University of Virginia Library

[Sedition] and Nobylyte cum in and say:
Nobylyte
It petyeth my hart to se the controvercye
That now a dayes reygnethe betwyn the kyng and the clargy.
All Cantorbery monkes are now the realme exyled,
The prystes and bysshoppes contyneally revyled
The Cystean monkes are in soche perplexyte
That owt of Englond they reken all to flee.
I lament the chaunce as I wold God shuld me save.

Sedicyon
Yt is gracyously sayd: Godes blyssyng myght ye have!
Blyssyd is that man that wyll graunte or condyssend
To helpe relygyon or Holy Churche defend.

Nobylyte
For there mayntenance I have gevyn londes full fayere
And have dysheryted many a laufull ayere.

Sedicyon
Well, yt is yowre owne good; God shall reward yow for ytt,
And in hevyn full hyghe for soch good workes shall ye sytt.

Nobylyte
Yowre habyte showythe ye to be a man of relygeon.

Sedicyon
I am no worse, sur; my name is Good Perfeccyon.

Nobylyte
I am the more glad to be aquented with ye.

Sedicyon
Ye show yowre selfe here lyke a noble man as ye be.
I perseyve ryght well yowre name ys Nobelyte.

Nobylyte
Yowre servont and umfrey. Of trewthe, father, I am he.

Sedicyon
From Innocent the Pope I am cum from Rome evyn now.
A thowsand tymes, I wene, he commendyth hym unto yow
And sent yow clene remyssyon to take the Chyrches parte.

Nobylyte
I thanke his holynes. I shall do yt with my harte.
Yf ye wold take paynes for heryng my confessyon,
I wold owt of hand resayve this cleane remyssyon.

Sedicyon
Mary, with all my hart, I wyll be full glad to do ytt.

Nobylyte
Put on yowre stolle, then, and I pray yow in Godes name sytt.

Here sett down and Nobelyte shall say Benedycyte.
Nobylyte
Benedicite.

Sedicyon
Dominus: In nomine domini pape, amen. Say forth yowre mynd in Godes name.

Nobylyte
I have synnyd agaynst God; I knowlege my selfe to blame.
In the sevyn dedly synnys I have offendyd sore;
Godes ten commaundymentes I have brokyn ever more;
My five boddyly wytes I have ongodly kepte;
The workes of charyte in maner I have owtslepte.

Sedicyon
I trust ye beleve as Holy Chyrch doth teache ye?
And from the new lernyng ye are wyllyng for to fle?

Nobylyte
From the new lernyng? Mary, God of hevyn save me!
I never lovyd yt of a chyld, so mote I the.

Sedicyon
Ye can saye yowre crede? And yowre Laten Ave Mary?

Nobylyte
Yea, and dyrge also, with sevyn psalmes and letteny.

Sedicyon
Do ye not beleve in purgatory and holy bred?

Nobylyte
Yes, and that good prayers shall stand my soule in stede.

Sedicyon
Well, than, good inowgh; I warant my soulle for yowre.

Nobylyte
Than execute on me the holy fatheres powre.

Sedicyon
Naye, whyll I have yow here underneth benedicite,
In the Popes be halfe I must move other thynges to ye.

Nobylyte
In the name of God saye here what ye wyll to me.

Sedicyon
Ye know that Kyng Johan ys a very wycked man
And to Holy Chyrch a contynuall adversary.
The Pope wyllyth yow to do the best ye canne
To his subduyng for his cruell tyranny;
And for that purpose this prevylege gracyously
Of clene remyssyon he hath sent yow this tyme
Clene to relesse yow of all yowre synne and cryme.

Nobylyte
Yt is clene agenst the nature of Nobelyte
To subdew his kyng with owt Godes autoryte,
For his princely astate and powre ys of God.
I wold gladly do yt but I fere his ryghtfull rode.

Sedicyon
Godes holy vycare gave me his whole autoryte.
Loo, yt is here, man, beleve yt, I beseche the,
Or elles thow wylte faulle in danger of damnacyon.

Nobylyte
Than I submyt me to the Chyrches reformacyon.

Sedicyon
I assoyle the here from the kynges obedyence
By the auctoryte of the Popys magnifycence:
Auctoritate romani pontyficis ego absolvo te
From all possessyons gevyn to the spiritualte,
In nomine domini pape, amen.
Kepe all thynges secrett, I pray yow hartely.

Go owt Nobelyte.
Nobylyte
Yes, that I wyll, sur, and cum agayne hether shortly.

Here enter Clargy and Cyvyll Order together; and Sedysyon shall go up and down a praty whyle.
Clergye
Ys not yowre fatherhod Archebysshope of Canterbery?

Sedicyon
I am Stevyn Langton. Why make ye here inquyry?

Knele and say both:
Clergye, Cyvyle Order
Ye are ryght welcum to this same regyon, trewly.

Sedicyon
Stond up, I pray yow. I trow thow art the Clargy,

Clergye
I am the same, sur, and this is Cyvyle Order.

Sedicyon
Yf a man myght axe yow what make yow in this bordere?

Clergye
I herd tell yester daye ye were cum in to the land
I thowght for to se yow, sum newes to understand.

Sedicyon
In fayth, thow art welcum. Ys Cyvyll Order thy frynd?

Clergye
He is a good man and beryth the chyrch good mynd.

Cyvyle Order
Ryght sory I am of the great controvarsy
Betwyn hym and the kyng, yf I myght yt remedy.

Sedicyon
Well, Cyvyll Order, for thy good wyll gramercy;
That mater wyll be of an other facyon shortly.
Fyrst, to begynne with we shall interdyte the land.

Cyvyle Order
Mary, God forbyde we shuld be in soche band!
But who shall do yt, I pray yow hartyly?

Sedicyon
Pandulphus and I; we have yt in owre legacy.
He went to the kyng for that cawse yester daye,
And I wyll folow so fast as ever I maye.
Lo, here ys the bull of myn auctoryte.

Clergye
I pray God to save the Popes holy majeste.

Sedicyon
Sytt downe on yowre kneys and ye shall have absolucyon
A pena et culpa, with a thowsand dayes of pardon.
Here ys fyrst a bone of the blyssyd Trynyte,
A dram of the tord of swete Seynt Barnabe;
Here ys a feddere of good Seynt Myhelles wyng,
A toth of Seynt Twyde, a pece of Davyds harpe stryng,
The good blood of Haylys, and owre blyssyd ladys mylke,
A lowse of Seynt Fraunces in this same crymsen sylke,
A scabbe of Saynt Job, a nayle of Adams too,
A maggott of Moyses, with a fart of Saynt Fandigo;
Here is a fygge leafe, and a grape of Noes vyneyearde,
A bede of Saynt Blythe with the bracelet of a berewarde,
The Devyll that was hatcht in maistre Johan Shornes bote,
That the tree of Jesse ded plucke up by the roote;
Here ys the lachett of swett Seynt Thomas shewe,
A rybbe of Seynt Rabart with the huckyll bone of a Jewe;
Here ys a joynt of Darvell Gathyron,
Be sydes other bonys and relyckes many one.
In nomine domini pape, amen.
Aryse now lyke men and stande uppon yowre fete,
For here ye have caught an holy and a blyssyd hete.
Ye are now as clene as that day ye were borne,
And lyke to have increase of chylderne, catell and corne.

Cyvyle Order
Chyldryn? He can have non, for he ys not of that loade.

Sedicyon
Tushe, thowgh he hath non at home, he maye have sume abroade.
Now Clargy, my frynd, this must thow do for the Pope
And for Holy Chyrch; thow must mennys conscyence grope,
And as thow felyst them so cause them for to wurcke.
Leat them show Kyng Johan no more faver than a Turcke.
Every wher sture them to make an insurreccyon.

Clergye
All that shall I do and to provoke them more,
This interdyccyon I wyll lament very sore
In all my prechynges, and saye throwgh his occacyon
All we are under the danger of dampnacyon;
And this wyll move peple to helpe to put hym downe,
Or elles compel hym to geve up septur and crowne.
Yea, and that wyll make those kynges that shall succede
Of the Holy Chyrche to stond ever more in drede.
And by sydes all this the chyrch dores I wyll upseale,
And closse up the belles that they ryng never a pele.
I wyll spere up the chalyce, crysmatory, crosse and all,
That masse they shall have non, baptym nor beryall.
And thys I know well wyll make the peple madde.

Sedicyon
Mary, that yt wyll; soche sauce he never had.
And what wylte thow do for Holy Chyrche, Cyvyll Ordere?

Cyvyle Order
For the clargyes sake, I wyll in every border
Provoke the gret men to take the commonys parte.
With cautyllys of the lawe I wyll so tyckle ther hart
They shall thynke all good that they shall passe upon,
And so shall we cum to ower full intent anon;
For yf the Church thryve than do we lawers thryve,
And yf they decay ower welth ys not alyve.
Therfor we must helpe yowre state, masters, to uphold,
Or elles owre profyttes wyll cache a wynter colde.
I never knew lawer whych had ony crafty lernyng
That ever escapte yow with owt a plentyows levyng;
Therfor we may not leve Holy Churchys quarell,
But ever helpe yt, for ther fall ys owre parell.

Sedicyon
Godes blyssyng have ye! This ger than wyll worke I trust.

Cyvyle Order
Or elles sum of us are lyke to lye in the dust.

Sedicyon
Let us all avoyde! Be the messe, the kyng cummyth her!

Clergye
I wold hyde my selfe for a tyme yf I wyst where.

Cyvyle Order
Gow we hence apace, for I have spyed a corner.

Here go owt all, and Kyng Johan cummyth in.
K. Johan

[Privat Welth] cum in lyke a cardynall.
Privat Welth
God save yow, sur kyng, in yowre pryncly mageste.

K. Johan
Frynd, ye be welcum. What is yowre plesur with me?

Privat Welth
From the holy father, Pope Innocent the Thred,
As a massanger I am to yow dyrectyd
To reforme the peace betwyn Holy Chyrch and yow.
And in his behalfe I avertyce yow here now
Of the Chyrchys goodes to make full restytucyon,
And to accepte also the Popys h[o]ly constytucyon
For Stevyn Langton, Archebysshop of Canturbery,
And so admytt hym to his state and primacy.
The monkes exilyd ye shall restore agayne
To ther placys and londes and nothyng of theres retayne.
Owre holy fatheres mynde ys that ye shall agayne restore
All that ye have ravyshyd from Holy Chyrche with the more.

K. Johan
I reken yowre father wyll never be so harde
But he wyll my cawse as well as theres regarde.
I have done nothyng but that I may do well
And as for ther taxe I have for me the Gospell.

Privat Welth
Tushe, Gospell or no ye must make a recompens.

