fearing God did much thereat reioyce The beastly people raysed at him when as he came in sight And blasphemed God defacing him with words of great despight Thus brought among these gredie wolues the simple sheepe doth stand The Judge commaunding silence streight with lifting vp his hand Demaundes if that be he that Polycarpus hath to name Whereto he boldly aunsweres him I am the verie same Then of thy selfe haue some regarde good father olde sayth hee And haue respect vnto thy yeares and to thine owne degree Thy reuerent age deserues good lucke cast not thy selfe away But worship thou the Emperour and wish him well aiway And crie away with all such beasts as doe no God regarde Then turning to the people streight and willing to be harde Olde Polycarpe with frowning looke and hand held vp to skies Cries out amaine away with such as God doe here despise The Ruler speaking still and seying loue Cesar with thy hart And blaspheme Christ then shalt thou at thy pleasure hence depart I haue sayth Polycarpus serued Christ fourescore yeares and more And vnto mee in all this space he did no hurt wherfore Should I then him blaspheme that hath bene all this while my frende Whose blessed ayde from euerie harme did alwayes me defend I can not serue him in such sort that hath so friendly delt With me through all my life by whom I haue such goodnesse felt I am a Christian I confesse a Christian will I die Come paine or ioy come death or life I will it not denie And if thou seekest the happie state of Christians for to know Their whole beliefe and vertuous sect I plainly will thee show Whensoeuer thou shalt appoint the time Nay sayth the Judge declare Before the people present here in all things how they fare Quoth he I haue thee answerde full in scriptures are we tought To giue you Rulers honor such as vnto you we ought We worship Princes euermore as Gods Lieutenants here And them obey so that they bid not things repugnant cleare Against the lawes of God himselfe but for to come taccount Before these raging people rude whose madnesse doth surmount Their senselesse wits it is no part of mine I you assure Nor neuer will I doe it whâ—â—st my life doth here endure Wild beasts here haue I quoth the Shrife whereto thou shalt be cast Then let them lose sayth he my words shall stand as they haue past I can not chaunge from good to euyll more meete this sinfull brood Should leaue their lewde and beastly life and chaunge from euill to good Well quoth the Shrife offended much and boyling all in ire Though thou regardst not force of beasts thou shalt be burnt with fire Thy aged bones and werish lunmes consumde to coales shall bee And life the fruite of thy contempt shall passe in flame from thee Thou threatnest me quoth he againe with feeble fire and vaine Which as it quickly kindleth here so quickly dies againe Not knowing of the dreadfull flames that burne continually Prepared for the wicked sort that here in sinne doe die But wherefore seemest thou thus to stay put beasts or fire to me With torments I nor fearefull sights can neuer moued be These words and other like to these him Polycarpus tolde With ioyfull looke The Shrife amased to heare his aunsweres bolde A Baily to the people sent and willes him to proclaime That Polycarpe had thrice confest himselfe a Christian plaine Which when the multitude had heard of Jewes and Gentiles vaine That present were with furie great thus crie they out amaine Lo this is he that doth seduce all Asia round about The father and the chiefest guide of all the Christian rout The great defacer of our Gods who teacheth not to make Nor offer sacrifice but Gods and goodnesse to forsake This sayd they crie for fire streight and here and there they run And ech man busieth much himselfe to see the slaughter done And woad from euerie place they bring and reedes in order laye And pile vp fagots fast thereon with all the hast they may And thus the stake is streight preparde the father brought thereto With willing minde and ioyfull hart his garments doth vndo And stripes himselfe into his shirt while as the standers by Doe driue in staples to the stake the safer him to tie These chaines quoth he are needlesse here for he that me doth make To abide the fire shall giue me grace to stand vntide at stake Wherewith they let the chaines alone and tie him slenderly With little Hempen cordes that were prepared speedily Thus like a Ram drawne from the flocke for sacrifice he stands And to the heauens casting vp his eyes and holy hands These words with feruent mind he spake O God of power deuine That Father art of Jesus Christ by which deare sonne of thine Of thee the knowledge we attaine thou Lord of Aungels all Of powers and strengths euery wight that vnto thee doe call The only God of righteous men to thee great thanks I giue That thus thou hast permitted me vntill this day to liue Whereby of Christ thy only