he is gone me think Holde holde him let vs see if any life in him be Couetouse Nay holde him that wil the Deuil holde him for me Ignorance Passion of me he is dead how shall we doo now Couetouse Canst thou not tel no more can I I make God auow Sira heer was a trim end that he did make Thou neuer heardst him the name of God in his mouth take Ignorance Tush God a strawe his minde was other waies occupyed All his study was who should haue his goods when he dyed Indeed all men may perceiue his minde to be corrupt and il For God would not suffer him to name him in his wil. A straunge matter when men haue giuen ouer God They may be sure to be scurged with his sharp rod. Couetouse This is the end alwaies wher I begin For I am the root of all wickednes and sin I neuer rest to teach and instruct men to euil Til I bring them bothe body and soule to the Deuil As we haue doon this worldly man héer as you sée Come therfore Ignorance wait thou vpon me The Deuil and I thou shalt sée wil not leaue Til we haue made the greatest parte to vs to cleue Come let vs go hence heer is no more to be said Farewel my masters our partes we haue playd Enter heer Sathan Oh oh oh oh all is mine all his mine My kingdome increaseth euery houre and day Oh how they seek my magestie deuine To come to me they labour all that they may The worldly man quoth he nay the diuilish man than For more wickednes and mischeef then he did vse I my self indéed neuer deuise can Oh at his ioly wisdome I must néeds muse How cunningly put he his mony to vsury Yea and that without offence of any law He was not to learne any kinde of bribery Wherby wicked gaines to him he might draw An abhominable drunkard a stinking Lecherer A filthy Sodomit a corrupt canscience within A priuy slanderer and a suttle murtherer To be short a very dunghil and sink of sin Oh my boy Couetouse I may thank thee of all this Thou nousledst him in all mischeef and vice Therfore shalt thou be sure to haue my blisse For abooue all other thou indeed art moste wise Thou teachest the worldly man a leacemonger to be To oppresse the poore and of his riches him to defraud Wickedly to vse the lawes he learned of thee Therfore indeed thou art worthy of much lawd All you worldly men that in your riches doo trust Be mery and iocond builde Palaces and make lusty chéer Put your money to Vsury let it not lye and rust Occupye your selues in my lawes while ye be heer Spare not nor care not what mischeef you frequent Vse drunkennes deceit take other mens wiues Passe of nothing one houre is inough to repent Of all the wickednes you haue doon in your liues Oh if you wil thus after my Lawes behaue You shall haue all things as this worldly man had Be bolde of me what you wil to craue And dout you not but with you I wil play the loouing lad Yea and after death I wil prouide a place For you in my kingdome for euer to reign You shall tare no wurse then dooth mine owne grace That is to lye burning for euer in pain Come on mine owne Boy go thou with me Thou hast serued me duely and hatest me neuer Therfore now for thy paines rewarded shalt thou be In euer lasting fire that burneth for euer Bear him out vp on his back Contentation He that toucheth pitch shal be defiled with the same And he that keepeth company with those that be vicious Shall at the length growe like vnto the same Working things wicked and pernicious Euen so it is also to be associate with the righteous For he that haunteth and kéepeth honest company Cannot chuse but liue according to the same actually Example the Iewes beeing conuersant with the Heathen Drank of their superstition and idolatry And by that meanes fel from the true God of Heauen To worshipping of Blocks which was meer blasphemy Likewise it is at this day verily Christen men are seduced by keeping of il company And brought from the very trueth to hypocricy And who are those that are thus deceiued Euen such as are not content when to are wel They be not thankful for that they haue receiued But euer they think stil more and more to excel Contentation from their mindes they doo expel And vnder the pretence of reason wit and policy They couet to run to mischeef and sin hedely Heuenly man. Like as Golde and siluer is tried in the fire So faithful men in the fornace of aduersitie be prooued The heauenly must not liue as flesh and lust dooth desire But heauenly things of heauenly men be looued With no kinde of temptation he must be mooued Be it sicknes or pouertie or what so euer of God is sent The heauenly must take it patiently and be therwith cōtent Inough Inough is as good as a feast where contentation dooth dwel For where he remaineth is the spirit of God with rest The vnquiet minde of the couetouse dooth grutch and swel And to liue with inough he dooth abhorre and detest The greedy gasping of Couetouse dooth him so molest That to be rich he all his whole minde dooth set