NATURE (continued 2)

Wrath. Marry! here cometh one— Good Fellowship meseemeth it should be. Glut. Sirs, God speed ye! Man. What tidings with thee? Glut. I shall tell you anon

Marry, sir! I am come here For to attend upon you; We shall a warfare it is told me. Man. Yea, where is thy harness? Glut. Marry! here may ye see— Here is harness enow. Wrath. Why, hast thou none other harness but this? Glut. What the devil harness should I miss, Without it be a bottle? Another bottle I will go purvey Lest that drink be scarce in the way; Or happily none to sell. Wrath. Thou must have other harness than this, man! Glut. Other harness? nay, I shrew me then! I can no skill thereon— Why, trowest thou that I will fight? Envy. Yea, so I trow! Glut. Nay, by God Almight! Thereof will I none; I was never wont to that gear. But I may serve to be a victualler— And thereof shall ye have store— So that I may stand out of danger Of gun shot; but I will come no near; I warn you that before! Envy. Now, such a knave I betake to the devil! This is even such another drivel As was here whilere: They be two knaves anointed. I fear me, sir! ye shall be disappointed; I like not this gear. Glut. O! I had forgotten, I make God avow! Sir! my fellow, Ease, commandeth me to you. Man. Commandeth thee to me? Glut. You to me! Man. Me to thee! Glut. Commandeth you to him, I would have said. Man. Why cometh he not hither? Glut. By God! for he is afraid; And lieth sick in his bed. He took such a conceit when he heard of this gear That for thought and very fear

Wrath. And he were hanged it were no reck: I pray God, the devil break his neck! And all such as he is. Man. Well, let us suffer for awhile; I will go walk hence half a mile; And for all this, Happily, all this gear shall not need Howbeit that I doubt and dread The worst, as wise men do. Manhood! come thyself with me. Glut. And I too, sir? Man. Yea, parde! Wouldst thou be prayed thereto? Then goeth out Man, Gluttony and Wrath. Envy. Now, he that would have war or strife I pray God send him a shrewd wife; And then shall he have enow. But, I shall tell you, sirs! as for me, I am none of them; so mot I thee! I may say to you I will no such reckonings abide. God's body! here cometh Pride As crank as a peacock! As soon as he and I meet, Without he stand right upon his feet, He shall bear me a proud mock. [Pride entereth.] Pride. What tidings, sirs? can any man tell? Envy. Yea, marry! that can I do as well As any that was in field; Ye have tarried so long about your gay gear That the field is done or ye come there. Pride. Done? marry, God shield! Envy. It is done without fail; But which of them hath won the battle I cannot tell you certain. Pride. Thou were not there it seemeth thereby! Envy. Not I there, quod a? yes, hardely! And that to my great pain; But, as soon as the battles joined together, I came my way straight hither For to tell tidings. Pride. What the devil tidings canst thou tell? Envy. Marry! I can show you nothing of the battle, But of many other tidings. Ye are out of conceit, I tell you, for ever; Because ye did not you[r] endeavour At this great voyage; Insomuch that ye are like to lese, Both your office and all your fees, And put clean out of wages. Pride. That is not true, as I suppose. Envy. Sir! and it be not, take my nose And my head also! Your office was given or I came thence. Pride. Marry! that was a very short sentence; And I not called thereto. Now, Envy, what counsel wilt thou give me? Envy. By my troth, Pride! thou mayst believe me, If I were in thy case I would withdraw me for a season; Though it be neither felony, nor treason, Nor yet wilful trespass. Yet the same is worst of all; For every knave will thee call A coward to thy face. Pride. I am unhappy, I see it well, For th' expense of mine apparel Towards this voyage, What in horses and other array, Hath compelled me for to lay All my land to mortgage. And now, when I have all do, To lose mine office and fees also For my true intent, I may say that all my cost And all my time is evil lost In service that I have spent. Well, whatsoever betide me, For a season I will