Iack a Lent his beginning and entertainment with the many pranks of his gentleman-vsher Shroue Tuesday that goes before him, and his foot-man Hunger attending. With new additions, dedicated both to the butchers farewell and the fishmongers entrance: written to choake melancholy, and to feed mirth. By Iohn Tailor.

IACK A LENT . OF Iacke an Apes I list not to endite , Nor of Iack Daw my Gooses quill shall write : Of Iack of Newbery I will not repeat , Nor Iack of both sides , nor of Skip-Iacke neate . To praise the Turn-spit Iacke my Muse is mum , Nor of the entertainment of Iacke Drum I le not rehearse : nor of Iacke Dogge , Iacke Date , Iacke foole or Iacke a Dandy I relate : Nor of Blacke Iacks at gentle Buttry bars , Whose liquor oftentimes breeds houshold wars : Nor Iacke of Douer that Grand Iury Iacke , Nor Iack Sawce ( the worst knaue amongst the pack . ) But of the Iacke of Iacks , Great Iacke a Lent , To write his worthy acts is my intent ; How hee 's attended with a messe of Iacks , Whose fame my Artlesse weake inuention cracks , Iacke Herring and Iacke Sprat , Iack Straw , Iacke Cade , These are the Iacks with which my pen must trade .

TO speake of the originall of this Iack , or from whence the name of Iack hath deriuation , I thinke it not impertinent to shew you : Therefore I would haue all men vnderstand that Iack is no Christian , nor was euer baptiz'd , but is sprung ( like a Musrom ) out of the corruption of the name of Iohn ; for before Iohns were , I did neuer find mention of any Iacks , except black Iacks : and there was an old courteous Epithite attributed to Iohn ( as gentle Iohn ) but now so many Iacks are made Gentles , that most Iohns and Iacks make no further account of Gentilitie , then glorious Titles and gawdy Sutes : so much for Iack .

Now for the name and beginning of Lent ( as neere as I can I will describe ) the word Lent doth signifie , a thing borrowed : for except a thing bee borrowed , how is it lent ? and beeing lent , it followes by consequence that it was borrowed . But from whom it was borrowed , or who was so free of the leane of this Lent , that would be knowne .

First then , you must conceiue , that the true Etimologie , or ancient name of this Lent , is Lean-tide , which being Anagrammatiz'd , is ( Land it ) for the chiefe prouision that he is furnished withall being fish , and such seafaring fare , that except hee land it , there will bee but cold takings in the fish-markets : for Iack a Lent hath no societie , affinitie or propinquitie with flesh and bloud , and by reason of his leannesse ( as Nymshag an ancient Vtopian Philosopher declares in his Treatise of the Antiquitie of Ginger-bread , Lib 7. Pag . 30000. ) hee should haue beene a Foot-man to a Prince of that Empire named Lurguash Haddernot ; but Lent shewed him the trick of a right Foot-man , and ran away from him faster then an Irish Lacquey , and from that time to this was neuer seene in Vtopia . Besides , hee hath the Art of Legerdemaine beyond al the Jugglers in Egypt or Europe , for with a tricke that he hath , hee is in England , Scotland , France , Ireland , and the most part of the Christian world at once and the selfe-same time , yet for all this nimblenesse and quicke agilitie , hee was neuer seene to sweate , which is no maruell , because hee hath not any fat or pinguiditie in his incorporeall corps . Hee hath a wife named Fasting , as leane as himselfe , yet sure I thinke shee is as honest , as barren : but it were very dangerous for an Epicure or a Puritan to haue a Bastard by her ; for there were no other hope , but that the father of the brat ( if it should proue male ) would tutor it in all disobedience against both Lent and Fasting : for although Lent and Abstinence be but forty dayes endurance , yet to these valiant men of their téeth it séemes forty yeeres , for they put the letter ( c ) into the word Fast , and turne it into Feast . And though a man eat Fish til his guts crack , yet if he eate no flesh , he Fasts , because he eates as fast as he can . For the word Fast is to be taken in many sences , as to fast from feeding , and to feede fast , to bee bown to fast , and to be bound fast .

