University of Virginia Library

A COMEDY CONCERNYNGE THRE LAWES, OF NATURE, MOSES, AND CHRIST, CORRUPTED BY THE SODOMYTES, PHARYSEES AND PAPYSTES. Compyled by Johan Bale. Anno 1538.

Actus Primus

[Enter Deus Pater, Naturae Lex, Moseh Lex, and Christi Lex.]
Deus Pater

Naturae Lex
Of duty we ought alwayes to be obeysaunt
To your commaundement for just it is and plesaunt.

Moseh Lex
Your preceptes are true and of perpetuall strength,
On justyce grounded as wyll apere at length.

Christi Lex
Proudenesse ye abhorre with lyke inconvenyentes.
All they are cursed wych go from your commaundementes.

Deus Pater
Our lawes are all one, though yow do thre apere,
Lyke wyse as our wyll is all one in effect.
But bycause that Man in hymself is not clere,
To tyme and persone as now we have respect;
And as thre teachers to hym we yow dyrect
Though ye be but one, in token that we are thre
Dystyncte in persone and one in the deyte.

Naturae Lex
We consydre that for as concernynge Man
Foure severall tymes are moch to be respected:
Of innocency first, of hys transgressyon than,
Than the longe season wherin he was afflycted,
Fynally the tyme wherin he was redemed:
Of pleasure is the first, the seconde of exyle,
The third doth ponnysh, the forth doth reconcyle.

Moseh Lex
Whan Angell was made thys lawe he had by and by,
To serve yow hys lorde, and with laudes to prosecute.
Thys lawe was geven Man, in tyme of innocency,
In no wyse to eate of the forbydden frute.
These two lawes broken, both they were destytute
Of their first fredome, to their most hygh decaye,
Tyll your only sonne ded mannys whole raunsome paye.

Christi lex
Whan Angell in heaven and Man in paradyse
Those lawes had broken, the lawe of wycked Sathan
Impugned your lawes by craft and subtyle practyse.
Where yow sayd Eate not! he sayd unto the woman
‘Eate! Ye can not dye: as godes ye shall be than.’
By thys first of all your [lawes] Man proved true
And Sathans lawe false, whych he now dayly rue.

Deus Pater

Naturae Lex
For tyme of exyle than I must be hys teacher.

Deus Pater
Yea, for thre ages both gyde and governer:
From Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham,
And than to Moses whych is the sonne of Amram.

Naturae Lex
Where must I remayne for the tyme I shall be here?

Deus Pater
In the hart of Man hys conscyence for to stere
To ryghteouse lyvynge and to a just beleve.
In token wherof, thys hart to the I geve.
Hic pro suo signo cor ministrat.
Thu shalt want no grace to confort hym with all,
If he to the fayth of my first promyse fall.

Moseh Lex
Then my course is next for tyme of hys ponnishment.

Deus Pater
For thre ages more to the must he consent:
From Moses to David, from thens to the Jewes exyle,
And so fourth to Christ, whych wyll Man reconcyle.

Moseh Lex
Where shall I, swete Lorde, for that same season dewell?

Deus Pater
With soch harde rulers as wyll the people compell
Our mynde to fulfyll without vayne gaudes or fables.
For a sygne of thys, holde these same stony tables.
Hic pro signo lapideas dat ei tabulas.
All they that observe our lawes invyolablye
Shall every where prospere, increase and multyplye.

Christi Lex
Then I perceyve well my course is last of all.

Deus Pater
What though it be so? Yet art thu pryncypall;
[Over all] the worlde thy beames shalt thu extende,
And styll contynue tyll the worlde be at an ende.

Christi Lex
Where shall I, father, for that same tyme persever?

Deus Pater
With the faythfull sort must thu contynue ever.
Thu shalt my people returne from farre exyle
And for evermore to my grace reconcyle.
Take thys precyouse boke for a token evydent,
A seale of my covenaunt, and a lyvynge testament.
Hic pro signo dat ei novum testamentum.
They that beleve it shall lyve for evermore,
And they that do not wyll rue their folye sore.
Blessed shall he be that yow, my lawes, wyll kepe
In cytie and felde, whether he do worke or slepe.
Hys wyfe shall encreace; hys land shall frutyfye;
And of hys enemyes he shall have vyctorye;
The skye wyll geve rayne whan seasonable tyme shall be;
The workes of hys handes shall have prosperyte.
Cursed shall they be that wyll not our lawes fulfyll,
Without and within, at market and at myll.
Of corne and cattell they shall have non increase;
Within their owne howse shall sorowes never cease;
Never shall they be without byle, botche or blayne;
The pestylence and poxe wyll worke them deadly payne.
Shewe thys unto Man and byd hym take good hede
Of our ryghteousnesse to stande alwayes in drede.
We vysyte the synne and the great abhomynacyon
Of the wycked sort to thirde and fort generacyon.
Thu, lawe of Nature, instruct hym first of all;
Thu, lawe of Moses, correct hym for hys fall;
And thu, lawe of Christ, geve hym a godly mynde,
Rayse hym unto grace, and save hym from the fynde.
Our heavenly blessynge be with yow, everychone.

Omnes
simul.
All prayse and glory to your majeste alone.

Christi Lex
Here styll to tarry I thynke it be your mynde.

Naturae Lex
My offyce, ye knowe, is to instruct Mankynde.

Moseh Lex
Than God be with yow; we leave ye here behynde.

Exeunt [all except Naturae Lex.]

Incipit Actus Secundus

Naturae Lex

[Enter Infidelitas as a pedlar, singing.]
Infidelitas

Naturae Lex
That myght have done ye smart.

Infidelitas

Naturae Lex
Why dost thu call me knave?

Infidelitas
I sayd I wolde be your slave,
Yf your grace wolde me have,
And do your worke anon.
I wolde so rubbe your botes
Therofe shuld from the rotes
Whan ye shuld do them on ...

Naturae Lex
Thu art dysposed to mocke;
Sone mayst thu have a knocke,
If thu with me so game.

Infidelitas
Your mouth shall kysse my docke,
Your tonge shall it unlocke—
But I saye, what is your name?

Naturae Lex
I am the lawe of Nature.

Infidelitas
I thought so by your stature,
And by your auncyent gature,
Ye were of soch a rature,
Whan I first heard ye speke.
Ye commoned with God lately,
And now ye are hys bayly,
Mankynde to rule dyscretely;
Welcome, syr huddypeke.

Naturae Lex
If thu use soch vyllanye,
I shall dysplease the, trulye.

Infidelitas
By the masse, I the defye,
With thy whole cuckoldrye,
And all that with the holde.

Naturae Lex
Why dost thu me blaspheme,
And so ungodly deme?

Infidelitas

Naturae Lex
Ye are dysposed to dallye,
To leape and oversallye
The compasse of your wytte:
I counsell ye yet in season,
Sumwhat to folowe reason,
And gnawe upon the bytte.

Infidelitas
Then after our great madnesse,
Lete us fall to some sadnesse,
And tell me what ye intende.

Naturae Lex

Infidelitas

Naturae Lex

Infidelitas
And yow are the same lawe
That kepe them undre awe
By your most polytyke wytt?

Naturae Lex

Infidelitas
In dede here is good sport:
But why do yow resort
Unto thys present place?

Naturae Lex

Infidelitas
I shall kepe ye as well from that
As my grandame kept her cat
From lyckynge of her creame.

Naturae Lex
What wylt thu kepe me fro?
Tell me ere thu farther go:
Me thynke thu art in a dreame.

Infidelitas
From causynge of Mankynde
To geve to God hys mynde
Or hys obedyence.

Naturae Lex
What is thy name? Tell me.

Infidelitas
Marry, Infydelyte,
Whych never wyll agre
To your benyvolence.

Naturae Lex
Thu cannyst not kepe me from man.

Infidelitas
Yet wyll I do the best I can
To trouble ye now and than,
That ye shall not prevayle.
I wyll cause ydolatrye,
And most vyle sodomye
To worke so ongracyouslye
Ye shall of your purpose fayle.

Naturae Lex
I defye the, wycked fynde,
With thy whole venemouse kynde.
God putteth now in my mynde
To fle thy cumpanye.

Infidelitas
Ye are so blessed a Saynt,
And your self so wele can paynt,
That I must me acquaynt
With yow, no remedye.

