The most delectable HISTORY OF Reynard the Fox Newly Corrected and purged from all grossenesse in Phrase and matter As also augmented and inlarged with sundry excellent Moralls and Expositions upon every severall Chapter London Printed by J. Bell at the East-End of Chrst-Church 1656. The Epistle to the Reader THou hast here courteous and friendly Reader the Pleasant and delightfull History of Reynard the Fox which in an humble and low stile couched to the natures of the Beasts it treateth on beareth in it much excellent Morality and hidden wisdom worthy both thy regard in reading and thine application in the course and commercement of thy life and actions for the aime at which it bendeth is the overthrow of vice and the advancement of the good and vertuous Now forasmuch as hitherto it hath flowne into the World like Sibilla's loose papers covered with much obscurity and darknesse I have for thy more ease and contentment to every severall Chapter annexed the Moralls and Expositions of such darke places as may hold thy judgement in seeking to winde out a labyrinth so dark and curious A labour which I doubt not but will prove both pleasant and wholesome since as a friendly guid it will keep thy meditations from wandring astray and as a pleasant companion hold thee with such delightfull discourse that thy Journey therein will neither bee long nor irkesome at which end if it arrive with a faire safety as it is faithfully and truly intended I have the sum of my wishes and thy self the prosperity both of this and other mens indeavours Farewell The Pleasant HISTORY OF Reynard the Fox CHAP. 1. How the Lion Proclaimed a solemn Feast at his Court and how Isegrim the Wolfe and his Wife and Curtise the Hound made their first complaints of Reynard the Fox ABOVT the Feast of Pentecost which is commonly called Whitsontide when the woods are in their lusty hood and gallantry and every Trée cloathed in the gréen and white livery of glorious leaves and swéet smelling blossomes and the earth covered in her fairest mantle of Flowers which the Birds with much â—oy entertain with the delight of their harmonious songs Even at this time and enterance of the lusty Spring the Lyon the Royall King of beasts to celebrate this holy Feast-time with all triumphant cerimonie he intended to keep open Court at his great Palace of Sanden and to that end by solemn Proclamation makes knowne over all his Kingdome to all Beasts whatsoever that upon paine to be held contemptuous every one should resort to that great celebration so that within few daies after at the time prefixed all Beasts both great and small came in infinite multitudes to the Court only Reynard the Fox excepted who knew himself guilty in so many trespasses against many Beasts that his comming thither must néeds have put his life in great hazard and danger Now when the King had assembled all his Court together there were few Beasts found but made their several Complaints against the Fox but especially Isegrim the Wolfe who being the first and principallest complaint came with all his Lineage and kindred and standing before the King said in this manner When the Wolfe had spoken these words there stood by him a little Hound whose name was 〈…〉 made likewise a grievoâ—us complaint 〈…〉 â—nst the Fox saying that in the extreâ—m 〈…〉 inter when the frost was most violent he being half 〈◊〉 and detained from all manner of â—râ—y had no more 〈◊〉 left him to sustain his life then one poore Pudding which Pudding he said Reynard had most uniustly taken away from him But the Hound could hardly let these words â—ie from his lips when with a fiery and angry countenance in sprang Tibert the Cat amongst them and falling downe before the King said My Lord the King I must confesse the Fox is here grievously complained upon yet were other Beasts 〈…〉 searched each would have enough to do for his own clearing Touching the complaint of Curtise the Hound it was an offence committed many years ago and though I my selfe complain of no injury yet was the Pudding mine and not his for I got it by night out of a Mill when the Miller lay asleep so that if Curtise could challenge any share thereof it must be from mine interest When Panther heard these words of the Cat he stood forth and said Do you imagine Tibert that it were a just or a good course that Reynard should not be complained upon why the whole world knows he is a murtherer a ravisher and a thief and that indeed he loveth not truly any creature no not his Majesty himselfe but would suffer his Highnesse to lose both Honour and renowne so that he might thereby attaine to himself but so much as the legge of a fatte Hen I shall tell you what I saw him do yesterday to Kyward the Hare that now standeth in the Kings protection he promised unto Kyward that he would teach him his Credo and make him a good Chaplaine he made him come sit between his leggs and sing and cry aloud Credo Credo my way lay thereby and I heard the song then coming nearer I found that Mr. Reynard had left his first note and song and began to play his old deceit for he had caught Kyward by the throat and had I not at that time come he had taken his life also as you may see by the fresh wound no Kyward at this present O my Lord the King if you suffer this unpunished and let him go quit that hath thus broke your peace and prophaned your dignity and doing no right according to the judgment of your Laws your Princely children many yeares hereafter shal bear