infamy There are two kind of théeues one that steales for necessitie secretly and fearefully another that steale néedelesse openly and boldly truly I thinke that these seconde kinde of théeues that steale néedelesse openly and boldly before God and good men are a greate deale worse than the poore simple théeues that steale of necessitie secretly and fearefully Then the saide Gentleman fearing leaste his offence shoulde be reuealed to the King if he stoode any further in it knowyng also that bothe the lawe in this case was very straight and that the Iudge was so iust that nothing could make him halte from doyng equitie and Iustice when he heard the Iudge say so he began to relent sayd I am sory my Lord that I haue misused this man as I haue done Then the Iudge sayd I praye God your sorrow may be suche that therefore you may mourne in your minde But if I had béen suche a one as woulde haue béene flattered with faire wordes haue béene procured wyth pleasaunte promises and woulde priuilye haue taken gentle rewardes more rightlye called Bribes I feare that then this your sodaine sadnesse would haue béen turned into ioye and gladnesse Then the Gentleman sayd no my Lorde I beséech you take it not so And then with that came in one that was a very friend of the said Gentlemans and thought hée myghte doe muche with the Iudge séeming by hys attyre to bée of a great countenaunce and credite who preased to speake with the Iudge priuilye to whome the Iudge sayde Awaye I will talke with none secretely vntill this matter bée ended and iudged Yes good my Lorde sayd
gréeuous infirmitie who thinkes it was harder to be cured than yours and when I knewe that he was a Surgeon I desired him earnestly to sée you who is come hither more at my entreating than at his own desiring To whom the Gentleman saide Syr you are welcome and to make fewe wordes and be plaine with you if you can helpe me of this my intollerable griefe and of thys infirmitie in my legge I will giue you for your labour an hundreth pound and twentie markes yearely during youre life Sir said the Surgeon it is a greate deale too muche it is more than I shall deserue Well content thy selfe said the Gentleman if thou cure me thou shalte haue no lesse And the said Surgeon séeing his legge and perceyuing the cause of his griefe and pain was content to take him â—n cure And so to conclude brieflye he helped the Gentleman with in a shorte space who according to his promise gaue to y â— Surgeon for his labour an hundreth pound and twentie markes yearely as long as he liued Nowe who is it that wyll not beléeue but that it was onely God that ledde as it were by a line this good and charitable Surgeon to this riche man in paine and did not onelye prosper him in curing of hym so spéedily but also opened his hearte to giue him therefore so liberally by cause he was so diligent and willing to go to helpe the poore without mony and refused the rich for much money SIVQ. It was the Lords doings I am sure there are manne richemen with vs that in their paine and gréefe would haue promised as muche more but when they had bin wel they woulde haue giuen a great deale lesse Well I wil tel you another example whiche was with vs. A rich and a poore man chaunced both at one time to sende for a Surgeon which Surgeon preferring goodes before God money before mercie and the riche mans gifte before Gods rewarde without any long pawsing of the matter went to the riche man and refused to goe to the poore man who when he came to the rich man he tooke him in hande and with muche adoe he cured him at the last who gaue the Surgeon a great rewarde for his labour and as the sayde Surgeon was comming homewarde certain théeues met with him who did not onely spoyle him of al the money he had but also wounded him very sore who with very much a doe got home and falling into a consideration with himselfe saide God hath worthily plagued me bicause I refused the poore and went to the riche bycause I trusted to my selfe and mistrusted God and bycause I thought the riche mans payment was better than Gods payment OMEN Here we maye sée the greate difference of the godlye whome God doth blrsse and the vngodly that God doth not prosper The godly Surgeon that refused the rich and went to the poore for Gods sake did inioy great ryches that he neuer looked for and the other SurgeoÌ„ that refused the poore and went to the riche for moneys sake had no good of his money that he was sure of nay it was the cause that he was so hurt and wounded SIVQILA And though this Surgeon was robbed of his money wounded of his body yet I beléeue al that cannot make our Surgeons to go to the poore where they shal haue no mony refuse y â— rich wher they are sure of gret rewards OMEN It is pitie that there are not appointed throughout al your Countrey sufficient skilful and learned Surgeons with necessary yearly stipends allowed them for the only helping and curing of the pore that haue no money to help themselues withal SIVQILA It were very wel if it were so but I feare in haste it wil not be so yet commonly in our Hospitals there are suche stipendarie Surgeons for the helping of the pore and miserable wretches there But I praye God that they that can make the best friends and fées