sonne I shall a witnesse bee With whom I trust and thorow him thy blessed face to see The chiefest comfort of my soule and longing of my sprite Wherein eche poore afflicted hart doth set his whole delight A pleasing sacrifice I trust I shalbe vnto thee That doth respect the louing hart and minde of eche degree My soule through flames to thee I yeelde that art my only light Receiue it Lord and graunt it rest before thy sacred sprite Euen as thou hast appointed and determind long ago Ech thing thou hast performed here and all things ordred so O God thou righteous art and iust deceite is none with thee Therefore I render thankes and prayse vnto thy maiestie Through Jesus Christ the eternall God thy deare and only sonne Whose presence here to iudge the world I trust shall shortly come To whom with thee and the holy sprite be prayse both now and then And laude and glory yeelded vp for euermore Amen No sooner had he done but that These wretches voyde of grace Thrust fire in on euerie side and kindling it apaâ—e The flame a loft beginnes to mount and threates the hawtie skies With crooked compasse to enclose the martyr standing there Whose bodie seemed to giue the showe of golde in fornace cleare From whence beside there round about a pleasant odor past As if some Baume or Frankincense had bene in fire cast The sinfull sort perceyuing thus the body to remaine Untoucht of fire and that their toyle and trauaile was in vaine Doe straight commaund the hangman with his sword to thrust him in Wherwith the bloud with purple streams apace begins to spin And gusheth out so fast abrode that euen the raging flame In diuers places of the pile was quenched with the same The people all amased depart the corse neglected lies The soule reioycing at this day vnto
of ten thousand that thus doe brauely fleete Scarse ten at length doe with the Hauen meâ—te The Hauen faire I meane of perfite ioye Where chiefest pleasure hath hir biding place Where ioye surinounts where griefe can not anoye Where liues the king of euerlasting grace That well rewardes eche minde that doth employe Them selfe in trauaile to attaine that place And doth condemne to euerlasting paine All those that him forsake for pleasures vaine The seas be rough the passage full of paine The daungers great the iourney large and long The Pilots yll the Coast is nothing plaine The force but weake the enimies stout and strong The lets a number that labour to detaine And flattring showes that leades the maister wrong The streites of Marrocke are not halfe so yll Ne race of Britaine ne Charyâ—dis nor Scyll Wherefore in vaine we strine without a guide To passe these seas where thousand daungers â—eâ— With rocks and shelues beset on euerie side Where nought but death the featefull eye can see Now forced with windes now driuen backe with tide Nie drownd with cares and bet with miserie Amased with mists and wandring without light Except we finde the helpe of holy sprite Which spirite that in our iourney we may haue With humble hart and earnest prayer made With knees bowed downe his ayde here let vs craue That he vouchsafe to teach vs plaine the trade Of sayling right and from all daungers saue Our simple soules that through these seas must wave With stedfast fayth to him thus let vs pray That he may guide vs through this doubtfull way O sacred spirite that all things well dorst guide And bringest eche good thought to his desire And sufferest not no error to abide Whereas it likes thy grace for to inspire That doest for euery humble hart prouide And shewest the way with thy celestiall fire Powre downe thy grace direct my feeble hand That I may shew where perfite blisse doth stand By thee we may be sure the way to finde That leadeth straight to perfite ioy and blisse By thee we shunne the rocks and daungers blinde That makes vs oft the Hauen faire to misse Thou onlye art the starre that guidest the minde Unto the place where perfite pleasure is Giue me thy light cast downe thy bâ—ames from hâ—â— That I may show which way the course doth liâ— The wretched seas of worldly pleasures vaine The mischiefes and the harmes that comes thereby The flattering showes that trouble most the brayne The noysome lusts and fancies there that lie That causers are of euerlasting paine And casts away the soules that trauaile by I will declare and â—ke which way to runne What course to keepe what daungers for to shunne Within these seas when first we enter in When first to winde our sayles committed bee When pleasantly on calmed streames we swim A mightie rocke lo streight at hand we see Of massie Gold all decked and garnisht trim That doth allure the eye of eche degree The compasse great with corners out doth lie The heigth whereof doth reach the starrie skie A stately rocke beset with Diamondes faire And pouldred round about with Rubles red Where Emralds greene doo glister in the aire With