What meaneste thou by this ? thou haste a berde & a long busshe , and nere a cote / but naked and bare legged / chosynge a wandrynge beastely lyfe / and besydes that agaynst al others custome , thou abusest thyn own bodye , thou wandrest hyther and thyther / and slepest more ouer vpon the bare yerthe . In so moche that this fowle , torne / coourse , and thredebare clooke ofte tymes reporteth it .

I nede none other : for if there be any thyng that may lyghtly be gotten and trouble leest the owner , that suffiseth me . But tell me for goddes sake / thynkeste thou that there is vice in waste ?

ye very greatte .

And in temperaunce vertue ?

What elles ?

Sins thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyue more temperately than the common sorte of men / & them more wastfully : why than dooste thou blame me and not them ?

By god by cause me thynketh thou lyueste not more temperately , but more nedely , ye and that moost nedy and wretched . For thou semeste no better than a begger that beggeth his dayly meate .

Wolte thou then ( sins we ar gone so ferre ) that we see what thyng skarsite is , and what plentie is ?

ye if thou wolt .

Than is not that inough for euery man / that satisfieth his nede ? or wolt thou say any other thyng ?

Be it so .

And skarsite that that wanteth to fournyshe nede ?

That same .

Therfore in my geare there wanteth nothyng . For there is nothynge in them that fornyssheth nat my nede .

Howe prouest thou that ?

Thou shalte knowe / if thou consydre to what purpose e●●●●●● those thynges was ordeyned , wherof we haue nede , as a house , is it not for to couer ?

It is trewe .

And a gowne for what purpose ? is it not also for to couer ?

Of a suertie .

And by thy trouthe wherfore nedeth coueryng , is it not that it shuld be the better , that is couered ?

Me thinketh so .

Whither then seme vnto the these fete the worse for that they are bare ?

I can not tell .

Thou shalt knowe it by this waye / wherto serueth fete ?

For to go .

Dost thou thinke than my fete go worse than others feete .

I thynke not .

But whyther they be better or worse / can they not do that that they were ordeyned for ?

I thynke well .

Semeth it than my feete be no worse than others ?

It semeth well .

And wat my bodye / ●●y worse than others ? if hit were any worse , it shuld be weker / for the vertue of the body is strength : is myne than weaker ?

It semeth not .

Than semeth hit that nother my feete nor my bodye nedeth any couerynge . For if they neded / they shuld be the worse . For nede is euermore ylle , and maketh them the worse / with whome hit dwelleth . Nor it semeth that my body is the worse nourysshed , for that it is nourysshed with al maner of meates .

It is clere .

For it shulde nother be nymble nor stronge , if it were ylle nourysshed , for yll nourysshementes weaken the body .

All this is of suertie .

Syns it is so , wherfore doste thou rebuke me , and blamest my lyfe , and callest it wretched ?

By god bycause that syns Nature ( whom thou worshippest ) and the goddis haue ordined the yerthe in commune , and out of it haue brought many and good thinges / that we shulde haue all thinges plenteously , not onely for nede , but also for delyght : yet thou of all these thinges , or at the lest of the moste part , lesist thy parte , and vsest none of them no more than bestes . For thou drinkest water , and so do bestes : thou eatest what so euer thou fyndeste , as do dogges : and thy bedde is no better than a dogges kenell , for strawe suffiseth the / as wel as them : and thou wearist a cloke no better than a beggers . And if it be so , that it be wisely done , to be content with these thinges , truely god hath not done well . Firste in makinge fatte shepe , than vinis to beare swete wyne / and all other stuffe of marueilous diuersite / both oyle and honye , and other thinges , that we shuld haue all thinges , that we shulde haue all maner of meatis , that we shuld haue swete drinkes , money , and softe beddes , and also faire howses , and all other thinges ordined after a marueilous sorte . For the fruites of craftes be also the gyftes of the goddis . But to lyue wantynge all these goodes , truely were wretchednes , ye if thou sholdest want any of them . As they that are kepte in prison : and moche more wretched / if a man wolde byreue hym selfe of all good thinges . For that is playne madnes .

It is well sayde perauenture . But tell me this , whan a riche man maketh a gladsome and a gentyle longe feaste , and receyueth many guestes of all sortes / some weake , somme stronge , and setteth afore them many thinges , and of all sortes , if any man wolde snatche all thinge / and deuoure all thinge / not onely that that is nexte hym , but that also that is ferder from hym / ordined for sike men / and he hym selfe hole / sens he hath but one bealy / and nedith not many thinges to nourishe hym / and yet tarieth lenger than many other , what maner of man thynkest thou suche a one ? is he good ?

I thynke not .

Is he temperat ?

Nother .

But what if another that sittith at the same table / and regardeth not those many diuerse dishes , chosinge some one of those that is nexte hym , whan it is inough for his nede , eatith that honestly / and not loketh vpon the other thynges / wolt thou not thinke hym more temperate / and better than tother ?

I wolde in dede .

Doste thou vnderstande me than / or must I tell the ?

What ?

