¶ philargyry of great Britain woodcut of Philargyrie i. Timoth. vi, The rote of all mischief that ever did spring Is careful Covetise, & greedy Gathering ☞ The Contents of this book. How philargyry came into great britain ¶ His Oration to the people that resorted to him ¶ How the people submitted themselves to him ¶ Hypocrisies Oration. ¶ How he committed the governance of the people to Hypocrisy ¶ How philargyry devoured all the treasure that Hypocrisy had laid up in store ¶ How Hypocrisy went about to withstand philargyry ❧ How self love uttered Hypocrisy his intent to philargyry How Philaute went to Nodnoll and what he did there ¶ How the people forsook Hypo. How truth told all to the king How the king drove all these out of his realm Finis ¶ To the Reader IF poets may prove and try their own wit In feyneing of Fables great Vices to blame: And if they be blameless although they do hit The truth▪ in their treatise under a straying name Then may I by right (me think) do the same Wherefore though I touth the take it in good part, For I will the none Ill as God knoweth mine heart. I grant I have feigned and written a lie, And yet not so loud as I would it were, For truly this Gigant great philargyry Is present in great britain even every where Not one man is free From his Tyranny there, For all men he polled first by Hypocrisy, And now by self Love he doth all destroy. The Hypocrites had gotten into their own hands All placis of Pleasure in every coast So had they the good and profitable lands Which now by self love are spoiled and lost No good thing at all remaineth welmoste The things that were best are now made so bad That where much thing is there nought can be had. The Hypocritis were Ill but worse is self love Wherefore gentle Reader I pray the hertily Make earnest petition to the Lord above To deliver great Britain from philargyry Who hath brought that rich Island into such misery That things of greatest plenty are scantist to be had And all thing that good was is now made to bad. Finis. Unto such as be yet without All things shallbe spoken in Parables. Mark. iiii. ¶ The fable of philargyry the great Gigant of great Britain, what houses were built and lands appointed for his provisions, and how all the same is wasted to content his greedy gut withal and yet he rageth for hunger Give ear a while And mark my style You that hath wit in store For with words bare I will declare Things done long time before Sometime certain Into Britain A land full of plenty A giant great Came to seek meat Whose name was philargyry He was so strong That none among That brutish nation Durst take in hand Him to withstand In any station That cursed lad A free course had That Island over all Both vale and hy●● Were at his will With towns both great and small Then let he cry That low and high That would to him resort Should still endure In all pleasure And live in play and sport So that they would Do as they should And honour him as God With bags of gold In many fold In number even or odd Come unto me Who so will (quoth he) There shall no law him bind I will him make Free for to take All things that he can find Force and strong hand By sea and land Shall be his law and right He shall be bold To take and hold All things by force and might So that he bring To me some thing I will defend him still None so hardy Him to deny Or to say he doth Ill When this was known And a broad blown Throughout that Island wide From every port Men did resort To him on every side So that anon A Legion Were ready at his will To do all thing At his bidding Whether it were good or Ill Then forth he stood With full mild mode desiring them silence Till he had told All that he would Unto that Audience Philargyries Oration. GOod sirs (quoth he) Full well I see That ye have been oppressed Long time with laws Not worth two straws But that shall be redreste Henseforth there shall No law at all Restrain your Liberty But that you may Both night and day Do your own will freely Catch what you can From every man And hold it for your own Reap, let me see And bring to me That other men have sown And when you find Ought to your mind That force can not bring in Then beat your brain About some train Whereby you may it win See nothing let You forto get All things into your hand Which other men Must now and then Needs have by sea or land. Then set the price Above all size Your bags therewith to fill Make the vile slaves And paysant knaves pay you at your own will. And where you spy Commodity There plant your dwelling place And then employ Your whole study To get it up apace And by each port Where is resort See that ye do convey All manner thing Whereof might spring Profit to this country For so shall ye Enriched be And have money in store For you shall sell Thyngis twice so well As men did heretofore. The woule, the lead The corn for bread The bear butter and cheese Will be well sold Wherefore be bold By them you can nought lose. metal of Bellis Leather and fellis And woulsted yarn also Are ready gold Let them be