only remained with me This Earth-quake yielded such an Air of Brimstone that the like hath not been felt then I perceived that I was far from the pleasant Palace Gardens Orchards and Vine-yards of Voluptuousness and rather in a beastly Bog sticking fast and nothing near me but Serpents Snakes Adders Toads and Venomous wormes Such was my perplexity in this case That I fell into despair being not able to speak one word I was so sore amazed but when I came again to my self revived from death to life and found my self in that beastly Bog I tare my hair I rent my cloaths I wept I wailed I howled I cryed I wrung my hands I struck my breast I scracht my face I bit my Armes and spake thus O Wretch O Ass O Miserable Fool O Captive O Fondling where is now thy Palace of Worldly Felicity Where are now thy brave Chambers hanged with cloth of Arras Where are now thy gallant Gardens Orchards thy Meadowes thy Corn-fields thy Coffers of Coin thy Ladies so lovely thy hawks thy Hounds thy Horses thy Oxen thy Servants thy soft beds thy good chear thy Wives thy Musick thy Pleasure and all the things which thou hast abused Alas wicked Wretch how hast thou been deceived thou thoughtest thou hadst been in the Palace of true Felicity and for Felicity thou findest Vanity Thou hast been wickedly enchanted thus to find evill in stead of good Herewithall I turned my self toward Folly and railed at her saying O cursed cruell and deceitfull beast O monstrous mocker of mankind O filthy Bawd O Venemous Viper Is this the good hap I should have Is this the palace of Felicity whither thou wouldest bring me Cursed be the day that ever I saw thee cursed be the day that ever I heard thee cursed be the day that ever I believed thee cursed be the day that ever I followed thee It is even so that thus thou governest even beastly and damnably Is it even so that thou leadest people even to Perdition Where is the Felicity thou promisedst me Where is the good hap I should have by thee It is chanced to me even as I doubted by the way when thou discoveredst thy filthy Feats beginnings and proceedings howbeit thine enchantments and thy flattery caused me to keep thee company when full fain God wot I would have been rid of thee But such was my arrogant ignorance and ignorant arrogancy that I followed thy dangerous Counsel When I had thus scolded and took on the lewd lossel loudly laught me to scorn Whereat being in a rage I offered to draw my sword but it would not be then I spurred my horse but he could not lift up his legs Notwithstanding for all this I carryed the mind still I might get out not having help even by mine own strength and industry But be you sure of this that after a Man be once sunk in and drowned in fleshly Voluptuousness he shall stick fast and not be able to recover himself unless he have the help of Gods Grace which he of his goodness give us all Amen CAP. XIV The Author cryeth out bitterly against worldlings and their Felicity O Wicked Worlding O Traytour O Lyar O damnable deceiver armed with filthy fraud and cursed craftiness having a face like a man but a tayle like a Dragon who with thy pestilent prating promisest that which thou never wilt nor canst perform to wit peace rest assarance blessing and felicity Whereas contrariwise thou shewest thy self Vain Cruell unquiet uncertain cursed and desperate And because thou wouldest bestow thy peysons and not be perceived thou coverest it with a little honey of delight O foolish Worldlings and lovers of Voluptuousness why suffer you your selves to be so fouly abused Why fly you not from her since you know she is damnable Why do you believe a Lyar Why do you follow a deceiver Why become you acquainted with such a Murtherer Why do you not purge your understanding of Erronious Opinions Why consider ye not what the World is with a perfect Iudgment If you did all this you should find your selves out of the way For Worldly goods Voluptuousness and Pleasure are mingled rather with Sowre things than with sweet In following Voluptuousness you are not happy but unhappy not Wise but flat Fools Saint John saith All that is in the world is Concupiscence of the flesh Concupiscence of the eyes and Concupiscence of Pride The world and all her Concupiscence shall pass but he that doth the will of the Lord shall continue eternally Hearken ye foolish Worldlings hearken you Vessels of Voluptuousness This teacheth you assuredly wherein consisteth all your Felicity and how it is damnable Consider Saint Johns words That the world shall pass and the Concupiscence of the same What meant he by the World nothing else but as Saint Austen saith All worldlings and lovers of Voluptuousness which preferr visible things before invisible the flesh before the Spirit Satan before Iesus Christ even as commonly we call a house good or bad according to the usage of them that dwell in it The eye the flesh and the pomp of life is the Worldlings Felicity that is their Heaven In all goodness come of God as sure the coucupiscence of the eye the flesh and the pride and pomp of Life cometh of the Devil are not they deceived that think â—t good or sir their affection to follow it I could say there is a gnawing Conscience to terment the Worldings I could say that the Voluptuous man hath the wrath of God hanging ever his head I could say eternal death is