Well ouer taken in the name of God my good fellow: Whether art thou now going thus al alone?

Forsooth good maister, I am a Straunger hereabouts, and ve­ry willing I am to go to London.

To go to London (alas) what wouldst thou do there?

Here in the countrey, they say it is a good­ly famous Town, and very gladly I would see it, if I knew the way thyther.

How da­rest thou go abroade now, the world is so hard, on this order? the Constables and other Offy­cers as thou goest, will apprehende and haue thee before some Iustice for a Rogue.

I trust they will not doe so, for I neuer dwelte with Mayster nor Dame.

Notwithstan­ding yet, the Lawes of this Realme are verye straightly looked vpon now a dayes, concer­ning such matters, especially if they haue not a Pasport from whence they come.

It is e­uen so, for in the countrey wheras I did dwell, they looke very straightly vnto those that are suspected persons, and haue them vnto some Iustice, and they bee not onely punished with imprisonmente, but with whipping and bur­ning in the eare.

It is a thing chiefest to be loked to, for if they doe not, they ought in all [Page] places by the statute to forsee that matter. The Constables are charged there with, and for de­fault, incurre the daunger of the statute.

I am sure they will not examine me so straightly, if they doe, I must declare vnto them the troth, and the effecte of my matter, for I dwelte al­wayes with my Father, and Mother, I haue come a good way, and yet I haue not bene ex­amined.

Then I perceyue that you did dwell with your father.

Yea in deede, I dwelt with my mother, but my father is dead, and lyeth buryed in the bodye of our Churche, almost three yeares past, but my mother I trust is alyue.

If thy mother be alyue, what didst thou with her?

Marye I did go to Plough and Carte, and kepte the Crowes out of the fielde, and fetch home the Kyne and other such lyke thinges, which appertayne vnto hus­bandry.

In so doing thou didst well, for Adam did worke in the Garden of Eden: Cayn Gene, 2. was a Plough man and tilled the earth: hys Gene. 3. brother Abell was a Sheaphearde, and kepte Sheepe: Noye was a planter of Vyneyardes, Gen. 4. and canst thou not liue as thy father hath done before thee?

No, I cannot lyue in that order, it is to paynefull for me, although my Fa­ther did Hedge and diche, digge and delue, and did bring me vp in the same trade, and you haue shewed me those examples, I mynde not to doe [Page] so.

No, what wilte thou do then?

What will I doe? I will tell you, I will be a Seruingman, and wayghte on a Gentleman, and then I shall goe a Hawking and Hunting and haue my delight as Gentlemen hath, I shall haue two new coates a yeare, I will haue my sutes of Hose, my Hats with feathers, and be all in the brauerye, after the newe fashyon, and sometyme I shall wayght vpon a Gentle­woman, who woulde desyre to lyue a merryer lyfe? or else I will to London to be a seruaunt.

The old Prouerbe is true. A yong Cour­tyer, an old Begger, for they say seruice is none heritage, and if thou shouldest be vsed as Esop doth declare in a fable, what wouldst thou then Esop. say to thy brauery?

I pray you recyte the same to me.

He was a man by whome there is a booke made, that I haue read, and is caled Esops fables, wherin he likeneth a Ser­uingman to a Greyhound.

He was a hore­son in deede, that would liken a man to a Dog. Why there is a great sort that be Seruingmen and doth liue well ynough, and so I trowe I will.

Yea I wil not despyse seruingmen, for they are men necessary. But Esope sayeth, as long as a Greyhound is youthfull, and can follow his game, he shall be much made of, and as long as you are yong and lustye, so maye you be, but when age commeth on you, as dyd on the Greyhound, then you shall not bee stee­med, [Page] but ready to be set at liberty without com­forte.

Why then I praye you tell me your mynde, what your aduyce is for me to doe.

My counsell is to haue you go home agayne to your Mother, consydering you say she is an old woman, and your Father dead, shee is without friendship or comforte, and you shall be a good stay and a helper vnto her.

I mynde not so to doe, for I know a way better then to doe so, she hath geuen me Gods blessing and hers, and is well contented withall, and hath geuen mee Money in my Purse, I may be bolde to say vn­to you, besydes that I take you to be an honest man, and a true man, else I woulde not haue tolde you, for there be so many men now a days of dyuers sortes, I knowe not well whome to trust.

Thou sayest truth in deede, the more is the pittie, for one man cannot trust another, What wee ought to doe to our Pa­rentes. Reuerence them. Leuiti­cus. 19. Eccle. 3. Here them. Epesi. 6. Honour them. but yet Moises writeth as I remēber. Let eue­ry one reuerence his Father and mother. Iesus the sonne of Syrach wryteth on this manner. Heare me your Father (O my deare Chyldren) and doe thereafter that ye may be safe, for the Lord will haue the father honoured of the chil­dren. Honor thy father and Mother, this is the fyrst commaundement that hath any promyse, that thou mayest be in good state, and lyue long on the earth. And looke what a Mother com­maundeth her children to doe, he will haue it kepte. Who so honoureth his Father, his sinnes And why? [Page] shall be forgeuen him, and he that honoreth his mother, is one that gathereth treasure togither, who so honoureth his Father, shall haue long life, and he that is obedyent for the Lords sake, his mother shall haue ioy of him. Honour thy fa­ther from thy whole harte, forget not the sor­rowfull Eccle. 7. Howe wee should ho­nour our Parentes. Ephe. 6. Toby. 4. trauayle that thy mother had with thee. The Apostle sayeth: Chyldren obay your fathers and mothers in the Lorde, for so it is right. Tobias sayde to his sonne, hold thy Mo­ther in honour all the dayes of thy lyfe, for thou oughtest to remember what and howe great perrill she suffred for thee in her wombe.

You are verye scripulous with mee to honour my mother, I doe not denye it, but I confesse my duetye is vnto my mother, yet may I doe that which I purpose to doe, for I am sure you cannot tell me of any that doth practise such o­bedience to Father or mother. Of my parte I promise you, I knowe not what obedience is, for it was neuer taught me.

Then will I teach you especially concerning our communy­cation. Fyrst, I will shew you that obedience is What is o­bedience. a lowly and harty submissyon of our selues to God, and afterwardes to our Parentes, to the Maiestrates, to our superyours, and to al those to whome GOD hath committed the rule and gouernaunce of his Flocke and people in this worlde, or in iust causes, to all them to whome we be by any tytle inferyour. Isaac shewed o­bedience Gene. 22. [Page] to his father Abraham. Yong Tobias Toby. 5. at his fathers cōmandement, went into a farre country about his fathers busines, & did not de­ny it. Christ humbled himself, & became obediēt to the death, so was he to his parents, Ioseph Phill. 2. Luke. 2. and Mary. More wil I call to remembraunce out of the scripture of the duty of Children here­after.

I am therewith content, I perceyue you haue had some intelligence & knowledge of Scriptures, that can remember such thinges vpon a sodayne, yet I may loue both father and mother, and shew my duety and obedience vn­to them, although I doe not dwell with them: For I must seeke how to behaue my self, when God calleth thē away from me, out of this vale of misery, to get my liuing as they haue done, for if I should do as the Prouerbe is, loke after ded folks shoes, I might thāce to go barefote.

And can you not liue by taking paynes with Husbandrye, as your father and others haue done?

No forsooth.

And why so I pray you tell me?

Mary syr there is such moyling and toyling, and taking of great paynes, with harde fare, that I must needes to London to be a Townseman, thereto liue more at ease.

If euery one were of thy mynde, and so permitted to haue their owne wils, we might chaunce to fast for lack of bread, Corne, and such other necessaryes for mans body. But the truth is, at London thou mightest learne [Page] some honest and profitable occupation, where­with thou mayest be able to get thy own liuing in tyme to come, and to make prouision for such as shall belong vnto thee hereafter, for if thou shouldst be brought vp ydely, thou shouldest be­come an vnprofytable member in a common weale, and for lack of liuing, fal into many in­conueniences, for it is written. Send him to la­bour, Eccle. 33. that he goeth not ydle, for ydlenesse brin­geth much euill. And agayne. Let no laborious Eccle. 7. worke be tedious vnto thee, neyther the Hus­bandrye which the almightye God hath crea­ted. As the Byrds of the ayre are created to flie, Iob. 5. Prou. 29. so man is borne to labour. He that Tilleth his Land, shall haue plentiousnesse of bread, but he that followeth ydlenesse, shall haue pouertie. Thou shalte eate the laboure of thy hands, Psal. 128. sayeth Dauid: O well is thee, and happy shalt thou be, wherefore be not weary in well doing.

Although that these sentences affyrm that labour is a thing necessary, I doe not denye it, for if a man eate or drinke, it is labour: if he goe abroad in the fields, it is labour: if he worke at any Science it is labour: al this I know.

Yea, but there is further labour then that, there is a labour fyrst to serue God, and remember howe much bounde thou arte vnto him for hys bountious and lyberall good giftes, whiche he doth bestow on thee, thou must labour how to feare him, how to obay the Prince and her Mi­nisters, [Page] and besydes I wil shew you somewhat what commeth of ydlenesse.

I pray you let me here what ydlenesse is, and the daunger thereof.

I will mingle labour and ydle­nesse togyther, and as the Scripture alledgeth for them both, I will shew you. If the Mayster Eccle. 33. doe set his seruaunt to labour, he shall fynd rest, but if he let him go ydle, he shall seeke libertye. The yoake and the whippe boweth downe the harde necke, but let him tame the euill seruaunt with bondes and correction. Vnto the Horse Proue. 26. saieth Salomon belōgeth a whip, vnto the Asse a bridle, and a rod to the fooles back. Like as the dore turneth about vpon the Threshold, euen so doth the slouthfull welter himselfe in bed. The sluggard and ydle person thinketh himself wy­ser then seuen men that are wyse, and sit and teach. Set him to laboure, for that belongeth vnto him. He that will not worke, shall not eate. An ydle hand maketh pore, but a quick labou­ring Prou. 10. hande maketh riche, who so gathereth in Sommer is wyse, but he that is slouthfull and sluggish in Haruest, bringeth himselfe to confu­syon. As vyneger is to the teeth, and as smoke is vnto the eyes, euen so is a sluggish person to them that send him forth. A dilligent hand shall beare rule, but the ydle shall be vnder Tribute. Prou. 12. The sluggard would fayne haue, and cannot get his desyre, but the soule of the dilligent shall Prou. 13. haue plentie. The way of the slouthfull is full of Prou. 15. [Page] Thornes, but the streat of the righteous is all cleansed. Who so is slouthfull and slacke in hys Prou. 18. labour, is the brother of him that is a waster. Slouthfulnesse bringeth sleepe, and an ydle Prou. 19. soule shall suffer hunger. A slouthfull body shut­teth his hande in his bosome, so that for cold he cannot put it into his mouth. Voluptuousnesse Prou. 21. Tullye. of the slouthfull is his owne death, for by cu­stome of labour, we shall make the payne more easye to suffer. His hands will not labour. An­tonyne Antonine an Emperour, withdrew from dyuers persons their Pencions, and Sallaries, percei­uing them ydle, saying: that there was nothing more▪ reprochfull and cruell, then that they should knawe and deuour the Weale publicke. Which with their labour nothing increased it.

I confesse ydlenesse hath taught much vn­happinesse, Ecclesi. but I would God that we had such an Antonyne here among vs, for then the Cler­gye woulde indeuour their selues to bestowe their labour and paynes, whereby Gods word might increase.

You saye truth, Dorcas Act. 9. was a vertuous woman, made Garmentes with her owne handes, and gaue them to the pore. Ioseph was a Carpenter, his wyfe Ma­ry Mark. 6. and the mother of Christ did spinne, and had Iosephus. Gen▪ 4. knowledge in the Science of Weauing. Thu­balkan was a Smith, and did labour to keepe himselfe from ydlenesse. The sins of Sodome Ezec. 16. were these: Pryde, fulnesse of meate, aboun­daunce [Page] and ydlenesse. To labour and to be con­tent Eccle. 40. with that a man hath, is a sweete plea­saunt lyfe, and that is to fynde a treasure, aboue all treasures.