The Fast from feeding is diuers wayes performed .

1 Some there are that fast for pure deuotion , with a zealous abstinence from any kinde of corporall foode for a space , because they will bring downe and curbe their vnbridled affections , and tame their fleshly desires , that so the exercise of spirituall contemplation may bee the more feruent , their repentance more vnfained , and thei● prayers more acceptable .

2 Another Fast is hypocriticall or sophisticall , as a holy Maid that inioyned her selfe to abstaine foure daies from any meate whatsoeuer , and being locked vp close in a roome , she had nothing but her two Bookes to feede vpon , but the Bookes were two painted Boxes , made in the forme of great Bibles with claspes and bosses , the inside not hauing one word of God in them , nor any fault escaped in the printing , but the one well fild with Suckets , and sweet meates , and the other with Wine , vpon which this deuout ▪ Votary did fast with zealous meditation , eating vp the contents of one Booke , and drinking contentedly the other .

3 Then there is a Fast called in spight of your teeth , and that is , Will yee nill yee , when a mans stomacke is in Folio , and knowes not where to haue a dinner in decimo sexto . This Fast I haue often met withall at the Court , and at diuers great mens houses , not because there hath wanted meat , but because some haue wanted manners , and I haue wanted impudence .

But Iack a Lents fast is otherwise then all those , for I am as willing to fast with him as to feast with Shrouetide : for hee hath an army of various dishes , an hoast of diuers fishes , with Sallets , Sawees , sweet-meates , Wine , Ale , Beere , Fruit , Rootes , Reysins , Almonds , Spices , with which I haue often ( and care not much to doe more often ) made as good a shift to fast ; and with as good a zeale performed it , as a Brownist will goe to plow vpon a Christmas day .

Thus hauing shewed the originall of this Iack , it followes next , that I declare his yeerely entertainment into this I le of Great Brittaine , what priuiledges he hath , to whom he is best welcome , who are glad of his departure , what friends or foes he hath , and where he inhabiteth all the yeere after his going from hence .

Alwayes before Lent there comes waddling a fat grosse bursten-gutted groome , called Shroue-Tuesday , one whose manners shewes that hee is better fed then taught : and indeed hee is the onely monster for feeding amongst all the dayes of the yeere , for hee deuoures more flesh in fourteene houres , then this whole Kingdome doth ( or at the least should do ) in sixe weekes after : such boyling and broyling , such roasting and toasting , such stewing and brewing , such baking ▪ frying , mincing , cutting , caruing , deuouring , and gorbellyed gurmondizing , that a man would thinke people did take in two moneths prouision at once into their paunches , or that they did ballast their bellies with meate for a voyage to Constantinople , or the West-Indies .

Moreouer , it is a goodly sight to see how the Cookes in great mens Kitchins , doe fry in their masters Suet , and sweat in their own Grease , that if euer a Cooke bee worth the eating , it is when Shroue-Tuesday is in town , for he is so stued and larded , roasted , basted , and almost ouer-roasted , that a man may eate the rawest bit of him and neuer take a surfet . In a word , they are that day extreme Cholericke , and too hot for any man to meddle with , being Monarchs of the Marrow bones , Marquesses of the Mutton , Lords high Regents of the Spit and the Kettle , Barrons of the Gridiron , and sole Commanders of the Frying-pan . And all this hurly burly is for no other purpose , but to stop the mouth of this Land-whale Shroue-Tuesday . At whose entrance in the morning , all the whole kingdome is in quiet , but by that time the clocke strikes eleuen , which ( by the helpe of a knauish Sexton ) is commonly before nine , then there is a Bell rung , call'd The Pancake Bell , the sound whereof makes thousands of people distracted , and forgetfull eyther of manners or humanitie : Then there is a thing cal'd wheaten flowre , which the sulphory Necromanticke Cookes doe mingle with water , Egges , Spice , and other tragicall magicall inchantments , and then they put it by little and little , into a Frying pan of boyling Suet , where it makes a confused dismall hissing ( like the Learnean Snakes in the Reeds of Acheron , Stix , or Phlegeton ) vntill at the last by the skill of the Cookes , it is transform'd into the forme of a Flapiack , which in our translation is call'd a Pancake , which ominous incantation the ignorant people doe deuoure very greedily ( hauing for the most part well dined before ) but they haue no sooner swallowed that swéet candyed baite , but straight their wits forsake them , and they runne starke mad assembling in routs and throngs numberlesse of vngouerned numbers , with vnciuill ciuill commotions .