reserved for his reward A for excessive eating and drinking centes farfets Head-ach lass of wit dropstes loss of appetite griping of the guts palsies weakning of the body infamy and shame Now to Venery wherein the Voluptuous Man taketh such pleasure as in nothing more First what gains what forrows what torments and anguish hath the Lewd Lover before he can compass his desire his dessire cannot be atchieved without loss For we see that Leachery and Gluttony breedeth poverty which is a very heavy burthen But imagine it costeth nothing as oftentimes it chanceth among such as be rich yet notwitistanding they feel even what so lowes namely loss of Body and Soul Touching the sin of Leachery a man therein is like unto a beast for in his blind delight he is deprived of reason and therefore the deed declareth it self to be damnable This Sin bringeth her reward in this World as Dropsies Palsies Leprosies Gowts Burnings Batches and French Pox which is the very worst the commenist the loathsomest and the most infectious disease of all besides that banishment from all honest company decay of Strength and loss of good Name and Fame Do you account him a happy Man which spends his dayes in Drunkenness and Leachery having here so many Hâ—ls abstinence or forbearance doth not warn them to take heed thereof though it be the only medicine Now touching Concupiscence of the eyes
as could be in all things saving goodness Then I desired Voluptuousness to shew me the rest of the Pallace according to her promise so we walked together into a goodly great Chamber hanged about with Cloath of Gold beset with Pearls This Chamber was paved with Marble black and white the Pillars were Iasper the Roofe was Ivory laid on with Gold and the Stairs were Alabaster In this Chamber also was a Sumptuous Chair of State wherein-most magnificently sate a Prince having on his head an Imperial Crown of Gold beset with precious Pearls and in his hand a scepter Royal. He was besides that very richly Arrayed accompanyed with many Nobles Pompously Apparelled This Prince I reverenced and he likewise saluted me giving commandement that I should be most singularly and ercellently used So we went from thence and being abroad I asked Lady Voluptuousness what Prince the same was who said that he was the Prince of 〈◊〉 Pallace even my Father the only giver and bâ—stower of Felicity the which I believed to be true till I found indeed that he was Lucifer the Father of Filthiness the Grand-father of Gluttony the Prince of Pride the Emperour of Iniquity and the Lord of Lewdness a Ruler of the World and one that had nothing to do in Heaven but in Earth among a sort of wicked worldlings and Devilish People This Lucifer arragantly challengeth unto himself that he hath Power to give Glory Honour and Riches to whom he listeth as the Scripture witnesseth wherefore worldlings do serve him as his Subjects From thence we went to the Treasure-House where we saw Coffers full of Coyn and Iewels which was kept by Lady Fortune as Voluptuousness said and she bestowed all that Treasure on such as the King commanded From thence we went up into a great Gallery where we saw three Presses the first full of fine wollen the second of pure Silks the third of fair white Linen this place Pomp had in keeping From thence we went to the perfuming house which differed nothing from an Apothecaries Shop For there I found all things that might move a Mans appetite or stirr up his delight There were colours to paint proud women Perfume and Oyntments to make their bodies soft and sweet and this place was kept by Lasciviousness Then we went into goodly large-Vaults where wine of no kind wanted and there was Dame Drunkenness her Kingdome From thence I was led to the Kinchins where all things were kept in order by Licorourishness whose rule lay in that place From thence to another great Room where we saw a sort of young sweet-faced Bodies Voluptuousness told me they were Ganimedes and Endimions From thence she had me by to a place that was builded very round in compass which place was marvellous bright and lightsome by reason of the great Glass windowes of Crystall This served them instead of a Temple for they had none other Here we saw a great number of fine Delicate Dames exceeding Amiable and Beautifull among all one Excelled whose Name I asked and Voluptuousness shewed me that it was Lady Venus whom all Licentious Lovers do like notable wel and honour her as a Goddesse By her sate a blind Boy who with his Bow and Arrowes shat at adventure and hit my Heart by and by came down Venus and she plucked it out receiving me with comfortable words and wonderfull perswafions And although the Arrow was quickly taken out and might seem to do no harme yet I think the head thereof was poysoned for it hath made so deep a wound as is very infections and scarce curable unless with some speciall plaisters The same Cupid governeth all Leacherous Lovers of what age soever they be or degree witness daily experience he is naked and past shame not caring who looketh upon him his blindness representeth the Folly of such as run head-long after lewd love setting their Feathers in the wind without respect of any after-clsp His Bow and Arrowes do signine the Folly of Foolls which offer themselves to be his But and stand still while be doth shoot and hit