is by nature and kinde an ennemy of the good vnlesse some-body imagine that the seede and roote of a naughty Sycophant ought to remaine in the Citty as it were for store or good husbandry Demosthenes was as deepely wise as highly eloquent and hath many such notable sentences as it were Caueats or Prouisoes against the daungerous ennemies of that flourishing Citty and especially against Calumniatours whose viperous sting hee could by no meanes avoide albeit otherwise such an Oratour as could allure heartes with perswasion or coniure mindes with astonishment I would no other Citty loued figges or must an other Citty of necessity loue figges because it is growne an other Athens a mother of eloquence a nurse of learning a grandame of valour a seat of honor and as Aristotle termed Athens a garden of Alcinous wherein one fruite ripeneth vpon an other one peare vppon an other one grape vpon an other and one figge vppon an other The Sycophant be his owne interpreter if he may be licensed or permitted to bee his owne caruer too much good may it doe him and sweete digestion geue him ioy of his dainety figg I must haue a little care of one that caÌ„not easily brucke vnreasonable sawcinesse would be loth to see the garden of Alcinous made the garden of Greene or Motley It was wont to be said by way of a Prouerbe Hee that will be made a sheepe shall find wolues inough but forsooth this exceeding-wise world is a great Asse-maker and he that will suffer himselfe to be proclaimed an Asse in printe shall bee sure neuer to want loade and loade inough Who so ready to call her neighbour a skold as the rankest skold of the parish or who so forward to accuse to debase to reuile to crow-treade an other as the arrantest fellow in a country Let his owne mouth be his pasport or his owne penne his warrant who so leawd as his greatest aduersary modesty or so honest as his deerest frend villany or so learned as his learnedest counsell vanity or so wise as his profoundest Autor young Apuleius What familiar spirite of the Ayre or fire like the glibb nimble witt of young Apuleius or where is the Eloquence that should describe the particular perfections of young Apuleius Prudence may borrow discretion Logique arguments Rhetorique coulours Phantasy conceites Steele an edge and Gold a luster of young Apuleius O the rare and queint Inuention ô the gallant and gorgeous Elocution ô the braue and admirable amplifications ó the artificiall and fine extenuations ô the liuely pourtraitures of egregious prayses and disprayses ô the cunning and straunge mingle-mangles ô the pithy iestes and maruelous girdes of yong Apuleius the very prodigality of Art and Nature What greater impossibility then to decipher the high and mighty stile of young Apuleius without a liberall portion of the same eleuate spirite Happy the old father that begat and thrise happy the sweete Muses that suckled and fostered young Apuleius Till Admiration hath found-out a smoother and tricksier quill for the purpose Desire must be content to leaue the supple and tidy constitution of his omni-sufficient Witt vndisplayed Onely it becommeth gentle mindes to yeeld themselues thanckefull and to tender their bounden duety to that inestimable pearle of Eloquence for this precious glimze of his incomprehensible valour one shorte Maxime but more worth then all the Axioms of Aristotle or the Idees of Plato or the Aphorismes of Hippocrates or the Paragraphes of luftinian He knoweth not to manage his penne that was not born with an Affe in his mouth a foole in his throate and a knaue in his whole body Simple men may write against other or pleade for themselues but they cannot confute cuttingly like a hackster of Queen-Hith or bellow lustely like the foreman of the Heard I goe not about to discouer an Asse in an Oxes hide hee needeth no other to pull him by the famous eares that is so hasty to descry and so busy to bestirre his wisest partes but what a notable Asse indeede was I that sought the winges of a mounting Pegasus or a stying Phenix where I found the head feete of a braying creature Some promises are desperate debtes and many threatninges empty cloudes or rather armies fighting in the ayre terrible visions Simplicity cannot dubble and plaine dealing will not dissemble I looked either for a fine-witted man as quicke as quick-siluer that with a nimble dexterity of liuely conceite and exquisite secretaryship would out-runne mee many hundred miles in the course of his dainty deuises a delicate minion or some terrible bombarder of tearmes as wilde as wildfire that at the first flash of his fury would leaue me thunder-stricken vpon the ground or at the last volley of his outrage would batter me