Naturae Lex
Avoyde, thu cruell enemye!
I wyll non of the trulye,
But shurne thy cumpanye
As I wolde the devyll of hell.
Exit [Naturae Lex.]

Infidelitas

Sodomismus
[offstage.]
Ambo is a name full cleane.
[as] Monachus
Knowe ye not what I meane,
And are so good a clarke?

Infidelitas
By Tetragrammaton,
I charge ye, apere anon
And come out of the darke.

Intrant simul [Sodomismus and Idololatria.]
Sodomismus
Have in than, at a dash,
With swash, myry annet swash;
Yet maye I not be to rash
For my holy orders sake,

Idololatria
Nor I, sonne, by my trouth.
[as] Necromantic
Cha caute a corage of slouth,
And soch a comberouse couth,
Ych wote not what to do.

Infidelitas
At Christmas and at Paske
Ye maye daunce the devyll a maske
Whyls hys great cawdron plawe.
Yow soch a prati mynyon,
And yow now in relygyon,
Soch two I never sawe.
Is not thy name Ydolatrye?

Sodomismus

Infidelitas
What, sumtyme thu wert an he!

Idololatria
Yea, but now ych am a she,
And a good mydwyfe per De,
Yonge chyldren can I charme,
With whysperynges and whysshynges,
With crossynges and with kyssynges,
With blasynges and with blessynges,
That spretes do them no harme.

Infidelitas
Then art thu lyke to Clisthenes,
To Clodious and Euclides,
Sardinapalus and Hercules,
Whych themselves oft transfourmed
Into a womannys lyckenes,
With agylyte and quyckenes,
But they had Venus syckenes,
As writers have declared.

Sodomismus
Lete her tell fourth her matter.

Idololatria

Infidelitas
Than art thu for me fytt.

Sodomismus
The woman hath a wytt,
And by her gere can sytt,
Though she be sumwhat olde.
It is myne owne swete bullye,
My muskyne and my mullye,
My gelover and my cullye,
Yea, myne owne swetehart of golde.

Infidelitas
I saye yet not to bolde.

Idololatria
Peace, fondelinge, tush a button.

Infidelitas
What wylt thu fall to mutton,
And playe the hungry glutton,
Afore thys cumpanye?
Ranke love is full of heate;
Where hungry dogges lacke meate
They wyll durty puddynges eate
For want of befe and conye.
Hygh, mynyon, for monye,
As good is draffe as honye,
Whan the daye is whote and sonnye,
By the blessed rode of Kent.

Sodomismus
Saye fourth your mynde, good mother,
For thys man is non other
But our owne lovynge brother,
And is very wele content.

Idololatria

Infidelitas
It is a spoart I trowe
To heare how she out blowe
Her witche craftes on a rowe;
By the Masse I must nedes smyle.
Now, I praye the, lete me knowe
What sedes that thu cannyst sowe
Mankynde to over throwe,
And the lawe of nature begyle.

Sodomismus

Infidelitas
Marry, thu art the devyll hymselfe!

Idololatria
If ye knewe how he coulde pelfe,
Ye wolde saye he were soch an elfe,
As non under heaven were els.

Infidelitas
The fellawe is wele decked,
Dysgysed and wele necked,
Both knavebalde and pyepecked,
He lacketh nothynge but bels.

Sodomismus

Infidelitas
Ad Sodo.
Ad Idol.
Ad Idol.
Ad Sodo.
Ad Idol.

Sodomismus
I wyll corrupt Gods Image
With most unlawfull usage,
And brynge hym into dottage,
Of all concupyscence.

Idololatria
Within the flesh thu art,
But I dwell in the hart,
And wyll the sowle pervart
From Gods obedyence.

Infidelitas
Spare non abhomynacyon,
Nor detestable fashyon,
That mannys ymagynacyon
By wytt maye comprehende.
To quycken our spretes amonge
Synge now some myry songe,
But lete it not be longe,
Least we to moch offende.
Post cantionem Infidelitas alta voce dicet—

Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui ad imaginem
et similitudinem nostram formasti laicos, da quaesumus
ut sicut eorum sudoribus vivimus ita eorum uxoribus,
filiabus et domicellis perpetuo frui mereamur. Per dominum
nostrum Papam.

[Exeunt Sodomismus and Idololatria.]
Infidelitas

Exit.
[Enter Law of Nature afflicted with leprosy]
Naturae Lex

[Exit.]

Incipit Actus Tertius

[Enter Moseh Lex.]
Moseh Lex

[Enter Infidelitas laughing.]
Infidelitas
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
A pastyme, quoth a! I knowe not the tyme nor whan
I ded laugh so moch sens I was an honest man.
Beleve me and ye wyll, I never sawe soch a sport.
I wolde ye had bene there that ye myght have made the fort.

Moseh Lex
Where woldest have had me? Tell me, good brother myne.

Infidelitas
At the Mynorasse, ser, late yester nyght at complyne.

Moseh Lex
At the Mynorasse? Why, what was there ado?

Infidelitas
For soch an other wolde I to Southampton go.
In dede yester daye it was their dedycacyon,
And thydre in Gods name came I to se the fashyon.
An olde fryre stode forth with spectacles on hys nose
Begynnynge thys Anteme —a my fayth, I do not glose—
[Sings.]

Moseh Lex
And what ded folowe of thys?

Infidelitas
I shall tell ye, ser, by Gods blys.
Then came Dame Isbell, an olde nonne and a calme,
Crowynge lyke a capon, and thus began the Psalme:
[Sings.]

Moseh Lex
And what includeth thys mysterye?

Infidelitas
A symple probleme of bytcherye.
Whan the fryre begonne, afore the nonne,
To synge of precyouse stones,
‘From my youth,’ sayt she, ‘they have confort me,’—
As it had bene for the nones.

Moseh Lex
I assure the playne, I set not by soch gaudes;
Thy usage shewe the to be brought up amonge baudes.

Infidelitas

Moseh Lex
The lawe of Moses: to lye I were to blame.

Infidelitas
In these same partyes what do ye now intende?

Moseh Lex
Mankynde to refourme, that he hys lyfe amende.
I shewe what synne is and what thynge pleaseth God;
I confort the just, and the yll I ponnysh with rod.
The commen people have thought it commodyouse
Dyverse Goddes to have with rytes superstycyouse;
My commaundement is to seke one God alone,
And in all their nedes to hym make their mone.
Amonge the gentyles was it thought non injurye,
If a man wer hurt, to slee hys adversarye:
Thys thynge I forbyd, and saye, ‘Thu shalt not kyll:
Lawe is the revenger, the man maye do no yll.’
Some persones there are that inordynatlye love;
Those are perswaded all thynges them to behove
Whych I inhybyte, saynge contynuallye,
‘No rape shalt thu do nor yet commyt advouterye;
Thu shalt do no theft nor covete that is not thyne;
Agaynst thy neyber shalt thu not falsely dyffyne.’

Infidelitas
We maye do nothynge if we be pynned in thus;
Neyther yow nor God to that harde trade shall brynge us.
We must have one God, and worshypp hym alone?
Marry, that in dede wolde make a Turke to grone.
If we be stryken, we maye not stryke agayne?
A proper bargayne, and dyscretelye uttered playne!
For cumpanyes sake ye saye we maye not love:
I defye your worst, and to yow there is my glove!

Moseh Lex
What, thu wylt not fyght? Thy wyttes are better than so.

Infidelitas
In the quarell of love, I shall prove ye ere I go;
By the messe, I thynke to put ye to your fence.

Moseh Lex
Thu were moch better to kepe thy pacyence.

Infidelitas
Naye, by cockes sowle, frynd, I must lay ye on the coate.
In loves cause to fyght ye maye sone have me a floate.
Naye, have at your pylche! Defende ye, if ye maye.

Moseh Lex
Soch a fole art thu as seke thyne owne decaye.
If I ones meddle, to the it wyll be death.
Dedyst thu never hear that lawe sleath in hys wreath?

Infidelitas
By the blessed lorde, than wyll I playe Robsons part.

Moseh Lex
Whye, what part wylt thu playe?

Infidelitas
By cockes sowle, geve over so sone as I fele smart.

Moseh Lex
It wyll be to late if I ones cupple with the.