hide me, After thy counsel. And, sith it will no better be, Farewell! I take my leave of thee. Envy. Now, gentle Pride, farewell! [Exit. Alas! that I had no good fellow here To bear me company, and laugh at this gear: This game was well found. [Sensuality entereth. Sens. Yes, and ye lust to play the knave Some manner of company ye might have, Here within this ground. Envy. Some I can think, young or old; And else it were a small household As any might be found. Sens. It is not small; the company showeth well; But, methought thou were about to tell Of some merry jest, Or some merry game at my coming. Envy. Yea, hardely! it is a game for a king, When he lusteth best, To laugh for his disport and solace. Sir! I shall tell thee this is the case: Right now, as I stood In this place, and never a man with me, In came Pride garnished as it had be One of the royal blood. It grieved me to see him so well besene; But, I have abated his courage clean, For a little season. By the rood! I have given him a checkmate; For I bare him a hand that he came too late, And that the field was done, And how his office was given away Because he failed our master that day: I made him to believe so. And when I had told him all this tale, Anon, he began to wax all pale, Full of care and woe. And now he hideth himself for shame; I gave him mine advice to the same; And so he is gone. Sens. Now, on my faith! this was madly do! But, in faith! what moveth thee thereto? Envy. Marry! cause had I none; But only that it is my guise When I see another man arise, Or fare better than I, Then must I chafe and fret for ire, And imagine, with all my desire, To destroy him utterly. But now, in earnest, Sensuality! Tell me when this fray shall be; I pray ye heartily! Sens. What, against Reason? Envy. Yea, the same! Sens. Tush! they be agreed, in pain of shame! And good company they keep. Envy. Agreed, quod a? in the mere name; Marry, sir! that were a game To make some of us weep. Sens. Weep or laugh, man! so it is; And who, trow ye, is the cause of this? Envy. Who? Sens. Age, the devil him quell! Envy. Why, is Age now come in place? Sens. Yea, and that may ye spy by his face And ye mark it well. His stomach fainteth every day; His back crooketh; his head waxeth gray; His nose droppeth among; His lust is gone and all his liking; I see it well, by everything, He may not live long; And all maketh Age, as I said before. He is the doer, and what trow ye more This Age hath done? Envy. What? Sens. By my faith! he hath brought in Reason In such wise that, at no season, Nothing can be wrought But Reason must be called thereto: I fear me he will us all undo Within few days. As soon as Gluttony had espied All this gear, he would not abide; But went even his ways. Our master prayed him to tarry a season— Nay, nay, quoth he! now have I done; I may no longer tarry: For Age and I may not together dwell. And straightway he departed, fair and well. Bodily Lust stood by, And saw that Gluttony would needs be gone. Have with thee, Gluttony, quod he! anon, For I must go with thee. So that two be gone together; Came there none of them both hither? Envy. Never a one, that I see! Sens. Well, they be gone some other way To get a new master as soon as they may; They cannot be unpurveyed. And, as soon as they two were gone, Our master sent for Covetise anon, And heartily him prayed To await on him well for a year or two; And he hath promised him so to do, As for a year or twain; But Reason may not thereof know. Envy. Reason, quod a? no, so I trow! He will that disdain; But where hath Covetise been many a day? Sens. He dwelt with a priest, as I heard say; For he loveth well Men of the church, and they him also; And lawyers eke, when they may tend thereto, Will follow his counsel. Envy. So men say there, as I dwell. But, Sensuality! canst thou tell, Now in this case, What were best for us to do? Sens. Marry! I hold it best that we go Hereby, to some place, And semble together all our company; To hear their minds, by and by, And every man's opinion What shall be best for to do. Envy. By my troth, and be it so! I hold it well done.

