University of Virginia Library

Pedl.
Now good sir Iohn (quoth he) what talk is that
I heare you speak, but God in Heauen knowes what.

Priest.
It is that worthy holy Lattin letter
Doth please the Lord wel and our lady better.

Pedl.
Now good Sir Iohn, I know not what they be
The Lattin tongue is heathen Greeke to me.

Priest.
Pedlar if thou to me wilt but repaire
Within one Month, I'le teach thee Lattin Prayer.
And though thou understand not what thou sayst,
Thou shalt speake pretty Lattin when thou prayest

Pedlar
To pray so sir, is onely but in saying,
In words, not sence, a prating, not a praying;
Shall I that am a man of perfect age,
Talke like a witlesse parret in a Cage.

Priest.
A parret can but prattle for her part,
But towards God hath neither mind or heart.
Then seeing I have head and heart to pray,
Shall not my heart know what my tongue doth say?
For when my tongue talkes, if my heart mis-carry,
How quickly I may marre your Ave Mary?
And I sir having many things to seeke,
How should I speed not knowing what I speake.

Priest.
God understands all tongues, & knows, & he
The thoughts and secrets of the heart doth see.

Pedl.
Then if I think one thing and speak another,
I wrong my selfe, and Christ, and his blest Mother;
For when I pray they would my pack repaire,
Your Ave mary is a fruitlesse prayer.

Priest.
The Latin prayers are but generall heads,
For our Reliefes in all our wants and needs:
The Latin serves us as a Liturgie,
As curious Arts directs Chirurgery,
And in that language Masse is said and sung,
For private things pray in thy Mother tongue.

Ped.
Then I must have a tongue, sir Iohn, for either,
1 for the Mother and 1 for the Father.

Prie.
Thinkst thou the Mother doth not know such small things,
Christ is her Son man, and he tells her all things.
But where did that blest Virgin learne her Latin,
For in her daies was neither Masse nor Mattin,
Nor yet one Priest that Latin then could speake,
For holy words were Hebrew then or Greeke,
She never was at Rome, nor kist Popes feet,
How came she by the Masse faine would I weet.

Priest.
Pedlar, if thou beleeve the Legendary,
The Masse is older farre then Christ or Mary,
For all the Patriarkes both more or lesse,
And great Melchisedeck himselfe said Masse.

Pedl.
But good sir priest, spake al these Fathers Latin
And said they Masse in golden Coapes or Satin;
Could they speake Latin long e're Latin grew,
(For without Latin no Masse can be true)
And you that would inforce us to this taske,
Me thinkes 'tis like a may-game or a masque.

Priest.
Well Pedlar thou art too too curious,
Thy pur-blinde Zeal's fervent, but furious,
I rather would a hundred monkes direct,
Then such an ignorant of thy mad sect;
This thou must know, this cannot be deni'd,
Rome govern'd all when Christ was crucifi'd.
Rome, Heathen then, but afterwards converted,
And grew so honest, and so holy-hearted,
That now our Emperour is turn'd to a pope,
Whose Holines (as you have heard I hope,
Hath made a Law that all the world must pray
In Latin language to the Lord each day;
He's Christ's full Vicar, and Ile boldly say,
That what he doth command we must obey,
He bids us pray in Latin, even so
We must doe, where we understand or no,
He hath full power to confound or save,
And who dares then but doe as he will have.

Pedl.
This purpose to some purpose puts me back,
And hath more points, then pinnes are in my pack,
What ever power you give unto your pope,
He cannot make a man an Ape, I hope,
And if he be full Vicar to our Lord,
Should not his words and Christs keepe one accord.

Priest.
Doubtles they doe, and never are contrary,
In Pater noster, Creed, or Avemary.

