turned into Spaniels and some into Greyhounds These make not a litle ado vpon your grounds That you are a Landlord I do vnderstand Now to looke to this geare it stands you in hand Land Betweene game and earnest I desire thee Tell me the troth if any such things there be Arti. There is no such thing be your sure For all that he speaketh is vnder a figure Ped. Did you neuer heare of one called Acteon Land Yes indeed I heard of such a one Ped. You are like to plaie Acteons part For you shall be turned to a wilde hart And the dogs which to keep you were wont With most cruell death shall you hunt What will your raised rents helpe When you shall be torne of euery whelpe Your vnsatiable couetousnesse your shamefull simony Your sacriledge accursed by Gods owne testimony These and such other plagues on you shall light When Tyton like the Sun shall shine at midnight Watch for within these fewe it will bee They are aliue that these plagues shall see Arti. Hearest thou Pedler come away I pray thee hartily For things are wrought against thee secretly A heinous complaint of thee my Landlord haue made And with other things they purpose thee to lade They say that with Nigromansie thou art a medler Wherfore by my counsell thou shalt be no longer a Pedler Ped. Why then how shall I sell my ware Arti. Tush tush for that take thou no care Ped. Of points in my packe I haue an whole grosse Art A straw for points by them thou canst haue no losse Ped. But I suppose you cannot tell what points they bee Arti. When thou commest home to my house then I wil see Ped. I wil come anon but I am past care Sing and be mery hab or nab away the mare It beginneth it springeth it flourisheth Woe be vnto them that such plants nourisheth I dare laie as much as I am worth That straunge monsters they shall bring forth Did you neuer heare of an Iland called Thewle Neare to the Orcardes compassed with the sea Neare the same place there is a pleasant land Wherein is great wonders as I vnderstand This land was sometime full of men Such as one of them were as good as ten Now are they altered into beasts and fowles As into Lyons Beares Kytes Swine and Owles God is able to take from them their beastly heart And into the shape of men againe them conuert Seuen yeares to declare his pompe He punished the mightie king Nabuchodonozor If all men had seene these men as I haue seene And see them at these dayes it would make them weepe I weene Exit Here enters the Interpreter Inter. Saint Clement saith written vnto saint Iames That he is a right interpreter of holy writ Which standeth not vpon words Countries and names But such one as expoundeth the meaning of the spirit An Interpretor thereof I am called by name For of the tongues I am able to make translation My practise hath bene long time in the same And of Mysteries I am able to make declaration It greeueth me at the heart God I take to record To see the varietie and chiefly in religion That it may be soone amended I beseech Christ our Lord Or else let vs looke shortly for a greeuous destruction My comming hither truly at this season Is chiefly to heare the talke of a Pedler I will be glad by learning with him to reason For I heare say that in high matters he is a medler Here enters the Iustice Iust. Where is this Pedler where is this runnagate What sirra is he one of your schollers Interp. It is your pleasure all things well to interpret But they are not the best Iudges that were golden collers I heard of such a fellow indeed as you haue done And hither am I come with him to dispute And if he were here you should perceiue soone That by good learning I would his folly confute Iust. Dispute nay I would not stand to dispute I trow But I wot through the libertie of your preaching Much mischiefe among men beginneth to grow I tell you many men like not your teaching Inter. Truth indeed none that be of your condition To withstand Gods word you haue set your face So drowned ye are in rustie superstition That Gods word in your heart can the no place You are called in the Common-wealth to be a Iustice Therefore all your words and acts ought to be right You haue taken an oath iustly to do your office And to defend the truth with all your might But truly the veritie you do not defend But you persecute it with all your power The vpright and fatherlesse you do reprehend The malefactors you let passe both day and houre Iust. Talke your pleasure here are but we two Boast not too much of your innocencie What we know well inough what ye do All the world speaketh of your insolencie You may preach teach crie out and yell The hearing thereof many men do giue But whether you speake of heauen or hell Not one among a thousand do you belieue I will laie twentie pound I wil do more with one word Then you shall do with twentie Sermons truly For the people thinke you speake but in boord Because you lead your liues so vnruly Ped. No man will heare the Painter but a popish priest Inter. Truth for so saith God by the Prophet Esay All mischiefe shall happen vpon thee in one day For the multitude of thy Inchanters verely And for the hardnesse of hearts that will not obey Iust. And if you can tell