Infidelitas
Then lete me alone, and we shall sone agre,
And I shall be glad to be acquaynted with ye.

Moseh Lex
Acquayntaunce, good fellawe? Thu mayst sone have of me.

Infidelitas
The worst fault I have, I am hastye now and than;
But it is sone gone, I toke it of a woman.
But what meane those tables that ye have in your hande?

Moseh Lex
Kepe sylence a whyle and thu shalt understande.
Thre thynges I declare, the first are the preceptes morall,
Next the lawes judycial, and last the rytes ceremonyal.
The morall preceptes are Gods commaundementes ten,
Whych ought evermore to be observed of all men.
The lawes of Nature the morall preceptes declare,
And the plesaunt workes to God they teache and prepare.
They sturre man to fayth, and provoke hym also to love,
To obeye, to serve, and to worshypp God above.
In two stonye tables God wrote them first of all,
That they shuld remayne as thynges contynuall.
The first hath but thre, whych tende to Gods hygh honour;
Seven hath the seconde, and they concerne our neybour.
The first doth expounde the first lawe naturall;
The next the other, makynge them very formall.
In sprete is the first, that we shuld God honour and love;
To outward workynge the seconde doth us move,
Forbyddynge all wronges, preservynge just marryage,
Norryshynge true peace and other godly usage.

Infidelitas
What is the effect of your lawes judycyall?

Moseh Lex
Soch thynges to commaunde as are cyvyle or temporall.
From vyce to refrayne and outwarde injurye,
Quyet to conserve and publyque honestie:
These are to support the lawes of the seconde table.
Ceremonyall rytes are also commendable,
In holy dayes, garmentes, temples and consecracyons,
Sacryfyces and vowes, with offerynges and expiacyons,
Whych are unto Christ as fygurs, types and shadowes.
As Paule doth declare, in hys pystle to the Hebrues,
These are only fygures and outwarde testymonyes,
No Man is perfyght by soch darke ceremonyes:
Only perteyne they unto the thirde commaundement
Of the Sabboth daye, tyll Christ the lorde be present,
In hys death endyng the whole Judaycal presthode.

Infidelitas
Good dayes myght ye have, ye speake it full wele by the rode.
A am a poore lad, and by my trouth bent ernestlye
To wayte upon ye and to be your very lackye.

Moseh Lex
What art thu called, I praye the hartelye?

Infidelitas
Graye fryre am I non —by the messe I can not flatter.
I am Infydelyte, to tell the truth of the matter.

Moseh Lex
And hast thu so longe dyssembled thus with me?

Infidelitas
Yea, for advauntage, to smell out your subtylyte.

Moseh Lex
Avoyde hens I saye, thu false Infydelyte.

Infidelitas
Naye, that I wyll not, by Yngham Trynyte.

Moseh Lex
Wylt thu not in dede? Than wyll I fet hyther the poure
Of judges and kynges to subdue the within thys houre.

Exit.
Infidelitas
Soch knyghtes wyll I have as shall confounde them all,
As Sadducees and Scrybes with the sect pharysaycal.
By helpe of my chyldren Idolatry and Sodomye
The lawe of Nature I kest ones in a leprye.
I have yet two more, Ambycyon and Covetousnes,
Whych wyll do as moch to the lawe of Moses.
Where are my whoresons that they come not awaye?

[Enter Avaritia and Ambitio.]
Avaritia
Yea, whoreson, on thy face, even in thy best araye!
[as] Jurisconsultus
I wyll thu knowe it, I am a worshypfull doctour,
A Scrybe in the lawe, and a profytable proctour.

Infidelitas
Goppe with a vengeaunce! How comest thu so aloft?

Avaritia
I shall tell the, man, if thu wylt commen more soft,
By fayned flatterye and by coloured adulacyon;
Ambycyon here also rose out of a lyke foundacyon.

Infidelitas
Come, axe me blessynge, lyke praty boyes apace.

Ambitio
I wyll not bowe sure to soch a folysh face.

Infidelitas
Axe blessynge, I saye, and make me no more ado.

Ambitio
Unsemelye were it we prelates shuld do so.

Avaritia
For no compulsyon wyll I do it, by swete Marye.

Infidelitas
I must fatche ye in, there is no remedye.
A, noughty whoresons, have I brought ye up hytherto?
And knowe not your father? Ye shal drynke both ere I go!

[Infidelitas beats them.]
Ambo
simul.
Nomore at thys tyme! Forsoth we crye a mercye.

Infidelitas
Downe on your knees than, and axe me blessyng shortely.

Ambo simul.
Blesse me, gentyll father, for swete saynt charyte.

Infidelitas
Aryse noughty knaves; God lete ye never to thee!
Though amonge our selves, we murmour, bragge, and face,
Somtyme for lucre, somtyme for the hyghar place,
Yet for advauntage, in thys we all agre,
To blynde the rulers, and deceyve the commynalte.

Avaritia

Ambitio

Infidelitas
Here is a prelate even for myne owne touth;
Soch an other is not in the whole south.
Clappe thu somwhat more as thu hast begunne;
I lyke wele your talkynge, by the holy nunne!

Avaritia

Ambitio
With vyces seven I close up heaven,
And speare up paradyce;
I oppen hell By my counsell,
Maynteynynge every vyce.

Avaritia
For sylver and golde With falsehed I holde,
Supportynge every evyl.
I have it in awe For to choke the lawe,
And brynge all to the devyll.

Infidelitas

Ambitio
I am thyne owne chylde, thu knowest my dysposycyon;
I wyll sure do as ded the Phylystynes.

Infidelitas
Why, what ded those knaves?

Ambitio
They stopped up Abrahams pyttes, as Genesis diffines,
With mudde and with myre, and left them full uncleane.

Infidelitas
By that same practyse tell me what thu dost meane.

Ambitio
With fylthy gloses and dyrty exposycyons
Of Gods lawe wyll I hyde the pure dysposycyons.
The keye of knowledge I wyll also take awaye
By wrastynge the text to the scriptures sore decaye.

Infidelitas
And what wylt thu do, my fellawe Covetousnes?

Avaritia
A vayle wyll I sprede upon the face of Moses,
That non shal perceyve the clerenes of hys contenaunce,
Whych is of the lawe the meanyng and true ordynaunce.

Infidelitas
Why, what wyll ye saye unto the ten commaundementes?

Ambitio
We must poyson them with wyll workes and good intentes.
Where as God doth saye, ‘No straunge goddes thu shalt have,’
With sayntes worshyppynge that clause we wyll deprave.
And though he commaunde to make no carved ymage,
For a good intent yet wyll we have pylgrymage.
Though he wyll us not to take hys name in vayne,
With tradycyons yet therunto wyll we constrayne.
No Sabboth wyl we with Gods worde sanctyfye,
But with lyppe labour and ydle ceremonye.
To father and mother we maye owe non obedyence,
Our relygyon is of so great excellence.
Though we do not slee, yet maye we heretykes burne
If they wyll not sone from holy scripture turne.
What though it be sayd, ‘Thu shalt do no fornycacyon,’
Yet wyll we mayntene moch greatter abhomynacyon.
Though theft be forbyd, yet wyll we contynuallye
Robbe the poore people through prayer and purgatorye.
God hath inhybyted to geve false testymonye,
Yet we wyll condempne the Gospell for heresye.
We shuld not covete our neybers howse nor wyfe,
Hys servaunt nor beast, yet are we therin most ryfe.
Of men make we swyne by the draffe of our tradycyons,
And cause them nothynge to regard but superstycyons.
As dogges unresonable on most vyle carren fede,
So wyll we cause them seke ydolles in their nede;
And alwayes their grounde shall be for a good intent.

Infidelitas
More myscheves I trowe the devyll coulde not invent
Than yow two can do; by the messe, ye are alone!
Lyttle coulde I do, were ye ones from me gone
To the corruptynge of the lawe of Moyses;
Go forwarde therfor in your deceytfulnes.