Ped.
But Christs Disciples when they made their motion,
Vnto their Master, how to make devotion,
As I have done to you (sir Iohn) to day;
I pray you in what tongue bade he them pray,
Christ did not one word Latin to them speake,
Their talke was then all Siriack, Hebrew, Greeke,
He bade all Nations pray after one manner,
But bade not all take Latin for their Banner:
Your Latin is but one of the Translations,
Why should it then exclude all other Nations;
And on my soule, sir Iohn, if I doe say,
In mine owne mother tongue when I doe pray
Lord helpe me, Lord forgive me all my sinnes,
Yea (why not) Lord supply my packe and pinnes.
And every thing whereof I stand in need,
(For this depends upon our daily bread)
I hope in God that I shall speed as well,
As if in Latin I my wants did tell:
And since some tongues have more antiquitie
Then Latin, were it not iniquitie
To force all people to pray like the Pope,
No good (sir Iohn) you'l not say so I hope.

Priest.
Wel pedlar, one thing I would faine make plain,
Return we to our Lady back again,
And if thou hadst as much capacitie
As roving wit, with great audacitie,
The case is cleare, that Virgin Mary meeke,
Could all and every tongue and language speake.
Hast thou not heard man how the Holy Ghost,
Came downe like cloven tongues, at pentecost,
And fill'd the house where all the 12. were ready,
And one tongue truly lighted on our Lady,
And thinke not that I talke of toyes and dreames,
Aske but the Reverend Jesuites of Rhemes,
And what they write of this but wisely note.

Ped.
In faith sir Iohn it is not worth a groat;
Will I beleeve't thinke you because they say it;

Priest.
Nay but they prov't as no man can denay it;
Saith not the Text, that when the Lord ascended,
Vnto the 12. he earnestly commanded,
That from Ierusalem they should not goe,
Vntill the Comforter did come, and so

Act. 1.

They all conjoyned with one joynt consent,
And to an upper roome together went,
Where Mary was and others whole six score,
That with the 12. did daily God adore.
Then (sayes the text) when Pentecost was come,
They were together then both all and some,
And all were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Ped.
Now good sir Priest you count without your Host,
I see well that your Rhemish Jesuites tongues,
Hath cloven the text even to the very lungs.
That (ALL) for which you reckon up six score,
Is here meant onely of the 12. no more;
Nor Mary is not named there as than,
What need we then beleeve it, holy man,
On with your spectacles sir Iohn and read,
And credit this as one point of your Creed,
The Holy Ghost did fall upon no more,
Then he was promised unto before:
Now he was onely promised to the twelve,
Looke on the text, I pray, and iudge your selve;
Speake man, and be not silent, I am sorry,
To see you ignorant of such a story;
For shame, let not a pedlar with his packe,
Put you with all your Sophistrie to wracke.
For as the Stories in themselves are divers,
Flowing and falling into sundry Rivers,
In divers Chapttrs so they stand divided,

the 1. & 2. chap.

So that the case may clearely be decided;
For when those 6. score were at first convened,
There was another mysterie then meaned;
To wit, Mathias free Election,
And so Saint Peter gave direction,
That all those six score then should beare record
Of their proceedings then before the Lord:
The choosing of a pastour was in hand,
Which without Churches knowledge cannot stand,
And so Mathias, (by the power of Heaven)
By lot was tooke as one with the Eleven.
Then (saies the the Text) all these together were,
What all these were doth very plaine appeare,
To be the 12. in the last verse before,
And not make Leape Yeare of eleven verse more.
To draw all backe to that hundred and twentie,
Indeed this way should have tongues in plentie,
They differ in 12. verses, the Text saies,
Besides the time is different full 10. dayes,
The first upon the day the Lord ascended,
The other when the holy Ghost descended.
Such glaZen arguments will bide no hammer,
For they are but bad Logick and worse Grammer;
As for the Holy Ghost 'tis verifide,
His comming downe, unto no Law is tide;
Sometimes invisible, and sometimes seene,
As diversly at divers times hath beene,
Few needes to see his comming with their eyes,
His workes are witnesses which may suffice;
And so Saint Paul this gift found privately,
By Annanias hand assuredly.

Act. 9.