Then Tim Tatters ( a most valiant villaine ) with an Ensigne made of a piece of a Bakers mawkin fixt vpon a Broome-staffe , hee displayes his dreadfull colours , and calling the ragged Regiment together , makes an illiterate Oration , stuft with most plentifull want of discretion : the conclusion whereof is , that somewhat they will doe , but what they know not . Vntill at last comes marching vp another troope of Tatterdemalians , proclayming wars against no matter who , so they may be doing . Then these Youths arm'd with cudgels , stones , hammers , rules , trowels , and hand-sawes , put Play-houses to the sack , and Bawdy-houses to the spoile , in the quarrell breaking a thousand quarrels ( of glasse I meane ) making ambitious brickbats breake their necks , tumbling from the tops of lofty chimnies , terribly vntyling houses , ripping vp the bowels of feather-beds , to the inriching of Vpholsters , the profit of Plaisterers and Dirt-dawbers , the gaine of Glasiers , Ioyners , Carpenters , Tylers and Bricklayers . And which is worse , to the contempt of Iustice : for what auailes it for a Constable with an armie of reuerend rusty Bill-men to command peace to these beasts , for they with their pockets in stead of Pistols , well-charg'd with stone-shot , discharge against the Image of Authority whole volleyes as thicke as Hayle , which robustious repulse puts the better sort to the worser part , making the band of vnscowred Halberdiers retyre faster then euer they came on , and shew exceeding discretion in prouing tall men of their heeles . Thus by the vnmannerly manners of Shroue-Tuesday Constables are baffled , Bawdes are bangd , Punkes are pillag'd , Panders are plagued , and the chiefe Commanmanders of these valorous villia●●es , for their reward for all this confusion , do in conclusion purchase the inheritance of a Iayle , to the commodity of Iaylors , and discommodity of themselues , with a fearfull expectation that Tyburne shall stop their throats , and the Hangman take possession of their coats , or that some Beadle in bloody Characters shall imprint their faults on their shoulders . So much for Shroue-Tuesday , Iack-a-Lents Gentleman Vsher , these haue beene his humours in former times , but I haue some better hope of reformation in him heereafter , and indeed I wrote this before his comming this yeere 1619. not knowing how hee would behaue himselfe : but tottering betwixt Despayre & Hope I leaue him .

Shroue-Tuesday hauing playd these parts aforesaid , doth Exit , and next day Lent begins to enter , who is entertain'd by a graue , formall , reuerend States-man , call'd Ciuill Policy : But you must vnderstand , that Lent would very faine take vp his lodging here with Religion , but Religion will not bee acquainted with him ; and therefore Ciuill Policy hath the managing of the businesse . But it is a wonder to see what Munition and Artillery the Epicures , & Canniball Flesh-eaters do prouide to oppose Lent , and keepe him out at the staffes end , as whole barrels of poudered béefe to blow him vp , tubs of Pork to pistoll and shoot him thorow with his kindred hunger , famine , and desolation , Baricadoes of Bacon as strong & impregnable Bulwarkes against his inuasiue battery . Which Ciuill Policy perceiuing , causeth Proclamations straight to bee published for the establishing of Lents Gouernment , but then to see how the Butchers ( like silenced Schismaticks ) are disperst , some riding into the Countrey to buy Oxen , Kine , Calues , Sheepe and Lambs , leauing their wiues , men and maids to make prouision of Pricks for the whole yeere in their absence : some againe of the inferiour sort doe scout into Stables , Priuies , Sellers , Sir Francis Drakes Ship at Detford , my Lord Mayors Barge , and diuers secret vnsuspected places , and there they make priuate Shambles with kil-calfe cruelty , and Sheepe-slaughtering murder , to the abuse of Lent , the deceiuing of the Informers , and the great griefe of euery zealous Fishmonger .