Mantell blew of Saphyres ouer spred â–ª Where wants no stone that nature can repaire No pearle of price nor Jewell polished Another heauen for the time it seemes And oft for heauen foolish men it deemes With swelling sands it lies encompast round And many a ragged reach it sendeth out Whereby full many a thousand haue bene drownd Yet neuer cease they for to saile about In gasing still vpon this gorgeous ground Approching neerer not hauing any doubt Till on the sands with hastie course they slide And lose themselues vpon this piere of pride No greater daunger shalt thou lightly finde That more mishap and mischiefe more doth make Than this that pluckes away the saylers minde And causeth him contrarie course to take Who forward puft with fonde vainglorious winde His perfite way doth vtterly forsake Till on the sands his Reale here happes to knocke And dasheth all a sunder on this rocke A wretched rocke that mounting to the skie Contenting not himselfe with earthly spoyle Once onerthrew the Angels sitting hie And cast them headiong from their happy soyle To darkest place where wayling now they lie With griefe ashamed of so great a foyle The chiefe estates and princes here below Haue â—ke good cause this daungerous place to know The raging waues doth belching vpward cast The wretched wrackes that round about doe fleets The silken sayles and glistering golden Mast Lies all to torne and troden vnder feete The witlesse throng of women swarming fast Like Parrats pied in garments farre vnmeete With scarfes and fethers like to souldiers brest With painted heare and shamelesse bared brest A monstrous sort of men there shalt thou see Not men but deuils sure that beare the face Of men that neuer can contented bee With comly garments meete but voyde of grace Forgetting quite their auncient olde degree To women chaunged their manly shapes deface With slender wastes as Maydens most doe vse And frisled heare like havlots of the stewes With countnance coy and forhead forced hie And staring top as lately frayed with sprites In rich attire to feede the gasers tie That euermore in glistring show delights A sort of beasts whose chiefest ioy doth lie In decking vp themselues for wondring sights In yelow red and Purple to be seene Sometimes like fooles in gownes of gawdy greene As painted tombes that stinch and filth containe And Arras faire that rotten wals doth hide So doe these fooles with all their garments vaine And fresh attire drest vp in pompe and pride Nought else but beastly mindes and doltish braine Faire couered keepe which filthie else were spide For vnderneath their garments glistering braue Lies mindes corrupt as rotten bones in graue A sinfull sort that wholy spend their life In setting out their stinking carcasse here Who night and daye doe passe with care and strife In studying how they fairest may appeare And wearie soone of fashions olde and rife Disguise themselues in newe disguised geare As not consisting of their proper minde But chaunging still as chaunged things they finde Flie thou this rocke and take good heede thereto For who so keepes this dreadfull daungerous way Shall run the race that him shall quite vndo And misse the marke by sayling thus astray That should him bring the happie Hauen to No mischiefe more doth breede the soules decay No greater harme can hap to mortall kinde Than for to run vpon this daunger blinde For who so once vpon the same doth fall Forgetteth God forgets his owne estate Of good or vertue makes no count at all So he may liue aloft without a mate And for to attaine a little glorie small He nought esteemes of mightie Joue the hate Who of all other sorts can worst abide Such kinde of men as most delights in pride But to
from falling to the ground The Dropsie pale stands shaking on the sand With bellie swolne that yeeldes a hollowe sound The Feuer hote sittes gaping here for winde Whose scorched tongue no taste in meate can finde Quotidians there and Quartans shalt thou see Now quaking colde now burning all on flame There double halfe and bastard Certians bee Continuars and those that Hecticke haue to name With many more of this fraternitie Whereat Phisitions oft make pleasant game Attaining vnto treasure and to welth More weping golde than any pacients helth A number great of sicknesses beside With piteous face and miserable show May euerie where about this place be spide That in these full fed fooles doe often grow As Pleuresies with torments in the side And iaundises in mouing faint and slow With falling sicknesse that foming foule doth lie And Apoplexies murdring sodeinlie Most grieuous paines and swimming in the head With Letharges forgetting euerie thing And strangling quinsies with flaming humors fed That many men vnto their graues doe bring Consuming Ptisicks long lingring in the bed And painfull Colicks whose griefe the guts do wring Both Stone Strangurie lie here