University of Virginia Library

Scena. 2.

Hypocrisie, Peruersedoctrine, and Ignorance entre.
Hipocri.
Peruersedoctrine I say, take heede in any sorte
That thou neuer beleue what so euer they reporte,
Though they of the Gospell neuer so muche do preache,
Euery man will not credite what so euer they teache.
They will not say all beleeue, when they do not I promise thee:
For that time will neuer come in this world trust mee.
Tushe, tushe, be thou busied in any case
To discredite their preachinge, in euery place.
If they teache them one thing, then teache thou the contrarie.
And if that no Scripture for thy place thou haue readie:
In woordes that supplie whiche wanteth in reason,
For ill thinges applied somtime in good season:
As of better eftsones do importe the wayte,
So they be well ordred by good pollicie, and slayght.
How be it their doctrine be sounde: yet their vices fynd out,
As this is a slouen, or this is a lowte.
Hee speaketh on enuie, suche a one for neede,
This saith it in woordes, but hee thinketh it not in deede.
Upon greatter occasion they sticke not to raue.
Saying this is a whooremaster, villaine, hee an Heretike knaue,
An Extorcioner, a theefe, a traytour, a murtherer,
A couetous person, a common Userer.
This hee doth for my mistresse his wyues sake by the roode,
The beiter to mainteine and supporte the frenchehoode.
Remember also that it weare a great shame,
For thee for to haue forgotten thy owne name.
Peruersedoctrine of right must the trueth so peruerte:
That hee neuer let it sinke into any mannes harte,
As farre as hee can with diligence withstande,
For euer it behoueth thee to be readie at hande,
To strenthen thine owne partes, and disproue other doctrine,
What so euer shall be taught that is contrarie to thine.
Still pretende Religion what so euer you say,
And that shall get thee good credite alway,
Pleasing the multitude with suche kinde of grace.
As with them to the whiche most enclined they are.
Square cappes, longe gownes, with tippettes of silke,
Braue coopes in the churche, surplices as white as milke,
Beades, and suche like, all these beare the price.
To these thinges applie thy attendant deuise.
And other likewise which well you do knowe,
Whiche all of great holinesse do set forthe a shewe.
Though some of them doubtlesse be indifferent, what matter,
They furnishe our businesse neuer the latter.
For these of antiquitie since that they do smell:
Our cause must commend right wonderfull well.
And these be the thinges wherof thou hast neede.
The better of thy wyl, and purpose to speede.
Then geue thy attendance, and so be sure of this.
That I will be readie and neuer wyll misse,
To assist thee still in workinge thy purpose,
To thaduauncing of thee, and depressing thy foes.

Peruersd.
Gramercie good Sister euen with all my hearte,
For this your good councell, and for my parte
What so euer in this case may bee possibly donne:
I shall followe your preceptes as a naturall sonne.
For the matter so standes if wee looke not well about,
That wee quite perishe all out of doubt.
Unlesse some suche way wee take out of hande:
Whereby wee may be able our foes to withstande.
And for this cause my brother Ignorance and I:
Lest it should chaunce vs to fall into ieoperdie:
Through enuie of our names in any mannes eare:
For this intent I say wee did diligently care,
Our names to counterfaite, in suche maner sorte:
That where euer wee goe wee may win good reporte.

Hipocri.
Of my faith that is very well done in deede.
God sende thee a good wit still at thy neede.
And that in thy doinges suche successe thou maist fynde:
That all thinges may chaunce to thee after thy minde.
My brother if thou haue ought else for to say,
Speake on or that I departe hence away.

Peruersd.
Great thankes for your councel, and if yee chaunce to go thyther,
You may meete with Ignorance: to hasten him hyther.

Hypocri.
Farewell, hee shall be here, you shall see euen anon.

