Chapter 13

CONSCIENCE. Manhood, ye must love God above all thing. His name in idleness ye may not ming: Keep your holy-day from worldly doing: Your father and mother worship aye: Covet ye to sle no man, Ne do no lechery with no woman: Your neighbour's good take not by no way, And all false witness ye must denay: Neither ye must not covet no man's wife, Nor no good that him be-lith. This covetise shall keep you out of strife. These been the commandments ten: Mankind, and ye these commandments keep, Heaven bliss I you behete,[244] For Christ's commandments are[245] full sweet, And full necessary to all men.

MANHOOD. What, Conscience, is this thy covetise?

CONSCIENCE. Yea, manhood, in all wise: And covet to Christ's service, Both to matins and to mass. Ye must, Manhood, with all your might, Maintain holy church's right, For this longeth to a knight Plainly in every place.

MANHOOD. What, Conscience, should I leave all game and glee?

CONSCIENCE. Nay, Manhood, so mot I the, All mirth in measure is good for thee: But, sir, measure is in all thing.

MANHOOD. Measure, Conscience? what thing may measure be?

CONSCIENCE. Sir, keep you in charity, And from all evil company, For doubt of folly doing.

MANHOOD. Folly! what thing callest thou folly!

CONSCIENCE. Sir, it is pride, wrath, and envy, Sloth, covetise, and gluttony, Lechery the seventh is: These seven sins I call folly.

MANHOOD. What, thou liest! to this seven The world delivered me, And said they were kings of great beauty, And most of main and mights. But yet I pray thee, sir, tell me, May I not go arrayed honestly?

CONSCIENCE. Yes, Manhood, hardily In all manner of degree.

MANHOOD. But I must have sporting of play.

CONSCIENCE. Sickerly,[246] Manhood, I say not nay: But good governance keep both night and day, And maintain meekness and all mercy.

MANHOOD. All mercy, Conscience: what may that be?

CONSCIENCE. Sir, all discretion that God gave thee.

MANHOOD. Discretion I know not, so mot I the.

CONSCIENCE. Sir, it is all the wits that God hath you send.

MANHOOD. Ah, Conscience! Conscience! now I know and see Thy cunning is much more than mine: But yet I pray thee, sir, tell me, What is most necessary for man in every time?

CONSCIENCE. Sir, in every time beware of folly: Folly is full of false flattering; In what occupation that ever ye be, Alway, ere ye begin, think on the ending for blame. Now farewell, Manhood, I must wend.

MANHOOD. Now farewell, Conscience, mine own friend.

CONSCIENCE. I pray you, Manhood, have God in mind, And beware of folly and shame.

MANHOOD. Yes, yes: yea, come wind and rain, God let him never come here again. Now he is forward, I am right fain, For in faith, sir, he had near counselled me all amiss. Ah, ah! now I have bethought me, if I shall heaven win, Conscience teaching I must begin, And clean forsake the kings of sin, That the world me taught; And Conscience' servant will I be, And believe, as he hath taught me, Upon one God and persons three, That made all things of nought: For Conscience clear I clepe my king, And his knight in good doing: For right of reason, as I find, Conscience teaching is true: The world is full of boast, And saith he is of might most: All his teaching is not worth a cost; For Conscience he doth refuse. But yet will I him not forsake, For mankind he doth merry make: Though the world and Conscience be at debate, Yet the world will I not despise, For both in church and in cheaping,[247] And in other places being, The world findeth me all thing, And doth me great service. Now here full prest I think to rest, Now mirth is best.

FOLLY. What, heigho! care away! My name is Folly, I am not gay. Is here any man that will say nay That renneth in this rout? Ah, sir, God give you good eve.

MANHOOD. Stand utter,[248] fellow, where dost thou thy courtesy preve?

FOLLY. What, I do but claw mine arse, sir, by your leave. I pray you, sir, rive me this clout.

MANHOOD. What, stand out, thou sained[249] shrew!

FOLLY. By faith, sir, there the cock crew; For I take record of this rew My thedom[250] is near past.

MANHOOD. Now, truly, it may well be so.

FOLLY. By God, sir, yet have I fellows mo, For in every country, where I go, Some man his thrift hath lost.

