University of Virginia Library

Acte second.

Sceane fyrst.

Hypocrisie.
God speede you all, that be of Gods beleefe,
The mightie Iehouah protect you from ill:
I beseeche the lyuing God, that he would giue,
To ech of you present, a harty good will,
With flesh to contende, your lust for to kyll:
That by the aide of spyrituall assistance,
You may subdue your carnall concupisence.
God graunt you all for his mercyes sake,
The lyght of his word to your hartes ioy:
I humbly beseeche him a confusion to make
Of erronious sectes, whiche might you annoy:
Earnestly requiring eche one to imploye,
His whole indeuour Gods word to maintaine,
And from straunge doctrine your hartes to refraine.
Graunt Lord I pray thee, such preachers to bee,
In thy congregation, thy people to learne:
As may for Conscience sake, and of meere sinceritie,
Being able twixt Corne and Cockle to discerne.
Apply their studie to replenish the Berne.
That is thy Church, by their doctrines increase,


And make many heires of thine eternall peace. Amen. Amen.
But soft let mee see, who doth mee aspect,
First sluggish Saturn of nature so colde:
Being placed in Tauro, my beames doo reiect,
And Luna in Cancro in sextile he behould:
I will the effect heereafter vnfoulde.
Now Iupiter the gentil, of temperature meane,
Poore Mercury the turncote, hee forsooke cleane.
Now murthering Mars retrogarde in Libra,
With amiable tryne, apply to my beame,
And splendant Sol the ruler of the day:
After his Eclips to Iupiter will leane,
The Goddesse of pleasure, Dame Venus I meane,
To me her poore seruaunt seme friendly to be,
So also doth Luna otherwise called Phebe.
But now I speake mischeuously, I would say, in a mistery
Wherfore to interpret it, I holde it best done,
For heere be a good sort I beleeue in this company:
That know not my meanyng, as this man for one,
What? blush not at it, you are not alone:
Heere is an other that know not my mynde,
Nor hee in my wordes, great sauour can fynd.
The Planet Mercurius, is neither whot nor colde,
Neither good nor yet verie bad of his owne nature,
But doth alter his qualytie, with them which doo holde:
Any friendly aspect to him, euen so I assure:
We Mercurialists I meane Hypocrits cannot long endure
In one condicion, but doo alter our mynde,
To theirs that talke with vs, thereby friendship to fynde.
The litle Camelyon by Nature can chaunge
Her selfe, to that colour, the which she beholde:
Why should it then to any seeme straunge?
That we doo thus alter, why are we controulde?
Sith onely the rule of nature we holde:
We seeke to please all men, yet most doo vs hate,
And we are rewarded for friendship debate.
Saturnus is enuious, how then can hee loue?


Adulation or Hipocrisie to him most contrarie,
The Iouists being good doo looke high aboue:
And doo not regard the rest of the companye:
Now Mars being retrogard, foretelleth miserie:
To tyrannicall practise, to happen eftsoone,
As shalbe apparant before all be done.
Which Tirannie with flatterie is easely pacifyed,
Wheras Tom tell troth shall feele of his Sword,
So that with such men is fully verifyed,
That olde said saw, and common by word:
Obsequium amicos, by flateries friends are prepared:
But veritas ôdium parit, as commonly is seene,
For speaking the trueth, many hated haue beene.
By Sol vnderstand, Popish principalytie,
With whom full highly I am entertained,
But being eclipsed shall shew forth his qualytie:
Then shall Hipocrisie be vtterly disdained:
Whose wretched exile though greatly complayned:
And wept for of many, shalbe without hope,
That in such pompe shall euer be Pope.
By Venus the riotus, by Luna the variable,
Betwixt whom and Mercury no variance can fall,
For they which in wordes be most vnstable:
Would be thought faithfull, and the riotous liberall:
So that Hipocrisie their doings cloake shall:
But whist not a word, for yonder come some,
step aside.
While I know what they are, I will be dombe.

Sceane. 2.

TIRANNY.
AVARICE.
Put mee before for I wyll shift for one,
push Auarice backwarde
So long as strength remaineth in this Arme,
And pluck vp thy hart thou faint harted mome,
As long as I lyue, thou shalt take no harme:
Such as controll vs, I will their tongues charme,


By Fire or sword or other like torment,
So that euer they did it they shall it repent.
Hast thou forgotten what sathan did saye,
That the K. Hipocrisy our doings should hide,

HYP. Ambo


So that vnder his Cloake our partes we should playe,
And of the rude people should neuer be spide,
Or if the worst should happ or betide,
That I by Tiranny should both you defend,
Agaynst such as mischife to you should pretend.