Peruersd.
Alacke, alacke, now my good sister is gon.
Whose presence to enioye is more pleasant vnto mee,
Than any thing what so euer in the worlde coulde bee.
Good occasion haue I suche a sister to embrace,
For by her meanes I lyue, and enioye this place.
Which yet I possesse as longe as I may,
And haue heretofore many a faire day.
For since these new Heretikes the deuill take them all,
In all corners began to barke, and to ball:
At the Catholike Faith, and the olde religion.
Making of them bothe but matters of derision:
Hypocrisie hath so helped at euery neede:
That but for her hardly were wee lyke for to speede.
For be our case neuer so nye driuen to the worst,
Through her meanes by some meane take no place at the first:
Yet some meanes doth shee finde, by some meanes at the length,
That her waies do preuaile and her matters get strength.
Shee can finde out a thousand guyles in a trice,
For euery purpose a newe strong deuise.
No matter so difficile for man to finde out,
No businesse so daungerous, no person so stowt,
But of thone shee is able a solucion to make,
And thothers greate peryll, and moode for to slake.
And in fine muche matter in fewe woordes to containe:
Shee can finde out a cloke for euery rayne.
What person is there that beareth more swaie,
In all maner of matters at this present daye,
Throughout the whole world, though of symple degree,
And of small power to sight shee seeme for to bee?
Consider all trades, and condicions of lyfe.
Then shall you perceiue that Hipocrisie is rife
To all kinde of men, and of euery age:
So farre as their yeeres them therein may geue knowledge:
Lo here a large fielde where at length hee may walke,
Who list of this matter at the full for to talke,
To declare of what power, and of what efficacie,
In euery age, countrey and time is Hypocrisie.
But I may not about suche small pointes now stande,
The affaires they be greater that I haue in hande.
Ignorance is the cause that I so longe tarie heere,
And beholde where the blinde Bussard doth appeere.
Come on thou grosse headed knaue, thou whoroson asse I say,
Where hast thou ben sence wee departed to day?

Ignorāce.
Where haue I ben quod you? mary euen there I was,
Where as I would haue geuen an hundred pounde by the Masse
To haue ben here, for neuer sence the day I was borne,
Was I so neere hande in peeces for to haue ben torne.
For as I was going vp and downe in the streete:
To see if I coulde with Hypocrisie meete?
Beeholde a farre of I began to espie,
That heretike Newcustome, with an other in his companie.
As soone as they sawe mee: they hyde them a pace,
Came towardes, and met mee full in the face.
I am glad wee haue founde you then quod this heretike knaue,
For you, and your fellowe this day sought wee haue
In euery place, and now can not you flie,
And with these woordes bothe they came very nie.
Whereat I so feared I may tell you playne:
That I thought at that howre I should haue ben slayne.
This is hee quod the varlet, of whom I tolde you of late,
An Enemie of the trewth, and incensed with hate
Against God and his Churche, and an impe of Hypocrisie,
A foe to the Gospell, and to trewe Diuinitie.
Thou lyest heretique quod I, and naught elles coulde I say,
But brake quickely from them, and hither came away.

Peruersd.
Who is hee that was with him Simplicitie, canst thou tell?

Ignorāce.
Not I sure, but some call him the Light of the Gospell.
A good personable fellowe, and in countenaunce so bright:
That I coulde not beholde him in the visage aright.

Peruersd.
Goddes preciouse woundes that slaue, marie fie on him fie,
Body of our Lorde is hee come into the countrye?
I thinke all the Heretiques in the worlde haue taken in hande,
By some solemne othe to pester this lande,
With their wicked Scismes and abhominable sectes,
Now a vengeance on them all, and the Deuyll breake their neckes.
Light of the Gospel? light of a straw, yet what euer hee bee,
I wolde hee were hanged as hie as I can see.

Ignorānce.
What haue you hearde of him before this?

Peruersd.
Heard of hym? yee that haue I often iwis.
If there be any in the worlde it is this horeson theefe,
Beleeeue mee Simplicitie, that will worke vs the mischiefe.
Hath that same new Iacke gotte him suche a mate?
Now with all my heart a pestilence on his pate.
I woulde they were both hanged fairely together,
Or elles were at the deuill, I care not muche whether.
For since these Geneuian doctours came so fast into this lande,
Since that time it was neuer merie with Englande.
First came Newcustome, and hee gaue the onsay,
And sithens thinges haue gone worse euery day.
But Simplicitie dost thou knowe what is mine intent?

Ignorāce.
Tell mee, and I shall knowe what you haue ment.

Peruersd.
Our matters with Creweltie our friende to discusse,
And to here him, what counsell in this case hee will geue vs.
And this is the cause I haue taried for thee,
Because that to him I would haue thee goe with mee.
But see where hee commeth with Auarice sadly walking,
Let vs listen, if wee can, whereof they be talkinge.