MANHOOD. But hark, fellow, art thou any crafts-man?

FOLLY. Yea, sir, I can bind a sieve and tink a pan, And thereto a curious buckler-player I am. Arise, fellow, will thou assay?

MANHOOD. Now truly, sir, I trow thou canst but little skill of play.

FOLLY. Yes, by Cock's bones, that I can. I will never flee for no man, That walketh by the way.

MANHOOD. Fellow, though thou have cunning, I counsel thee leave thy boasting, For here thou may thy fellow find, Whether thou wilt, at long or short.

FOLLY. Come, look and thou darest, arise and assay.

MANHOOD. Yea, sir, but yet Conscience biddeth me nay.

FOLLY. No, sir, thou darest not in good fay, For truly thou failest no[w], false heart.

MANHOOD. What sayest thou? have I a false heart?

FOLLY. Yea, sir, in good fay.

MANHOOD. Manhood will not that I say nay. Defend thee, Folly, if that you may, For in faith I purpose to wete what thou art. How sayest thou now, Folly, hast thou not a touch?

FOLLY. No, i-wis, but a little on my pouch. On all this meyne[251] will me vouch That standeth here about.

MANHOOD. And I take record on all this rew, Thou hast two touches, though I say but few.

FOLLY. Yea, this place is not without a shrew: I do you all out of due.

MANHOOD. But hark, fellow, by thy faith, where was thou bore?

FOLLY. By my faith, in England have I dwelled yore, And all mine ancestors me before. But, sir, in London is my chief dwelling.

MANHOOD. In London? where, if a man thee sought?

FOLLY. Sir, in Holborn I was forth brought, And with the courtiers, I am betaught, To Westminster I used to wend.

MANHOOD. Hark, fellow, why dost thou to Westminster draw?

FOLLY. For I am a servant of the law. Covetise is mine own fellow: We twain plete[252] for the king, And poor men that come from upland, We will take their matter in hand, Be it right or be it wrong, Their thrift with us shall wend.

MANHOOD. Now hear, fellow, I pray thee, whither wendest thou than?

FOLLY. By my faith, sir, into London I ran, To the taverns to drink the wine: And then to the inns I took the way, And there I was not welcome to the ostler, But I was welcome to the fair tapester, And to all the household I was right dear, For I have dwelled with her many a day.

MANHOOD. Now I pray thee, whither took thou then the way?

FOLLY. In faith, sir, over London bridge I ran, And the straight way to the Stews I came, And took lodging for a night: And there I found my brother lechery. There men and women did Folly, And every man made of me as worthy, As though I had been a knight.

MANHOOD. I pray thee yet tell me mo of thine adventures.

FOLLY. In faith, even straight to all the freres, And with them I dwelled many years, And they crowned Folly a king.

MANHOOD. I pray thee, fellow, whither wendest thou tho?

FOLLY. Sir, all England to and fro: Into abbeys and into nunneries also, And alway Folly doth fellows find.

MANHOOD. Now hark, fellow, I pray thee tell me thy name.

FOLLY. I-wis, I hight both Folly and Shame.

MANHOOD. Ah, ah! thou art he that Conscience did blame, When he me taught. I pray thee, Folly, go hence, and follow not me.

FOLLY. Yes, good sir, let me your servant be.

MANHOOD. Nay, so mot I the, For then a shrew had I caught.

FOLLY. Why, good sir, what is your name?

MANHOOD. Manhood Mighty, that beareth no blame.

FOLLY. By the rood, and Manhood mistereth[253] in every game Some deal to cherish Folly: For Folly is fellow with the world, And greatly beloved by many a lord, And if ye put me out of your ward, The world right wrath will be.

MANHOOD. Yea, sir, yet had I liever the world be wrath, Than lese the cunning that Conscience me gave.

FOLLY. A cuckoo for Conscience[254]; he is but a daw: He cannot else but preach.

MANHOOD. Yea, I pray thee, leave thy lewd clattering, For Conscience is a councillor for a king.

FOLLY. I would not give a straw for his teaching: He doth but make men wrath. But wottest thou what I say, man? By that ilk[255] truth that God me gave, Had I that bitched Conscience in this place, I should so beat him with my staff, That all his stones should stink.

