handled our Cookes were cleanelye our Butlers bountifull our seruitours verie singular our musicke was excellent our Singers were swéete and euerie Officer excéeded in delicatenesse There was fine féeding pleasaunt parling continuall quaffing insomuch that halfe dronke and whole dronke was a goodly game ribauldrie was our recreation and as for knauerie it was canuast to the proofe When supper was ended Lady Wantonnesse came vnto me and asked me if I would daunce and Lady Lust likewise asking me whether I would lye alone or haue a bedfellowe I made aunswere that I was wearie by reason of my iourney and so desired to go to bed Then Lasciuiousnesse brought me to my chamber where she lodged me in swéete shéetes a soft bed Curtens of Tissue and all things costly and excellent In conclusion Laly Voluptuousnesse tooke her leaue promising in the morning to shew me the rest of the pallace of worldly felicitie whereof I dreamed all night my head was so full of toyes ¶ VOLVPTVOVSNESSE SHEVVETH THE VVANdring knight some part of the pallaice after brought him to dinner The ninth Chapter IN the morning when y e Sun beames brightly adorned y e chāber wher I lay perced y e gallāt glasse windows of costly christal Lasciuiousnes came vnto me bad me good morow asking me if I wold rise Wherto I answered yea did so w t speed now whiles I was trimming my selfe in came Licorousnes her sister Dronkennes who had prepared my breakfast anon after came in lady Voluptuousnesse accompanied with Lust Lecherie all y e rest shée was apparailed more lyke a goddesse then a quéene Al these kissed me swéetly sate down with me to breakfast which being ended Ambitiō put vpō my back y e cape of curiositie wherw t presently I became so curious as could be in al things sauing goodnes Thē I desired Voluptuousnes to shew me y e rest of y e pallaice according to her promise so we walked together into a goodly great chamber hanged about with cloth of gold beset with pearles This chamber was paued with Marble black white y e pillers wer Iasper y e roofe was Iuory laid on with gold y e staiers wer Alabaster In this chāber also was a sumptuous chaire of estate wherin most magnificently sate a Prince hauing on his head an imperial crown of gold beset w t precious pearls in his hād a scepter roial He was besides y t very richly araied accōpanied w t many nobles pompeously apparelled This prince I reuerenced he likewise saluted me giuing cōmandement y t I shuld be most singularly excellētly vsed So we went frō thence being abroad I asked lady Voluptuousnesse what prince y e same was who said y t he was y e Prince of this Pallaice euen my father y e only giuer bestower of felicitie the which I beleeued to be true til I found in déed y t it was Lucifer y e father of filthinesse the graund-father of gluttonie y e prince of pride y e Emperour of iniquitie the Lord of lewdnes a ruler of y e world one y t had nothing to do in heauen but in earth among a sort of wicked worldlings diuelish people This Lucifer arrogātly chalengeth vnto himself y t he hath power to giue glory honour riches to whō he listeth as y e scripture witnesseth wherfore worldlings do serue him as his subiects Frō thence wēt we to y e tresurie house wher we saw cofers ful of coine iewels which was kept by lady Fortune as Voluptuousnesse said she bestowed al y e treasure vpon such as y e king commanded From thence we wēt vp into a great gallerie where we saw thrée cabinits y e first full of fine wollen the second of pure silks y e third of faire white linnen this place Pompe had in keeping Frō thēce we went to y e perfuming house which differed nothing frō an Apothecaries shop For ther I found all things y t might moue a mans appetite or stir vp his delight There were colours to paint prowd women perfumes ointmēts to make their bodies soft swéet this place was kept by Lasciuiousnes Thē we went vnto y e goodly large vaughts wher wine of no kinde wanted there was dame Dronkennes her kingdōe From thence I was lead to the kitchins where all thinges wer kept in order by Licorousnes whose rule lay in y e place From thence to an other great roome where we saw a sort of young sweet faced boies Voluptuousnesse tolde me they were Ganimedes Endimio From thence she had me vp to a place y t was builded very round in compasse which place was meruailous bright lightsome by reason of the great glasse windows of christall This serued them in stéed of a tēple for they had none other Here we saw a great nūber of fine delicate dames excéeding amiable beautiful amongest all one excelled whose name I asked and Voluptuousnesse shewed me y t it was lady Venus whō al liscentious louers do like notably wel honor hir as a goddesse By her sate a blind-boy who