Avaritia
With superstycyons the Jewes ceremonyall lawes
I wyll so handle they shall not be worth two strawes.
The lawes judycyall through cawtels and delayes
I wyll also drowne to all ryghteouse mennys decayes.
To set thys forwarde we must have sophystrye,
Phylosophye and logyck, as scyence necessarye.
The byshoppes must holde their prestes in ignoraunce
With longe Latyne houres, least knowledge to them chaunce;
Lete them have longe mattens, longe evensonges and longe masses;
And that wyll make them as dull as ever were asses;
That they shall never be able to prophecye,
Or yet preach the truth to our great injurye.
Lete the cloysterers be brought up ever in sylence,
Without the scriptures in payne of dysobedyence.
Se the laye people praye never but in Latyne;
Lete them have their crede and servyce all in Latyne
That a Latyne beleve maye make a Latyne sowle:
Lete them nothynge knowe of Christ nor yet of Powle.
If they have Englysh lete it be for advauntage
For pardons, for dyrges, for offerynges and pylgrymage.
I recken to make them a newe crede in a whyle,
And all in Englysh, their conscyence to begyle.

Infidelitas
Rehearce unto me the artycles of that crede.

Avaritia

Infidelitas
Yea, and burne the knaves that wyll not beleve that crede,
That into the dytche the blynde the blynde maye lede.

Ambitio
Then I holde it best that we alwayes condempne
The Byble readers least they our actes contempne.

Infidelitas
Yea, never spare them, but evermore playe the bytar,
Expressynge alwayes the tropes and types of thy mytar.

Ambitio
Why, what dost thu thynke my mytar to sygnyfy?

Infidelitas
The mouth of a wolfe, and that shall I prove by and by—
If thu stoupe downewarde, loo, se how the wolfe doth gape.
Redye to devoure the lambes, least any escape.
But thy wolvyshnesse by thre crownes wyll I hyde,
Makynge the a Pope, and a captayne of all pryde,
That whan thu doest slee soch as thy lawes contempne
Thu mayst saye, ‘Not I, but the powers ded them condempne.’
These labels betoken the lawes of se non and can non.

Ambitio
I trowe thu woldest saye the two lawes cyvyle and canon.

Infidelitas
As I spake, I thought, and styll thynke, by Saynt Johan.
Yea, persecute styll the instructers of the people,
And thu, Covetousnesse, lete no bell rynge in steple
Without a profyght. Tush, take moneye every whear,
So nygh clyppe and shave that thu leave never a heare.

Avaritia
I caused the Pope to take but now of late
Of the graye fryres to have canonyzate
Franciscus de Pola thre thousand duckates and more;
And as moch besydes he had not longe afore
For a cardynall hatte of the same holy order—
Thus drawe we to us great goodes from every border.
Pope Clement the Seventh payed ones for hys papacye
Thre hondred thousand good duckates of lawful monye.

Infidelitas
I marvele how he coulde come to so moch good.

Avaritia
Yes, yes, by pollage, and by shedynge Christen blood.
Crosers and mytars in Rome are good merchandyce,
And all to lyttle to maynteyne their pompe and vyce.

Ambitio
The Pope for whoredom hath in Rome and Viterbye
Of golde and sylver a wonderfull substaunce yearlye.
Tush, they be in Englande that moch rather wolde to dwell
Whores in their dyoceses than the readers of Christes Gospell.

Infidelitas
They do the better for by them they maye have profyght;
As for the other, do trouble them daye and nyght.
Well now steppe forewarde and go do your busynes
To the corruptynge of the lawe of Moyses.

Avaritia
Doubt not but we shall make hym a crepple blynde.

Infidelitas
Synge then at our farwel to recreate our mynde.

Finita cantiuncula exeunt ambo.
Infidelitas

Exit.
[Enter Moseh Lex blind and lame.]
Moseh Lex

[Exit.]

Incipit Actus Quartus

[Enter Evangelium.]
Evangelium

[Enter Infidelitas.]
Infidelitas
Gods beneson have ye! It is joye of your lyfe.
I have hearde of ye, and of my mastres your wyfe.

Evangelium
If thu heardest of me, it was by the voyce of God.

Infidelitas
Naye, he that spake of ye was sellynge of a cod
In an oyster bote, a lyttle beyonde Quene Hythe;
A northen man was he, and besought ye to be blythe.

Evangelium
If he spake of me he was some godly preacher.

Infidelitas
Naye ser, by the roode, nor yet a wholsom teacher.

Evangelium
After what maner ded he speake of me?—tell.

Infidelitas
He swore lyke a man, by all contententes of the Gospell;
He swore and better swore, yea, he ded sweare and sweare agayne.

Evangelium
That speakynge is soch as procureth eternall payne.
Wyll not the people leave that most wycked folye,
And it so dampnable? To heare it I am sorye.
But what dedyst thu meane whan thu spakest of my wyfe?

Infidelitas
Nothynge; but I thought it was joye of your lyfe
That ye were so good to your neybers as ye are.

Evangelium
Why, how good am I? Thy fantasye declare.

Infidelitas
Ye ease them amonge, if it be as I heare;
Whan ye are abroade there is fyne myry cheare.

Evangelium
As thu art, thu speakest, after thy hartes abundaunce,
For as the man is, soch is hys utteraunce.
My wyfe is the church, or christen congregacyon,
Regenerate in sprete, doynge no vyle operacyon;
Both cleane and holy, without eyther spott or wryncle
The lambe with hys bloude ded her wash and bespryncle.
Thys is not the church of dysgysed hypocrytes,
Of apysh shavelynges, or papystycall sodomytes;
Nor yet, as they call it, a temple of lyme and stone,
But a lyvysh buyldynge, grounded in fayth alone,
On the harde rocke Christ whych is the sure foundacyon:
And of thys church some do reigne in every nacyon,
And in all contrayes though their nombre be but small.

Infidelitas
Their nomber is soch as hath ronne over all;
The same Danes are they men prophecy of playne,
Whych shuld over ronne thys realme yet ones agayne.

Evangelium
What Danes speakest thu of? Thy meanynge shewe more clerlye.

Infidelitas
Dane Johan, Dane Robert, Dane Thomas, and Dane Harrye;
These same are those Danes that laye with other mennys wyves,
And occupyed their landes to the detryment of their lyves.
These are accounted a great part of the churche,
For in Gods servyce they honourablye wurche,
Yellynge and cryenge tyll their throtes are full sore.

Evangelium
That church was descrybed of Esaye longe afore:
‘Thys people,’ sayth God, ‘with ther lyppes honour me,’
In vayne worshyp they, teachynge mennys fatuyte.
Apparaunt is that church and open to the eyes;
Their worshyppynges are in outwarde ceremonyes.
That counterfet church standeth al by mennys tradycyons,
Without the scriptures and without the hartes affeccyons.
My church is secrete and evermore wyll be,
Adorynge the Father in sprete and in veryte.
By the worde of God thys church is ruled onlye,
And doth not consyst in outwarde ceremonye.
Thys congregacyon is the true church mylytaunt;
Those counterfet desardes are the very church malygnaunt,
To whom Christ wyll saye, ‘I knowe non of your sort.’

Infidelitas
Moch are they to blame that ther bretherne so report.

Evangelium
Soch are no bretherne, but enemyes to Christes blode,
As put salvacyon in shaven crowne, mytar or whode.

Infidelitas
I praye ye, how longe have your swete spowse contynued?

Evangelium
Sens the begynnynge, and now is in Christ renued:
Adam had promyse of Christes incarnacyon,
So had Abraham with hys whole generacyon
Whych was unto them a preachynge of the Gospell
Into salvacyon and delyveraunce from hell.

Infidelitas
By thys tyme I hope ye have a fayre increase?

Evangelium
She is not barren, but beareth, and never cease.
The Corinthes first epystle hath thys clere testymony:
‘In Christo Jesu per Evangelium vos genui—
I have begote yow in Jesu Christ,’ sayth Powle,
‘By the Gospel preachynge to the confort of your sowle.’

Infidelitas
Than are ye a cuckolde, by the blessed holy masse!
As I sayd afore, so cometh it now to passe,
For I am a prophete by hygh inspiracyon led.
Now lyke I my self moch better than I ded.
Ye sayt that Saynt Paule begate your wyfe with chylde!

Evangelium
By mysunderstandynge thu art ungracyously begylde.
An only mynyster was Paule in that same doynge;
That he therin ded was by the Gospell preachynge.
Hys mynde is the Gospell to have done that operacyon,
And thys must thu holde for no carnall generacyon.