Rea. Sir! I have ofttimes you advised To live virtuously, and showed you the way; And that notwithstanding ye have me despised, And followed Sensuality many a day. Will ye so continue? yea, or nay? If ever ye purpose yourself to amend, It is time; for your life draweth fast to th' end. Man. I cannot continue though I would; For Age hath wained me clean therefro. And yet, Reason! when ye me told Of this gear, many day ago, I thought little I should have come hereto, But had of your words great scorn and disdain. Would God that my life were to begin again! Rea. Speak not thereof! that may not be. A thing done cannot be called again; But the thing that most feareth me, On your behalf, I tell you plain, Is that ye would in nowise abstain From sinful lusts, as I willed you to do Till now that age compelleth you thereto. Man. That is full true, without feigning; As long as mine appetite did endure I followed my lusts in everything; Which now, by the course and law of nature, And not of my policy or good endeavour, Is taken from me for evermore: And so can I deserve no meed therefore. But notwithstanding this mine abusion, I trust that by the help of your good advice I may be made the child of salvation. Rea. Yes, and ye will, sir! on warrantise; So that ye utterly forsake and despise All your old servants, in will and deed, And do by my counsel. Man. Yes, have ye no dread! Rea. Then, my soul for yours I lay to wed; Ye shall do well—have ye no mistrust! And first, to begin with, I you forbid All manner of despair; and secondly, ye must Put to your mind and good will To be recured of your great excess; For, without your help, it cannot be, doubtless! As in this example: if so be the patient Of himself be willing to have any remedy, It is a great furtherance to that intent So that to the precepts of physic he apply; And whoso doth the contrary, no marvel, truly, Though he miscarry. What! should I bring Any mo examples for so plain a thing? Man. It shall be no need, as in this case; I know right well what ye mean thereby; And that will I follow, by God's grace! Rea. Then, as I told you, it shall be no maistry Yourself to comfort, and to have good remedy Against the great surfeits that thou hast done, By which thou hast deserved endless damnation. But do as I shall tell thee, and have no dread; And, for to give thee medicines most according Ayenst thy sores, do by my rede. Look! what disease is hot and brenning Take ever such a medicine as is cold in working; So that the contrary, in all manner of wise, Must heal his contrary, as physic doth devise. Right so whoso lusteth from sin to arise, Where he hath in pride done any offence, He can be helpen thereof none otherwise But only by meekness: that is the recompense. Again wrath and envy, take charity and patience; Take alms deed again the sin of covetise. And, to repress gluttony, acquaint ye with abstinence; Again foul lust of body, take chastity and continence. Much sin groweth by sloth and by idleness, And that must be eschewed by men of good business. Lo! these be preparatives, most sovereign, Against thy sores, which be mortal Unless that these medicines to them be lain. When thou hast received these preparatives all I will come again, if thou me call, And order thee further after my mind. Man. Yea, but where shall I these preparatives find? Rea. Thou shalt them find within thine own breast. Of thee it must come; it must be thy deed; For voluntary sacrifice pleaseth God best. Thou canst not thereof have help or meed But if this gear of thine own heart proceed. Man. Well, I shall endeavour me to the uttermost; And till I have found them I shall never rest. But how shall I know them? that wot I ne'er; I pray you show me that before your departing. Rea. It needeth not thereof to inquire: Thou shalt know them at the first meeting. Of two contraries there is but one learning; That is to say, when thou knowest well that one The other contrary is known anon. Then he goeth out and Meekness cometh in. Meekness. Whoso wotteth histories of scripture well Shall find that for pride and presumption Lucifer, which sometime was a glorious angel— For that his offence had such correction That both he, and eke many a legion Of his order—was cast down to hell By rightful Justice, perpetually there to dwell. Remember also Adam, the first of our line, What pain he suffered for pride and disobedience! Causeth he not a great decay and ruin, In all the progeny, for the same offence? In suchwise that he, and all that were born since, Be utterly disherited and put from paradise; And so we be made thrall unto sin and vice. And lost should we be all, of very justice, Ne had be that God of His merciful goodness Did us, soon after, with His own blood mainprize And us redeemed from pains endless; So that we do not disobey or transgress His high commandments, but demean us well After His laws while we here dwell. And forasmuch as man's nature Is frail, and lightly to sin will assent, Either of purpose or on witting peradventure, There the said good Lord hath him sent, Again every sin, a remedy convenient. For He ne would have one soul to be lore Whom He hath dear bought, as I said before. The root of all sin is pride, ye know well; Which is mine adversary in all that he may; Where I am in place he may not dwell. His malicious power I can right well allay; And teach every creature the remedy and way How to subdue pride; which no man can do Without that I, Meekness, must help thereto. Man. Then your help and counsel is necessary to me: Whereof, I pray you, with all heart's affection! Meek. All ready at hand—whosoever it be That lusteth to have me for his consolation. Man. I myself have sinned in pride and elation: Show me your counsel what way shall I take A due satisfaction for that sin to make. Meek. Thou must, before all thing, set little prize By thine own self; and take no heed Whether the people do thee praise or despise. Be thou meek in heart, in word, and in deed; Think not that thou wouldst any man over lead; Be soft and lowly in speech to every wight; And use none array that staring is to sight! Lo! in these three things only standeth pride If thou commit the least of them three. Man. From this day forth I will set them aside And follow the counsel that ye give me. Meek. Do so, and I will clearly discharge thee: As for the sin of pride, my soul for thine, Thou shalt be all whole if thou take this medicine. Then he goeth out. Man. Yes, I shall take it; think not the contrary! Now am I well eased, yet have I not done all.