vs where any such be Whether it be Nigromansor or sorcerer We shall do vnto them as it apperteineth ye shall see And they shal be handled like a theefe or a murtherer In. And it please you sir I am none of those that loue to be a medler But I speak a few words and only for this cause It was my chance of late to talke with a Pedler Whose words me thought agreed not with Gods lawes He taketh vpon him fondly to prophecie And saith that a dead man shall kill many aliue And the one vnborne as yet in his mothers belly They that be dead to life againe shall reuiue I wot not what he meant by this geare But he telleth many such things Such a fellow I suppose you did neuer heare He telleth wonders of Emperours and Kings Iust. You are an Interpreter of darke sentences What say you to the Pedlers high prophecie Inter. He that is ignorant of all honest science Vnto knowledge and vertue is an vtter enemy O most vnhappie Hamlet country shire Where such vniust Iustice haue the gouernance Neither for sinne nor discord you do enquire But vnto God and his word you are an hindrance An Interpreter I am called indeed But of Gods word and the tongues auncient Pedlers dreames are good old Papists to seed And such as despise the word of God omnipotent Iust. Talke your pleasure you are not like to
THE PEDLERS Prophecie LONDON Printed by Tho. Creede and are to be sold by William Barley at his shop in Gratious streete 1595 The Pedlers Prophecie The Prologue FOr as much as we must talke of Prophecie We intend with pardon and supportation As learned men doth well define and testifie Thereof to make a true and pure declaration To prophecie of things is a diuine inspiration Telling things to come with vnmoueable veritie A gift onely proceeding from Gods high maiestie A diuine inspiration he calleth prophecie That which doth all other Prophecies exclude Which are no prophecies but things of mens fantacies Inuented to deceiue the ignorant and rude But Sathan is readie vnbeleeuers to delude Though his members who are proued to be lyers Yet they shame not to call themselues true propheciers The falshood and vanities of these prestigiators Saint Augustine in nine or ten bookes de ciuitate dei Confuteth and proueth them no true Relators But blasphemers and verie Athaists And therefore by the iudgement of God murthers Not worthie to liue by the sentence of Gods mouth For into Lies and Fables they haue turned the truth Saint Hierom vpon Micha do testifie That the terme or vocable diuination Which the diuels mancyples calleth prophecie Is often taken in an euill consideration As in the same place he maketh a plaine relation That the true Prophets in scripture Prophets are named Diuinators are reproued condemned and blamed To that pernicious science Diuination Are added a number of dyabiluall vanities Whereof I am not able to make recitation Neither do I esteeme such wicked faculties I wish them extinct in all communalties For where they were they were permitted There was the prince the people sore punished And although I shall not rehearse them in order The first of all he nameth Negromansie Phytonia some say is of as high degree Peromansie Heromansie Hydromansie Geomansie Phystonomy Metapostopy Spatulmansie Gheromansie Then haue you Homen Agurium Postyguum Aspicium Magyam Venesissimum Sortilogullum There be a great many moe then I can recite Whereof euerie one hath his right That is to say euery one hath his diuilish superstition Contrary to Gods word and Christs erudition Confounded be those children of perdicion Moses confounded them so did Iobe and Esay With all the Apostles Prophets and Doctors vtterly Of Gods Prophets thus doth Lactantius write They did not onely of things to come prophecie But they spake of one truth in one sprite Which was fulfilled in their times openly These were sent of God by precept verelie To be messengers of his diuine maiestie And to be correctors of mens iniquitie To deride these our Author hath a Plaie compiled Which he calleth the Pedlers Prophecie Out of the which all such lewdnesse shall be exiled And other things spoken of very merely We shall vse the maner of a comely Comedie The propertie thereof is honest mirth to make The which to do at this time I do vndertake And whereas we shal speake of certaine trauellers We desire all honest persons not to be offended For we meane none but bankerouts and vsurers Which to vndo other hath intended Their abuse I wish heartily to be amended For the past shame bankrout borroweth beyond his estate Then he fleeth keepeth his house or taketh Ludgate Vnlesse our Preface should too farre it selfe extend And engender tediousnesse vnto our audience With a fewe words more I will make an end Beseeching you to heare the rest with patience So doing of our mirth you shall haue intelligence I take my leaue of you for yonder commeth the Pedler VVhich will take vpon him to be a great medler Pedler O this packe this packe this heauy packe It is so heauie it hath almost broke my backe VVeary nay I was neuer so weary Since I passed Carowse Ferry Time it is to set it downe VVould to God I were neare some good Towne A peny for a pot of drinke I