the slander of his evill Certainly Panther said Isegrim you say true and it is fit they receive the benefit of Iustice that desire to live in peace The Morall Howsoever a vicious man perswades himself to escape â—unishment by absenting himself from the presence of the Magistrate yet he deceivâ— himself and by his contempt animaâ—s his enemies to be more bold in their complaints against him as appears here by the Wolfe who although worse then the Fox yet doth he with his absence the seasonableness of the time for free liberty of speech â—ake opportunity to say the worst he can against him and by his example makes others of fear full nature to do the like And therefore let no wise man shrinke from his just triall but either defend his owne innocence or else submit to mercye for dead men and absent find slack Advocate CHAP. 2. How Grimbard the Brock spake for Reynard before the King Have you forgot how you cheated him with the Plaise which he threw downe from the Cart when you followed aloofe for fear yet you devoured the good Plaise alone and gave him no more but the great boanes which you could not eat your self the like you did with the fat flitch of Bacon whose taste was so
should travaile over all the Kingdome and promise to all Beasts that would take wages and acknowledge Bruine for their soveraigne and defend his title a full yeares pay beforehand And in this journey my Father accompanied him carrying letters Patents signed to that purpose little suspecting that he was rob'd of the wealth which should supplie his treason When this negotiation was finished betwéen Elve and Soame and a world of valiant souldiers raised against the begining of the next spring then they returned to Bruine and his consorts to whom they declared the many perills they had escaped in the Dukedome of Saxony where they were pursued by Huntsmen and Hounds so as they hardly escaped with life after this relation they shewed Eruine the muster-rolls which pleased him exceeding much for there was of Isegrims lineage about twelve hundred sworne to the actions besides the Beares own kindred the Foxes the Cats and the Dassens all which would be in readinesse upon an hours warning All this I found out I praise Heaven by perfect intelligence now things being brought to this perfection my father went to his Cave of treasure but when he found it open spoâ—â—'d and ransackt it is not in me to expresse the infinite agony and sorrow he fell into that grief converting to madnesse and madnesse to desperation suddainly he went to the next trée and hanged himself Thus by my Art onely was the Treason of Bruine defeated for which I now suffer from hence sprang all misfortune as thus These foule traytors Bruine and Isegrim being of the Kings privatest Counsell and sitting in high and great Authority tread upon me poor Reynard and work my disgrace notwithstanding for your Majesties sake I have lost my naturall Father O my dread Lord what is he or who can tender you a better affection thus to lose himself to save you The King and Quéen having great hope to get this inestimable treasure from Reynard tooke him from the Gibbet and intreated him to unfold where this great treasure was But the Fox replied O my Lord shall I make mine enemies my heirs shall these Traytors which take away my life and would devour yours be possest of the good I injoy No that 's a madness I 'le never dye guilty of Then said the Quéen fear not Reynard the King shall save your life and grant you pardon and you shall henceforth swear Faith and true Allegeance to his Majesty The Fox answered Dearest Madam if the King out of his Royall nature will give credit to my truth and forgive my former offences there was never King so rich as I will make him Then the King staying the Quéen said Madam will you believe the Fox know you not that it is his naturall quality to lye steal and deceive The Quéen answered My dear Lord now you may boldly believe him for howsoever in his prosperity he was full of errors yet now you may see he is changed why he spareth not to accuse his own father nay Grimbard his dearest Nephew and kinsman had he dissembled he might have laid his imputations on other Beasts and not on those he loveth most intirely Well Madam said the King you shall at this time rule me and all the offences of the Fox I will clearly pardon yet with this Protestation That if ever again he offend in the smallest crime whatsoever that not onely himself but his whole generation I will utterly root out of my Dominions The Fox looked sadly when the King spake thus but was inwardly most infinitely glad at his heart and said My dread Lord it were a huge shame in me should I speak any untruths in this great presence Then the King taking a straw from the ground pardoned the Fox of all his trespasses which either he or his Father had ever committed If the Fox now began to smile it was no wonder the swéetnesse of life required it yet he fell down before the King and Queén and humbly thanked them for their mercie protesting that for that favour he would make them the richest Princes in the world And at these words the Fox took up a straw and profered it unto the King and said to him My dread Lord I beseech your Majestie to receive this pledg as a surrender unto your Majestie of all the Treasure that the great King Ermerick was master of with which I fréely infeoffe you out of my meer voluntary and frée motion At these words the King received the straw and smiling gave the