to dust and ashes A redoubted aduersary But the trimine silke-worme I looked-for as it were in a proper contempt of common finenesse prooueth but a silly glow-woorme and the dreadfull enginer of phrases in steede of thunderboltes shooteth nothing but dogboltes and catboltes and the homeliest boltes of rude folly Such arrant confuting stuffe as neuer print saw compiled together till maâ—…ster Villany became an Autor and Sir Nash a gentleman Printers take hede how ye play the Heralds some lusty gentlemen of the maker can no sooner bare a Goose-quill or a Woodcockes seather in their shield but they are like the renowmed Lobbelinus when hee had gotten a new coate and take vpon them without pitty or mercy like the onely Lordes of the field If euer Esquier raued with conceit of his new Armes it is Danters gentleman that mightily despiseth whatsoeuer hee beholdeth from the high turret of his creast and cranckly spitteth vppon the heads of some that were not greatly acquaynted with such familiar enterteinement His best frende be his Iudge and I appeale to my worst ennemy whether he euer read a more pestilent example of prostituted Impudency Were hee not a kinseman of the foresayd viper a Dog in malice a Calfe in witt an Oxe in learning and an Asse in discretion time shall cronicle him as he is was it possible that any maÌ„ should haue bestowed some broad and loud tearmes as he hath done Who could abide it without actuall reuenge but hee that enterteineth spite with a smile maketh a pastime of Straunge Newes turneth choler into sanguine vineger into wine vexation into sport and hath a salue for a greater sore Come young Sophisters you that affecte raylinge in your disputations and with a clamorous howte would set the Philosophy schooles non plus come olde cutters you that vse to make dowty frayes in the streetes and would hack-it terribly come hee-and shee-scoldes you that loue to pleade-it-out inuincibly at the barre of the dunghill will rather loose your liues then the last word come busy commotioners you that carry a world of quarrelous wits and mutinous tounges in your heads come most-redowted Momus you that will sternely keepe heauen and
a◅auncemente of your commendable partes All is nothing without advancement Though my experiēce be a Cipher in these causes yet hauing studiously perused the newe Arte-notory that is the foresaid Supererogation and hauing shaken so manie learned asses by the eares as it were by the hands I could say no lesse and might think more Something else was vttered the same time by the same Gentleman aswell concerning the present state of France which he termed the most vnchristian kingdome of the most christian kinge as touching certaine other newes of I wott not what dependence but my minde was running on my halfpeny and my head so full of the foresaid round discourse that my hand was neuer quyet vntill I had altered the tytle of this Pamphlet and newlie christened it Pierces Supererogation aswell in remembrance of the saide discourse as in honour of the appropriate vertues of Pierce himselfe who aboue all the writers that euer I knew shall go for my money where the currantest forgery impudency arrogancy phantasticalitie vanity and great store of little dicretion may go for payment and the filthiest corruption of abhominable villany passe vnlaunced His other miraculous perfections are still in abeyance and his monstrous excellencyes in the predicament of Chimera The birde of Arabia is longe in hatchinge and mightye workes of Supererogation are not plotted accomplished attonce It is pittie so hyperbolicall a conceite ouerhawty for the surmounting rage of Tasso in his furious angoy should be humbled with so diminitiue a witt base enough for Elderton and the riffe-raffe of the scribling rascality I haue heard of many disparagementes in felowship but neuer sawe so great Impudency married to so little witt or so huge presumption allyed to so petty performance I must not paint though hee dawbe Pontan decipher thy vauntinge Alopantius Ausimarchides a new and Terence display thy boastinge Thraso a new and Plautus addresse thy vain-glorious Pyrgopolinices anew heere is a bratt of Arrogancy a gosling of the Printing-house that can teach your braggardes to play their partes in the Printe of woonder to exploit redowtable workes of Supererogation such as neuer were atchieued in Latin or Greeke Which deferue to bee looked for with such a longing expectation as the Iewes looke for their kingly Messias or as I looke for Agrippas dreadfull Pyromachy for Cardans multiplied matter that shall delude the force of the Canon for Acontius perfect Arte of fortifieng little townes against the greatest Battery for