with his bow arrows shot at aduētures hot my hart by by came down dame Venus she pluckt it out reuiuing me w t cōfortable words wōderful perswasions And although y e arrow was quickly takē out might séeme to doe no harme yet I thinke the head thereof was poisoned for it hath made so déep a wound as is very infectious scarce curable vnlesse with some speciall plaisters This same Cupid gouerneth al lecherus louers of what age soeuer they be or degrée witnesseth daily experience he is naked and past shame not caring who looketh vpon him his blindnesse representeth the folly of such as run headlong after lewde loue setting their feathers in the winde without respect of any after clap His bowe and arrowes doe signifie the folly of fooles which offer themselues to be his Butte and standeth still while he doth shoote and hit them His wings signifie the wauering minde of such as he hits who are quiet in no place or time For who is more mutable vaine light inconstant and variable then the fleshly louer Some saies y t this Cupid hath a torch burning in his hand meaning héereby that he burnes to the heart all them that he toucheth Al this dispatched Voluptuousnesse and I went to dinner and she promised me when we had dined to shew me the rest of the pallaice ¶ DINNER BEING DONE VOLVPTVOVNESSE sheweth the wandring knght the rest of the Pallaice of worldly felicitie with the description of the Towres thereof And by the Author is declared the euill fruite of certeine notorious sinnes The tenth Chapter THis chaunced in the pleasaunt month of May when loue and lust is most in force so it was determined that we should sup in goodly gardens not in banketting houses although they were wonderfull fine but in arbours ouergrowne with swéete Eglentine
foolish worldlings harken you vessells of Voluptuousnesse This teacheth you assuredly wherein consisteth all your Felicitie and how it is damnable Consider S. Iohns wordes That the world shal passe the concupiscēce of the same What meneth he by y e world nothing else but as S. Austen saith All worldlings louers of Voluptuousnes which prefer visible things before inuisible y e flesh before the spirit Satan before Iesus Christ euen as commonly we cal a house good or bad according to the vsage of thē y t dwel in it The eye the flesh y e pompe of lyfe is the worldlings felicitie y t is their heauen If all goodnes come of God as most true it is that concupiscence of the eie of the flesh the pride or pomp of lyfe cōmeth of the diuell are not they deceiued y t thinks it good or fixe their affection to follow it I could saie ther is a gnawing conscience to torment the worldlings I could say y t the voluptuous man hath the wrath of God hanging ouer his head I could saie eternall death is reserued for his reward After excessiue eating drinking comes surfets agues head-ach losse of wit dropsies losse of appetite griping in y e guts palsies weakening of y e body infamy shame Now to Venory wherin y e voluptuous man taketh such plesure as in nothing more First what pains what sorows what tormēts anguish hath the lewd louer before he can cōpasse his desire Their desire cannot be atchieued without losse For we sée that lecherie and gluttonie bréedeth pouertie which is a very heauy burthen But I imagine it costeth nothing as oftentimes it chaunceth mouing such as be rich yet notwithstanding they féele euen what follows namely losse of body soule Touching the sin of lecherie a man therein is like vnto a beast For in his blinde delight he is depriued of reason therfore y e deede declareth it selfe to bée damnable This sin bringeth her reward in this world as dropsies palsies leprosies gowtes burnings botches French poxe which is y e very worst the commonnest y e loathsomest the most infectious disease of al besids y t banishmēt frō al honest company decay of strength losse of good name fame Doe you count him a happy man which spends his daies in drōkennesse lechery hauing heere so many hels Abstinence or forbearance doth not warne thē to take héed therof though it be their onely medicine Now touching concupiscence of y e eyes wherby couetousnesse desire of riches is vnderstood First though gold siluer be but carth what vexation hath the couetous man to atchiue it He saileth ouer tempestuous seas he climbeth ouer monstrous moūtains he diggeth déepe into y e bowels of the earth he suffereth hunger thirst colde heat a thousand mischiefs One is drowned another kild the third robbed he y t hath obteined his purpose liueth in feare to lose it the couetous man suspects euery body It is not cofers ful of coine y t can make men happy Our Sauiour tearms it trash thornes because it pricks y e hart corrupteth both body soule S. Paul saith He that