sold With things a thousand more And if you may Convey away These things beyond the foam Then shall the prise Of that arise That shall be left at home You must therefore Have evermore All those things in your hand Wherein the spring Of every thing And first increase doth stand. The pasture ground That feedeth sound You must in no case lack All manner mines And myllis that gryndis Must help to fill your sack Copsis of wood Be very good For you to have in hand You must needs have Great fermes a thrave With all good fruitful lands. Short tale to make You must all take And whored up still in store Till that be scant Whereof no want Was ever seen before. Draff is plenty Yet certainly If it were handled well: It would be sold For ready gold And that some men can tell The time hath been That men could win By smoke and by Urine And why should not gain rise of that Where with men feed their swine? See to all thing Whereof may spring Any Lucre or Guyne, For gain doth smell exceeding well In every thing certain. I will therefore Now say no more But see you do apply Your business To get richesse My mind to satisfy. You must me feed Ay at my need With bags of most pure gold For I could eat None other meat Sense I was two days old. A God am I That can not die Wherefore I must be fed With gold most pure That will endure And not with brickle bread Bring, bring bring, bring Alway some thing, And then you shall me please. All that is sold For ready gold Doth my stomach much ease. And as you will Continue still All your days in pleasure Even so apply You busily With gold me to honour I am your God And have the rod Of hunger in my fist Wherefore take heed Ye do me feed With gold that is finest And him that can Best play the man In getting gold and fe I will promote And set afloat In wealth and high degree And in the end I will him send To Pluto's dwelling place Were he shall be Next unto me Wherefore, gather apace Dixi, quoth he And bowed his knee Unto his audience Thanking them all Both great and small For their choir silence How the people of Britain beca●● subject to philargyry. THen with one voice All did rejoice And clapped their hands apace And after that They fell all flat Prostrate before his face Then rose they up And in a cup Of gold, they did him bring More thousandis than Any man can Well express by writing Then 'gan they sing Behold we bring Our mornetydis sacrifice desiring thee That it may be Pleasant before thine eyes Then forth he reached His hand, and caught The cup full of pure gold should at one sup He drank it up Thanking them many fold Henseforth, quoth he Look that you be With me thrice in the day With such a sup In such a cup That I do not decay And be ye bold To get the gold As I have said before No law shall let You forto get So much, and ten times more All trembling then One of his men Fell flat upon his face And desired To be pardoned To speak his mind a space Stand up quoth he What so thou be And tell to me thy name Thou shalt have grace To speak a space Thou shalt sustain no blame Dear sovereign Quoth he again I am Hypocrisy There is on mould No man that would Serve you liefer than I But this one thing My Lord and king If I might be so bold To say my mind A fault I find In that which you have told Say on, quoth he I pardon the Let me know all thy thought. If thy counsel Do like me well It shall in deed be wrought Then mannerly He made curtsy As one that could his good With mild words then Thus he began Before them as he stood Hypocrisies Oration. MY Lord and king This is the thing That doth my mind offend And causeth me Thus bold to be Trusting you will it mend You have us told We should be bold To take all at our will And spoil the rich And poor alyche Our bags with gold to fill But well I wot This thing will not Be suffered any while Except that we Work subtlety And get their goodis by guile We must pretend Some holy end That may the people please And so we shall Be Lordis of all And fill our bags with ease Send me to preach And I will teach The people over all That they shall lie In purgatory After their death fatal I will them tell That pains in Hell And pains there are alone Save that of this An end there is But of the other none Then that they may Be sure alway To creep out at their will I will them tell We have to sell Pardone of all their Ill So they will bring To us allthing Whereof we shall stand ned● Houses to build Both thackt and tylde And buy us food and weed Then will I prove It doth behove That we have land and rent That we may pray For them alway To God omnipotent And when they lie Ready to die Then will I be at hand Forto declare How hard we far. For lack of rent and land. Then will I tell The pains of Hell And purgatory fire And what great pain They shall sustain Unless they do us hire For we are they That fast and pray For them that give us aught And our doing Is worth nothing unless it be dear bought Now when they see Themselves to be Set in so great distress With all their heart They will depart With much of their riches