K. Johan
Yowre father is sharpe and very quycke in sentence
Yf he wayeth the word of God nomor than so.
But I shall tell yow in this what Y shall do:
I am well content to receyve the monkes agayne
Upon amendement; but as for Stevyn Langton, playne,
He shall not cum here, for I know his dysposycyon.
He is moche inclymed to sturdynesse and sedycyon.
Ther shall no man rewle in the lond wher I am kyng
With owt my consent for no mannys plesur lyvyng.
Never the lesse yet upon a newe behaver,
At the Popys request here aftere I may hym faver
And graunt hym to have sum other benyfyce.

Privat Welth
By thys I perseyve ye bare hym groge and malyce.
Well, thys wyll I say, by cause ye are so blunte:
A prelate to dyscharge Holy Chyrche was never wonnt,
But her custome ys to mynyster ponnyshment
To kynges and princes beyng dyssobedyent.

K. Johan
Avant, pevysh prist! What, dost thow thretten me?
I defye the worst both of thi Pope and the.
The powre of princys ys gevyn from God above,
And, as sayth Salomon, ther hartes the Lord doth move.
God spekyth in ther lyppes whan they geve jugement.
The lawys that they make are by the Lordes appoyntment.
Christ wylled not his the princes to correcte
But to ther precepptes rether to be subjecte.
The offyce of yow ys not to bere the sword,
But to geve cownsell acordyng to Godes word.
He never tawght his to weare nowther sword nor sallett
But to preche abrode with owt staffe, scrypp or walett;
Yet are ye becum soche myghty lordes this howre
That ye are able to subdewe all princes powre.
I can not perseyve but ye are becum Belles prystes,
Lyvyng by ydolles; yea, the very antychrystes.

Privat Welth
Ye have sayd yowre mynd, now wyll I say myn also.
Here I cursse yow for the wronges that ye have do
Unto Holy Churche, with crosse, bocke, bell and candell;
And by sydes all thys I must yow otherwyse handell.
Of contumacy the Pope hath yow convyt;
From this day forward yowre lond stond interdytt.
The Bysshope of Norwyche and the Bysshope of Wynchester
Hath full autoryte to spred it in Ynglond here;
The Bysshope of Salysbery and the Bysshope of Rochester
Shall execute yt in Scotlond every where;
The Bysshope of Landaffe, Seynt Assys and Seynt Davy
In Walles and in Erlond shall puplyshe yt openly.
Throwgh owt all Crystyndom the bysshoppes shall suspend
All soche as to yow any mayntenance pretend;
And I cursse all them that geve to yow ther harte,
Dewkes, erlles and lordes, so many as take yowre parte;
And I assoyle yowre peple from yowre obedyence,
That they shall owe yow noyther fewte nor reverence.
By the Popys awctoryte I charge them with yow to fyght
As with a tyrant agenst Holy Chyrchys ryght;
And by the Popys auctoryte I geve them absolucyon
A pena et culpa, and also clene remyssyon.

Extra locum:
Sedicyon
Alarum! Alarum! Tro ro ro ro ro, tro ro ro ro ro, tro ro ro ro ro!
Thomp, thomp, thomp! Downe, downe, downe! To go, to go, to go!

K. Johan
What a noyse is thys that without the dore is made?

Privat Welth
Suche enmyes are up as wyll your realme invade.

K. Johan
Ye cowde no nomor and ye cam from the devyll of hell
Than ye go abowt here to worke by yo[w]re wyckyd cownsell.
Ys this the charyte of that ye call the Churche?
God graunt Cristen men not after yowre wayes to worche.
I sett not by yowre curssys the shakyng of a rod,
For I know they are of the devyll and not of God.
Yowre curssys we have that we never yet demaundyd,
But we can not have that God hath yow commaundyd.

Privat Welth
What ye mene by that I wold ye shuld opynlye tell.

K. Johan
Why, know ye it not? The prechyng of the Gospell.
Take to ye yowre traysh, yowre ryngyng, syngyng and pypyng,
So that we may have the scryptures openyng.
But that we can not have: yt stondyth not with yowre avantage.

Privat Welth
Ahe! Now I fell yow for this heretycall langage:
I thynke noyther yow nor ony of yowres, iwys,
We wyll so provyd, shall ware the crowne after this.

Go owt and dresse for Nobylyte.
K. Johan
Yt becum not the Godes secret workes to deme.
Gett the hence, or elles we shall teche the to blaspheme!
Oh Lord, how wycked ys that same generacyon
That never wyll cum to a godly reformacyon.
The prystes report me to be a wyckyd tyrant
Be cause I correct ther actes and lyfe unplesaunt.
Of thy prince, sayth God, thow shalt report non yll,
But thy selfe applye his plesur to fulfyll.
The byrdes of the ayer shall speke to ther gret shame,
As sayth Ecclesyastes, that wyll a prince dyffame.
The powrs are of God, I wot Powle hath soch sentence;
He that resyst them agenst God maketh resystence.
Mary and Joseph, at Cyrinus appoyntment
In the descripcyon to Cesar wer obedyent.
Crist ded paye trybute for hymselfe and Peter to,
For a lawe prescrybyng the same unto pristes also;
To prophane princes he obeyed unto dethe.
So ded Johan Baptyst so longe as he had brethe.
Peter, Johan and Powle, with the other apostles all
Ded never withstand the powers imperyall.
[Enter Civil Order.]
Prystes are so wycked they wyll obeye no powre,
But seke to subdewe ther prynces day and howre,
As they wold do me: but I shall make them smart
Yf that nobelyte and law wyll take my parte.

Cyvyle Order
Dowghtles we can not tyll ye be reconsylyd
Unto Holy Chyrche, for ye are a man defylyd.

K. Johan
How am I defylyd? Tel me, good gentyll mate.

Cyvyle Order
By the Popes hye powre ye are excomynycate.

K. Johan
By the word of God, I pray the, what powre hath he?

Cyvyle Order
I spake not wyth hym, and therfor I can not tell ye.

K. Johan
With whom spake ye not? Late me know yowre intent.

Cyvyle Order
Mary, not with God sens the latter wecke of Lent.

[Enter Clergy.]
K. Johan
Oh mercyfull God, what an unwyse clawse ys this
Of hym that shuld se that nothyng ware amys.
That sentence or curse that scriptur doth not dyrect
In my opynyon shall be of non effecte.

Clergye
Ys that yowre beleve? Mary God save me from yow!

K. Johan
Prove yt by scriptur and than wyll I yt alowe.
But this know I well: whan Baalam gave the curse
Uppon Godes peple they ware never a whyt the worse.

Clergye
I passe not on the scriptur: that ys inow for me
Whyche the Holy Father approvyth by his auctoryte.

K. Johan
Now alas, alas! What wreched peple ye are
And how ygnorant yowre owne wordes doth declare.
Woo ys that peple whych hath so wycked techeres.

Clergye
Naye, wo ys that peple that hathe so cruell rewlars.
Owr Holy Father, I trow, cowd do no lesse,
Consyderyng the factes of yowre owtragyosnes.

[Enter Nobility.]
Nobylyte
Com awaye, for shame, and make no more a do.
Ye are in gret danger for commynnyng with hym so.
He is acursyd; I mervell ye do not waye yt.

Clergye
I here by his wordes that he wyll not obeye yt.

Nobylyte
Whether he wyll or no, I wyll not with hym talke
Tell he be assoyllyd. Com on, my fryndes, wyll ye walke?

K. Johan
Oh, this is no tokyn of trew nobelyte
To flee from yowre kyng in his extremyte.

Nobylyte
I shall dyssyer yow as now to pardone me;
I had moche rather do agaynst God, veryly,
Than to Holy Chyrche to do any injurye.

K. Johan
What blyndnes is this? On this peple, lord, have mercy!
Ye speke of defylyng, but ye are corrupted all
With pestylent doctryne or leven pharesayycall.
Good [and] faythfull Susan sayd that yt was moche bettere
To fall in daunger of men than do the gretter,
As to leve Godes lawe whych ys his word most pure.

Clergye
Ye have nothyng, yow, to allege to us but scripture?
Ye shall fare the worse for that, ye may be sure.

K. Johan
What shuld I allege elles, thu wycked Pharyse?
To yowre false lernyng no faythfull man wyll agree.
Dothe not the Lord say nunc reges intelligite—
The kynges of the erthe that worldly cawses juge,
Seke to the scriptur, late that be yowre refuge?

Cyvyle Order
Have ye nothyng elles but this? Than God be with ye!

K. Johan
One questyon more yet ere ye deperte from me
I wyll fyrst demaund of yow, Nobelyte:
Why leve ye yowre prince and cleave to the Pope so sore?

Nobylyte
For I toke an othe to defend the Chyrche ever more.

K. Johan
Clergy, I am sure than yowre quarell ys not small.

Clergye
I am proffessyd to the ryghtes ecclesyastycall.

K. Johan
And yow, Cyvyle Order, oweth her sum offyce of dewtye?

Cyvyle Order
I am hyr feed man; who shuld defend her but I?

K. Johan
Of all thre partyes yt is spokyn resonably:
Ye may not obeye becawse of the othe ye mad,
Yowre strong professyon maketh yow of that same trad,
Yowre fee provokyth yow to do as thes men do.
Grett thynges to cawse men from God to the devyll to go!
Yowre othe is growndyd fyrst uppon folyshenes,
And yowre professyon uppon moche pevyshenes;
Yowre fee, last of all, ryseth owt of covetusnes,
And thes are the cawses of yowre rebellyosnes.

Clergye
Cum, Cyvyll Order, lett us too deperte from hence.

K. Johan
Than are ye at a poynt for yowre obedyence?

Cyvyle Order
We wyll in no wysse be partakeres of yowre yll.

Here go owt Clargy and dresse for Ynglond, and Syvyll Order for Commynnalte.
K. Johan
As ye have bene ever so ye wyll contynew styll.
Thowgh they be gone, tarye yow with me a whyle;
The presence of a prynce to yow shuld never be vyle.

Nobylyte
Sur, nothyng grevyth me but yowre excomynycacyon.

K. Johan
That ys but a fantasy in yowre ymagynacyon.
The Lord refuse not soch as hath his great cursse,
But call them to grace and faver them never the worsse.
Saynt Pawle wyllyth yow whan ye are among soch sort
Not to abhore them but geve them wordes of confort.
Why shuld ye than flee from me, yowre lawfull kyng,
For plesur of soch as owght to do no suche thyng?
The Chyrches abusyons, as holy Seynt Powle do saye,
By the princes powre owght for to be takyn awaye;
He baryth not the sword withowt a cawse, sayth he.
In this neyther bysshope nore spirituall man is free;
Offendyng the lawe, they are under the poweres all.