wisheth wealth in the world falleth into temptation Is not Iudas an example who in a case of couetousnesse hanged himselfe Now to concupiscence of pride He y t hath honour authoritie might estimation dignitie in the world thinketh he is happy but such are loden w t vnhappinesse For what paines labour vexation endures y e ambitious man before he can come to dignitie honour authoritie And when he hath it with all these vexations he is not sure how long he shal enioy it We see oftentimes Fortune turnes hir whéele that the ambitious ende their liues with infamye Take an example of Priamus king of Troy who flourished in friendes riches honour and might kinred and children did not he and his ofspring y e greatest part of them die most miserably as for y e rest they became seruitudes wer at length kild in Troy Croesus king of the Lydians as rich mightie as he was after he had reigned .xv. years he was vanquished by king Cirus lost his realme was carried away captiue led all y e rest of his life like a slaue Dionysius the cowardly king of Sicil was hunted out of his realme and became so poore that hée kept a Schoole in Corinthe by teaching little children he got his liuing verie poorely God wot and beggerly Mithridates king of Pontus a rich and mightie Prince he subdued .xxii. Nations wherein some saye all languages were spoken yet he for all that after he had wearied the world with warres was forsaken of his owne people pursued by his owne sonne ouercome by subtiltie insomuch that he was glad to desire a French man to kill him who did so and that was his end Valerianus the great Emperour of Rome euen he that persecuted the Christians and did much mischiefe was taken by his enimie the king of Persia who against the lawe of armes made him lye downe whiles he troad on his back to leape on his horse Baiasethes the fourth king of the Turkes was vanquished by Tamerlanes a Tartarian and king of Scithia who kept him in a cage like a beast and with a golden chaine led him like a Spaniell throughout all the armie yea he was glad to féede vnder Tamerlanes table like a dogge And therfore let this be a conclusion that honour authoritie dignitie is no heritage Moreouer what labours trauailes vexations perills do Princes passe through euen at this present to mainteine themselues in their estates What warres and slaughters haue bene committed partly to get and partly to kéepe rule and regiment whereby you may perceiue that worldly felicitie is ful of ficklenes Ambitious worldlings cannot play with their pleasures if they haue not first passed some of these vexations In youth men runne their race without regard of conscience but when age comes on nothing left for lust whē white haires a walking staffe or crutch a paire of spectacles Cotton put in the eares when none of these things can helpe him then must he endeauour the gnawing of conscience which Voluptuousnesse kept hidden a long time Whatsoeuer is pleasant to youth the same is vnpleasant to age And what comfort may an olde man conceiue when he can thinke vppon no time of his youth that was well spent and vertuously bestowed What discomfort is it when cōscience accuses the old man of his young yeares wickedly wasted But as the elect line in hope so doe the reprobate in dispaire He that followeth Voluptuousnesse is Gods enimie For Saint Iames saith He that loues the world hateth God You may well thinke that sin is hated of God when he suffered his onelye sonne to dye vppon the Altar of the crosse for this ende that sinne should not bée vnpunished And why was it but because the sinnes of Adam
encreased as generations multiplyed The euill rich man that liued at his lust was tormented in hell with fire and thirst in whome the wordes of our Sauiour Christ are verified saieng Wo vnto you that now laugh for you shall lament and weepe Goe you foolish worldlings therfore you vaine voluptuous persons vaunt your selues happye in following your fleshlye appetites When for such pleasures you shall suffer tormentes not in this world but in the worlde to come you will sing a new note But nowe to our knight whome wée left in the mire and déepe ditch of sinne I referre you to the Psalmes of Dauid and chiefely to the .36.68.72.143 and there you shall finde the truth that worldlye Felicitie is no other thing then vanitie dreames and méere abuses and also that worldlinges are accursed and vnhappye Wherefore I beséech you in the name of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to vse the goods of the world as Pilgrimes vse their lodgings and such fare as they finde in theyr voyage that is not to set your hart vpon them nor so to loue them y t nothing be left for the Lord. For as the knight sawe the Pallaice of worldly