Treasures that are wickedly gotten, profiteth Proue. 10. nothing, but righteousnes deliuereth from deth.

For all this your good exhortacions, I ren­der vnto you thankes, praying to God that I may print them well in my mynd, and although before I tolde you that I would haue ease, and be a Townseman, I confesse euery one is not borne to be a Prince, or a Ruler, nor to be a Hus­bandman, nor an Artifycer, or Marchaunt, but the vocation that GOD hath called them vnto, they muste bee contente with, yet I doe not abhorre or despyse laboure, but doè proteste your sayinges to bee good and pro­fytable: Notwithstanding, of myne interprise which I haue taken in hande, I am not tho­rowly resolued. The world is so now a dayes in that order, that one man dareth not disclose his mynde to another, the more it is to be lamen­ted, and yet they bragge and boast that the Gos­pell is preached abroade, and it should be the bet­ter. But it doth not appeare so, but as I haue harde my father and mother say, I would the olde learning-were vp agayne.

So it is GOD be praysed therefore, for this is the old Religion, and now the Gospell flourisheth, and it is long of the hearers, that doe not [Page] printe the true and liuely word of Iesus Christ, in their mindes, for it goeth in at the one eare, and out at the other (the more it is to be lamen­ted, and I am sorye therefore.

Well, I cannot tel, but I haue heard my father say often tymes, that the holy and blessed Masse was a goodly thing, and then men liued more in fere.

A goodly thing: no, no, you are a yong man, giue no attētiue eare vnto such fond talke, it was a thing abhominable, and most de­testable, I am sure the Minister doth not teach you, but to the contrary.

I cannot tell, hee sayeth one thing without his booke, and he say­eth another on his booke, but what it is, I doe not vnderstand.

The more is the pittie, haue you not prea­ching in your Church?

Preaching say you? I know not what it is.

I will teach you, but wilte thou not be perswaded by me once a­gayne to goe backe agayne.

No I thanke you, for I am sure you speake it vnto mee of Friendshippe, yet GOD wylling, I will see London, and be a Townseman there, for your perswasyons hath mooued mee not to bee a Seruingman.

I am gladde that my eruditions hath so mooued you, but I coulde declare vnto you manye moe storyes then that of Esop, but you are yong, and not passing eyghteene yeares [Page] olde, and when you come to London, you must be aprentise, and bound to serue seuen or eyght yeares, and if you serue your mayster well and truly, you shal be a Free man of the same Citty, and that is your desyre.

It is euen so, yet I may be bolde to say vnto you, I am bounde al­redy, I know not what you mene by bynding, my father was a bondman & bound to a Gen­tleman in our countrey, they call him Mayster L. P. a very good worshipful Gentleman, who is the Lorde of all our towne, and a verye good Gentleman to the pore, and nowe when I am at London and not knowne, my bondage shall not profyte the Lord.

Your bondage by the Lawes of this realme will profyte him, as Littleton declareth, and that will not serue Littleton for bondage. your tourne, when you shall be bounde, that questyon wil be demaunded of you, & then that being knowne, you cannot be bound as an ap­prentice, but shall loose your labour and be con­strayned to goe into the countrey agayne.

I can then say the contrary, for they knowe it not.

You must not do so for that is an vn­troth, and in so doing you shall not do well.

Well, or not well, God willing, I will put it in tryall. But tell me now, you haue hard my mynde all this whyle, whether goe you? and what countreyman are you?

I was born Northwardes, and am a Citizen of London, and there is my dwelling.

What is that [Page] Citizen? is it an occupation?

It is no oc­cupation, but all the inhabitauntes within the same Cittie, and being Freemen therof, are cal­led Citizens.

I thought they had bene cal­led Townsemen. But I pray you tell me, what doe the seruauntes there? they saye here in the country, they take great paynes, and fetch wa­ter, and be cruelly whipped, and carryed to a place, they call it Brydewell.

I tolde you before what commeth of ease and ydlenesse, whereby you might vnderstande that paynes must be taken, and the most parte of them doe fetch water in a Tanckarde on their shoulders. I haue done it my self, and so haue others, that are men of welth and worship dwelling there. And as for Brydewell, there is such a place, Brydewell for all lewd and cuill persons. which was erected and appoynted by the fa­mous Prince King Henrye the sixte, as by Ry­charde Graftons Chronicle appeareth, at the humble sute of the Cittizens of the same Cittie, and is ordayned for all those lewde and ydle Persons, as Vacabonds and such lyke, and for those y ^t are obstinate & naughty persons, which will not liue in the feare of God, but abuse their bodies with euill and lewde vyces, as Whore­dome. &c.

Is that so? then I trust in God I will not come thyther, for I will not vse that euill excercise. Here in the country, the horesons that are so lusty and play such partes, bee not whipped, but stand in the Church in a Sheete.

That is the spiritual lawes of this realme, and the abuse of the follye is a thing worthy of punishment, for such vyces are not sufferable, I coulde shewe you Storyes what the Scrip­ture sayeth, concerning Whoredome.

Seing that I am yong and tender of age, willing I wold here some of them, by reson that I may the better auoyde my selfe from it.

GOD sayeth, thou shalt not commit ad­ultery. What is a­gaynst whoredome Exod. Leuit. 20. Deut. 28. The man that breaketh Wedlocke wyth his neighbours wyfe, let him be slayne, both the aduoulterer, and the Aduoultresse. Cursed be he that lyeth with his neighboures wyfe, and all the people shall say. Amen.

Keepe thee from the euill woman, and from Prou. 9. the flattering tongue of the harlot, that thou lust not after her bewty in thine hart, and least thou be taken with her fayre lookes. An Harlot wyll make a man to begge his bread, but a marryed Woman wyll hunt for the precyous lyfe: maye a man take Fyre in his bosome, and his cloathes not burne? or can one goe vpon hote coles, and his feete be not hurte? Euen so, whosoeuer goeth to his neighboures wyfe, and toucheth her, cannot bee vnguilty, who so committeth Aduoultrye with a woman, hee is a Foole, and bringeth his lyfe to destructyon, he getteth himselfe also shame and dishonour.

The lippes of an Harlot are a dropping Ho­ny Proue. 5. Combe, and her throate is softer then Oyle, [Page] but at the last she is as bitter as Wormewood, and as sharp as a two edged sword, her feete go downe vnto death, and her steppes pierce tho­rough vnto Hell.

She regardeth not the path of lyfe, so vnsted­fast are her wayes, that thou canst not knowe them, keepe thy waye farre from her, and come not nye the doores of her house.

How is it possible for me to take heede of that which I know not.

You shall some­what How to knowe a whore. Eccle. 31. perceyue a whore by her wanton eye, for haue in remembraunce that an euill eye, is a Shrew.

The Whoredome of a woman may be known Eccle. 26. in the pryde of her eyes and eye liddes, by euery Hedge shall she sit down. Her delicate tooth, her fylthy talke, and her ydle and vayne iesting, the setting forth of herself, yea she wil seke to desyre your company, despising others, & is a disturber of quyet folks, all her delight is in banqueting and daunsing, for she is one of the Deuils dare­linges. Therefore looke not to narrowly vppon Eccle. 25. the bewty of a woman, lest thou be prouoked to desyre toward her. Be ashamed of whoredome, Eccle. 42. be ashamed also to looke vppon an other mans wyfe, and to make many tryflyng wordes with her mayden or to stand by her bedde syde. Lyke as the worme and moath commeth out of cloa­thing, so doth wickednesse of women. [Page] But I say vnto you, whosoeuer looketh on a Math. 5. wyfe, lusting after her, hath committed adulte­ry with her already in his harte. The Apostle Epesi. 5. Gene. 39. exhorteth vs to flye from Whoredome. Ioseph feared, and did run away from Putifers wife, and would not consente to her. There shal be no Deut. 23. Whore among the Daughters of Israell, ney­ther Whorekeepers among the sonnes of Isra­ell. Deut. 23. There shall no whores Chyld come into the congregation of the Lorde. For a Whore is a deepe Graue, and a Harlot is a narrow pit.

God defend me from such vyces, these are very good warnings for me, and all others, I pray God I may remember your sayinges. Yet as I remember I heard say. Let not thine harte wander in her wayes, and be not thou Proue. 7. deceiued in her pathes, for many one hath shee wounded and cast downe, yea many a strong man hath shee slayne, her house is the waye vnto Hell, where men goe downe to the cham­ber of death.

That is very wel remembred of you. Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours Deut. 5. wife, neyther whoremongers, nor worshippers of Images, nor brekers of wedlock, nor weke­linges, neyther abusers of them selues with mankynd, shall inherite the Kingdome of God. 1. Corin. 5. If there be any man that is called a Brother, and is a whoremonger, with such shall you not eate. The Prophete sayth, I will come and pu­nish Mala. 2. you, and I my selfe will be a swifte wyt­nesse [Page] agaynst the Adulterers. A gracious wo­man mayntayneth honesty. A fayre woman Prou 11. without discreate manners, is lyke a Ring of golde in a swynes snowte, sayth Salomon. A Prou. 12. A good woman. stedfast woman is a Crown vnto her husband, but she that behaueth her selfe vnhonestly, is a corruption in his bones. A wyse woman vp­holdeth Pro. 14. her house, but a foolish wyfe plucketh it downe. Who so findeth an honest faythful wo­man, Prouer. 3. she is more worth then pearles, she occu­pyeth Wooll and flax, and laboreth gladly with her handes, she is lyke a Marchauntes shippe that bringeth her victuals from farre. Happye Eccle. 26. is that man that hath a vertuous wyfe, for the number of his yeares shall be double. An honest woman maketh her husband a ioyfull man. A Eccle. 7. good name is more worth then a pretious oynt­ment: and the daye of death, is better then the daye of Byrth.

You haue recyted fruitefull sentences vnto me, as well of the good as the euill, yet I am desyrous, if you can, to knowe of you what other punishments are only concerning whore­dome.

There were slayn in one day of the Nume▪ 25. Punish­mentes for whoredome. Zaleucus. Iewes twenty foure thousand, for the whore­dome that they committed. Zaleucus, a Hea­then and a Pagon, being a ruler in the cittie of Locres, which is in Greece or Calabre, orday­ned a law for adulterie, that who so shoulde be taken in aduoultery, should haue both his eyes [Page] pluckt out, it fortuned that his sonne was the fyrst transgressor thereof, and the Citizens par­doned him, yet his father woulde not haue the Lawe so broken, but for the performance ther­of, had one of his own eyes pluckt out, and one of his sonnes. Among the Parthians no faulte Parthians lawe. was more grieuously punished then Adultery, in so much that the offenders somtime perished by hanging, sometime by sworde, sometyme by fyre, sometyme by drowning. The law of the Tartarians lawe. Tartarians was, that Adulterers shoulde bee slayne out of hand. The prodigall sonne consu­med the Talente which his father did giue him Luke. 15. by whoredome, and was brought to beggerye. The Metyleans strangled all such as were ta­ken in aduoultery, without mercy showne. The Metyleans. Thracians law was, that who so was taken in Thracians. whoredome, should be stripped naked, and be bound to a post, and so with Arrowes pierced and stryken to death.

All these are sore and bitter punishmentes for Adulterers, God bee praised the laws of this realm ar not so streight for that only offence.

No, the old auncient custom, & vsage of Lōdon is, that al those which do commit whoredome, shal ride in a cart about the citty, which is to the offēders great ignomy and shame. Quintus Antiotius did put awaye Quintus Antiotius. his wife, because she openly in the streat talked with an harlot and common woman. Publius Menius, most greeuously punished his seruant Publius Menius. for kissing his daughter, and charged her that [Page] she should not onely bring her bodye to her hus­band free from all vncleannesse, but also from kisses. Gaius Emperour at Rome after Peters deth reigned. iij. yere &. x. mōths, which was as Policronicon in his chronicles declareth, vici­ous in liuing, for he abused. ij. of his own Sis­ters, and by one of them he begat a Daughter, which child he set betwene the knes of Iupiter in the temple, and sayd that Iupiter had gotten the same chyld, wherfore he commaunded tho­row the country, that al mē should worship her as a Goddesse, this Emperour also made an I­mage lyke himselfe, and sent it to one Patro­ny presidēt at Ierusalem vnder the Romayns, comanding him y ^t he should compell the Iewes to do worship therto, & for these inormities Gaius was slayne at Rome in his own Pallace.

