tag title page tag left side tag centre tag right side tag speech prefix centred tag <_abv> abreviation tag <_his> historiated initial tag stanza type tag hung word tag proper name tag Latin tag catchword tag signature tag large type tag medium type tag small type tag <#> damaged sections of MS tag french scene A brefe Comedy or enter lude concernynge the temptacyon of our lorde and sauer Jesus Christ by Sathan in the de- <_hy> sart, Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno M.D.XXXVIII. Woodcut - emblem of angel (who?) attending God (?) who is writing (?) reading (?) from THE book. Jesus was led from thens of the spre<-abv> te into the wyldernes, to be tempted of the deuyll. And whan he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes, he was at last an hungered. Mathei iiij. Interlocutores. Iesus Christus, Satan tentator. Angelus primus, Angelus alter. Baleus Prolocutor. Praefatio. Baleus Prolocutor. A<_his>fter hys baptyme, Christ was Gods sonne de- <#> clared. By the fathers voyce, as ye before haue hearde, Whych sygnyfyeth to us, that we ones baptysed Are the sonnes of God, by hys gift & rewarde.<#> And bycause that we, shuld haue Christ in regarde,<#> He gaue unto hym, the myghtye autoryte,<#> Of hys heauenlye worde, our only teacher to be.<#> Now is he gone fourth, into the desart place. With the holy Ghost, hys offyce to begynne. Where Sathan the deuyll, with hys assaultes apace, With colours of craft, and manye a subtyle gynne, Wyll undermynde hym yet nothynge shall he wynne, But shame and rebuke in the conclusyon fynall, Thys tokenneth our rayse, and hys unrecurable fall. Lerne first in thys acte, that we whom Christ doth call. Ought not to folowe, the fantasyes of Man, But the holy Ghost as our gyde specyall, Whych to defende us, is he that wyll and can, To persecucyon, lete us prepare us than. For that wyll folowe, in them that seke the truth. Marke in thys processe, what troubles to Christ ensuth. Sathan assaulteth hym, with many subtyle dryft, So wyll he do us, if we take Christes part. And whan that helpeth not, he seketh an other shyft, The rulers amonge, to put Christ unto smart, With so manye els, as beare hym their good hart. Be ye Praefatio. Be ye sure of thys, as ye are of dayly meates<#> If ye folowe Christ, with hym ye must be beate.<#> <#>For assaultes of Sathan, lerne here the remedye.<#> <#>Take the worde of God, lete that be your defence.<#> So wyll Christ teache yow, in our next Comedye.<#> Ernestly prent it, in your quyck intellygence. Resyst not the worlde, but with meke pacyence, If ye be of Christ. Of thys herafter ye shall, Perceyue more at large, by the story as it fall. Incipit Comoedia. Iesus Christus. I<_his>n to thys desart, the holy Ghost hath brought me, After my baptyme, of Sathan to be tempted, Therby to iustruct, of Man the imbecyllyte, That after he hath, Gods holy sprete receyued, Dyuersely he must, of Sathan be impugncd, Least he for Gods gyft, shuld fall into a pryde. And that in parell, he take me for hys gyde. Thynke not me to fast, bycause I wolde yow to fast, For than ye thynke wronge, and haue vayne indgement. But of my fastynge, thynke rather thys my cast, Sathan to prouoke, to worke hys cursed intent, And to teach you wayes, hys myschefes to preuent, By the worde of God, whych must be your defence, Rather than fastynges, to withstande hys vyolence. I haue fasted here, the space of forty dayes, Perfourmynge that fast, whych Moses had in fygure, DTo Comoedia Ioannis Balei. To stoppe their mouthes with, whych bable & prate alwayes Thus ded our fathers, My name and fame to dysuygure. Therfor now I tast, of fastynge here the rygure, And am ryght hungrye, after longe abstynence. Thys mortall bodye, complayneth of indygence. Satan tentator. No where I fourther, but euery where I noye, For I am Sathan, the commen aduersarye, An enemy to Man, hym sekynge to destroye And to brynge to nought, by my assaultes most craftye. I watch euery where, wantynge no polycye, To trappe hym in snare, and make hym the chylde of hell. What nombre I wynne, it were very longe to tell. I hearde a great noyse, in Jordane now of late, Upon one Jesus, soundynge