 | A pretie and Mery new Enterlude : called the Disobedient Child |  |
The Perortoan.
This
Interlude here good gentle audience,
Which presently before you we haue played:
Was set foorth with such care and diligence,
As by vs truely myght well be shewed.
Shorte it is I denye not, and full of breuitie
But if ye marke therof the matter,
Then choose ye can not, but see playnely
How payne and pleasure be knyt togyther.
By this lytell playe, the Father is taught,
After what maner his Chylde to vse:
Least that throughe cockerynge at length he be brought
His Fathers Cōmaundement to refuse,
Here ye maye learne a wyttie lesson,
Betymes to correcte his Sonne beynge tender:
And not let hym be lost and vndone,
With wantonnes of mischiefe the Mother.
For as longe as the twygge is gentell and plyent
(Euery man knoweth this by experience:)
With small force and strength it maye be bent
Puttynge therto but lytell dylygence.
But after that it waxeth somewhat bigger
And to cast his braunches largely begynneth,
It is scant the myght of all thy power,
That one bowghe therof, easely bendeth,
This twygge to a chylde maye well be applyed
Which in his childehoode, and age of Infancie:
With small correction maye be amended,
Embracynge the Schole with harte and bodie.
Who afterwarde with ouer much lybertye,
And rangynge abrode with the Brydell of wyll.
Despyseth all vertue, learnynge and honestye,
And also his Fathers mynde to fullfyll.
Wherby at the length it so falleth out
That this the yonge Stryplynge after that daye:
Runnes into confusyon without any doubte
And lyke for euermore quyte to decaye.
Wherfore take hede all ye that be parentes
And folowe a parte after my counsell,
Instructe your Chyldren and make them studentes
That vnto all goodnes they do not rebell
Remember what writeth Salomon the wyse,
Qui parcit Uirgae, odith filium.
Which presently before you we haue played:
Was set foorth with such care and diligence,
As by vs truely myght well be shewed.
Shorte it is I denye not, and full of breuitie
But if ye marke therof the matter,
Then choose ye can not, but see playnely
How payne and pleasure be knyt togyther.
By this lytell playe, the Father is taught,
After what maner his Chylde to vse:
Least that throughe cockerynge at length he be brought
His Fathers Cōmaundement to refuse,
Here ye maye learne a wyttie lesson,
Betymes to correcte his Sonne beynge tender:
And not let hym be lost and vndone,
With wantonnes of mischiefe the Mother.
For as longe as the twygge is gentell and plyent
(Euery man knoweth this by experience:)
With small force and strength it maye be bent
Puttynge therto but lytell dylygence.
But after that it waxeth somewhat bigger
And to cast his braunches largely begynneth,
It is scant the myght of all thy power,
That one bowghe therof, easely bendeth,
This twygge to a chylde maye well be applyed
Which in his childehoode, and age of Infancie:
With small correction maye be amended,
Embracynge the Schole with harte and bodie.
Who afterwarde with ouer much lybertye,
And rangynge abrode with the Brydell of wyll.
And also his Fathers mynde to fullfyll.
Wherby at the length it so falleth out
That this the yonge Stryplynge after that daye:
Runnes into confusyon without any doubte
And lyke for euermore quyte to decaye.
Wherfore take hede all ye that be parentes
And folowe a parte after my counsell,
Instructe your Chyldren and make them studentes
That vnto all goodnes they do not rebell
Remember what writeth Salomon the wyse,
Qui parcit Uirgae, odith filium.
Therfore for asmuche as ye can deuyse
Spare not the Rodde, but folowe wisdome.
Further ye yonge men and Chyldren also
Lysten to me and harken a whyle,
What in fewe wordes for you I wyll showe,
Without any flatterye, fraude, or guyle.
This Richemans Sonne whome we dyd set foorth,
Here euidently before your eyes:
Was (as it chaunced) nothinge worth,
Gyuen to all noughtynes, vyce, and lyes.
The cause wherof was this for a trueth
His tyme full idlely he dyd spende,
And woulde not studye in his youth,
Which might haue brought him to a good ende.
His Fathers cōmaundement he wolde not obaye,
But wantonly folowed his fantasye:
For nothynge that he coulde do or saye,
Woulde brynge this Chylde to honestie.
And at the last (as here ye myght see:)
Upon a wyfe he fixed his mynde,
Thynkynge the same to be felicitie,
When in dede myserye came behynde.
For by this wyfe he carefully lyued,
Who vnder his Father did want nothinge:
And in suche sorte was hereby tormented
That euer a none, he went lamentynge.
His Father dyd wyll him lyghtnes to leaue
And onely to gyue him selfe vnto studye:
But yet vnto vertue he would dot cleaue,
Which is cōmodious for soule and bodye.