For indéed Lent in his own nature is no blood-sucker , nor cannot indure any bloudshed ; and it is his intent , that the Bull , the Oxe , the Ram , the Goate , the Buck , or any other Beast should bee frée to liue in any Corporation without molestation : it is Lents intent that the innocent Lambe , and the Essex Calfe , should suruiue to weare the crest of their Ancestors : that the Goose , the Buzzard , the Widgen , and the Woodcock , may walke fearelesse in any Market Towne , cheeke by iole with a Headborough , or a Tithingman .

The Cut-throat Butchers , wanting throats to cut , At Lents approach their bloody Shambles shut : For forty dayes their tyrannie doth cease , And men and beasts take truce and liue in peace : The Cow , the Sow , the Ewe may safely feed , And lough , grunt , bleate , and fructifie and breed , Cocks , Hens , and Capons , Turkey , Goose and Widgeon , Hares , Conies , Phesant , Partridge , Plouer , Pidgeon : All these are from the breake-neck Poulters pawes Secur'd by Lent , and guarded by the lawes , The goaring Spits are hang'd for fleshly sticking , And then Cookes fingers are not worth the licking .

But to recount the numberlesse Army that Lent doth conduct , the great prouision of Munition and Artillery that he hath to withstand those that gain-stand him , his weapons of offence and defence , and varietie of hostile Acoustrements that his hoast is arm'd withall : if I should write all these things , my memory must bee boundlesse , because my worke would be endlesse . First , marches Sir Lawrence Ling , with his Regiment , an ancient Sea-faring Gentleman : next followes Collonell Cod , oftentimes bleeding fresh in the Battell : then comes Captaine Stock-fish , a well beaten Souldier , and one that is often proued to endure much ; Sir Salmon Salt , in a pittifull Pickle valiantly abides the conflict , and Gilbert Gubbins all to tatters like a ragged souldier many times pieces out a broken supper . The maiesticall king of Fishes , the heroicall most magnificent Herring arm'd in White and Red , keepes his Court in all this hurly-hurly not like a tyrannicall teare-throat in open Armes , but like wise Diogenes in a Barrel , where if any of his Regiments either doe or take iniury , though hee want the sword of Iustice , yet hee hath the scales , which I imagine hee carries not for nought . The great Lord Treasurer to this mighty Prince ( old Oliuer Cob ) is very inward with him , and knowes more of his secrets then all his Priuy Counsell besides : and when his hard-row'd Master meanes to shew himselfe in his red bloudy colours , then in fury hee associates himselfe with two notorious Rebels , Iacke Strawe and Iacke Cade , who do encompasse him round , and beleaguer him on each side , guarding his person from the fury of winde and weather .

The wet Fishmongers all this while ( like so many Executioners ) vnkennell the salt Eeales from their briny Ambuscadoes , and with marshall Law hang them vp : the Stock-fish hauing tryed a terrible action of battery is condemned to be drown'd , the Ling , Haberdine , Gréen-fish and Cole-fish , are drawne and quartered into poles , backs , and tayles , and ( like Rebels in Ireland ) hangd with a With : nay , the King of fishes himselfe cannot escape , but is tyrannically broyled vpon a Gridiron . Then comes Iack-Sauce with a spoone creeping out of a Mustard pot , arm'd in a pewter Sawcer , a desperate fellow , and one that dares take Dauy Ap Diggon or Shon Ap Morgan , by the nose , and many times ( with the spirit of Teuxbury ) he will make a man weepe being most merry , and take the matter in snuffe being well pleased .

The Whiting , Rotchet , Gournet and the Mop , The Scate and Thorneback , in the net doth drop : The pied-coat Macrell , Pilchard , Sprat and Soale , To serue great Iack-a-Lent amaine doe trole .