I haue sene some that hath sene a moat in their brothers eye, & hath had a great beame in his own, you talk wisly, & I mark it wel, the flesh is fraile & wicked, & Adam was tempted by Eue, so cānot a woman in like maner tempt you, you Gene. 3. are flesh & blood as another māis, necessity hath no law the prouerb sayth. You are very earnest with me, & it is for my learning, & I pray God that both of vs might folow your documēt, but the cōtrary is sene of some of those y ^t seme to be great professours of religion, their deedes are contrary, yet they will teach and shew others their dueties, and pluck a thorne out of another mans foote, and put it in their owne.

Euery one that sayeth Lord, Lord, shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen, but hee that doeth the will of my father, sayeth Christe. So if they professe Iesus Christ, and doe not after his preceptes, they are as euill as Iudas, (God roote them out) of my selfe I must con­fesse to be a sinner, and one that am ashamed to shew my selfe before the glorye of God, my sins are so manifolde, yet will I say and excuse my selfe concerning whoredome, as faythfull Iobe sayde. If my harte hath-lusted after my neigh­boures wyfe, or if I haue layde wayght at hys Iobe. 31. dore: O then let my wife be another mans har­lot, and let other lye with her, for this is a wic­kednesse and sin that is worthy to be punished. As for whoredome and all vncleannesse, let it Ephe. 5. not be named among you.

Why then haue you made so much to doe with me about it? and haue named it to me so often.

To giue you gentle admonition thereof.

I thanke you for it, this talk I assure you, it pleseth me won­drous well, and is to me as sweete as honey, I haue gone a great way to day, and am wearye, and because I knowe not the way to London, and am mynded to goe thyther, and now ha­uing your company, maketh me the ioyfuller, if it please you, because that I am drye, I will giue you in this towne a Cake, and a pot of Ale or Beere.

God haue mercye my friend for thy gen­tle [Page] proffer, I will giue it thee, and be as glad of thy company, for a man trauayling by the way alone, it is vncomfortable, wherefore I was glad I met with you.

And so was I.

Here is the Ale­house: Hoe are you within? I pray you giue vs a Cake and a pot of Ale, for my friend and mee, here at the dore,

I pray you friends come in, you shall haue the best Ale in all this towne.

She speaketh well, I pray God she doeth as she sayeth, loe here she bringeth it.

Here is that you called for, if you would haue come, in you might haue had a cloth for you, but you take paynes here at the dore.

God be praised for this being here, it sufficeth vs as wel and better, for now we are standing, we are stil ready to go.

You say troth, well

here is Mo­ney for it, I pray you syr be content, for at thys tyme I will paye for it, and you shall paye for the next.

Content with that, and I thanke you hartilye, and let vs goe.

Farewell

we thank you, it was very good Ale.

It was of my Dames owne brewing, God bee with you both, and be your good speede.

I thanke thee.

This suffyceth me better, then if a man shoulde haue gone to the Tauerne, and sit there tipling, for one thing you must take heede, you [Page] are a yong man, peraduenture when you come to London, you shall be acquaynted with some of your Countreymen, who will aduertise you to go to the Alehouse or Tauerne, and procure you to spende and consume such substaunce as you haue, and peraduēture your maysters lyke­wyse.

Is it not lawfull for me to goe thy­ther with them?

No it is not, for during the tyme of the reteynder of your apprentiship, you your selfe and all that you can do, is your maysters.

I grant it be so, yet I may haue occasyon som­tyme, I am sure to be merry, and to go to the ta­uerne, for in our countrey on the market dayes when we went to the market, and vpon Son­dayes or Holidayes, now and then, we did vse to go to the Tauerne, for there commeth no harme of it. For wyne soberly dronken, quick­neth Eccle. 31. the lyfe of man.

If he drinke measu­rably, he shal be temperate. For Wyne was made for to make man glad at the beginning, Psal. 104. and not for dronkennesse, wyne measurablye dronken, is a reioysing of the soule and body.

There is none that would be so mad as to drinke vnmeasurably, if there be that you can tell of by any stories out of the scripture, teache Iob. 6. What com­meth of ex­cesse drin­king of wyne. Ephe. 5. me, and I will holde my tongue, and if I erre, shewe me wherin.

Be ye not made drunk with wyne, wherin is wantones, but be ye fil­led with the spirite, speaking to your selues by [Page] Psalmes, Himnes, and spirituall songs, saynt Ierome sayeth, we cannot at one tyme be filled Ierome. Proue, 23. with wyne and the holy ghost. Looke not vp­on the wyne when it is red, & when it sheweth his collour in the Cup, and goeth downe plea­santly. To giue his hart to wyne and pleasaunt Eccle. 2. thinges was mere vanitie. Awake yee whiche are dronken with wyne. Aaron and his sonnes Ioel. 1. Leuiticus. Plato. are commanded not to drinke wyne, before they come to sacryfyce before the Lorde. Plato wri­teth that Minos by his laws, prohibited y ^e Cre­teuses, that they shoulde not drinke together to dronkennesse. Seneca sayth, dronkenesse is no­thing Seneca. Plato. else but a voluntary madnes, y ^e quality of dronkennesse continuing many days, is furious­nes, and it is fylthy for a man to take more then he is able to receyue, and not to know the mea­sure of his stomack, they which are dronken do many things which afterward, when they are sober, they are ashamed of. For a dronken man knoweth not the grounde whereon he is.

It is moste true that you saye, yet God forbid, but that men shold somtime frequēt the Tauerns, & drink wine, & be merry, and not to be dronken with excesse, all mē are not of one condicion, measure is a meane meale, and wine Eccle. 42. & minstrelsy reioyceth y ^e hart.

If it be takē in good order it doth so, the wise mā sayth, wine Pro. 20. is a voluptuous thing, & dronkennes causeth se­ditiō, whoso deliteth therin, shal neuer be wise.

[Page] He that hath pleasure in banquets, shall be a pore man. Who so delighteth in Wyne and de­lycates, shall not be rich. Be not dronken wyth wyne, wherein is excesse. For dronkennesse is Ephe. 5. counted to be a Lady, and a good fellow, you cannot speake with her, but by the ayde of Glo­tony, who is her Porter.

There wayteth vpon her Apoplexia, Drop­sye, Twelue seruauntes wayteth on dronkennes. Palsey, Feuers, Leprosye, Scabednesse, Follye, Forgetfulnesse, Negligence, Madnesse, and death. She is always at debate and strife with Sobrietie, and she dwelleth in the Gar­den of excesse, the Deuils owne darling.

God keepe me and all people, from com­ming within her Gate, and out of the company of any of her seruauntes, these persons that you speake of are not sufferable, for they doe not re­member a saying which I haue heard. Take heede vnto yourselues, that your hartes be not Luke. 21. ouerladen with excesse of eating and dronken­nesse, and with taking of thought for liuing.

You haue remembred it well, they take no thought for liuing, which acquaynte them­selues with excesse. The Prophete exhorteth vs to walke honestly, as in the day, not in excesse Roma. 13. of eating and drinking, but put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ.

Also he sayeth, that neyther the couetous nor 1. Cor. 6. dronkardes, nor cursed speakers, nor extorcio­ners, shall inherite the kingdome of God.

These are shrewd Thunderbolts that you shoote at me, yet is there a saying: Drinke no 1. Tim. 5. longer water, but vse a little wyne for thy sto­mackes sake: O how well content is that man Eccle. 31. which drinketh a little wyne? so that in sleepe he be not sicke thereof, nor feele any payne, it is lawfull to vse wyne for necessitie, for medicine, and also for myrth, but yet it muste be tempred I perceaue with Sobryetye, neyther may it exceede a meane, yea, it must agree with tyme, place, degree, age, and kynde. Let men make themselues merry with wyne, that afterward they may be more chearefull to obay God, and to suffer heauy thinges if neede be, and let men beware they forget not themselues, that they o­uerwhelme not their sences, and choke vp their strength.

Wyne moderately dronken, is profytable for Eccle. 33. the lyfe of man. What is his lyfe that is ouer­come with wyne?

I will shew you. The smoth and playne ground, is vnto dronkards a Den, for they fal, breake their legges, their armes, and sometime their neckes, and are burnt when they fail into the fyre. They lye wallowing lyke swyne, and worse then the brute beaste, which goeth to her vomite. Their lyuer is inflamed with to muche drinke, the heade is payned, the members are made weake and tremble, their sences are cor­rupted, the naturall heat is ouerwhelmed with [Page] ouermuch wine, y ^e stomack which is ouerlarge­ly discēded, is sick with crudity or rawnes, and with intollerable paynes: the whole body is in a maner inflamed, and the thirst is augmented. Dronkardes lye groueling like blocks, & so are bereued of their strength that neither head nor foote can do their office. Wyne and dronkenes taketh away the hart. Wine and women make Osea. 4. Eccle. 19. Plato. wyse men runagates, and put men of vnder­standing from right institutions. A dronkarde hath a tyrannicall harte, for he would rule all men as he lust, and not by any reason or lawe. Dronkennesse also bringeth obliuion of lawes and right. A laboring man that is geuen vnto Eccle. 19. August. dronkennes, shal not be rich. The dronken man cōfoundeth nature, loseth grace & honor, & run­neth headlong into euerlasting dānation Noy whē he hauing dronk morewine thē was mete Gene. 9. lay in the tente most fylthely naked, & his priuy parts which were wonte to be couered, he left bare & vncouered, & he which was wont to bee an instructer of vertues, was a great offence vnto his Children: Ham mocked him, the other two sonnes, Sem & Iaphet of a better dispo­sition, were sory, and ashamed of their fathers fylthinesse. Lot sought to make himself merry Gene. 19. with wyne, and he incurred perpetuall heaui­nesse. Ammon Dauids sonne, was mery with 20. Re. 13. wine, & Absolon commanded his youg men to slay him. Alexander of Macedonia, the Con­querour Alexāder of Macedonia [Page] of the world, was most fylthy ouer­come with wyne, being dronke, slew Clitus his friend. Holefernus was merry with Iudith, Iudith. 13. and dranke more wyne then euer he did before in his life, and after her prayer made vnto God she tooke asworde that hanged by, and tooke him by the heyry lockes, and with two strokes vpon the neck, smot of his hed. Antonius a Ru­ler, & a vāquisher in many battails had so laden M. Anto­nius. himselfe with wine, y ^t as he sate to giue iudge­ment in the Tribunall Seate in the morning, was constrained to vomite.

These mē did Eccle. 31. drinke wyne and were dronken with excesse, and it made bitternesse and sorrow vnto their minds, I confesse dronkenesse filleth the mind of y ^e flesh with shame, as it did vnto Noe & Lot and Antonius, and to the rest, I haue hard say that Sisera was dronk, & was slain of Iahel, Sisera. although his drink was milk, & not wine.

It was so as the story doth declare. The Apo­stle Ephe. 5. sayth, be not dronken with wyne, wherein is excesse. Wo be vnto them that rise vp earlye to vse themselues in dronkennesse, and yet at Esay. 5. night are more superfluous with wyne. Wo be vnto them that are cunning men to suppe out wyne, and expert to sette vp dronkennesse. Be not thou a wyne biber, for as I haue told you, Eccle. 13. wyne hath destroyed many a man. The fyre proueth the hard yron, euen so doth wine proue the harts of the prowd, when they be dronken. [Page] A dronkarde sayth the Apostle, or extorcyoner, 1. Cor. 5. with such shall ye not eate, but put away from you him that is euill.

The Elder men be sober, not geuen to muche Titus. 2. wyne.

