what hunt Polipheme for here ?

Aske ye what I hunt for here , and yet ye se me haue neyther dogges , dart , Iauelyn , nor huntyng staffe .

Paraduenture ye hunt after some praty nymphe of the couert .

By my trouth and well coniectured , beholde what a goodly pursenet , or a hay I haue here in my hande .

Benedicite , what a straunge syght is this , me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin , Poliphemus with a boke in his hande . This is a dogge in a doblet , a sowe with a sadle , of all that euer I se it is a non decet .

I haue not onely paynted and garnysshed my boke with saffron , but also I haue lymmed it withe Sinople , asapherida , redleed , vermilon , and byse .

It is a warlyke boke , for it is furnisshed with knottes , tassils plates , claspes , and brasen bullyons .

Take the boke in your hand and loke within it .

I se it wery well . Truly it is a praty boke , but me thynkes ye haue not yet trymmed it sufficiently for all your cost ye haue bestowed vpon it .

why what lackes it ?

Thou shuldest haue set thyne armes vpon it .

what armes I beseche the ?

Mary the heed of Silenus , an olde iolthed drunkard totynge out of a hoggeshed or a tunne , but in good ernest , wherof dothe your boke dyspose or intreate ? dothe it teache the art and crafte to drynke a duetaunt ?

Take hede in goddes name what ye say lest ye bolt out a blasphemie before ye be ware .

why bydde ye me take hede what I saye ? is there any holy matt in the boke ?

what man it is the gospell boke , I trow there is nothynge can be more holye .

God for thy grace what hathe Poliphemus to do withe the gospell ?

I can not tell but me thynkes a rousty byll or a halbard wold become such a great lubber or a slouyn as thou arte a great deale better , for yf it were my chaunce to mete such one and knewe him not vpon seeborde , and he loked so lyke a knaue and a ruffyan as thou dost I wolde take hym for a pirate or a rouer vpon the see / and if I met such one in the wood for an arrante thefe , and a man murderer .

yea good syr but the gospell teache vs this same lesson , that we shuld not iudge any person by his loke or by his externall & outwarde apparaunce . For lyke wyse as many tymes vnder a graye freers coote a tyrannous mynde lyeth secretly hyd , euen so apolled heed , a crispe or a twyrled berde , a frowninge , a ferse , or a dogged loke , a cappe , or a hat with an oystrich fether , a soldyers cassocke , a payre of hoofe all to cut and manglyd , may couer an euangelycall mynde .

why not , mary God forbyd elles , yea & many tymes a symple shepe lyeth hyd in a wolfes skynne , and yf a man maye credite and beleue the fables of Aesope , an asse maye lye secretely vnknowen by cause he is in a lyons skynne .

Naye I knowe hym whiche bereth a shepe vpon his heed , and a foxe in his brest , to whome I wold wysshe with al my hart that he had as whyte and as fauorable frendes as he hathe blacke eyes . And I wolde wysshe also that he were aswell guylt ouer and ouer as he hathe a colour mete to take guyltynge .

Yf ye take hym to were a shepe vpon his heed , that weareth a cappe of woll , howe greuously than art thou lodyn , or what an excedynge heuy burden bearest thou then I praye the whiche bearest a hoole shepe and an ostryche to vpon thy heed ? But what saye ye to him doth not he more folyssly which beareth a byrd vpon his heed , and an asse in his brest .

There ye nypped & taunted me in dede .

But I wolde saye this geere dyd wonderous wel yf this gospel boke dyd so adourne the with vertue as thou hast adourned lymmed , and gorgiously garnysshed it with many gay goodly glystryng ornamentes . Mary syr thou hast set it forth in his ryght colours in dede , wolde to god it might so adourne the with good condicions that thou myghtest ones lerne to be an honest man .

There shall be no defaute in me , I tell you I wyll do my diligence .

Naye there is no doute of that , there shall be no more faute in you now I dare say then was wonte to be .