from heauen aboue. Thys is myne owne sonne, whych hath with drawne al hate, And he that doth stande, most hyghly in my loue. My wyttes the same sounde, doth not a lyttle moue. He cometh to redeme, the kynde of Man I feare. Nyghtyme is it than, for me the cooles to steare. I wyll not leaue hym tyll I knowe what be ys, And what he entendeth in thys same border heare, Subtyltie must helpe, els all wyll be amys, A godlye pretence, outwardly must I beare, Semynge relygyouse, deuoute and sad in my geare. If he be come now, for the redempcyon of Man. As I feare he is, I wyll stoppe hym if I can. Hic simulata religione Christum aggreditur. It is a grat ioye, by my holydome to se, So vertuouse a lyfe, in a yonge man as yow be. As <#>De Christi tentatione.<#> <#>As here thus to wander, in godly contemplacyon.<#> <#>And to lyue alone, in the desart solytarye.<#> <#>Iesus Christus,<#> <#>Your pleasure is it, to utter your fantasye.<#> <#>Satan tentator.<#> <#>A brother am I, of thys desart wyldernesse,<#> <#>And full glad wolde be, to talke with yow of goodnesse <#>If ye wolde accept, my symple cumpanye. <#>Iesus Christus. <#>I dysdayne nothynge, whych is of God trulye. <#>Satan tentator. Than wyll I be bolde, a lyttle with yow to walke. Iesus Christus. Do so if ye lyst, and your mynde frely talke. Satan tentator. Now forsoth and God, it is ioye of your lyfe, That ye take soch paynes, and are in vertu so ryfe. Where so small ioyes are, to recreate the hart. Iesus Christus. Here are for pastyme, the wylde beastes of the desart, With whom moch better, it is to be conuersaunt, Than with such people, as are to God repugnaunt. Satan tentator. Ye speake it full well, it is euen as ye saye, But tell me how longe, ye haue bene here, I yow praye. Iesus Christus. Fourty dayes and nyghtes, without any sustenaunce. Satan tentator. So moch I iudged, by your pale countenaunce. Then is it no maruele, I trowe, though ye hungrye. Iesus Christus. My stomack declareth, the weakenesse of my bodye. D.ii.Satan <#>Comoedia Ioannis Balei.<#> Satan tentator.<#> Well, to be pleyne with yow, abroade the rumour doth ro<_abv>ne<#> Amonge the people, that ye shuld be God's sonne.<#> If ye be Gods sonne, as it hath great lykelyhode,<#> Make of these stones breade, and geue your bodye hys fode.<#> Iesus Christus.<#> No offence is it, to eate whan men be hungrye,<#> But to make stones breade, it is unnecessarye.<#> Ne whych in thys fast, hath bene my specyall gyde,<#> Fode for my bodye, is able to prouyde.<#> I thanke my lorde God, I am at no soche nede,<#> As to make stones breade, my bodye so to fede.<#> Wha<_abv> I come in place, where God hath appoynted meate. Geuynge hym hygh thankes. I shall not spare to eate, Satan tentator. Not only for that, thys symylytude I brynge, But my purpose is to conclude an other thynge. At the fathers voyce, ye toke thys lyfe in hande, Myndynge now to preache, as I do vnderstand. In case ye do so, ye shall fynde the offyce harde. My mynde is in thys, ye shuld your body regarde. And not undyscretelye, to cast your selfe awaye. Rather take some ease, than ye shuld so decaye. I put case ye be, Gods sonne, what can that further: Preache ye ones the truth, the byshoppes wyll ye murther. Therfor beleue not, the voyce that ye ded heare, Though it came from God, for it is unsauery geare. Beyonde your cumpas, rather than ye so ronne, Forsake the offyce and denye yourself Gods Sonne. Jesus <#>De Christi tentatione.<#> <#>Jesus Christus.<#> Ye speake in that poynt, very unaduysedlye,<#> For it is written, in the eyt of Deutronomye,<#> Man lyueth not by breade, or corporall fedynge only,<#> But by Gods promyse, and by hys scriptures heauenlye.<#> Here ye persuade me, to recreate my bodye,<#> And neglected Gods worde, whych is great blasphemye.