That god is lyke hym , that maketh the goodly feast / as he that hath prepared , many , diuerse , and all maner of thynges / that euerye man shulde haue that that were mete for hym / some thynges for hoole men , other thinges for sicke men / some thinges for stronge men , and other for weke men / not that euery man shulde vse euery thing / but that eche man shuld vse those thinges that are mete for his nature , and those / wherof he shall haue nede . But you resemble hym , that by gredines and vntemperance snatcheth all thinge / as men that wolde vse all thynges / gotten euery where , not content with that onely , that is afore you / wenynge that your owne countreye and see can not suffyse you , but bryngynge delyghtes from the ferdest ende of the worlde , preferringe strange thinges afore thinges of your owne countrey / wastefull thinges afore measurable thynges , and those thinges that are harde to be gotten / afore those that are easy . And at a worde ye chuse rather cares and troubles / than to lyue without trouble . But this diuerse , precious , and fortunate prouisyons , wherin ye tryumphe , bringe vnto you great wretchednes and mischieffe . Considre if thou lyst that same golde and siluer , considre these costly houses , consydre this goodly wrought apparell , and all kinde of suche thynges , with what busines they are bought , with howe many labours , peryls , ye and with blode and slaughter , and with how many dethis of man kinde / not onely that in saylinge many do perishe for these thinges , and in sekynge them suffre greuous thinges / but also that they brede fyghtynges / and that for them one lith in awaite to an other , frendes to frendes , children to their fathers , and wyues to theyr husbandes . So I thinke Eriphyles for golde did betray her husbonde . And al these thingꝭ is thus , though that dyuers apparell maketh one no whytte warmer , and those gylted buyldinges couers not the better , nor those cuppes of siluer . Nor yet those beddes of golde , and of yuery , gyueth not a sweter slepe / ye thou shalt se oft tymes , in an yuery bed & vnder a costly coueringe , those blessed folke can take no slepe at all . More ouer those diuerse dreslinges of meatis / nourysshe not the more / but weken the body rather , and engendreth sickenessis . What nedeth it to shew what troubles men both do and suffer / for their lust ? and yet it is easy to remedy this desire , outcept one wold gyue hym selfe to fauour delites . But yet this madnes and naughtines sufficeth not to men / but now they misvse the vse of thinges / vsinge euery thinge to that purpose that it was leste ordined for / as though a man wolde vse a bed for a carte .

Who dothe so ?

you I say / that vse men lyke beastes / for ye make them cary your litters like cartes in their neckes : and you sytte alofte delicate , and driue men lyke assis , commandinge them hider and thider / and ye that moste do these thinges , seme moste happy . And they also that vse fishes not onely for meatis / but also deuise certayne dyinges out of them / those I say that dye purple , do not they vse these thinges ayenst nature , that are ordined of god ?

Why no for god , for the purpure fishe serueth also to dye / and not onely to eate .

But yet it was not ordeined for that . For so a man may writh a gredierne to make it serue in stede of a potte / but it was not therfore ordeyned : but howe may any manne ouersee all theyr vnhappynes / that is so great ? And yet thou accusest me for that I woll be no partiner of it . yet I lyue as doth that same sobre man , that is to saye , eatinge only that that is sette afore me , and vsynge moste necessary thinges : and not gapinge after those dyuers thinges of all sortes . And so where I nede lyttell and vse not many thynges , the semeth I ledde a bestly lyfe . And by this reason there is doute , that the goddis be not worse than beastes , as they that nede nothynge . But to th ende thar thou mayst better vnderstande / what maner of thinge , eche of these is , that is to say to nede few thinges / or many thinges / considre fyrst that children nede more than yongemen / and women more than men , than sicke men more than hole , and alwayes in conclusyon lower thinges nede more than their betters . Therfore the goddis nede nothinge / and they that ar next vnto the goddis , nede leste . Hercules that was the chiefist of al men / a godly manne , and of righte , thought to be a god , thinkest thou / that he was than wretched , whan he went vp and downe naked , wearynge onely a skynne , nothing couetinge of our thinges ? But truely he was not wretched / for he put wretchednes from other : nor yet was he poore , for he ruled bothe vppon see and lande . For where so euer he did assault , he ouercame on euery syde , nor in his tyme he chaunced vppon none / that might other matche him , or ouercome hym , whyle he lyued . And thynkest thou that he wanted apparell or showes ? and that therfore he wandredde abroode in the worlde ? Truely it can not be sayd : but he was constaunt and stronge , and wolde lyue temperately , and not gyue hym to delytes .