felicitie sinke sodeinly with all her people pomp euen so shall it happen vnto all voluptuous worldlings at the dreadful day of iudgement vnlesse they returne from their wicked waiâ—s for sake sinne imbrace a new life and serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse Wherefore let vs bridle our affections refraine our owne peasures repent with true sorrow of heart attend waite hope for the mercy of God by the intercession of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ that he may make vs happy possessors of true and euerlasting felicitie to whom be all honour and glory world without end Thus much for the first part of the wandring Knights voiage THE SECOND PART OF THE VOYage of the wandring Knight GODS GRACE DRAVVETH THE KNIGHT out of the filth of sinne wherein he stucke fast The first Chapter I Haue declared in y e first part of my voiage how being gouerned by Folly in conteÌ„ning vertue following Voluptuousnes I entered into y e pallaice of false felicitie ther resting my selfe for a certein season traÌ„gressing all the commandements of God in leading a dissolute worldly life thinking that by liuing so I might be happy wheras indéed I was vnhappy And why because y t in stéed of felicity I fouÌ„d vanity For as I thought to recreate my self in hunting I sawe y e pallaice of Voluptuousnesse sink come to vtter confusion my self also pluÌ„ged into y e pit of sin euen vp to y e saddle It is an easie matter for a man of himselfe to fal into hell but it is impossible for him to get out againe vnles by y e help of Gods grace I terme him to be in hel who liues in continuall wickednes coÌ„mitting sin with delight For if he die in y e estate hel is his reward but in his life if he repeÌ„t ther is hope of saluation For by Gods grace he may be coÌ„forted deliuered Therfore man of himself falleth into perdition but w tout Gods grace he caÌ„not rise vp againe God therfore séeing his creature giuen to all vanitie lead with ambitioÌ„ of worldly honor not ceasing his sinful life ofteÌ„times sends aduersitie diseases dishonors confusion in y e world to make him huÌ„ble to open y e eies of reson which Voluptuousnes had shut vp wherby he may come to y e knowledge of his sins confesse y e same to God All this is figured in y e Gospel wher our Lord Iesus raised y e widows child which was carried out of y e citie of Naim to be buried he coÌ„manded y e bearers to stay hauing touched the Cofin of y e corps with a loud voice he said Young man arise straight way the dead body rose vp spake Which done y e Lord deliuered him to his sorowfull mother This mourning mother mystically represents y e Church lamenting for hir dead children to wit wicked worldlings voluptuous christians which are worse theÌ„ dead corses The widows child representeth soules dead in sin The Cofin representeth y e naturall body wherein lieth the sinfull soule The foure bearers which carrie the dead soule to hell represent hope of long life custome of sinning delaieng of repentaÌ„ce contempt of Gods word Neuertheles when our Lord will raise to life this dead soule he commandeth y e bearers to stay afterwards toucheth y e body sending vpoÌ„ sinners aduersity diseases misfortunes But all y t suffice not vnlesse y e Lord say vnto y e soule Soule I say vnto thee Arise Do not we sée oftentimes people visited with afflictions murmure against God cursing him y t hath afflicted them These by impatieÌ„cie being vnable to arise of themselues is it not necessary that God say to the soule Arise there is no difference betwéene his saieng doing For what he saith he doth And therfore if the Lord say once Arise to the soule she riseth then hée diliuereth her to her mother the Church which was sorowfull for her sinnes In like manner God to raise me from my sinnes sendeth me aduersitie to y e end I should acknowledge mine iniquitie with humility turne vnto him which I cannot do without his heauenly grace much lesse atchiue true felicitie and blessednesse vnlesse he helpe Then was I warned by the scourges of God that liuing worldling lyke and following Voluptuousnesse I was not happie but vnhappy being full of filthinesse and infection tumbling in the mire of all iniquitie from the which I could not withdrawe my selfe for that the eies of reason were closed vp by Voluptuousnesse which afterwards wer opened by Gods grace To sée the pitious estate wherin I was the vnderstanding which Folly had darkned made me the wofullest wretch in the world neuerthelesse when I was whipped w t aduersitie I perceiued my knowledge somewhat cléered and lightened so y t I found in conscience that I had not accustomed my selfe greatly to honest things And when I sawe the sequele that there was no retiring of my selfe