Yea but ( youre tarte tauntes , and youre churlysshe checkes , and raylynges set asyde ) tell me I pray the this one thynge , do you thus disprayse , condempne , or fynde faute with them whiche caryeth aboute with them the newe testament or the gospel boke ?

No by my fayth do I not good praty man .

Call ye me but a praty one and I am hygher then you by the length of a good asses heed .

I thynke not fully so moche yf the asse stretch forth his eares , but go to it skyllis no matter of that , let it passe , he that bare Christ vpon his backe was called Christofer , and thou whiche bearest the gospell boke aboute with the shall for Poliphemus be called the gospeller or the gospell bearer .

Do not you counte it an holy thynge to cary aboute with a man the newe testament ?

why no syr by my trouth do I not , except thou graunte the very asses to be holy to .

How can an asse be holy ?

For one asse alone is able to beare thre hundreth suche bokes , and I thynke suche a great lubber as thou art were stronge inoughe to beare as great a burden , and yf thou had a hansome packesadle sette vpon thy backe .

And yet for all your iestynge it is not agaynst good reason to saye that the asse was holy whiche bore christ .

I do not enuye you man for this holynes for I had as lefe you had that holynes as I , and yf it please you to take it I wyll geue you an holy & a religious relyke of the selfe same asse whiche christ rode vpon , and whan ye haue it ye may kysse it lycke it and cull it as ofte as ye lyst .

Mary syr I thanke you , ye can not gyue me a more thanckefull gyfte nor do me a greatter pleasure , for that asse withouten any fayle was made as holye as any asse could be by the touchynge of christes body .

Vndouted they touched christes body also whiche stroke and buffeted christ .

yea but tell me this one thynge I praye the in good ernest . Is it not a great sygne of holynes in a man to cary aboute the gospel boke or the newe testament ?

It is a token of holynes in dede if it be done without hypocrysie , I meane if it be done without dissimulacion / and for that end , intent & purpose , that it shuld be done for .

What the deuyl & a morten tellest thou a man of warre of hypocrisie , away with hypocrisie to the monkes and the freers .

Yea but bycause ye saye so , tell me fyrste I praye you what ye call hypocrisie .

When a man pretendis another thyng outwardly then he meanis secretly in his mynde .

But what dothe the bearynge aboute of the newe testament sygnyfie . Dothe it not betoken that thy lyfe shulde be conformable to the gospell which thou carryest aboute with the.

I thynke well it dothe .

Wel then when thy lyfe is not conformable to the boke , is not that playne hypocrisie .

Tell me then what you call the trewe carienge of the gospell boke aboute with a man .

Some men beare it aboute with them in theyr handes ( as the gray freers were wonte to beare the rule of saynt Fraunces ) and so the porters of London , Asses & horses may beare it as well as they . And there be some other that carry the gospel in theyr mouthes onlie , and such haue no other talke but al of christ and his gospell , and that is a very poynt of a pharysey . And some other carrye it in theyr myndes . But in myne opynion he beares the gospell boke as he shuld do whiche bothe beares it in his hande , communes of it with his mouth whan occasyon of edyfyenge of his neyghboure whan conuenyent oportunytie is mynystred to him , and also beares it in his mynde and thynkes vpon it withe his harte .

Yea thou art a mery felow , where shall a man fynde suche blacke swannes ?

In euery cathedrall church , where there be any deacons , for they beare the gospel boke in theyr hande , they synge the gospell aloude , somtyme in a lofte that the people may heare them , althoughe they do not vnderstand it , and theyr myndes are vpon it when they synge it .

And yet for all your sayenge all suche deacons are no saynctes that beare the gospell so in theyr myndes .

But lest ye play the subtyle and capcious sophystryar with me I wyll tell you this one thynge before . No man can beare the gospell in his mynde but he must nedes loue it from the bothum of his harte , no man loueth it inwardly and from the bothum of his harte but he must nedes declare and expresse the gospell in his lyuinge , outwarde maners , & behauour .