Auarice.

HYP. tut Father Iotsam.

Indeed such woords our Belsire did speake,

Which being remembred doth make my heart glad,
But yet one thing my courage doth breake,
And when I thinke of it, it makes me full sad,
I meane the euil lucke which Hipocrisy had,
When he was expelled out of this land
For then with me the matter euill did stand.
For I by him so shadowed was from light,

HYP. a litle k to hide so great a lubber.


That almost no man could me out espye,
But he being gon to euery mans sight,
I was apparent ech man did descrye,
My pilling and poling so that glad was I,
From my nature to cease a thing most merueilous,
And liue in secret the tyme was so daungerous.

Tyranny.

HYP. he feareth nothīg he thinketh the hangman is dead.

Tush Auarice thou fearest a thing that is vayne,

For by me alone both you shalbe stayed,
And if thou marke well thou shalt perceiue playne,
That if I Tyranny my parte had well played,

HYP. he can play too parts the foole and the K.


And from killing of Heretikes my hand had not stayed,
They had neuer growen to such a great rowt,
Neither should haue bene able to haue banisht him out:
But sero sapiunt Phriges, at length I will take heede,
And with bloud enough this euill will preuent,

HIP. a popish policye.


For if I here of any that in word or in deed,
Yea if it be possible to knowe their intent,
If I can proue that in thought they it ment:


To impaire our estates, no prayer shall serue,

HYP. Antichristian charitie.


But will paie them their hire, as eche one deserue.

Auarice.
The Fish once taken, and scaped from baight,
Will euer heareafter, beware of the hooke,
Such as vse hunting will spie the Hare straight,
Though other discerne her not, yet on her shall looke:
Againe, the learned can read in a Booke,
Though the vnskilfull seeing equall with them,
Cannot discerne an F from an M.
So those which haue tasted, the fruite that we beare
And finde it so sower, will not vs implant:

Tyrannye.
Tush Auarice, I warrant thee thou needst not feare,

Vtilitas facit esse Deos.


In the cleargy I know, no friends we shal want:
Which for hope of gaine, the trueth will recant:
And giue them selues wholy to set out Hypocrisie,
Being egd on with Auarice, and defended by Tiranny.

Auarice.
Wel may the Clergie on our side holde,
For they by vs no small gaine did reape,
But all the temporaltie, I dare be boulde,
To venture in wager of Golde a good heape,
At our prefermentes will mourne waile and weepe,

Tyranny.
Though indeede no iust cause of ioy they can finde,
Yet for feare of my sword, they will alter their minde.

HYP. This is sharp argumentes.


But I maruell much, where Hypocrisie is,
Mee think it is long since, from vs he did goe,

Auarice.
I doubt that of his purpose he misse:
And therefore hath hanged him selfe for woe.

HYP. Praye for your selfe.


How sayst thou Tyranny doest not thinke so
In faith if I thought that he might bee spared,

HYP. your kind hart shal tost me a couple of russhes.


And we haue our purpose beshrew mee if I cared.



Tyranny.
Saw you euer the lyke of this doubting doult?

HYP. Not I the lyke of such a cutthrote Coult.


It greeues mee to heare how faint harted he is,
A litle would cause me to kill thee, thou Ascoulte:
See, see, for woe he is lyke for to pisse:
To giue an attempt, what a fellow were this?
But this is the good that commeth of Couetousnesse
He liueth alway in feare to loose his riches.
Againe, marke how he regardeth the death of his friend
So he hath his purpose, he cares for no moe,
A perfect patterne of a couetous mynd,
Which neither esteemeth his friend nor his foe,
But rather Auarice might I haue saide so:
Who if he were gone, my selfe could defende,
Where thou by his absence wert soone at an ende.

Sceane. 3.