In hope that we Will factors be For them, when they begun And by this train We shall obtain Great landis and goodis anon For what is he That will not be Glad to redeem with gold His soul, which he Shall think to be Dampened a thousand fold? And specially When he shall die And leave all things behind For if he would Then whored up gold He can not have his mind I will I trow In some ears blow So terrible a blast That they shall quake And for fear make Us their heirs at the last Yea kings with crowns Shall give us towns And Cities to be sure That we shall pray For them alway Whylse the world shall endure Thus shall we have All that we crave And much more at our will ourselves to feed As we shall need And give you gold your fill Dixi, he said And then he prayed philargyry of grace And then with that He fell down flat Prastrate before his face How philargyry committeth the governance of all his Subjects to Hypocrisy. Full mildly than This God began And bade his man arise Stand up, quoth he For well I see Thou art prudent and wise Wherefore with me Thou shalt chief be I will work by thy read And all that be Subject to me Thou shalt govern and lead Then let he cry That low and high That would take him as king Should with all speed Fulfil in deed Hypocrisies biding For he is wise And can dyvise Ways to get gold and fe And make men fill With right good will Your bags to bring to me Then all that were Present to hear That proclamasion showed them content With full assent And thus they said each one, Hypocrisy Is most worthy To rule under our king For he can preach And men so teach That they will gladly bring Then went there out A full great rout From Philargyries place And by and by Hypocrisy Began to preach apace All manner men Were ready then To give even what he would They were so mad They thought he had Salvation to be sold Then builded he A great City Nodnoll he did it name It was all one With Babylon If it were not the same In that City Then builded he A temple to his God setting therein Of his own kine An hundred Knights and odd. The Arch knight was Byshope Chayphas Who road with spear and shield Having his corpse Armed with force To cause all men to yield Then in each place That pleasant was He planted houses sure Of lime and stone They were eachone Because they should endure Bulwarkis also A thousand more Than any man can tell To beat them down That ware the crown If they did once rebel So was that land Whole in the hand Of Philargyries men No wight was free From them if he Were worth poor shillings ten But to colour His endeavour He did those places name Houses for clerks And the bulwarckes Lodgyngis for blind & lame Then pointed he That there should be Leches of wondrous skill In every plare Who in short space Should help their bags to fill At Walsyngehame Was Noterdame At Elye good Audrye And at Wylsedon Were great cures done By bolstering of bawdry At Hails there was One in a glass That wrought wonders full great And at Wynchcome Were cured some That could Kevelme intrea There were also A thousand more Leeches of his pointing That could heal all Both great and small That would any thing bring They would not stick To heal the sick In body and in soul They had such wit They could do it By drinking of a bull When this was done Then was all won They need to seek no more They had all thing At their liking To spend and keep in store Hypocrisy Thought then to sty Up to Nodnoll anon To see what was There brought to pass After he was thence gone But ere he went More gold he sent To his God philargyry Then thousandis ten Of brutish men Could bare, to make him merry Wych he eat up All at one sup And yet was not content But said that they Had by the way Spent some of that was sent All raging than This God began On them his wrath to wreak He laid about among the rout Till none of them cold speak. ☞ And when he had Like one half mad Slain all that company In all his rage He called his page Who came forth by and by ☞ Come on (quoth he) I will go see What provision thereiss They shall it buy Full dear if I Far not better than this ¶ Fetch forth my steed Trusty at need For now I am in haste I must go try Hypocrisy And se if he make waste ☞ His lad was pressed With his steed dressed Ready For him to ride And right anon He leapt thereon And would no longer bide He rid forth fast Tyllat th' e last He came to I gralk place Where he did spy Hypocrisy filling his bags apace Then laughed he And said I see Hypocrisy is just Nought can him let Treasure to get To satisfy my lust Hypocrisy Heard by and by His Lord and masters voice And gan to sing To leap and spring So much he did rejoice. All smylyngly philargyry Then 'gan his man embrace And said my son How hast thou done Sense thou wast at my place My Lord said he And bowed his knee I have had good success For all this land Is in my hand With infinite richesse. Then said he come You shall see some Of that I have in store Take you your fill Of what you will There cometh in daily more, Then with a key He made his way Into