be not better attended gently or handled and soâ—er cuâ—ed than the other that are friendlesse and monilesse OMEN Surely if there be any such with you it is pitie they liue SIVQILA Wel I feare there haue bin suche with vs and yet haue lyued without trouble or harme OMEN If suche a fellow were with vs and shoulde vse himself so we should learne him such a lesson that he should not dare doe the like as long as he liued SIVQILA And I dare vndertake for him whatsoeuer he is he would not do it after his death OMEN I wil tel you how suche a spitefull Surgeon a very mony man was handled long since with vs. He was a stipendary Surgeon in an hospital in which hospital was a verye pore man both monilesse and friendlesse that had a great wound on his arme which pore man was committed to this same Surgeon to be cured And thoughe the wound was but a gréene wounde whiche mighte haue béene helped more spéedily and with lesse paine than if it had bin an old sore yet this harde hearted Surgeon applyed vnto hys wound such pinching plaisters both euening morning y â— almost night and day the pore man was in perpetual pain who then with greate griefe of minde said to the Surgeon Oh sir for Gods sake haue some compassion on me heale me with more ease for I am neuer able to abide this Then said y e surgeon you must giue me some mony to buy milder medicines for the house allowes me none other than these to whome the pore patient sayde I hardly beléeue y â— for the chiefe Rulers of the house are so godly that they will allow rather suche things as you thinke méete which haue knowledge than suche as they thinke méete that haue no knowledge Truely if euerye one in this house be cured in thys order as I am they wil rather go out of the house vnhealed than tarry here stil in hope to be healed What said y e Surgeon haue you founde your tong I wil punishe you a little better for your prating then saide the pore man I beséeche you sir vse me rather better than worse and I woulde if I hadde a messenger sende for some money for you Mary said the Surgeon you shal not want for a messenger I will get one that shal doe so much for you and forthwith the sayde Surgeon brought one vnto him how much wil serue youre turne said the patient to the Surgeon a Noble said y e Surgeon muste be the leaste I woulde giue a thousand Nobles sayde the Patient if I had them rather than I would be in these torments and paines I pray you said he to the messenger go to my mother dwelling in such a stréete of this Citie and desire hir if euer she wil doe anye thyng for me to sende mée a Noble presently to gyue to my Surgeon for vntill he hathe it I shal be in such torments that during the same I would gladly
painefull practises on a Turke or a Iewe nay scantly on a Dogge if he loued hym muche lesse on thy brother whome thou arte bounde to loue as thy selfe My Lorde saide the pore man it séemeth he put me to these great paines to get some money of mée for hée saide to me that if I woulde gyue him some money hée woulde vse mée easely and gentlye and vpon that I sente this messenger that is héere to my mother for a noble to giue him which was his request was it so saide the Iudge to the messenger Yea in déede sayde the messenger but when the Surgeon sawe that I came againe without money he was very angry as it séemed and this poore man moste pitifully desired hym to be good vnto hym and to let him haue some ease but hée answeared hym churlishely and saide when I haue money then you shall haue ease Indéed my Lord said the pore wounded man these were his very wordes and he telleth nothing but the truth What was the cause said the Iudge wherefore he woulde haue a Noble of thée Forsoothe saide the poore man he fayned to me that y â— house did allow him none other medicines than suche as he dressed me withall therfore you must giue me mony said he to buy more milder medicines As thogh saide the Iudge the house allowed no salues but suche as woulde putte pore men to paine and kéepe them long from healing Come hither sit Surgeon saide the Iudge howe like you this geare what can you saye for youre selfe To whom the Surgeon saide nothing but hanged downe hys head and was ashamed Then said the thrée Surgeons sure ly my Lord if he said so he hath shamefully sâ—aundered that famous house and the mercifull Maisters of the same For doubtlesse no Surgeon belonging to the same nor to anye suche other house but are allowed to the vttermoste for any thing which they shall desire or thinke méete for the easy and spéedy curing of their patientes I knowe it is so sayde the Iudge or else these houses might more worthily be named tormentors of men than helpers of men And then hée spake to the pitilesse Surgeon saying what horrible hearte haddest thou to tormente this poore fellowe and to be quiet thy selfe howe couldst thou craue money of hym that had none whiche was more méete to aske thée whiche hadde some What a maruellous displeasure hast thou wroughte vnto this poore fellowe thou haste not onelye tormented hym like a Tyraunte but also thereby haste broughte his wounde into such a case that if it be possible to helpe iâ— yet it will be long a curing Then sayd the Iudge I committe the curing of this pore man into one of youre