Fox great thanks for the same But the Fox laughed out-right to think of the abuse From that day forward no mans counsel prevailed with the King as the Foxes which the Fox seeing said to the King My gracious Lord you shall understand that at the West-side of Flanders there standeth a Wood called Husterloe near which runneth a River named Crekenpit this is a Wildernesse so vaste and unpassable that hardly in all the year there cometh either man or woman in the same In it I have hid this Treasure whither I would have your Majestie and the Queen to go for I know none but your selves whom I dare trust in so great a design and when your Highness comes thither you shall finde two Birchin trees growing by the pit into which you shall enter and there you shaâ—l finde the Treasure which consisteth of the Coine rich Iewels and the wealthy Crown which King Ermerick wore With which Crown Bruine the Bear should have been Crowned if his treason had succeeded according to his determination there shall you sée also many rich and costly precious stones of which when you are possest then remember the love of your servant Reynard The King answered Sir Reynard you must your self help to digge for this Treasure for else I shall never finde it I have heard named Paris London Acon and Cullen but Crekenpit I never heard of therefore I fear you dissemble The Fox blushed at those words yet with a bold countenance he said is your Majesty so doubtfull of my faith nay then I will approve my words by publique testimony and with that he called forth Kayward the Hare from amongst the rest of the Beasts and commanded him to come before the King charging him upon his Faith and Allegiance which he bore to the King and Quéen to answer truly to such questions as he should ask him The Hare answered I will speak truth in all things though I were sure to dye for the same Then the Fox said Know you not where Crekenpit standeth Yes said the Hare I have known it any time this dozen yeares it standeth in a wood called Husserloe upon a vast and wide Wildernesse where I have inâ—ured much torment both of hunger and cold Besides it was there where Father Simony the Fryer made false Coine with which he supported himselfe and his fellows Yet that was before I and Ring the Hound became companions Well said the Fox you have spoken sufficiently go to your place again
good that your selfe alone did eat it up and when my Vnckle asked his part you answered him with scorne Faire young man thou shalt have thy share but he got not any thing albeit he wonne the Bacon with great feare and hazard for the owner came and caught my kinsman in a Sack from whence he hardly escaped with life many of those injuries hath Isegrim don to Reynard which I beseech your Lordships judge if they be sufferable again he complaineth that my kinsman hath wronged him in his wife 't is true and I confesse Reynard hath lien with her yet it was seven yeares before Isegrim did wed her and if my uncle out of courtesie did her a pleasure what was that to him she was soon healed of the sore nor ought he to complaine of any thing not belonging to him wisedome would have concealed it for what credit gets he by the slander of his wife especially when she is unagrieved Now comes Kayward the Hare with his complant which to me seemed but a triâ—â—e for if he will learn to read and read not his lesson aright who will blame the Schoole-master Reynard if he give him due correction for if scholers be not beaten and chastised they will never learn Lastly complaineth Curtise that he with great paine had gotten a Pudding in the winter being a season in which victuals are hard me thinks silence would have become him better for he had stollen it and Malè quefisti malè perdidisti ' its fit it was evil lost 't was evil wonn who can blamâ— Reynard to take stollen goods from a thief It is reason that he which understands the Law and can discerne right being of great and high birth as my kinsman is do right unto the law Nay had he hanged up Curtise when he took him with the manner he had offended none but the King in doing Iustice without leave wherefore for respect to his Majestie he did it not though he reapt little thankes for his labour alas how do those complaints hurt him mine Vncle is a Gentleman and a true-man nor can he indure falshood he doth nothing without the counsell of the Priest and I affirme since my Lord the King proclaimed his peace he never thought to hurt any man for he eateth but once a day he liveth as a Recluse he chastiseth his body and weareth a shirt of hair cloth it is above a yeare since he eat any flesh as I have been truly informed by them which came but yesterday from him he hath forsaken his Castle Malepardus and abandoned all royaltie a poor hermitage retaines him hunting he hath forsworne and his wealth he hath scattered living onely by armes and good mens charities doing infinite peâ—ance for his sins so that he is become pale and leane with praying and fasting for he would faine be with God Thus whilest Grimberd his nephew stood preaching they perceived coming downe the hill vnto them stout Chantecleere the Cock who brought upon a Beer a dead Hen of whome Reynard had bitten off the head and was brought to the King to have knowledge thereof The Morall Vice is never without his advocate and be a man never so lewde yet he shall still finde one or other to plead for him especially where there is either greatnesse or wealth in the offender or any