the Iliades of all Courtly Stratagems that Antony Riccobonus magnifically promiseth for his vniuersall Repertory of all Histories contayning the memorable actes of all ages all places and all persons for the new Calepine of all learned and vulgar languages written or spoken whereof a loud rumour was lately published at Basill for a generall Pandectes of the Lawes and statutes of all nations and commonwealthes in the worlde largely promised by Doctor Peter Gregorius but compendiously perfourmed in his Syntagma Iuris vniuersi for sundry such famous volumes of hugy miracles in the cloudes Do not such Arch-woondermentes of supernaturall furniture deserue arch-expectation What should the Sonnes of Arte dreame of the Philosophers Stone that like Midas turneth into golde whatsoeuer it toucheth or of the soueraine and diuine Quintessence that like Esculapius restoreth health to sicknesse like Medea youth to Olde-age like Apollor◅us life to Death No Philosophers Stone or souraine Quintessence howsoeuer preciously precious equiualent to such diuine woorkes of supererogation O high-minded Pierce hadd the traine of your woordes and sentences bene aunswearable to the retinue of your bragges and threates or the robes of your apparaunce in person suteable to the weedes of your ostentation in tearmes I would surely haue beene the first that should haue proclaimed you the most-singuler Secretary of this language the heauenliest creature vnder the Spheres Sweete M. Ascham that was a flowing spring of humanity and worthy Sir Phillip Sidney that was a florishing spring of nobi lity must haue pardoned me I would directly haue discharged my conscience But you must giue plaine men leaue to vtter their opinion without courtinge I honor high heads that stand vpon low feet haue no great affection to the gay fellowes that build vp with their clābring hartes and pull downe with their vntoward hands Giue me the man that is meeke in spirit lofty in zeale simple in presumption gallant in endeuour poore in profession riche in performance Some such I knowe and all such I value highly They glory not of the golden Stone or the youthfull Quintessence but Industrie is their goulden Stone Action thier youthfull Quintessence and Valour their diuine worke of Supererogation Euerye one may thinke as he listeth speake as he findeth occasion but in my fancy they are simply the simplest fellows of al other that boast they will exploite miracles come short in ordinarie reckonings Great matters are no woonders when they are menaced or promised with big othes and small thinges are maruels when they are not expected or suspected I wondred to heare that Kelly had gotten the Golden Fliece and by vertue therof was sodenly aduaunced into so honorable reputation with the Emperours maiestye but would haue woondred more to haue seene a woorke of Supererogation from Nashe whose witt must not enter the listes of comparison with Kellyes Alchimy howsoeuer he would seeme to haue the Greene Lion and the Flying Eagle in a boxe But Kelly will bidd him looke to the swolne Toade the daunsing Foole. Kelly knoweth his L◅tum Sapientiae and vseth his termes of Arte. Silence is a great misterye and lowde wordes but a Coweherds horne He that breedeth mountaynes of hope and with much adoe begetteth a molehill shall I tell him a newe tale in ould Inglishe beginneth like a mightie Oxe endeth like a sory Asse To atchieue it without ostentation is a notable prayse but to vaunt it without atcheuement or to threaten it without effecte is but a dubble proofe of a simple witt Execution sheweth the hability of the man presumption bewraieth the vanitie of the mind The Sunne sayth not I will thus and thus displaye my glorious beames but shineth indeede the springe braggeth not of gallant flowers but florisheth indeede the Haruest boasteth not of plentifull fruit but fructifieth in deede Aesops fellowes being asked what they could doe answered they could doe any thing but Aesope making a small showe coulde doe much indeede the Greeke Sophisters knowing nothinge in comparison knowledge is a dry water professed a skill in all thinges but Socrates knowing in a manner all things Socrates was a springing rocke professed a skill in nothinge Lullius and his sectaryes haue the signet of Hermes and the admirable Arte of disputinge infinitly de omni scibili but Agrippa one of the vniuersallest schollars that Europe hath yeelded and such a one as some learned men of Germany France Italie intituled The Omniscious Doctour Socraticallie declameth against the vanitye of