MANHOOD. I pray thee, Folly, go hence and follow not me.

FOLLY. Yes, sir, so mot I the, Your servant will I be. I axe but meat and drink.

MANHOOD. Peace, man: I may not have thee for thy name, For thou sayest thy name is both Folly and Shame.

FOLLY. Sir, here in this clout I knit Shame, And clepe me but proper Folly.

MANHOOD. Yea, Folly, will thou be my true servant?

FOLLY. Yea, Sir Manhood, here my hand.

MANHOOD. Now let us drink at this comnant,[256] For that is courtesy.

FOLLY. Marry, master, ye shall have in haste. Ah, ah, sirs, let the cat wink,[257] For all ye wot not what I think, I shall draw him such a draught of drink, That Conscience he shall away cast. Have, master, and drink well And let us make revel, revel, For I swear by the church of Saint Michael, I would we were at stews: For there is nothing but revel rout. And we were there, I had no doubt I should be knowen all about, Where Conscience they would refuse.

MANHOOD. Peace, Folly, my fair friend, For, by Christ, I would not that Conscience should me here find.

FOLLY. Tush, master, thereof speak no thing, For Conscience cometh no time here.

MANHOOD. Peace, Folly, there is no man that knoweth me.

FOLLY. Sir, here my troth I plight to thee, And thou wilt go thither with me, For Knowledge have thou no care.

MANHOOD. Peace, but it is hence a great way.

FOLLY. Pardè, sir, we may be there on a day. Yea, and we shall be right welcome, I dare well say, In Eastcheap for to dine: And then we will with lombards[258] at passage[259] play, And at the Pope's-Head sweet wine assay, We shall be lodged well a-fine.

MANHOOD. What sayest thou, Folly, is this the best?

FOLLY. Sir, all this is Manhood, well thou knowest.

MANHOOD. Now, Folly, go we hence in haste. But fain would I change my name: For well I wot, if Conscience meet me in this tide, Right well I wot, he would me chide.

FOLLY. Sir, for fear of you his face he shall hide: I shall clepe you Shame.

MANHOOD. Now gramercy, Folly, my fellow infere,[260] Go we hence, tarry no lenger here. Till we be gone, methink it seven year: I have gold and good to spend.

FOLLY. Ah, ah! master, that is good cheer, And ere it be passed half a year, I shall thee shear right a lewd frere, And hither again thee send. [_Aside_.

MANHOOD. Folly, go before, and teach me the way.

FOLLY. Come after, Shame, I thee pray, And Conscience clear ye cast away. Lo, sirs, this Folly teacheth aye: For where Conscience cometh with his cunning, Vet Folly full featly shall make him blind. Folly before, and Shame behind. Lo, sirs, thus fareth the world alway.

MANHOOD. Now, I will follow Folly, for Folly is my man: Yea, Folly is my fellow, and hath given me a name: Conscience called me Manhood, Folly calleth me Shame. Folly will me lead to London to learn revel; Yea, and Conscience is but a flattering brothel; For ever he is carping of care: The world and Folly counselleth me to all gladness, Yea, and Conscience counselleth me to all sadness; Yea, too much sadness might bring me into madness. And now have good day, sirs, To London to seek Folly will I fare.

CONSCIENCE. Say, Manhood, friend, whither will ye go?

MANHOOD. Nay, sir, in faith my name is not so. Why, frere, what the devil hast thou to do, Whether I go or abide?

CONSCIENCE. Yes, sir, I will counsel you for the best

MANHOOD. I will none of thy counsel, so have I rest: I will go whither me lest,[261] For thou canst nought else but chide.

CONSCIENCE. Lo, sirs, a great ensample you may see, The frailness of mankind, How oft he falleth in folly Through temptation of the fiend: For when the fiend and the flesh be at one assent, Then Conscience clear is clean outcast. Men think not on the great judgment, That the seely soul shall have at the last, But would God all men would have in mind Of the great day of doom, How he shall give a great reckoning Of evil deeds that he hath done: But [it is] needless, sith it is so, That Manhood is forth with Folly wende, To seech[262] Perseverance now will I go, With the grace of God omnipotent. His counsels been in fere: Perseverance' counsel is most dear, Next to him is Conscience, clear From sinning. Now into this presence to Christ, I pray, To speed me well in my journey: Farewell, lordings, and have good day: To seek Perseverance will I wend.