Keepe no company with wyne bibbers, and Prou. 23. royotous eaters of flesh, for such as bee Dron­kards and roioters, shal come to pouerty. Wine Boetius. inordinately taken, doubleth mans reason: ma­keth euill vnderstanding: infeebleth remem­braunce: sendeth in forgetfulnesse: poureth in errours: and bringeth forth sluggishnesse. Hee that is geuen to much sleepe, shal go with a rag­ged Prou. 23. coate.

This saying is verifyed by our old priest in the Countrey, for ragged and drowsye he is, and lightly is neuer frō the Alehouse, but when he goeth to the Mattens, and Euensong, if hee did perceyue and printe these sayinges in his mynde, he would be ashamed thereof, yet hee thinketh himselfe wyser then seuen men, that sit and teach. Prou. 26.

They lack good gouernmente whereas it is, and a good Pastour, or a Sheapehearde, whiche is carefull to suppresse all manner of vyce.

Salomon sayeth: Giue Kinges no wyne, Proue. 31. giue Kinges and Princes no strong drinke, lest they forget the Law, and regarde not the cause of the pore and needy, geue strong drinke and [Page] wyne vnto such as are condēned to death, and wyne vnto those that mourne, that they maye drinke it, and forget their miserye, and aduer­sitye.

The Lord GOD be mercifull vnto vs, and geue vs grace one to pray for another, that the same vyce of dronkennesse might be rooted out, whereby they may become new mēbers of our Sauiour Christ. For he destroyeth both the Iob. 9. righteous and vngodlye: what a myserable e­state are they in, to vse their selues in such disor­der?

I pray God that thou doest remember this another day, & be bolde if you come where any such vyce is vsed, to say: speake euery man Leuit. 19. the truth vnto his neighboure, execute Iudge­ment truely, and peaceably within your portes, none of you imagine euill in his harte agaynste his neighbour.

I gather out of this saying, that whych I would it were well noted and followed, then they woulde neyther lye, nor deale falsely one with another.

Then all bitternesse, and fearefulnesse, Ephe. 4. and wrath, and roaring, and cursed speaking, shold be farre from you, with al maliciousnesse, but be you wheresoeuer you shall dwell, cur­teous one to another, merciful, and forgeue one another, euen as GOD hath forgeuen you in Christ. Come not in the path of the vngodlye, Prou. 4. [Page] and walk not in the way of the wicked, eschew euill, and goe not therein, departe aside, & passe ouer.

I thanke you for your counsel, but I pray you now let vs passing along by the way, Psalm. 33. haue some more of the communication, howe the duety and vsage of the Maysters at Lon­don, and howe their Apprentises are bounde.

I will tell you how it is, as breefely as I canne. Fyrst, of the duety of maysters, and so consequently as tyme doth serue of the Ser­uauntes.

You shall doe very well vnto me, for you haue bene a good instructer to me, I pray God that I may beare it wel in memo­rye.

You say well, I haue read in the first Epistle of S. Paule to Titus, the second chap­ter. That the elder men be sober, honest, dis­creete, 1. Tit. 2. sounde in the faith, in loue & in pacience, and the elder women like wise that they should shew themselues as it becommeth holynesse, that they be no false Accusers, not giuen to much wyne, that they teach honest thinges, that they informe yong womē to be sober min­ded, to loue their husbands, to loue their Chil­dren, to be discrete, chast, huswiuely, good, obe­dient vnto their own husbands, & also he saieth in the same chapter, exhorte the yong men like­wyse y ^t they be sober mynded.

What doth S. Paule meane by the elders.

That is a mayster & a gouernour ouer his houshold.

Is that his meaning: well I vnderstand that, [Page] but yet you come not to that I loked for.

I will doe then as nigh as I can, but I would be loth to do cōtrary to the saying of S. Paule to Timothy in the. v. Chapter.

What saith Timo. 5. he:

He sayeth, if any man teach other­wyse, and agreeth not vnto the wholsome What if a man teach contrary to the worde of God. words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the doctryne of Godlinesse, he is pufte vp, & know­eth nothing, but wasteth his brayne aboute questyons and striuinges of wordes, whereof spring enuy, strife, railings, euil surmising, vain disputacions, of such men as haue corrupte minds, & are robbed of the truth, which thinke that lucer is Godlines.

I do not so desyre you to teach or instruct me any thing contrary to the scripture, for if I might perceue you did, I would willingly eschew it.

I am ioy­full thereof, for S. Paule sayeth to the Colos­sians Coloss. 3. the third chapter. Ye maisters do to your seruants that which is iust and equall, & know that ye also haue a mayster in heauen. Also the duty of a mayster is that he must dilligētly pro­uyde that he gouern thē Godly, & iustly: Godly shal he gouern thē, if while they bee in his ser­uice he excercise thē not only in seruil & manual works: but also in deeds of godlynes, & vertue, and to forsee y ^t no kind of sin be vsed of his ser­uants in his house, neither ydlenes suffred, nei­ther swering, picking, neyther stealing, ney­ther whoring, nor any fylthy cōmunication, but [Page] that all Godlinesse, honesty and vertue be prac­tysed among them, when they come from the Church vpon the Saboth day or holiday, to ex­amyne them what fruitefulnesse the haue lear­ned there, that by this meanes God maye the more aboundantly poure forth his blessing vp­on him, and all his housholde.

These are good exhortations which delighteth me verye well, I pray you as you haue begon, so reherse more to me and you can.

Yes I thanke God, I can, for the duety of a mayster is, to dele What is the duety of the Mayster iustly, truely, and faythfully with his seruants, he must take heede, that he do not onely require of them faythfull and dilligent seruice, due and true worke and labour, but that he also wyth­out fraud or deceyt, giue them their dutyes, and couenaunts, as meate, drinke, lodging, linnen, wollen, apparell, their occupation, and whatso­euer is agreede vpon betwene them, that there be found no vnrighteous dealing in hym, but all iustice, all equitie and truth.

Let him not euill intreate his seruaunt that worketh truely, but let him loue a discreete ser­uaunt Eccle. 7. Eccle. 33. as his owne soule, and defraude him not of his duty. If the mayster intreate a good ser­uant euill, and keepe him harde, and make him to be prowd and to run away from him, he can­not tell what way to seeke him.

It is most true, for as much as you tolde me that the due­ty of the mayster is, to foresee that neyther ydle­nesse [Page] should be suffred, you haue tolde me your mynde, for that I pray you in lyke manner, let me vnderstande what is agaynste swearing. What is a­gaynst swe­ring. lames. 5.

Saynt Iames sayeth, sweare not, ney­ther by heauen nor by earth, neyther by anye o­ther oth. But let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, least you fall into ypocrisye. Thou shalte Exodus. not take the name of thy Lorde God in vayne, for the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vayne. Wherfore I aduer­tise thee, let not thy mouth be vsed to swearing. Eccle. 23. The wyse man sayeth, whē that men here such swearing, the heire of their heades should arise Prou. 27. for feare, and they should stop their eares, and not here such vnreuerence, and despysing of Gods name.

Thou shalt not sweare at all, neyther by Hea­uen, for it is Gods seate, nor yet by the earth, Math. 5. for it is his footestoole, neyther by Ierusalem, for it is the Cittie of the great King, neyther shalte thou sweare by thy heade, because thou canst not make one heare, whyte or blacke, Math. 23. who so sweareth by the Aulter, sweareth by the same, and by all that is thereon, and who so sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by the same, and by him that dwelleth therein, and who so sweareth by heauen, sweareth by the seate of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Why ought not a man to sweare at anye tyme?

If they be called before a Iudge, for the iust tryall of matters in controuersy, it is law­full for them to swere, and then they must take Heb. 6. heede. For when God made promise to Abrahā because he had none greater to sweare by, hee sware by himselfe, and sayd: surely I wil blesse thee, & multiplie thee in deede. As for men, they swere by hym that is greater then their selues, and the oth is y ^e end of al strife. Who so swereth by any creature, he sweareth by him that made August. that creature.

Then you alow to sweare before a Iudge, to be agreable to the scripture. If they sweare falsly, what is to be accounted vpon them?

Those that swere falsely do contrary to the scripture. For it is written, thou shalt beare no false witnesse agaynst thy neighbour. False Exodus. witnesse procureth mallice, thefte, mansian­ter, and other vyces to be hidden, it is the ory­ginall of vyce, for a Iudge sitting in iudge­mente, cannot indifferentlye minister iustice, because that false witnesses do blynd the truth often tymes. Ye shall not sweare falslye by my name, and so to vnhalow the name of thy God, Leuit. 19. for I am the Lord, sayth God. Better is y ^e pore Prou. 19. man that liueth Godly, then the blasphemer that is but a foole. The wyseman sayth, a false witnesse shall not remayne vnpunished. A false witnesse laugheth iudgement [...] scorne. A false witnesse shall perish. Prou. 21.

[Page] Who so beareth false witnesse agaynste his Prou. 25. neighbour, he is a very speare and sword, and a sharpe arrow. Thou shalte not forsweare thy Math. 5. self, but shalt performe thine oth to God, swere not at all, be no false accuser. Let thy tongue Titu. 2. Hierome. be ignorant of swearing, and loue so wel truth that whatsoeuer that thou speakest, think that thouswearest.

Herod sware to Herodias daughter what so Marke. 6. euer she did aske of him, he woulde giue it her, & he performed it, although he was sorry, for hys othes sake. The Romayns had a law y ^t as such Remeynes lawe. as were found to be periured, shold be thrown downe he adlong from the top of a high Rocke called Tarpeius. The counsell of Iosephus Iosephus. was, that hee, which blasphemeth God, and vnreuerentlye vse his name, should be stoned vnto death, and then hanged vp by the space of one day, and so taken down and buryed, with­out all manner of honour. The Egiptians law Egiptians lawe. was, that no swearing shoulde be vsed among them at all, except it were for a waighty cause, if anye were founde to be periured, the same shoulde loose his heade. Doualdus King of Scots made this acte within his land, that al Doualdus. periurers and common swearers should haue their lippes seared with a burning hote I­ron.

These are very sore and strayghte lawes, which you haue tolde me of, but canne you tell mee if anye suche strayghte lawes [Page] were at any tyme made in England cōcerning the blaspheming of the name of God.

I remember I haue hearde say that King Henry the fyfte, made a statute for swearers, in hys owne Pallace, that if he were a Duke that did Henry the fyfte. sweare, he should forfeite for euery tyme fortye shillings, to the ayding and helping of the pore: if he were a Lord or a Baron, twēty shillings: if he were a Knight or an Esquyre, x. shillings: if he were a Yoman, twenty pence: if he were a Page or a Lackey, or a slaue, to be scourged naked, eyther with a rod, or else with a whip.

If this law were in these dayes put in ex­ecution, there would not be so much swearing vsed as is, which for lack of the feare of GOD prouoketh many to offende, which God of his goodnesse ingrafte into their stony hartes the increase of his loue, and that they may feare him with all vnfayned reuerence. I perceyue and doe gather of your good lessons, that bet­ter it were that the bodyes of the blasphemers in this world should suffer a little payne, then after this lyfe to haue both their bodyes and soules cast into Hell fyre.

You say troth, if al fathers and mothers and maysters would dilligently watch vppon their children, and seruants, it shall cause them not onely not to be defyled with the moste gre­uous sinne of swearing, but also that the most holy name of God should be had in high reue­rence, [Page] great estimation, and perpetuall honour for euer after, so long as they liue. But aboue al thinges I woulde wishe the Parentes them­selues to be an ensample in this behalfe, vnto their children and seruauntes, and shew euer­more such reuerence vnto the name of GOD, that the yonglinges maye well perceyue that it is no vayne thing that they are taught. If they doe the contrary, that is to say, blaspheme the holy name of God, then shall they vndoub­tedly come vnto dishonour, and a shamefull ende.