<#> Thys caused Adam, from innocencye to fall, And all hys ofsprynge, made myserable and mortall. Where as is Gods worde, there is both sprete and lyfe, And where that is not, death and dampnacyon is ryfe. The strength of Gods worde, myghtyly sustayned Moses, For fourty dayes space, thereof soch is the goodnes. It fortyfyed Nelias, it preserued Daniel, And holpe in the desart, the chyuldren of Israel. Sore plages do folowe, where Gods worde is reiect, For no persuasyon wyll I therfor neglect, That offyce to do, whych God hath me commaunded, But in all mekenesse, it shall be accomplyshed. Satan tentator. I had rather naye, consyderynge your feblenesse. For ye ar but tuly, ye are no stronge persone doughtlesse. Iesus Christus. Well, it is not the breade, that doth a man vpholde, But the lorde of heauen, with hys graces manyfolde. He that Man create, is able hym to norysh, And after weakenesse, cause hym agayne to florysh. Gods worde is a rule, for all that man shuld do, And out of that rule, no creature ought to go. He that it foloweth, can not out of the waye, D iiiIn <#>Comoedia Ioannis Bales.<#> <#>In meate not in drynke, in sadnesse nor in playe.<#> <#> Satan tentator.<#> <#>Ye are styfneked, ye wyll folowe no good counselle.<#> <#>Iesus Christus.<#> <#>Yes, whan it is soch, as the holye scripture tell.<#> <#> Satan tentator.<#> Scriptures I knowe non, for I am but an hermyte I.<#> I maye saye to yow, it is no part of our stody.<#> We relygyouse men, lyne all in contemplacyon.<#> Scriptures to stodye, is not our occupacyon.<#> It longeth to doctours, howbeyt I maye saye to yow.<#> As blynde are they as we, in the vnderstandynge now.<#> Well shall it please ye, any farther, with me to walke, Though I lyttle profyght, yet doth it me good to talke. Iesus Christus. To tarry or go, it is all one to me. Satan tentator. Let vs than wander, into the holye cyte, Of Hierusalem, to se what is there a do. Iesus Christus. I shall not saye naye, but am agreable therto. Satan tentator. My purpose is thys, A voyce in your eare ded rynge, That ye were Gods sone, and welbeloued darlynge, And yow beleue it, but ye are the more vnwyse, For to deceyue yow, it was some subtyle practyse. Well, vpon that voyce, ye are geuen to perfyghenesse Not els regardynge, but to lyue in ghostlynesse. Ye watche, fast, and praye, ye shyne in contemplacyon, Leadynge here a lyfe, beyond all estymacyon. No De Christi tentatione:<#> No meate wyll ye eate, but lyue by Gods worde onlye.<#> So good are ye waxt, so perfyght and so holye.<#> I wyll brynge ye (I trowe) to the welle of ghostlynesse,<#> Where I shall fyll ye, and glutt ye with holynesse.<#> What, holy, quoth he: Naye, ye were neuer so holye, As I wyll make ye, if ye folowe hansomlye. Here is all holy, here is the holy cytie, The holy temple, and the holy prestes here be. Ye wyll be holy&wel, ye shall be aboue them all, Bycause ye are Gods sonne, it doth ye so befall. Come here, on the pynnacle, we wyll be by and by. Iesus Christus. What meane ye by that:shewe fourth your fantasy. Satan tentator. Whan ye were hungrye, I ded ye first persuade, Of stones to make breade, but ye wolde non of that trade. Ye layed for your self, that scripture wolde not serue it, That was your bucklar, but now I am for ye fyt. For the suggestyon, that I now shall to ye laye, I haue scripture at hande, ye shall ilt not denaye. Iesus Christus>/sp> Kepe it not secrete, but lete it than be had. Satan tentator. If ye do beleue, that ye are the sonne of God, Beleue thys also, if ye leape downe here in scoff, From thys hygh pynnacle, ye can take no harme thereoff. And therfor be bolde, thys enterpryse to ieoparde. If ye be Gods sonne, cast down your self here backwarde. Iesus Christus. Truly that nede not, here is other remedye, To <#>Comoedia Ioannis Balei.<#> To the grounde to go, than to fall downe folyshlye.<#> Here are gresynges made, to go up and downe therby,<#> What nede I than leape, to the earthe presumptuously.<#> Satan tentator.<#> Saye that ye ded it, vpon a good intent.