hands that belongs to that Hospital where this poore manne is allowed to be sut coured and helped Then one of them sayde to the Iudge that was a stipendarie Surgeon of that house I wil be content to do my diligeÌ„ce to him as much as I am able Then sayde the Iudge to him I néede not bydde you vse him wel for here is one mening the cruel Surged ere it be long will teache you how to vse him and also hée wil be a sufficient warning to al other Surgeons hereafter to helpe their patients as quietly as orderly and as spéedily as they may And bycause sayd the Iudge to the wyeked Surgeon thou wouldst haue had a noble of hym to sette him out of paine into ease I Iudge now that thou shalte giue him foure nobles bicause thou didst put him out of ease into paine Saying further to him aunsweare me to one thing that I shall aske thée what is that shorte sentence of Christe that the King commaundes so straightlye to bée kept to whom the Surgeon aunsweared Whatsoeuer you woulde that men shoulde doe to you euen so doe yee to them Then said the Iudge thou hast said wet better than thou hast done Haste thou of thy conscience done to thys pore man as thou wouldst haue bin done vnto if thou hadst bene in the like case No truely saide the Surgeon if thou haddest saide otherwise saide the Iudge euery one here woulde haue thoughte thou hadst lyed And nowe bycause thou hast done vnto this man as thou wouldst not be done vnto therefore thou shalte be done vnto as thou haste done vnto him So that I doe here openly Iudge that the executioner shall giue thée suche a wound on thy arme and in the like place as this poore man hadde at the firste And I commande you that are the other two Surgeons here to dresse him euerye Euening and Morning with suche pintchyng plaisters and extreame corrosiues that he may bée in cruell tormentes and paines eight or nyne houres after euerye dressing and continue thus with him a month at the least mary haue respect in the meane season throughe your good knowledge and discreations to vse the wounde in such order that after it may be perfectly and wel cured and he shal be at the onely costes and charges for the curing of it And if he be not then able to doe it you shal be allowed therfore out of the Hospitall of this Citie where this pore man succored helped and reléeued not thinking they shal be much troubled againe to paye for the cures And also I iudge bycause he did make a manifest lye before my face y â— he shal not speake of thrée moneths after he is perfectly healed vnlesse throughe some vrgent matter he be called or willed to speake before any Magistrate Ruler or Iudge and all that whyle he shall weare on his sléeue an H. and L. whyche signifies a Hurtful Lyar. And this is my full and determined iudgement in no wise to be reuoked and bycause I woulde haue my iudgement herein the more straightly done I wil my selfe sée the wounde made in his arme therefore let the executioner come hither with spéed And when the executioner was come the Iudge forthwith commaunded him to make a wound according to his iudgement in the said surgeons arme and then he committed him to the other twoo surgeons to be vsed and ordered in all pointes according as he before had iudged SIVQILA Truely the cruel cut-throate Surgeon was vsed according to his deserts the pore misused men in your Countrey are maruellous happy that haue suche good and vprighte Iudges that wil encline to neyther hande that wil be allured by neyther friend letter nor bribe that wil heare the pore as wel as the riche and fauoure the matter not the manne and that wil haue al things tryed onelye by trueth and that with spéede and without delay I feare manye pore impatient patients with vs that haue no pence to paye are many times in the like perplexitie but if such orders as you haue were obserued for such with vs they wold be aduised twice ere they vsed their patients so once Wel thoughe all the Phisitions and Surgeons wyth you are so godly charitable and had rather helpe
one of his officers to bring that vnthankefull fellowe vnto him in all the haste possible and also sent for the honest and charitable man to come béefore him and when they were come the Iudge said to the honest and charitable man Doe you know this fellow Yea my Lorde I knowe him saide he By what occasion were you acquainted with him saide the Iudge tell truth and looke that you doe not fable with me in any wise Well saide hée séeing youre Lordship commaundes me I will doe it which otherwise I woulde be loath to doe As I rode by the way not very long since I heard one grone pitifully by the sound whereof I came to the place where this fellowe didde lye on the grounde both extreame colde and verye sicke whome I carryed home to my house and there wyth suche as I had I did nourishe and cherishe him and by Gods helpe gote him hys former strength againe And this is the very occasion that I was acquainted wyth hym Then sayde the Iudge euery one findeth not such a commoditie at their first acquaintaunce as he did Howe sayste thou said the Iudge to the poore fellowe is this true Yea my Lorde I can not deny it thou haddest better lucke saide the Iudge than many an honester man than thou hathe But haddest thou neuer occasion to shewe hym anye