them His wings signifie the wavering minde of such as he hits who are quiet in no place or time For who is more mutable vain light inconstant and variable than the fleshly Lover Some say that this Cupid hath a Torch burning in his hand meaning thereby that he burnes to the heart all them that he toucheth All this dispatched Voluptuousness and I went to Dinner and she promised me when I had dined to shew me the rest of the Pallace CHAP. X. Dinner being done Voluptuousness sheweth the Wandring Knight the rest of the Pallace of Worldly Felicity with the description of the Towers thereof And by the Author is declared the evill Fruit of certain notorious sins THis chanced in the pleasant Month of May when Love and Lust is most in force so it was determined that we should Sup in goodly Gardens not in Banqueting Houses although they were Wonderfull fine but in Arhours Over-grown with Sweet Eglantine Rose-trees and Vines fair and clear Fonntains of cold water running by and fragrant Herbs and Flowers casting a comfortable Scent The little pretty Birds did sing round about us as well in Cages as on Trees and Bushes There was playing piping singing dancing leaping embracing and kissing Finally each Lover with his Lady was merry and to be brief every one did what liked him vest and thought themselves happy to find such Felicity But all my desire was to see the rest of the Pallace wherefore I charged Lady Voluptuousness with her promise which took effect insomuch that we went all along to a certain place where I saw the very secret Lodgings of Voluptuousness But what they were for fear of offending the Reverend Reader I mean not to rehearse then we went from Gallery to Gallery from Office to Office from Chamber to Chamber where I saw every place furnished with so rich Movables and such choyce as nothing can be wished more Amongst all those Rooms one Chamber exceeded in largness and Workmanship for costly Carving and in all other respects There I sound a very brave Bed Gorgeously trimmed insomuch that I commended the same highly Then Lasciviousness said that she had charge of that Chamber and if I listed to lye there that Night I should Lust also promised to bring Lady Venus to lye with me I hearing this me thought I felt the wound that Cupid gave me as fresh as at the first Then went we about the Walls which were all of Iet Thick and Strong Vpon these Walls were built seven Towers likeunto Steeples and every Tower had his owner In the first Ledged Pride in the Second Envy in the Third Wrath in the Fourth Gluttony in the Fift Leachery in the Sixth Covetousness and in the Seventh Sloath. My purpose was to go unto them all one after another And as I entred into the Lower of Pride which was the first I spied Written this Possy over the Porch PRIDE IS
It is an easie matter for a Man of himself to fall into Hell but it is impossible for him to get out again unless by the help of Gods Grace I term him to be in Hell who lives in continuall wickedness committing Sin with delight For if he dye in that Estate Hell is his reward but in this lise if he repent there is hope of Salvation For by Gods Grace he may be comforted and delivered Therefore Man of himself falleth into Perdition but without Gods Grace he cannot rise up again God therefore seeing his Creature given to all Vanity led with Ambition of Worldly honour and not ceasing his sinfull Life oftentimes sends Adversity Diseases Dishonours and confusion in the World to make him humble and so open the eyes of Reason which Voluptuousness had shut up whereby he may come to the knowledge of his Sins and confess the same to God All this is figured in the Gospel where our Lord Iesus raised the Widdowes Child which was carryed out of the City of Naim to be buryed he commanded the Bearers to stay and having touched the Cossin of the Corps with a loud Voice he said Young man arise and straight way the dead body rose up and spake Which done the Lord delivered him to his sorrowfull Mother The mourning Mother mystically represents the Church lamenting for her dead Children to wit Wicked Worldlings and Voluptuous Christians which are worse than dead Corses The Widdowes child representeth souls dead in Sin The Coffin representeth the naturall body wherein lyeth the sinfull Soul The four Bearers carrying the dead Soul to Hell represent hope of long life custome of sinning delaying of repentance and contempt of Gods words Nevertheless when our Lord will raise to life this dead Soul he commandeth the Bearers to stay afterwards toucheth the Body sending upon Sinners Adversity Diseases and Misfortunes but all that sufficeth not unless the Lord say unto the Soul Soul I say unto thee arise Do not we see oftentimes People visited with afflictions murmur against God cursing him that afflicted them These by impatiency being unable to arise of themselves is it not necessary that God say to the soul Arise There is no difference between his saying and doing for what he saith he doth And therefore if the Lord say once Arise to the Soul she ariseth and then he delivereth her to her Mother the Church which was sorrowfull for her sins In like manner God to raise me from my Sins sendeth Adversity to the end I should acknowledg mine iniquity and with humility turn unto him which I cannot do without his Heavenly grace much less