In this world the plague and vengeance of God, shall not goe away from their houses, they shall be stricken with many greuous dis­eases in their bodyes, their goods and Cattell, yea and all that euer they haue, shall come to nought, their kynde of liuing shall be despysed with all good men, their death shalbe paynful, miserable and wretched, and after these so great and manifolde plagues, they may be sure Esay. 66. Math. 23. for their wicked swearing, to be cast into Helfyre, where the flames of it shal neuer be quen­ched, where weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be, where the wormes shall knawe their owne consciences, and shall neuer dye. More ensamples might be declared at large for thys matter, but you shall here further what S. Paule writeth to the Ephesians, the sixt chap­ter, Ephe. 6. vnto maysters. [Page] Ye maysters sayeth he, doe euen the same vnto your seruants, putting away threatnings, and Ephe. 6. know that euen your maister also is in heauen, neyther is there anye respecte of person wyth him.

You haue accomplished my desyre. But I pray you good mayster Citizen, let mee some what vnderstande your mynde of the du­tye of the seruauntes, and in what order the maysters do take them in London, when they come rawlye as I doe out of the cuntrey.

The Citizens that lack seruants, and especialy those that are men of great welth, will seeke to haue some sufficient Sureties for those that they wil entertayn into their seruice, and good consyderation it is, for a man maye take into his house one that shall soone vndoe his may­ster, before hee hath warning thereof, I woulde GOD Citizens would take heede of mayster Lillyes sayings. Happy is he whome Doctour Lillye. other mens harmes canne make hym to bee warned.

As you saye, then it is requisyte that he shall haue suretyes for his truth, and honest behauiour, but euery one that commeth to London, is not of that ability.

It is so, therefore some honeste man doeth put it in ad­uenture.

I truste in GOD so will some honeste man doe with mee, I praye you doe you knowe anye honest man that lacketh a Seruaunte, I force not of what occupation.

I wil say vnto you as S. Iude sayeth in [Page] his Epistle, I willingly would wish you vnto Iude. 1. him that is able to keepe you, that you fall not.

I thank you for y ^t, I pray you now shewe vnto me the order and vsage of the apprentises how they be bound, & what the scripture sayth agreable thervnto.

I wil. Whē you haue contynued a tyme with your mayster, you shall goe with him to the Hall y ^t he is free of, & before the mayster and Wardones of that company be presēted, that they may view & see you whe­ther you be crooked or lame, & they wil giue you good instructions, to shew you what your du­tye is, as well to God, and vnto your mayster and mistresse, and also to know your duety as S. Peeter commandeth: honour all men, loue brotherly felowship, and as the Lord hath cal­led 1. Peter. 2. euerye person, so lette him walke. Also you must be bound by a payre of Indentures, for so many yeares as your Mayster and you can agree for, alwaies prouided whē you come out of your yeres, before you haue the liberties of London, you must be of the age of foure and twenty yeres, & the same maister as I told you in the duty of maysters, must teach you or cause you to be taught your occupation, & he to find you meat, drink, linnen, wollen, hose, shoes and all other such necessaries. And if you haue ser­ued your mayster truely, then he wil make you a freeman of London, wherby you may liue & with the ayde of almighty God doe full well [Page] as your mayster before you hath done. You must be carefull and myndfull to carry awaye good exhortations when you heare them, and willing and dilligent to please your Mayster and Mistresse, in which doing, you shall fynde great commoditie and profyte.

When a man is bound, shal he not go in­to the Countrey to see his friendes, during the tyme of his Apprentiship, nor a shooting in the fyeldes, I loue that excercise well.

Not without your mayster and Mi­stresse giue you leaue, and you must take heede you doe not tarry long abroade then neyther, for when you are absent, you know not occasy­on of busynesse they shall haue for you to doe.

Then the seruants are at a better poynt in the countrey, although they take paynes on the working dayes, yet they maye goe leape, shote, Daunce, Dise, Card, and bowle, and vse what gaming they shall think good, on the Sondaye and Holiday.

You cannot do so in London, I remem­ber there was a statute made in the sixte yeare of the reigne of King Henrye the eyght, that al Vnlawfull games pro­hibited. Constables and other head officers fynding or knowing any person, vsing or exercysing any vnlawfull Games, as Tenis playe, bowles, Claish and al other vnlawful games, prohibi­ted by many statutes, shall haue full power to commit euery such offender to warde, there to [Page] remayne without Bayle or Maynprise, tyll such tyme he or they so offending, be bound by obligation to the Kinges vse, in such somme as by discretiō of the same Officer, shalbe thought reasonable, that they from thenceforth shal not vse any vnlawfull Games, and besydes in a­nother statute, the Constables doth incur the daunger of a penaltie, assessed vpon them, for the neglecting of their duetyes and office, and is not this put in execution in your countrey?

God forbid it shoulde, what shoulde wee doe when Seruice is done?

I told you in the duety of the maysters, so it is the dutye of alseruauntes to vse games and honest pastymes and excercyses alowable by the lawes of this realme, that is shooting, or else adict your selfe if you cannot reede, with some well disposed person that can reade, to here the scriptures reade, & descant vpon them, and let that be your games and pastymes.

These are very straunge conceites, and doe the seruauntes in London, I pray you, vse this exercise.

If they doe not, it is lamentable, their duety it is, and myne lykewyse, although wee be obliuious therin, God graunt that we may be more myndfull thereof.

I pray you now proceede, and shew mee some aucthours, and the duety of a seruaunte towarde his mayster.

I thanke God I can somewhat shew it vnto you, for I haue bene a seruant, and now a mayster, & haue charge of seruants, whereby I should know both, although I must needes confesse. Therighteous man offendeth, and so may both maysters and seruauntes, for to be so precyse as scripture teacheth vs, we cannot, yet we wish good will to follow the same.

I praye you then recyte vnto me those Sentences, which you thynke good for that purpose.

Somewhat I tolde you before of ydlenesse, yet Salomon sayeth: A slouthful body wil not go to Plough for cold, therefore Prou. 20. shall he go a begging in wynter, and haue no­thing. Slouthfulnesse bringeth sleepe, and an ydle soule shall suffer hunger. Prou. 19.

That is most true, for I remēber some­tyme when I should keepe the Crowes out of the fieldes, I was so slouthfull, that although the wether was colde, yet was I asleepe.

Idlenesse weryeth strēgth, as rust doth Iron, Seneca. the brōd vnstirred, burneth slouly, & if he be mo­ued, he causeth y ^e fire eftsones to kīdle. Idlenes without lerning is deth, & the graue of a quick mā. The wise māsayth, I went by the field of the slothfull, & by the vyneyard of the folish mā, Prou. 17. and loe, it was al couered with nettles, & stood ful of thistles, and the stone wall was broken down. He that spareth the rod, hateth y ^e chyld, Prou. 13. but whoso loueth him, holdeth him euer in cor­rectiō.

That is a very streight saying: how can a man loue his chyld, when he chasteneth him, and holdeth him euer in correction? I pray you what is ment by the same word correctiō?

Correctiō is an amēdment of our former euil life, taming of our carnall wil, mortifying What is correction. of our flesh, applying of our selues to the com­maundement, will, & example of Christ, to take away and banish the euil, to bring in and esta­blish the good, as Dauid sayth: Eschew euil Psalm. 34. and do good, for euil works always taketh a­way the credite of good wordes. To take hede Prou. 10. vnto the chastning of nurtoure, is the waye of lyfe, but he that refuseth to be reformed, goeth wrong. He that thinketh skorne to bee Prou. 13. reformed, commeth to pouertye and shame, but who so receyueth correctyon, shall come to honoure. A scornefull bodye loueth not one that rebuketh him, neyther will he come a­mong Prou. 15. Prou. 23. the wyse, withholde not correction from the chylde, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

The correction of the wise is an obediēt eare, a golden chayne, and a Iewell of golde. Prou. 25.

This is a good correcting, euery mā to examin his owne conscience, & so to correct himself: but this is not the correction, that I meane.

there is another kind of corectiō which is to be ioyned vnto y ^e sayings of the wise mā, the rod & correction ministreth wysedome, but if a chyld [Page] be not looked to, hee bringeth his mother to shame, therfore sayeth he: Nurtour thy sonne with correction, and he shall comforte thee, yea he shall doe thee good at thy harte. A seruaunt will not be the the better for words, for though he vnderstand, yet wil he not regard them. He that delicately and familyerly bringeth vp his seruaunt, shall make him his mayster at the length.

He must not make him fellow with his may­ster, neyther at his table, nor yet in any other place, these wordes signify, as the old prouerb is of cōmon people vsed: a yōg bough wil bend while it is greene, but when it is old, it wil not moue, so is it to be accounted for youth, they must be looked vnto whyle they are yong, they must not be wantonly broughte vp, but with feare, they must be vsed at the fyrst, as they shal continue, and for their faultes be corrected.

I gather much of your talk, but though you speake of children, is the meaning thereof by seruanntes lykewyse?

Yea all is one, for where there is a child or a sonne named, or a seruaunt, all is as one thing: For where the wyse man sayeth. Cha­sten Prou. 19. thy sonne whyle there is hope, but let not thy soule be moued, to sley him is not ment, but that hee shall geue him reasonable correction, and not in anger, for correction is as necessary for youth, as meate, drinke, and apparrel.

[Page] All this I doe not deny, but yet I thinke it is very harde, for these are sore threatnings.

They are so, yet: He that byndeth a August. frantick man, and waketh him that hath the letargye, or sleeping sicknesse, displeaseth both, loueth both, & healeth both: both whyles they be sick do disdain him, and whē they be whole, yet both doe thanke him.

In correction wrath is specially to be prohi­bited, Tully. for he that will punish when he is angry, shall neuer keepe well the meane, which is be­tweene to much and to little. It is better to be Eccles. of a wyse man corrected, then to bee with the flattery of fooles deceyued.

Be of thyne owne liuing a sharpe correctour, Chrisost. Seneca. and of other mens a gentle reformer. Correcte thy friende secretlye, and praise thy friende o­penly.

I applye vnto your sayinges, I remem­ber a saying: the Seruaunt that knoweth his Luke. 13. Lordes will; and prepared not himselfe, ney­ther did according to his will, shall be beaten with many strypes. I confesse these wordes touch seruauntes.

You haue sayde truth, but if you will, I will declare vnto you many Godlye exam­ples out of the scriptures, concerning the duety of seruauntes towarde their maysters, and yet God forbid that the seruauntes should be so e­uill in their doinges, that they should haue ac­cording [Page] to the threatnings & commandements of scripture.

Are the thratninges and pre­ceptes in scripture so extreame, had I knowne this by the instruction of our olde Prieste, I woulde not haue gone all this way for to be an Apprentise in London, rather had I tarry­ed with my mother at Plough, and Carte, or else to haue bene a Seruingman, for your wordes pierce my harte: Apprentises and chil­dren in London are not so vsed, I pray you tell me?

You neede not to be so fearefull, for there commeth no harme in wel doing. For ru­lers Roma. 13. Rulers are to be feared. are not to be fered for good works, but for euil. Wilt thou be without feare of the power? do wel then, and so shalt thou bee praysed for the same, for he is the Minister of God for thy welth, but and if thou doe euil, then feare. The Apprentises are not so straightly vsed as some of them doe deserue, for they are vsed in Lon­don, as they be in other places, & are as the pro­uerb sayth, some good, some bad, but be you not dismayd, for there are worshipful men in Lon­don, & men of great wealth, who haue gone to London to serue as an apprentise, as simple as you go.

Your friendlsnesse I pray God I might quite, for where you haue giuē me a cho­king bone, so you giue me drink to qualifye the force thereof, for I am as one dismayde, and al by your talke, but I trust in God it is all for the best, and for my commoditie.

It is so, be of good comforte, and haue a mans harte with you, you go to be a Soul­dyer, you must not retyre agaynst your enemy, but manfully fyghte in your quarrell, vntill you haue wonne the Castle.

You speake darkely vnto me, I pray you shew me the playn mening therof.

