Comoedia A worke in Ryme contayning an Enter-lude of Myndes, witnessing the Mans Fall from God and Christ. Set forth by HN, and by him newly porused and amended. Translated out of Base-almaynes into English [by Christopher Vitell?] |
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The First Chapter.
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The First Chapter.
Comoedia |  |
I. The First Chapter.
Prologve.
A
Longing-for-comfort.Oh! how doo I longue, for Comfort in these Dayes.
It is no meruell, though my Heart can take no Rest:
For after Good information, is my Demande alwayes
Oh! how doo I longue, for Comfort in these Dayes.
Coulde I descerne of al-things, No Playnt thus shoulde I rayse:
For everyone woulde gladly, haue his Greefe redrest.
Oh! how doo I longue, for Comfort in theise Dayes
It is no meruell, though my Heart can take no Rest.
Good-Information.
To take-awaye all Sorowe, my Lust to redy [illeg.]rest:
Also to comfort Those, that, through Discomfort; are in Care.
The Seekers after Understanding (m[illeg.] what I heere declare:)
Also Those, that ; after good Information; are hungry:
And Those likwyse, that ; after Righteousnes; are thirsty/
These verely doo I feede, and can satisfy them all.
And with my Water springs, refresh them Great & Small:
For thatt is my Seruice, my Custom and my Kynde.
Longing-for-comfort.
O! How good is then my ha[illeg.], that I thee heere doo fynde/
To bee; in my Discomfort ; by thee right well appeased
For thy Speach, hath my Heart, reioyst and greatly eased.
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For first ; in my Discomfort thus, bewrapped as the blynde;
Woulde I very gladly, knowe how thou art named.
B
Good-Information.Uerely, of my Name, I am nothing-at-all ashamed/
Therfore ; as it is meete; I wil tell thee in freendly fashion:
I am ; euen of eueryone; cald Good-informashion.
With pleasant Mirth can I; by Informing; teache euery Wight,
Satisfy the Demanders, & increast their Understanding aright:
For My Uce and Maner is, to disburden Greef and Smart.
Longing-for-comfort.
O! now doo I beginne/to growe quyeted in my Heart/
Because it is my chaunce, to meete the heere so luckely.
O Good information, none higher of Nobilety:
None more-wyse and eloquent, nor greater of Ualue and Fame.
For generally vppon Earth, whersuer thou comst, by Name,
Thou pacifyest Contention/the deuided Sectes also:
Yea, tho laden Conferences with much Greef and wo,
Dost thou; with holy Understanding; vnburden and discharge.
Oh! how many Countryes ; in length and greatnes large;
Haue I raynged-ouer, with feruent Inclynacion/
For that I woulde bee counsailed, by Good information:
And now do I fynde thee, heere present in this Place.
Therfore ; to my satisfying; I craue thy fauour and grace,
That thou wilt instruct mee, what-ther-is Heere to doo?
Good-Information.
To informe thee therof, I willingly grant thertoo:
For in this place of Mirth, the Loue hath such an Intention,
With Rethorick ; as thou shalt, perceaue by this Inuencion;
To discouer dilligently; without Blemish any waye;
The puer and sinceere Trueth, in maner of a Playe.
Longing-for-comfort.
Oh! Thou Reuyuer of my Mynd/what wilt thou heere reueale:
Shall Rethorick now/the heauenly Trueth/declare and therin deale?
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Good-Information.
O Longing for comfort, countst thon mee false & contrary/
In that thou dost so wonder, at this thats Heere set-out?
C
Longing-for-comfort.No in very troth: But my Speech therof ; no dout;
Is only this: so ferr as I suppose, or any-waye can ges:
That vnto Rethorict ; in a Playe, of Mirth and Ioyfulnes;
It doth not appertayne, to set foorth such a Work as this/
But to the Priests of the holy Church/Yet speake if I mis:
For their Offices do requyre, to set foorth such Uertue.
Good-Information.
That is very so, thou hast therin sayde most-true.
Longing-for-comfort.
Then answere my Demaunde, that my satisfying maye ensue,
Touching that which shalbe Heere, set foorth & brought to light:
That I in this Mattier, may be vncombered quyt.
Therfore disburden mee heerof, according to my Request.
Good-Information.
Then this I saye for Aunswer, to set thy Mynde at rest:
The Loue hath now a desyer ; with Rethorick; to declare
Thatt which resteth hidden, from Many euery wheare/
Wherby to disburden, the Man thats: full of Care:
Because that hee at al tymes, a qu[illeg.]et Mynde maye bare.
Therfore coms now the Loue, with sweet Rethorick, and shall
Shew foorth apparantly, the Mans greeuous Fall.
Longing-for-comfort.
This geare seems yet to mee, most strainge to sonnde, all:
Shall that same becom reuealed, by way of Enterlude?
Haue Gods People don the like may wee so conclude?
Or is it so to be founde, in their Scriptures that remayne?
Instruct mee now of this, I praye thee once agayne:
Or informe mee of it farder, with cleerer Declaracion.
