An excellent new Commedie, Intituled : The Conflict of Conscience Contayninge, A most lamentable example, of the dolefull desperation of a miserable worldlinge, termed, by the name of Philologvs, who forsooke the trueth of Gods Gospel, for feare of the losse of lyfe, & wordly goods |
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 | An excellent new Commedie, Intituled : The Conflict of Conscience |  |
An excellent new Commedie, Intituled: The Conflict of Conscience. CONTAYNINGE, The most lamentable Hystorie, of the desperation of Frauncis Spera, who forsooke the trueth of Gods Gospell, for feare of the losse of life and worldly goodes.
The Prologue.
When whirling windes which blowe with blustring blast,
Shall ceasse their course, and not the Ayre mooue,
But still vnstirred it doth stand, it chaunceth at the last,
To be infect, the trueth hereof even day by day we prooue,
For deepe within the Caues of earth, of force it doth behoue,
Sith that no windes do come thereto, the Ayre out to beate,
By standing still the closed ayre, doth breed infections great.
Shall ceasse their course, and not the Ayre mooue,
But still vnstirred it doth stand, it chaunceth at the last,
To be infect, the trueth hereof even day by day we prooue,
For deepe within the Caues of earth, of force it doth behoue,
Sith that no windes do come thereto, the Ayre out to beate,
By standing still the closed ayre, doth breed infections great.
The streame or flood, which runneth vp and downe,
Is far more sweete, then is the standing brooke,
If long vnworne, you leaue a Cloake or Gowne,
Moathes wil it marre, vnlesse you thereto looke.
Againe, if that vppon a shelfe, you place or set a booke,
And suffer it there still to stand, the wormes will soone it eate:
A knife likewise in sheath layde vp, the rust will marre and freat.
Is far more sweete, then is the standing brooke,
If long vnworne, you leaue a Cloake or Gowne,
Moathes wil it marre, vnlesse you thereto looke.
Againe, if that vppon a shelfe, you place or set a booke,
And suffer it there still to stand, the wormes will soone it eate:
A knife likewise in sheath layde vp, the rust will marre and freat.
The good road horsse, if still at racke he stande,
to resty Iade will soone transformed be,
If long vntild, you leaue a fertile lande,
From strecke and weede, no place wilbe left free:
By these examples and such like, approue then well maye wee,
That idlenes more euills doth bring, into the mynde of man,
Then labour great in longer tyme, againe expell out can.
to resty Iade will soone transformed be,
If long vntild, you leaue a fertile lande,
From strecke and weede, no place wilbe left free:
By these examples and such like, approue then well maye wee,
That idlenes more euills doth bring, into the mynde of man,
Then labour great in longer tyme, againe expell out can.
Which thinge our Author marking well, when weried was his mynde,
From reading graue and auncient workes, yet loth his time to loose,
Bethought himselfe, to ease his heart, some Recreance to finde:
And as he mused in his minde, immediatly arose,
An Historye of late yeares don, which myght as suppose,
Styrre vp their myndes to godlynes, which shoulde it see or heare,
But while the treatise we do playe, I praye you with vs beare.
From reading graue and auncient workes, yet loth his time to loose,
Bethought himselfe, to ease his heart, some Recreance to finde:
And as he mused in his minde, immediatly arose,
An Historye of late yeares don, which myght as suppose,
Styrre vp their myndes to godlynes, which shoulde it see or heare,
But while the treatise we do playe, I praye you with vs beare.
The argument or ground whereon our Author cheefely stayed,
Is FRAVNCIS SPERAES History, to most men fully knowen,
Who through the loue of worldly welth, and feare of death dismayde,
Because he would his lyfe and goods, haue kept still as his owne,
From state of grace wherein he stoode, he is cleane ouerthrowne,
So that he had no power at all, in heart firme fayth to haue,
Being vrgde to praye vnto the Lord, his mercyes for to craue.
Is FRAVNCIS SPERAES History, to most men fully knowen,
Who through the loue of worldly welth, and feare of death dismayde,
Because he would his lyfe and goods, haue kept still as his owne,
From state of grace wherein he stoode, he is cleane ouerthrowne,
So that he had no power at all, in heart firme fayth to haue,
Being vrgde to praye vnto the Lord, his mercyes for to craue.
But SPERAES name for causes iust, our Author doth omit,
And at this tyme imagine him PHILOLOGVS to be,
First, for because a Comedy will hardly him permit,
The vices cf one priuate man, to touch particulerly,
Againe, nowe shall it styrre him more, who shall it heare or see,
For if that SPERA had ben one, we would strayght deeme in mynde,
That all by SPERA spoken were, our selues we would not finde.
And at this tyme imagine him PHILOLOGVS to be,
First, for because a Comedy will hardly him permit,
The vices cf one priuate man, to touch particulerly,
Againe, nowe shall it styrre him more, who shall it heare or see,
For if that SPERA had ben one, we would strayght deeme in mynde,
That all by SPERA spoken were, our selues we would not finde.