Nobylyte
How wyll ye prove me that the fatheres sprytuall
Were under the princes ever contynewally?

K. Johan
By the actes of kynges I wyll prove yt by and by:
David and Salomon the pristes ded constitute,
Commandyng the offyces that they shuld execute.
Josaphat the kyng the mynysters ded appoynt;
So ded Kyng Ezechias whom God hym selfe ded anoynt.
Dyverse of the princes for the pristes ded make decrees,
Lyke as yt is pleyn in the fyrst of Machabees.
Owre pristes are rysyn throwgh lyberte of kynges
By ryches to pryd and other unlawfull doynges
And that is the cawse that they so oft dysobeye.

Nobylyte
Good Lord, what a craft have yow thes thynges to convaye!

K. Johan
Now, alas, that the false pretence of superstycyon
Shuld cawse yow to be a mayntener of sedycyon!
Sum thynkyth nobelyte in natur to consyst,
Or in parentage; ther thowght is but a myst.
Wher habundance is of vertu, fayth and grace,
With knowlage of the Lord nobelyte is ther in place,
And not wher as is the wylfull contempte of thynges
Pertaynyng to God in the obedyence of kynges.
Beware ye synke not with Dathan and Abiron
For dysobeyng the powre and domynyon.

Nobylyte
Nay, byd me be ware I do not synke with yow here;
Beyng acurssyd, of trewth ye put me in fere.

K. Johan
Why, are ye gone hence? And wyll ye no longar tarrye?

Nobylyte
No, wher as yow are in place, by swete seynt Marye!

Here Nobelyte go owt and dresse for the Cardynall. Here enter Ynglond and Commynalte.
K. Johan
Blessed lorde of heaven, what is the wretchednesse
Of thys wycked worlde? An evyll of all evyls doubtlesse.
Perceyve ye not here how the clergye hath rejecte
Their true allegeaunce to maynteyne the popysh secte?
See ye not how lyghte the lawers sett the poure
Whome God commaundeth them to obeye yche daye and howre?
Nobylyte also whych ought hys prynce to assyste
Is vanyshed awaye as it we[re] a wynter myste.
All they are from mee; I am now left alone,
And, God wote, knowe not to whome to make my mone.
Oh, yet wolde I fayne knowe the mynde of my Commynnalte,
Whether he wyll go with them or abyde with me.

Englande
He is here at hond, a symple creatur as may be.

K. Johan
Cum hether, my frynde, stand nere. Ys thi selfe he?

Commynnalte
Yf it lyke yowre grace, I am yowre pore Commynnalte.

K. Johan
Thow art poore inowgh; yf that be good, God help the!
Me thynke thow art blynd. Tell me, frynde, canst thow not see?

Englande
He is blynd in dede, yt is the more rewth and pytte.

K. Johan
How cummyst thow so blynd? I pray the, good fellow, tell me.

Commynnalte
For want of knowlage in Christes lyvely veryte.

Englande
This spirituall blyndnes bryngeth men owt of the waye,
And cause them oft tymes ther kynges to dyssobaye.

K. Johan
How sayst thow, Commynnalte? Wylt not thow take my parte?

Commynnalte
To that I cowd be contented with all my hart,
But alas, in me are two great impedymentes.

K. Johan
I pray the, shew me what are those impedymentes.

Commynnalte
The fyrst is blyndnes, wherby I myght take with the Pope
Soner than with yow; for, alas, I can but grope,
And ye know full well ther are many nowghty gydes.
The nexte is poverte, whych cleve so hard to my sydes
And ponych me so sore that my powre ys lytyll or non.

K. Johan
In Godes name, tell me how cummyth thi substance gone?

Commynnalte
By pristes, channons and monkes, which do but fyll ther bely
With my swett and labour for ther popych purgatory.

Englande
Yowre grace promysed me that I shuld have remedy
In that same mater whan I was last here trewly.

K. Johan
Dowghtles I ded so; but, alas, yt wyll not be.
In hart I lament this great infelycyte.

Englande
Late me have my spowse and my londes at lyberte,
And I promyse yow my sonne here, yowre Commynallte
I wyll make able to do ye dewtyfull servyce.

K. Johan
I wold I ware able to do to the that offyce,
But, alas, I am not for why my nobelyte,
My lawers and clargy hath cowardly forsake me;
And now last of all, to my most anguysh of mynd,
My Commynnalte here I fynd both poore and blynd.

Englande
Rest upon this, ser, for my governor ye shall be
So long as ye lyve; God hath so apoynted me.
His owtward blyndnes ys but a syngnyficac[y]on
Of blyndnes in sowle for lacke of informacyon
In the word of God, which is the orygynall grownd
Of dyssobedyence which all realmies doth confund.
Yf yowre grace wold cawse Godes word to be tawght syncerly
And subdew those pristes that wyll not preche yt trewly,
The peple shuld know to ther prynce ther lawfull dewty;
But yf ye permytt contynuance of ypocresye
In monke[s], chanons and pristes, and mynysters of the clargy
Yowre realme shall never be with owt moch traytery.

K. Johan
All that I persceyve, and therfor I kepe owt fryers
Lest they shuld bryng the moch farder into the bryers.
They have mad labur to inhabytt this same regyon;
They shall for my tym not enter my domynyon.
We have to many of soch vayne lowghtes allredy.
I beshrew ther hartes, they have made yow two full nedy.

Here enter Pandwlfus the cardynall and sayth:
Cardynall
What, Commynalte, ys this the covnaunt kepyng?
Thow toldyst me thow woldest take hym no more for thi kyng.

Commynnalte
Peccavi, mea culpa! I submyt me to yowre holynes.

Cardynall
Gett the hence than shortly and go abowt thi besynes!
Wayet on thy capttaynes, Nobelyte and the Clargy,
With Cyvyll Order, and the other company.
Blow owt yowre tromppettes, and sett forth manfully:
The frenche kyng Phelype by sea doth hether apply
With the powre of Fraunce to subdew this herytyke.

K. Johan
I defye both hym and the, lewde scysmatyke!
Why wylt thow for sake thi prince or thi prince leve the?

Commynnalte
I must nedes obbay whan Holy Chirch commandyth me.

Go owt Commynulte.
Englande
Yf thow leve thy kyng take me never for thy mother.

Cardynall
Tush, care not thow for that, I shall provyd the another.
Yt ware fytter for yow to be in another place.

Englande
Yt shall becum me to wayte upon his grace
And do hym servyce where as he ys resydente,
For I was gevyn hym of the Lord omnypotente.

Cardynall
Thow mayst not abyde here, for whye we have hym curssyd.

Englande
I beshrow yowre hartes so have ye me onpursed.
Yf he be acurssed than are we a mete cuppell,
For I am interdy[c]t: no salve that sore can suppell.

Cardynall
I say gett the hence and make me no more pratyng.

Englande
I wyll not awaye from myn owne lawfull kyng,
Appoyntyd of God tyll deth shall us departe.

Cardynall
Wyll ye not in dede? Well than ye are lyke to smarte.

Englande
I smarte all redy throw yowre most suttell practyse,
And am clene ondone by yowre false merchandyce,
Yowre pardons, yowre bulles, yowre purgatory pyckepurse,
Yowre lent fastes, yowre schryftes, that I pray God geve yow his cursse!

Cardynall
Thow shalt smart better or we have done with the,
For we have this howre great navyes upon the see
In every quarter, with this loller here to fyght
And to conquarre hym for the Holy Chyrchis ryght.
We have [i]n the northe Alexander, the Kyng of Scottes,
With an armye of men that for their townnes cast lottes;
On the sowthe syde we have the French kyng with his powre,
Which wyll sle and burne tyll he cum to Londen towre;
In the west partes we have Kyng Alphonse with the Spanyardes
With sheppes full of gonepowder now cummyng hether towardes;
And on the est syde we have Esterlynges, Danes, and Norwayes
With soch powre landynge as can be resystyd nowayes.

K. Johan
All that is not true that yow have here expressed.

Cardynall
By the messe, so true as I have now confessed.

K. Johan
And what do ye meane by such an hurly burlye?

Cardynall
For the Churches ryght to subdue ye ma[n]fullye.

[Enter Sedition.]
Sedicyon
To all that wyll fyght I proclame a Jubyle
Of cleane remyssyon, thys tyraunt here to slee.
Destroye hys people, burne up both cytie and towne,
That the Pope of Rome maye have hys scepture and crowne.
In the Churches cause to dye thys daye be bolde;
Your sowles shall to heaven ere your fleshe and bones be colde.

K. Johan
Most mercyfull God, as my trust is in the,
So conforte me now in this extremyte!
As thow holpyst David in his most hevynes
So helpe me this houre of thy grace, mercye, and goodnes.

Cardynall
This owtward remorse that ye show here evydent
Ys a grett lykelyhod and token of amendment.
How say ye, Kyng Johan? Can ye fynd now in yowre hart
To obaye Holy Chyrch and geve ower yowre froward part?

K. Johan
Were yt so possyble to hold thes enmyes backe,
That my swete Ynglond perysh not in this sheppwracke?

Cardynall
Possyble, quoth he? Yea, they shuld go bake indede,
And ther gret armyse to some other quarteres leede,
Or elles they have not so many good blyssynges now,
But as many cursynges they shall have, I make God avowe.
I promyse yow, sur, ye shall have specyall faver
Yf ye wyll submyt yowre sylfe to Holye Chyrch here.

K. Johan
I trust than ye wyll graunt some delyberacyon
To have an answere of thys your protestacyon.

Sedicyon
Tush, gyve upp the crowne and make nomore a do.

K. Johan
Your spirytuall charyte wyll be better to me than so.
The crowne of a realme is a matter of great wayght;
In gyvynge it upp we maye not be to slayght.

Sedicyon
I saye gyve it up! Lete us have nomore a do.

Cardynall
Yea, and in our warres we wyll no farder go.

K. Johan
Ye wyll gyve me leave to talke first with my clergye?

Sedicyon
With them ye nede not; they are at a poynt alreadye.

K. Johan
Than with my lawers to heare what they wyll tell.

Sedicyon
Ye shall ever have them as the clergye gyve them counsell.

K. Johan
Then wyll I commen with my Nobylyte.

Sedicyon
We have hym so jugled he wyll not to yow agree.

K. Johan
Yet shall I be content to do as he counsell me.

Cardynall
Than be not to longe from hence, I wyll advyse ye.