Infidelitas
Marry, so they saye, ye fellawes of the newe lernynge
Forsake holy church, and now fall fast to wyvynge.

Evangelium
Naye, they forsake whoredome with other dampnable usage,
And lyve with their wyves in lawfull marryage
Whyls the Popes oyled swarme raigne styll in their olde buggerage.

Infidelitas
Yea, poore marryed men have very moch a do;
I counte hym wysest that can take a snatche and to go.

Evangelium
Thu semest one of them that detesteth matrymonye,
Whych is afore God a state both just and holye.
Of soch as thu art Saynt Paule ded prophecye,
By the Holy Ghost that a serten cumpanye
In the latter dayes from the truth of God shuld fall,
Attendynge to spretes of errour dyabolycall:
Whych in hypocresy wyll teache lyes for advauntage
With marked conscyences inhybytynge marryage.
Thu aperest by thy frutes to be Infydelyte.

Infidelitas
I am non other but even the very he,
And hyther now come I to commen the matter with ye.

Evangelium
Avoyde, cursed fynde, and get the out at the gates!

Infidelitas
Naye, first wyll I serve ye as I lately served your mates;
And hens wyll I not, for thys place is for me.
Who shuld here remayne but Infydelyte?

Evangelium
Well than for a tyme I must depart from hens.
But thys first wyll I saye before thys audyens:
Easyer wyll it be concernynge ponnyshment
To Sodom and Gomor in the daye of judgement,
Than to those cyties that resyst the veryte
At the suggestyons of Infydelyte.
That people wyll be for ever and ever lost,
For it is the great synne agaynst the Holy Ghost.
In the olde lawe first the Father hys mynde exprest;
Than came hys sonne Christ and made it more manyfest;
And now the Holy Ghost is come to close up all—
If he be not heard, extreme dampnacyon wyll fall.
No prayer remayneth, nor expyacyon for synne
To them that no profyght of the worde of God wyll wynne.
Take good hede therfor, and saye that ye have warnyng.

Exit.
Infidelitas
God sende your mother of yow to have a fondelynge!
By the masse, I thynke he is wele out of the waye.
Now wyll I contryve the dryft of another playe.
I must worke soch wayes Christes lawe maye not contynue.
In a whyle am I lyke to have non els of my retynue.
Companyons I want to begynne thys tragedye;
Namely False Doctryne, and hys brother Hypocresye.
They wyll not be longe, I suppose now verelye—
By cockes sowle, me thynke I se soch a cumpanye.
Hem, I saye! Chyldren, wyll not my voyce be hearde?
As good is a becke as is a dewe vow garde.
By my honestie, welcome, myne owne companyons both!

Intrant [Pseudodoctrina and Hypocrisis.]
Pseudodoctrina
Thu shalt sure have a lyvery of the same cloth ...
Gramercyes, by God, my olde frynde Infydelyte!

Hypocrisis
What, brother Snyp Snap, how go the wor[l]de with the?

Infidelitas
What, fryre Flyp Flap, how saye ye to Benedicite?

Hypocrisis
Marry, nothynge but well, for I crye now advauntage.

Infidelitas
At her purse or arse? Tell me, good fryre Succage.

Hypocrisis
By the messe, at both, for I am a great penytensar,
And syt at the pardon. Tush, I am the Popes owne vycar;
If thu lackest a pece, I knowe where thu mayst be sped
With c[h]oyse of a score, and brought even to thy bed.

Pseudodoctrina
Art thu not ashamed to talke so lyke a knave?

Hypocrisis
No, for it is soch gere as the holyest of us wyll have;
Pope, cardynall, byshop, monke, chanon, prest, and fryre,
Not one of ye all but a woman wyll desyre.

Pseudodoctrina
Our orders permyt us not to have them in marryage.

Hypocrisis
No, but ye fatche them in by an other carryage:
Ye do even as we do; we both are of one rate.

Infidelitas
By the messe, I laugh to heare thys whoreson prate.

Pseudodoctrina
What fashyon use ye? —to us here intymate.

Hypocrisis
Ego distinguo whether ye wyll have Lyons or Parys.

Pseudodoctrina
Of them both to shewe, it wyll not be farre amys.

Hypocrisis
In Parys we have the mantell of Saynt Lewes
Whych women seke moch for helpe of their barennes;
For be it ones layed upon a womannys bellye,
She go thens with chylde, the myracles are seane there daylye.
And besydes all thys, ye wolde marvele in confessyon
What our fathers do to assoyle them of transgressyon.
Johan Thessecclius assoyled a yonge woman ones
Behynde the hygh aulter tyll she cryed out of her bones.
And as for Lyons, there is the length of our Lorde
In a great pyller. She that wyll with a coorde
Be fast bounde to it and take soch chaunce as fall
Shall sure have chylde, for within it is hollowe all.
Tush, I coulde tell ye of moch more wondre than this;
In course to heare them I thynke ye wolde ye blys.

Pseudodoctrina
As thu hast begunne, go forewarde in it and tell.

Infidelitas
Soch a knave, I suppose, is not from hens to hell.

Hypocrisis
In our relygyon was an holye popysh patryarke
Whych of all bawdrye myght be the great monarke;
The nonnes to confesse he went from place to place,
And two hondred of them he broached in that space.
Many spyces he eate hys currage to provoke;
Soch a fellawe was he as of that gere had the stroke.

Pseudodoctrina
Now somwhat wyll I tell to confirme thy tale withall.
In Kynge Ferdynands tyme in Spayne was a cardynall,
Petrus Mendoza was the very man that I meane.
Of lemans he had great nombre besydes the quene.
One of hys bastardes was earle, an other was duke,
Whom also he abused and thought it no rebuke.
Joannes Cremona, an other good cardynall,
For reformacyon of the clergye spyrituall
Came ones into Englande to dampne prestes matrymonye,
And the next nyght after was taken doynge bytcherye.
Doctor Eckius also whych fearcely came to dyspute
In Lipsia with Luther, myndynge there hym to confute
For marryage of prestys, thre chyldren had that yeare.
By thys maye ye se that sumtyme we make mery cheare.

Infidelitas
Marry, that ye do; I shall beare ye recorde now:
But how wyll ye answere for breakynge of your vow?

Pseudodoctrina
We never breake vowe so longe as we do not marrye,
Though we in whoredome be never so bolde and busye.

Infidelitas
By your order than ye maye walke moch at large.
What hast thu, Hypocresye to laye for thy dyscharge?

Hypocrisis
Saynt Frances habyte with the holy gyrdle and whode;
Non can go to helle that therin dye, by the rode;
In case Saynt Frances be sure upon their syde,
Els maye they fortune to be of their purpose wyde.
For I reade of one that shuld have gone to the devyll
But the spretes of helle coulde do to hym non evyll
Tyll Saynt Frances came and toke from hym hys cowle;
Then went he to helle, the fryres ded heare hym howle.
I wyll therfor serve Saynt Frances with hart and mynde,
With dayly memoryes that he maye be my frynde;
And than I care not for all the devyls in hell—
That I have tolde yow is more true than the Gospel.

Infidelitas
Then are ye more sure than monkes for your heretage,
For their landes are here but ye clayme heaven for advauntage.

Pseudodoctrina
Yet is it to them a very plesaunt thynge
Their abbot at home to be called lorde and kynge.

Infidelitas
Naye, monke and chorle, for here is no kynge but one;
If he be a kynge hys mace is a marybone
And hys crowne a cow torde. Soch knaves as come from the cart
Must be called kynges for playenge a popysh part.

Pseudodoctrina
It become not the the Romysh Pope so to lurche
Consyderynge he is the hyghest of the churche.

Infidelitas
If he be the hyghest, than is he the wether cocke.

Pseudodoctrina
Ah, now I perceyve thu art dysposed to mocke;
Of all holy churche he is the pryncypall heade.

Infidelitas
Marry, that is true; he sendeth out bulles undre lead
And he hath two keyes, the one to open hell,
The other speareth heaven —thus do newe heretykes tel.
They report also that dogges have no devocyon
To hys holy lawes, nor to hys olde instruccyon.

Pseudodoctrina
Why shuld dogges hate hym? Make that more evydent.

