University of Virginia Library

THE Combat, betweene Conscience and Couetousnesse, in the minde of Man.

To his Worshipfull good friend, Maister Iohn Steuenton, of Dothill, in the County of Salop, Esquire.

Sith Conscience (long since) is exilde the Citty,
O let her in the Countrey, finde some Pitty:
But if she be exilde, the Countrey too,
O let her finde, some fauour yet of you.

The Combat, betweene Conscience and Couetousnesse, in the mind of Man.

Now had the cole-blacke steedes, of pitchie Night,
(Breathing out Darknesse) banisht cheerfull Light,
And sleepe (the shaddowe of eternall rest)
My seuerall senses, wholy had possest.
When loe, there was presented to my view,
A vision strange, yet not so strange, as true.
Conscience (me thought) appeared vnto mee,
Cloth'd with good Deedes, with Trueth and Honestie,
Her countinance demure, and sober sad,
Nor any other Ornament shee had.
Then Couetousnesse did incounter her,
Clad in a Cassock, lyke a Vsurer,
The Cassock, it was made of poore-mens skinnes,
Lac'd here and there, with many seuerall sinnes:
Nor was it furd, with any common furre;
Or if it were, himselfe hee was the fur.
A Bag of money, in his hande he helde,
The which with hungry eie, he still behelde.
The place wherein this vision first began,
(A spacious plaine) was cald The Minde of Man.
The Carle no sooner, Conscience had espyde,
But swelling lyke a Toade, (puft vp with pryde)
He straight began against her to inuey;
These were the wordes, which Couetise did sey.
Conscience (quoth hee) how dar'st thou bee so bold,
To claime the place, that I by right doe hold?
Neither by right, nor might, thou canst obtaine it:
By might (thou knowst full well) thou canst not gaine it.
The greatest Princes are my followars,
The King in Peace, the Captaine in the Warres:
The Courtier, and the simple Countrey-man:
The Iudge, the Merchant, and the Gentleman:
The learned Lawyer, and the Politician:
The skilfull Surgeon, and the fine Physician:
In briefe, all sortes of men mee entertaine,
And hold mee, as their Soules sole Soueraigne,
And in my quarrell, they will fight and die,
Rather then I should suffer iniurie.
And as for title, interest, and right,
Ile proue its mine by that, as well as might.
Though Couetousnesse, were vsed long before,
Yet Iudas Treason, made my Fame the more;
When Christ he caused, crucifyde to bee,
For thirtie pence, man solde his minde to mee:
And now adaies, what tenure is more free,
Then that which purchas'd is, with Gold and fee?
Conscience.
With patience, haue I heard thy large Complaint,
Wherein the Diuell, would be thought a Saint:
But wot ye what, the Saying is of olde?
One tale is good, vntill anothers tolde.
Truth is the right, that I must stand vpon,
(For other title, hath poore Conscience none)
First I will proue it, by Antiquitie,
That thou art but an vp-start, vnto mee;
Before that thou wast euer thought vpon,
The minde of Man, belongd to mee alone.
For after that the Lord, had Man Created,
And him in blisse-full Paradice had seated;
(Knowing his Nature was to vice inclynde)
God gaue me vnto man, to rule his mynde,
And as it were, his Gouernour to bee,
To guide his minde, in Trueth, and Honestie.
And where thou sayst, that man did fell his soule;
That Argument, I quicklie can controule:
It is a fayned fable, thou doost tell,
That, which is not his owne, he cannot sell;
No man can sell his soule, altho he thought it:
Mans soule is Christs, for hee hath dearely bought it.
Therefore vsurping Couetise, be gone,
For why, the minde belongs to mee alone.

Couetousnesse.
Alas poore Conscience, how thou art deceav'd?
As though of senses, thou wert quite bereaud.
What wilt thou say (that thinkst thou canst not erre)
If I can proue my selfe the ancienter?
Though into Adams minde, God did infuse thee,
Before his fall, yet man did neuer vse thee.
What was it else, but Auarice in Eue,
(Thinking thereby, in greater Blisse to liue)
That made her taste, of the forbidden fruite?
Of her Desier, was not I the roote?
Did she not couet? (tempted by the Deuill)
The Apple of the Tree, of good and euill?
Before man vsed Conscience, she did couet:
Therefore by her Transgression, here I proue it,
That Couetousnesse possest the minde of man,
Before that any Conscience began.

Conscience.
Euen as a counterfeited precious stone,
Seemes to bee far more rich, to looke vpon,
Then doeth the right: But when a man comes neere,
His basenesse then, doeth euident appeere:
So Couetise, the Reasons thou doost tell,
Seeme to be strong, but being weighed well,
They are indeed, but onely meere Illusions,
And doe inforce but very weake Conclusions.
When as the Lord (fore-knowing his offence)
Had giuen man a Charge, of Abstinence,
And to refraine, the fruite of good and ill:
Man had a Conscience, to obey his will,
And neuer would be tempted thereunto,
Vntill the Woeman, shee, did worke man woe.
And made him breake, the Lords Commaundement,
Which all Mankinde, did afterward repent:
So that thou seest, thy Argument is vaine,
And I am prov'd, the elder of the twaine.

Couetousnesse.
Fond Wretch, it was not Conscience, but feare,
That made the first man (Adam) to forbeare
To tast the fruite, of the forbidden Tree,
Lest, if offending hee were found to bee,
(According as Iehouah saide on hye,
For his so great Transgression, hee should dye.
Feare curbd his minde, it was not Conscience then,
(For Conscience freely, rules the harts of men)
And is a godly motion of the mynde,
To euerie vertuous action inclynde,
And not enforc'd, through feare of Punishment,
But is to vertue, voluntary bent:
Then (simple Trul) be packing pressentlie,
For in this place, there is no roome for thee.

Conscience.