 | [Johan the Euangelyst] |  |
Here begynneth the enterlude of Iohan the Euangelyst.
Domine ante te omne desiderium me um
Et gemitus meus non est absconditus
The swetest lyfe souerayn in this world wt som
Is to haue meditacyon of our lorde Iesus
Uery contemplatyue god/worshypped thus
Bethynkyng in the soule/without any speche
God tendeth ryght more the prayer with the hert of vs
Than the prayer of the mouth/the texte dothe teche
In medytacyon who so hath forfence
The mouthe can not expresse the thoughtes of the herte
That holyest fruyssyon is of so hye intellygence
As it rauysshet the soule in to a blessed deserte
It feleth no erthly thyng vnto the tyme it reuerte
Thus fared Magdaleyne whan Martha complayned
She herde her not/in god her herte was so experte
Nor the aungell at the sepulcre/loue so her constrayned
The cause why I reherce you the holy medytacyon
For it is myne exercyse expresse
Who so wyll labour in this/must se his habytacyon
Ve solytary in soule/of great quyetnesse
Therfore euer to the churche I do me dresse
Rest/reuerence/and worshyp ther in shulde be
With cryeng on Chryst/and our synnes confesse
Beati qui habitant in domo tua domine.
Eugenio.
Qui cum deo patri/graunted by the pope
A thousand foure hundred/and neuer a day lesse
That hath herde this noble sermon/and theron doth hope
A pena et culpa/here I them relesse
Is it not pyte suche a pulpet man to lese
I praye you syr let vs here more of youre pope holynes
Irisdision.
Whome call you pope holye.
Eugenio.
Suche a foole as thou art that clappest euer in diuinite
Irisdision.
All vertues people to commende is my propertie.
Eugenio.
Than is Caton false/and that he endytes
For he sayth (Nec te collaudas/nec te culpaberis ipse)
Great laudacyons loueth these hypocrytes
(Qui se colaudat) &c.
No more to you at this tyme
But vnderstande you this latyne.
Irisdysion.
Ye syr I trowe.
Eugenio.
Responde tunice domine doctor clericorum
But syr knowe you any iustes of corum.
Irisdision.
Why so?
Eugenio.
A felowe of myne was take with a Cuculorum
For a cupple horses he stale in an euenynge.
Irisdision.
What wolde ye haue me do in that case.
Eugenio.
Sursum corda for hym to synge
Ye shulde haue well why.
Irisdision.
I can not synge.
Eugenio.
Under a perche/lokyng vp towarde the skye.
Irisdision.
Without god be thy frende/yt same deth shalt thou dye
Eugenio.
Mary I beshrewe his herte that so can prophesye.
Irisdision.
What is thy name?
Eugenio.
A rede.
Irisdision.
Eugenio I trowe the same.
Eugenio.
A syr the deuyll stryke of thy hede
Horeson who taught the so ryght to rede
I trowe some yuell spyryte be within the.
Irisdision.
In the cyte of Hierusalem that is so called
I feare thou wylte neuer come to that holy Syone
That with twelue precyous stones is surely walled
Full strayte is the waye thyder to gone
And in to that castell entrynge is none
Withoute thou acquaynte the with two porters before
Hope is the fyrst/and Faythe the other one.
Eugenio.
Lo so gostely he praieth euermore
Ye dare not coughe your conscience is so holy
But I pray you shewe me before
Which is the way to yonder castell ye prayse so greatelye.
Irisdision.
Ouer the mede of mekenesse marke thou the waye
Than to the pathe of pacyence shalte thou passe
And in the laue of besynesse loke thou not basshe
Than measure in a marsshe/a fayre maner hasse
Reste there hardely/and abyde all nyght.
Eugenio.
Nay that I wyll not by this lyght
But what callest thou this way.
Irisdision.
Uia recta/fedyng to lyfe
So Dauid named it in his daye
(Spes mea stetit in via recta)
Eugenio.
Passeth all men by this iourneye.
Irisdision.
Nay/and the more pytie verely I saye.
Eugenio.
What be they that goo that waye moste.
Irisdision.
They that be enspyred with the holy gooste
As innocentes and virgins.
Eugenio.
Mary I knowe none suche in all this coste.
Irisdision.
They that goo thyder muste be (Gratia electi)
Eugenio.
Why is there no other way but this.
Irisdision.
Ies on the lefte syde another there is
That is called (Uia obliqua et via circularis)
Eugenio.
And whyder draweth this.
Irisdision.