And so, sir Iohn, to shew you all my packe,
And let you see my breast as well as backe;
I wonder yee consider not the end,
Why God the Holy Ghost in Tongues did send:
Know ye not women are forbidden preaching,
Know ye not tongues were onely given for teaching;
Women (at home) have hardly leave to speake,
But they take leave, and often silence breake;
Their husbands must permit their tongues to walke,
And therefore, in Gods House, they may not talke:
And then, sir Iohn, what worship doe you win
Vnto our Lady, when you bring her in
As a Companion with the whole six score,
Who gat the Holy Ghost and she no more,
And where the Pope hath made her Queen of heaven,
You make her here like one of the Eleven,
In this, her dignitie doth seeme to fall,
You thrust her to the Kitchin from the Hall.
And this is also one of your rare Themes,
Held by your reverend Jesuites of Rhemes,
That Latin came not with the Holy Ghost,
VVhen as the tongues came downe at Pentecost.
Now if it came not then I pray, expresse
How came it by that perfect holines,
That in it onely, and no other tongue,
Both Masse and matins must be said and sung.
Your last refuge will be unto the Pope,
So knit up all together in a Rope.

Pri.
Wert thou at Rome, & half these words didst speak,
Pedlar it were enough thy neck to break;
But here you live, and talk and prate secure,
And undervalue that blest Virgin pure,
Yeelding no honour, or no adoration
To her, or to her dayes of celebration.
(Goe but to Spaine, and shew thy vild condition,
Thou shalt be tortur'd in the Inquisition.)
Her Miracles, of small worth you esteeme,
Her merits at low value you misdeeme,
Her sacred Reliques you condemne, dispise,
And all her attributes you much misprise:
Thou saist with six score I doe make her share,
Your selves will her with your course wives compare,
Shame and confusion doth to all belong,
Who dare the best, most blest of creatures wrong.

Pedl.
Indeed (sir Iohn) you come upon me now,
With some things which my faith doth disallow,
I pray you to consider but a little,
You give her many a title and a tittle,
For which you have no warrant in the word,
And yet pursue us both with fire and Sword,
As Heretiques, for doing not as yee doe,
Yet, what the word bids and no more that we doe;
Thinke you that anie man can be so mad,
As to hold Christ his Saviour, and so bad,
As to hold Mary for his Saviours Mother,
And not to love her farre above all other,
Above all Creatures, she was full of grace,
And sure in Glory she hath supreme place
And eminence, all other Soules transcending
In joy and blisse, that never shall have ending.
The Holy Ghost inspir'd her beyond measure,
She was possest with Heaven & earths whole treasure,
And grant she could speake Latin, and all Tongues,
Yet Masse or Mattins to her not belongs.
Of all that mortall were she was the best,
And her immortall soule is now most blest.
Her memorable Honour to preserve,
Her dayes of celebration we observe,
The Feast of her Annuntiation,
Her cleare and pure Purification,
The Church (in reverence) hath ordain'd these dayes,
On which we should send up our prayers and praise,
To our good God, whose mercie was so great,
To leave his glorious and immortall Seate,
And to the blessed Virgins wombe he came,
And tooke on him our filthy sinne and shame;
And on these dayes we pray that we may be,
The Virgins followers in Humilitie,
That our true meeknesse, and our lowlines,
May raise us to eternall blessednes;
We hold it the sure way to our salvation,
To follow her in holy imitation;
Through heavenly influence her excellence,
Must be admir'd with love and reverence,
And those that dare compare most sawcily,
Their wives or mothers with her sanctitie,
Are sawcie knaves in pride and ignorance,
Or Atheists, fit to lead the hang-mans dance;
We love her then, though we beleeve not in her,
Nor (by will-worship) doe we thinke to win her;
We hold her blessed for Christs flesh conceiving,
But farre more blessed for Christs faith receiving:
She was his mother, so 's the Church his wife,
Which was to him much dearer then his life,
Now if that one could fall at oddes with th'other,
He would respect his wife before his mother;
For who so to him once a wife doth take,
Must father, mother, friends and kin forsake.
And this is every Spouses carriage,
But most in this spirituale marriage,
As Maries mother of Christs humane life,
She's but the Daughter of his heavenly wife,
By which meanes onely, faith doth me perswade,
Of Christ blest body she's a member made;
Whereby these glorious Titles she hath won,
Maid, mother, wife, and sister to her Sonne.
All this sir Iohn I doe but briefly say,
To let you see you play us much foule play.