I told you your duety towarde God, you go to be an Apprentise, you must seeke all the wayes you canne to be dilligente, and actyue to learne your occupation, for that whyche GOD hath appoynted for you, you shall haue, for there is choyse of what occupation soeuer you can fantasye yourselfe to, you must not runne away, but so indeuour yourselfe, vntill suche tyme as the yeares be expyred, that you maye be accoumpted a good and profitable seruant.

Is that your meaning to run away, by the grace of God I wil not, for there commeth no goodnes therby, y ^e rowling stone gathereth not mosse, so the Runaway seeketh his owne confusyon, I trust I will remember your talk which you haue vsed to me.

In so doing doubt you not by y ^e grace of God, but you shall do wel, you must take heede & remember how S. Paule wryteth vnto Titus, in exhorting Titus to be ware: in like maner it is generally Tit. 1. 3. to warn you to submit yourself to the Queene our souerayn Lady, & to y ^e chiefest in authority, to obey officers, to be redy vnto al good work [...] [Page] that you speake euil of no man. Doe thou none euill, and none shall come to thee. Leaue euill Eccles. company, and euill wil forsake thee. Come not in the path of the vngodlye, and walke not in Prouer. 4. the way of the wicked.

Eschew it, and go not therein, departe a syde and passe ouer by. Be no stryuer, quarreller, Psalm. 10. Titus. 2. sower of debate and discorde, but shewing all meekenesse vnto all men. For Salomon sayth: Hee that is of a prowde stomacke, stirreth vp Prou. 28. A prowde looke. Prou. 8. stryfe, and agayne he sayeth: A prowde looke, a lying tongue, and a harte that goeth aboute wickednesse, feete that be swifte in running to doe mischiefe, a false witnesse that bringeth vp lyes, the Lorde hateth.

Three kinds of thinges my soule hath much Eccles. hated, (sayth the Preacher) and I am muche discontēted with their disposition. A pore man prowde, a great man a lyer, an old man a foole and lacking discretiō. God resisteth them that Iames. be prowde, and to them that be humble, he ge­ueth hys grace. Be not prowde in wisdome, in Phocilides strength, nor in ryches, it is one God that is wyse, puysant, and full of felicitie. Wherefore do as S. Paule wryteth to Tymothie. Stu­die Tim. 2. to shewe thy selfe lawdable vnto GOD, a workeman that needeth not to bee ashamed, deuyding the worlde of truth iustly.

By the grace of God obliuion shall not enter into my hart, but that when you are farre from me, [Page] I shall remember your good documente, and I gather by your sayinges, that it is not good for a man to lye.

I tolde you before twise or thryse, yet Prouerb. Agaynste lying. Salomon sayeth. The lying lippes are to God abhominable, they that doe truely, doe please him. S. Paule sayeth, put away lying, and speake euery man the truth with his neigh­bour.

Let thy tongue be ignoraunt of lying, and Ephe. 4. Ierome. loue so well truth, that whatsoeuer that thou speakest, think that thou swearest. Lye not in earnest nor in iest. The Apostle sayeth, lye not Collo. 3. one to another. For Lyars not without cause, may be compared to mad dogges: for all those that vse it, hurte their conscience, and lose their credite, and bringeth them to confusyon. A ly­er is worse then a theefe, for from a theefe a a man may hyde, and from a lyer he cannot. That which is bred in the bone, will not oute of the flesh.

Those that for their pleasure, were accusto­med to lye in their youth, wil not faile, for their profyte, to lye in their age. A Lyer maye well be compared to the Deuil, for it is the authour The deuill the authour of lyes. of stryfe and discorde betwene neighbour, and neighbour. I would wish y ^t al parents would reforme themselues of this vyce, especiallye Marchauntes, and such as are men that fre­quent buying and selling of wares, then they [Page] might the better be a meane for the punishing of lying. An euill tree cannot bring forth good Math. 7. fruite, nor a good tree euill, euen so is it harde for him that is a Mayster to correcte his Ser­uaunte for a fault, when he himselfe is the au­thour therof. There is a notable Story, wor­thy to be had in remembrance, of the dealing of a Kinges Sonne, who being demaunded a question, did not say the truth, but did tell a lye.

I pray yon tell me that.

Traian ta­king Traian. his pleasure in the Gardens of Vlcan, saw the sonne of King Cebalus, and many o­ther yong Children of Rome, stealyng fruite, forth of an orchard, when the Emperour Tra­ian, afterwards demanded of him frō whence he came, he answered, from his study, hearing Rhethorick, but in deede he came from stealing of fruits, the Emperour Traian was so angry & displesed that the child was a lyer, & told him a lie, he prouided & cōmanded, that y ^e same child being the Kings only son, should be vtterly de­pryued and made voyd of all hope to recouer to enioy y ^e realm of his father Cebalus. Wherfore speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbor, and put away lying sayeth the Apostle, and a­gayne, Saynt Peter sayth: Vnto the pure, are Ephe. 4. Titus. 4. all thinges pure, but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure. A lyer is not to be beleeued though he sweare, for there is no truth in him, he is changeable like the wynd, a [Page] man can not tell how beleeue anye word that proceedeth out of his month.

This is a prety short story, but can you declare me anye moe agaynst lying, for I gather by your say­ings, it is a thing requisyte, and needefull to be well loked vnto.

You say truth, it is so, I wil shew vnto you many sayings out of y ^e scripture for that only abuse. Thou shalt eschew ly­ing, Exod. 23. Leuit. 19. Psalm. 6. Prou. 21. ye shal not lye, neyther shall any of you de­ceiue his neighbour, Dauid sayth: Thou (O Lorde) shall destroy all them that speake lyes. He that gathereth his goods with a lying tong shal lose al, and be in perril of his lyfe. He that Examples of Lyars. keepeth his tongue, keepeth his lyfe from trou­bles. Sathan brought forth the fyrst lye. The Gene. 3. Dany. 13. two Iudges which accused the Godlye wo­man Susan, were most abhomynable lyers. Ananias, and Saphira dyed sodenly, because Act. 5. they lied. So many as make or loue lies, shal be cast among Murtherers and Idolaters in the Apoc. 22. Lake of hel, burning with fyre and brimstone.

GOD be mercifull vnto vs and geue vs his lyghte to shyne ouer vs, that the truth maye bee knowne among all nations, and lying banished and corrected, and that I may be myndfull of this your document.

It is not my document, but in the Bible you shall fynde muche of these my sayinges.

Your good & cōfortable sayinges moueth me, that back agayne to my mother I can not [Page] go, for by the assistaunce of almighty GOD, I will serue seuen or eyghte yeares, and stryue with the world, I praye God sende me a good mayster, and I doubt not I, but so to indeuour my selfe to refrayn my old accustomed chyldish toyes, which I did frequent at home.

So sayd, and so done, is a thread well spone: for haue this regarde with your selfe, thou must commit thy workes vnto the Lord, Prou. 16. and loke what thou doest it shall prosper. If ye be louing and obedient, sayth the Prophete, ye Esay. 1. shall enioy the best thing that groweth in the Land, but if ye be obstynate, and rebellyous, ye shall be deuoured with the sword, for thus the Lorde hath promysed with his owne mouth. When you are well placed with an honest mā, remember what S. Paule sayeth to the E­phesyans.

Seruauntes be obedyent vnto your carnall The obedi­ence of ser­uauntes. Ephe. 6. Colo. 3. maysters, with feare and trembling, in single­nesse of your harts, as vnto Christ, and agayne in the thyrd chapter to the Colossians. Ser­uantes be obedyent vnto your bodily maysters in all things, not with eye seruice, as men plea­sers, but in singlenesse of harte. And what soe­uer you doe, doe it hartily, as though you did it to the Lorde, and not to men, you shall receaue the reward of inheritaunce, for ye serue the Lord Christ.

Here you may well perceaue and vnder­stande [Page] what a comfortable and a precyous re­warde Gods seruauntes shall haue. S. Paule wryteth to Timothie in the syxte Chapter. Let 1. Tim. 6. as many Seruaunts as are vnder the yoake, count their maysters worthye of all Honoure, that the name of God and his doctryne, be not euill spoken of, for the same bread you breake vnto others, shall be broken vnto you agayne.

Consyder I beseech you, the thinges that Iosephus. Fol. 178. grow vpon the earth, and all liuing creatures, beastes, and wormes that creepe vppon the grounde, Foules of the ayre, and Fyshes of the Sea, doe you not see how euer the stronger hath the dominyon of the weaker? neyther is it any rebuke or shame for the weaker, to be o­bedient or giue place to the stronger. For the Oxe and Goate is in awe of the Lyon, the Ramme and Ewe, of the Wolfe: the Cowe and the Lambe, feare the Beare: the Goate, the Libbarde: the Hawke is afrayde of the Eagle: the Doue, of the Hawke: waye the maner of Beastes and Byrdes, amongst their owne kynde, you see euer the bigger and strō ­ger, to be mayster ouer the lesse and weaker. And so in all other thinges the stronger sette themselues before the weaker always, wher­fore Iosephus exhorteth all mortall men to learne here at.

Obey them that haue the ouersighte of you, Heb. 13. and submit yourselfe vnto them.

[Page] The faythful man is like a tree planted by the Psalm. 1. water side, that wil bring forth his fruit in due season.

I would to God that our old priest at home woulde saye but halfe so muche to the ynog men: there they would not loue him, for there are some vylde churlish Carles that care not what paynes or drudgery, they put their seruauntes vnto, but I hope it is not so in London.

I haue tolde you ynough of the vsage and dealing of seruauntes there, both of their true dealing of their handes, and wordes, yet Saynte Paule exhorteth Ty­tus.

That Seruauntes should be obedient vnto Titus. 2. their owne maysters, and to please in all thinges, not aunswering him agayne, ney­ther be pickers, but that they shew all faythful­nesse, that they may doe worship to the doc­tryne of our sauyour God in all thinges.

It is a thing which alwayes is to bee abhorred, and so I trust to doe, for I perceyue there is nothing gotten with frowardnesse, for they say of gentlenesse commeth ease. And besydes I neuer loued to be a picker, for I learned in my Cathechisme, that I shoulde keepe my handes from picking and stealing, and my tongne from lying and slaundering, and you haue tolde me many sentences for the taking heede thereof.

A faythful seruant is greatly to be com­mended, A faythfull seruaunt. [Page] but hee that maketh much haste to Prou. 28. slouthfulnesse, shall not be vnguiltye.

He that robbeth his mayster and mistresse, and sayeth it is no synne, the same is lyke to a Murtherer. You must therefore take heede, I haue seene them in London, that hath bene Apprentises, for their pilfring hath bene whip­ped, and had good exhortations geuen them, and they are not the better.

It is but a fol­ly to cast pearles amongest swyne, it is as wel regardede among them, as good instructions is to a heard of Beasts, the more is the pittie, it is for lack of grace.

If you pick or stele aboue twelue pence, Agaynst stealing. Exod. 20. Prou. 29. Ephe. 4. the lawes of this realme is death, & the lawes of God against you, for y ^e scripture sayth. Thou shalte not steale, and agayne, he that keepeth company with a theefe, hateth his own soule. Let him that stale, steale no more. The Pro­phet Zacha. 5. Zachary sayth, all theeues shal be iudged after Gods booke, and all swearers shall be adiudged to the same, I wil bring it forth saith the Lord of Hoastes, so that it shall come to the house of the theefe, and to the house of him that falsely sweareth by my name, and shall remain in his house, and consume it with the tymber and stones thereof. Saynt Iohn sayeth: A Iohn. 10. theefe commeth not, but for to steale, kill and destroy. The Prophet commaundeth vs, that Zacha. 4. we should loue no false theeues. [Page] Wherefore you must take heede and lette this be well noted in your mynde. Ye shall not Leuit. 19. steale.

But I pray you let me vnderstand som­what more, what God meaneth in the same saying: thou shalt not steale.

I tolde you that S. Paule sayeth, lette him that stele, steale no more, but let him ra­ther Ephe. 4. labour with his handes, the thing whiche is good, that he may giue vnto him that nee­deth.

Will not God punish al those that trans­gresse his commaundement.