Who so walkes that way hym selfe he slethe.
Eugenio.
Syr who gothe that way so yll.
Irisdision.
All they that worketh the deuels wyll
As (Omnes iniqui in circuitu impii ambulantes.)
Eugenio.
Thou arte a lowler by my trouthe I warrantes
Howe many by pathes be in that waye.
Irisdision.
Syxe score and odde I saye.
Eugenio.
Than one can not fayle where he go by nyghte or daye
But may a man go to the stewes that waye
At his pleasure yf he lyste to playe.
Irisdision.
It brynges men to the seete of rufull araye
The lady of confusion lyeth therin
That Babylone is called/she is the ende of all synne.
Eugenio.
Whiche way costeth that countray.
Irisdision.
To an yle in the north I saye
(Ab aquilone pandetur omne malum)
Eugenio.
That is the fyrst place that men shulde assaye
Whether it be hedged or walled.
Irisdision.
With bowes and trees it is meruaylously paled
There groweth the elders of enuye
Staked with pryde full hye
Full of slouthy busshes and lecherous thornes drye
With glotonous postes/and couetyse rayled throughoute
And at myscheues gate many dothe in ronne.
Eugenio.
And where do they all become.
Irysdysyon.
Downe to the dongyon where the deuyll dwelleth
Lucyfer that lothly lorde that is in bale blysses
There is wo vpon wo/as Christ vs telleth
All that may dysease and nothyng please/euer restlesse
There is froste/there is fyre
Hope is loste and her desyre
There care hath no recouer
Without pytie there is payne
To crye for mercy it is in vayne
For grace is gone for euer
(Finit tormentorum suorum
Ascendit in secula seculorum)
Lo thus hath loste wedded confusyon
Lucefers doughter dampnacyon
In hell to haue herytage
(Septum dominium peccati est mors)
Eugenio.
In fayth that is a knauysshe way to walke
Nowe a whyle of some myrthe let vs talke
For I forsake that passage.
Irisdision.
Nowe farewell syr and haue good daye
For I must goo another waye
Forget not my reasons sage.
Eugenio.
Ye haue done a fayre iourney to day
It is tyme for to be walkyng
For I am wery of your talkyng
Lo syrs he spake full holyly
But yet I beshrewe hym for all his clergy
He may well he called witlesse syr wyll
For I trowe his brayne is stedfast as a wyndemyll
But nowe well remembred by bokes Amromes
I wolde haue a playster for all harmes
Some fayre wenche to lye in myne armes
That wolde auoyde all stryues
It were to me/administrate nos
Et restaurate nos/also comfortate nos
Ye/and somtyme I wyll take mennes wyues
For cokolde makers hath meryer lyues
Than they that do all the coste
As to wedde at the churche dore/and there to be sworne
Perhap her husband shulde haue an horne
Than may he curse the tyme that euer he was borne
For all the loue is loste
Clerkes say that of wedlocke god that knot doth knyt
And yet women do venter to breke it
For though theyr soules shulde lye in hell pyt
They wyll vse that sory werke
And yf they so dye
Atropos cometh full sodeynly
And or they beware full slyly
He ledeth them downe in the darke
The curtesye of Englande is ofte to kys
And of it selfe it is lechery where pleasure is
All yonge folke remembre this
So great delyte thou mayst haue therin
That afore god it is deedly synne
But farewell/yonder cometh syr Wyllyam of trentram.
S. Iohan the Euangelyste.
That lorde which is princypall
Conserue and kepe this congregacyon
And couer you with his mantell perpetuall
After that ye do passe with dethes vysytacyon
This prince brynge you to that holy nacyon
Where loue dothe dwell with virgynyte
And to gyue you playne infyrmacyon
In that realme dwelleth the holy trynyte
I am Iohan/that presently dothe apere
Called the grace of god by interpretacyon
And of my doctryne yf ye lyste to here
Moche can I shewe you of Christes incarnacyon
And of his passyon/for verely I was there
I sawe hym hange on the crosse on hye on hye
His mother and I stode there vnder
And I herde whan he cryed Hely Hely
And sawe Louges smyte his herte a sonder
His lawes to the people wyll I preche
And all that euer do folowe me in peace
The kyngdome of heuen theyr soules shall reche
There hauyng ioye that neuer shall cease
But nowe the trowe loue that we shulde to god owe
Men gyueth it to rychesse that is mutable
Full sore they wyll it repente I trowe
That euer they were of mynde so vnstable
I wyll hastely agayne be here
And therof he shall haue gladly
At all tymes I wyll hym chere
My commynge hythere was for youre furtheraunce
And nowe I leaue you in goddes gouernaunce.