his treasury Where was more gold I dare be bold Then would in poulis church lie ❧ How Philargyrie devoured all the treasure that Hypocrisy had laid up in store. Full hungerly philargyry Began then forto eat Even as he had Ben more than mad For lack of needful meat. goblets of gold Went down twofold So did ouches and ryngiss Tablettis with stones Made for the nonce With many other things So fast he eat That he ganswere As it had been a bull Ten tun I wot Went down his throat And yet he was not full Then carefully Hypocrisy Bethought him of his store And with words wise He did advise His lord to eat no more It shall, quoth he Right healthful be To leave with Appetite For all fullness Doth cause sickness As Physics masters write Yea sir, quoth he But when I see That sickness doth me prick I can be bold For ready gold To have present Physic Wherefore I will Now eat my fill There shall nothing me let Therefore be gone Let me alone I must live by my meat Full Heavily Hypocrisy Then took leave to depart And said Adieu Much good do it you But thought it not in heart With both handis than This God began To cram into his crawe Till all the gold Whereof I told Was mowed up in his maw Than sat he down And 'gan to frown As not content in mind Because no more Was left in store And he had not half bind Then up he rose And cast the nose Aloft into the wind Even as a swine Holdeth up the groin When he would feeding find Come on, quoth he For well I see Here is no meat in store Hypocrisy Will him apply I think to get in more Than home he went Half miss content And laid him down to rest But he could get No sleep quiet To fasten in his breast ¶ How Hypocrisy went about to withstand philargyry, IN this mean space Hypocrisy was At Nodnoll, full busy Some way to find Himself to wind Out of that misery Thus did he cast Then at the last In his deceitful thought I will, thought he Liberal be Of that which cost me nought As many as will Shall have their fill Of meat and drynck with me Both low and high Shall have plenty Of food, with gold and fe. So shall I keep With them friendship And have them on my side With all their heart To take my part What so shall me bytyde Full well I know That high and low Will take part of my cheer For in each coast. Both sod and roast Are waxen very dear And it is like That they will stick To me alway at need For hounds are wont Freshly to hunt For them that do them feed, And so I say I shall alway Be able to withstand That wicked wight If he will fight Either by sea or land Then by and by He did employ Him self to make good cheer And for to spend By the years end All that came in by year. This did allure I am right sure The hearts of thousandis ten To be ready To live and die With him like faithful men Than was he bold And thought he could Withstand his masters might He did therefore Keep nought in store For him as he had plight Great fees he gave An hundred thrave To men that had no need For well knew he That it must be Such that must do the deed How self love uttered Hyyocrisie his intent to philargyry THen was there one That did anon Conceive his will intent And in a night He did him dight And to Ppilargyrie went He went so fast And made such haste For fear to come to late That long ere day He rid the way And was come to the gate Full fiercely than To knock he 'gan As one that would come in Till the wicket Was open set To knock he would not blinne Then came forth one To him anon And said what haste is this? say on quoth he Declare to me What thy business is Sir, quoth the freke I must nediss speak With my lord philargyry I can him tell All is not well About Hypocrisy Then ran the page As one in rage Unto the chamber door And at one push He did it rush Down flat into the flore With that awoke That God and shaken His lockis that were full thin What may this Sir knave (quoth he) That thou comest so fast in: Upon his knee Then kneeled he (So well he could his good) And mildly than Thus he began With a most heavy mode My Lord, he said I am afraid Our heavy news to tell For fear that ye Should angry be And take it nothing well News? quoth he than And bade his man Tell him without delay. Speak man, quoth he What aileth the Why dost thou make this stay? Then at the last His man out burst And in few words he said Surely there is Some thing amiss Some man hath you betrayed Betrayed, quoth he, How may that be? And then in hand he took His bostarde bright So goodly dight And 'gan fiercely to look Tell me quoth he Who it should be That hath this treason wrought That I may wreak Me on the freke And bring his stock to nought Hypocrisy I think trevely Quoth Philargyries men For one came now To speak with you And thus the freke began. I must, quoth he If it may be Speak with philargyry I can him tell All is not well About Hypocrisy Than the God bade Fech in that lad That I may hear him speak. Full lightly than His servant ran And brought to him the freak. Full mannerly He made curchie And lowted to the ground Than said the lad I am right glad I have your lordship