¶ What was Theseus his companion ? Was he not kynge of all the Atheniens ? and as they saye , sonne of Neptunus , and noblist of his tyme ? ye he also wolde go barefote and naked , and it pleased hym to norisshe his berde and his busshe / nor hym onely / but it plesed all th auncient men , and they were better than you , and they wolde not haue suffered any suche thinge / no more than a lyon wolde suffer hym selfe to be clypped . For they thought tendrenesse of flesshe and smothenes becam women / and they as they were men , so they wolde seme / and thought a berd to be the aparell of a man , as a maane for a horse / and a berde for a lyon / god hath gyuen for a beaute of a certeine goodlynes of apparell , so vnto men he hath gyuen a berde . Therfore them I folowe , those ancient men I say woll I folowe : and I enuye not the men of this age , in theyr name of meruailous blessednes , whiche they haue in meate and apparel , sins they polyshe and smothen all the partes of theyr bodye / and suffer not so moche as that that shuld be secrete , to grow accordinge to nature . But I wolde wyshe my selfe to haue horse fete , as they saye Chiron had : and that nede no more apparell than lyons , nor more delycate meate than dogges . Lette me more ouer be in that case , that euery maner of bare erthe , suffyse me for my bedde / and that I may take the worlde for my house / and that I may chuse suche meates / that maye easely be gotten . But golde and syluer let me neuer desyre , nother I nor and of my frendes . For all mischiffes cometh vnto menne oute of the desyres of them , both tresons , warres / awaytes / and mourders . All these thinges springe out of the well of desyre of more . But god saue vs from these thinges / & that neuer I desyre more than inough : and whan I haue lesse , that I may suffer with euyn mynde . our thinges be of this sorte / of a suerte these thinges are fer from the comen opinion . And it is not to be meruiled , if we differ from them in apparell / from whome we differ so ferre in order of lyfe . But I wonder of the , that where thou a lowest vnto a minstrell / his certeyne facion and aparell , and vnto a tabretor his , and vnto a player his / vnto a good man thou alowest no proper facion and aparell . And if it be so , that there be any facion or custome of good men / what is more meter than this that I vse / that vnto wast full folke is most shameful ? and vnto which they are most ageynst ? My custome & fascion than is , to be swetye / and rough / to were an old cloke / to let my here grow / and to go barefote . And yours is moste lyke vnto the facion of these bougerons / and a man can not know you from them , nother by your apparell / nor by tendrenesse , nor in chaunge of shirtes , nor in clokes / nor in prety showes / nor in trymyng of your here , nor in sauour . For ye are perfumed lyke them , euyn you that are so blessed . But what whan a man smell lyke a bougeron ? ye and in suffrans of lalabour ye are no better than they : and with delightes ye are ouercommen as well as they , ye fede as they do / ye slepe and go on the same facion / ye you wol not go , but rather be caryed / as though ye were ferdels , some vpon men , some vpon beastes . And me my fete do cary whyther so euer I nede . And I can suffer colde and hete , and that that god sendeth withouten grudge , that is to saye bycause I am a wretche . And you , bycause of this blessednes , are content with no fortune , but ye ar wery of all thinges / and can not suffer that that nowe is , and desyres that that is to come , in winter wishinge for summer , and in heate for colde / and agayne in colde for heate , waiward and plaininge as sicke men / whiche thinge is caused by sickenes in them , and by condycyons in you . And though it be thus , yet ye thinke it mete / to bringe vs vnto your lyfe / and to corrupt ours , where as oftetymes the thinges that ye do , ar yll counselid , and you your selfe in your owne businessis ar not all of the best prouiders / and do nothinge of them by iudgement and reason / but by custome of desire . Wherfore of trouth ye differ nothinge from them that ar caryed with the streme . For they ar caried whither so euer the floud wolle / and you whither as lustis woll . And it is lyke with you as with hym , that had lepte vppon a wilde horsis backe , the horse ranne carienge the manne awaye : And he might not nowe a lyght / the horse runninge / one met with hym , and asked hym whider he wente ? He answered , whither as he woll / and pointed the horse : so if any man aske you , whither are ye caried / if ye woll say trouthe , ye shall say in generall , thider as affections ledde me , and particularly some tyme thider as luste leadeth me , somtyme thider as desire of glory , & sometyme thider as desyre of gaingne : somtyme also anger , somtyme fere / somtyme such other like semeth to cary you away . For ye lepe not only vpon an horse , but vppon many / nowe vpon this , nowe vpon tother ye are caryed away , and all are wylde . And yet afore ye fall ye know not that ye shall falle , but this olde clooke / that ye mocke / and my here / and my facion , is of such power , that it gyueth me a quiete lyfe / that I may do what I woll , and company with whome I woll . For of foolysshe and vnlerned folke none woll come vnto me : for by cause of this fascion . And they that ye are of tendre lyfe / withdraw them ferre from me . We mete to gyder men of knowlege and temperate folke / and they that desire vertue , they chieffly company with me / and in these mens company I delite . I wayte not at theyr dores / that are but callid men : and crownes of gold and purpull , I take for pride , and mocke those men . But that thou mayst vnderstonde / that this fascion is not onely mete for good men , but also for the goddis , and thanne mocke it if thou lyste , considre the ymages of the goddis / whither they be lyker you than me , and loke not onely , in the chirches of the Grekes / but in those also of other countreys , if the goddis be paynted and made busshed / and berded as I am / or els shauen as you ar. And thou shalte se many of them coteles as I am now . Howe darest thou from hens forthe disprayse this facion , whan it semeth to be mete also for the goddes .