I can not skyll of youre subtyle reasonynges , ye are to fyne for me .

Then I wyll commune with you after a grosser maner , and more playnly . yf thou dyddest beare a tankard of good Reynyshe wyne vpon thy shulders onelye , what other thynge were it to the then a burden .

It were none other thynge truly , it is no great pleasure to beare wyne .

What and yf thou dranke asmoche as thou coudest well holde in thy mouthe , after the maner of a gargarisme & spyt it out agayne .

That wolde do me no good at all , but take me not with suche a faute I trow , for the wyne is very bad and if I do so .

But what and yf thou drynke thy skynne full as thou art wont to do , when thou comest where good wyne is .

Mary there is nothyng more godly or heuynly .

It warmes you at the stomacke , it settes your body in a heate , it makes you loke with a ruddy face , and setteth your hart vpon a mery pynne .

That is suerly so as ye saye in dede .

The gospell is suche a lyke thynge of all this worlde , for after that it hathe ones persed & entered in the veynes of the mynd it altereth , transposeth , and cleane changeth vpsodowne the whole state of man , and chaungeth hym cleane as it were into a nother man .

Ah ha , nowe I wot wherabout ye be , belyke ye thinke that I lyue not accordynge to the gospell or as a good gospeller shulde do .

Call ye it dissoluynge ? Naye and yf a thynge come to dyssoluynge gyue me a good sharpe axe in my hande and I trow I shall dyssolue it well inoughe .

What woldest thou do , I praye the , and yf a man shulde say to thy teth thou lyest falsely , or elles call the by thy ryght name knaue in englysshe .

What wolde I do quod he , that is a question in dede , mary he shulde feele the wayghte of a payre of churlyshe fystes I warrant the.

And what and yf a man gaue you a good cuffe vpon the eare that shulde waye a pounde ?

It were a well geuen blowe that wolde aduauntage hym .xx. by my trouthe and he escaped so he myght say he rose vpon his ryght syde , but it were maruayle & I cut not of his head harde by his shulders .

Yea but good folowe thy gospell boke teacheth the to geue gentle answers , and fayre wordes agayne for fowle , and to hym that geueth the a blowe vpon the ryght cheke to holde forth the lyfte .

I do remembre I haue red suche a thinge in my boke , but ye must pardone me for I had quyte forgotten it .

Well go to , what saye ye to prayer I suppose ye praye very ofte .

That is euyn as very a touche of a pharesey as any can be .

I graunt it is no lesse than a poynte of a pharesey to praye longe and faynedly vnder a colour or pretence of holynes , that is to saye when a man prayeth not from the bothum of his hart but with the lyppes only and from the tethe outward , and that in opyn places where great resort of people is , bycause they wold be sene . But thy gospel boke teacheth the to praye contynually , but so that thy prayer come from the bothum of the hart .

Yea but yet for all my sayenge I praye sumtyme .

When I beseche the when thou art a slepe ?

When it cometh in to my mynde , ones or twyse may chaunce in a weke .

what prayer sayst thou ?

The lordes prayer , the Pater noster .

Howe many tymes ouer ?

Onis , & I trowe it is often inoughe , for the gospell forbyddeth often repetynge of one thynge .

Can ye saye your pater noster through to an ende & haue youre mynde runnynge vpon nothynge elles 〈◊〉 all that whyle ?

By my trouthe and ye wyll beleue me I neuer yet assayed nor proued whether I coulde do it or no. But is it not sufficient to saye it with my mouthe ?

I can not tell whether it be or no. But I am sure god here vs not excepte we praye from the bothum of our harte . But tell me another thyng I wyll aske the. Doest thou not fast very often ?

No neuer in all my lyfe tyme and yf it were not for lacke of meate .

And yet thy boke alowes and commendes hyghly bothe fastynge and prayer .

So coulde I alowe them to but that my belly can not well affare nor away with fastyng .