found For I have spied And thoroughly tried Thingis by Hypocrisy Which do declare That he doth bear Grudge to your majesty For certainly Hypocrisy Hath now in his own hand The half welmoste In every coast Of this pleasant Island And doth employ Him busily There with forto obtain: All men's good will That he may still In this rich Island reign He goeth about To have a rout knit to him in petition: And to that end He doth intend A right great house to keep, He will therefore Keep nought in store For you to feed upon, He will all spend By the years end That he may lay hands on And if you would Do what you could To recover your right The losels shall Be ready all In his quarrel to fight Wherefore I say Invent some way betime, for this mischief, Else certainly You shall shortly Lack your needful relief Then courteously philargyry Thanked this man and said Ten thousand pound In nobles round Thou shalt have truly payede Tell me thy name And I shall frame My ways after thy skill For I see well Thou canst me tell Ways to escape this iii. Dear sir quoth he My name hath be Philaute sense I was borne, Hypocrisy Is climbed so high That my stock is nigh worn Well said he than Be content man I will thy stock restore For thou shalt be Chief under me As Hypocrisy was before I have no dread But by thy read I shall bring it to pass That, that vile slave And wicked knave Shall be brought down full base Tell me therefore If any store Of counsel do remaye What way we may best porue and say To subdue this villain My Lord, quoth he If it so be That ye will, as you say Take my counsel Then know ye well I think this the best way. Let me be sent To preach in Lent And out of Lent also: And I shall draw Them from his awe I trust with small ado I will declare How mad they are To give him of their good To be made just Sens all men must Be made just by Christis blood For though he ring Great bells and sing A thousand masses and more Yet must Christis blood Shed on the road deliver all men from woe Than you shall give Each man good leave To wytholde what he can From that vile slave That doth still crave A flyse of every man. They must be bold All to wytholde And eke to take him fro Both land and fee Where so it be And rich jewels also. When this is told You may be bold All men will be full pressed Your part to take And him forsake And then the knave is dressed, ☞ Let me alone, There shall not one Hold on his side I trow After they do Once hearken to The blast that I shall blow. ☞ With words miry Then philargyry Said, be it as thou hast told To use thy skill At thine own will Thou mayst hensefore be bold Be thou, quoth he Next unto me And eke my cozen dear Henseforth certain In all Britain There shall not be thy pear And all that be Kin unto the Be it never so small I will promote And set afloat, Cousins I will them call Now sweet kinsman Do what you can That Vylaynes will to let And get me gold Either new or old Else shall I starve for meat For I had not My fill I wots This hundred years and more Which causeth me So leave to be That scarcely I can go ☞ Hold you content It is now lent You must needs fast a while. Lenten quoth he Lent let it be And then he 'gan to smile ☞ With that began Philaute his man To demand with words mild What thing might be The cause that he When Lent was named smyld ¶ Oh Couse qouth he The time hath be That I have eat more gold In one short lent Then some have spent In fifty winters cold ¶ For certainly Hypocrisy Did in lent most provide Good gold to feed Me at my need In every time and tide. But let that go He doth not so Now, well he shall repent You will I trow Couse bring him low Before an other Lent Yea sir, quoth he Sure ye shall be I will so bring him down That the vile knave Shall nothing have In field nor yet in town Let us therefore Now talk no more I must this matter ply It shall be best For you to rest Whylse I to Nodnoll sty Go you to bed And lay your head Upon a pillow fine I trust to get You golden meat Ere it be time to dine. Couse go thy way That God 'gan say God pluto be thy speed My spirit shall be Present with the To help the aye at need My lord, quoth he It shall best be That no man doth is know Wherefore let not Your servants wots Lest they some rumours sow For I must preach And all men teach That god's son hath me sent For so shall I Have by and by My purpose and intent Couse, thou shalt see I warrant the All shall be kept secret For counsels known And abroad blown Will our procedyngiss let Depart therefore And say no more For I know all thy mind Thou shalt well see That I will be As reason doth me bind Then louted he With either knee And said, my lord Adieu The God of sleep Vouchsalfe to keep All that belong to you How Philargyrye went to Nodnol and what he did there. THen forth he went As he was sent Till he to Nodnoll came Where by and buy He made outecrie Against Hypocrisies name give ear to me All you, quoth he That do your own wealth love For gods own son Did bid me run Your enemy to remove. Hypocrisy Hath dealt flasely With