Turke and now the garland of a soueraine crowne When young Kings haue such a care of their flourishing Prime and like Cato are ready to render an accompt of their vacant howers as if Aprill were their Iuly and May their August how should gentlemen of yeeres employ the golden talent of their Industry and trauaile with what feruency with what vigour with what zeale with what incessant and indefatigable endeour Phy vpon fooleries there be honourable woerkers to doe and notable workes to read The afore-named Barâ—…as whome elsewhere I haue stiled the Treasurer of Humanity and the Ieweller of Diuinity for the highnesse of his subiect and the maiesty of his verse nothing inferiour vnto Dante whome some Italians preferre before Virgil or Homer a right inspited and enrauished Poet full of chosen graue profound venerable and stately matter euen in the next Degree to the sacred and reuerend stile of heauenly Diuinity it selfe In a manner the onely Poet whome Vrany hath voutsafed to Laureate with her owne heauenly hand and worthy to bee alleadged of Diuines and Counsellours as Homer is quoted of Philosophers Oratours Many of his solemne verses are oracles one Bartas that is one French SalomoÌ„ more weighty in stern and mighty counsell then the Seauen Sages of Greece Neuer more beauty in vulgar Languages but his stile addeth fauour and grace to beauty and in a goodly Boddy representeth a puissant Soule How few verses carry such a personage of state or how few argumentes such a spirite of maiesty Or where is the diuine instincte that can sufficiently commend such a volume of celestiall inspiration What a iudgement hath the noble youth the haruest of the Spring the sapp of Apollos tree the diademe of the Muses that leaueth the enticingest flowers of delite to reape the maturest fruites of wisedome Happy plants that speedily shew-foorth their generous nature and a soueraigne good possesseth those worthy mindes that suffer not their affections to be inueigled or entangled with any vnworthy thought Great Excercises become great personages as the Magnes approoueth his Nobility in commaunding Iron and taming the Sea baser or meaner pastimes belong vnto meaner Persons as Iett discouereth his gentry in drawing chaffe haires and such trifles A meete qualitie for Iett or a pretty feate for Amber to iuggle chaffe festues or the like weighty burdens but excellent mindes are employed like the noble Magnes and euer conuersant either in effecting or in perusing or in penning excellent workes It were an impossible attempte to do right vnto the great Captaine Monsieur de la Noë and the braue soldiour the French King himselfe two terrible thunderboltes of warre and two impetuous whirlewinds of the Field whose writinges are like their actions resolute effectuall valiant politique vigorous full of aëry fiery spirite honourable renowned wheresoeuer Valour hath a mouth or Vertue a pen. Could the Warlie Horse speake as he can runne and fight he would tell them they are hoat Knightes and could the bluddy Sword write as it can sheare it would dedicate a volume of Fury vnto the one and a monument of Victory vnto the other Albeit men should be malitious or forgetfull Spite is malitious and Ingratitude forgetfull yet Prowesse hath a Clouen Tounge and teacheth Admiration in a fiery language to pleade the glorious honour of emproued valiancy Some accuse their destiny but blessed Key that openeth such lockes and lucky most lucky fortune that yeeldeth such veâ—…tue Braue Chiualry a continuall witnesse of their valour and terribility in warre and gallant Industry the dayly bread of their life in peace or truce Report shining Sunne the dayes worke of the King and burning Candle relatâ—… his Nightes-studdy and both ridd me of an 〈◊〉 For who euer praysed the wonders of Heauen And what an infinite course were it to runne-thorough the particular commendations of the famous redoubted 〈◊〉 or then 〈◊〉 pregnant writers of this age euen in the most-puissant Heroieall and Argonauticall kinde Nimble Entelechy hath beene a straunger in some Countries albeit a renowned Citisen of Greece and a free Denisen of Italy Spaine Fraâ—…nce and Germany but wellcome the most-naturall inhabitant of the 〈◊〉 the faile of the ship the flight of the bowe the shott of the gunne the wing of the Eagle the quintessence of the minde the course of the sunne the motion of the heauens the influence of the starres the heate of the fire the lightnesse of the Ayer the swiftnesse of the winde the streame of the water the frutefulnesse of the Earth the singularitie of this age and thanke thy most-vigorous felfe for so many precious workes of diuine furie and powerable consequence respectiuely comparable with the richest Treasuries and brauest armories of Antiquitie Thvise happie or rather a thousand times-happie Creature that with