Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35904
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A Dialogue between Tom and Dick over a dish of coffee concerning matters of religion and government.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing D1337; ESTC R27858
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17,023
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35
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not well how to be without the Fool this Latter is the others Instrument his Tool with which he works Miracles He makes use of him as the Monkey does of the Catts Foot to pull the Nut out of the Fire So Fool you must be my Instrument and I will Instruct you perhaps in time you may get Preferment as well as Bumpkin Dick. Prethe do I will endeavour to Learn Tom. Why first you must learn to Invent marke me â—nvent things that never were nor ever like to be or if you are not good at Invention wee 'l do it for you then it must be your work to believe and to cause our Inventions to be believ'd though they be against Sence and Reason against Proofs Oaths Witnesses and Demonstration it self Dick. What Narratives of Dragons Prodigies and Strange Sights That 's the way Citt takes Tom. No no Stranger Relations though the Sun shine you must say and believe it is Night Though the Land be Embroyl'd and in great trouble you must think it is in Peace Though the Wind Blow you must say 't is Calm though it be Sultry weather you must cry it is damn'd Cold and blow your Fingers Though you see Popery spread you must say the Presbyterians and Sectaries bring it in under hand Though you feel the Shoe ring the Foot you must say 't is an easy shoe You must endeavour to turn Plots into Ridicule and to make Sectaries Jesuits Knaves to seem Honest Men and Honest Men Knaves Dick. But you must give me the means to do it Tom. Oh! you must be diligent when we Write Speak Exclaim Rail Huff Roar Swear Rant and Lampoon to run every where and publish them in all Companies and Places especially among the Fools the Roysters the God-dam-mees the Jesters the Fidlers the Careless the Prophane the Tyranical the Rapacious the Cheats the Hectors the Bullies and the Shirks in the Baudy-houses Play-houses Gaming Ordinaries the Court of Requâ—sts and Westminster-hall and every where and in all Companies to gain Credit and Especially among the Papists and the Mungril Papists who are neither Flesh nor Fish nor good Red Herring Dick. I see a man may live and Learn I think I have the Advantage of Bumpkin in this Tom. That thou hast for you may do it with ease and neither fear Pillory nor Imprisonment We have many great Men will take your part the Jesuits underhand will incourage you and we have a Party too that rather than you shall want know how to part with Money to Promote a good design and that out of pure Charity can release persons out of Prison to do their Stabbing jobs Don't think all the Policy lies in the Cits Lords Dick. And I must speak against Petitioning too and Parliaments Tom. Ay against the first with full mouth Authority will back you but against the latter Cautiously like a very Presbyterian And though we could heartily wish there might never be any more Parliaments unless it were to make an Act that some of us might Supervise the Press we must not say so because of the damn'd Priviledges and Old Musty Records Magna Charta's and many Moldy Statutes which the Common People are fond of and will draw an Odium upon us Dick. But what was that true that Cit and Bumkin said tother Night about getting of Hands and Subscriptions to Petitions and putting in false and Invented Names Tom. 'T is no matter whither it were he or not these New-fashioned Court-made Citts are often given to Lying and Bragging however though we don't believe it our selves 't will make much for us if the People will believe it Dick. I am affraid truly they have the greatest Party on their side Tom. Thou talk'st now right Fool but if they had we are the Wisest and know how to be even with them We know how to Chop and Change Persons in Business till we have Molded them to our Humour and till we are sure we have got such as will at least Connive at our Politicks Dick. I know not how it came about that the Petitions fell so soon both in City and Country till Cit Inform'd me Tom. I tell thee thou must not believe all Citt says he is a very Lying Fellow the truth on 't was many of us made use of their Wits in that Affair we spake fair to some we Threatned others we Flatter'd many and us'd no small Diligence and Policy to put a Stop to Petitioning which like an Itch had spread over the Land but indeed under the Rose many were affraid but more had some Conscience and loved the King and Peace of their Country and so were extream unwilling to displease His Majesty since he had shew'd his dislike and this was the true Reason that broke the Heart of the City and Country Petitions and put a stop to the inundation of Hands that were coming up Dick. Then I perceive these Men had some Conscience 't is true indeed Citt said they had got all sorts of Consciences Tom No no they have not all the Consciences neither for they have left some for us There is a Fools Conscience and a Knaves Conscience a Little Conscience a Large Conscience and no Conscience at all Dick. I thought 't was impossible for Citts to have left any Conscience but that they had ingrossed all to themselves But I pray what do you mean by these Consciences Explain your self a little Tom. That I will for your Edification Know then that a Little or Small Conscience is no bigger than the Bag of a Bumble Bee and this may be call'd the Fools Conscience 'T is usual to say a Man has Little Conscience and such an one is he that will take ones Money for nothing that will strain at every Gnat Kicks at the very mention of any Papists having a hand in the Late Kings Murder or that is possible for a Protestant that cannot Swallow every little Ceremony to be a good Subject He is one that Promises much and performs Little Receives all and pays none keeps his Whore and breaks his Word with her runs in Debt and then to the Fryers or a Protection sets his Instruments a work and leaves them in the Lurch Ruins the poor to inrich himself Fires Houses and Robs by the light of them and endeavours to set the World together by the Ears to get a Reward or a Petty Place to Domineer in Dick. Who would think there was so much in a Little Conscience What is then your Large Conscience Tom. 'T is much bigger than the Tun at Helderburgh and that may be called the Knaves Conscience Ten Thousand pound will lie in one Crevice of it and not be seen at all He that has it can Swallow whole Lordships and an Hundred Thousand Pound will not fill one little Corner of it 'T is big enough to drain the French Kings Finances and our Kings Exchequer 'T is so wide the Devil may run a Race in 't and be out of Breath before he