Actio.
Nowe mery myght you be
Who was that that called me
So erly to daye
One resyded me with a bolle of water
Here was a shreude mater
Sodaynly one to afraye
It was some knaue my brother
Beshrewe hym and none other
For that araye
I was faste a slepe
Tyll I felte the wete
Full styll I laye
He brake myne olde custome
For I wolde haue layne tyll noone
And than haue ryssen to playe
But nowe to the purpose
For by the faythe that nowe gose
I loue to goo gaye
And with other mennes wyues
That be wanton of lyues
Ofte do I ronne awaye
And where so euer I go
One good condycion haue I to
I vse neuer trouthe to saye
Also I haue a great disease yf ye wyll me leue
Eugenio.
By god syr and I do laye a playster to your cote
I wyll heale it I dare lay a grote.
Actio.
Eugenio/fro whence come you.
Eugenio.
Fro thence that ye were spoke of ryght nowe
Ye shall haue an offyce.
Actio.
What is that I pray you tell me.
Eugenio.
By my fayth ye shall be hangeman of Calys
Therto ye be appoynted verely.
Actio.
Than the fyrste man that shall be hanged shall thou be
For I tell the I wyll begynne with the.
Eugenio.
Nay syr/but herke what I shall the say
Here was one late this same daye
That dispraysed rychesse worldly
He sayd he that dothe forsake prosperytie
And take hym to wylfull pouerte
He shall haue ioy eternally.
Actio.
What was he?
Eugenio.
A doctour as semed me
He spake as holyly
As though god had ben his cosyne.
Actio.
Ye but was he not myxed with hypocresy.
Eugenie.
He had almoste chaunged my mode
I had thought to gyue awaye my goode
And than aske my selfe for charytie.
Actio.
Why woldest thou haue brn so wytty
Naye thou arte a foole and thou wylte for any eggynge
Gyue away thyne owne good and goo thy self a beggyng
For so wyll not I do yet trust me.
Eugenio.
Syr he promest moste largely
That I shulde in ioye lyue euer
Where I shall dye neuer
Thus also he sayd verely
That I shulde tele there no yll
And haue all that I desyre wyll
And se god in his maiestie
Also he promest me a greater hyre
That I shulde haue all that I wolde desyre.
Actio.
I rede the laye that thought awaye
For mayst thou not se all daye
That they that vseth sporte and playe
Lyueth at ease meryly
They haue moste hertyest reste
And fareth of the beste
That thus spendeth theyr lyues in iolyte.
Eugenio.
Well than my wytte I wyll renewe
For I trowe thou sayest full trewe
Yf I do it/and afterwarde rewe it
As to gyue away my good
Without a cuppe than myght I drynke
For that purse that sowneth not trynke
His mayster weareth a threde bare hode.
Actio.
Ye ye man/that is trewe in dede
But let vs go walke a space
For yuell counsayle hyther wyll spede
That person I trowe he be voyde of all grace.
Eugenio.
Go we hence than in tyme
Hastely we wyll come agayne
For Iohan wyll be here by pryme
His sermonde wolde I here fayne.
Yuell counsayle.
By your leaue let me come nere
What dothe all this company here
Where after is your gapynge
By oure ladye a maystere I haue soughte nye and farre
For sythe I came fro Rochester
I haue spente all my wynnynge
By our lady I wyll no more goo to Couentry
For there knaues set me on the pyllery
And threwe egges at my hede
So sore that my nose dyd blede
Of whyte wyne galons thurty
Somtyme in London dyd I dwell
I was prentyse with yuell counsell
And so men calleth me
I hope agayne to go thyder
Yf sommer were come and fayre wether
And lyue full merely
Uyllage/towne/cytie/and borowe
With many a thousande bequeyntyd I am
As yll tongued churles/and many a proude gentyll man
That shreudly roundeth many a pystell
Whan they in yonge wyues eeres dothe whystell
Of maters partaynyng to Uenus actes
with fayre flaterynge wordes and prety knackes
Both men and women they brynge to lechery
Through me yuell counsayle to lyue in aduoutry
In Cornewall I haue ben and in Kent
Westmynster/saynt Katheryns/and in vnthryftes rent
There I rested very lately
Nowe fayne wolde I haue a mayster
That wolde do by my couysell
For though he spende and be a waster
To get money I can teache hym the crafte well.