most aduantage of all honorable opportunities with the extremest possibilitie of his whole powers inward or outward emploieth the most-excellent excellencie of humane or diuine Nature Other Secretes of Nature and Arte deserue an high reputation in their seuerall degrees and may challenge a souerain interteinement in their speciall kinds but Entelechy is the mysterie of mysteries vnder heauen and the head-spring of the powerfullest Vertues that diuinitie infuseth humanitie imbraceth Philosophie admireth wisedome practiseth Industrie emproueth valour extendeth or he conceiued that conceiuing the wonderfull faculties of the mind astonished with the incredible force of a rauished enthusiasticall spirite in a profound contemplation of that eleuate and transcendent capacitie as it were in a deepe ecstasie or Seraphicall vision most-pathetically cryed-out ô magnum miraculum Homo No maruel ô great miracle ô most powerful Entelechy though thou seemist A Pilgrim to Dametas that art the Familiar Spirite of Musidorus what woÌ„der though he empeach thy estimation that despiseth the graces of God flowteth the constellations of heaueÌ„ frumpeth the operations of nature mocketh the effectuallest auayllablest Arts disdayneth the name of Industrie or Honesty scometh whatsoeuer may appeare Vertuous fawneth onely vpon his owne conceits claweth only his owne fauorits and quippeth bourdeth girdeth asseth the excelleÌ„test writers of whatsoeuer note that tickle not his waÌ„ton sense Nothing memorable or remarkable with hm that feasteth not the riotous appetite of the ribald or the humorous conceit of the phaÌ„tast It is his S. Fame to be the infamy of learning his reformatioÌ„ to be the corruption of his reader his felicitie to be the miserie of youth his health to be the scurfe of the Citie the scabbe of the Vniuersitie the bile of the Realme his saluation to be the damnation of whatsoeuer is termed good or accounted honest Sweet Gentlemen and florishing youthes euer aime at the right line of Arte and Vertue of the one for knowledge of the other for valour and let the crooked rectifie itselfe Resolution wandreth not like an ignorant Traueller but in euery enterprise in euery affaire in euery studdie in euery cogitation leuelleth at some certaintie and
curiositie can deuise were not the wisest on your side most-simplie simple in weying the Consequents of such antecedents they would neuer so inconsideratly labour their owne shame the miserie of their brethren the desolatioÌ„ of the Ministery the destructioÌ„ of the Church Good Martin be good to the Church to the Ministery to the state to thy country to thy patrons to thy frends to thy brethren to thiselfe and as thou loouest thiselfe take heede of old Puritanisme new Anabaptisme finall Barbarisme Thou art young in yeares I suppose but younger in enterprise I am assured Thy age in some sort pleadeth thy pardon and couldest thou with any reasonable temperance aduise thiselfe in time as it is high time to assuage thy stomachous and ouerlashing outrage there be fewe wise men of qualitie but would pittie thy rash proceeding and impute thy wanton seurrilous Veine to want of Experience and Iudgement which is seldome ripe in the Spring I will not stand to examine the Spirite that speaketh or endighteth in such a phrase but if that were the tenour of a godly or zealous stile methinkes some other Sainct or godly man should someway haue vsed the like elocution before vnlesse you meant to be as singular in your forme of writing as in your manner of censuring to publish as graue an Innouation in wordes as in other matters Some spirituall motion it was that caused you so sensiblie to applie your rufling speach and whole method to the feeding and tickling of that humour that is none of the greatest studentes of Diuinitie vnlesse it be your Diuinitie nor any of the likelyest creatures to aduaunce Reformation vnlesse it be your Reformation But whatsoeuer your motion were or howsoeuer you perfuaded yourselfe that a plausible and roisterly course would winne the harts of good fellowes and make ruffians become Precisians in hope to mount higher then Highgate by the fall of Bishopfgate some of your well willers hold a certaine charitable opinioÌ„ that to reforme yourselfe were your best ReformatioÌ„ Good Discipline would doe many good and doe Martin no harme had he leysure from trainyng of other to trayne himselfe and as one termed it to trimme his owne beard Howbeit in my Method Knowledge would go before Practise and Doctrine before Discipline I challenge 〈◊〉 or none for learning which I rather looue as my 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 as my Patron then professe as my Facultie