Yea but Paule sayth they are not the seruauntes of Iesus Christe whiche serue theyr belly & make it theyr god . Do you eate fleshe euery day ?

No neuer when I haue none to eate , but I neuer refuse it when it is set before me , and I neuer aske question not for conscience but for my belly sake .

Yea but these stronge sturdy sydes of suche a chuffe and a lobbynge lobye as thou arte wolde be fed well inoughe with haye and barke of trees .

Yea but chryste sayd , that which entereth in at the mouthe defyleth not the man .

That is to be vnderstand thus yf it be measurably taken , and without the offendinge of our christian brother . But Paule the disciple of chryst had rather peryshe & sterue with hunger then onys to offende his weyke brothren with his eatynge , and he exhorteth vs to followe his example that in all thynges we maye please all men .

What tel ye me of Paule , Paule is Paule and I am I.

Do you gladly helpe to releue the poore and the indygent with your goodes ?

Howe can I helpe them whiche haue nothynge to gyue them , and scant inoughe for my selfe .

ye myght spare somthynge to helpe them with yf thou woldest playe the good husband in lyuynge more war●●● , in moderatynge thy superfluous expenses , and in fallynge to thy worke lustely .

Nay then I were a fole in dede , a peny worth of ease is euer worth a peny , and nowe I haue found so moch pleasure in ease that I can not fall to no labour .

Do you kepe the commaundementes of god ?

Nowe ye appose me , kepe the commaundementes ꝙ he , that is a payne in dede .

Art thou sory for thy synnes and thyne offences , doest thou ernestly repent the for them .

Christ hath payed the raunsome of synne and satisfied for it alredy .

Howe prouest thou then that thou louest the gospell and fauoris the word of god as thou bearest men in hande thou doest .

I wyll tell you that by & by , and I dare saye you wyl confesse no lesse your selfe then that I am an ernest fauorer of the worde when I haue told you the tale . There was a certayne gray frere of the order of saynt Fraunces with vs whiche neuer ceased to bable and rayle agaynste the newe testament of Erasmus , I chaunsed to talke with the gentylman pryuatly where no man was present but he and I , and after I had communed awhyle with hym I caught my frere by the polled pate with my left hande and with my right hande I drew out my daggar and I pomelled the knaue frere welfauardly aboute his skonce that I made his face as swollen and as puffed as a puddynge .

what a tale is this that thou tellest me .

How say you is not this a good and a sufficient proue that I fauer the gospell . I gaue hym absolucion afore he departed out of my handes with this newe testament thryse layde vpon his pate as harde as I myght dryue that I made thre bunches in his heed as bygge as thre egges in the name of the father , the sone , & the holy goost .

Now by my trouth this was well done & lyke a ryght gospeller of these dayes . ●●●●ly this is as they saye to dyffende the gospell with the gospell .

I ●●t another graye frere of the same curry she couent , that knaue neuer had done in raylynge agaynst Erasmus , so sone as I had espyed hym I was styrred and moued with the brenninge zele of the gospell that in thretenyng of him I made hym knele downe vpon his knees and crye Erasmus mercie and desired me to forgyue him , I may saye to you it was hyghe tyme for hym to fall downe vpon his marybones , and yf he had not done it by and by I had my halbarde vp redy to haue gyuen hym betwyxt the necke and the heade , I loked as grymme as modie Mars when he is in furyous fume , it is trewe that I tell you , for there was inoughe sawe the frere and me yf I wolde make a lye .

I maruayle the frere was not out of his wyt . But to retourne to oure purpose agayne , dost thou lyue chastly ?

Peraduenture I maye do here after when I am more stryken in age . But shall I confesse the trouthe to the ?

I am no preest man , therfore yf thou wylt be shryuen thou must seke a preest to whome thou maye be lawfully confessed .