PERSEVERANCE. Now, Christ, our comely creator,[263] clearer than crystal clean, That craftly made every creature by good recreation, Save all this company that is gathered here bi-dene,[264] And set all your souls into good salvation. Now, good God, that is most wisest and welde of wits, This company counsel, and comfort, and glad, And save all this simplitude that seemly here sits. Now, good God, for his mercy, that all men made: Now, Mary mother, meekest that I mean, Shield all this company from evil inversation, And save you from our enemy, as she is bright and clean, And at the last day of doom deliver you from everlasting damnation, Sirs, Perseverance is my name, Conscience born brother [that] is, He sent me hither mankind to indoctrine, That they should to no vices incline: For oft mankind is governed amiss, And through Folly mankind is set in shame, Therefore in this presence to Christ I pray, Ere that I hence wend away, Some good word that I may say To borrow[265] man's soul from blame.

AGE. Alas! alas! that me is woe! My life, my liking, I have forlorn My rents, my riches, it is all y-go: Alas the day that I was born! For I was born Manhood most of might, Stiff, strong, both stalwart and stout, The world full worthily hath made me a knight: All bowed to my bidding bonerly about: Then Conscience, clear, comely and kind, Meekly he met me in seat, there I sat, He learned me a lesson of his teaching, And the seven deadly sins full loathly he did hate: Pride, wrath, and envy, and covetise in kind, The world all these sins delivered me until,[266] Sloth, covetise, and leechery, that is full of false flattering, All these Conscience reproved both loud and still. To-Conscience I held up my hand,[267] To keep Christ's commandments. He warned me of Folly, that traitor, and bad me beware, And thus he went his way: But I have falsely me forsworn, Alas the day that I was born! For body and soul I have forlorn. I clang, as a clod in clay, In London many a day; At the passage I would play, I thought to borrow and never pay. Then was I sought and set in stocks, In Newgate I lay under locks, If I said aught, I caught many knocks. Alas where was Manhood tho? Alas, my lewdness hath me lost. Where is my body so proud and prest? I cough and rought,[268] my body will burst, Age doth follow me so. I stare and stacker[269] as I stand, I groan glisly upon the ground. Alas, death, why lettest thou me live so long? I wander as a wight in woe and care; For I have done ill. Now wend I will My self to spill, I care not whither nor where.

PERSEVERANCE. Well y-met, sir, well y-met; and whither away?

AGE. Why, good sir, whereby do ye say?

PERSEVERANCE. Tell me, sir, I you pray, And I with you will wend.

AGE. Why, good sir, what is your name?

PERSEVERANCE. Forsooth, sir, Perseverance, the same.

AGE. Sir, ye are Conscience' brother, that me did blame, I may not with you linger.

PERSEVERANCE. Yes, yes, Manhood, my friend in fere.

AGE. Nay, sir, my name is in another manner. For Folly his own self was here, And hath cleped me Shame.

PERSEVERANCE. Shame? Nay, Manhood, let him go: Folly and his fellows also, For they would thee bring into care and woe, And all that will follow his game.

AGE. Yea, game who so game: Folly hath given me a name, So, wherever I go, He cleped me Shame. Now Manhood is gone, Folly hath followed me so. When I first from my mother came, The world made me a man, And fast in riches I ran, Till I was dubbed a knight; And then I met with Conscience clear, And he me set in such manner, Me thought his teaching was full dear, Both by day and night. And then Folly met me, And sharply he beset me, And from Conscience he fet[270] me: He would not fro me go, Many a day he kept me, And to all folks he cleped me Shame:[271] And unto all sins he set me, Alas, that me is woe! For I have falsely me forsworn. Alas, that I was born! Body and soul, I am but lorn, Me liketh neither glee nor game.

PERSEVERANCE. Nay, nay, Manhood, say not so. Beware of Manhood, for he is a foe. A new name I shall give you too: I clepe you Repentance, For, and you here repent your sin, Ye are possible heaven to win: But with great contrition ye must begin, And take you to abstinence: For though a man had do alone The deadly sins everychone, And he with contrition make his moan To Christ our heaven king, God is all so glad of him, As of the creature that never did sin.