Infidelitas
They love no pese porrege, nor yet reade hearynges in Lent,
Stock fysh nor oysters, but curse hym body and bone,
And wolde hys reade sprottes and rotten fysh were gone.
Tush, I heare them, I, and that maketh me full sad.

Hypocrisis
Eyther thu doest mock, or els thu art sure mad.

Infidelitas
I heare the people complayne very moch of the.

Pseudodoctrina
What is their pratlinge? I praye the hartely, tell me.

Infidelitas
They saye thus teachest nothyng but lowsy tradycions.
And lyes for lucre, with damnable superstycyons.
And thus they conclude that the draffe of popysh prystes
Is good ynough for swyne, by whom they meane the papystes.
Yea, and they saye also, the dyet of men is all
To most vyle carren, the dogges wyll sonest fall.

Pseudodoctrina
Than do they compare the papystes unto dogges.

Infidelitas
Marry, that they do, and to soch swynysh hogges
As in swyll and sosse are brought up all their lyfe.
Soch are the papystes they saye both man and wyfe.
They saye of the also that thu art a noughty knave;
By prowlynge and lyenge ye fryers wolde all have.
Thyne order they saye is spronge even out of hell,
And all thys knowledge they have now of the Gospell.

Hypocrisis
Why, where is he now? I besych the hartely tell.

Infidelitas
By the messe, abroade, and I warande ye maketh revell.
I commoned with hym, and he ded us despyse;
Agaynst hym therfor sumwhat must we devyse.

Pseudodoctrina
Marry that must we, or els it wyll be wronge;
He wyll sure destroye us if we do suffer hym longe.
Nedes must we serve hym as we ones served Christ.

Infidelitas
Why, mad brayned whoresons, how ded ye handle Christ?

Pseudodoctrina
As he preached here, we followed from place to place
To trappe hym in snare, and hys doctryne to deface.
Than founde we the meanes to put hym so to death
Least he agaynst us shuld open any more breath;
And we set foure knyghtes to kepe hym downe in hys grave
That he never more our lyvynge shuld deprave.
And thus must we serve the Gospell, no remedye,
Els wyll he destroye our lyvynge perpetuallye.
Better one were lost than we shuld perysh all,
As Cayphas ones sayd in counsell pharysaycall.

Infidelitas
By God, and wele sayd! Whan ye have hym in hys grave
Stampe hym downe tyll he shyte, and serve hym lyke a knave.

Hypocrisis
We must so ordre hym that he go nomore at large.

Pseudodoctrina
Foure knyghtes wyll we hyre whom we shall streyghtly charge
To kepe hym downe harde. The first are ambycyouse prelates,
Then covetouse lawers that Gods worde spyghtfully hates,
Lordes without lernynge, and justyces unryghtfull:
These wyll kepe hym downe, and rappe hym on the scull.
Ther someners and ther scribes I warande ye shal stere
With balyves and catchpolles to holde hym downe every where.
I trowe Rugge and Corbet at Norwych wyll do their part,
With Wharton of Bongaye, and for my sake put hym to smart.

Hypocrisis
And I wyll rayse up in the unyversytees
The seven slepers there to advaunce the Popes decrees:
As Dorbel and Duns, Durande and Thomas of Aquyne,
The mastre of sentens, with Bachon the great devyne,
Henricus de Gandavo and these shall read ad clerum,
Aristotle and Albert, de secretis mulierum,
With the commentaryes of Avicen and Averoyes,
And a Phebo Phebe whych is very good for boyes.

Infidelitas
Yea, and lete the Pope, as Gods owne vycar here,
In hys hande thre crosses and thre crownes on hys head bere,
Hys power betokenynge in heaven, in earth, and in hell,
That he maye commaunde all kynges to subdue the Gospell.

Pseudodoctrina
Hysselfe maye do that, he nede commaunde non other.
Is not he the head of the holy church, our mother?
Maye not he make sayntes and devyls at hys owne pleasure,
Whych hath in hys handes the keyes and churches treasure,
So wele as he made Saynt Herman first a saynt,
And twenty years after of heresye hym attaynt?
First he sent hym to heaven by hys canonyzacyon,
And from thens to helle by an excommunycacyon.
We reade of Formosus that after he was dead
One Pope hys fyngars, an other cut of hys head,
And threwe hys carkas into the floude of Tyber,
With the head and fyngars, as Platina doth remember.
In token that he is judge over quyck and dead,
And maye dampne and save by hys pardons undre lead,
Sylvester the Seconde to the devyll hymself ones gave
For that hygh offyce that he myght dampne and save.
He offered also hys stones to Sathan they saye
For prestes chastyte, and so went their marryage awaye.

[Enter Evangelium.]
Hypocrisis
Here is one commynge, enquyre what he intende.

Infidelitas
Ha, it is the Gospell! From hym God us defende!

Exit secreto.
Pseudodoctrina
Shewe me, brother myne, who ded the hyther sende.

Evangelium
The Father of Heaven of hys mere benyvolence.
I desyre therfor to have fre audyence.

Pseudodoctrina
Ye mynde than to preache afore thys cumpanye?

Evangelium
In the lawes of God wolde I instruct them gladlye;
For non other waye there is unto salvacyon,
But the worde of God in every generacyon,
That quyckeneth, that saveth, that bryngeth unto heaven,
As before hys death Christ taught the Apostle aleven.

Pseudodoctrina
Preache here thu shalt not without the auctoryte
Of pope or byshopp, or of some of their affynyte.

Evangelium
Gods worde never taketh hys autoryte of man.

Pseudodoctrina
Thu shalt not here preache, do thu the best thu can.

Hypocrisis
Gods blessynge on your good hart, it is spoken even like a man.
Ye knowe thys daye, ser, we have a full holy feast,
And must go processyon with the blessed Rode of Reast.
We have longe mattens, longe laudes, longe houres, longe pryme;
Masse, evensonge, complyne and all must be done in tyme;
Sensynge of the aulters, and castynge of holy water,
Holy breade makynge with other necessary matter.

Evangelium
Have God commaunded any soch thynges to be done?

Pseudodoctrina
What is that to the? Go meddle thu with olde shone.
Cannyst thu saye but they are good sygnyfycacyons?

Evangelium
I saye they are frutes of your ymagynacyons
To brynge in lucre and darken Gods hygh glorye.
Of yow God doth axe no soch vayne beggerye;
Christ never sent hys to shewe sygnyfycacyons,
But hys lyvynge worde to all the christen nacyons.
Ye forsake the Lorde, as Esaias doth tell,
And hyghly blaspheme the holie of Israel.
In hys first chaptre thys horryble sentence is:
Quis haec frustranea quaesivit de manibus vestris;
Who hath requyred of yow soch sacryfyce?
In vayne offer yow that uncommaunded servyce.
Your incense to me is great abhomynacyon;
I sore abhorre it and moch detest your fashyon.
Whan ye praye to me I geve ye non attendaunce,
But avert my face, sayth God, and my countenaunce.
By thys ye maye se that the Lorde doth not regarde
Your mangy mutterynge, neyther graunt it any rewarde.
No man wylleth Paule to speake in the congregacyon
In a straunge language without interpretacyon.
In your Latyne houres the flocke do ye not consydre
But declare your selves to be Romysh all togydre.
‘Be not led about,’ sayth Paule, ‘by any straunge lernynge.’
What els is your doctryne but a blynde popysh thynge?
He testyfyeth also, Non enim ut baptizarem
Misit me Christus, sed ut evangelizarem—
‘Christ hath not me sent that I shuld baptyse,’ sayth Paule,
‘But to preach hys worde to the confort of mannys sowle.’
Loo, though baptyme be a thynge very necessarye,
Yet must it geve place to Gods worde, no remedye.
Why than preferre ye your draffysh ceremonyes
To the Gospell preachynge? O dampnable injuryes!

Hypocrisis
Why suffer ye hym to pratle here so longe?

Pseudodoctrina
Get the hens shortly, or with the it wyll be wronge.

Intrat [Infidelitas.]
Infidelitas
Peace be here, and God, mastre doctour, by your leave,
That I maye declare a pardone here in my sleve,
Of Our Lady of Boston, Ingham, and Saynt Johannes frarye,
With the indulgence of blessyd Saynt Antonye.

Pseudodoctrina
Wele take thy pleasure, and do it hardelye.