with grieuous pain And many more that to rehearse were vain This fearefull place is called Gluttonie Wherein great numbers haue bene cast awaye While as with greedie lust they sayled bie And ran their course by negligence astraye Shun thou this daunger and from this mischiefe flie And let not such an yll be thy decaye Let thousands dying there before thy face Example be for thee to shun this place A wretched vice a sinfull crime it is To pamper vp the flesh with his delight Whereby more prone it is to liue amisse And more meete for to resist the sprite That Creature neuer seekes the place of blisse Nor neuer thinkes vpon the heauens bright That studies here his greedie lust to please And for to passe his time in rest and ease The flesh will neuer here subdued bee Nor made obedient to the heauenly minde While as we farce it vp in this degree With meate of euerie daintie sort and kinde These fine fed folkes as daily we may see Are bent to lust and fleshly affections blinde But few of them that vertuous are or chast That haue their guts thus inwardly bumbast As wood heaped vp a hie vpon the fire Or oyle cast in doth more augment the heate So doth this foule and filthie fonde desire Of surfetting and cramming in of meare Encrease the flame of lecherous desire And makes the bodie blase with vices great Unmeete to follow any vertue good While as it is so cherished with foode The feeble braine with stinking vapors dased That boyling in the stomacke vpward rise Astonished and vtterly amased Cannot aspire vnto the hautie skies So weake it is and so with surfets crased That in the body all a sleepe it lies Applying not it selfe the way to finde For to restraine the affections of the minde O what a sort may at this day be found That only giue themselues to eate and drinke Like brutish beasts that grasing on the ground Continually of nothing else doc thinke What greater shame to Christians can redound What more before the face of God doth stinke â–ª Than thus to feede the paunch continually That to the soule is such an enimy What folly greater can committed bee Then where we here may liue long time in heith With moderate diet and fobrietie All voyd of sicknesse that farre surmounteth welth We rather choose to liue in miserie And for to lacke both quietnesse and helth Esteeming more a gracelesse pleasure vaine Than for to keepe our bodies out of paine And where as nature doth well hir selfe content With slender diet wherein she most delights Of which hath God sufficient alwayes sent To serue our neede and to refresh our sprites We neuer ceasing to feede with belly bent Still cramming in like greedy rauening Kites Both God displease and nature quite destroy And for our labour lose eternall ioy Therefore eschew thy beastly greedy minde This gurmandise this filthie foule delight For brutish beasts and not for men assignde Helpe not the flesh to ouerthrow the sprite But helpe the sprite to daunt affections blinde So shalt thou make both soule and body light When both in one shall happily agree To seeke the skies where thou shalt blessed bee Eate not to much but often vse to fast Both Nature biddes and Christ commaundeth so Our fathers olde that liued in ages past Found great reliefe by this in present wo Who striuing long thus tamed their flesh at last And ouerthrew by this their deadly fo Whyle as forbearing meate and sinne withall With feruent prayer on God they vsed to call A vertue great is abstinence no dout Of euerie man to be esteemed much A helping hand to them that goe about The sacred skies with heauenly minde to touch No better fence to keepe the deuill out No greater force no ayde nor succor such Phisitions count it Natures chiefest frende And God himselfe doth highly it commende Beare of therefore and come not neare the place That all embrued with Giuttons bloud doth lie Whose soules in hell in miserable case With piteous plaint and howling noyse doe crie Lamenting sore their former lacke of grace While here they led their life licenciously When as thou hast escaped this ieoperdie Before thy face againe thou shalt descrie A gorgeous Ile an earthly paradyse Wherein there wants no kinde of pleasant sight No glistring show nor costly fine deuyce That may encrease the trauailers delight All garnisht round with things of greatest pryce The sight whereof reuiues the gasers sprite Doth please the eye and doth allure the minde Of men that thinke safe harbour there to finde Of compasse large and full of beautie faire The sightly show doth lie before thy face Which seemes as Nature there had set hir chaire And chosen that hir happie resting place From whence there comes a sweete and pleasant aire That farre surmounts the Amber Grece in grace With musicke sweete and pleasant heauenly sound That round about doth in the aire resound The Cliues are hie and all of Chrystall shine Upon the top where of in order