A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 9

O my child, how dost thou fare?

HYPOCRISY.

_Sancti amen_, who have we there?

By the ma.s.s, I will buy none of thy ware; Thou art a chapman for the devil.

DEVIL.

What, my son, canst thou not tell, Who is here, and what I am?

I am thine own father Satan.

HYPOCRISY.

Be you so, sir? I cry you mercy then; You may say I am homely, and lack learning, To liken my father's voice unto a sow's groaning: But, I pray you, show me the cause and why, That you called me hither so hastily?

DEVIL.

Ah, Hypocrisy, I am undone utterly.

HYPOCRISY.

Utterly undone! nay, stop there hardily; For I myself do know the contrary By daily experience: Do not I yet reign abroad?

And as long as I am in the world, You have some treasure and substance.

I suppose I have been the flower In setting forth thy laws and power Without any delay: By the ma.s.s, if I had not been, Thou haddest not been worth a Flander's pin At this present day.

The time were too long now to declare, How many and great the number are, Which have deceived be; And brought clean from G.o.d's law Unto thy yoke and awe, Through the enticement of me.

I have been busied since the world began, To graff thy laws in the heart of man, Where they ought to be refused: And I have so mingled G.o.d's commandments With vain zeals and blind intents, That they be greatly abused.

I set up great idolatry With all[79] kind of filthy sodometry, To give mankind a fall: And I [have] brought up such superst.i.tion, Under the name of holiness and religion.

That deceived almost all.

As holy cardinals, holy popes, Holy vestments, holy copes, Holy hermits and friars, Holy priests, holy bishops, Holy monks, holy abbots, Yea, and all obstinate[80] liars: Holy pardons, holy beads, Holy saints, holy images, With holy, holy blood, Holy stocks, holy stones, Holy clouts, holy[81] bones; Yea, and holy holy wood.

Holy skins, holy bulls, Holy rochets and cowls, Holy crouches and staves, Holy hoods, holy caps, Holy mitres, holy hats; Ah good holy holy knaves.

Holy days, holy fastings, Holy twitching, holy tastings, Holy visions and sights, Holy wax, holy lead, Holy water, holy bread, To drive away spirits.

Holy fire, holy palm, Holy oil, holy cream, And holy ashes also; Holy brooches, holy rings, Holy kneeling, holy censings, And a hundred trim-trams mo.

Holy crosses, holy bells, Holy relics, holy jewels, Of mine own invention; Holy candles, holy tapers, Holy parchments, holy papers: Had not you a holy son?

DEVIL.

All these things, which thou hast done, My honour and laws hath maintained; But now, O alas! one thing is begun,[82]

By the which my kingdom is greatly decayed; I shall lese all, I am sore afraid: Except thy help, I know right plain, I shall never be able to recover it again.

G.o.d's Word is so greatly sprung up in youth, That he little regardeth my laws or me; He telleth his parents that is very truth, That they of long time have deceived be: He saith according to Christ's verity All his doings he will order and frame, Mortifying the flesh with the l.u.s.ts of the same.

HYPOCRISY.

Ah, sirrah, there beginneth the game: What, is Juventus become so tame, To be a New Gospeller?

DEVIL.

As fast as I do make, he doth mar; He hath[83] followed so long the steps of Good Counsel, That Knowledge and he together doth dwell; For who is so busy in every place as youth, To read and declare the manifest truth?

But, O Hypocrisy, if thou could stop his mouth, Thou shouldst win my heart for ever.

HYPOCRISY.

What would you have me to do in the matter?

Show me therein your advis.e.m.e.nt.

DEVIL.

I would have thee go incontinent, And work some crafty[84] feat or policy, To set Knowledge and him at controversy; And his company thyself greatly use, That G.o.d's Word he may clean abuse.

HYPOCRISY.

At your request I will not refuse To do that thing, which in me doth lie: Doubt ye not, but I will excuse Those things, which he doth plainly deny; And I will handle my matters so craftily, That, ere he cometh to man's state, G.o.d's Word and his living shall be clean at the bate.

DEVIL.

Thou shalt have my blessing both early and late; And, because thou shalt all my counsel keep, Thou shalt call thy[85] name Friends.h.i.+p.

HYPOCRISY.

By the ma.s.s, it is a name full meet For my proper and amiable person.

DEVIL.

O, farewell, farewell, my son; Speed thy business, for I must be gone. [_Exit_.[86]

HYPOCRISY.

I warrant you, let me alone.

I will be with Juventus anon, And that, ere he be ware; And, i-wis, if he walk not straight, I will use such a sleight, That shall trap him in a snare.

How shall I bring this gear to pa.s.s?

I can tell now, by the ma.s.s, Without any more advis.e.m.e.nt: I will infect him with wicked company, Whose conversation shall be so fleshly, Yea, able to overcome an innocent.

This wicked Fellows.h.i.+p Shall him company keep For a while: And then I will bring in Abhominable[87] Living, Him to beguile.

With words fair I will him 'tice, Telling him of a girl nice, Which shall him somewhat move; Abhominable Living though she be, Yet he shall no other ways see, But she is for to love.

She shall him procure To live in pleasure, After his own phantasy; And my matter to frame, I will call her name Unknowen Honesty.

This[88] will I convey My matter, I say, Somewhat handsomely; That, through wicked Fellows.h.i.+p And false pretended Friends.h.i.+p, Youth shall live carnally.

Trudge, Hypocrisy, trudge!

Thou art a good drudge, To serve the devil: If thou shouldest lie and lurk, And not intend thy work, Thy master should do full evil.

_Here entereth YOUTH, to whom HYPOCRISY yet speaketh_.

What, Master Youth?

Well i-met, by my truth; And whither away?

You are the last man, Which I talked[89] on, I swear, by this day.

Methought by your face, Ere you came in place, It should be you: Therefore I did abide Here in this tide[90]

For your coming, this is true.

JUVENTUS.

For your gentleness, sir, most heartily I thank you, But yet you must hold me somewhat excused; For to my simple knowledge I never knew, That you and I together were acquainted: But nevertheless, if you do it renew, Old acquaintance will soon[91] be remembered.

HYPOCRISY.

Ah, now I see well, Youth is feathered, And his crumbs he hath well gathered, Since I spake with him last; A poor man's tale cannot now be heard, As in times past.

I cry you mercy, I was somewhat bold, Thinking that you masters.h.i.+p would Not have been so strange; But now I perceive, that promotion Causeth[92] both man, manners, and fas.h.i.+on Greatly for to change.

JUVENTUS.

You are to blame this[93] me to challenge; For I think I am not he, which you take me for.

HYPOCRISY.

Yes, I have known you ever since you were bore; Your age is yet under a score, Which I can well remember: I-wis, i-wis, you and I Many a time have been full merry, When you were young and tender.

JUVENTUS.

Then, I pray you,[94] let us reason no lenger; But first show your nomination.

HYPOCRISY.

Of my name to make declaration Without any dissimulation, I am called Friends.h.i.+p: Although I be simple and rude of fas.h.i.+on, Yet by lineage and generation I am nigh kin to your masters.h.i.+p.