In the Reareward comes Captaine Crab , Lieftenant Lobster , ( whose catching clawes alwayes puts me in minde of a Sergeant ) the blushing Prawne , the well-armd Oyster , the Scallop , the Wilke , the Mussell , Cockle , and the Periwinckle , these are hot shots , Veneriall prouocators , fishy in substance , and fleshy in operation . The poore Anchoue is pittifully pepper'd in the fight , whilst the Sturgion is keg'd , randed , and iold about the eares , and in conclusion without dissembling eaten with Fennell , the Embleme of flatterie : But the Anchoue is oftentimes reuenged vpon his eaters , for being deuoured raw , he broyles in their stomacks so hotly , that before the heat be quenched , the eaters are drenched in the blood of Bacchus , Sacke and Claret , that though a man be as wise as a Constable at his entrance , his wit sometimes is so shrunke in the wetting , that hee may want the vnderstanding of an Asse .

Then there are a crue of neere bred fresh-water Souldiours , our Thamessisians , our Comrades of Barking , our easterne and westerne Riuer-Rouers , these youths are brought and caught by whole shoales , for indeede they are no fighters , but meere white-liuerd heart-lesse runawayes , like the great Turkes Asapye , that if the Fishermen ( like diligent Catch-poles ) did not watch norrowly to catch them by hooke and by crooke , by line and leasure , Lent might gape for Gudgeons , Roch and Dace : were it not for these Netmongers , it is no flat lye to say , the Flounder might lye flat in his watry Cabin , and the Eele ( whose slippery tayle puts mee in minde of a formall Courtiers promise ) would wriggle vp and downe in his muddy habitation , which would be a great discommodity for schoole-boyes , through the want of scourges to whip Gigs and Towne-Tops .

The Breame , the Lamprey , Barbell , But , and Pike , Secure might keepe the Riuer , Pond , and Dike : Carps , Tench , Perch , Smelts , would neuer come to land , But for Nets , Angles , and the Fishers hand : And bawling queanes that vse to sell and buy , Would cry , because they want wherewith to cry .

To speake of the honesty of Fisher-men , and the account that we ought to make of their Calling , it was the faculty of Simon , Andrew , Iames and Iohn , the blessed Apostles , and by a common Rule , all Fishermen must bee men singularly endued , and possest with the vertue of patience , for the Prouerb sayes , If you sweare , you shall catch no Fish , and I my selfe haue beene an eyewitnesse , when seuen or eight Anglers haue employed their best Art and industry two houres , and in the end they haue not beene able to share one Gudgeon or a Bleake amongst them all , the cause hath beene , either there was no Fish to bee caught , or else one impatient fellow of the Company hath sworne away good lucke .

I could runne ten Kingdomes ( or Reames ) of paper out of breath , in the praise of this leane Iacke , and his spawnes ( Ember-wéekes , Fridayes , and fasting dayes ) But I suppose there are none more sorrowfull in the time of his beeing heere then Gentlemen and Gentlewomen , for through the Royall Court , the Innes of Court , the Citie and Country , all the better sort weare mourning blacke as long as Lent is in towne : But so soone as hee is gone , then they change colours , and Feast , Banquet , Reuell , and make merry , as if the Land were fréed from some notorious Termagant Monster , some murdering Plague , or some deuouring Famine .

The Bakers metamorphose their trade from one shape to another , his round halfe-penny Loaues are transform'd into square Wigs , ( which Wigs like drunkards are drown'd in their Ale ) the Rolles are turn'd to Simnels , in the shape of Bread-pies , and the light puft vp foure-corner'd Bun , doth shew that the knauery of the Baker is vniuersall , in Europe , Asia , Affrick , and America : for since Colliers and Scriueners haue purchas'd the possession of the Pillory from them , their light bread brings in heauy gaines ; where if by chance a Batch or a Basket full beeing examined by the scales of Iustice , and the bread committed to Newgate for want of weight , and the Baker to the Compter for lacke of Conscience , yet hee knowes he shall out againe , and with a trick that he hath , in one weeke he will recouer the consumption of his purse againe , by his moderate light handling of the medicine of Meale , Yeast , and Water .