growes Hie hautie trees with maiestie deuine That glistring greene farre of in shadowes showes There stately stands the lostie Lordlye Pine With Ceders placed and Firre trees set in rowes Thick groues of Mirtels comly to be seene With couerts close of pleasant Laurell greene Beyond these same are mountaines rising hie Clad round about with trees of diuerse kinde That placed in order much delight the eie And thither draw the saylers wandring minde Who thinke they see these hilles to touch the skie In vewe whereof they pleasure great doe finde There round about in euerie place below Faire purple Roses ioynde with Jasmins grow In euerie place may beautie there be seene In euerie place is pleasure for the eie Throughout the woods and pleasant forrests greene Great
place But lost himselfe thereon in piteous case The subtill wit and iudgement aye profound That painted vertue liuely to the eie Who shewed the harmes and hurts of vice vâ—sound And opned plaine the place whereas they lie The selfe same man that once such fauor â—ound Of Delphos that he gat the soueraintie For wit and vertue passing euerie man Upon this Ile yet wretchedly he ran A thousand such in stories olde we finde Of sundry like our sacred volumes tell That ran amisse vpon this fancie blinde For lacke of good aduise and gâ—iding well Yea though they wholy did applie their minde To euerie vertue yet on this vice they fell Example he with Uries wife that lay And ekâ— his sonne that further ran astray Amongst the daungers of these harmfull seas No daunger like to this there comes in sight That more doth worke the passengers disease Or driues them more to shewe their force and might Nor no men more the almighty Lord displease Than these that happen on this place to light Wherefore we ought with heede and carefull eiâ— Farre off from hence with might and maine to flie And often wey the myschiefe that will ryse If that we leaue our happy course to keepe For vaine delight that here â—eludes the eyes And bringeth men in restlesse rest a sleepe Nay rather let vs these flattring showes despyse And seeke to scape this guife of daunger deepe Which for a litle trifling pleasure vaine Doth bring vs vnto euerlasting paine Direct thy ship and course another way And still remember how happie they shall bee That haue not falne vpon this Ile astray Where fleshly ioyes and foolish fancies bee But doâ— themselues with all their might assay To finde the port of true felicitie Eschewing euerie storme and troublesome winde That blowes contrarie to their vertuous minde And wey the paines and torments they shall haue That giue themselues to follow foule delight And breake the lawes that God to all men gaue How they shall wayle and howle in piteous plight When that their carcasse comth once to graue Their sinfull bodie seuered from their sprite Which sprite shall neuer feele release of paine As long as God doth in the heauens raigne Though that the motions of the flesh be much And though that nature herein beare some sway Yet ought the force of reason to be such In man as well may put such toyes away The minde deuine must neuer so basely touch Such things vnpure as may be hir decay But mount aloâ—t with wings vnto the sâ—ies Where perfite ioy and perfite pleasure lies For earthly ioyes and fancies are vnmeete For such as God appointes with him to liue Who ought to abandon all such pleasures sweete As vse wherof may them offend or grieue And take good heede whereas they set their fete Not euerie show nor euerie path beleeue But only walke in that appointed way That God himselfe before their eies doth lay And flie the pathes though that they pleasant seeme That he hath here forbidden to be trode And cast away all fonde affections cleene The weight whereof the soule so sore doth lode That languishing vpon the earth with teene Constrained is it there to make abode And neuer can aspire vnto the skie For heauie weight that doth vpon it lie And as Ulysses passing by this place Where Mermayds flocke whereof we spake before Whose sugred songs with sweete and louely face Did seeke to traine him to that deadly shore Did giue himselfe with wise and heauenly gracâ— â–ª For to withstand this lâ—wd and flattring 〈◊〉 Compellde his men to binde him to the 〈◊〉 â–ª Whereby with speede this daunger great he past So in these seas of pleasures least we quaile We ought to binde our wills to reason strong As to the Mast that beares our chiefest saile That guides vs best thorowout this iourney long So shall not all these flattring showes preuaile So shall we scape this poysned dâ—adly song That hath bewitched so many vertuous eares And brought them vnto torments and to teares But if there doe such punishment remaine For those which while they vertuous seeke to bee Doe fall into this lake of pleasures vaine Whereby they come to greatest miserie Condemned vnto euerlasting paine Where gastly