Why should they sleepe vnpunished?

I pray you let me heare it prooued by the worde of God, that the trangressoures of this commaundement shal not escape from punish­ment.

God commaunded in the law of Moy­ses, that if any person among the Israelytes Exod. 21. Deut. 24. did steale a man, and sell him, the same shoulde suffer death. Also that if a man taking a theefe Exod. 23. in his house before day light, it shoulde be law­ful to kil him. S. Paule wryteth, that theeues, extorcioners, robbers, cursed speakers, neyther 1. Cor. 6. pillers, shall inherite the Kingdome of GOD. The Prophet Esaye cryeth out agaynste the theefe on this manner. Wo be vnto thee that spoylest, for thou shalt be spoyled agayne. So Esay. 33. Miche. 2. lykewyse the Prophete Micheas saying: O [Page] wo be vnto them that imagyne to doe harme, and deuyse vngraciousnesse vpon their beds, to performe it in the cleare day, for their power is agaynst God.

When they come to haue Land, they take it by vyolence, they robbe men of their houses. Thus they oppresse a man for his house, and e­uery man for his heritage. Therfore thus sayth the Lorde. Beholde agaynst this houshold, I Hab. 2. haue deuysed a plague, whereout you shall not pluck your neckes. Wo be vnto them, that see­keth vyolently to heape vp other mens goods. The Prophet Zachary saw a flying booke of Zacha. 2. twenty cubits long, and ten cubits broade, in the which was written the curse that shall fall vpon all theeues.

In the booke of Iosua we reade, that Achan The exam­ples of stea­ling. Iosua. 7. the sonne of Zereth, stole and conuayed away a goodly Babilonish Garment, and two hun­dred sickles of Siluer, and a tongue of Gold of fyftye sickles weight, and that therefore at the commaundemente of God, he was stoned to death, and his stollen good, with all that euer he had besydes, his sonnes and his daughters, his Oxen and his Asses, his sheepe & his Tent, were burnt with fyre.

King Antiochus, which when he with hys Armye entred into the Temple, purposing to 2. Mac. 1. haue spoyled it, and to take out of it great soms of money, was stayne both he and his compa­ny, [Page] and hewne in peeces. Now you vnder­stande some sentences of scripture, according to your desyre, yet whatsoeuer is gotten wyth Another kynde of thefee. crafte and subteltye, with vnrighteous barge­ning, with false weights, and vniust mesures, is before God playne thefte, and therefore it ought to be restored.

Thē by your sayings there is as I conceaue, two kynde of theftes, the one is to steale from another man, and the other is to deceaue his Neighboure by false weyghtes, and vniust measures.

It is so. For a false Balaunce is an ab­homynation False weights ab­hominable. Prou. 11. vnto the Lord, but a true weight pleaseth him. A true measure and a true Bal­launce are the Lords, he maketh all weyghts. Treasures that are wickedlye gotten, profyte Prou. 16. Prou. 10. Prou. 20. nothing, but righteousnesse deliuereth from death. To vse two maner of weights, or two maner of mesures, both these are abhominable vnto the Lorde. The Lorde abhorreth two manner of weightes, and a false ballaunce is Leuit. 19. an euill thing, ye shall do no vnrighteousnesse in iudgemēt, in metyard, in weight, or in mea­sure. True balaunces, true weights, a true E­pha, & a true Hin shall ye haue, I am the Lord your God. And agayne. Thou shalte not haue Deut. 25. in thy bagge two maner of weights, a great & a small, neyther shalte thou haue in thy house dyuers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt haue a right and iust weyghte, and [Page] a perfect and iust measure shalt thou haue, that thy days may be lengthened in the land, which the Lord thy God geueth thee.

These thinges I must needes looke vn­to, for loath I am, that it should happen so to me, I thanke God, there was none of my kin­dred that euer I did know, was found guylty concerning such cryme. I haue heard people say, with the same measure you mete, withthe Luke. 6. Mat. 7. same shall others meate to you agayne. And whatsoeuer you wil that mē should do to you, Prou. 6. Sapience. euen so doe ye to them. I will labour to get the truth, and will not sell away wysdome, nur­tour and vnderstanding, for Wisedome is bet­ter then strēgth. But now let me heare further of obedience.

I told you at your fyrst mee­ting, of obedience, and it is a thing very neces­sary to be remēbred, you must please your may­ster, & mistresse, as S. Peter cōmandeth in the second chapter of his fyrst Epistle, seruants o­bey 1. Peter. 2. your maysters with al fere, not only if they be good & curteous, but also thogh they be fro­ward, for what prayse is it sayeth S. Peter, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, you take it paciently, but if when ye suffer wrongfully ye take it paciētly, then is there thank w ^t God, for hervnto were you caled. For Christ also suffred for vs, leuing vs an example y ^t we should folow his steps, which did no sin, neyther was there deceit found in his mouth, which whē he was [Page] reuyled, reuyled not agayne, when he suffered, he threatued not, but cōmitted the cause to him thatiudgeth righeously.

If you treade a worme on the tayle, she will tourne agayne: much more should a man when he is buffeted to stryke agayne.

Ioseph mooued to quarrell agaynst his Brethren, and did not, and you must remem­ber what I sayde vnto you. Christ did forgeue his death, so must you forgiue your mayster, and there is no man that would giue correcti­on vnto his seruaunt vndeserued.

Correction I can holde well withal, but there may be correction deserued, and correc­tion vndeserued.

Your duety is, to be swifte to heare, sloe Iames. 2. to speake, and slow to wrath. For the wrath of man, worketh not that which is righteous be­fore God, therefore you must not geue worde for word, or taunt for taunt, nor to pleade with him as it were a counseler should pleade a case at the Barre before a Iudge. For I tolde you before, you must not be stowt and stubborn, but lowly and obediente, which thinges by your talke, you haue already forgotten, and yet you sayde Obliuyon should not enter so soone into you, you haue two eares, the one to heare, the other to carrye away the sence and true mea­ning of such thinges as are taught you. Saint Paule wryteth to Timothie in the fyft Chap­ter. Timot. 5. [Page] Rebuke not an Elder, but exhorte him as a Rebuke not an Elder. father.

I graunt I sayde so, and so I say still, and your former wordes I haue printed in my mynde, yet this worde to be buffeted greeueth me, I am of some stature, I thinke to serue my Prince, wherefore I trust these wordes shall not displease you, I can away with all things you haue sayde to me sauing that.

Do you not beleeue me? and can you not awaye with that I haue tolde you? by scripture I coulde recyte more to you, and one thing more I will shewe you.

It is written in the. xxi. Chapter of Deutri­nomium, Deut. 21. wherein is shewed and declared the greate daunger and perrill of those which are disobedient children, which say as you say, and will refuse correction and good gouernmente. That is, if any man hath a sonne or a seruaunt, that is stubborne and disobedient, and wil not hearken vnto the voyce of his father and mo­ther, and they haue taughte him nurtoure, but he will not hearken vnto them, this worde father and mother, is taken here for Mayster and mistresse, it followeth what shall be done vnto him.

Then let his father and mother take him, and bring him out vnto the Elders of the Citty and saye.

This our sonne is stubbern and disobedient, [Page] and will not hearken vnto our voyce, he is a ryoter and a dronkarde, then let all the men of that Cittie stone him with stones vnto death, and thou shalte put euill from thee, and all Is­raell shall heare and feare: If suche correction should be vsed in these dayes, what would ser­uauntes and children doe. God forbid it should, but yet it is not hurtfull for mee, to exhorte and perswade you by scripture, to bring you out of darkenesse into light, which light shall be your comforte, and I tolde you before of two cor­rections.

You did so, and I remember your say­inges well, if I should offend my mayster at a­ny tyme, should he not forgeue me?

Vpon an amendment, a man will do it, for Mathew sayeth, if thy Brother trespase a­gaynst Math. 8. thee, rebuke him, & if he repente, forgiue him.

If you forgiue men their faults, your Luke. 6. heauenly father will also forgiue you. Yet I confesse a seruaunt may offend, if he do, I pray you tell me whether it is lawfull for a mayster to geue his seruaunt vnlawfull correction?

Due correctiō is alowable for seruants, if a mayster shall take an vnreasonable thing to correct his seruaunt, whereby he putteth out one of his eyes, breake his arme or legge, or his head, it is not lawfull, for he must consyder with himselfe, that his seruaunt is of the same mould made, that himselfe is, and that God [Page] will requyte euill for euill, an eye, for an eye. &c. The Prophet sayth.

Learne to doe righte, applye yourselues to Esay. 1. equitie.

You haue certifyed my desyre, perswa­cions of one friende to another, may doe muche good, Lorde what happy fortune was it, that wee two did meete togeather, for your ad­uertisementes I trust shal doe me much good, and I shall be bound to pray vnto God for you, that it was my good fortune to haue your company, being such a friendly mā as you are, if I were learned, I woulde make some re­membraunce what you haue sayde to mee, and I woulde send it downe into the countrey to our olde Duns, shewing him what good ex­hortacions you haue shewed to me, and what the duety of seruaunts is vnto their maysters.

It is a thing in my iudgemente requisyte and necessarye for Seruauntes and Maysters, to print these wordes which you haue recited vn­to me in their myndes.

I remember a saying. Forgeue one another, Colos. 3. Math. 18. if thy Brother trespase agaynst thee, goe and tel him his fault betweene him and thee alone, if he heare thee, thou haste wonne thy brother. But if he he are thee not, then take with thee one or two, but I thanke God you haue so v­sed me, that it shall not be shewed to any.

Remember what is written in the same place.

Better it is for thee to enter into life with one eye, then to haue two eyes and be cast into hell fyre. So likewise, better it were for thee to suf­fer wrong and iuiury then to reuenge agayne. Recompence to no man euill for euill. Let eue­ry soule be flowe vnto anger. Loue your ene­myes, Roma. 12. Iames. 1. Luke. 6. doe good vnto them that hate you, blesse them that curse you, pray for them that wrong and trouble you. And who so smyteth thee on the one cheeke, offer him the other. And who taketh thy cloake, forbid him not thy coat, and whoso taketh that is thyne, aske it not agayne, and as yee woulde that men shoulde doe vnto you, euen so doe ye vnto them.

Lykewyse, and if you loue them that loue you what thanke haue you therefore. But rather loue those whome you thinke to be your ene­mies, iudge not, and ye shal not be iudged. For­giue, and ye shall be forgeuen.

Thus now you heare what benefyte and commoditie commeth, and what a fountayne or Wellspring of lyfe is shewed vnto you, con­cerning sufferaunce.

A good name is more worth then a precious oyntment, and the day of death, is better then Eccle. 7. the day of byrth.

Let him that hath an office, wayghte on his office. Let him that ruleth, doe it with dilli­gence. Rom. 12. [Page] Let loue be without dissimulacion. Be kynde one to another, with brotherly loue. In geuing honour goe one before another. Loue 1. Peter. 2. brotherly fellowship. Be not weary in well do­ing. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your 2. The. 4. wrath.

The Vngodly shall be so plagued, that they shall seeke death, and shall not fynd it, they shal Ephe. 4. Apoc. 9. desyre to dye, and death shall flye from them.

A discreete Seruaunte shall haue more rule Prou. 17. then the sonnes that haue no wysedome. An vndiscreete sonne is a greefe vnto his father, and heauinesse vnto his mother that bare him. Luke. 6. Euery tree is knowne by his fruite, so is a faythfull and a true seruaunt, knowen by hys good and honest behauyour.

He that is true and iust to his mayster, is lyke vnto a precious Iewell. Dauid sayeth: Myne Psal. 101. eyes looke vpon such as be faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. Who so leadeth a godly lyfe, he shall be my seruaunte. There shall no deceitful seruaunt dwell in my house, he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sighte. A froward harte shal departe from me, I will not know a wicked person.

Truth it is I can it not denye, for if I should, I were to blame, the thing it selfe lyeth so playne before me, that I cannot vary, I am vpholden so by your talke, that I cannot fall.