<#> Iesus Christus That were neyther good, nor yet conuenyent. Daungers are doubtfull, where soch presumpcyon is. Satan tentator. Tush, scripture is with it, ye can not fare amys. For it is written, how God hath geuen a charge, Unto hys Angels, that if ye leape at large, They shall receyue ye, in their handes tenderly, Least ye dalhe your fote, agaynst a stone therby. If ye do take scath, beleue God is not trewe, Nor iust of hys worde, And than byd hym adewe. Iesus Christus. In no wyse ye ought, the scriptures to de proue, But as they lye whole, so ought ye them to haue. No more take ye here, than serne for your vayne purpose Leauynge out the best, as ye shuld tryfle or glose Ye mynde not by thys, towardes God to edyfye, But of syncere faythe, to corrupt the innocencye. Satan tentator. Whye, is it not true, that soch a text there is! Iesus Christus. Yes, there is soch a text, but ye wrast it all amys. As the Psalme doth saye, God hath commaunded Angels, To preserue the iust, from daungerouse plages and parels. Satan tentator. Well, than I sayd true, and as it lyeth in the text. Iesus <#>De Christi tentatione.<#> <#>Iesus Christus.<#> Yea, but ye omytted, foure wordes whych foloweth next,<#> As (in all thy wayes) whych if ye put out of syght,<#> Ye shall neuer take that place of scripture a ryght.<#> Their wayes are a soch rules, as God hath them commaunded,<#> By hys lyuynge worde, iustlye to be obserued.<#>2 If they passe these rules, the Angels are not bounde, To be their sauegarde, but rather them to confounde. To fall downe backwarde, of a wanton peuyshnes, Is non of those wayes, that God euer taught doughtles. Then if I ded it, I shuld tempt God very sore, And deserue to haue, hys anger euermore. I wyll not so do, for their fathers in the desart. Ded so tempt hym ones, and had the hate of hys hart. The clause that ye had, maketh for ne<_abv> outwarde workynge, If ye marke the Psalme, throughly from hys begynnynge. But what is the cause, ye we<_abv>t not fourth with the next verses Satan tentator. It made not for me, if ye wyll, ye maye it reherse. Iesus Christus. Thu shalt (sayth the Psalme) subdue the cruell serpent. And treade vndre fote, the lyon and dragon pestylent. Satan tentator. No nyghar (saye) for there ye touche fre holde. Iesus Christus. Some loue in no wyse, to haue their rudenesse tolde. To walke in Gods wayes: it becometh a mortall man, and therfor I wyll, obeye them if I can. For it is written, in the text of Deutronomy, Thu shalt in no wyse, tempt God presumptuousely, Satan <#>Comoedia Ioannis Balei.<#> <#>Satan tentator. <#>What is it to tempe God: after your iudgement. Iesus Christus. To take of hys worde, an outwarde experyment. Of an ydle brayne, whych God neyther thought nor ment.<#> Satan tentator.<#> What persones do forsake that more euydent.<#> Iesus Christus.<#> All soch as forsake, anye grace or remedye,<#> Appoynted of God, for their owne polycye.<#> As they that do thynke, that God shald fyll their bellye.<#> Without their labours, whan hys lawes are contrarye. And they that wyll saye, the scripture of God doth flee. They neuer serchynge, therof the veryte. Those also tempt God, that vowe presumptuouslye, <#>Not hauynge hys gyft, to kepe their contynencye. <#>With so many els, as folowe their good intentes. <#>Not gron<_abv>ded on God, nor yet on hys commaundements. <#>These throwe themselues downe, into most depe da<_abv>pnacyon. <#>Satan tentator. <#>Lyttle good get I, by thys communycacyon. <#>Wyll ye walke farther, and lete thys pratlynge be: <#>A mountayne here is, whych I wolde yow to se, <#>Trust me and ye wyll, it is a commodyouse thynge. <#>Iesus Christus. <#>If it be so good, lete vs by thydre goynge, <#>Satan tentator. <#>Lo, how saye ye now, is not here a plesaunt syght. <#>If ye wyll ye maye, haue here all the worldes delyght. <#>Here is to be seane, the kyngedome of Arabye, <#>With all the regyons, of Affryck, Europe; and Asye, <#>And their whole delyghtes, their pompe, their magynyfyce<_abv>ce, Their Di Christi tentatione. Their ryches their honour, their welth, their concupysce<_abv>ce: Here is golde and syluer, in wonderfull habundaunce. Gyltes, veluetes, tyssucs, with wynes & spyces of plesaunce. Here are fayre women, of countenaunce ameable, With all kyndes of meates, to the body dylectable. Here are camels, stoute horses, & mules that neuer wyll tyre, With so manye pleasures, as your hart can desyre. Iesus Christus. Well, he be praysed, whych is of them the geuer. Satan tentatour. Alas it greueth me, that ye are soch a beleuer, Nothynge can I laye, but euer ye auoyde me, By the worde of God, Leaue that poynt ones I pray ye. If I byd ye