shapes and hellish sightes they see Shutout for euer from that beautie bright That farre surmounts eche other kinde of sight If those I say such torments haue to taste What plagues are due vnto that sinfull sort That both with minde and beastly tongue vnchaste Of lothsome vice doe make a play and sport And where they ought not spende a word in waste Their shamelesse mouths wheresoeuer they doe resort Doth vtter out the filthiest words they can Without respect of eyther God or man Contenting not themselues with wretched deedes Alone to passe away their sinfull race But with such wordes as filthily proceedes From out their hearts defiling euerie place With lothsome showe as stinking noysome weedes That freshest flower in gardens doth deface So doe these beasts with tongue and talke vncleene Defile eche thing that fairest may be seene With beastly wordes that all of baudrie sound These Rascals vile themselues doe most delight Corrupting mindes that otherwise were sound With speach vnpure and wanton gesture light Wherein they are skilâ—de as in their arte profound Whose â—ongues doe teach their vile vnsauerie sprite Their shamelesse tongues while as their acts they tell Doth cause to blush the deuill himselfe in hell Most wretched creatures y t lead your liues with shame And die like beasts in miserable plight The paynes of hell is ende of all your game Eche damned soule shall feâ—le his torment light While as they lie in neuer ceasing flame Respecting yours who for your foule delight Farre passe them all in torments and in paine This is your end and your assured gaine Let this suffice to giue thee warning here That saylest neere this lewde and daungerous place Though that the beautie faire at first appere Thou seest the ende how that in wretched case They plagued are and buie their pleasure deare Regarde thy selfe and seeke for better grace And stay not gasing nor venter thou to neare It is not good with daungers for to play Leaue off betimes and sayle another way And take good heede for straight before thy face â–ª Amid these seas another daunger lies That bearing vp his head a little space Aboue the water oft deceiues the eyes Upon the which haue died in wretched case A number great of men accounted wise The show is small that doth appeare a hiâ— The chiefest daunger doth vnder water liâ— The top whereof is smoothly polished And doth not threaten hasard with the show By which haue many Mariners bene led To trauaile neare the state thereof to know Who with their ships yllfauoredly haue sped While as their Keeles haue toucht the rocke below And all to torne a pieces forced to flie Their maisters sprawling on the surges hie The
lustiest Mariners haue bene drowned heare Whose Barkes haue borne the brauest port on seas For lusty show and stomacks voyd of feare While as they sayled which way them best did please Who counsayle none nor no aduise would heare For warning good did euer them displease Still trusting to their owne deceyued wit From whose aduise they would not stirre a whit Ne cast they here themselues away alone But cause great number more their course to misse Perswading them that neare vnto this stone Doth lie the way to euerlasting blisse Assuring them that daunger there is none And that themselues are well assured of this By which vaine words they cause the simple men To cast away themselues by following them This daungerous place that hath so many lost And thus beguiled is called Heresie A hurtfull place a most pernicious cost A wofull rocke a wretched ieoperdie Which oft hath hurt and quite consumed almost The Nauie faire of Christianitie Which gorgeous fleete had long time since bene drent If mightie Ioue had not them succour sent Who pitying them of his accustomed grace When as they were with stormes and tempests tost And euen at point to fall vpon this place Where as they had bene altogither lost Lamenting as it were their wretched case To see them die that him so dearely cost Rebuked the winds and tooke the helme in hand And brought them safe vnto the assured land A happie guide in these so dreadfull seas Whose blessed aide if all men carst had sought With humble minde in seeking him to please And setting all their owne deuise at nought They had not purchased thus their owne disease Nor wretchedly themselues to mischiefe brought Ne had they left behind them such a fame As hitherto the world resound with shame Cherinthus had not cast himselfe awaye Upon this rocke in miserable plight Nor Eutyches had passed this wretched way If seruing God had bene his chiefe delight Nonatus had not sayled here astray Nectorius had not on this mischiefe light Nor Arrius with his Arrians here had dide Nor all the swarme of Manicheys beside With thousands more that here I loth to name Who might haue scaped this dredfull place full well That brought them vnto euerlasting shame And threw them headlong to