alliance of bloud to those in favour as appeares here by the Brock which pleads for the Fox first because he was of his kin and next he was rich able to pleasure him lastly here is to be obserâ—ed the insinuation of the Advocate excusing the Foxes faults with a new form of penitence cloaking the 〈…〉 done with zeal and hypocrisie then the which no king 〈◊〉 brings a good man to beliefe and forgivenesse CHAP. 3. How Chantecleere the Cock complained of Reynard the Fox Most mercifull and my great Lord the King vouchsafe I beseech you to heare our complaint and redreâ—â—e these injuries which Reynard hath unjustly don to me and my children that here stand weeping for so it is most mighty Sir that in the beginning of Aprill when the weather was faire I being then at the height of my pride and glory because of the great stock and linage I came of and also in that I had eight valient sonnes and seven faire daughters which my wife had hatched all which were strong and fat and walked in a yard well walled and fenced round about wherein they had in severall sheds for their guarde sixe stout Mastife Dogges which had torne the skinnes of many wild Beasts so that my children feared not any evil which might happen unto them But Reynard that false and dissembling traytor envying their happie fortune because of their safety many times assailed the walles and gave such dangerous assaults that the Dogges divers times were let forth unto him and hunted him away yea once they light upon him and bit him and made him pay the price for his theft and his torn skinne witnessed yet neverthelesse he escaped the more was the pitty yet wee were quiet of his trouble a great while after at last he came in the likenesse of a Hermit and brought me a Letter to reade sealed with your Majesties Seale in which I found written that your Highnesse had made peace throughtout all your Realm and that no manner of Beasts or Fowle should do injurie one to another affirming unto me that for his own part he was become a Monke or cloystred Recluse vowing to performe a daily penance for his sinnes shewing unto me his beads his bookes and the haire shirt next to his skinne saying in humble wise unto me Sir Chanticleere never henceforth be affraid of me for I have vowed never more to eat flesh I am now waâ—ed old and would onely remember my soule therefore I take my leave for I have yet my noon and my even-song to say which spake he departed saying his Credo as he went and layed him down under a Hauthorn at this I was exceeding glad that I tooke no heed but went and clocked my children together and walked without the Wall which I shall even rue for false Reynard lying under a bush came creeping betwixt us and the gate and suddainly surprised one of my children which he thrust up in his male and bore away to my great sorrow for having tasted the sweetnesse of our flesh neither hunter nor hound can protect or keep him from us Night and day he waites upon us with that greediness that of fifteen of my children he hath left me but four unslaughtred and yesterday Coppel my daughter which here lieth dead on the Bier was after her mother by a kennel of hounds rescued from him This is my complaint and this I leave to your Highness mercy to take pitty of me and the losse of my fair children The Morall When wicked men cannot compasse their wickedness by strong hand or violeÌ„ce against their enemies then they study deceit and shifts to entangle them
counsail that whosoever will go about to chastise another should ever be sure of his own cleareness All this and a world more then I can well remember was curiously wrought on this Glass for the work-master thereof was the cunningest and profoundest Clark in all Sciences that ever breathed And because the Iewels were too good and precious for me to kéep therfore I sent them to the King Quéens Majesties as a present to witness my faith and service O hée that had séen what sorrow my Children made when I sent the Glass away would have wondred for by reason of the great vertue therein they oft gazed in the same both to behold themselvs and to sée how their cloathing and apparell became them Little did I then imagine that good Kyward was so néere his death for then but himself and Bellin the Ram I knew no messenger worthy to carry so rich a present But I will search the whole world but I will find the murtherer for murther cannot be his It may bée hée is in this presence which knows what is become of Kvward albeit he do conceal it for many deviâ—s walk like Saints Yet the greatest wonder of all is which troubled me most that my Lord the King thould say that my Father nor myself ever did good But the troubles of affaires may well bréed forgetfullness in Kings otherwise your Majesty might call to mind how when the King your Father lived and you were a Prince not above two yeares old My Father came from the School at Mounâ—pelioâ— where he had studied five years the Art of Physick and was expert in all the principles thereof and so Famous in those days that he wore cloathes of Silk and a Golden Girdle Now when he was come to the Court hée found the King in great extremity of sickness which was no little grief unto him for he loved the King most dearly and the King rejoiced at his sight and would not suffer him to be out of his presence All others might walk whither they would onely hée must ever be néer him Then said your Father Reynard I am exceeding sick and I féel my sickness increasing My Father