Idelnesse.
What art thou tell me that speketh this.
Yuell counsayle.
Mary syr a man that wolde haue a seruys
Great nede haue I therto.
Idelnesse.
Why what seruyce canst thou do.
Iuell counsayle.
Bothe steale and lye/and on your erande go
To fette an other mannes wyfe to your bedde.
Idelnesse.
Yf I of suche thynges may be spedde
I am gladde that we be met.
Iuell counsayle.
In Englande shall nothing me let
But mayster haue ye any wyfe?
Idelnesse.
Ye mo than .xxv. by my lyfe
But some other men kepeth them for me.
Iuell counseyll.
Mary syr no force/it costeth you the lesse money
But you haue good chere whan you come.
Idelnesse.
Ye at meat I am mery/and at bed yf I lyste too playe.
Iuell counsayle.
Than theyr husbandes be out of the waye
Or els ye come not there.
Idelnesse.
Ies yes dayly/and make good chere
And not spyed at all/I haue suche polesy.
Iuell counsayle.
I am gladde that ye be so wytty
And syr yf you wyll haue a fresshe lusty trull
I wyll get her you/or a huswyfe that can spyn a pounde of woll
Idelnesse.
Than wyll we drynke wyne at the full
In one place yf thou canste helpe me.
Iuell counsayle.
I pray you tell me what is she.
Idelnesse.
An artyfycers wyfe/a prety woman.
Iuell counsayle.
Syr I wyll goo to my brother temptacion
And than to wanton youthe I wyll make a stacyon
For bytwene vs thre
Of her your pleasure ye shall haue hardely.
Shall I go with you also.
Yuell counsayle.
Ye syr and it please you so to do
Howe say you/haue not they mery lyues
That may kysse and basse other mennes wyues
Lo iouthe is full of iolyte
But whan sawe you your brother sensualyte.
Idelnesse.
Syr I lefte hym on the playne of Salysbyre
He tolde me that he wolde lyfte
Some good felowe from his thryfte
And as I trowe somwhat he wyll gette
To make with the peny
Many one for theyr good do labour and swete
But he dothe not so/he getteth it lyghtly.
Yuell counsayle.
Syr he dyd me a shreude turne as I you tell.
Idelnesse.
I pray the shewe me howe it befell.
Yuell counsayle.
The laste daye syr I wyste
The puttocke that he ware on his fyste
Wolde haue trode my henne
And vp I caught a rottocke
And hyt hym on the buttocke
That there laye in a theme.
Idelnesse.
Wherby knowest thou that it was he.
Yuell counsayle.
For he had a bell aboute his kne
And therby yche hym knewe.
Tyll at the laste he had his mynde
God gyue hym an yll pewe.
Idelnesse.
And what meate dyd thou gyue hym
Say on hardely.
?Yuell counsayle.
Syre a fayre pece of baken
And a blacke bolle full of barly.
Idelnesse.
By Iesu this is a gentyll meate for a hauke
To kepe byrdes thou art very connynge
Thy thryfte I trowe is layde a sonnynge
But tell me nowe where is thy wonnynge.
Yuell counsayle.
Syr at the stewes is my moste abydynge
Otherwyle goynge/and somtyme rydynge
And yf the grounde be slypper and slydynge
In faythe I fall downe moselynge.
Idelnesse.
What some pleasure than there areres
Beshrewe your heed bytwene your eeres.
Yuell counsayle.
Nay syr it shall be yours and theirs
For whan a man hath inowe
Let hym parte with his neyghboures.
Idelnesse.
It is thy desteny I trowe
For to be cladde all in breres
And ryde the horse with foure eeres.
Yuell counsayle.
Nay syr not afore you.
A ryde in a saddyll/but ye shall ryde in a halter.
Idelnesse.
In good faythe knaue thou shalte beare me a strype.
Yuell counsayle.
And thou shalte haue another an I can hyt the a ryght.
Idelnesse.
Why smytest thou not/come of.
Yuell counsayle.
Nay I trowe ye do but skoffe
But I wolde not for an hundred pounde fyghte with the.
Idelnesse.
Why so tell me.
Yuell counsayle.
For I neuer fought with man but he deyde
And so shulde you and ye dyd my strokes abyde.
Idelnesse.
Mary I had leuer thou were tyde
Thou arte as manly as yll cheuynge
Thou were a good bolde felowe to go a theuynge.
Euell counsayle.
Well let vs go to vnthryftes a whyle hence,
And let some other kepe resydence
For I dare laye theron .xl. pence
We shall haue a sermon or nyght.