But now suppose that Palme-sunday is past , and that you see Lent and both the Fish-streets sing loth to depart , whilst euery wet Fishmonger wrings his hands , and by the reason of cold takings , beates himselfe into a heat , whil'st ( to their great griefe ) whole herds of Oxen , and flockes of Sheepe , are driuen into euery Towne , for no other purpose but to driue Lent out of the Countrey .

Then pell-mell Murder in a purple hue , In reeking bloud his slaughtering pawes embrew : The Butchers Axe ( like great Alcides Bat ) Dings deadly downe , ten thousand thousand flat : Each Butcher ( by himselfe ) makes Marshall Lawes , Cuts throats , and kils , and quarters , hangs and drawes .

It is a thing worthy to bee noted , to sée how all the Dogges in the Towne doe wagge their tayles for ioy , when they see such prouision to driue away Lent , ( for a Dogge , a Butcher , and a Puritan , are the greatest enemies hee hath ) but there is one day in the yeere that Dogges in generall are most affraid , and that is the Friday after Easter : for they hauing past sixe weekes without seeing any flesh , and indured a hard seidge by Lent and fish-bones , then at Easter they sée flesh on the Sunday , Munday , Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday , and when the Friday comes they sée great store of fish againe : the poore Curres ( all in a pittifull quandarie ) stinke for woe , for feare that another Lent is come sodainely vpon them : thus they continue in that dogged perplexitie till the Sunday following , when the appearance of flesh makes them haue a feeling , that they were more affraid then hurt .

But imagine Lent is gone , but who knowes whither he is gone ? that would be knowne : for it cannot be , but that so mighty a Monarch as hee , hath his in roades and his outloapes , his standing court of continuall residence , as well as his tents , houses , and places of remouall for pleasure and progresse . For he comes to vs but by way of annuall visitation : to the Capuchin Fryers he comes twice euery yeere , for they keepe two Lents , because they will be sure to fast double , for when a thing is well done ( t is an old saying ) it is twice done , and by consequence a thing being twice done , must bee well done : I know not why they doe it , but some say that it is a worke of Super arr rogation : and so I leaue them .

But Lent kéepes his continuall Court with the holy Couents of vnsanctified Fathers , the Fryers Carthusians , these are they that haue made a perpetuall diuorce from beasts , and birds : these are they that haue confirm'd an euerlasting League with Lent , and all the ragged Aquarian Regiments of the spacious Kingdome of Pisces . For when they enter into their order first , they are inioyned neuer to touch or taste any manner of flesh whatsoeuer , which they doe inuiolably performe : for let Hunger and thin-gutted Famine assault them neuer so cruelly , so that there were no fish to be had , yet they hold it meritorious to straue and famish , rather then to eate flesh . For indeed in cases of necessity they haue power to metamorphose flesh into fish : ( as for example ) when any towne is besieged and sharpely assailed with warre without , and famine within , that meate is falne into such a Consumption that fish is gone , and flesh is scarce , then these venerable fathers ( by Apostaticall power which they haue ) can take a Sir Loyne of Beefe and thrust his knighthood into a tub of water , and command him to come forth transform'd into a Ling , and so for all kinde of flesh else , they can turne a Pig to a Pike , a Goose into a Gurnet , a Hen to a Herring , a Sow to a Salmon , and an Owle to an Oyster : and all these are no wonders to them , for they are all as nothing to their exorcising tricke of Transubstantiation in the Sacrament : for it is not possible for any thing to be impossible to them that can make their Maker , and coniure their Sauiour into the forme of bread , and eate him when they haue done . With these enemies of carnality Lent hath domesticall perpetuity , th●se obserue his Lawes more firmely then they do eyther the first or second Table , and twenty Citizens shall breake politiquely , and take vp their lodging in Luds vnlucky gate , before they wil crack the least Iniunction that is articulated betwixt Lent and them .