without Gods grace I lifted my eyes to heauen and wringing my handes all ashamed confounded I lamented with a loude voice humbling my selfe before the face of my God whom I had grieuously offended I made my mone saieng O Lord God Father and maker of all things I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes towards thee nor to aske pardon for the infinit sinnes wherein I confesse my selfe guiltie Neuerthelesse O God of all goodnesse father of mercie I beseech thee not to punish me in thy great rage nor to condemne me among the reprobate I acknowledge my euil craue pardon for my misdeeds my former life displeaseth me greatly my heart quaketh for feare of thy iudgmeÌ„ts O God forsake not thy creature which is a sinner but aide assist me with thy
it as thou hast had It was Gods doing and no will of thine if thou hast had no occasion nor conuenient time nor fit opportunitie to fall into that sinne Suppose thou hast had occasion offered with opportunitie and all things fit and yet hast refrained Well it is God then that hath guided and gouerned thée that thou shuldest not doe it Acknowledge then the grace of God as thou art bound because thou hast not committed such a sinne For as he who hath committed most sins is most indebted to God euen so is he who neuer sinned Gods debter For were not the grace of God his guide he woulde doe ill inough Now to our purpose After the Lord had conuinced the Pharesie of his prowd opinion to comfort the sorowfull woman lyeng at his féet he said thus Woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee O ioifull voice O happy woman that art worthye to heare the Sonne of God speake to thée and vnto forgiue thée thy sinnes But those comfortable words of the Lord greatly offended the proud Pharisies at the feast who turned them to blasphemie saieng What fellowe is this that also forgiueth sinnes It is apparent inough that he is a blasphemer for to pardon and forgiue sinnes belongeth onelye to God No doubt our Lord Iesus Christ was taken to be a very poore man of him that requested him to dinner and to those which were at the table It was knowen that man could not forgiue sinnes but they beléeued not that Iesus Christ was God and therefore say they What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes These feasters were sicke of a deadly disease which they neither knew nor yet the remedy to heale and doe them good Is it not a madnesse that such as are sicke should fall a laughing at them that are sounde and in good health So did the Pharesies laugh at Iesus Christ and the woman who were not sicke or if she were sicke she acknowledged hir sicknesse and sought helpe of the Phisition It is most true that a man cannot forgiue sins but this woman which beleeued that Christ coulde forgiue sinnes beléeued also that he was God and therefore able to forgiue sinnes But why did not our Sauiour Christ aunswere these murmuring Pharesies and say I am the Sonne of God when they asked the question saieng What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes No he let them murmure and turned himselfe towards the woman and said Thy faith hath saued thee depart in peace Though she heard him say vnto the Pharesies these men murmure and estéeme of me as it pleaseth them neuerthelesse be thou assured that thy faith hath saued thee and therefore depart in peace and enioy full rest and tranquilitie of conscience iustified by a liuely faith and fulfilled with loue Let all sicke soules that are laden with sinnes if they will be healed let them I say come in faith and assured hope to the true Phisition of soules which is Iesus Christ let them confesse their offences with sorow and wéeping let them wipe the féete of our Lord with their haire and they shall be restored made whole and recouer their health Let your superfluous riches be giuen among the poore and not spent in feasting dronkennes and pompeous apparaile And after that the sinner with great loue and liberalitie hath thought vppon the poore speaking to them with great gentlenesse helping them in their néede as well with good counsell as with almes déedes and liuing as the rule of Gods word requireth in holinesse and righteousnesse he shall be sure to receiue peace and quietnesse of conscience and be reconciled to God the father for the merites of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ his death and passion to whom be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ THE KNIGHT HAVING RECEIVED THE holy Communion heard the sermon and ended dinner mounted into a chariot of triumph and was by Gods grace carried to the Pallaice of Vertue The vij Chapter IT cannot be knowen how much consolation I tooke by the Sermon of the