atchieve true Felicity and Blessedness unless he help Then was I warned by the scourges of God that living Worldling like and following Voluptuousness I was not happy but unhappy being full of filthiness and infection tumbling in the mire of all iniquity from the which I could not withdraw my self for that the eyes of Reason were closed up by Voluptuousness which afterwards were opened by Gods grace To see the pitious Estate wherein I was and the Vnderstanding which Folly bad darkned made me the wofullest wretch in the World neverthelesse when I was whipped with Adversity I perceived my knowledg somewhat cleared and lightned so that I found in Conscience that I had accustomed my self greatly to unhonest things and when I saw the sequel that there was no retiring of my self without Gods grace I lifted mine eyes to Heaven and wringing my hands all ashamed and confounded I lamented with a loud boyce and humbling my self before the Face of God whom I had grievously effended I made my moan saying O Lord God Father and Maker of all things I am not worthy to lift up mine eyes towards thee nor to ask pardon for those infinite Sins whereof I confess my self guilty Nevertheless O God of all goodness and Father of mercy I beseech thee not to punish me in thy great rage nor to condemn me among the Reprobates I acknowledge my evill and crave pardon for my misdeeds my former life displeaseth me greatly and my heart quaketh for fear of thy Judgments O God forsake not thy Creature which is a sinner but aid and assist me with thy Heavenly grace whereof if I may taste the Vertue I shall need none other Succour O grant this for the glory of thy great Name and for the love of thy dear Son Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all Honour and glory for ever and ever Amen As I was thus praying with a willing mind shedding tears striking my breast conceiving sorrow for my Sins suddenly I saw a Lady descending down from Heaven setting her self before me fast by the Bog where I stuck fast This Lady was of a Marbellous Majesty and Wonderfull Courteous she appeared to me in a Garment of White Satten a Cloak of blew Damask imbroydered with Gold Her face shined like the Sun so that I was amazed at so sudden a Vision not knowing what she was yet I took heart a grace supposing some help came from Heaven to draw me out of the Bog wherein I lay In the end with all reverence I made my Petition unto her saying O good and gracious Lady whatsoever thou be I most humbly beseech thee if thou canst that it would please thee to help me out of this beastly Bog of filthy infection For nothing is near me but Venemous Serpents and noysome Vermine In the name of God therefore I crave thy help To the which my request she answered O Fool thou seest now what reward Voluptuousness yieldeth thee for following her If thou hadst believed my daughter thou hadst not been in this misery Then I asked her who was that Daughter of hers She answered the Gentlewoman which admonished thee eleven dayes past to leave Voluptuousness and to follow her whom because thou believedst not but neglectedst her Counsell thou liest in this unhappinesse By this speech of hers I knew she was Gods grace and the mother of Vertue Then fell I on my knees and Weeping thus I said O dear Lady my cursed Counsellour Folly drew me from thy Daughter and I most unhappy wretch believed her which deed of mine grieves me and now I cry thee mercy most humbly desiring thee of thy clemency to deliver me out of this filthy mire to follow thee For although I deserve Damnation for my misdeeds yet thou being by nature mercifull wilt spare me Gods grace hearing this my Lamentation of her mercy stretched forth a Golden Rod and commanded me to lay my hands upon it which when I did I rose from my Saddle and so was out of the Bog where I left Temerity my Horse and Folly my Governess to fish for Frogs Thus you see that Gods Grace draweth us from sin without any merit of ours howbeit not without an inward heart-grief and sorrow for sin which is a special gift of Gods grace CAP. II. Gods grace sheweth Hell unto the Knight with
also the Lord and God of Prophets answered the thought of the Proud Pharisie saying Simon I have somewhat to tell thee Then said he Speak on Master A Creditor quoth the Lord had two Debtors whereof the one ow'd him 500 pence the other but 50 now they both having nothing to pay the Creditor forgives them the Debt Now tell me which of those Debtors loveth the Creditor most Simon said I think he to whom most was forgiven Jesus answered Thou hast rightly spoken Our Lord in propounding this Question defired also to heal this Pharisie For if he had denyed it Iesus would have eaten none of his meat These two Debtors were Simon and the sinfull Woman The sinfull Woman not only by the Iudgment of the standers by but also by her own confession acknowledged her self more indebted then Simon and Simon less indebted then she because he thought himself righteous in respect of her The Creditor is our Lord God who lends and gives us his gilts both temporal and spiritual to interest disbursing to one five Talents to another two and to another one Now then is signified by the judgment of Simon that the Woman was most in debt to God unto whom he forgave most And because she loved God better then Simon did she deserved