Heare my crying, O God, geue heede vnto Psalm. 60 [Page] my prayer, for I cleaue vnto the same staffe which you haue geuen me to leaue vpon, euen Iesus Christ. Notwithstanding, these wordes are not consydered on, nowe a dayes. For whereas my mother doth dwell, if a man may fynde any occasyon of extremitie of Lawe a­gaynst his brother, or neighboure, immediatly he will procure by himselfe or his Soliciter, to haue a Writ to make him to appeare at the Tearme, whereby they doe not followe those wordes you told me.

That is, if my neighbour shoulde desyre my Cloake, shall I giue my Coate to him also? peraduenture I shall go naked my selfe, the fraylty of the fleshe, will not be so aunswered, for sure I beleeue, though it be so written in scripture, there is another meaning therein, which if it were declared, especially vnto those that are the couetous persons of this worlde, I thinke it woulde touch them somewhat, for the moste parte of them, are all gathering and seeking to inrich themselues, and nothing will part from yet they haue a good example of the rich man Diues, & the pore begger Lazarus. Luke. 16.

That is wel remembred of you, they haue the more to aunswere, those which are in this world in substaunce & lyuing, haue a great ac­coumpt to make at the latter day, and the pore man that hath his helth, & followeth his labour Eccle. 5. and getteth his liuing with the sweate of hys [Page] browes, is better at his hartes case, then they which hath golde and treasure, mixed with sicknesse and diseases. Albeit, I pray God that thou, when thou commest to be a man able to What is a­gaynst co­uetousnesse. kepe a house of thine own, y ^t couetousnesse doth not enter into thy brest, as it doth into many in these dayes.

I thanke you for your good wishing towards me for the auoyding therof, let me heare some of your mynd.

God cō ­mandeth Exod. 20. y ^t thoushalt not couet thy neighbours goods. For couetousnesse is the roote of al euil. 1. Tim. 6. Psal. 119. Prou. 11. Dauid sayd: Inclyne my hart (O Lord) to thy testimonies, & not to couetousnes. He that hor­deth vp his corn shalbe cursed among y ^e people, but blessing shal light vpō his head that giueth foode. He that trusteth in his riches, is lyke to a broken staffe, for he shall haue a fall, but the righteous shall flourishe as the greene leafe.

Better it is to haue a little with the feare of Prou. 15. God, then great and vnmeasurable-treasures otherwyse. Better it is to haue a little thing Prou. 16. with righteousnesse, then great rentes wrong­fully gotten. He that hateth couetousnesse, shal Prou. 18. Eccle. 11. Eccle. 14. lyue long. Nothing is more wicked and vngracious then a couetous Man. A coue­tous mans eye hath neuer ynough.

He that loueth riches shall not bee iustifyed. Eccle. 31. Hebr. 13. Lette your conuersation be without couetous­nesse, & be content with that you haue already. The Apostle exhorteth vs y ^t couetousnes shold Colo. 3. [Page] not be once named among you, for God verily hath sayd, I will not fayle thee, nor yet forsake Examples agaynst co­uetousnesse. Luke. 16. Act. 5. Iosu. 7. thee. Iudas for lucre of money solde & betrayd his mayster Christ.

Ananyas and Saphyra were punished with soden death, because of a couetous mynde. A­cham by the commandement of God was sto­ned to death, because he toke of the excomuni­cate goods.

Couetousnesse caused Herod to seeke to perse­cute Christ in his swadling cloutes, I haue harde say, that Syr Thomas Moore, which knewe the truth to forsake it agayne, and to conspyre with a Cardinall in Englād, to blynd and deceiue the King of England, and to bring him out of the light into darkenesse. Saule for the couetousnesse of praise, lost his Kingdome. 1. Reg. 13. 1. Reg. 35. The couetousnesse of Achab and Iesabel was the occasyon that Naboth was stoned vnto death.

Take heede sayeth the Euaungelist, and be­ware Luk. 6. of couetousnesse, for no mans lyfe stan­deth in the aboundaunce of thinges, which he possesseth.

The Prophet sayeth: wo be vnto them that Esay. 5. giue sentence with the vngodly for rewardes, and condemne the iust cause of the righteous. They haue excercysed their harts in couetous­nesse. 2. Peter. 2.

Blessed is the rich, which is found withoute Eccle. 31. [Page] blemish, and hath not gone after Gold, nor ho­ped in money and treasures, where is there such a one, and we will commende him, and call him blessed, for great thinges doth he a­mong the people.

For riches is the guift of God geuen to man, to mayntayne the degrees of this worlde, and therefore not euill, yea and some must be poore and some rich, God our father hath deuided ri­ches and pouertye among his children, accor­ding to his Godly will, pleasure and wisdome. And as riches doth not exclude thee from the blessing, so doth not pouertye certifye thee, but to put thy trust in the liuing God. For if thou trust in the liuing God, then if thou be poore, thou couetest not to be riche, for thou arte certi­fyed with that which GOD hath prouyded for thee.

I thanke you hartily, I maye lyken you vnto a Mercers shop, for I can no sooner aske you a question, but you resolue it vnto mee im­mediately, if men in these dayes would marke the true sayings of the scripture, things might be amended, it is pitty that a man will not ex­amin his conscience, considering that he is but a flower in this world, but what remedy, I doubt not if it be not amended, God will seeke reuengement thereof, when he seeth good.

For of the aboundaunce of the hart, the Luke. 7. mouth speaketh, so doth all men, for what they [Page] say with their mouthes, the hart thinketh the same, yet the talke that I haue had with you, moueth mee to say vnto you, as Christ sayd to his Disciples.

Blessed are the eyes which see that you see, Luke. 10. for I say vnto you, glad I am, not only of your company, but that I perceaue you reape and gather good seede at my handes, and let Cocle alone.

Duety byndeth me there vnto, o­therwyse, although I am tender of yeares, what mighte you thinke of me, if you shoulde spend all this talke on me, in vayne. For I ga­ther that it were better to haue friendly vsage of the scriptures, then to excercyse that whiche shoulde neyther be profytable for vs, ne yet to the hearers commendable. For in the tenth of Luke and other places, it is written. Aske and it shalbe geuen you: seke, & you shal find, knock & it shall be opened vnto you, for who so asketh receaueth, & he that seketh fyndeth, and to him that knocketh, shall it be opened, by these com­fortable words, which I haue receiued of you, I trust shall make me as fresh as the Olyue, or Hauthorne, for these your sweete flowers that you haue geuen vnto me, grow in the Garden of lyfe, and hath brought me out of the puddle, which peraduenture I should haue lyne wal­lowing in. Yet I am carefull to thinke how I should, behaue my selfe at London.

Thou arte much to blame. Christ sayd vnto his Dis­ciples. [Page] Take ye no thought for your lyfe, what Luke. 13. ye shall eate, neyther for your body, what you shal put on, the lyfe is more then meate, and the body more then rayment, consyder the Rauens and the little small Byrdes, they neyther sowe nor reape, they haue also neyther storehouse nor Barn, and yet God feedeth them, but how much better are ye then the fowles, wherfore Luke. 13. be of good comforte, and ask not what you shal eate, nor what you shall drinke, and clyme not vp so hye, as the Prouerbe is, least a chip fall into your eye, but seeke the Kingdome of God, and all these shall be mynystred to you, wee draw now a pace towards London.

I pray▪ you how far is it thyther, me thinkes the iorney very long, and yet comfortable, bycause of your aduertisement.

It is not aboue one Myle, or therea­boutes.

I am glad thereof, for I promyse you Syr, I am almoste weary. I haue come a great waye, yet GOD bee wyth my good olde Mother, and all my Friendes, I am sure they woulde be gladde to heare of my well doing.

She may very well heare therof, I doubte it not, and shee shall haue great ioye of you.

I trust so, yet in al my troubles, & temp­tations, whatsoeuer shal happen, Lord graunt [Page] me that I may remember your saying, & that I may say as the wyddow sayd, vnto the vn­rightfull Iudge.

Deliuer me from myne Aduersarye, for I Luke. 18. knowe the Aduersarye the Deuill, will seeke all the wayes he can to get mee into his Net. But still my fortitude and strength shall bee in God.

My mouth shal speake the praise of the Lord, Psal. 145. and let al flesh giue thanks vnto his holy name for euer and euer.

For he sayeth, and commandeth me, to take Luke. 21. heede that I be not deceiued, and againe, hee sayeth: When I here of warres and insurrec­tions, he commaundeth me not to be afrayde, for such thinges must come to passe, whyche God of his infynite mercy graunte mee grace that hereafter, I may remember, & say. Dely­uer me, O Lord, from myne enimies, for I flye Psal. 143. vnto thee to hyde me, & stretch forth my hands to thee.

And now Lord what is my hope, truely my Psal. 39. hope is euen in thee, deliuer me from all myne offences, and make me not a rebuke vnto the flesh. Here my prayer, O Lord, and with thyne eares consyder my calling, holde not thy peace at my teares.

For inumerable troubles are come about me. Psal 40. Psal. 43. O deliuer mee from the deceitfull and wicked man, for thou arte the God of my strength, and [Page] thou arte able to wrest and confound myne e­nemyes, they lye lurking abroade on euery side as the Fox doth for his praye, they lay baytes for me, as the Fysher doth for the small fyshes. Saue me O Lorde, and delyuer me, for thy names sake.

These are very good sayinges. For S. Iohn. 3. Iohn sayeth: He that commeth from an high, is aboue all, and he can delyuer you from all troubles and temptations of the world. In the Reuelation lykewyse it is written. As many Iohn. 4. Hebr. 12. as I loue, I rebuke, and chasten, be feruente therefore and repent, and beare this well in mynde.

It is my desyre. But I pray you Syr, what great town is that same before vs?

That is London.

I am glad thereof, good mayster leaue me not destitute, but be vnto me a comforter, and helpe me vnto some good mayster.

I will do my good will, but now you are in Lon­don, where will you become this night? haue you no frindes nor Kinsfolks here in London?

I should haue a Kinseman dwelling as it was tolde me, in Fleetestreate, and that I shoulde inquyre for him at the Belsauage.

I dwel in Fleetestreate my selfe, which is harde by the same Inne, and I will bring you thyther.

If it please you to showe me the house, [Page] I will be bolde to come to you agayne.

Yonder same is it, at the Sygne of the great Bell.

Nowe I haue to render vnto you many harty thankes for your great trauayle and paynes, which you haue had with me, and for as much as I know now where you dwel, I will be bolde to let you vnderstande howe I speede of my Kinsman, and in the meane tyme I commend you vnto almighty God, the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, who preserue you and all yours, and giue you the light of his Psalm. 67 Deut. 4. countenaunce to shyne ouer you.

Take heede to thy selfe now, and keepe wel thy soule that thou forget not the thinges which thyne eyes haue seene, and that they departe not out of thy harte, all the dayes of thy lyfe. My sonne Heb. 1. 12. despyse not the chastning of the Lorde, neither faynt whē thou art rebuked of him, for whom the Lord loueth, him he chastneth, yea, & scour­geth euery sonne that he receyueth.

Loth I am you should departe from me, but and your Kinseman cannot prouyde you of a mayster, come hyther to me agayne, and I wil doe what I can, but I wil either haue you my self, or else prouide you a mayster.

I thank you for your gentlenesse, I pray you how ma­ny seruaunts haue you.

I haue but one, in the company that I am free of, our order is, that I can haue no more, but this that I haue is almost out of his yeares, I woulde all com­panyes [Page] would haue a regarde for the permit­ting of Apprentises, for the lesse Apprentyses that is in a company, the better it doth prosper. Fare ye well, seeing you will needes goe. Bee perfite, of good comforte, be of one mynde, liue 2. Cor. 13. in peace, and the God of loue and peace shall be with you, remember well my sayings, seeke to please your mayster, and your Mistris, bee dil­ligent, be true both in worde and deede, and be not high mynded.

The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the fruitefulnesse of the holy Ghost, bee with you, now and euer.

I thank you most hartily. Syr, God be with you.

And you also.