good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his name the which I asked of Lady Memory who tolde me that it was good Vnderstanding Then I receiued the holy Communion which being ended and thankes giuen to God I meant to salute and gratifie him But before we went to receiue the holy Sacrament of the body bloud of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ I remembred the great loue of our Lord which humbly tooke vpon him our fraile and weake nature for our sakes became accursed and suffred most bitter death vpon the Crosse to deliuer vs out of the bondage of sinne hell and eternall death and to bring vs to euerlasting life I remembred also the loue which he shewed vnto me in drawing me out of the sinke of sinne wherein I was plunged ouer head and eares so that I was not onely drawn from my vnspekable sinnes but also made a Communicant of the mysterie of his deuine maiestie by faith And to the ende it might please him to giue me grace to receiue it aright I praied vnto him on this wise O sweete Iesus and louing Redéemer I yéelde thée thankes for thy vnspeakable loue by the which thou hast purged me from the filth of sinne and pluckt me by thy grace out of the darke dungeon of death Beholde I reconcile my selfe vnto thée most heartely beséeching thée that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefites of thy great liberalitie to giue me grace to bée a faithfull pertaker of thy precious body and bloud represented vnto me vnder the visible forme of bread and wine O immortall King I am not worthy I confesse of so great á benefite yet I beséech thée as thou doest make the vnworthye worthye and the sinners iust so make me worthy to receiue this holy blessed and heauenly Sacrament to my soules health Féede my sinfull soule O Lord with thy spirituall bodie and let thy bloud reuiue and quicken my spirite O make me by thy grace dailye encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall bodie that I maye bée included within the couenaunt and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating vnto them the holy Sacrament of thy bodie and bloud and consequently that I maye be of the number of them which according to their vowe and promise made in Baptisme doe liue in faith and by thy grace are receiued into the company of Saints Amen This Praier being ended with all reuerence and deuotion I receiued the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chapple into a great hall where I met the good Hermite Vnderstanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good Sermon Then as wee were talking Gods grace saide vnto me Sir Knight I giue thée for thy Gouernour this good Hermite Vnderstanding belieue his counsell and doe what he commands thée Then I remembred my olde Gouernesse Folly whom I left in
you may perceiue that such as liue in the Pallaice of worldly Uoluptuousnesse are transgressors of the same Contrariwise such as seeke for heauenly Felicitie are Gods beloued and they shall haue the possession thereof Now harken what happened vnto the Knight hauing liued xi daies in the Pallaice of vaine worldly felicitie ¶ THE KNIGHT VVENT FORTH TO RECREate himselfe and viewed the warrens and forests which were about the Pallaice of worldly felicitie Anone he saw it sinke sodainly into the earth and perceiued himselfe fast in the mire vp to the saddle skirts The xiij Chapter AFter I had soiourned xi daies in the Pallaice transgressing Gods commandements leading a beastly life I desired to ride into the forests therabouts not intending to giue ouer voluptuous life but for my pleasure because I was weary of making good chéere For although worldlings delight to eate drinke daunce leape sing ride run and such like yet notwithstanding they cannot continue in this trade of life without entermingling it with some recreation Wherfore they often leaue by that constraint their pastimes though they intend to returne therto againe They do not vtterly abandon thē but breake off for a season to procure them better appetite I then being weary was willing to sée the warrens other pleasures which when my gouernesse Folly vnderstood she told the tale to Lady Voluptuousnesse and the consented to hunt or hawke with me whereof I was right glad Thē I apparailed my selfe in hunters guise taking in stéede of my helmet a hat ful of fethers for mine armour a horne I lept vpon Temeritie my horse Voluptuousnes had a hobbie Folly a Ienet the other Ladies euery one of them a Palfray There came the huntsmen with greahounds mastiues whooping hallowing galloping altogether some one way some another The dogs wer at a beck vp starts y e hare the crie was heuenly to heare But in the midst of al our pastime I chaunced to breath my horse turning towards the Pallaice of