but some approoued good Schollars of both Vniuersities and some honorable wisemen of a higher 〈◊〉 take 〈◊〉 to be none of the greatest Clarkes in England and 〈◊〉 how he should presume to be a Doctour of Discipline that hath much-adoe to shewe himselfe a Master of Doctrine For mine owne part I hope he is a better Doctrinist then Disciplinist or else I must needes 〈◊〉 Pride is a busie man and a deepet Counsellour of 〈◊〉 then of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 become publique persons and may doe well in some other being well employed but 〈◊〉 persons and the common erewes of Platformers might haue most vse of priuate designements appropriat to their owne Vocation Profession or qualitie When I finde Martin as neat a reformer of his owne life as of other mens actâ—… it shal go hard but I wil in 〈◊〉 measure proportion my coÌ„mendation to the singularitie of his desert which I would be glad to crowne with a garland of present and a diademe of future prayse For I long to see a 〈◊〉 without a creast and would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a fault or onely with such a fault as for the 〈◊〉 should deserue or for the strangenesse might challenge to be Chronicled like the Eclipse of the Sunne The State Demonstratiue not ouerlaboured at 〈◊〉 would 〈◊〉 be employed in blasoning a creature of such perfections and the very soule of Charitie 〈◊〉 to drinke of that cleere Aqua Vitae It is not the first time that I haue preferred a Gentleman of deedes before a Lord of wordes and what if I once by way of familiar discourse sayd I was a Protestant in the Antecedent but a Papist in the Consequent for I liked Faith in the Premisses butwished works in the Conclusion as S. Paul beginneth with Iustification but endeth with Sanctification the Schoolemen reconcile many Confutations in one distinction We are iustified by Faith apprehensiuely by Workes declaratiuely by the bloud of Christ effectiuely I hope it is no euillsigne for the flower to floorish for the tree to fructifie for the fier to warme for the Sunne to shine for Truth to embrace Vertue for the Intellectuall good to practise the Morall good for the cause to effect He meant honestly that said merrily He tooke S. Austins S. Gregories by Pauls to be the good frendes of S. Faithes vnder Paules What needeth more If your Reformation be such a restoratiue as you pretende what letteth but the world should presently behold a Visible difference betweene the fruites of the pure and the corrupt diet Why ceaseth the heauenly Discipline to perme her owne Apologie not in one or two scribled Pamflets of counterfait Complements but in a thousand liuing Volumes of heauenly Vertues Diuine Causes were euer wont to fortifie themselues and weaken their aduersaries with diuine Effectes as conspicuous as the brightest Sunne-shine The Apostles and Primitiue founders of Churches were no railers or scoffers but painfull trauailers but Zelous Preachers but holly liuers but fayre-spoken mild and loouing men euen like Moses like Dauid like the sonne of Dauid the three gentlest 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 walked vpon Earth Wheresoeuer they became it appeared by the whole manner of their meeke and sweet proceeding that they had bene the seruants of a 〈◊〉 Lord and the Disciples of a sweet Master in 〈◊〉 that many 〈◊〉 which knew not God 〈◊〉 them as the 〈◊〉 or Oratours of some God and were 〈◊〉 persuaded to conceiue a diuine opinion of him whom they so diuinely Preached euen to beleeue that he could be no lesse then the sonne of the great God Their miracles got the harts of 〈◊〉 but then Sermons and 〈◊〉 were greater won ders then their miracles and woon more raulshed soules to heauen Then Doctrine was full of power their Discipline full of Charitie their Eloquence celestiall their Zeale 〈◊〉 their Life 〈◊〉 their Conuersation 〈◊〉 their Profession Humilitie their Practise 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 Humilitie Read the sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 replenished with many cordiall narrations of their 〈◊〉 Vertues and peruse the most rigorous Censures of their professed enemies Plinie 〈◊〉 Tacitus Antoninus Symachus Lucian Libanius Philostratus Eunapius or any like Latinist or Grecian I except not Porphyrie Hierocles or Iulian himselfe and what Christian or heathen iudgement with any indifferencie can denie but they alwayes demeaned themselues like well-affected faire-conditioned innocent and kinde persons many wayes gratious and somewayes admirable Peace was them warre Vnitie their multiplication good wordes and good deedes their edifying instruments a generall humanitie toward all wheresoever they trauailed and