fryendshippe or pleasure since that time No my Lord sayd the fellowe Take héede saide the Iudge that you lye not for if you make a lye before me I will make you that you shall neither lye nor tell trueth of a good while after Then the Iudge sayde to the godly man that was so friendly to him tell mée whether it lay in his power since to haue shewed you pleasure or not Then he saide indéede my Lorde it laye once in his power since to haue done me pleasure to whome the Iudge sayde then there is no doubte but he did it Why do you not tel me did he it or not then he saide to the Iudge as I could be contente not to vtter the trueth euen so I am loath to tel youre Lordshippe a lye Truely he did it not Then said the Iudge to the fellow How sayst thou to this then the fellow sayd truely my Lord as I went hastily by the way vpon great and waightie businesse I sawe one lye vnder his Horsse in a little shallow place but I did not knowe that this manne was he Then saide the Iudge Diddest thou neuer speake with this man since that time No forsooth my Lorde sayde he to whome the Iudge aunsweared Howe dosâ—e thou knowe nowe more that it was he than thou knewest then that it was he then the fellowe hanged downe hys heade and was ashamed to speake whereat the Iudge sinyled and all that were there This felowe saide the Iudge hath vttered the trueth againste his will thoughe he woulde lye hys tongue will not lye And then the Iudge said to the godly manne What aunswere made he you when you craued his helpe truly my Lord I haue too great hast to tarry nowe to helpe you to whome I aunsweared againe aâ— my friend I did not vse you thus I care not for that said he doe you thinke that I haue nothing else to doe but to tarry here to helpe you Let theÌ„ that come after helpe you if they wil and so churlishly he departed And if this good man a méere stranger to me had not come by as God woulde and helped me I knowe not to what extreamitie I hadde béene driuen Then saide the Iudge this man hath done good two manner of wayes the one is which was duetye in helping you vppe being fallen vnder your horse the other is in vttering to me the intollerable ingratitude of this pestiferous person come neare to me saide the Iudge to the fellowe Suppose this good man in that distresse had bene vnknowen and a straunger to thée as it is most sure thou didst knowe him as appeareth both by thy answere then made vnto him and by thine owne wordes vttered here before vs all yet is that a sufficient excuse that therfore thou shouldest not help him in his necessitie or saue his life this good and charitable man that founde thée almost dead was a méere straunger to thée and neuer knewe thée before and wouldst thou haue thought it a good and sufficient aunswere and bin well pleased withall if he shoulde then haue saide vnto thée I am but a stranger to thée and knowe thée not and therfore lette some of thy kinred friendes or other that knowe thée help succour and reléeue thée I haue other businesse with my mo ney than to bestowe it vpon thée Howe saist thou woulde this aunsweare haue pleased thée or not but the fellowe answered neuer a worde Then saide the Iudge thou doest well to holde thy peace for else eyther thou muste incurre the danger of lying or condemne thy self by saying of truth thou varlet pitty would haue compelled anye body that had altogither a stony hart to haue stayed so long to help a shéep or a beast but much more his Christan brother but most of al suche a friend that so lately had saued his life Couldest thou suffer him to perish that lately did preserue thée couldest thou suffer him to lye in daunger that so louingly didde rydde thée out of daunger couldest thou to spare thy shorte labor without one peny expence suffer hym to die that both with the labour of hys body the care of his minde and the spending of his substaunce did make thée to liue Consider the dumbe Dogge whose kindenesse is suche to his friend and Maister that no gifte can procure hym no meate can moue him nor no way can winne him to forsake his friende or Maister no thoughe he beate hym and shall wée then that are reasonable creatures the Image of God the members of Christe the children of GOD and the brethren of Christ flye from our friendes whome oure finger maye helpe that with body and goodes did defend vs from death shall wée make our selues worse than Dogges that GOD doeth preferre before the Aungels haue not some Dogges loued their friendes and Maisters so well that they haue leapt into great waters rather endaungering themselues to be drowned to followe their friendes and Maisters than to tary behind them with the safegard of their liues Some Dogges haue had suche a feruent loue to their friende and Maister that after their death they haue neuer eaten any meate and so haue dyed for sorrowe Some also haue scraped vp the earth where their maisters were buried and so haue buryed themselues in their Maysters graues and what saye you to that Dogge that loued his friend and Maister so alyue that burned hymselfe to death on hote coales when his Maister was dead Nowe if these dumbe Dogges brute beastes and vnreasonable creatures that knowe not howe a good tourne should bée recompenced that knowe not a méete rewarde