Hypocrisis
Syr, he doth me wro[n]ge for thys daye it is my stacyon
To preache my brotherhede and gather my lymytacyon.

Pseudodoctrina
Who first speake first spede; steppe fourth and reade thy pardon,
And whan he hath done, your course is father warden.

Evangelium
What course appoynt ye for preachyng of the Gospel?

Pseudodoctrina
I wolde thy Gospell and thu were both now in hell.

Evangelium
Why, and shall thys baggage put by the word of God?

Pseudodoctrina
Thu wylt not be answered tyll thu fele a sharper rod.

Infidelitas
Good christen people, I am come hyther verelye
As a true p[r]octour of the howse of Saynt Antonye.
Of cleane remyssyon I have brought ye indulgence,
A pena et culpa —for all your synne and offence.
By the auctoryte of Pope Leo and Pope Clement,
Pope Bonyface, Pope Pius, Pope Johan, and Pope Innocent.
And here I blesse ye with a wynge of the Holy Ghost,
From thonder to save ye, and from spretes in every coost.
Lo, here is a belle to hange upon your hogge,
And save your cattell from the bytynge of a dogge.
So many as wyll come to thys holy fraternyte,
Come paye your moneye, and ye shall have letters of me.

Pseudodoctrina
Lete me have a letter, for I wyll be a brother.

Hypocrisis
Then geve me a belle, for I wyll be an other.

Evangelium
O dampnable leadynge of Babylonicall Sodomytes!
Your selves ye declare to be shamefull hypocrytes.
Lorde, pytie thy people, and take awaye these gydes,
These scorners, these robbers, these cruell homycydes.
Soch prophetes are they as God ded never sende;
As Hieremy sayth, they dampnable wayes pretende.
Wo, hypocrytes, wo! For here ye tryfle and mocke
With christen people, and the kyngedom of heaven uplocke.
Ye count it a game to lose that Christ hath bought
With hys precyouse bloud, and here most derely sought.
O ye are wretches and pestylent Antichristes,
Mynysters of Dagon, and most deceytfull papystes.
Lyke ravenouse wolves, poore wydowes ye devoure;
By tyttle of prayer eternall dampnacyon is youre.
Your owne dreames ye folowe, but matter moch more wayghtye
Ye do not esteme, as judgement, faythe, and mercye.
Wo, Pharysees, wo! Ye make cleane outwardlye,
But inwardes ye are full of covetousnesse and baudrye.
Paynted tumbes are ye, [aperynge] ryght bewtyfull;
But within ye stynke, and have thoughtes very shamefull.
Ye slewe the prophetes, your doynges yet beare wytnesse:
How thynke ye to avoyde that poynt of unryghteousnesse?
Oh ragynge serpentes, and vyperouse generacyon,
How can ye escape the daunger of dampnacyon?

Pseudodoctrina
Who made the so bolde to medle within my cure,
And teache newe lernynge? An heretyke art thu sure.
If due serch were made, we shuld fynde the, I thynke, no pryst.

Evangelium
Yes, anoynted of God, but no popysh Antichrist.

Pseudodoctrina
Lete me se, where are the letters of thy orders?

Evangelium
Where Christ hys self is, and not in these same borders.
No soch pryst am I as is anoynted with oyle,
But the Holy Gost, for I am non of thys soyle.

Pseudodoctrina
Here I attache the for a busye scysmatyke,
And wyll the accuse for an haynouse heretyke.
Laye handes upon hym, and depryve hym of thys aparell.
Hic veste spoliatum sordidioribus induunt.
Loo, thus wyll I handle all them that shall take thy quarell.
Holde, awaye with thys gere, and laye it fourth asyde!

Hypocrisis
Naye, tarry brother myne, for away shalt thu not slyde.

Evangelium
I am not goynge; why doest thu slaunder me?

Infidelitas
Burne hym to ashes, and shewe to hym no pytie.

Pseudodoctrina
Brent shall he not be if he wyll nomore do so.
Fellawe, how sayst thu? Wylt thu here abjure or no?

Evangelium
I wyll neyther abjure, nor yet recant Gods glorye.

Pseudodoctrina
I offered the reason, and therto thu wylt not applye.
Wele, get the forewarde, for thu shalt sure dye.
The temporall power shall judge the to the fyre
At our accusement and holy relygyouse desyre.

Evangelium
Though yow for my sake impryson men cruellye,
Famysh them, stocke them, and them with fagotes frye,
Hurt me ye shall not, for I can never dye,
And they for my sake shall lyve perpetuallye.

Pseudodoctrina
Here is a pratynge! With a very vengeaunce, hens!

Hypocrisis
Thys horryble heretyke now shall we well recompens.

Exeunt cum eo.
Infidelitas
Yea, burne hym wele, fryre, and lete hym no longer raygne.
Laye on grene fagotes to put hym to the more payne.
By the messe, I laugh to se how thys gere doth wurke.
He is lyke of them to have nomore grace than a Turke,
For soch knaves they are as a man shall not lyghtly fynde,
And rake hell over —companyons they are to my mynde.
My busynesse all is now at a good conclusyon,
That I have here brought these thre lawes to confusyon;
Now shall I be able to lyve here peaceablye,
And make frowlyke chere, with ‘hey how, fryska jolye!’
The Lawe of Nature I kest first in a leprye
By the secrete helpe of Ydolatrye and Sodomye.
The Lawe of Moses I made a crypple blynde,
Avaryce and Ambycyon to helpe me were not behynde.
And now Christes Lawe I have brent for heresye
By helpe of False Doctryne and my cosyne Hypocresye.
On these same thre lawes all other lawes depende
And can not prevayle nowe these are at an ende.
If christen governers do not these lawes upholde
Their cyvyle ordynaunces wyll sone be very colde.
Well, thys valeaunt George hath made them all to stoupe;
Cheare now maye I make, and set cocke on the houpe.
Fyll in all the pottes, and byd me welcome, hostesse,
And go call me hyther myne owne swete mynyon Besse!

Incipit Actus Quintus

[Enter Vindicta Dei, otherwise Deus Pater, to join Infidelitas.]
Vindicta Dei
Quid gloriaris in malicia qui potens es in iniquitate?
Thu vengeable wretche, replete with poyson and vyce,
Why doest thu thus rejoyce in crueltie and malyce?
Thynkest thu that God slepeth and wyll not hys defende,
And that thy myschefe shall never have an ende?
The bloude of innocentes to hym for vengeaunce call,
And therfor thys houre must I fearcely upon the fall.

Infidelitas
Thu sprete of the ayre, I strayghtly conjure the here,
By Panton and Craton, and charge the to com no nere.

Vindicta Dei
Thynkest thu to stoppe me with thy folysh conjuracyon,
Whom God sendeth hyther for thy abhomynacyon?

Infidelitas
What art thu called? Thy name to me rehearce.

Vindicta Dei
I am Vindicta Dei, in ponnyshment most fearce;
With water, with swerde, and with fyre I must the pearce.

Infidelitas
Be good in thy offyce, and thu shalt have moneye and meate.

Vindicta Dei
By fylthy rewardes thu cannyst not me intreate,
But that I wyll do as God hath me commaunded;
For if worldly gyftes my furye myght have changed
The unyversall worlde had not bene drowned with water,
Nor Sodome and Gomor with so fyery fearfull matter,
Nor yet the Israelytes with terrour of the sworde,
With hungre and pestylence in the anger of Gods worde.
Pharao in Egipte the plages had never felte
Myght I have bene stopped for sylver or for gelte.
Into Egipte I brought ten terryble ponnyshmentes
Upon the people, for breakynge hys commaundementes.
Their wholsom waters I tourned into bloude;
I multyplyed frogges to poyson therwith their foude;
I made waspes and dranes them grevously to stynge,
And all kyndes of flyes sone after ded I in brynge;
Upon their cattel I threwe the foule pestylence,
Both botche, byle and blayne they had for their offence;
Lyghtenynges and haylynges destroyed their corne and frute;
A swarme of hungry locustes their pastours destytute.
The space of thre dayes I gave them palpable darkenesse;
I slewe the first gooten of man and beast for thy rudenes—
For I never stryke but for the, Infydelyte.

Infidelitas
Stryke for me, quoth a? By the Mary masse I defye the!