the pit of hell Whereas they waile in neuer ceassing flame And for their sinnes continually doe yell If that they had sought this safe assured aide And vnto him for helpe had alwayes praide Take thou good heede that trauailest hereby Least that thou fallest vpon this hurtfull place Beware of schisme beware of heresie And pray to God continually for grace That he may keepe thee from this miserie And bring thee safe vnto the resting place In giuing thee a quicke and watchfull eie Whereby thou mayst such couert daungers flie Looke well about and trust not euerie sprite That seemes to teach the safe assured waye Be well assured he teach the way aright Or walke not thou else after him astraye The deuill himselfe can seeme an angell bright The simple soule the eaâ—â—ier to betraye But Christ hath left you here his scriptures plaine A touchstone true to trie religion vaine By these examine euerie prating sprite By these go trie what vnto thee is tought Let these be iudge who teacheth wrong or right Let these discerne the good things from the nought Of these in darkenesse borrow all the light Of these still let thy wauering minde be tought So shalt thou well be able thy selfe to trie Where shadowes false and where deceit doth lie Beleue not those same slaundrous mouthes vntrue Who make report how that the bookes deuine Corrupted are with false translations newe Of only malice these enuions beasts repyne They see the spirite of God will them subdue That in these sacred letters bright doth shine And therefore for to bring them in contempt These slaundrous lyes maliciously they inuent As he that late such needlesse paines did take In culling out the faults he could espie Of euerie tittell straight accompt doth make In noting where he thinkes they run awrie And as he thought profoundly thereof spake But if thou shalt his worthy iudgement trie Thou well shalt see his fonde and foolish braine Hath taken all his trauaile here in vaine Beside another marke there is to know These wretched sprites that leades men thus to hell Though clad in pelts of sheepe they simple show And many tales of God and heauen tell Yet malice doth their mindes so ouerflow That all things can they not dissemble well Their bloudie teeth doth still appeare in sight Wherewith like wolues continually they fight Example one amongst a number more Let Arrius be who whilst he here did raigne Of torments great and tortures had in store Wherewith he put true Christians still to paine With sundrie deaths not heard off oft before And griefes that newly sprang from cruell braine As splintars sharpe of reedes which sore did pricke That in their fingers twixt nayle and flesh did sticke That diuelish minde that reigneth now in hell Doth still enuy the happie state of man And since the time that first to earth he fell Doth labour still by all the meanes he can To cause them all in paines with him to dwell Whose cursed children as their sire began Continue still with rancour and with heate To persecute that happie heauenly seate Chrysostome he that long agoe hath tride These brittell seas and searched euerie place Who had good proofe of euerie winde and tide And well could sayle to finde the port of grace Declared which way these people might be spide That thus deceyue in miserable case And gaue plaine token how we well should know These Barks of schisme that on these seas doe row Did euer yet sayth he the simple sheepe With bloudy mouth the greedie wolfe pursue Not once But rauening wolues doe neuer sleepe From hunting them So Cain poore Abell slew Not Abell him so Ismaell Isaac true Did persecute not Isaac him The Jewe Thus troubled Christ and heretikes alway True Christians killde their fruits doth them bewray Thus plainly doth this skilfull father olde Conclude that such as beare such hatefull minde Against the flocke and happie harmelesse folde Of Christ still following them with malice blinde To be the Wolues of whom our Sauiour tolde And heretikes of most pernitious kinde The Wolfe by rauening euermore is tride The Heretike by crueil minde is spide Then since thou mayst full well discerne this yll Sayle farre from thence and steare aduisedly And guide thy selfe by good and carefull skill So shalt thou misse this fearefull ieoperdie Giue not the reines nor bridle vnto will But make it subiect to the motions hie So shalt thou saue thy selfe from daunger great And sooner finde the happie resting seat Yet once againe thou needest to take good heede For here abouts an Iland faire doth lie That to the saylers mischiefe great doth breede That flames farre off like Phebus in the skie Which glistring