answered my Lord here is a Vrinall make water therein and as soon as I behold your state I will give mine opinion The King did as he was advised for he trusted not any equall with him Then said my Father My best Lord if you will be eased of your grief you must needs eat the Liquor of a Wolf of seven yeares old or else your disease is incurable The Wolf at that time stood by your Father but said nothing whereupon the King said Sir Isegrim you heare how there is nothing which can cure mée but your Liquor The Wolf replied not so my Lord sor I am not yet full five yeares old It is no matter answered my Father let him be opened and when I sée the Liquor I will tell you if it bée medicinable Then was the Wolf carried to the Kitchin and his Liquor taken out which the King did eat was presently cured of his sickness Then the King thanked my Father and commanded all his Subjects on pain of death from thenceforth to call him Master Reynard so he abode still about the King walking by his side and was trusted in all things and the King gave him for an honour a Garland of Roses which he must ever wear upon his head But these remembrances are all lost and gone and his enemies are now onely advanced vertue is put back and Innocence liâ—es in sorrow for when baseness and covetousness are made Commanders they neither know themselvs nor look at the lowness from whence they are risen They have no hearts for pitty nor ears for the par mans cause Gold is the goâ—e they run to and gifts the god which they worship What great mans Gate doth not look upon Covetousness where is not flattery entertained and what Prince takes hate at his own praises But should greatness néed their honest service well might they starve ere they could gain that imployment For like Wolvs they had rather sée their Masters dye then lend them the least part of their Liquor This my Lord was an accident which fell in your youth and you may well forget it Yet without boasting I my self may say I have done to you both honour and service and you haply also forget this which I shall repeat which I vow I do not to upbraid your Majesty for you are ever worthy of more then I can tender and my uttermost is but the rent of a loyall Subject which I am ever bound by the lawes of God and nature to perform So it was that on a time Isegrim the Wolf and I had gotten a Swine under us and by reason of his extreame lowd crying we were compelled to bite him to death At which time your self came out of a Grove unto us and saluted us friendly saying That you and the Qéen your wife which came after you were both excéeding hungry and intreated us to give you part of our getting Isegrim then whispered in such manner that none could understand him but I spake out aloud With all my heart my Lord and were it better then it is it were too mean for your service But Isegrim according to his wont departed grumbling and took half of the Swine giving you and the Qeen but one poor quarter the other he himself unmannerly devoured and left me for my share but pâ—râ—â—alf of the Lungs When your Majesty had eaten your part you were still hungry but the Wolf would deliver none so that you reach'd him a blow with your foot which tore all the skin from about his eares so that he ran awâ—y crying and howling with extremity But you Majestie commanded him to return again spéedily and bring you more meat but he went away grumbling Then I besought your Majestly that I might go with him and I well remember your answer So away we went together his eares dropping blood all the way as he went In the end we took a Câ—if and when your Majesty saw us bring it you laughed and said to me I was a swift Huntsman and could finde my game quickly and therefore I was fit to serve in time of necessitie Then you bade me to divide it and I did it and gave one half thereof to your Majesty the other half to the Quéen As for the Muggets Liver Lungs and all the inwards I sent them to the young Princes your Children As for the head I gave it to Isegrim the Wolf and took unto my self but the féet onely Then said your Majesty ha Reynaâ—d who taught you to make these courteous divisions My Lord answered I that did this Priest which sits here with his bloodly pate for he lost his skin for his too much inequality and for his covetousness hath reap'd nothing but shame and dishonour But it matters not for there be many Wolvs in these days that
men my Lord are like a great kennel of Hounds which once I saw standing at a Lords house on a dunghill where they waited for such as should bring them meat anon they saw a Hound come out of the Kitchen which had thence brought a goodly rib of Beef but the Cook pursuing him threw hot scalding water after him and scalded all his hinder parts but notwithstanding away he went with his booty but when his fellows perceived him they called to him and said O how much art thou bound to the good Cook which hath given thee that goodly bone so well furnished with flesh but the Dog replied You speak according to your knowledg and praise me in such sort as you see me before with the bone in my mouth but if you please to look upon me behinde on my buttocks you shall finde how dearly I paid for it and they beholding how he was scalded and all the hair and skin flayed from his hinder loins they began to be agast and amazed at his torment neither would they any more of his fellowship but fled and ran away from him In the same sort my Lord these faise and unworthie Beasts when they