shall die for thirst truly I thinke A great way haue I gone since I dranke Fourteene myle beyond the Scottish banke Fewe Pedlers take such paine I am faine to buy all my ware in Spaine And because I would haue all my ware good Sometimes I passe vnto Iasons wood Vnder the poole Antarticke there I was VVhereas I spake with the mightie Atlas Of whom for mony I had a pasport That through Celum Imperium I might resort From thence vnto Primum Mobily There bought I a stone called Idake Toy In the which there is a spirit inclosed Whom truly when I am disposed I can tell what is said or done From vnder the Constellation of the Moone Vnto the centor of the earth indeed Whither I purpose to go with all speed To Celum aquinum I came from thence And there bestowed I the most of my pence Yet to tell you the truth of the matter I was almost perished with water Time it was to call for a boat Three dayes in the water I stood vp to the throat Yet as hard as the world went there To fill vp my packe I bought more geare There bought I a stone called Calbrates Oh happie is he that hath such a stone I tell you that thousands cannot get one For this stone giueth wisedome honor and grace And defendeth from perils in euery place If that with Dyostarydes you could speake Your mind vnto him you might breake Then came I to the firmament And to passe thence I had commandement Saturne was angry and verie fearse The causes why I will not now rehearse Iupiter could not pacifie the cause Then Mars eased them with stafford lawes Soll engendred such a sort of flyes So that they had almost bitten out mine eyes Then passed I by Venus Mercury the Moone From whence I came since yesterday at noone Yet as hard as the world was there To fill vp my packe I bought more geare A stone I bought which Tenya they call This stone hath the best propertie of all For it will make him to speake that is dumbe And be able to tell of things to come This stone I beare vnder my tongue alway So that I can tell what they do or say Well vp with my packe and get me hence There is no remedie I must trudge for smal pence Conyskins maydes Conyskins mayde Yonder commeth one I am well apayde Here the mayd enters Mayd Welcome Pedler hast thou any fine needles here Or any stiffe pinnes sharpe at the poynt I pray you Ped. I haue indeed but they be some what deare Such as will breake before they will bow Not like vnto maydens the truth for to speake VVhich before they will breake they will bend Ma. VVisely spoken Iohn Hoddy-peake Your thrift and your wit at the good ale you do spend If thou hast any at once bring them forth I may not stand pratling all day with thee Ped. I tell you my needles and pinnes be more worth Than you are worthie for your faire lookes to see You will not buy I
sauing your aduise Men ought to raile vpon authoritie For Th' Apostle Paul both godly and wise Reuoked his words spoken with seueritie Iud. Indeed I heard of such a one And there goeth a great brute of his prophecie Ped. All his talke is not worth a hering bone For of many of them I am able to testifie Seruing-men quoth he that weare breeches like faggots Which in fleshly idlenesse consume their liues Shall be first conuerted into maggots And afterward turned to drones and liue in hiues Iud. He meaneth vnhappily by this fable I would I had him in my keeping a while Ped. A fellow he is most vnconstant and vnstable And such a one as will you right soone beguile And told a tale of the Prophcie of Ieremy When God bad hide by the Riuer Euphrates I wot not what he ment by that Prophecie For anon he was in hand with Socrates Iust. Doth the prophecie speake of any such matter Such things to be red methinkes are base Inter. In no wise I wold haue you to take it as vain clatter For a great mysterie is meant in that place The very Text maketh the meaning plaine Which I will read and expound if you will Iud. No no we will not put you to that paine But we will heare the Pedlers prophecie still I pray you tell me talketh he not of the state of this region Of the Queenes Maiestie and of the Councell What saith he concerning religion How liketh he by the Preachers of the Gospell Ped. Not one word talketh he of this religion Neither of Queen Councell Lord Knight nor Squire All his talke is of a land called Ilion And of a Citie farre of called Tyre Mary thus he saith though Princes themselues be good Yet are they like at Gods hand to be punished For at their hands God will require their subiects blood Which through their sufferance into sin hath perished Iud. VVhereat is the Pedler so sore offended VVhat is it that he misliketh most Ped. He saith the world is so ill it cannot be amended And that we sin daily against the holy Gost Marry one thing commeth now to my remembrance He crieth out vpon suppressed lands The abuse of them crieth to God for vengeance For most of them are come into wicked mens hands VVhen the Pedler told this tale truly he wept Alas alas quoth he how are the poore Tenants handled They which through their labors good houses kept Now are they throwne out their goods wasted mangled Of them to me he told a great proces Wold to God quoth he they had bin