Charity. There is no living physician, no poticary That can devise so sovereign cordial Again the sore of envy, which is mortal. No man living, I you ensure, Without my help may undertake that cure. For, I am called Charity, the salve for that sickness, Whom th' Apostle Paul commandeth singularly, In divers his epistles: I can well repress The rancour of Envy and give therein good remedy. Man. Then is your counsel to me full necessary: If ye be Charity ye are bound, doubtless, To have some compassion of your neighbours' distress. Char. Why, hast thou been envious before this day? Man. Yes, as God knoweth well! and that I rue sore. Char. Well, this must be the remedy—mark what I say: There is no sin that displeaseth God more Than doth this sin of Envy; and, therefore, If so be thou wilt thine own soul safeguard, Be thou never envious from this day forward. Also, that sin is to man unnatural; More than any other, in mine opinion. For all other sins—mark therein well— A man committeth with some delectation; But Envy is ever full of pain and passion, And tormenteth himself with sorrowful sadness When he seeth his neighbour's prosperity or gladness. He is never glad, nor taketh any solace But at his neighbour's harm, loss, or heaviness. He speaketh sometime fair before a man's face, And yet within his heart he is full of doubleness; For, behind his back, he will never cease With slanderous words, to appair his good name; And many a-falsely doth he report for the same. Ye know, sir! whether it be thus or no; But now another while to speak of remedy. If ye will be holpen, sir! thus must ye do: First, before all things, love God entirely; Next, that thy neighbour love as thine own body; That is to say, thou must thee to him behave And do him such courtesy as thou wouldst of him have. Observe these two things: and do no more In recompense of thy great trespass, Touching the sin of envy, rehearsed before. Man. To observe them well, God send me His grace! And I thank you for your comfort and counsel in this case: I shall myself endeavour according thereto. Char. God send thee His grace well so to do! `Then he goeth out [and Patience cometh in]. Patience. The remedy of wrath and outrageous ire Must needs come of me, and none otherwise. For I am called Patience, which quencheth the fire And flames of wrath: it is also my guise, By soft words and sufferance, to overcome mine enemies. Man. Now, welcome Patience, for whom I have sought! Help me with your counsel for His love that all wrought. Pat. This is my counsel: if thou wilt withstand Thy ghostly enemy, and this temptation, Thou must have me, Patience, ever ready at hand; Specially in suffering of worldly tribulation. Remember how Christ died, in time of His passion! There mayst thou learn how to be patient In any adversity that to thee shall be sent. And yet there may be no comparison Betwixt the least part of His pain And the greatest wrong that to thee can be done: Wherefore, thou, wretch! shouldst not disdain; But gladly thou shouldst thyself refrain From ireful passions, as I said before, Sith thou shalt have a reward in heaven therefore. Man. It is my full mind and intent, Hereafter, to do as ye me advertise. Pat. Now, He that all goodness to us hath sent, Send you His grace to demean you that wise! [Then he goeth out. Man. I shall do my good will, on warrantise! Now, who can me best direct, My slothful idleness for to correct?