make, of stones breade for your bodye, Ye saye man lyueth not, in temporall feadynge onlye, As I byd ye leape, downe from the pynnacle aboue, Ye wyll not tempt God, otherwyse than yow behoue. Thus are ye styll poore, thus are ye styll weake and nedye, Iesus Christus. And what supppose ye, wyll that nede remedye: Satan tentator. Forsake the beleue, that ye haue in Godsworde, That ye are hys sonne, for it is not worth a torde, Is he a father, that se hys sonne thus famyshe If ye beleue it, I saye ye are to folysh. Ye se these pleasures. If yow be ruled by me, I shall make ye a man. To my wordes therfor agre. Loke on these kyngedomes, and incomparable treasure, I the lorde of them, maye geue them at my pleasure. Forsake that father, whych leaueth the without confort, In thys desolacyon, and hens fourth to me resort. Knowledge me for head, of thys worlde vnyuersall. E iiAnd Comoedia Ioannis Balei.<#> And I wyll make the, possessor of them all.<#> Thu shalt no longar, be desolate and hungrye,<#> But haue all the worlde, to do the obsequye.<#> Therfor knele downe here, and worshypp me thys houre,<#> And thu shalt haue all, with their whole strenth and poure.<#> Iesus Christus.<#> Anoyde thu Sathan, Thu deuyll, thu aduersarye,<#> For now thu perswadest, most damnable blasphemye.<#> As thu art wycked, so is thy promyse wycked,<#> Not thyne is the worlde, but hys that it created.<#> Thy cannyst not geue it, for it is not thyne to geue,<#> Thus dedyst thu corrupt, the fayth of Adam and Eue, Thus dedyst thu deceyue, both Moses and Aaron, Causynge them to doubt, at the lake of contradyccyon. Get the hens thu fyende, and cruell aduersarye, For it is written, in the tenth of Deutronomye. God thu shalt worshypp, and magnyfye alone, Holde hym for thy lorde, and make to hym thy mone. He is the true God, he is the lorde of all, Not only of thys, but the worlde celestyall. Thy perswasyon is, I shuld not hys worde regarde, O venemouse serpent, dampnacyon is thy rewarde. Prouyde wyll I so, that thy kyngedom shall decaye, Gods worde shall be hearde, of the worlde though thu saye Satan tentator. (naye, Well, than it helpeth not, to tarry here any longar, A vuauntage to haue, I se I must go farther. So longe as thu lyuest, I am lyke to haue no profyght, If all come to passe, I m? ye syt as moch in your lyght, If ye preach Gods worde, as me thynke ye do intende, Ere foure years be past I shall yow to your father sende, If pharysees and scrybes, can do any thynge thereto, False De Christi tentatione.<#> False prestes and byshoppes, with my other seruauntes me.<#> Though I haue hynderaunce, it wyll be but for a season,<#> I dought not, thyne owne, herafter wyll worke some treason<#> Thy vycar at Rome I thynke wyll be my frynde,<#> I defye the therfor, and take thy wordes but as wynde,<#> He shall my worshypp, and haue the worlde to rewarde, That thu here forsakest, he wyll most hyghlye regarde. Gods worde wyll he treade, underneth hys fote for euer, And the hartes of men, from the truth therof dyssener, Thy faythe wyll he hate, and flee thy flocke in conclusyon, All thys wyll I worke, to do the vtter confusyon. Iesus Christus, Thy cruell assaultes, shall hurt neyther me uor myne, Though we suffer both, by the prouydence dyuyne, Soch strength is ours, that we wyll haue vyctorye, Of synne death and helle, and of the in thy most furye. For God hath promysed, that hys shall treade the dragon,<#> Underneth their fete, with the fearce roarynge lyon,<#> Hic angeli accedunt, folacium administraturi.<#> Angelus primus.<#> The father of confort, and heauenly consolacyon,<#> Hath sent vs hyther; to do our admynystracyon.<#> We come not to helpe, but to do our obsequye,<#> As seruauntes becometh, to their lorde and mastre mekelye.<#> If our offyce be, to wayte on creatures mortall,<#> Why shuld we not serue, the mastre and lorde of all:<#> Angelus alter.<#> It is our confort, it is our whole felycyte,<#> To do our seruyce, and in your presence to be.<#> We haue brought ye fode, to coufort your weake bodye,<#> After your great fast, and notable vyctorye.<#> Unto all the worlde, your byrth we first declared.