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D
Good-information.Then marke how ye Wo rlde, doth vex with Indignation,
When-as men once beginn, of the Trueth to testifye.
The false Teachers wil also, put downe those speedyly,
That out of Gods Loue, the Trueth to witnes now,
For saye then: Yee must yourselues, vnder our Knowledg bow/
And su[illeg.] ; from vs; your Understanding, for to be com taught.
At which their false Sayings, vnrightly to them caught
Many at such tymes, keepe scilence and giue-waye.
Among many Nations, now stands it at this stare:
With score of Disputacions, vnto much Disscentions stryfe:
Also, to much Contencion, without Ioyfulnes of Lyfe.
What a vayleth keeping scilence; this to quyet and redresse,
So is now the Loue inclyned, with Rethorick, to expresse,
The aufull Fall of Man, in maner of a Playe.
Longing-for-comfort.
Thatt ; indeede; approoues thy Speech, which thou before didst saye:
For the with am I ; through thy cleere and good Informacion;
Greatly set-at-quyet, in my Troublesom At[illeg.]yracion:
For thus did I think flatly ; I wil it not conceale;
That it was quyt contrary ; in a Playe; for to reueale,
The Trueth of the Mans Fall, and Lyfe thus sore defyled/
And of the Peace wherout, hee hath himself exiled.
But I must now alow thee, in all thou hast foorth braught.
E
Good-Information.Then consider farder, that the Worlde wil not be taught,
But only by those, of then owne priuate choosing.
Which is now the cause, of many a Soules loosing:
Euen as it came-to-pas, in the time of Christ likewyse.
For many f[illeg.]e Teachers ; with Euny then did ryse/
And forbood to heare any, but themselues, in any case.
The Appostles Doctrine ; for them; was much to base/
Because they were not Men, of Famous-learned-skyll.
So now; withall Per[illeg.]sones; it lykewyse goeth still/
Which to the holy Church, contemne and much dispise:
Blaspheame and charge the Loue, with Packs of forged Lyes/
And know not-at-all/ what God both work nor how.
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The Trueth ; in thissame Playe; apparantly to showe.
Longing-for-comfort.
O ; Good information; tis much that thou dost knowe.
Declare yet faeder vnto mee, what ; ce[illeg.]e shall now beginn.
F
Good-information.
Heere shalbe played a Playe of Myndes, as shall appeere therin:
Therfore marke thou well, what I shewe heere to thee:
Beholde, the Mans Crowne, heere mayst thou playnly see/
Which he ; through his sining; hath left or forsaken/
And hath in strainge Pathes, the Waye of Errour taken.
Comprehende this well in Mynde, that is Declared heere.
For lo/in maner of Enterlude, to thee shall playne appeere,
The inward Kingdom of God, voyde of Greefe and Smart/
The which is founde to bee, with in the Man[illeg.]his Hart/
By God himself buylded, ere the Worlde began to bee.
Therfore marke thou well, what I shewe heere to thee:
Beholde, the Mans Crowne, heere mayst thou playnly see/
Which he ; through his sining; hath left or forsaken/
And hath in strainge Pathes, the Waye of Errour taken.
Comprehende this well in Mynde, that is Declared heere.
For lo/in maner of Enterlude, to thee shall playne appeere,
The inward Kingdom of God, voyde of Greefe and Smart/
The which is founde to bee, with in the Man[illeg.]his Hart/
By God himself buylded, ere the Worlde began to bee.
Beholde theare, the peaceable Loue without Compulcion; free.
Also, the Reasonablnes of Nature, in like case.
Obedience likewyse, to present theare in place/
Together with the Ioye, very louely in Dilight.
In the Midst of the Kingdom ; dismay not at this Sight;
Theare stands the Trueth, that giueth Lyfe and Breath:
Also the Knowledg, wheron doth cleaue the Death.
Playne-and-iust doth theare, walke in Ioyful-state/
With his Cogitacions, a bolde and ventrous Mate:
Also the Searcher, which wil not shrink nor start.
Therfore stande thou still, and do not hence depart.
Giue-eare attentiuely, let thyne Understanding awake:
For Mans Fall, they wil, to thee apparant make,
In maner of a Playe.
Also, the Reasonablnes of Nature, in like case.
Obedience likewyse, to present theare in place/
Together with the Ioye, very louely in Dilight.
In the Midst of the Kingdom ; dismay not at this Sight;
Theare stands the Trueth, that giueth Lyfe and Breath:
Also the Knowledg, wheron doth cleaue the Death.
Playne-and-iust doth theare, walke in Ioyful-state/
With his Cogitacions, a bolde and ventrous Mate:
Also the Searcher, which wil not shrink nor start.
Therfore stande thou still, and do not hence depart.
Giue-eare attentiuely, let thyne Understanding awake:
For Mans Fall, they wil, to thee apparant make,
In maner of a Playe.
Longing-for comfort.
Now sure it shall not scave me, till part therof I take.
It were not good the Mynde of it, from me shoulde slipp awaye.
Receaue this thankfully, for the Prologue of our Playe.
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The First Chapter.
Comoedia | |