again of him to be better beloved in that she did more good service to God then Simon did notwithstanding his meat Wherefore the Lord valued the love and good Will of this woman and preferred it before Simons reprehending him of his arrogancy and saying Dost thou seest this Woman whom thou judgest more in debt then thy self I entred into thy House and thou hast not given me water to wash my feet but she hath washed them with tears and wip'd them with her hair though Water was easier to be found then tears Thou hast not kist my mouth but she hath kist my feet Thou hast not annointed my head with common Oyl but she hath annointed my feet with fine Oyntment So that by these signes thou seest that she loves me better then thou dost Therefore I tell thee that many Sins are forgiven her because she loved much For to him is least forgiven that hath least loved The Lord said this to beat down the proud opinion of the fond Pharisie not that he was but little forgiven but because Simon might know that he thought so For truly as who so committeth most Sins is most indebted to God so likewise is he that hath least offended To conclude both the less and the great stand in need of Gods Grace unto whom they cannot come of their own strength and vertue As the greatest Sinner reserreth to God the remission of his fins even so ought the justest man to do also For there is no sin which one Man committeth but another would commit the like if God who made Man without sin did not keep him from sin as witnesseth Saint Austen But perchance one will say I have not committed Adultery as this man hath To whom I answer thou hast not had such occasion ministred as he hath had and he hath not had the Grace to avoid it as thou hast had It was Gods doing and no Will of thine if thou hast had no occasion nor convenient time nor fit opportunity to fall into that Sin Suppose thou hast had occasion offered with opportunity and all things fit and yet hast resrained Well it is God then that guided and governed thee that thou shouldest not do it Acknowledge then the grace of God as thou art bound because thou hast not committed such a sin For as he who hath committed most sins is most indebted to God even so is he who never finued Gods debter for were not the grace of God his Guide he would do enough Now to our purpose After the Lord had convinced the Pharisie of his proud Opinion to comfort the sorrowfull Woman lying at his feet he said thus Woman thy sins are forgiven thee O joyfull voice O happy Woman that art worthy to hear the Son of God speak to thee and forgive thee thy Sins But those comfortable words of the Lord greatly offended the proud Pharisies at the Feast who turned them to Blasphemy saying What Fellow is this that also forgiveth Sinners It is apparent enough that he is a Blasphemer for to pardon and forgive Sinners belongeth only to God No doubt our Lord Iesus Christ was taken to be a very poor man of him that requested him to Dinner and of those which were at the Table It was known that man could not forgive sins but they believed not that Iesus Christ was God and therefore say they What Fellow is this that forgiveth sins These Feasters were sick of a deadly disease which they neither knew nor yet the remedy to heal and do them good Is it not a Madness that such as are Sick should fall a laughing at them that are sound and in good Health So did the Pharisies laugh at Iesus Christ and the Woman who were not sick or if she were sick she acknowledged her Sicknesse and sought help of the Physitian It is most true that Man cannot forgive Sins but this Woman which believed that Christ could forgive Sins believed also that he was God and therefore able to forgive Sins But why did not our Saviour Christ answer these murmuring Pharisies and say I am the Son of God when they asked the question saying what Fellow is this that forgiveth Sins No he let them murmure and turned himself towards the Woman and said Thy Faith hath saved thee depart in Peace Though she heard him say of the Pharisies these men murmure and esteem me as it pleaseth them nevertheless be thou assured that thy Faith hath saved thee and therefore depart in peace and enjoy full rest and tranquility of conscience justified by a lively Faith and fulfilled with Love Let all sick souls that are laden with Sins if they will be healed let them I say come in Faith and assured Hope to the true Physitian of souls which is Iesus Christ let them confess their offences with s … w and Weeping let them Wipe the Feet of our Lord with their hair and they shall be restored made whole and recover their Health Let your superfluous riches be given among the poor and not spent in Feasting and Pompous Apparell And after that the Sinner with love and liverality hath thought upon the poor helping them in their need as well with good counsell as with Alms-deeds and living as the Rule of Gods Word requireth he shall receive peace and quietness of Conscience and he reconciled to God the Father for the merits of his Deer Son Iesus Christ to whom be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen CAP. VII The Knight having heard the sermon received the holy Communion and dinner being ended mounted into a Chariot and was by Gods grace carried to the Palace of Vertue GReat was the comfort I took by the sermon of the