<#> E iiiAnd Comoedia Ioannis Balei. And now these vytales, we haue for yow prepared. Iesus Christus. Come nyghar to me, Swete father thankes to the, For these gracyouse gyftes, of thy lyberalyte. Hic coram angelis ex appositis comedet. Angelus primus.<#> How meke art thu lorde, to take that nature on the?<#> Whych is so tendre, and full of infyrmyte.<#> As Mannys nature is, both feble faynt and werye,<#> Weake after laboure, and after fastynge hungrye.<#> Forsoth heauen and earth, yea, helle maye be astoyned,<#> The Godhede to se, to so frayle nature ioyned, Angelus alter. In hys owne he is, for he the worlde first create, Yet semeth the worlde, to haue hym in great hate. Aboute thirty yeares, hath he bene here amonge them, Some tyme in Jewrye, and some tyme in Hierusalem. But fewe to thys daye, haue done hym reuerence, Or as to their lorde, shewed their obedyence. Iesus Christus, My commynge hyther, is for to seke no glorye, But the hygh pleasure, and wyll of my father heauenlye. He wyll requyre it, at a certayne daye, no dought, And shall reuenge it, loke they not wele abought. Angelus primus:Plebem alloquitur. The lorde here for yow, was borne and circumcysed, For yow here also, he was latelye baptysed. In the wyldernesse, thys lorde for yow hath fasted, And hath ouercomen, for yow the denyll that tempted: For yow fryndes for yow, thys heauenly lorde doth all, Only for your sake, he is become man mortall. Angelus alter. Take Conclustoi<#> Take the shy elde of fayth, and lerne to resyst the deuyll.<#> After hys teachynges, that he do yow non euyll,<#> Full sure shall ye be, to haue vs on your syde,<#> If ye be faythfull, and holde hym for your gyde.<#> Iesus Christus<#> If they folowe me, they shall not walke in darkenes.<#> But in the clere lyght, and haue felycyte endles, For I am the waye, the lyfe and the veryte, No man maye attayne, to the father but by me. Angelus primus. In mannys frayle nature, ye haue conquerred the enmye. That man ouer hym, shuld alwayes haue vyctorye. Angelus alter. Our maner is it, most hyghlye to reioyce, Whan Man hath confort, whych we now declare in voyce. Hic dulce canticum coram Christo depromunt, Baleus Prolocutor, Lete it not greue yow, in thys worlde to be tempted, Confyderynge your lorde, and your hygh byshopp Jesus,<#> Was here without synne, in euery purpose proued,<#> In all our weakenesse, to helpe and socour vs,<#> Farthermore to beare, with our fragylyte thus.<#> He is vnworthye, of hym to be a member,<#> That wyll not with hym, some persecucyon suffer.<#> The lyfe of Man is, a profe or harde temptacyon,<#> As Job doth report, and Paule confirmeth the same.<#> Busye is the deuyll, and laboureth hys dampnacyon,<#> Yet haue no dyspayre, for Christ hath gote the game.<#> Now is is easye, hys cruelness to tame.<#> for <#>Conclusio.<#> <#>For Christes vyctorye, is theirs that do beleue.<#> Ne here sayth take rotynge, the deuyll can neuer grene.<#> Resyst (sayth Peter) resyst that roarynge lyon,<#> Not with your fastynges, Christ neuer taught ye so.<#> But with a stronge fayth, withstande hys false suggestyon,<#> And with the scriptures, vpon hym euer go,<#> Then shall he no harme, be able yow to do. Now maye ye be bolde, ye haue Christ on your syde.<#> So longe as ye haue, hys veryte for your gyde.<#> What enemyes are they, that from the people wyll haue,<#> The Scriptures of God, whych axe the myghty weapon, That Christ left them here, their sowles from helle to saue. And throwe them headlondes, into the deuyls domynyon, If they be no deuyls, I saye there are deuyls non, They brynge in fastynge, but they leaue out, Scriptum est, Chalte they geue for gold, soch fryndes are they to the Beest. Lete non reprort vs, that here we condempne fastynge. For it is not true, we are of no soch mynde. But thys we couete, that ye do take the thynge, For a frute of fayth as it is done in kynde, And onlye Gods worde to subdue, the cruell fynde. Folowe Christ alone, for he is the true sheparde, The voyce of straungers, do neuer more regarde. This endeth thys brefe Comedy concer nynge the temptacyon of Jesus Christ in the wyldernes.<\cnt> Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno M.C.XXXVIII.