Idelnesse.
I trowe than he wyll come hyther
That layde fyrst In principio togyther.
Ambo.
Go we/for we two wyll go thyder
There as we wyll make mery by this lyght.
Actio.
A syr I haue ben longe awaye
Eugenio.
There hath be a fayre araye
Where we to haue be
There was layeng of the lawe
And all was not worthe a newe strawe
So god helpe me.
Actio.
Syr I sawe the wenche that dyde youre necke clawe
That bare in her hande a gay gewgawe
Me thaught it was lyke a pawe
Of a whytynge
She helde me with a tale of tytemary tally
Tyll my thryfte was gone as quyte as a dally
God wote it is a nyce thynge.
Eugenio
Peace man/ye shall here a sermonysacyon
Of the egle that ryseth full hye
Yf he do here thy exclamacyon
He wyll make the to stye.
Actio.
Not in a strynge I trowe
Peace for he is come nowe.
Iohan the Euangelyst.
O men vnkynde/wretched and mortall
Herken to this perable that I shall tell.
Eugenio.
The herynge therof gyue you I shall.
Actio.
And I to do by your counsayle yf ye saye well.
Iohan the Euangelyst.
Nowe I begynne/gyue good audience
Theyr conuersacyon hauynge great difference
It was the Pharysien and the publycan I saye
Two ensamples by them perceyue we maye
The great pryde of the Pharyseye
Other mennes fautes he dispraysed aye
And his owne counsayle hyd vnder false hewe
In the publycans prayers there was than
A great excellence of mekenesse
He dispysed hymselfe a wretched man
Thynkynge eche creature exceded hym in goodenesse
His fautes he dyd confesse
With great sorowe for his transgressyon
And in the pharyses prayer dyd expresse
Of full pryde and adulacyon
He prayde not/but praysed hymselfe there
Standyng vpryght with a perte face
The masse begynneth with Confiteor
And endeth with Deo gratias
Euyn the reuers he dyd in this case
There the masse endeth he beganne proudely
Makyng no confession of his trespas
But sayd (Deo gratias ago tibi)
In than he thanked god he was not to blame
But in that he thanked hym not with verye mekenesse
Thre speces of synne he rehersed by name
In whiche all synnes be comprehended expresse
By rauenours is vnderstande couetyse
In vnryghtfull to say pryde of hym than
In auoutry/all lechery that men can reherce
And thus he excused hym selfe/& sclaundred the publycan
And so he dyd/but not of the beste
In that Cayme he was lyke to
For he fythed alway of the worste
Twyse in the weke he sayd he dyd faste
Fro meate and drynke he dyd/but not fro dedelye synne
And that is the taste that pleaseth god beste
But therat hypocrytes wyll not begynne
Agayne god he synned greuously
In that he iustyfyed hym selfe so
And his euen Christen sclaundryng malycyously
(Tu testimonium perhiberis de teipso)
(Et testimonium tuum non est verum) I say so
Wherfore god dyd hym deuyde
Fro the nyne partes of aungels the tenth so
There Lucyfer is falle for his pryde
The gospell sayd/who doth hye hym shall be owe
All they that prayseth them selfe do synne be you sure
And so you cursed men do your cure
For by goddes iugement
Yf ye forsake not your synne be you sure
You go to hell/wherfore repente.
Ambo.
I crye god mercy for myne offence
My wycked lyfe I do defye.
Eugenio.
Also I am sory of my neglygence
Your doctryne I wyll folowe full mekely.
S. Iohan the Euangelyste.
This sample god sayth vs to
That we shulde consyder it wysely
Who demeth hym selfe good/is ferre there fro
And he that thynketh hymselfe synfullest is blyssed hardly
In synne thus to lede lyues vayne
Under colour of vertue/demyng your selfe good
You and all they that it dothe sustayne
Be worlde than the pharysey/mennes lawes are woode
Remembre this for the reuerence of hym yt dyed on roode
And to the lawes of the churche abyde euery man
And ye shall be parteners of Christes precyous bloode
And blessed of god as was the publycan
Thus yf ye wyll be stedfaste and trewe
Iesu wyll than with his grace you renewe
To that lordes blysse ye shall come all a
Qui viuit per infinita seculorum secula.
Amen.
Finis.
Thus endeth the Enterlude of saynt Iohan
the Euangelyste. Imprynted at London
in Foster laene by Iohn Waley.
| [Johan the Euangelyst] | |