[Exeunt King John and England.]
Sedicyon
Is not thys a sport? By the messe, it is, I trowe.
What welthe and pleasure wyll now to our kyngedom growe!
Englande is our owne, whych is the most plesaunt grounde
In all the rounde worlde! Now maye we realmes confounde.
Our Holye Father maye now lyve at hys pleasure,
And have habundaunce of wenches, wynes and treasure.
He is now able to kepe downe Christe and hys gospell,
True fayth to exyle, and all vertues to expell.
Now shall we ruffle it in velvattes, golde and sylke,
With shaven crownes, syde gownes, and rochettes whyte as mylke.
By the messe, Pandulphus, now maye we synge Cantate,
And crowe Confitebor, with a joyfull Jubilate!
Holde me, or els for laughynge I must burste!

Cardynall
Holde thy peace, whorson, I wene thu art accurst.
Kepe a sadde countenaunce. A very vengeaunce take the!

Sedicyon
I can not do it, by the messe, and thu shuldest hange me.
If Solon were here, I recken that he woulde laugh,
Whych never laught yet; yea, lyke a whelpe he woulde waugh.
Ha, ha ha! Laugh, quoth he! Yea, laugh and laugh agayne!
We had never cause to laugh more free, I am playne.

Cardynall
I praye the, nomore, for here come the kynge agayne.
[King Johan and England return.]
Ye are at a poynt wherto ye intende to stande?

Sedicyon
Yea, hardely sir: gyve up the crowne of Englande.

K. Johan
I have cast in mynde the great displeasures of warre,
The daungers, the losses, the decayes both nere and farre,
The burnynge of townes, the throwynge downe of buyldynges,
Destructyon of corne and cattell, with other thynges,
Defylynge of maydes, and shedynge of Christen blood,
With suche lyke outrages, neyther honest, true nor good.
These thynges consydered, I am compelled thys houre
To resigne up here both crowne and regall poure.

Englande
For the love of God, yet take some better advysement.

Sedicyon
Holde your tunge, ye whore, or by the messe ye shall repent!
Downe on your mary bones, and make nomore a do.

Englande
If ye love me, sir, for Gods sake do never so.

K. Johan
O Englande, Englande, shewe now thyselfe a mother;
Thy people wyll els be slayne here without nomber.
As God shall judge me I do not thys of cowardnesse,
But of compassyon in thys extreme heavynesse.
Shall my people shedde their bloude in suche habundaunce?
Naye, I shall rather gyve upp my whole governaunce.

Sedicyon
Come of apace, than, and make an ende of it shortly.

Englande
The most pytiefull chaunce that hath bene hytherto, surely.

K. Johan
Here I submyt me to Pope Innocent the Thred,
Dyssyering mercy of hys holy fatherhed.

Cardynall
Geve up the crowne, than; yt shalbe the better for ye.
He wyll unto yow the more favorable be.

Here the Kyng delevyr the crowne to the Cardynall.
K. Johan
To hym I resygne here the septer and the crowne
Of Ynglond and Yrelond, with the powre and renowne,
And put me wholly to his mercyfull ordynance.

Cardynall
I may say this day the Chyrch hath a full gret chaunce.
Thes five dayes I wyll kepe this crowne in myn owne hande,
In the Popes behalfe upseasyng Ynglond and Yerlond.
In the meane season ye shall make an oblygacyon
For yow and yowre ayers in this synyficacyon:
To resayve yowre crowne of the Pope for evermore
In maner of fefarme; and for a tokyn therfor
Ye shall every yere paye hym a thowsand marke
With the peter pens, and not agenst yt barke.
Ye shall also geve to the Bysshoppe of Cantorbery
A thre thowsand marke for his gret injury.
To the Chyrch besydes for the great scathe ye have done
Forty thowsand marke ye shall devyver sone.

K. Johan
Ser, the taxe that I had of the hole realme of Ynglond
Amownted to no more but unto thirty thowsand.
Why shuld I than paye so moche unto the Clargy?

Cardynall
Ye shall geve yt them; ther is no remedy.

K. Johan
Shall they paye no tribute yf the realme stond in rerage?

Cardynall
Sir, they shall paye none; we wyll have no soch bondage.

K. Johan
The Pope had at once thre hundred thowsand marke.

Cardynall
What is that to yow? Ah, styll ye wyll be starke.
Ye shall paye yt, sur, ther is no remedy.

K. Johan
Yt shall be performed as ye wyll have yt, trewly.

Englande
So noble a realme to stande tributarye, alas,
To the Devyls vycar! Suche fortune never was.

Sedicyon
Out with thys harlot! Cockes sowle, she hath lete a fart!
Lyke a wretche thu lyest; thy report is lyke as thu art.

[Exit Sedition.]
Cardynall
Ye shall suffer the monkes and channons to make reentry
In to ther abbayes, and to dwell ther peacebly.
Ye shall se also to my great labur and charge
For other thynges elles, we shall commen more at large.

K. Johan
Ser, in every poynt I shall fulfyll yowre plesur.

Cardynall
Than plye yt apace, and lett us have the tresur.

Englande
Alacke for pyte that ever ye grantyd this.
For me pore Ynglond ye have done sore amys;
Of a fre woman ye have now mad a bonde mayd.
Yowre selfe and heyres ye have for ever decayd.
Alas, I had rether be underneth the Turke
Than under the wynges of soch a thefe to lurke.

K. Johan
Content the, Ynglond, for ther ys no remedy.

Englande
Yf yow be plesyd than, I must consent gladly.

K. Johan
If I shoulde not graunt here woulde be a wondrefull spoyle;
Every where the enemyes woulde ruffle and turmoyle.
The losse of people stycketh most unto my harte.

Englande
Do as ye thynke best; yche waye is to my smarte.

Cardynall
Are ye at a poynt with the same oblygacyon?

K. Johan
Yt is here redye at yowre interrogacyon.

Here Kyng John shall delevyr the oblygacyon.
Cardynall
Wher is the mony for yowre full restytucyon?

K. Johan
Here, ser, accordyng to yowre last constytucyon.

Cardynall
Cum hether, my lorde. By the Popys autoryte
Assoyll this man here of irregularyte.

Here the bysshop Stevyn Langton cum in.
K. Johan
Me thynke this bysshope resembleth moch Sedycyon.

Cardynall
I cownsell yow yet to be ware of wrong suspycyon.
This is Stevyn Langton, yowre meteropolytan.

K. Johan
Than do the offyce of the good Samarytan,
And pore oyle and wyne in my old festerd wownd.
Releace me of synne that yt doth not me confownd.

Confiteor Domino Pape et omnibus cardinalibus eius et vobis,
quia peccavi nimis exigendo ab ecclesia tributum, mea culpa.
Ideo precor sanctissimum Dominum Papam et omnes prelatos
eius et vos, orare pro me.

Stevyn Langton

Misereatur tui omnipotens Papa, et dimittat tibi omnes
erratus tuos, liberetque te a suspencione excominicacione et
interdicto, et restituat te in regnum tuum.

K. Johan

Amen.

Stevyn Langton

Dominus Papa noster te absolvat, et ego absolvo te auctoritate
eius, et apostolorum Petri et Pauli in hac parte mihi comissa,
ab omnibus impietatibus tuis, et restituo te corone et regno, in
nomine Domini Pape. Amen.

Cardynall
Ye are well content to take this man for yowre primate?

K. Johan
Yea, and to use hym accordyng to his estate.
I am ryght sory that ever I yow offendyd.

Sedicyon
And I am full gladde that ye are so welle amended.
Unto Holy Churche ye are now an obedyent chylde,
Where ye were afore with heresye muche defyelde.

Englande
Sir, yonder is a clarke whych is condempned for treason,
The shryves woulde fayne knowe what to do with hym thys season.

[Enter Treason.]
K. Johan
Come hyther, fellawe. What? Me thynke thu art a pryste.

Treason
He hath ofter gessed that of the truthe have myste.

K. Johan
A pryste and a traytour? How maye that wele agree?

Treason
Yes, yes, wele ynough, underneth Benedicite.
Myself hath played it, and therfor I knowe it the better.
Amonge craftye cloyners there hath not bene a gretter.

K. Johan
Tell some of thy feates; thu mayest the better escape.

Sedicyon
Hem! Not to bolde yet for a mowse the catte wyll gape.

Treason
Twenty thousande traytour I have made in my tyme
Undre Benedicite betwyn hygh masse and pryme.
I made Nobylyte to be obedyent
To the Churche of Rome, whych most kynges maye repent.
I have so convayed that neyther priest nor lawer
Wyll obeye Gods wurde, nor yet the Gospell faver.
In the place of Christe I have sett up supersticyons;
For preachynges, ceremonyes, for Gods wurde, mennys tradicyons.
Come to the temple and there Christe hath no place;
Moyses and the paganes doth utterly hym deface.

Englande
Marke wele, sir. Tell what we have of Moyses.

Treason
All your ceremonyes, your copes and your sensers, doubtlesse,
Your fyers, your waters, your oyles, your aulters, your ashes,
Your candlestyckes, your cruettes, your salte, with suche lyke trashes;
Ye lacke but the bloude of a goate or els a calfe.

Englande
Lete us heare sumwhat also in the paganes behalfe.

Treason
Of the paganes ye have your gylded ymages all,
In your necessytees upon them for to call
With crowchynges, with kyssynges, and settynge up of lyghtes,
Bearynge them in processyon and fastynges upon their nyghtes;
Some for the tothe ake, some for the pestylence and poxe,
With ymages of waxe to brynge moneye to the boxe.

Englande
What have they of Christe in the Churche? I praye the tell.

Treason
Marry nothynge at all but the Epystle and the Gospell,
And that is in Latyne that no man shoulde it knowe.

Sedicyon
Peace, noughty whoreson, peace; thu playest the knave, I trowe.

K. Johan
Hast thu knowne suche wayes, and sought no reformacyon?

[Treason]
It is the lyvynge of our whole congregacyon.
If supersticyons and ceremonyes from us fall,
Farwele monke and chanon, priest, fryer, byshopp and all.
Our conveyaunce is suche that we have both moneye and ware.

Sedicyon
Our occupacyon thu wylt marre! God gyve the care.

Englande
Very fewe of ye wyll Peters offyce take?

Treason
Yes, the more part of us our maistre hath forsake.

Englande
I meane for preachynge. I praye God thu be curste.

Treason
No, no, with Judas we love wele to be purste.
We selle our maker so sone as we have hym made,
And as for preachynge we meddle not with that trade
Least Annas, Cayphas, and the lawers shulde us blame,
Callynge us to a reckenynge for preachynge in that name.

K. Johan
But tell to me, person, whie wert thu cast in preson?

[Treason]
For no great matter but a lyttle petye treason:
For conjurynge, calkynge, and coynynge of newe grotes,
For clippynge of nobles with suche lyke pratye motes.

Englande
Thys is hygh treason and hath bene evermore.