you full many a year To gather pelf And keep himself In ease and belly cheer. Do you not see How greasy he And his be, and how fat? His cheeks be bollen And for fat swollen, His nose is couched flat He walloweth in That filthy sin Of greedy glottonnye He will not swink For meat nor drink But live still Idellye Yet will he eat Nought but fine meat And drink of the best wine Who so hath been With him hath seen His fare to be right fyne I grant he will Your bealies fill Till your backis can not bow But all that is Nothing of his But byggis of your own sow Open your eyes If you be wise And see to your own gain Let not this slave The riches have That you have got with pain You need not pass For his vain mass His diryge and prayers long For well we see All those things be But labour of the tongue Yourself can pray As well alway As he, and also feed All such as ye Shall know to be Poor and needy in deed His prayers shall Help none at all Christis blood hath paid the price You need therefore To do no more That one price doth suffice. What madness than Is in that man That will so much bestow Upon a thing Worse than nothing? No man is so mad It row How the people forsook Hypocrisy. THe people anon Much mused on These words that seemed straying Yet did they embrace Them, in short space Because they love to change And naturally You know pardie Each man will love himself Then a small thing May him soon bring In love with this world's pelf The brutes therefore Took Philautis lore And left Hypocrisy Then range the bell To a Counsel That thing to ratify. In this Synnodde Ten score and odd Took Hypocrisies part Yet all they lost For all their boast In despite of their heart It was decreed There and agreed That Philaute should possess For ever more Hypocrisy store His lands and his riches. Then Philaute sent In contient Ten thousand tons of gold To philargyry To make him miry Therewith, what time he would In short time than His store began To waste and wear apace For he eat still And could not fill His paunch, in vii years spase Then Philaute fed His God with lead With stones, and with timber And told him that Gold was to fat For men that fast Imber. You must, quoth he Contented be With such as doth remain, Ye must forbear This precious gear Yet for a year or twain Then Philaute sold For ready gold Forts that were builded strong And made so sure Forto endure That they had stand full long Great lands also Philaute let go For gold that was full fine And sent it all To Philargyries hall For him therewith to dine But all was gone And spent anon And he looked for more But yet in vain For nought certain Remained then in store Well thought he than I trow I can Make right fine gold of bras And so he did But it framed Full evil as reason it was Well, yet he sent And raised rend From five groats to a pound Yet was there not Much won by that For more was lost then found Well thus at the last All hope was passed. His God he could not fill Unless he should Be found so bold The king & his ream to syl Then 'gan this God To take the road Of hunger in his fist And said that he Would filled be No man should him resist. Then with strokes sore He smote the poor And then they 'gan to cry To god almight For them to fight Against philargyry How Truth told all to the king. But then took truth pity and ruth And to the king he went And said sir king amend this thing Thy realm else willbe shent philargyry Hypocrisy And Philaute have spent all Thy people are So full of care That now to god they call. Vengeance therefore Is at thy door Ready the to destroy unless thou will Purge out the Ill That doth thy flock annoy An horrible thing It is sir king To fall into godis hand Thou mayst trust me No man can be Able him to withstand Take heed therefore Suffer no more These fell felons to reign lest God almight For thy stock fight And thou thyself be slain What though they be mighty to see? Yet fear not thou at all For (God no doubt) Will rout them out If thou wilt on him call For he hath said He will the aid Against his enemies If thou wilt go Forth straight and do Thyngis pleasant in his eyes ¶ How the king drove that wicked sort out of his realm With that the king For fear 'gan spring Unto the Bible book And by and by. Right reverently That sword in hand he took No wight, quoth he Shall spared be That doth my flock oppress God hath me set Such things to let And all wrongs to redress Then let he cry That low and high In whom gods fear did dwell Should never rest But do they best Gods enemies to expel Then fell he down And cast his crown And diadem aside And looking on high Up to the sky To God aloud he cried Lord God, quoth he Thou hast chosen me Over thy flock to reign Make me of might All wrongs to right And make all well again Then God him sent Men that were bend Oppression to expel Who chased out This gygante stout And then all things were w● Finis. ¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Crowly dwelling in Elie Rents in Holborn Anno Dmini M.D.L.I. ¶ Cum privilegio ad imprimendu solum.