I am wont styl to confesse my selfe to god , but I wyl confesse thus moche to the at this tyme I am not yet become a perfyte gospeller or an euangelical man , for I am but yet as it were one of the commune people , ye knowe wel perde we gospellers haue iiii . gospels wrytten by the .iiii. euangelystes , & suche gospellers as I am hunt busely , and chefely for .iiii. thynges that we may haue . Vnde . to prouyde dayntie fare for the bellie , that nothynge be lackynge to that parte of the body whiche nature hath placed vnder the belly , ye wote what I meane , and to obtayne and procure suche liuinge that we may lyue welthely and at pleasure without ●arke & care . And fynally that we maye do what we lyst without checke or controlment , yf we gospellars lacke none of all these thynges we crye and synge for ioye , amonge our ful cuppes Io Io we tryumphe and are wonderfull frolycke , we synge and make as mery as cup and can , and saye the gospell is a lyue agayne Chryst rayneth .

This is a lyfe for an Epycure or a god belly and for no euangelicall persone that professeth the gospell .

I denye not but that it is so as ye saye , but ye knowe well that god is omnipotent and can do al thynges , he can turne vs when his wyll is sodenly in to other maner of men .

So can he transforme you in to hogges and swyne , the whiche maye soner be done I iudge them to chaunge you in to good men for ye are halfe swynyshe & hoggyshe alredy , your lyuynge is so beastlie .

Holde thy peas man wolde to god there were no men that dyd more hurt in the world then swyne , bullockes , asses , and camelles . A man may se many men now adayes more crueller then lyons , more rauenynge than wolues , more lecherous then sparous , and that byte worse then mad dogges , more noysom than snakes , vepers and adders .

But nowe good Polipheme remembre and loke vpon thy selfe for it is hyghe tyme for the to laye a syde thy beastly lyuynge , and to be tourned from a brute and a sauage beast in to a man .

I thanke you good neyghbour Cannius for by saynt Mary I thynke your counsayle is good / for the prophetes of this tyme sayth the worlde is almost at an end , and we shall haue domes daye ( as they call it ) shortely .

We haue therfore more nede to prepare our selues in a redines agaynst that day , and that with as moche spede as maye be possible .

as for my part I loke and wayte styll euery day for the myghty hande and power of christ .

Take hede therfore that thou , when christ shall laye his myghty hande vpon the be as tendre as waxe , that accordynge to his eternall wyll he maye frame & fashyon the with his hande . But wherby I praye the dothe these prophetes coniecture & gather that the worlde is almost at an ende .

Bycause men ( they saye ) do the selfe same thinge nowe adayes that they dyd , and were wont to do which were lyuynge in the worlde a lytle whyle before the deluge or Noyes floode . They make solempne feastes , they banket , they quaffe , they booll , they bybbe , they ryot men mary , women are maryed , they go a catterwallynge and horehuntinge , they bye , they sell , they lend to vserie , and borowe vpon vserie , they builde , kinges kepe warre one agaynst another , preestes studie howe they maye get many benefyces and promocions to make them selfe riche and increase theyr worldly substaunce , the diuynes make insolible sillogismus and vnperfyte argumentes , they gather conclusyons , monkes and freers runne , at rouers ouer all the world , the comyn people are in a mase or a hurle burle redy to make insurrections , and to conclude breuelie there lackes no euyll miserie nor myschefe , neyther honger , thyrst fellonie , robberie , warre , pestilence , sedicion , derth , and great scarsytie and lacke of all good thynges . And howe say you do not all these thynges argue and sufficientlie proue that the worlde is almost at an ende ?

Yea but tell me I praye the of all thes hoole hepe of euyls and miseries whiche greueth the moste ?

Whiche thynkes thou , tell me thy fansie and coniecture ?

That the Deuyll ( god saue vs ) maye daunce in thy purse for euer a crosse that thou hast to kepe him forthe .

I pray god I dye and yf thou haue not hyt the nayle vpon the head . Now as chaunceth I come newly from a knotte of good companye where we haue dronke harde euery man for his parte , & I am not behynde with myne , and therfore my wytte is not halfe so freshe as it wyll be , I wyll dyspute of the gospell with the whan I am sobre .