K. Johan
It is suche treason as he shall sure hange fore.

Treason
I have holy orders. By the messe, I defye your wurst!
Ye can not towche me but ye must be accurst.

K. Johan
We wyll not towche the, the halter shall do yt alone.
Curse the rope therfor whan thu begynnest to grone.

Treason
And sett ye nomore by the holy ordre of prestehode?
Ye wyll prove your selfe an heretyke by the rode.

K. Johan
Come hyther, Englande, and here what I saye to the.

Englande
I am all readye to do as ye commaunde me.

K. Johan
For so much as he hath falsefyed our coyne,
As he is worthie lete hym with an halter joyne.
Thu shalt hange no priest nor yet none honest man,
But a traytour, a thefe, and one that lyttle good can.

Cardynall
What, yet agaynst the Churche? Gett me boke, belle, and candle;
As I am true priest I shall ye yett better handle.
Ye neyther regarde hys crowne nor anoynted fyngers,
The offyce of a priest, nor the grace that therin lyngers.

Sedicyon
Sir, pacyent yourselfe and all thynge shall be well.
Fygh man! To the Churche that ye shulde be styll a rebell.

Englande
I accompt hym no priest that worke such haynouse treason.

Sedicyon
It is a worlde to heare a folysh woman reason.

Cardynall
After thys maner ye used Peter Pomfrete,
A good symple man, and as they saye, a profete.

K. Johan
Sir, I ded prove hym a very supersticyouse wretche
And blasphemouse lyar; therfor ded the lawe hym upstretche.
He prophecyed first I shulde reigne but fourteen years,
Makynge the people to beleve he coulde bynde bears;
And I have reigned a seventene yeares and more.
And anon after he grudged at me very sore,
And sayde I shulde be exylded out of my realme
Before the ascencyon whych was turned to a fantastycall dreame
Saynge he would hange if hys prophecye were not true.
Thus hys owne decaye hys folyshnesse ded brue.

Cardynall
Ye shoulde not hange hym whych is a frynde to the Churche.

K. Johan
Alas, that ye shoulde counte them fryndes of the Churche
That agaynst all truthe so hypocritycally lurche;
And yll Churche is it that hath suche fryndes in dede.

Englande
Of Maister Morres suche an other fable we reade,
That in Morgans fyelde the sowle of a knyght made verses,
Apearynge unto hym and thys one he rehearces:
Destruet hoc regnum rex regum duplici plaga,
Whych is true as God spake with the Ape at Praga.
The sowles departed from thys heavye mortall payne
To the handes of God returneth never agayne.
A marvelouse thynge that ye thus delyght in lyes!

Sedicyon
Thys queane doth not els but mocke our blessed storyes.
That Peter angred ye whan he called ye a devyll incarnate.

K. Johan
He is now full sure nomore so uncomely to prate.
Well, as for thys man, because that he is a priste
I gyve hym to ye; do with hym what ye lyste.

Cardynall
In the Popes behalfe I wyll sumwhat take upon me.
Here I delyver hym by the Churches lyberte
In spyght of your hart. Make of it what ye lyste.

K. Johan
I am pleased, I saye, because he ys pryste.

Cardynall
Whether ye be or no it shall not greatly force.
Lete me see those cheanes. Go thy waye, and have remorce.

[The chains are removed.]
Treason
God save your lordeshypps. I trust I shall amende
And do nomore so, or els, sir, God defende.

[Exit Treason]
Sedicyon
I shall make the, I trowe, to kepe thy benefyce.
By the Marye Messe, the knave wyll never be wyse.

Englande
Lyke lorde, lyke chaplayne; neyther barrell, better herynge.

Sedicyon
Styll she must trattle; that tunge is alwayes sterynge.
A wurde or two, sir, I must tell yow in your eare.

Cardynall
Of some advauntage I woulde very gladly heare.

Sedicyon
Releace not Englande of the generall interdictyon
Tyll the kynge hath graunted the dowrye and the pencyon
Of Julyane, the wyfe of Kynge Richarde Cour de Lyon.
Ye knowe very well she beareth the Churche good mynde.
Tush, we must have all, manne, that she shall leave behynde.
As the saynge is he fyndeth that surely bynde.
It were but folye suche louce endes for to lose.
The lande and the monye wyll make well for our purpose.
Tush, laye yokes upon hym, more than he is able to beare;
Of Holye Churche so he wyll stande ever in feare.
Suche a shrewe as he it is good to kepe undre awe.

Englande
Woo is that persone whych is undreneth your lawe!
Ye maye see, good people, what these same merchauntes are,
Their secrete knaveryes, their open factes declare.

Sedicyon
Holde thy peace, callet, God gyve the sorowe and care!

Cardynall
Ere I releace yow of the interdyctyon heare
In the whych your realme contynued hath thys seven yeare,
Ye shall make Julyane your syster in lawe, thys bande,
To gyve hir the thirde part of Englande and of Irelande.

K. Johan
All the worlde knoweth, sir, I owe hir no suche dewtye.

Cardynall
Ye shall gyve it to hir, there is no remedye.
Wyll ye styll withstande our Holy Fathers precepte?

Sedicyon
In peyne of dampnacyon hys commaundement must be kepte.

K. Johan
Oh, ye undo me consyderynge my great paymentes.

Englande
Sir, disconfort not, for God hath sent debatementes;
Your mercyfull maker hath shewed upon ye hys powere,
From thys heavye yoke delyverynge yow thys howre.
The woman is dead; suche newes are hyther brought.

K. Johan
For me a synnar thys myracle hath God wrought.
In most hygh paryls he ever me preserved,
And in thys daunger he hath not from me swerved.
In genua procumbens Deum adorat, dicens:
As David sayth, Lorde, thu dost not leave thy servaunt
That wyll trust in the and in thy blessyd covenaunt.

Sedicyon
A vengeaunce take it! By the messe, it is unhappye
She is dead so sone: now is it past remedye.
So must we lose all now that she is clerely gone.
If that praye had bene ours, oh, it had bene alone!
The chaunce beynge suche, by my trouth, even lete it go.
No grote, no Pater Noster, no penye, no placebo.
The devyll go with it seynge it wyll be no better.

Englande
Their myndes are all sett upon the fylthie luker.

Cardynall
Than here I releace yow of your interdictyons all,
And strayghtly commaunde yow upon daungers that maye fall
Nomore to meddle with the Churches reformacyon,
Nor holde men from Rome whan they make appellacyon
By God and by all the contentes of thys boke.

K. Johan
Agaynst Holy Churche I wyll nomore speake nor loke.

Sedicyon
Go, open the churche dores, and lete the belles be ronge,
And through out the realme see that Te Deum be songe.
Pryck upp your candels before Saynt Loe and Saynt Legearde,
Lete Saynt Atonyes hogge be had in some regarde.
If your ale be sower and your breade moulde, certayne,
Now wyll they waxe swete, for the Pope hath blest ye agayne.

Englande
Than within a whyle I trust ye wyll preache the Gospell.

Sedicyon
That shall I tell the, kepe thu it in secrete counsell:
It shall neyther come in churche nor yet in chauncell.

Cardynall
Goo your wayes a pace and see our pleasure be done.

K. Johan
As ye have commaunded all shall be perfourmed sone.

[Exeunt King John and England.]
Cardynall
By the messe, I laugh to see thys cleane conveyaunce!
He is now full glad as our pype goeth to daunce.
By cockes sowle he is now become a good parrysh clarke.

Sedicyon
Ha, ha, wylye whoreson, dost that so busyly marke?
I hope in a whyle we wyll make hym so to rave
That he shall become unto us a commen slave
And shall do nothynge but as we byd hym do.
If we byd hym slea, I trowe he wyll do so;
If we bydde hym burne suche as beleve in Christe
He shall not saye naye to the byddynge of a priste.
But yet it is harde to trust what he wyll be,
He is so crabbed, by the Holye Trinyte.
To save all thynges up I holde best we make hym more sure
And gyve hym a sawce that he no longar endure.
Now that I remembre we shall not leave hym thus.

Cardynall
Whye, what shall we do to hym els, in the name of Jesus?

Sedicyon
Marry fatche in Lewes, Kynge Phylyppes sonne of Fraunce,
To fall upon hym with hys menne and ordynaunce,
With wyldefyer, gunpouder, and suche lyke myrye tryckes,
To dryve hym to holde and searche hym in the quyckes.
I wyll not leave hym tyll I brynge hym to hys yende.

Cardynall
Well, farwele Sedicyon; do as shall lye in thy myende.
[Exit Cardinal.]

Sedicyon
I marvele greatly where Dissymulacyon is.

Dissymulacyon
I wyll come anon, if thu tarry tyll I pysse.

[Enter Dissimulation.]
Sedicyon
I beshrewe your hart! Where have ye bene so longe?

Dissymulacyon
In the gardene, man, the herbes and wedes amonge,
And there have I gote the poyson of toade.
I hope in a whyle to wurke some feate abroade.

Sedicyon
I was wonte sumtyme of thy prevye counsell to be,
Am I now adayes become a straunger to the?

Dissymulacyon
I wyll tell the all undreneth Benedicite,
What I mynde to do in case thu wylte assoyle me.

Sedicyon
Thu shalt be assoyled by the most Holy Fathers auctoryte.

Dissymulacyon
Shall I so in dede? By the masse than now have at the!
Benedicite.

[Kneels.]
Sedicyon
In nomine Papae, Amen.

Dissymulacyon
Sir, thys is my mynde: I wyll gyve Kynge Johan thys poyson,
So makynge hym sure that he shall never have foyson.
And thys must thu saye to colour with the thynge
That a penye lofe he wolde have brought to a shyllynge.

Sedicyon
Naye, that is suche a lye as easely wyll be felte.

Dissymulacyon
Tush, man, amonge fooles it never wyll be out smelte,
Though it be a great lye. Set upon it a good face,
And that wyll cause men beleve it in every place.

Sedicyon
I am sure than thu wylt geve it hym in a drynke.

Dissymulacyon
Marry, that I wyll, and the one half with hym swynke
To encourage hym to drynke the botome off.

Sedicyon
If thu drynke the halfe thu shalt fynde it no scoff;
Of terryble deathe thu wyllt stacker in the plashes.

Dissymulacyon
Tush, though I dye, man, there wyll ryse more of my ashes.
I am sure the monkes wyll praye for me so bytterlye
That I shall not come in helle nor in purgatorye.
In the Popes kychyne the scullyons shall not brawle
Nor fyght for my grese. If the priestes woulde for me yewle
And grunt a good pace placebo with Requiem Masse,
Without muche tarryaunce I shulde to paradyse passe
Where I myght be sure to make good cheare and be myrye
For I can not awaye with that whoreson purgatorye.