Good Occupation. The sin of sloth I can well repress; And I shall teach thee to do the same. Man. How should I do it? Good Occ. By mean of me, Good Business, And so am I called, for that is my name. Idleness is never without sin or blame; By mean thereof much sin cometh in: For it is the very mother and mistress of sin. In eschewing thereof thou must ever use Some good occupation, in body or mind; And if thou do this my counsel refuse, So that the devil in idleness thee find, Then according to his property and kind He laboureth fast, by mean of temptation, To bring thy soul unto endless damnation. Therefore do some good occupation alway, As well with the body as with mind inward. And if thou do not this counsel obey, Thou shalt thine own soul greatly enjeopard. On that other side thou mayst be no coward, Nor fearful of penance, or other good deed, Sith thou shalt be sure to have heaven to thy meed. Man. This counsel is good; I thank you, therefore; My mind is well eased therein, be ye sure! Good Occ. Is there anything else that I can do more? Man. None to my knowledge, for ye have done your cure. Good Occ. See that ye wisely now put in ure.

Man. Yes, hardely think not the contrary! Sith it is to me so behoveful and necessary. Liberality. I am Liberality, the virtue cardinal; By whom is confounded the sin of avarice. Whosoever lusteth on me to call I am ready therein to give mine advice. Man. Sir! I pray you, in my most hearty wise, [Help] to reform and order my mind. Lib. First, thou must be sorry for the abusing Of temporal goods, before this day; Next, that I will advise thee, before all thing, If thou hast wrongfully taken away Any man's good, go without delay And thereof to thy power make due restitution; For erst shalt thou have of thy sin no remission. Man. Why, trow ye that I shall not be excused By alms deed of that offence? Lib. No, no, hardely! thou art greatly abused: Think not thereby to make recompense; For, by that alms, thou doest great offence And displeasure to God. Man. Why say ye so? Christ Himself bade that we should alms do. Lib. Yea, fore God! but that should be do Of well-gotten goods; else it is nought. Man. Well, I assent gladly thereto; As in that one point I am fully taught: Wit is nothing worth till it be dear bought! But what other amends shall I make, The foul sin of avarice to suage and a-slake? Lib. Thou must have compassion, and also be liberal Unto thy neighbour at his necessity. Man. I trow ye would have me to give away all, And leave myself nought! Lib. I mean not so, pardy! For that is waste and sinful prodigality. Take the midway, betwixt them two, And flee the extremities howsoever thou do. Thou must thy worldly goods so employ, In charitable deeds with due compassion, That thou mayest buy everlasting joy For the good intent of that distribution. Thou mayest also give them to thy damnation; As when thou doest it to win thereby Praising of the people, or some other vain glory. For, trust it well! thou must give a reckoning Of all the goods that come to thine use. The high Judge that knoweth all thing, To whom thou shalt thyself accuse, Without any appeal or feigned excuse ... in this case From whom thou canst not hide thy face. There shalt thou openly show and confess How that goods came to thy possession; What mind and pleasure thou had'st in riches; And why thou had'st therein such affection; What alms-deed or other good distribution; Or how thou hast these goods wasted or abused— There it shall be known: it cannot be refused. Then, as I said to thee before, Thou shalt receive after thy deserving: Joy or else pain to endure evermore. Man. Truly this is a fearful thing! Lib. Therefore, remember well my saying; Mark well my counsel, and follow the same. Man. If I did not I were greatly to blame!

Abst. The remedy of Gluttony I can well teach: I am ordained only for that intent. Man. And I have great need of such a leech; Your counsel to me is right expedient. Abst. Sir! if ye lust to be my patient, And take such remedy as I shall devise I shall make you whole of that sin, on warrantise! Man. What is your name? Abst. My name is Abstinence; And this other that cometh with me Is called Chastity, or else Continence: It is his guise, and his property, To follow me wheresoever I be; Likewise as lechery, that deadly sore, Followeth the beastly sin of gluttony evermore, Quia delicia sunt instrumenta voluptatis. But now to do that I came for. Again the sin of gluttony the remedy is this: Use scarcer diet than thou did'st before; Beware of superfluity and surfeit evermore; Take no more than sufficeth nature; Nor of delicate meat set thou no store. Now have I said all that longeth to my cure. Chas. And I must needs confirm his saying: For, as he rehearsed now right well, Glutting of hot meats and delicate feeding Causeth sinful lusts in a man to swell; And, over that, this is my counsel: Eschew idleness before all thing If thou wilt be chaste and clean of living. Flee also the company and the occasion Of that sin, which is damnable; As soon as thou feelest any temptation Put it clean away, by means convenable. Of all other sins it is most abominable; And soonest will thy soul endanger and blame— There be so many great sins annexed to the same. If thou list not, for fear of damnation, This sin to forbear; then, on that other side, Do it for love of thine own salvation. Think what rewards in heaven doth thee abide Which, if thou live chaste, cannot be denied. My wit sufficeth not to tell and express What joy thou shalt have for thy chaste cleanness. Man. I thank you both for your advice. And now would I speak with Repentance fain. Abst. I can bring you to him on the best wise. Man. Then will I await upon you twain; And after that I will come hither again, Trusting that God will send me the grace To comfort my soul with ghostly solace.

Rea. I hear say, to my great joy and gladness, That according to my counsel and advice, This mortal creature doth well his business To correct and forsake all his old vice. And that he is in good way, and likely to arise From the vale of sin, which is full of darkness, Toward the contemplation of light that is endless. Lo, sirs! are not we all much behold To our Maker for this great patience. Which, notwithstanding our sins manifold Wherein we daily do Him offence, Yet of His merciful and great magnificence He doth not punish as soon as we offend, But suffereth in hope that we will amend. He suffereth a sinner sometime to endure A long life in honour and great prosperity: It is a thing that daily is put in ure. And many a great danger escapeth he Where good men perish: this may ye see; And all because that He would him win And have him to turn and forsake his sin.

Oh, here cometh he that I look for. Sir! have ye done as I willed you to do? Man. Yea, that have I done; and what trow ye more? I have been with Repentance also, Which from my heart shall never go; For he brought me unto Confession; And anon I was acquainted with heart's contrition. They advised and charged me to do satisfaction; And so have I done, to my best power. Rea. Then art thou fully the child of salvation! Have good perseverance, and be not in fear; Thy ghostly enemy can put thee in no danger; And greater reward thou shalt therefore win Than he that never in his life did sin. And to the intent that thou mayest well Persevere and continue in this sure way, Or we depart hence, by my counsel, Let us by one accord together sing and pray With as humble devotion as we can or may; That we may have grace from sin thus to rise As often as we fall; and let us pray this wise.