Hypocrisie.
TIRANNY. AVARICE.
O Louing Father and mercifull God,
We through our sinnes thy punishment deserue,
And haue prouoked to beat with thy rod:
Ue stubborne Children, which from thee doo swerue:
We loathed thy worde, but now we shall sterue:
For Hypocrisie is placed againe in this lande,
And thy true Gospell as exile doth stande.
This is thy iust iudgement for our offence,
Who hauyng the light, in darknesse did straie,
But now if thou wouldest of thy fatherly beneuolence:
Thy purposed iudgements in wrath for to stay:
The part of the prodigall Sonne we would play:
And with bitter teares before thee would fall,
And in true repentaunce for mercy would call.
In our prosperitie we woulde not regard,
The wordes of the Preachers, who threatned the same,
But flattering our selues, thought yu wouldest haue spared


Us in thy mercy, and neuer vs blame:
But so much prouoked thee, by blasphemynge thy name:
Indeede to deny, that in words we mayntaine,
That from thy Iustice thou couldst not refraine.
So that Romish Pharao a Tirant most cruell,
Hath brought vs againe into captiuytie,
And instead of the pure floud of thy Gospell:
Hath poysoned our soules with diuelish Hypocrisie:
Unable to maintaine it, but by murthering Tiranny:
Seeking rather the fleece, then the health of the Sheepe,
Which are appointed for him for to keepe.

Tyranny.
Loe Auarice, harke what a Traitor is heere,

HYP. he speaketh to you syra.


Against our holy Father this language to vse:
I might haue harde more if I would him forbeare:
But for greefe my eares burne to heare him abuse
His tongue in this maner: wherfore no excuse,
Shall purchase fauour but that with all speede,
By Sword I will render, to him his due meede.
Wherfore, thou miscreant, while thou hast time,
Pray to the Saintes, thy spokesmen to bee,
That at Gods hand, from this thy great crime:
By their intercession, thou may be set free:

Auarice.
Nay hearest thou Tyranny, be ruled by mee:
First cut of his head, and then let him pray,
So shall he be sure, vs not to bewray.

Hypocrisie.
O wicked Tyranny, thou impe of the Deuill,
Too ioyfyll tidinges, to thee haue I brought,
For now thou are imbouldened, to practise all euill:

Tiranny.
Marry thou shalt not giue mee thy seruice for nought:
But for thy paines to please thee I thought.

Hypocrisie.
Thou art nothing so ready to doo any good,
As thou art to shed poore Innocents bloud.



Auarice.
Nay Tyranny suffer this raskall to prate,

HYP. on your face syr.


Till some man come by, and then he is gone,
Then wilt thou repent it, when it is to late:
Dispatch him therfore, while we are alone:

Hypocrisie.
Well may the Couetous be lykened to a drone,
Which of the Bees labours, will spoile and wast make,
And yet to get hony, no labour will take.
The Coueitous lykewise, from poore men extort,
Their gaines to encrease, they onely doo seeke:
And so they may haue it of them a great sorte:
What meanes they vse for it, they care not a leeke:
Yet will these mysers scarce once a weeke:
Haue one good meale, at their owne table,
So by Auarice, to help them selues they are vnable.
Auarice to a Fire may well compared bee,
To the which the more you adde, the more still it craue,
So lykewise the Couetous minde we doo see:
Though riches abound, doo wish still more to haue
And to be short, your reuerences to saue:
To a filthy Swyne, such mysers are comparable,
Which while they be dead are nothing profytable.

Auarice.
Nay farewell Tyranny, I came hither too soone,
I perceiue already, I am to well knowne:
I were not best in their clawes for to come:
Unlesse I were willing to be cleane ouerthrowne:

Tyranny.
By the preaching of Gods word, al this mischife is growen:
Which if Hypocrisie might happely expell,
All we in safetie and pleasure might dwell.
Stay therefore, while from Hypocrisie we heare,

Auarice.
Dispatch then this Marchant, least our counsell he tell,

Hypocrisie.
I am content for Gods cause, this crosse for to beare.



Tyranny.
It is best killyng him, now his mynde is set well.

Hypocrisie.
Your scoffing and mocking God seeth eche deal:

Tyranny.
Yea, doest thou persist, vs still thus to check,
Thy speach I will hinder, by cutting of thy neck.

Hypôcrisie.
Nay, holde thy hand Cadby, thou hast kild mee enough
What neuer the sooner for a mery worde?
I meant not good earnest, to your maship I vow:
I dyd but iest, and spake but in boord:
Therfore of friendship, put vp agayne thy sword:

Tyranny.
Nay caytiffe presume not, that thou shalt goe scotfree,
Therfore hold still and I will soone dispatch thee.