Sedicyon
To kepe the from thens thu shalt have fyve monkes syngynge
In Swynsett abbeye so longe as the worlde is durynge;
They wyll daylye praye for the sowle of Father Symon,
A Cisteane monke whych poysened Kynge John.

Dissymulacyon
Whan the worlde is done what helpe shall I have than?

Sedicyon
Than shyft for thy self so wele as ever thu can.

Dissymulacyon
Cockes sowle, he cometh here! Assoyle me that I were gone then.

Sedicyon
Ego absolvo te, in nomine Papae, Amen.

[Exeunt Sedition and Dissimulation. Enter King John and England.]
K. Johan

Englande
Sir, discomfort ye not in the honour of Christe Jesu:
God wyll never fayle yow, intendynge not els but vertu.

K. Johan
The anguysh of sprete so pangeth me every where
That incessauntly I thyrst tyll I be there.

Englande
Sir, be of good chere, for the Pope hath sent a legate
Whose name is Gualo, your foes to excommunycate.
Not only Lewes, whych hath wonne Rochestre,
Wynsore and London, Readynge and Wynchestre,
But so manye els as agaynst ye have rebelled
He hath suspended and openly accursed.

K. Johan
They are all false knaves; all men of them be ware.
They never left me tyll they had me in their snare.
Now have they Otto, the Emproure, so wele as me
And the French kynge, Phylypp, undre their captivyte.
All Christen princes they wyll have in their bandes.
The Pope and hys priestes are poyseners of all landes.
All Christen people be ware of trayterouse pristes
For of truthe they are the pernicyouse Antichristes.

Englande
Thys same Gualo, sir, in your cause doth stoughtly barke.

K. Johan
They are all nought, Englande, so many as weare that marke.
From thys habytacyon, swete lorde, delyver me,
And preserve thys realme, of thy benygnyte.

Dissymulacyon
[sings offstage.]
Wassayle, wassayle, out of the mylke payle,
Wassayle, wassayle, as whyte as my nayle,
Wassayle, wassayle, in snowe, froste, and hayle,
Wassayle, wassayle, with partriche and rayle.
Wassayle, wassayle, that muche doth avayle,
Wassayle, wassayle, that never wyll fayle.

K. Johan
Who is that, Englande? I praye the, stepp fourth and see.

Englande
He doth seme a farre some relygyouse man to be.

[Enter Dissimulation disguised as a monk.]
Dissymulacyon
Now Jesus preserve your worthye and excellent grace,
For doubtlesse there is a very angelyck face.
Now forsoth and God, I woulde thynke my self in heaven
If I myght remayne with yow but yeares alevyn;
I woulde covete here none other felicyte.

K. Johan
A lovynge persone thu mayest seme for to be.

Dissymulacyon
I am as gentle a worme as ever ye see.

K. Johan
But what is thy name, good frynde? I praye the tell me.

Dissymulacyon
Simon of Swynsett my very name is, per Dee.
I am taken of men for monastycall devocyon,
And here have I brought yow a marvelouse good pocyon
For I hearde ye saye that ye were very drye.

K. Johan
In dede I wolde gladly drynke. I praye the, come nye.

Dissymulacyon
The dayes of your lyfe never felt ye suche a cuppe,
So good and so holsome if ye woulde drynke it upp.
It passeth malmesaye, capryck, tyre or ypocras.
By my faythe, I thynke a better drynke never was.

K. Johan
Begynne, gentle monke; I praye the, drynke half to me.

Dissymulacyon
If ye dronke all up it were the better for ye.
It woulde slake your thirst and also quycken your brayne.
A better drynke is not in Portyngale nor Spayne.
Therfor suppe it of and make an ende of it quycklye.

K. Johan
Naye, thu shalte drynke half. There is no remedye.

Dissymulacyon
Good lucke to ye than; have at it by and bye.
Halfe wyll I consume if there be no remedye.

K. Johan
God saynt the, good monke, with all my very harte.

Dissymulacyon
I have brought ye half; conveye me that for your parte.
Where art thu, Sedicyon? By the masse, I dye, I dye.
Helpe now at a pynche. Alas, man, cum awaye shortlye!

[Enter Sedition.]
Sedicyon
Come hyther apace and gett thee to the farmerye.
I have provyded for the, by swete Saynt Powle.
Fyve monkes that shall synge contynually for thy sowle.
That, I warande the, thu shalt not come in helle.

Dissymulacyon
To sende me to heaven goo rynge the holye belle
And synge for my sowle a masse of Scala Celi,
That I maye clyme up aloft with Enoch and Heli.
I do not doubte it but I shall be a saynt;
Provyde a gyldar myne image for to paynt.
I dye for the Churche with Thomas of Canterberye.
Ye shall fast my vigyll and upon my daye be merye.
No doubt but I shall do myracles in a whyle,
And therfor lete me be shryned in the north yle.

Sedicyon
To the than wyll offer both crypple, halte and blynde,
Mad men and mesels, with suche as are woo behynde.

Exeunt.
K. Johan
My bodye me vexeth; I doubt muche of a tympanye.

Englande
Now alas, alas, your grace is betrayed cowardlye!

K. Johan
Where became the monke that was here with me latelye?

Englande
He is poysened, sir, and lyeth a dyenge surelye.

K. Johan
It can not be so, for he was here even now.

Englande
Doubtlesse, sir, it is so true as I have tolde yow.
A false Judas kysse he hath gyven yow and is gone.
The halte, sore and lame thys pitiefull case wyll mone.
Never prynce was there that made to poore peoples uses
So many masendewes, hospytals, and spyttle howses
As your grace hath done yet sens the worlde began.

K. Johan
Of priestes and of monkes I am counted a wycked man
For that I never buylte churche nor monasterye,
But my pleasure was to helpe suche as were nedye.

Englande
The more grace was yours for at the daye of judgement
Christe wyll rewarde them whych hath done hys commaundement.
There is no promyse for voluntarye wurkes
Nomore than there is for sacrifyce of the Turkes.

K. Johan
Doubtlesse I do fele muche grevaunce in my bodye.

Englande
As the Lorde wele knoweth for that I am full sorye.

K. Johan

Englande
With the leave of God I wyll not leave ye thus,
But styll be with ye tyll he do take yow from us,
And than wyll I kepe your bodye for a memoryall.

K. Johan
Than plye it Englande, and provyde for my buryall.
A wydowes offyce it is to burye the deade.

[Dies.]
Englande
Alas, swete maistre, ye waye so heavy as leade.
Oh horryble case that ever so noble a kynge
Shoulde thus be destroyed and lost for ryghteouse doynge
By a cruell sort of disguysed bloud souppers,
Unmercyfull murtherers all dronke in the bloude of marters.
Report what they wyll in their most furyouse madnesse,
Of thys noble kynge muche was the godlynesse.

Exeunt.
[Enter Verity.]
Veritas
[Enter Nobility, Clergy, and Civil Order.]

Nobylyte
Whome speake ye of, sir, I besyche ye hartelye?

Veritas
I talke of Kynge Johan, of late your prynce most worthye.

Nobylyte
Sir, he was a man of a very wycked sorte.

Veritas
Ye are much to blame your prynce so to reporte.
How can ye presume to be called Nobilyte
Diffamynge a prynce in your malygnyte?
Ecclesiastes sayth, If thu with an hatefull harte
Misnamest a kynge thu playest suche a wycked parte
As byrdes of ayer to God wyll represent
To thy great parell and excedynge ponnyshment.
Saynt Hierome sayth also that he is of no renowne
But a vyle traytour that rebelleth agaynst the crowne.

Clergye
He speaketh not agaynst the crowne but the man, per dee.

Veritas
Oh, where is the sprete whych ought to reigne in the!
The crowne of it selfe without the man is nothynge.
Learne of the scriptures to have better undrestandynge.
The harte of a kynge is in the handes of the Lorde,
And he directeth it, wyse Salomon to recorde.
They are abhomynable that use hym wyckedlye.

Clergye
He was never good to us, the sanctifyed clergye.

Veritas
Wyll ye knowe the cause before thys worshypfull cumpanye?
Your conversacyon and lyves are very ungodlye.
Kynge Salomon sayth, Who hath a pure mynde,
Therin delyghtynge shall have a kynge to frynde.
On thys wurde Cleros, whych signyfieth a lott
Or a sortynge out into a most godly knott,
Ye do take your name for that ye are the lordes
Select of hys wurde to be the specyall recordes,
As of Saynt Mathias we have a syngular mencyon
That they chose hym out anon after Christes ascencyon.
Thus do ye recken. But I feare ye come of Clerus
A very noyfull worme, as Aristotle sheweth us,
By whome are destroyed the honycombes of bees;
For poore wydowes ye robbe as ded the Pharysees.

Cyvyle Order
I promyse yow it is uncharytably spoken.

Veritas
Treuthe ingendereth hate; ye shewe therof a token.
Ye are suche a man as ought every where to see
A godly order, but ye loose yche mare commynalte.
Plato thought alwayes that no hyghar love coulde be
Than a man to peyne hymself, for hys own countreye.
David for their sake the proude Phelistyan slewe,
Aioth mad Eglon hys wyckednesse to rewe,
Esdras from Persye for hys owne contreys sake
Came to Hierusalem their stronge holdes up to make;
But yow, lyke wretches, cast over both contreye and kynge.
All manhode shameth to see your unnaturall doynge.
Ye wycked rulers, God doth abhorre ye all.
As Mantuan reporteth in hys Egloges Pastorall
Ye fede not the shepe, but ever ye pylle the flocke
And clyppe them so nygh that scarsely ye leave one locke.
Your jugementes are suche that ye call to God in vayne
So longe as ye have your prynces in disdayne.
Chrysostome reporteth that nobylyte of fryndes
Avayleth nothynge except ye have godly myndes.
What profiteth it yow to be called spirytuall
Whyls yow for lucre from all good vertues fall?
What prayse is it to yow to be called Cyvylyte
If yow from obedyence and godly order flee?
Anneus Seneca hath thys most provable sentence:
The gentyll free hart goeth never from obedyence.

Cyvyle Order
Sir, my bretherne and I woulde gladly knowe your name.