AGE. Now, good sir, how should I contrition begin?

PERSEVERANCE. Sir, in shrift of mouth without varying; And another ensample I shall show you too. Think on Peter and Paul, and other mo: Thomas, James, and John also, And also Mary Magdalene. For Paul did Christ's people great villainy, And Peter at the passion forsook Christ thrice, And Magdalene lived long in lechery, And St Thomas believed not in the resurrection: And yet these to Christ are darlings dear, And now be saints in heaven clear. And therefore, though ye have trespassed here, I hope ye be sorry for your sin.

AGE. Yea, Perseverance, I you plight, I am sorry for my sin both day and night. I would fain learn with all my might, How I should heaven win.

PERSEVERANCE. Sir,[272] to win heaven five necessary things there been, That must be knowen to all mankind. The five wits doth begin, Sir, bodily and spiritually.

AGE. Of the five wits I would have knowing.

PERSEVERANCE. Forsooth, sir, hearing, seeing, and smelling, The remanant tasting and feeling: These being the five wits bodily, And, sir, other five wits there been.

AGE. Sir Perseverance, I know not them.

PERSEVERANCE. Now, Repentance, I shall you ken. They are the power of the soul: Clear in mind, there is one, Imagination and all reason, Understanding and compassion: These belong unto Perseverance.

AGE. Gramercy, Perseverance, for your true teaching. But, good sir, is there any more behind That is necessary to all mankind, Freely for to know?

PERSEVERANCE. Yea, Repentance, more there be, That every man must on believe: The twelve articles of the faith, That mankind must on trow. The first, that God is in one substance, And also that God is in three persons, Beginning and ending without variance, And all this world made of nought. The second, that the Son of God sickerly Took flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, Without touching of man's flesh-company: This must be in every man's thought. The third, that the same God-Son, Born of that holy virgin, And she after his birth maiden as she was beforne, And clearer in all kind. Also the fourth, that same Christ, God and man, He suffered pain and passion, Because of man's soul redemption, And on a cross did hing. The fifth article I shall you tell: Then the spirit of Godhead went to hell, And bought out the souls that there did dwell By the power of His own might. The sixth article I shall you say: Christ rose upon the third day, Very God and man without nay: That all shall deem and dight, He sent man's soul into heaven Aloft all the angels everychone, There is the Father, the Son, and the soothfast Holy Ghost. The eighth article we must believe on, That same God shall come down, And deem man's soul at the day of doom, And on mercy then must we trust. The ninth article without strife, Every man, maiden and wife, And all the bodies that ever bare life, And at the day of doom body and soul shall 'ppear. Truly the tenth article is, All they that hath kept God's service They shall be crowned in heaven bliss, And Christ's servants to Him full dear. The eleventh article, the sooth to sayne, All that hath falsely to God guided them They shall be put into hell pain, There shall be no sin-covering. Sir, after the twelfth we must worch, And believe in all the sacraments of holy church, That they been necessary, both last and first, To all manner of mankind. Sir, ye must also hear and know tho commandments ten. Lo, sir, this is your belief;[273] and all men Do after it, and ye shall heaven win Without doubt, I know.

AGE. Gramercy, Perseverance, for your true teaching For in the spirit of my soul will I find, That it is necessary to all mankind Truly for to know. Now, sirs, take all ensample by mo, How I was born in simple degree, The world royal received me, And dubbed me a knight, Then Conscience met me, So after him came Folly: Folly falsely deceived me, Then Shame my name hyght.[274]

PERSEVERANCE. Yea, and now is your name Repentance, Through the grace of God almight. And therefore without any distance I take my leave of king and knight, And I pray to Jesu, which has made us all, Cover you with his mantle perpetual. Amen.[275]

GOD'S PROMISES.

_EDITION_.

"_A Tragedy or Interlude manifesting the chief promises of God unto man by all ages in the old law, from the fall of Adam to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Compiled by John Bale, Anno Domini_ MDXXXVIII. _In the word (which is now called the eternal son of God) was life from the beginning, and that life was the light of men. This light yet shineth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not_."--JOAN I.[276] ... 4°, black letter.

PREFACE.