Vindicta Dei
What, thu wylt not so, thy braynes are not so lyght.

Infidelitas
Anger me not to moch; for if thu do, I fyght.

Vindicta Dei
All that wyll not helpe thy wycked workynges now;
Whan the stronger come, the weaker must nedes bowe.
The Lawe of Nature infected thu hast with a leprye.

Infidelitas
Naye, it was not I, but that wytche Idolatrye,
And that polde, shorne knave that men call Sodomye.

Vindicta Dei
Of whom spronge they first but of Infydelyte?
Therfor thu shalt have that plage of penalte
Whych they first tasted for their inyquyte.
For these two vyces I drowned the worlde with water;
In token wherof I plage the with the same matter.

Hic Infidelitatem lympha percutit.
Infidelitas
Tush! I defye thy worst. Thys shall not dryve me hence,
For after the floude with Cham had I resydence,
And so contynued tyll Moyses lawe came in,
With hys jolye tryckes a newe rule to begyn.

Vindicta Dei
And hym thu corruptedest with Avaryce and Ambycyon,
And so dedyst leave hym in myserable condycyon.
Thu shalt have therfor that than to them was due.
Most terryble battayle the Israelytes untrue
That tyme ded suffer for their infydelyte;
Wherfor with thys swerde I justlye bannysh the
Bycause thu shalt here geve place to Christes Gospel.

Gladio Infidelitatem denuo cedit.
Infidelitas
Yet wyll I not hens, but agaynst ones rebell.
Ded not I remayne with Judas and other more?

[Vindicta Dei]
Whan Christ preached here and taught them [thu] vext hym sore.

[Infidelitas]
Yes, and after that was I with Simon Magus,
With Saunder Coppersmyth, with Elimas and Demetrius.
And now I persever amonge the ranke rable of papystes,
Teachyng ther shorlynges to playe the Antichrystes.

Vindicta Dei
The innocent bloude of sayntes contynuallye
Doth call unto God to revenge their injurye
Agaynst false doctryne and cursed hypocresye,
Whom thu hast raysed the glory of the Gospell
To darken, and hys fryndes most myserably to quell.
Wherfor thu shalt have lyke as thu hast deserved,
For thy wycked doynges thy ponyshment now doubled.
Ignis ipsum precedet— the prophete David sayth thus—
Atque inflammabit in circuitu inimicos eius:
A consumynge fyre shall ronne before the judge,
Hys enemyes consumynge, they shal fynde no refuge.
Ob scelera et culpas hominum ritusque nephandos
In cineres ibit tellus, tenuemque favillam—
As Mantuan writeth —for the wyckednesse of the
The earth to ashes by fyre shall turned be.

Ignis flamma Infidelitatem locum exire coget.
Infidelitas
Credo, credo, credo, I saye, credo, credo, credo!
To the devyll of helle, by the messe, I wene I go.

Exit [Infidelitas. Vindicta Dei becomes Deus Pater.]
Deus Pater

Omnes
simul.
At your commaundement we are, most blessed Lorde.

Deus Pater

Naturae Lex
Everlastynge prayse to thy gloryouse majeste!

Moseh Lex
Our heavenly governour, great is thy gracyouse pytie!

Christi Lex
Of mankynde thu art the eternall felycyte!

Naturae Lex
Now leavest thy servauntes in thy perpetuall peace;
To do the servyce from hens wyll we not ceace.

Moseh Lex
For our eyes have seane what thu hast now prepared
For thy peoples helth, whych hath bene here declared.

Christi Lex
A lyght thu hast sent whych is thy joyouse Gospell,
To the consolacyon of the howse of Israel.

Naturae Lex
In rejoyce of thys, make we some melodye.

Moseh Lex
The name of our God to prayse and magnyfye.

Christi Lex
I assent therto, and wyll synge very gladlye.

Hic ad Dei gloriam cantabunt ‘In exitu Israel de Aegypto’, vel aliud simile.
Deus Pater
[Enter Fides Christiana.]

Fides Christiana
Most heavenly maker, in that thu doest commaunde me
Evermore wyll I full prompt and dylygent be.

Deus Pater
Thu Lawe of Nature shalt teache man God to knowe,
And that to refuse wherby any yll maye growe.

Naturae Lex
From thys your precept shall I not varye, I trowe.

Deus Pater
Teache thu hym also to worshyp one God above,
And hys poore neyber to prosecute with love.

Moseh Lex
I hope, blessed Lorde, to do as me shall behove.

Deus Pater
And thu shalt teache hym to love God in hys hart,
And those to forgeve by whom he suffereth smart.

Christi Lex
In your appoyntmentes wyll I do also my part.

Deus Pater
Worke thu in the hart a knowledge necessarye;
In the flesh worke thu by outwarde ceremonye;
Change thu to the spret the workynges of these two,
And cause our people in a perfyght waye to go.
Take hede, Christen Fayth, to the teachynges of these thre,
And move our people to walke in the veryte.
The promyses we made in all these thre ar Gospell,
We wolde thu shuldest so to our congregacyon tell.
Our everlastynge blessynge be with yow evermore.

Omnes
simul.
To thy swete name, Lorde, prayse and perpetuall honoure!

Fides Christiana
It hath pleased God to put me in thys offyce
To governe hys churche and christen congregacyon,
And therin to do as ye shall me entyce.
Geve me, I praye yow, soch wholsom exhortacyon
As maye be to Man a clere edyfycacyon,
And I wyll be glad to take your advertysement
As it shall become any chylde obedyent.

Christi Lex
Ye speake it full wele, than marke what shall be sayed,
And dylygentlye loke that it be obeyed.

Naturae Lex
The effect of me is for to knowe the Lorde
Everlastynge, stronge, most gracyouse and godlye,
And, as touchynge Man, to have fraternall concorde,
Faver to norrysh, and to do non injurye,
To kepe covenauntes made, and love true matrymonye.
These noble effectes so temper yow in Man
That them to fulfyll he do the best he can.

Moseh Lex
The effect of me is for to worshyp the Lorde
As one God alone, and to fle from Idolatrye;
Not to slee nor stele, nor yet to beare false recorde;
To shewe what is synne and to seke the remedye;
Publyque peace to holde, and sore to ponnysh the gyltye.
From these good effectes se that Man never swerve;
Than shall he be sure that God wyll hym preserve.

Christi Lex
The effect of me is for to love the Lorde
In the innar sprete, and to faver frynde and enmye,
And in all poyntes els with Gods wyll to accorde;
To preache remyssyon, to save and to justyfye;
In Christ all to seke —lyfe, justyce, peace and mercye.
These heavenly effectes in Man so incorporate
That he maye in sprete be newlye regenerate.

Fides Christiana

Naturae Lex
Who lyveth without lawe shal perysh without lawe,
And therfor we have thre lawes to yow descrybed,
That after their lyve ye shuld in your lyvynge drawe.
We have also shewed how they have bene corrupted
By fowle idolaters, and sodomytes poluted,
By covetouse prestes, and by ambycyouse prelates,
Hypocryticall fryres, false doctours and false curates.

Moseh Lex
Who hath restored these same thre lawes agayne
But your late Josias and valeaunt Kynge Henrye?
No prynce afore hym toke ever yet soch payne
From Englande to bannysh Idolatrye and fowle Sodomye,
Covetousnes, Ambycyon, False Doctryne and Hypocresye.
It was he that brought Christes veryte to lyght
Whan he put the Pope with hys fylthynes to flyght.

Christi Lex
From dampnable darkenesse, as my brother here doth saye,
He hath delyvered thys realme of Englande godlye,
Bryngynge hys subjectes into the true path waye
Of their sowles savegarde if they now folowe it wyselye;
And left them he hath, the same waye styl to fortyfye,
Hys noble sonne Edwarde, soch a kynge of God elect
As questyonles wyll perfourme it in effect.

Fides Christiana
Praye all to the Lorde for the longe contynuaunce
Of hys graces lyfe in thys worldes habytacyon;
And that of hys nobles he have true mayntenaunce
In the pryncyples of thys most worthy foundacyon,
That he maye to Christ brynge us from desolacyon.
Praye for Quene Kateryne, and the noble Lorde Protectour,
With the whole counsell that God be their directour. Amen.

[Exeunt.]