Thus hauing shewed the progresse , egresse and regresse of this Mediterranian , Atlantike , Belgick , Gallobelgicus , this Caspian , Iberian , British , Celtick , Callidonian , commanding Marine countermaunder , I thinke it not amisse to declare what good hee doth in this Kingdome , the time of his being here , and how much more good he would doe if he were rightly obserued .

As it is a matter of conscience to obey superiour and supreme Magistrates , so in that respect I hold it a conscience to abstaine from flesh-eating in Lent : not that I thinke it to be vncleane to the cleane , or that the eating or not eating is meritorious : for I am perswaded that a man may goe to Heauen as well with a legge of a Capon , as with a Red Herring . But séeing Lent is ordained to a good intent , for the increase and preseruation of Calues , Lambs , Swine , and all kinde of beasts and birds whatsoeuer , whereby the bréeding and mulltiplicity of these creatures makes our Land the terrestriall Paradise of plenty , and so is ( by the bountifull blessings of the Almighty all-giuing Giuer ) able to maintaine her selfe , and relieue many neighbouring Realmes and Regions : Surely they are no good Common-wealths man , that wilfully will breake so tolerable an institution , as to refraine sixe or seuen weekes in a yeere from flesh , hauing so much variety and change of fish and other sustenance more then sufficient .

It is most certaine , that if Lent were truely kept , and the fish-dayes in euery weeke duely obserued , and that euery house in this kingdome did spend but the quantity of two Haberdine or Greenfish in a weeke , that then this Kingdom of Great Brittaine both for meat and Mariners would be the Mistresse of the world , and for wealth and riches superlatiue to the Mines of America .

But the nature of man is so peruerse , that like Pandoraes Boxe , he will be tooting and prying soonest into that which he is most restrained from , wherein hee shewes himselfe to be no changeling , but the naturall sonne of Adam , and heyre to his frailety and disobedience : for in common reason ( for a common good ) if there were no Statutes , no Precepts or Commands for the keeping of Lent and fish-dayes , men would of themselues , ( and by their owne imagination ) bridle their fleshly appetites with the snaffle of discretion . It is an vnmeasurable detriment to this Kingdome , the abuse , neglect , and contempt of this so laudable and commodious an institution , and the due obseruing of it duly would be vnualuable , I thinke past the reach of Arithmeticke : but I haue often noted , that if any superfluous feasting or gourmandizing paunch-cramming assembly doe meete , the disordered businesse is so ordered , that it must bee eyther in Lent , vpon a Friday , or a Fasting day : for the meat doth not rellish wel , except it be sawc'd with disobedience and contempt of Authority . And though they eate Sprats on the Sunda●● , they care not , so they may bee full gorg'd with flesh on the Friday night .

Then all the zealous Puritans will feast In detestation of the Romish Beast .

For mine own part ( as I haue before written ) I hold fish or flesh no Maxims , Axioms , or grounds of Religion , but those that wilfully and contemptuously doe eate flesh in the Lent ( except such whose appetites are repugnant to fish , and whose nature hath not béen vsed to it , except such as are sick , and women with childe , for all which there is a lawfull toleration ) except such I say , hee that feasts with flesh in Lent , I wish he might be constrained to fast with fish all the yeere after for his contempt .

Wide and large is the way that I might trauell in this spacious businesse : but few words are best , especially if they be spoken to the wise : and if my poore Iack-a-Lent do happen into the hands of a foole , 't is but a Foole and a Iack , or two fooles well met : but here is the ods , a wise man will make much of Iack for his plaine dealing and true speaking , when a foole will quarrell with him , and falling together by the eares , teare one anothers clothes , and then Iacks paper-ierkin goes to wracke .

Epilogue to Iack-a-Lent . FArewell thou Noble Iack of Iacks , farewell , Hye thee to Italy , to Rome or Spaine : There of thy welcome heere report and tell , But looke this tweluemonth come not heere again . And when that time is full expir'd and runne , Come heere againe , as yeerely thou hast done . And thy poore Corps with hunger vp to raise , Take with thee Ember-weekes and fasting dayes .