reserued to the crown They would haue mainteined the Princes with riches And haue kept wealthy Tenants in euery Towne Iud. As I haue learned here by my brothers report He entermedleth with matters of religion VVith men of all states and of mightie sort Which will be an occasion to moue strife and sedition Iust. He medleth with Princes causes me thinke These words are not tollerable in a subiect VVe had not need at such matters to winke It is more then time him to correct Iud. I pray thee amongst all his communication VVhat would he of Iudges say Ped. Now truly my Lord I neuer liked his conuersation Yet to know his mind I held him vp with yea and nay Nay my Lord if I should speake all that he haue said I might chance to get my selfe displeasure Your honour knoweth that words are not weyed VVhere the tongue vseth no reasonable measure Iud. I pray you tell me as much as you can VVhat he hath talked of any state And I promise you as I am true man Of vs you shall haue neither displeasure nor hate Ped. All Iudges quoth he loue rewards and follow gifts They peruert iustice and equall iudgement To saue malefactors they make fowle shifts And some receiue mony to condemne the innocent He cryeth out of strangers and free Denisons Which are deuourers of this Realme Not onely deuoure they like monstrous Camelions But also steale and send ouer by the streame He saith that for mony they are made free And one of these panch-bellied Alians Deuoure more then ten men of our country Worse then Dogs Epicures and Arrians Inter. Though certaine of his words be true indeed Yet there is a meane in time to speake Iust. For his truth telling he shall haue his meed We will prouide an haulter his necke to breake Ped. Of all his talke thus he did conclude Since men vpon the earth was first create Of Inchanters and Coniurers there was neuer such a multitude Both of yoong and old of euery estate So many saith he be in the said Ilion That all of whom we haue spoken of here Shall be altered and changed by euill spirits delusion Into beasts fowles and fishes within a yeare So that Ilion and the populous Citie Tyre Shall be filled with monsters fierce and hugious Insomuch that from heauen God shall send fire To destroy those wicked and religious Inter. By my coniecture thus meaneth the Pedler He saith men giuen to licentious life And that each one of anothers state is a medler Which will be an occasion of much strife He saith so much vntruth and mutuall hate And no man contented with his vocation He saith men degenerate from humane state Therefore from kinde he feineth an alteration I confesse many things to be out of frame Yet that to redresse we referre to authoritie The enterprise of base medlers we do greatly blame Wishing them to be rebuked with all seueritie Iud. As for pratling of Pedlers we do not passe But for all things amisse I wish amendment If ought be no worse then euer it was God giue vs grace to obey his commandment Iust. For all things amisse there would soone be redresse If euery state would iustly execute their office And if all men would their faultes confesse We should be the more meet to do God seruice Ped. I haue businesse to do and must needs depart But because I haue the Pedlers words here recited I aske pardon with most lowly and penitent heart Beseeching your honors that nothing be required Inter. Of necessitie we must depart all And therefore it is meet that we go togither But first vpon our heauenly father let vs all call That mercifully he will all states consider Iud. First let vs pray for the Queens Maiesty on this part Almightie God prosper and defend her Royall Maiestie Amen say all those that haue a true English heart We haue all cause to pray for her Graces prosperitie Iust. Also her honorable Councell God prosper saue And that honorable T. N. c. of N. chiefly Whom as our good Lord and maister found we haue Good Lord we beseech thee to be his guide daily Inter. O heauenly father send workmen into thy haruest And preserue them that are alreadie sent Suffer no wolues them to molest Let them accomplish that whereto they are bent Iud. Lord saue thy people and blesse thine heritage Thy mercy good Lord vpon this Communaltie extend Iust. Thy Name be praised euermore from age to age Inter. As it is now and euer shall be world without end Amen Ped. You shall know more of my minde anon Whist peace a while till they be gone Here they sing an heauenly song And after they be out the Pedler speaketh as followeth Ped. A sirra was not this a pretie cast of a Pedler I had none other way but this my matters to open Henceforth I intend to be no medler But let them marke well what I haue spoken See and foresee looke within and looke without Though it be farre off yet it will come See the third time and looke about Not without but within see ye see some And when you haue seene that you shall see You will thinke vpon the Pedler I weene He will be a Drone that now is a Bee I say no more but God saue our Queene Be readie at midday and also at midnight Go forward apace and also looke backe An heauie purse maketh a mans heart light There is no remedie I must againe to my packe Exit FINIS