the heauen flies A Priest of Apollo straungely conuerted Euseb lib. 4. VPon the Alpes those stately mountaines hie Sometime there stode a gorgeous temple faire Whereto the people vsed commonly To heare the doome of Phebus to repaire Wherein there liued a Priest of passing fame Who vsed to keepe the altars trim and fine And well could cast the sacrifice in flame And order all things in their course and time It chaunced that here passed by this way One Gregorie a christian Bishop olde Who entred in whereas this person lay And lodged there all night to scape the colde Good entertainment gaue the Priest him tho And vsed him well according to his guise And tolde him all in order so and so How Phebus there was serued and in what wise What numbers great did seeke him day by day And what great store of people round about Were satisfied when as they came that way And answerde full to euerie kinde of dout The next day when the sunne doth giue his light The ghest departs and biddes his Host adew And thanks him for his lodging that same night And prayse good lucke of their acquaintance new Unto the Church the Priest in haste doth hie And offers vp his costly sacrifice He downeward falles and on his face doth lie And prayeth to his God in humble wise And counsell asks of diuers weightie things What best for to be done in this or that Whilst of his prayers thus the temple rings This golden God that on the altar sat Ne spake a worde nor gaue him any signe Of prayers heard as he before had done His tongue was tide he could not now deuine What happened had or what thing was to come With countnance sad the Priest doth home depart And museth at this straunge and sodeine chaunce Laments the case with mourning heauy hart And fares as one beside himselfe in traunce Thus heauily he spends the day away And when the night with shadow darke was come And time for euerie man to goe to rest While on his bed he doth begin to â—â—ome Lo streight appeares his God all rudely drest With ernfull looke and thus to him he spake What meanst thou thus to vexe thy troubled sprite For pleasing me whose force is now so weake That scarsly can I holds my selfe vpright That wretched ghest whom thou this other night So entertaynst hath me thus soule disgraced Hath stayed my tong and wrought me this despite By whom for euer am I cleane defaced Nor in my temple can I lenger set Nor aunswere thee as I haue done before Except of him thou licence for me get Thou knowest my staye torment thy selfe no more The Priest awakes and soone he leaues his bed And followes fast his late departed ghest Treades our the path which he before did tred And panseth not nor doth entend to rest Till he him find whom soone he ouertakes AnÌ„d humbly doth him of his helpe require And true report of euerie thing he makes What dolefull chaunce hath happened in his quire And what mishap vnto his God befell And how his gaines are gone from him thereby With ruthfull looke amased doth he tell Beseecheth him to helpe him speedily And to restore to him his God againe Which otherwise would be his great decay If that he should with silence thus remaine He willes him to remember that same day Wherein he werie to his house did come How that ech friendship then that in him lay HeÌ„ shewed him there and how ech thing was done The gentle ghost his Host doth not forget But for to shew him frendship like againe Unto the paper straight his hand doth set And thus he writes in letters faire and plaine Unto Apollo Gregorius greeting sendes I giue thee leaue doe as thou didst before With this he makes his Hoast a full amende Who thanketh him with all his hart therefore And home he comes as fast as he may â—ing And of his Church the doore he opens wide And vnto Phebus doth the letter bring Upon the Altar layes it him beside The Idoll streight beginnes againe to prate And answere giues as he was wont to doe And prophecies of his and his estate Of subtile oracles disclosing one or two The Priest beginnes to alter his intent And to himselfe he mutters in his minde That this straunge power is only to him lent And graunted by some force of hier kinde He deemes his Gods authoritie but small That thus is ruled by a mortall Wight Nor lenger meanes he vnto him be thrall That is obedient to another sprite He takes his letter and hies him thence apace And biddes both Church and God adew for aye Comes streight to Gregorie and telleth him the case And prayes him for to shew him plaine the way By true religion to worship God on hie And doth repent his former wretched trade And all his life spent in ydolatrie Wherein he list not lenger for to wade Thus falling flat on ground before his feete The other gently doth him there receaue And showes the effect of 〈…〉 â–ª 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 â–ª Who after that he had a while profest The Christian law and sweete religion taught Tooke such delight therein that all the rest Of fancies vaine he left and set at naught Embraced Christ and serued him faithfully And in such sort that when this Gregorie diâ—â— As Pastor chiefe his roome he did supply And happily his happie flocke did guide FINIS