But syth PHILOLOGVS is nought else, but one that loues to talke,
And common of the worde of God, but hath no further care,
According as it teacheth them, in Gods feare for to walke,
If that we practise this in deede, PHILOLOGI we are,
And so by his deserued fault, we may in tyme beware,
Nowe if as Author first it ment, you heare it with this gayne,
In good behalfe he will esteeme, that he bestowed his payne.
And common of the worde of God, but hath no further care,
According as it teacheth them, in Gods feare for to walke,
If that we practise this in deede, PHILOLOGI we are,
And so by his deserued fault, we may in tyme beware,
Nowe if as Author first it ment, you heare it with this gayne,
In good behalfe he will esteeme, that he bestowed his payne.
And for because we see by proofe, that men do soone forget,
Those thinges for which to call them by, no name at all they knowe,
Our Author for to helpe short wittes, did thinke it very meete,
Some name for this his Comedy, in preface for to showe,
Nowe names to natures must agree, as euery man do knowe,
A fitter name he could in mynde, no where excogitate,
Then, THE CONFLICT OF CONSCIENCE, the same to nominate.
Those thinges for which to call them by, no name at all they knowe,
Our Author for to helpe short wittes, did thinke it very meete,
Some name for this his Comedy, in preface for to showe,
Nowe names to natures must agree, as euery man do knowe,
A fitter name he could in mynde, no where excogitate,
Then, THE CONFLICT OF CONSCIENCE, the same to nominate.
A cruell Conflict certainely, where Conscience takes the foyls,
And is constrained by the flesh, to yeld to deadly sinne,
Wherby the grace and loue of God, from him sinne reaues and spoyls,
Then (wretch accurst) no power hath, repentance to beginne,
Farre happier, if that vnborne and lyfelesse he had bene,
As in Discourse before your eyes, shall plainly prooued be:
If that with patience you abide, the ende therof to see.
And is constrained by the flesh, to yeld to deadly sinne,
Wherby the grace and loue of God, from him sinne reaues and spoyls,
Then (wretch accurst) no power hath, repentance to beginne,
Farre happier, if that vnborne and lyfelesse he had bene,
As in Discourse before your eyes, shall plainly prooued be:
If that with patience you abide, the ende therof to see.
And though the Historie of it selfe, be too too dolorous,
And would constreine a man with teares of blood, his cheekes to weet
Yet to refresh the mindes of them which be the Auditors,
Our Author intermixed hath, in places fitte and meete,
Some honest myrth, yet alwayes ware, DECORVM, to exceede:
But list, I heare the Players prest, in presence foorth to come,
I therfore cease, and take my leaue, my Message I haue donne.
Exit.And would constreine a man with teares of blood, his cheekes to weet
Yet to refresh the mindes of them which be the Auditors,
Our Author intermixed hath, in places fitte and meete,
Some honest myrth, yet alwayes ware, DECORVM, to exceede:
But list, I heare the Players prest, in presence foorth to come,
I therfore cease, and take my leaue, my Message I haue donne.
Acte sixe
Sceane last.
NVNTIVS.
Oh
dolefull newes, which I report, and bring into your eares,
Philologus by deepe dispaire hath hanged himselfe with coard,
His Wife for dolor and distresse, her yellow haire she teares,
His Children sigh and weepe for griefe, lyfe is of them abhorde:
But in this man we may descrie, the iudgements of the Lord:
Who though he spare his rod awhile, in hope we will amende,
If we persist in wickednesse, he plagues vs in the ende.
Philologus by deepe dispaire hath hanged himselfe with coard,
His Wife for dolor and distresse, her yellow haire she teares,
His Children sigh and weepe for griefe, lyfe is of them abhorde:
But in this man we may descrie, the iudgements of the Lord:
Who though he spare his rod awhile, in hope we will amende,
If we persist in wickednesse, he plagues vs in the ende.
These thirty weekes Philologus, hath had afflicted mynde,
All which time, he would take no meate, but that against his wyll,
A certaine man of courage stout, his handes with coards did bynde:
And with a fether, or a spoone, his mouth with broth did fill,
Hee with his power laboring, the same, on ground to spill:
He did auoide no maner thing, no sleepe he could attaine.
And his owne hand, now at the last, hath wrought his endles paine.
All which time, he would take no meate, but that against his wyll,
A certaine man of courage stout, his handes with coards did bynde:
And with a fether, or a spoone, his mouth with broth did fill,
Hee with his power laboring, the same, on ground to spill:
He did auoide no maner thing, no sleepe he could attaine.
And his owne hand, now at the last, hath wrought his endles paine.
FINIS.
N. W.
| An excellent new Commedie, Intituled : The Conflict of Conscience | |