You hearde that by Sentences auncient and olde
He styrred his Sonne as he best thought:
But he as an vnthryfe stowte and bolde,
His holsome counsell dyd set at nought.
And synce that he despysed his Father
God vnto hym dyd sodeynly then sende:
Such pouertie with a wyfe, and griefe togyther
That shame and sorowe was his ende.
Wherfore to conclude, I warne you all
By your louynge parentes, alwayes be ruled:
Or els be well assured of suche a fall?
As vnto this yongman worthely channced.
Worshyp God dayly, whiche is the chiefe thynge
And his holy lawes do not offende:
Looke that ye truely serue the kynge,
And all your faultes be glad to amende.
Moreouer, be true of hande and tonge,
And learne to do all thynges that be honest,
For no tyme so fytte, as when ye be yonge,
Bycause that age onely is the aptest.
I haue no more, to speake at this season,
For verye good wyll these thynges I dyd saye:
Bycause I do see that vertue is geason,
With most men and chyldren, at this daye.
Spare not the Rodde, but folowe wisdome.
Further ye yonge men and Chyldren also
Lysten to me and harken a whyle,
What in fewe wordes for you I wyll showe,
Without any flatterye, fraude, or guyle.
This Richemans Sonne whome we dyd set foorth,
Here euidently before your eyes:
Was (as it chaunced) nothinge worth,
Gyuen to all noughtynes, vyce, and lyes.
The cause wherof was this for a trueth
His tyme full idlely he dyd spende,
And woulde not studye in his youth,
Which might haue brought him to a good ende.
His Fathers cōmaundement he wolde not obaye,
But wantonly folowed his fantasye:
For nothynge that he coulde do or saye,
Woulde brynge this Chylde to honestie.
And at the last (as here ye myght see:)
Upon a wyfe he fixed his mynde,
When in dede myserye came behynde.
For by this wyfe he carefully lyued,
Who vnder his Father did want nothinge:
And in suche sorte was hereby tormented
That euer a none, he went lamentynge.
His Father dyd wyll him lyghtnes to leaue
And onely to gyue him selfe vnto studye:
But yet vnto vertue he would dot cleaue,
Which is cōmodious for soule and bodye.
You hearde that by Sentences auncient and olde
He styrred his Sonne as he best thought:
But he as an vnthryfe stowte and bolde,
His holsome counsell dyd set at nought.
And synce that he despysed his Father
God vnto hym dyd sodeynly then sende:
Such pouertie with a wyfe, and griefe togyther
That shame and sorowe was his ende.
Wherfore to conclude, I warne you all
By your louynge parentes, alwayes be ruled:
Or els be well assured of suche a fall?
As vnto this yongman worthely channced.
Worshyp God dayly, whiche is the chiefe thynge
And his holy lawes do not offende:
Looke that ye truely serue the kynge,
And all your faultes be glad to amende.
Moreouer, be true of hande and tonge,
And learne to do all thynges that be honest,
For no tyme so fytte, as when ye be yonge,
Bycause that age onely is the aptest.
I haue no more, to speake at this season,
For verye good wyll these thynges I dyd saye:
With most men and chyldren, at this daye.
Here the rest of the Players come in and kneele downe all togyther, eche of them sayinge one of these Uerses.
And last of all, to make an ende,
O God to the we most humblye praye:
That to Queene Elizabeth thou do sende
Thy lyuely pathe, and perfecte waye,
O God to the we most humblye praye:
That to Queene Elizabeth thou do sende
Thy lyuely pathe, and perfecte waye,
Graunte her in health to raygne.
With vs many yeares most prosperouslye:
And after this lyfe for to attayne,
The eternall blysse, Ioye, and felycytie.
With vs many yeares most prosperouslye:
And after this lyfe for to attayne,
The eternall blysse, Ioye, and felycytie.
Our Bysshoppes, pastoures, and Mynisters also
The true vnderstandynge of thy worde,
Both nyght and daye, nowe mercyfully showe,
That their lyfe and preachynge maye godly accorde,
The true vnderstandynge of thy worde,
Both nyght and daye, nowe mercyfully showe,
That their lyfe and preachynge maye godly accorde,
The Lordes of the Counsell, and the Nobylytie,
Most heauenly Father, we thee desyre:
With grace, wisdome, and godly polycie,
Their hartes and myndes, alwayes inspyre.
Most heauenly Father, we thee desyre:
With grace, wisdome, and godly polycie,
Their hartes and myndes, alwayes inspyre.
And that we thy people duelye consyderynge
The power of our Queene and great auctorytie,
Maye please thee and serue her without faynynge,
Lyuynge in peace, rest, and tranquilytie.
The power of our Queene and great auctorytie,
Maye please thee and serue her without faynynge,
Lyuynge in peace, rest, and tranquilytie.
| A pretie and Mery new Enterlude : called the Disobedient Child | |