Nothing regarding how the same he dooth get Contentation Pithagoras saith that a man of Couetouse desire Cannot be contented nether with abundance For the more he hath the more stil he dooth require Wherfore such persons prouoke God to vengeance Example of the worldly man late of remembrance Whose wicked life offended the Lord so excedingly That his heauy plagues came vpon him sudenly Heauenly man. God graunt his ende example may be To all men how their riches they shall vse Make not that thy God which should be seruant vnto thée For in so dooing thou doost it greatly abuse I pray God I say that our couetouse we may refuse And one of vs to looue an other for that pleaseth God dest So shall we be sure to inheret the good land of rest Rest By Gods great goodnes I am sent vnto thée Rest is my name wherin the heauenly shal abide Happy are those persons that come vnto me For I beeing present all troubles I doo deuide With ioyes I am adorned yea on euery side Which are prepared for the heauenly from the beginning And giuen vnto them for a rewarde of their godly liuing Heauenly man. Thanks be giuen to thée O Father omnipotent Thy mercyes Lord and not my deserts truely Hath caused those ioyes to me to be sent Graunt me grace therfore to praise thy name duely Thy goodnes appéereth to me euery day newly Whilest breath and life prolong my dayes My mouth shall not ceasse thy holy name to praise Inough Inough is as good as a feast heer let vs stay We haue troubled our audience that let vs remember Let vs conclude therfore but first let vs pray That it wil please God in mercy our good mistres to tender Our faith to stablish wherin we be slender That at the last day when the trump shall blowe For to be heauenly men the Lord may vs al knowe Contentation First let vs call to God for Iesu Christes sake Long to preserue Elizabeth our moste noble Quéen Good Lord graunt her highnes the heauenly path to take And that all bye waies of her highnes may be seen Encreace her welth prolong her helth preserue her life That long she may rule this realme without debate or strife ¶ Finis
I doo I must make my barnes more great For I haue not rowme inough to lay in my Rye and whete Couetouse Set men a woork with it as soon as ye can If you lack rowme make more you may than Vvorldly man. By gisse I wil they shall in hand to morrow I thank you policy I need nothing to borowe Sirra the little tenament that by my house dooth stand I would I could get that to euen out of hand I want a little buttrye to lay in my drink And that would serue the turn handsomly I think And to say the trueth it is not meet that such a begger as he Should dwel so néer vnder the nose of me Couetouse Who the Deuil put that into your minde Vvorldly man. Mary euen that did reason my trusty fréend Couetouse I haue béen about it my self all this wéek Redy wit all the Lawes for to delay dooth séek We wil haue it I warrant you by hook or by crook Tush I warrant you for such od ends dayly we look Prophet without O thou Earth Earth earth hear the woord of the Lord Knowe thy self to be no better then Clay or dust Let the Vvorldly man looke sudenly about him Se that thy life to Gods trueth doo alwaies accorde For from earth thou cammest and to earth thou must What is the matter why what aile ye why look you so about VVorldly man. I heard a terible noise surely without dout Which pronounced the woords of the Prophet Ieremy Saying Earth Earth turn thee speedyly Couetouse Why and are you afraid and amased at that I see wel you haue a hart like a Gnat. Prophet That Seruant that diligently dooth fulfil And watcheth at all times for the coÌ„ming of his maister And dooth in the mean season apply his wil Of his masters goods there be no spoile nor waster That seruant shal be sure to be a Taster Of Gods blessings and ioyes euerlasting Where as is all consolation and nothing wanting But that seruant that liueth idlely without care And looketh not diligently vpon his Office His maister shall come sudenly or he be aware And sâ—all minister to him according to iustice The portion of Ipocrites shal be his Into vtter darknes cast him out wil he Where as weeping and gnashing of téeth shal be Exit Couetouse Oh Sira mary Gods blessing on his hart Ful honestly he teacheth you Sir their parte Vvorldly man. These be the woords of the holy Scripture Declaring the difference between the iust and vnpure Good Lord I wold know what those woordê doo mene Couetouse Your Chaplain can tel you for he is very wel seen Vvorldly man. I pray you policy call him to me heâ—â—er But look that you come again bothe togither Couetouse Yes that we wil I warrant you need not to feare We wil be heer again or a Horse can lick his eare Vvorldly man. By my trueth me thinks I begin to war sick In sending away my counceller I was somwhat to quick Wel I wil sit me down and say to sleep heer Til they into this place again