Hypocrisie.
What? I pray thee Tyranny know fyrst who I am,
Ye purblinded fooles, doo your lyps blinde your eyes?
Why, I was in place long before you came:
But you could not see the wood for the trees:
But in faith father Auarice I will pay you your fees:
For the great goodwill which you to mee beare,

HYP. fighteth.


And in time wyll requight it againe doo not feare.

Auarice.
Content your selfe, good master Hypocrisie.
The wordes which I spake I spake vnaware.

Tyranny.
Holde thy hand Hypocrisie, I pray thee hartely:
So lyke a mad man with thy friendes doo not fare.

Hypocrisie.
For nether of you both, a pin doo I care:
Goe shake your eares both, like slaues as you bee,
And looke not in your neede to be holpen of mee.

Tyranny.
What Master Hypocrisie, will you take snuffe so soone?


Marry then you had neeede to be kept very warme,

Auarice.
I sweare to your maistership, by the man in the Moone,
That to your person I entended no harme:

Hypocrisie.
But that I am wearie, I would both your tongs charme
See how to my face they doo mee deride,
I will not therfore in your companies abide.

Auarice.
Why master Hipocrisie, what would you that I doo?
For my offence, of mercie I you praye.

Hypocrisie.
With thee I am at one, but of that Marchant to,
I looke for some amendes, or els I will away:

Tyrannye.
The presumptuous fooles parte heerein thou doest play,
What? of thy Master, dooest thou looke for obaysance,
I will not once intreate thee, if thou wilt get thee hence.

Hypocrisie.
Nimia familiaritas parit contemptum,
The olde prouerbe by mee is verefied,
By too much famyliaritie contemned be some:
Euen so at this present to mee it betide:
For of long time Hypocrisie hath ruled as guide:
While now of later daies, through Heretikes resistaunce
I retained Tyranny to yeeld mee asistaunce.
But through ouer much lenytie, he thinks himself checkmate
With mee his good patron, Master Hypocrisie.

Tyranny.
Lyst I pray thee Auarice, how this rascall can prate:
And with mee Tyranny doth chalenge equalytie:
Where hee of himselfe hath neither strength nor hability
But thou to him riches, and I strength doo giue,
So that I must be his master, though it doth him greeue.

Auarice.
Two Dogges oftentimes one bone would faine catch,


But yet the thirde doo both them deceiue,
Euen so Hypocrisie for the preheminence dooth snatch:
Which Tiranny gapes for, ye may, perceiue:
But I must obtaine it, for of mee they retaine
All kinde of riches, their states to mayntaine,
To yeelde to mee therfore they must be both faine.

Hypocrisie.
Was Iudas Christes master, because he bare the purs
Nay rather of all, he was least regarded,
Haue not men of honor, Stewards to disburse:
All such summes of mony, wherwith they be charged:
Yet aboue their maister their honor is not enlarged:
Euen so, thee Auarice, my Steward I account,
To pay that whereto my charges amount.
And to thee Tirranny, this one word I obiect,
Whether was Ioab or Dauid the King?
When Ioab was glad his ease to reiect:
The Ammonyts in Rabah, to confusion to bring:
When Dauid with Bethseba at home was sleeping:
Was not Ioab his seruant, in warfare to fight,
And so art thou mine, mine enimies to quight.

Tiranny.
Nay then at the hole god giue you good night:
Shall Tiranny to Hypocrisie in any point yeelde?

Hypocrisie.
With this one word I will vanquish thee quight:
That thou shalt be glad to giue mee the feelde:
The ende to be preferred all learned men wild:
Sith therfore Hypocrisie of Tiranny is ende,
I must haue the preferment, for which I contende.

Tiranny.

AVA. indede you say troth.

I will make you both graunt that I am the chiefe,

Or els with my sword your sides I will pearce,

Hypocrisie.
That were sharp reasonyng indeede, with a mischiefe:

Auarice.
I wyll yeelde him my right if that hee be so fearce,



Hypocrysie.
The nature of Hypocrites, heerein we rehearce:
Which being conuinced by the text of Gods worde,
The ende of their spowting is Fyre and Sword.
But if you wil needs be chiefe, God speed wel ye plough
I will be none that shall follow your traine,
For if I should, I know well inough:
That to fly the Countrie, we all should be faine:
Then were my labour done but in vaine,
You know not so much as I doo Tiranny,
Therfore I aduise you be ruled by mee.