When shal I se the sobre ?

When I shall be sobre .

When wyll that be ?

When thou shalt seme , in the meane season god be with you gentle Cannius and well mot you do .

And I wyshe to you agayne for my parte that thou ware in dede as valiaunt or pusaunt a felowe as thy name soundeth .

And bycause ye shall lose nothynge at my hande with wyshynge I pray god that Cannius maye neuer lacke a good can or a stoope of wyne or bere , wherof he had his name .

God saue you mayster Boniface .

God saue you & god saue you agayne gentle Beatus . But I wold god bothe we were such , and so in very dede as we be called by name , that is to say thou riche & I fayre .

Why do you thynke it nothynge worth at al to haue a goodly glorious name .

Truely me thynke it is of no valure or lytle good worthe , onles a man haue the thynge it selfe whiche is sygnified by the name .

Yea you maye well thynke your pleasure , but I am assured that the most part of all mortall men be of another mynde .

It may wel be I do not denye that they are mortal , but suerly I do not byleue that they are men , which are so beastly mynded .

Yes good syr and they be men to laye your lyfe , onlesse ye thynke camels and asses do walke aboute vnder the fygure and forme of men .

Mary I can soner beleue that then that they be men whiche esteme and passe more vpon the name , then the thynge .

I graunte in certayne kyndes of thinges moost men had rather haue the thynge then the name , but in many thynges it is otherwyse and cleane contrary .

I can not well tell what ye meane by that

And yet the example of this matter is apparant or sufficiently declared in vs two . Thou arte called Bonifacius and thou hast in dede the thynge wherby thou bearest thy name . yet if there were no other remedy but eyther thou must lacke the one or the other , whether had you rather haue a fowle and deformed face or elles for Boniface be called Maleface or horner ?

Beleue me I had rather be called fowle Thersites then haue a monstrous or a deformyd face , whether I haue a good face or no I can not tell .

And euen so had I for yf I were ryche and there were no remedy but that I must eyther forgoo my rychesse , or my name I had rather be called Irus whiche was a poore beggers name then lacke my ryches .

I agree to you for asmoch as ye speake the trouth , and as you thynke .

Iudge all them to be of the same mynde that I am of whiche are indued with helthe or other commodities and qualities appartaynynge to the body .

That is very trewe .

Yea but I praye the consyder and marke howe many men we se whiche had rather haue the name of a lerned and a holy man , then to be well lerned , vertuous , & holy in dede .

I knowe a good sorte of suche men for my part .

Tell me thy fantasie I pray the do not suche men passe more vpon the name then the thinge ?

Methynke thy do .

Yf we had a logician here whiche could well and clarkelie defyne what were a kynge , what a bysshoppe , what a magistrate , what a philosopher is , ꝑaduenture we shuld find som among these iolly felowes whiche had rather haue the name then the thynge .

Surely & so thynke

Yf he be a kinge whiche by lawe and equyte regardes more the commoditie of his people then his owne lucre / yf he be a bisshop which alwayes is careful for the lordes flocke commytted to his pastorall charge / yf he be a magistrate which frankelie and of good wyll dothe make prouysyon , and dothe all thinge for the comyn welthes sake / and yf he be a phylosopher whiche passynge not vpon the goodes of this worlde , only geueth hym selfe to attayn to a good mynde , and to leade a vertuous lyfe .

Lo thus ye may perseyue what a nombre of semblable examples ye may collecte & gether .

Vndouted a great sorte .

But I pray the tel me wyll you saye that all these are no men .

Nay I feare rather lest in so sayenge it shulde cost vs our lyues , and so myght we our selues shortelye be no men .

Yf man be a resonable creature , howe ferre dyffers this from all good reason , that in commodities apertayning to the body ( for so they deserue rather to be called then goodnes ) and in outwarde gyftes whiche dame fortune geues and takes awaye at her pleasure , we had rather haue the thynge then the name , and in the true and only goodnes of the mynd we passe more vpon the name then the thynge .