doo appeer Oh my hed Enter Gods plague and stand behinde him a while before he speak It is euen I that vpon thee dooth blowe Filling thee with plagues and sundry disease What I am indéed I wil learne thée to knowe For I am not afraid thée to displease Thou shalt departe from thy house and land Thy wife and Children beggers thou shalt leaue Thy life thou shalt loose euen out of hand And after death thy iust rewarde receiue Thy il gotten goods shall not thée deliuer Thyne costly buildings shall nothing preuail Thy odours thy swéet smelles and thou shalt perish togither Thy rings thy bracelets and Golde chaines shall fall Straungers and those whome thou didst neuer knowe Shall possesse that whiche by frawd thou hast got Thy seed from of thy ground God wil ouerthrowe Because at his Prophets preaching thou amenddest not Thou sleepest in death as the Prophet Dauid dooth say Out of which sléep when thou shalt awake Thou shalt perceiue thou must needs away And that on thée God wil no mercy take I am the plague of God properly called Which commeth on the wicked sudainly I go through all townes and Cittyes strongly walled Striking to death and that without all mercy Heer thou wicked couetouse person I doo strike Which once on the plowe hadst taken holde But willingly again thou rannest in the Dike Therfore thy plague shal be doubled seuen folde Go out and stand at the door Couetouse Come Sir Nicolas come sir Nicolas come Sir Nicolas come Ignorance C ham faint by gisse would ich had a little more buni Couetouse A pestilence take thée haste thou not inough yet Ignorance No I can drink a Galon and eat neuer a bit Couetouse Come in the knaues name you must expouÌ„d a matter Ignorance I can expound good ale from fair water Couetouse Tush felow thou must expound a péece of Scripture Ignorance I can doo it as wel as any Bishop I am sure I haue spouted with the Geneuians xx on a rowe Couetouse And thou wert to good for them all I trowe Ignorance Was I yea faith that I was you shall vnder stand With a peece of Lattin I set them all one dry land Couetouse And I pray thée hartely what was it let me hear Ignorance Thou shalt if thou wilt promise to giue me a pot of béer Magistrorum clericium inkepe miorum Totus perus altus yongus et oldus Multus knauoribus et quoque fasorum Pick pursus omnius argentus shauus polus Let me sée what they are all able to say to this Couetouse For out of deut a worthy peece of learning it is Ignorance A man may as much edyfying out of my lattin take As ye may out of exposicioÌ„s that many ministers make Couetouse Euen as thou saist in faith much of a kinde For they place the scriptures as fethers in the winde Peace body of me our maister is a sleep Ignorance Mary it was time indeed for vs silence to kéep Vvorldly man. Oh I would if I could but now it is to late Hold thy peace I pray thee and doo me no more rate Couetouse To whome speak you to Sir to him or to me Vvorldly man. There is no remedy now man that thou doost sée Ignorance Passion of me Sira he dreameth me think Vvorldly man. Is there no remedy but to hel I must néeds sink Couetouse For my life Deuosion he is haunted with the Mare Ignorance Nay it is some wurser thing truly I feare Couetouse I holde a Crown he is not very wel Ignorance So me thinks for he dreameth of going to Hel. Couetouse We wil wake him out of that troublesome sleep Ignorance Good Lord séest thou not beholde how he dooth wéep Couetouse How doo you good maister is he a sléep or a wake Vvorldly man. Oh good Lord how my hart dooth ake Oh sick sick neuer so sick in my life berfore
that come to authoritie after that rate Doo end their liues in some miserable and vnhappy state Tenant thou foole saith Christ this night wil I fetch thy soule froÌ„ thée And then who shall haue the things that thine be Wel let him alone I hope all wil prooue for the best Euen as he leadeth his life so shall he finde rest Seruant Peace peace for Gods sake look where the Steward comes Body of me Sirs which way shall I run run out Enter Couetouse God spéed you what mean you would you speak with me Tenant Yea Sir euen to desire your worship my vréend vor to to be Ich haue a zertain petition to your maship to mooue And ich desire you to be my vréend in it vor Gods looue Couetouse What is the matter let me knowe it at once I haue somwhat els to doo then hear to tread the stones Tenant By my trueth Sir I beséech you vor me to speak a good woord To your good maister and my Londlord Ich haue dwelt in his house this vorty yéeres almoste And thervpon ch aue bestowed much money and cost And now ich hear zay ich must double my rent Or els void out of it and that incontinent I beséech you vor Gods sake on me take some pitty and bone If I be put out for euer I cham vndoon Oh good Sir I knowe that you may doo much Couetouse By my trueth I can doo nothing héer in And so God help me I estéeme no such