worldly felicitie sodainly I saw it sinke into the earth euery body therein But what lamentable outcries they made you y t haue reson are to iudge Then did ther rise amongst vs a whirlwinde with an earthquake which set vs al asūder insomuch y t I my horse sunk in mire vp to y e middle only remained with me al this while my mistres Folly This earthquake yelded such an aire of brimstone y t the like hath not ben felt Thē I perceiued y t I was far frō y e plesant pallaice gardens orchards vineyards of Voluptuousnes but rather in a beastly bog sticking fast nothing neere me but serpents snakes adders toads and venemous wormes Such was my perplexitie in this case that I fel in dispaire being not able to speake one word I was so sore amased But when I came againe to my senses reuiued from death to life and found my selfe in that beastly bog I tare my haire I rent my clothes I wept I waild I howld I cride I wrong my handes I stroke my breast I scratcht my face I bit mine armes and spake thus O wretch O Asse O miserable soule O caitiue O fondlyng Where is now thy Pallaice of worldly felicitie Where are now thy braue chambers hanged with cloath of Arisse Where are now thy gallant Gardens thy Orchardes thy Meddowes thy Corne-fields thy Cofers of coine thy Ladies of Loue thy Hawkes thy Hounds thy Horses thy Oxen thy seruaunts thy softe beddes thy good cheere thy wines thy Musicke thy pleasures and all the things which thou hast abused Alas wicked wretch how hast thou bene deceiued Thou thoughtest thou hadst bene in the Pallaice of true Felicitie and for Felicitie thou findest Vanitie Thou hast bene wickedly inchaunted thus to finde euill in stéede of good Héere withall I turned my selfe toward Folly and railed at hir saieng O cursed cruell and deceiptfull beast O monstrous mocker of mankinde O filthie bawde O venemous Uiper Is this the good hap I should haue Is this the place of felicitie whether thou shouldest bring me Cursed be the daye that euer I sawe thée Cursed be the daye that euer I heard thee Cursed be the daye that euer I beleeued thée Cursed be the daye that euer I followed thee Is it euen so that thus thou gouernest euen beastly and damnably Is it euen so that thus thou leadest people euen to perdition Where is the felicitie thou promisedst me Where is the good hap I should haue by thee It is chaunced to me euen as I doubted by y e way when thou discoursedst thy filthie feates beginnings and procéedings howbeit thine inchantments and thy flatterie caused me to kéepe thée companie when full faine God wot I would haue ben rid of thée But such was mine arrogant ignorance ignoraunt arrogancie that I followed thy daungerous counsell When I had thus scowlded tooke on the lewde lossell lowdly laught me to scorne Whereat béeing in rage I offered to draw my sword but it would not be then I spurred my horse but he wold not lift vp his legges Notwithstanding all this I carried the minde still I might get out not hauing helpe euen by my owne strength and industrie But be you sure of this that after a man is once sunke in sin drowned in fleshly voluptuousnesse he shall sticke fast not be able to recouer himselfe vnlesse he haue the help of Gods grace which he of his goodnesse giue vs all Amen ¶ THE AVTHOVR CRYETH OVT BITTERLY against worldlings and their felicitie The xiiij Chapter O Wicked worldling O traitour O lyar O dampnable deceiuer armed with filthie frawd and cursed craftinesse hauing a face lyke a man but a taile lyke a Dragon who with thy pestilent prating promisest that which thou neither wilt nor canst performe to wit peace rest assuraunce blessing and felicitie Whereas contrariwise thou shewest thy selfe vaine cruel vnquiet vncerteine cursed and desperate And because thou wouldest bestowe thy poisons and not be perceiued thou couerest it ouer with a lyttle honnie of delight O foolish worldlings and louers of Voluptuousnesse why suffer you your selues to be so fowlye abused Why flye you not from her since you knowe she is dampnable Why doe you beléeue a lyar Why doe you follow a deceiuer Why become you acquainted with such a murtherer Why doe you not purge your vnderstandings of erronious opinions Why consider you not what the world is with a perfect iudgement If you did all this you should finde your selues out of the way For worldly goods voluptuousnesse and pleasure are mingled rather with sowre things then with swéete In following Voluptuousnesse you are not happy but vnhappy not wise but flat fooles Saint Iohn saith All that is in the world is cōcupiscence of the flesh cōcupiscence of the eyes concupiscence of pride The world and all her concupiscences shal passe but he that doth the will of the Lord shall continue eternally Harken you