So god helpe me it is a corrupte and a preposterours iudgement , yf a man marke and consyder it wel .

The selfe same reason is in contrarie thinges .

I wolde gladly knowe what ye meane by that .

We maye iudge lykewyse the same of the names of thynges to be eschued , and incommodites which was spoken of thynges to be dissyred and commodites .

Nowe I haue considered the thynges well , it apereth to be euen so as ye saye in dede .

It shulde be more feared of a good prynce to be a tyraunt in dede then to haue the name of a tyraunt . And yf an euyll bysshop be a thefe and a robber , then we shulde not so greatly abhorre and hate the name as the thynge .

Eyther so it is or so it shuld be .

Nowe gather you of the rest as I haue done of the prynce & the bysshop .

Me thynkes I vnderstande this gere wonderouse well .

Do not all men hate the name of a fole or to be called a moome , a sotte , or an asse ?

Yeas as moche as they do any one thynge .

And how saye you were not he a starke fole that wold fishe with a golden bayte , that wolde preferre or esteme glasse better then precious stones , or whiche loues his horse or dogges better then his wyfe and his chyldren ?

He were as wyse as waltoms calfe , or madder then iacke of Redyng .

And be not they as wyse whiche not assygned , chosen , nor yet ones appoynted by the magistrates , but vpon theyr owne heed aduenture to runne to the warres for hoope of a lytle gayne , ieoperdynge theyr bodyes and daungerynge theyr soules ? Or howe wyse be they which busie them selfe to get , gleyne , and reepe to gyther , goodes and ryches when they haue a mynde destitute and lackyng all goodnes ? Are not they also euen as wyse that go gorgyously apparylled , and buyldes goodly sumptuous houses , when theyr myndes are not regarded but neglect fylthye and with all kynde of vyce fowle corrupted ? And how wyse are they whiche are carefull diligent and busie , about the helthe of theyr body neglectynge and not myndynge at all theyr soule , in daunger of so many deedly synnes ? And fynally to conclude howe wyse be they whiche for a lytle shorte transytorye pleasure of this lyfe deserue euerlastynge tormentes and punyshementes ?

Euen reason forseth me to graunt that they are more then frantyke and folyshe .

Yea but althoughe all the whole worlde be full of suche fooles , a man can scaselye fynde one whiche can abyde the name of a foole , and yet they deserue to be called so for asmoche as they hate not the thynge .

Suerly it is euen so as ye seye .

Ye knowe also howe the names of a lyar and a thefe are abhorred and hated of all men .

They are spyteful and odious names , and abhorred of all men , and not withe out good cause why .

I graunte that , but althoughe to commyt adulterie be a more wycked synne then thefte yet for al that some men reioyse and shewe them selfe glad of that name , whiche wolde be redy by and by to drawe theyr swerdes and fyghte withe a man that wolde or durst call them theues .

It is true there are many wolde take it euyll as you saye in dede .

And nowe it is commyn to that poynt that thoughe there are many vnthryftes and spend als whiche consume theyr substaunce at the wyne and vpon harlottes , and yet so wyllynge to continewe openly that all the worlde wonders at them , yet they wyll be offended and take peper in the noose yf a man shulde call them ruffyans or baudy knaues .

Suche fellowes thynke they deserue prayse for the thynge , and yet for all that they can not abyde the name dewe to the thinge whiche they deserue .

There is scarslye any name amonges vs more intollerable or worse can be abydden then to he called a lyar or a lyeng fellowe .

I haue knowen some or this whiche haue kylled men for suche a spytefull worde as that is .

Yea yea but wolde god suche hasty fellowes dyd as well abhorre the thinge and hate lienge as well as to be called lyers , was it neuer thy chaunce to be dysceyued of any man whiche borowinge mony of the appoyntynge the a certayne daye to repaye the sayd money and so performyd not his appoyntment nor kept his day ?