Pri.
Well Pedlar, tho that pack about thou beare,
Th'art some apostate Monke or Frier I feare,
Of Luthers love, or Calvins cursed crew,
And sent abroad such businesse to brew,
Disguised like the person of some Pedlar.

Ped.
No faith (sir Iohn) I am not such a medler,
Nor have I mind or meanes, so high to mount,
A little I can read and cast account,
My wits are weake to utter Rime or Reason,
I know not what you call your Kerrieleison.
So help me God (sir Iohn) I know no better,
Nor in your Latin can I read a letter,
For Latin is a Language admirable,
And my poore friends and parents were unable,
To purchase one scrap of it, for my share,
And sure without it I can sell my ware,
And though I have no Latin, yet I can
Aske what I want of either God or man,
In mine owne mother tongue, I know and see,
How simple soules by you abused bee.
And how your doctrine half our praiers would carry,
From Christ our Saviour to the Virgin Mary,
I also doe perceive how you doe frame,
Strange innovations to that heavenly Dame,
Ascribing her that honour, which to none
Is due, but onely unto God alone:
Of which she takes small notice, nor will she
For it, at any time your helper be.

Priest.
Read but the Legend, Pedlar, and ther view
Her miracles, approve her honour due,
For which the Pope in Latin doth preferre,
That Masse and matins must be said to her.
Read, and consider, and believe it well,
Or else thou art at least half wayes in hell.

Ped.
Sure Hell is not within the Popes commission,
Though purgatorie, and the Inquisition,
Are things which he himselfe of late created,
Yet of small worth, by wise men they are rated;
I answer as I oft before have said
I love, and reverence that blest mother maid,
But I beleeve in God, and when I pray,
Christ help me (when my soule or corps doe stray)
And so what e're I either have or want,
I neither pray to he or to she Saint;
And as for Tongues, I have but one, no more,
And wot ye well, although I had six score,
I would conforme my selfe to Pauls commanding,
Pray with my tongue, pray with my understanding.
Think you the twelve, when they receiv'd the tongues,
Talkt, and knew not whereto their talk belongs,
Yeelding a sound not knowing what they said,
Idle in preaching, ideler when they pray'd,
No, each of them knew well what he did say,
And why not we (sir Iohn) as well as they;
For since each man hath one tongue at command,
Shall men speake tongues they do not understand?
Alas good sir, had I been train'd at Schoole,
As I am but a sillie simple Foole,
A hundred Questions more I might have moved,
But here I cease for feare to be reproved,
For these few doubts I learn'd in sundry places,
Me thinkes such men as you should cleare all cases.

Priest.
Now Pedlar, I confesse thou putst me to it,
But one thing I will tell thee if thou'lt doe it;
If to our Prior thou wilt with me goe backe,
Perhaps he will buy all that's in thy packe,
And teach thee better how to pray then any,
For such a holy man there are not many,
Be here to morrow Betweene six and seven,
And thou wilt find thy selfe halfe waies in Heaven.

Ped.
Content sir Iohn, but there is one thing more,
I must have your opinion in before,
Suppose the holy Priour have no leisure,
To talke of every purpose at our pleasure,
Your Booke which is the golden Legend nam'd,
(Wherein as many lies as lines are fram'd)
And, on my conscience, I doe thinke that you,
Doe know the most on't to be most untrue;
And therefore tell me sir before you goe,
Whether your selves beleeve it, yea or no.

Priest.
Yes verily we doe beleeve it all,
And hold it holy and authenticall.

Ped.
Then Ile repeat a tale or two in prose,
Which few wise men beleeve as I suppose.