Tiranny.
Inter amicos omnia sunt communia they say,
Among friendes there is reconed no propertie,
But what the one hath of his owne, thother may:
Haue the vse of the same, at his owne lybertie:
Euen so among vs it is of a suretie:
For what the one hath of his owne proper right,
It is thine to vse by day or by night.

Auarice.
Indeede you say trueth,the ende is worth all,

HYP. he hath learned logeres.


Such thinges as to get the ende are referred,
And by this reason to you I proue shall:
That I before Hypocrisie must be preferred:
The conclusion of my reason is this inferred:
Sith Hypocrisie was inuented to augment priuat gaine,
I am the end of Hypocrisie, this is plaine.

Hypocrisie.
Actum est de Amicitia, the bargen is dispatched,
And we two in friendship, are vnited as one.

Auarice.
In the same knot, with you let mee also be matched:
And of mony I warrant you, you shall want none:

Hypocrisie.
I agree, what say you? shall he be one?

HYP friendship for gaine



Tyran.
I iudge him needefull in our company to bee:
And therfore, for my part, he is welcome to mee.
Let vs now speedely on our businesse attende,


And labour eche one to bring it about.

Hypocrisie.
That is already by mee brought to ende:
So that of your preferment you neede not to doubt:
And my comming hether was to finde you out:
That at my elbow you might be in readinesse,
To help if neede were in this waightie businesse.
To tell you the Storie it were but to tedious,
Now the Pope and I together haue deuised,
Firstly to inuegle the people relygious:
For greedinesse of gaine, who will be soone prezed:
And for feare least heereafter they should be dispised:
Of their owne freewill, will maintaine Hypocrisie
So that Auarice alone, shall conquere the Cleargie.
Now of the chiefest of his carnall Cardinals,
He doth appoint certaine, and giue them authoritie,
To ride abrode in their pontificalles:
To see if with Auarice, they may winne the Layitie:
If not, then to threaten them with open Tyranny:
Whereby doubt not but many will forsake,
The trueth of the Gospell, and our parties take.

Tyranny.
This deuice is praise worthy, how saist thou Auarice?

Auarice.
I lyke it well if it were put in vre,
Yet litle gaine to mee, shall this whole practise:
More then I had before time procure:

Hypocrisie.
The Legates are ready to ride I am sure:
Wherfore we had neede to make no small delaye,
They stay for my comming alone, I dare say,
Howbeit the Layitie would greatly mislike,
If they sholud know all our purpose and intent,
Yea and perhaps some meanes they would seeke:
Our forsaide businesse in time to preuent:

Tyranny.
Will you then be ruled by my arbiterment?


Least the people should sodenly dissolue tranquyllytie,
For the Legates defence, let hym vse me Tyranny:

Hypocrisie.
Herein your counsell is not muche vnwise,
Saue that in one thing, we had neede to beware,
Least you be knowen, we wyll you disguise,
And some graue Apparell for you wyll prepare,
But your name Tyranny, I feare all wyll marre:
Let me alone, and I wyll inuent,
A name to your nature, whiche shalbe conuenient:
Zeale shall your name be, how lyke you by that?
And therfore, in office, you must deale zealously:

Tyranny.
Let me alone, I wyll pay them home pat:
Though they call me Zeale, they shall feele me Tyrranny

Hypocrisie.
Loe, here is a Garment, come dresse you handsomly:
I mary (quoth he) I lyke this very well:
Now, to the Deuyls Grace, you may seeme to geue coūsell
Now must I apply al my Inuention,
That I may deuice Auarice to hide:
Thy name shalbe called Carefull prouision,
And euery man for his Houshold may lawfully prouide,
Thus shalt thou go cloaked, and neuer be spide:

Auarice.
Thy counsell Hipocrisie, I very well allow,
And will recompence thee, if euer I know how.

Tirranny.
Now, on a boon voyage, let vs depart,
For I well lothe any time to delaye,

Hypocrisie.
Nay, yet in signe of a mery hart,
Let vs singe before we go awaye.

Auarice.
I am content, begyn I you pray,
But to singe the Treble, we must needes haue one.



Hypocrisie.
If you say so, let it euen alone.

Exeunt.