Veritas
I am Veritas that come hyther yow to blame
For castynge awaye of our most lawfull kynge.
Both God and the worlde detesteth your dampnable doynge.
How have ye used Kynge Johan here now of late
I shame to rehearce the corruptyons of your state.
Ye were never wele tyll ye had hym cruelly slayne,
And now, beynge dead ye have hym styll in disdayne.
Ye have raysed up of hym most shamelesse lyes
Both by your reportes and by your written storyes.
He that slewe Saul through fearcenesse vyolent
Was slayne sone after at Davids just commaundement
For bycause that Saul was anoynted of the Lorde.
The Seconde of Kynges of thys beareth plenteouse recorde.
He was in those dayes estemed wurthie to dye
On a noynted kynge that layed handes violentlye.
Ye are not ashamed to fynde fyve priestes to synge
For that same traytour that slewe your naturall kynge.
A trayterouse knave ye can set upp for a saynte,
And a ryghteouse kynge lyke an hatefull tyraunt paynte.
I coulde shewe the place where yow most spyghtfullye
Put out your torches upon hys physnomye.
In your glasse wyndowes ye whyppe your naturall kynges.
As I sayde afore, I abhorre to shewe your doynges.
The Turkes I dare saye are a thousande tymes better than yow.

Nobylyte
For Gods love, nomore! Alas, ye have sayde ynough.

Clergye
All the worlde doth knowe that we have done sore amys.

Cyvyle Order
Forgyve it us so that we never heare more of thys.

Veritas
But are ye sorye for thys ungodly wurke?

Nobylyte
I praye to God, els I be dampned lyke a Turke.

Veritas
And make true promyse ye wyll never more do so?

Clergye
Sir, never more shall I from true obedyence goo.

Veritas
What saye yow, brother? I must have also your sentence.

Cyvyle Order
I wyll ever gyve to my prynce due reverence.

Veritas
Well, than, I doubt not but the Lorde wyll condescende
To forgyve yow all, so that ye mynde to amende.
Adewe to ye all, for now I must be gone.

[Enter Imperial Majesty.]
Imperyall Majestye
Abyde, Veryte; ye shall not depart so sone.
Have ye done all thynges as we commaunded yow?

Veritas
Yea, most gracyouse prynce, I concluded the whole even now.

Imperyall Majestye
And how do they lyke the customs they have used
With our predecessours, whome they have so abused,
Specyally Kynge Johan? Thynke they they have done well?

Veritas
They repent that ever they folowed sedicyouse counsell
And have made promes they wyll amende all faultes.

Imperyall Majestye
And forsake the Pope with all hys cruell assaultes?

Veritas
Whie do ye not bowe to Imperyall Majeste?
Knele and axe pardon for your great enormyte.

[Nobility, Clergy, and Civil Order kneel.]
Nobylyte
Most godly governour, we axe your gracyouse pardon,
Promysynge nevermore to maynteyne false Sedicyon.

Clergye
Neyther Pryvate Welthe nor yet Usurped Poure
Shall cause me disobeye my prynce from thys same houre.
False Dissymulacyon shall never me begyle;
Where I shall mete hym I wyll ever hym revyle.

Imperyall Majestye
I perceyve, Veryte, ye have done wele your part
Refourmynge these men. Gramercyes with all my hart!
I praye yow, take paynes to call our Commynalte
To true obedyence as ye are Gods Veryte.

Veritas
I wyll do it, sir. Yet shall I have muche a doo
With your Popish prelates. They wyll hunte me to and fro.

Imperyall Majestye
So longe as I lyve they shall do yow no wronge.

Veritas
Than wyll I go preache Gods wurde your commens amonge.
But first I desyre yow their stubberne factes to remytt.

Imperyall Majestye
I forgyve yow all and perdon your frowarde wytt.

Omnes Una
The heavenly governour rewarde your goodnesse for it.

Veritas
For Gods sake obeye lyke as doth yow befall,
For in hys owne realme a kynge is judge over all
By Gods appoyntment, and none maye hym judge agayne
But the Lorde hymself. In thys the scripture is playne.
He that condempneth a kynge condempneth God without dought
He that harmeth a kynge to harme God goeth abought;
He that a prynce resisteth doth dampne Gods ordynaunce
And resisteth God in withdrawynge hys affyaunce.
All subjectes offendynge are undre the kynges judgement:
A kynge is reserved to the Lorde Omnypotent.
He is a mynyster immedyate undre God,
Of hys ryghteousnesse to execute the rod.
I charge yow therfor as God hath charge me
To gyve to your kynge hys due supremyte
And exyle the Pope thys realme for evermore.

Omnes Una
We shall gladly doo accordynge to your loore.

Veritas
Your grace is content I shewe your people the same?

Imperyall Majestye
[Exit Verity.]

Clergye
If it be your pleasure we wyll exyle hym cleane,
That he in thys realme shall nevermore be seane,
And your grace shall be the supreme head of the Churche.
To brynge thys to passe ye shall see how we wyll wurche.

Imperyall Majestye
Here is a nyce tale! He sayth, if it be my pleasure
He wyll do thys acte to the Popes most hygh displeasure,
As who sayth, I woulde for pleasure of my persone
And not for Gods truthe have suche an enterpryse done.
Full wysely convayed! The crowe wyll not chaunge her hewe.
It is marvele to me and ever ye be trewe.
I wyll the auctoryte of Gods holy wurde to do it
And it not to aryse of your vayne slypper wytt.
That scripture doth not is but a lyght fantasye.

Clergye
Both Daniel and Paule calleth hym Gods adversarye,
And therfor ye ought as a devyll hym to expell.

Imperyall Majestye
Knewe ye thys afore and woulde it never tell?
Ye shoulde repent it had we not now forgyven ye.
Nobylyte, what saye yow? Wyll ye to thys agree?

Nobylyte
I can no lesse, sir, for he is wurse than the Turke.
Whych none other wayes but by tyrannye doth wurke.
Thys bloudy bocher with hys pernycyouse bayte
Oppresse Christen princes by frawde, crafte and dissayte,
Tyll he compell them to kysse hys pestylent fete
Lyke a levyathan syttynge in Moyses sete.
I thynke we can do unto God no sacrifyce
That is more accept nor more agreynge to justyce
Than to slea that beaste and slauterman of the devyll,
That Babylon boore whych hath done so muche evyll.

Imperyall Majestye
It is a clere sygne of a true nobilyte
To the wurde of God whan your conscyence doth agree.
For as Christe ded saye to Peter, Caro et sanguis
Non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus celestis:
Ye have not thys gyfte of carnall generac[y]on,
Nor of noble bloude, but by Gods owne demonstracyon.
Of yow, Cyvyle Order, one sentence woulde I heare.

Cyvyle Order
I rewe it that ever any harte I ded hym beare.
I thynke he hath spronge out of the bottomlesse pytt
And in mennys conscyence in the stede of God doth sytt,
Blowynge fourth a swarme of grassopers and flyes
Monkes, fryers and priestes, that all truthe putrifyes.
Of the Christen faythe playe now the true defendar;
Exyle thys monster and ravenouse devourar
With hys venym wormes, hys adders, whelpes and snakes,
Hys cuculled vermyne that unto all myschiefe wakes.

Imperyall Majestye
Than in thys purpose ye are all of one mynde?

Clergye
We detest the Pope and abhorre hym to the fynde.

Imperyall Majestye
And are wele content to disobeye hys pryde?

Nobylyte
Yea, and hys lowsye lawes and decrees to sett asyde.

Imperyall Majestye
Than must ye be sworne to take me for your heade.

Cyvyle Order
We wyll obeye yow as our governour in Gods steade.

Imperyall Majestye
Now that ye are sworne unto me your pryncypall
I charge ye to regarde the wurde of God over all
And in that alone to rule, to speake, and to judge,
As ye wyll have me your socour and refuge.

Clergye
If ye wyll make sure ye must exyle Sedicyon,
False Dyssymulacyon, with all vayne superstycyon,
And put Private Welthe out of the monasteryes;
Than Usurped Power maye goo a birdynge for flyes.

Imperyall Majestye
Take yow it in hande and do your true dilygence,
Iche man for hys part; ye shall wante no assystence.

Clergye
I promyse yow here to exyle Usurped Powre
And your supremyte to defende yche daye and howre.

Nobylyte
I promyse also out of the monasteryes
To put Private Welthe and detect hys mysteryes.

Cyvyle Order
False Dissymulacyon I wyll hange up in Smythfylde
With suche supersticon as your people hath begylde.

Imperyall Majestye
Than I trust we are at a very good conclusyon
Vertu to have place and vyce to have confusyon.
Take Veryte wyth ye for every acte ye doo;
So shall ye be sure not out of the waye to goo.

Sedicyon
intrat. [He is singing.]
Pepe I see ye! I am glad I have spyed ye.

Nobylyte
There is Sedicyon. Stande yow asyde a whyle;
Ye shall see how we shall catche hym by a wyle.

Sedicyon
No noyse amonge ye? Where is the mery chere
That was wont to be with quassynge of double bere?
The worlde is not yet as some men woulde it have.
I have bene abroade and I thynke I have playde the knave.

Cyvyle Order
Thu canyst do none other except thu change thy wunte.

Sedicyon
What myschiefe ayle ye that ye are to me so blunte?
I have sene the daye ye have favoured me, Perfectyon.

Clergye
Thy selfe is not he; thu art of an other complectyon.
Sir, thys is the thiefe that first subdued Kynge John,
Vexynge other prynces that sens have ruled thys regyon;
And now he doth prate he hath so played the knave
That the worlde is not yet as some men woulde it have.
It woulde be knowne, sir, what he hath done of late.

Imperyall Majestye
What is thy name, frynde? To us here intymate.

Sedicyon
A sayntwary! A sayntwary! For Gods dere passyon, a sayntwarye.
Is there none wyll holde me and I have made so manye?

Imperyall Majestye
Tell me what thy name is; thu playest the knave I trowe.

Sedicyon
I am wyndelesse, good man; I have muche peyne to blowe.

Imperyall Majestye
I saye tell thy name or the racke shall the constrayne.

Sedicyon
Holy Perfectyon my godmother called me playne.

Nobylyte
It is Sedicyon. God gyve hym a very myschiefe!

Cyvyle Order
Undre heaven is not a more detestable thiefe.

Sedicyon
By the messe, ye lye. I see wele ye do not knowe me.

Imperyall Majestye
Ah, brother, art thu come? I am ryght glad we have the.

Sedicyon
By bodye, bloude, bones, and sowle I am not he.

Clergye
If swearynge myghte helpe he woulde do we[le] ynough.

Imperyall Majestye
He scape not our handes so lyghtly, I waraunde yow.

Clergye
Thys is that thiefe, sir, that all Christendome hath troubled
And the Pope of Rome agaynst all kynges maynteyned.

Nobylyte
Now that ye have hym nomore but hange hym uppe.

Cyvyle Order
If ye so be content it shall be done ere I suppe.

Imperyall Majestye
Loo, the Clergye accuseth the; Nobylyte condempneth the;
And the lawe wyll hange the. What sayst now to me?

Sedicyon
I woulde I were now at Rome, at the sygne of the cuppe,
For heavynesse is drye. Alas, must I nedes clymbe uppe?
Perdon my lyfe and I shall tell ye all,
Both that is past and that wyll herafter fall.