matters worth a pin Ber Lady Sir you haue had it a fair season And that a man should make what he can of his owne it is reasoÌ„ I warrant you therbe inow that that rent wil giue Tenant But they shall neuer thriue on it then I beléeue Ich knowe what he may doo with the house and ground He may chaunce to vinde rent inough of viue pound Couetouse Wel care not you for that if you he a wise man You were best to get one better chepe where you can For I knowe that so much for it haue he may Yea if it stood empty euen this present day Tenant Wel Sir yet me thinks there should be a conscience I think God hateth such couetouse sir by your patience Couetouse Thou art a foolish felowe héer of to me to complain For I medle with no such matters I tel you plain Hireling make much curtsey Good gentlemaÌ„ God saue your life I pray to our lord May I be so bolde to speak with you gentleman one word Couetouse Whether the Deuil wilt thou into mouth me think Fo Gods ames how he smelles all of drink Hireling Nay by my trueth Sir I drink none other drink to day But a little fléet milk mingled with whay For so God help me if for drink or meat I should dye I haue not one farthing any therwith to bye And by my trueth Sir this is my sute at this time I serued your maister in making Brick and lime Halfe a yeer togither not missing one day And by my trueth all my wages is yet for to pay And if it please you heerin to showe me some pleasure The same to my power with like I wil measure Couetouse Body of me what a beggerly knaue is heear Why canst thou not forbere thy money one yéer Hireling No by my trueth Sir for I haue no lands Nor nothing to liue vpon but onely my hands I beseech you be good to me Couetouse Why I meddle not with such things that doost knowe Hireling Yes Sir you are maister Steward I trowe Couetouse No faith I am but maister receiuer I take in all but by gisse I am no payer Hireling Your maister hath a great sort of receiuers in déed But not one to pay the Hireling his true meed All braue Vvorldly man. What worthy policy what make you héer to day Couetouse About your affaires I haue busines this way And beholde Sir as I traueled the Stréet With these two fellowes I chaunced for to méet Who tolde me that they had an ernest sute to you One for his house that he dwelleth in now Wherin he saith you go about to doo him much wrong For he saith that he hath dwelt in it very long The other said you owe him a peece of money he wrought with you half a yeer had neuer a peny And thus they took on with me before you did come And now haue I showed you the whole circumstance some Vvorldly man. Mary hang them Villains haue I nought to doo But to stand and reason matters with them two Hear you tenaÌ„t in few woordê you knowe my minde According as I haue tolde you so you shall me finde Other prouide money your lease to renue Or els you shall out incontinent this t s true Tenant Oh Londlord me thinks this is to much extremitie Alas vpon mine age take you some pittye C ham olde haue many Children and much charge I trust lendlord ich shall vinde you better at large Vvorldly man. I cannot tel what I should doo more beléeue me Many Landlords would not doo as I doo by thée For I am coÌ„tent for money that shouldst haue it before an other I can doo no more for thee if thou wert my brother Couetouse Thou must be answerd father there is no remedy By Saint Anne me think he speaketh very resonably Tenant This resonable speaking coÌ„meth froÌ„ an vnreasonable minde Wo be to him that to such inconueniences shall a man binde Hireling If it please you Sir help me to my money if you may Vvorldly man. No by my faith Sir you get it not to day You thall tary my leisure I wil pay you when I sée cause Hireling You are happy Sir in your hands you haue the lawes But by gisse if I had any thing that would doo you pleasure You should haue it when you would and not tary my leasure Wel I beléeue verely that the prayers of the poor his cry Shall ascend into the eares of the Lord God on hye And he wil plague all those that righteousnes withstand And as the Prophet saith root their posteritie out of the land Tenant Wel Hireling let vs departe this place It preuaileth not vs of him to craue any grace Hireling No more shall it preuail him the Scripture saith in déed To ask mercy of the Lord when he standeth in need Exeunt Vvorldly man. Ha ha ha I must laugh so God me saue To see what a sort of suters now a dayes we haue Couetouse I warrant you if you wil be ruled by Reason and policy You shall haue all the worlde to sue to you shortly Vorldly man. A common saying the Fox fareth the better and not the worse When that the good wife dooth him ban and cursse So what care I though to cursse me the people doo not ceasse As long as by them my riches dooth increace Oh policy how glorious my buildings doo shine No gentlemans in this contrey like vnto mine Sira what shall