are made Lords possesse their desires and are mighty and renowned then do they extort pill and pell the poor and needy and cat them up like so many hungry starved Hounds for they are the dogs with bones in their mouths no man dare to meddle with them but praise all their actions no man dare offend them nay many assist and help them in their unlawful actions onely that they may lick their fingers and be partakers of their extortions O my dear Lord how can those men go safely which go thus blind-fould Or how can they expect but a shameful fall whose steps are so uncertain neither can any man pity them when their works are disclosed but continual curses and upbraidings follow them to the grave with destruction many of these have lost their hair which is their friends as the Hound did and have none left to cover their mischiefs but all forsake them as the Hounds did the dog which was scalded My gracious Lord I beséech you remember this moral example and it will nothing impair the greatnesse of your virtue for doubtlesse mary of these evil exrorting creatures are under your subjection both in Towns Cities and great Lords houses who out-face the poor and sell away their freedoms and privileges and threaten things upon them which they never knew thought or imagined and all to make up the Common-wealths of their own particular profits but the ends of such are vile and heaven hath for them a judgement but of these errors I hope none shall justly accuse me nor any of my kindred but we shall acquite us nobly from the same I fear no creatures accusations For I will ever be the Fox though all my foes swear to the contrary My Lord you I adore above all mortal creatures living nor can any wisdom divert me from you but I will abide by you to the last gasp and though malice have told your Highnesse to the contrary yet I have ever disproved them and so will do to the last moment The Morall By the Wâ—lfs 〈◊〉 assaulâ—ing the Fox and the Foxes watching and pursuing of advantages is shewed the â—olly of â—age passion and the discretion of temperance and wisdome the first never bringing any thing 〈◊〉 loâ—â— the other commonly accompanied with honour and safetie By the pistâ—â—il is exprest the sharp afflictions with which wisdom ever punish as rashness and by the losse of the Wolfs eie is â—hewed that madnesse and rage is evermore but â—lindnesse The Wolfs catching the Fox and holding him in 〈◊〉 power shews that so sure somtime â—avour fools but never gives them grace to enjoy the benefit The Foxes flattâ—â—ing of the Wolf shâ—ws That whensoever wisdom is oppressed it hath yet still one temperate means or other to gain his own liberty and that fair words do ever either vanquish or astonish Lastly by the weak Foxes conquering the strong Wolf is shewed that in all these accidents of change neither force rage nor violence do prevail so much as wisdome discretion and temperate and wary carriage CHAP. 25. How the King forgave the Fox all things and made him the greatest in his Land and of his noble return home with all his kindred All Reynards friends and kindred humbly thanked the King but he told them it was much short of that he intended to do for their sakes and advised them all to admonish him to be careful of his faith and loialty This said Dame Rukenaw Believe it my Lord we will not fail in that point neither fear you the contrary for should he prove otherwise we would renounce him Then the Fox also thanked the King with fair and courteous words saying My gracious Lord I am not worthie of these high honours you do me yet will ever studie with my service how to deserve them nor shal my best counsel at any time be wanting And this said he took his humble leave of the King and so departed with the rest of his friends and kindred Amongst the rest Reynard the Fox took his leave of the King and Quéen they desired him not to be long absent from them To whom he answered that he would be ever ready at their service as was his bounden duty and not himself alone but all his friends and kindred also And so begging licence of his Majestie in all solemne manner and with fair spéech he departed the Court. Was never creature that ever flatterd braver or to better purpose for he that could do the like might be a Master of the eight liberall Sciences And no Lord whether Spirituall or Temporall but would have an eare open for all his language Nor dyed he without issue for he hath Children almost in all places And indéed he that hath no alliance to him in the Art of dissimulation shall hardly prosper as the world goeth Though he want his heir yet if he have his heart it is enough to make him accepted Plain dealing is now an exile and Coveteousness and fraud have taken possession of his Tenements not the Popes Palace the Court of Emperours Kings and Princes cannot be excepted of this error Money is now grown the onely Favorite of the times the very Church-Idol and the Countrey worship it can purchase all things defend all things and confound all things And mad men travell over the world to gain this folly this fashion Who is not a true Fox is but a beast of base estimation This is the worlds custome and what will become of the use the wise man can hardly judge or imagine Onely that these hainous sins of falshood Theft Murther and Ambition can never walk but hand in hand with Iudgment From which I heartily pray that the hand of the Highest will defend us and make us walk in those paths which shall be sutable to vertue