Imperyall Majestye
Aryse. I perdon the so that thu tell the trewthe.

Sedicyon
I wyll tell to yow suche treason as ensewthe;
Yet a ghostly father ought not to bewraye confessyon.

Imperyall Majestye
No confessyon is but ought to discover treason.

Sedicyon
I thynke it maye kepe all thynge save heresye.

Imperyall Majestye
It maye holde no treason I tell the verelye,
And therfor tell the whole matter by and bye.
Thu saydest now of late that thu haddest played the knave
And that the worlde was not as some men woulde it have.

Sedicyon
I coulde playe Pasquyll but I feare to have rebuke.

Imperyall Majestye
For utterynge the truthe feare neyther byshopp nor duke.

Sedicyon
Ye gave injunctyons that Gods wurde myghte be taught,
But who observe them? Full manye a tyme have I laught
To see the conveyaunce that prelates and priestes can fynde.

Imperyall Majestye
And whie do they beare Gods wurde no better mynde?

Sedicyon
For if that were knowne than woulde the people regarde
No heade but their prynce; with the Churche than were it harde.
Than shoulde I lacke helpe to maynteyne their estate,
As I attempted in the Northe but now of late.
And sens that same tyme in other places besyde
Tyll my setters on were of their purpose wyde.
A vengeaunce take it! It was never well with me
Sens the cummynge hyther of that same Veryte.
Yet do the byshoppes for my sake vexe hym amonge.

Imperyall Majestye
Do they so in dede? Well, they shall not do so longe.

Sedicyon
In your parlement commaunde yow what ye wyll,
The Popes ceremonyes shall drowne the the Gospell styll.
Some of the byshoppes at your injunctyons slepe,
Some laugh and go bye and some can playe boo pepe;
Some of them do nought but searche for heretykes
Whyls their priestes abroade do playe the scysmatykes.
Tell me in London how manye their othes discharge
Of the curates there? Yet is it muche wurse at large.
If your true subjectes impugne their trecheryes
They can fatche them in anon for sacramentaryes
Or Anabaptystes; thus fynde they a subtyle shyfte
To proppe up their kyngedome suche is their wyly dryfte.
Get they false wytnesses they force not of whens they be,
Be they of Newgate or be they of the Marshall-see.
Paraventure a thousande are in one byshoppes boke
And agaynst a daye are readye to the hooke.

Imperyall Majestye
Are those matters true that thu hast spoken here?

Sedicyon
What can in the worlde more evydent wytnesse bere?
First of all consydre the prelates do not preache
But persecute those that the Holye Scriptures teache;
And marke me thys wele they never ponnysh for popery
But the Gospell readers they handle very coursely,
For on them they laye by hondred poundes of yron
And wyll suffer none with them ones for to common.
Sytt they never so longe nothynge by them cometh fourthe
To the truthes furtheraunce that any thynge ys wourthe.
In some byshoppes howse ye shall not fynde a testament,
But yche man readye to devoure the innocent.
We lyngar a tyme and loke but for a daye
To sett upp the Pope if the Gospell woulde decaye.

Clergye
Of that he hath tolde hys selfe is the very grounde.

Imperyall Majestye
Art thu of counsell in thys that that thu hast spoken?

Sedicyon
Yea, and in more than that if all secretes myght be broken;
For the Pope I make so muche as ever I maye do.

Imperyall Majestye
I praye the hartely, tell me why thu doest so.

Sedicyon
For I perceyve wele the Pope is a jolye fellawe,
A trymme fellawe, a ryche fellawe, yea, and myry fellawe.

Imperyall Majestye
A jolye fellawe how dost thu prove the Pope?

Sedicyon
For he hath crosse keyes with a tryple crowne and a cope,
Trymme as a trencher, havynge hys shoes of golde,
Ryche in hys ryalte and angelyck to beholde.

Imperyall Majestye
How dost thu prove hym to be a fellawe myrye?

Sedicyon
He hath pypes and belles, with kyrye, kyrye, kyrye.
Of hym ye maye bye both salt, creame, oyle and waxe.
And after hygh masse ye maye learne to beare the paxe.

Imperyall Majestye
Yea, and nothynge heare of the Pystle and the Gospell?

Sedicyon
No, sir, by the masse; he wyll gyve no suche counsell.

Imperyall Majestye
Whan thu art a broade where doest thy lodgynge take?

Sedicyon
Amonge suche people as God ded never make;
Not only cuckoldes, but suche as folowe the Popes lawes
In disgysed coates with balde crownes lyke jacke dawes.

Imperyall Majestye
Than every where thu art the Popes altogyther.

Sedicyon
Ye had proved it ere thys if I had not chaunced hyther
I sought to have served yow lyke as I ded Kynge John,
But that Veryte stopte me, the devyll hym poyson!

Nobylyte
He is wurthie to dye and there were men nomore.

Cyvyle Order
Hange up the vyle knave and kepe hym no longar in store.

Imperyall Majestye
Drawe hym to Tyburne; lete hym be hanged and quartered.

Sedicyon
Whye of late dayes ye sayde I shoulde not so be martyred.
Where is the pardon that ye ded promyse me?

Imperyall Majestye
For doynge more harme thu shalt sone pardoned be.
Have hym fourth, Cyvyle Ordre, and hange hym tyll he be dead,
And on London Brydge loke ye bestowe hys head.

Cyvyle Order
I shall see it done and returne to yow agayne.

Sedicyon
I beshrewe your hart for takynge so muche payne.
Some man tell the Pope I besyche ye with all my harte,
How I am ordered for takynge the Churches parte,
That I maye be put in the Holye Letanye
With Thomas Beckett, for I thynke I am as wurthye.
Praye to me with candels for I am a saynt alreadye.
O blessed Saynt Partryck, I see the, I, verylye.

[Exeunt Civil Order and Sedition]
Imperyall Majestye

Nobylyte
As God shall judge me I repent me of my rudenesse.

Clergye
I am ashamed of my most vayne folyshenesse.

Nobylyte
I consydre now that God hath for Sedicyon
Sent ponnyshmentes great. Examples we have in Brute,
In Catilyne, in Cassius, and fayer Absolon,
Whome of their purpose God alwayes destytute,
And terryble plages on them ded execute
For their rebellyon. And therfor I wyll be ware
Least hys great vengeaunce trappe me in suche lyke snare.

[Enter Civil Order.]
Clergye
I pondre also that sens the tyme of Adam
The Lorde evermore the governours preserved.
Examples we fynde in Noe and in Abraham,
In Moyses and David, from whome God never swerved.
I wyll therfor obeye least he be with me displeased.
Homerus doth saye that God putteth fourth hys shyelde
The prynce to defende whan he is in the fyelde.

Cyvyle Order
Thys also I marke: whan the priestes had governaunce
Over the Hebrues the sectes ded first aryse
As Pharisees, Sadducees and Essees, whych wrought muche grevaunce
Amonge the people by their most devylysh practyse,
Tyll destructyons the prynces ded devyse
To the quyetnesse of their faythfull commens all,
As your grace hath done with the sectes papistycall.

Imperyall Majestye
That poynt hath in tyme fallen to your memoryes.
The Anabaptystes, a secte newe rysen of late,
The scriptures poyseneth with their subtle allegoryes,
The heades to subdue after a sedicyouse rate.
The cytie of Mynster was lost through their debate.
They have here begonne their pestilent sedes to sowe,
But we trust in God to increase they shall not growe.

Clergye
God forbyd [they] shoulde for they myght do muche harme

Cyvyle Order
We shall cut them short if they do hyther swarme.

Imperyall Majestye
The adminystracyon of a princes governaunce
Is the gifte of God and hys hygh ordynaunce,
Whome with all your power yow thre ought to support
In the lawes of God to all hys peoples comfort.
First yow, the Clergye, in preachynge of Gods worde
Than yow, Nobilyte, defendynge with the sworde;
Yow, Cyvyle Order in executynge justyce.
Thus I trust we shall seclude all maner of vyce,
And after we have establyshed our kyngedome
In peace of the Lorde and in hys godly fredome,
We wyll confirme it with wholesom lawes and decrees,
To the full suppressynge of Antichristes vanytees.
Hic omnes rex osculatur.
Farwele to ye all; first to yow Nobilyte,
Than to yow, Clergye, than to yow, Cyvylyte;
And above all thynges remembre our injunctyon.

Omnes Una
By the helpe of God yche one shall do hys functyon.

[Exit Imperial Majesty.]
Nobylyte
By thys example ye maye see with your eyes
How Antichristes whelpes have noble princes used.
Agayne ye maye see how they with prodigyouse lyes
And craftes uncomely their myschiefes have excused.
Both nature, manhode, and grace they have abused,
Defylynge the lawe, and blyndynge Nobilyte—
No Christen regyon from their abusyons free.

Clergye
Marke wele the dampnable bestowynge of their masses
With their foundacyons for poysenynge of their kynge.
Their confessyon driftes all other traytery passes.
A saynt [they] can make of the most knave thys daye lyvynge,
Helpynge their market. And to promote the thynge
He shall do myracles. But he that blemysh their glorye
Shall be sent to helle without anye remedye.

Cyvyle Order
Here was to be seane what ryseth of Sedicyon
And howe he doth take hys mayntenaunce and grounde
Of ydle persones brought upp in supersticyon,
Whose daylye practyse is alwayes to confounde
Such as myndeth vertu and to them wyll not be bounde.
Expedyent it is to knowe their pestylent wayes,
Consyderynge they were so busye now of late dayes.

Nobylyte
Englande hath a quene, thankes to the Lorde above,
Whych maye be a lyghte to other princes all
For the godly wayes whome she doth dayly move
To hir liege people through Gods wurde specyall.
She is that Angell, as Saynt Johan doth hym call,
That with the Lordes seale doth marke out hys true servauntes.
Pryntynge in their hartes hys holy wourdes and covenauntes.

Clergye
In Danyels sprete she hath subdued the Papistes
With all the ofsprynge of Antichristes generacyon;
And now of late dayes the secte of Anabaptistes
She seketh to suppresse for their pestiferouse facyon.
She vanquysheth also the great abhomynacyon
Of supersticyons, witchecraftes and hydolatrye,
Restorynge Gods honoure to hys first force and bewtye.

Cyvyle Order
Praye unto the Lorde that hir grace maye contynewe
The dayes of Nestor to our sowles consolacyon;
And that hir ofsprynge maye lyve also to subdewe
The great Antichriste with hys whole generacyon,
In Helias sprete to the confort of thys nacyon;
Also to preserve hir most honourable counsell
To the prayse of God and glorye of the Gospell.