No More Learning

sayeth dede,
*
* In 112
II is
is
all as
is
to
do
in
he
in
ye
yeso to
he
at to
C.
2
I as
to
as
in
*|-o
in
he
so
to he
he
to to
at
he
he be
all
THE Fou R P's. \75
Policary. As longe as we lyste? nay, as longe as they can.
Pedler. So myght we lyve without you than. Poticary. Ye, but yet it is" necessary
For to have a poticary:
For when ye fele your conscyens redy,
I can sende you to heven" quyckly. Wherfore concernynge our mater here, Above these twayne I am best, clere;
And yf ye” lyste to take me so,
I am content: you and no mo Shal be our judge, as in thys case,
Whiche of us thre shall take the best place.
Pedler. I neyther wyll judge the beste nor worste;
For be ye bleste or be ye curste, Ye know it is no whyt my sleyght,
To be a judge in maters of weyght.
It behoveth no pedlers nor proctours,
To take on them judgemente as doctours: But yf your myndes be onely set
To worke for soule helthe, ye be well met; For eche of you somwhat doth showe
That soules towarde heven by you doe growe. Then yf ye can so wel agree,
To contynue togyther thre; And you thre obay one wyll,
your myndes may fulfyll.
Then
Who shulde goo pylgrymage” more then can
came one man,
palmer, debite,
May clerely dyscharde hym, parde;
-
that
And for other syns, ones had contryssyon, Your pardons geveth hym full remyssyon.
yet very, edit. 1569.
very] added edit. 1569. The first edition reads,
“And lyste take me so. ”
which C. altered the edit. 1569, right.
shulde goo pylgrymage] should
probably pilgrimage, edit. 1569.
ye, and
ois in
*117n°
In As
yf all
go on
of
to
it is
he 7
if he
all
to
in is
all as to
it is] it
ye
yeall
ye all
Y-
And then ye mayster poticary,
May sende hym to heven by and by. -
Poticary. Yf he taste this boxe nye aboute the pryme,
By the masse, he is in heven or even songe tyme. My craft is suche, that I can ryght well
Sende my fryndes to heven, and myselfe to hell.
But, syrs, marke this man, for he is wyse, *Who coulde devyse suche a devyse:
For yf we thre may be as one, Then be we to lordes everychone;
Betwene us coulde nat
myste,
THE Four P's.
To save the soules whome we lyste. But for good order, worde,
Twayne must wayte the thyrde. And unto that do agree,
For bothe you twayne shall wayt me.
Pardoner. What chaunce this, that suche elf
Commaund two knaves besyde himself? Nay, nay, my frende, that wyll nat be;
am good wayt the.
Palmer. By our lady, and wolde loth
To wayt the better you both.
Pedler. Yet sewer, for thys dout,
This waytynge must brought about. Men cannat prosper wylefully ledde: All thyng decay” where hedde.
Wherfore doutlesse, marke what say, To one you thre, twayne must obey. And synnes cannat agree voyce Who shall hed, there choyce
Who] Howe, 1st edit.
we] were we as, edit. 1569.
For bothe, &c. ] First edition reads,
For bothe you twayne shall wayt me. What chaunce this, that suche an elfe
Commaunded two knaves besyde himselfe.
Both editions have so, and the alteration was made
Dods. ley and followed Reed, although means necessary
the due understanding the passage.
things decay) thynge decayed, 1st, edit.
in
**119 be
I
*
of
at of a
it C. is
on
I all
be
s
no
byis it
beto I ye
all
by
by to
an
be
is is
noin no I is
on
be
of be ye
to on
of us
be
of
on
on
THE Four P's. 77
But to devyse some maner thynge, Wherin ye lyke connynge;
beste,
The other twayne make them preste,
And the same who can
every thynge Holy
hys entente, commaundement.
founde one mastry,” indyfferently;
And now have
That can
And nother sellynge nor byenge, But evyn onely very lyenge
. . . And all-ye thre can lye well, can the falsest devyll hell.
*And though afore harde grudge, greater maters yourjudge,
lyenge can some skyll,”
Yet
And
And
Where my consciens fyndeth the mastrye, Ther shall my judgement strayt founde, Though myght wynne thousande pounde.
Palmer. Syr, for lyeng though can
judge, wyll. you sure without flatery,
shall
Yet am loth for goo Pedler. Ye have mo” cause
For may here” uncontrolde.
fear, bolde,”
this have good avauntage, your comen usage.
lyenge well spedde,
For your craft doth stande falshed.
And
For lyeng
And you
Holy) Holly, 1st edit.
*one mastry] i. e. one magisterium:
sive the highest powers transmutation, for any masterly performance.
chymical term expres and sometimes used
mystery trade, which derived fr'om. the French mestier and that perhaps from
Mastery seems here used the sense
magisterium. See Warton Hist. Engl. Poetry. III. xxxvii. Both the old copies agree reading,
Yet in which has hitherto
can some skyll” n altered to
“I fectly intelligible.
phrase per the time and
bee
“Yet lyenge can boste some skyll. ”
word having been foisted aware that, skyll,”
the former editors were not
was
bebolde] beholde, edit. lt;69. may here] may here, 1st edit. may lie, edit. 1569.
*** mo) mot, 1st edit.
can some
*
**
*
of all yeye
In As
C. in
I
all
a if of
in
me
a
*
*In inII to
*II of ininin
be
lie to
to ye be
is
I
in be yf
is
ye
in
or C.
of
a
to I be
in is
doI be
at be
toa Iinas
as S. it. do
be
it:
do
be
ofto
\n
Ye nede nat care who shall begyn; For eche of you may hope to wyn.
Now speke threevyn fynde. Be agreed folowe my mynde
Palmer. Ye, by my trouth, am contente. Pardoner. Now, good fayth, and assente.
Poticary. denyed, were nody;
For
myne, goddes body,
[Here the poticary hoppeth,
THE FOUR P's,
Palmer. Here were hopper hop for the ryngef
But, syr”, this gere goth nat hoppynge. Poticary. Syr, thys hoppynge wyll hop
That my tonge shall hop better then my hele: Upon whiche hoppynge, hope and nat doute To hop” so, that shall hop” without it”.
well’
Palmer. Syr, wyll neyther boste
But take suche fortune may fall: And wynne this mastry,
wyll obaye you quietly:
And sure thynke that quietnesse
any man great rychesse,
any maner company,
To rule ruled indifferently.
Pardoner. By that bost thou semest dede,
brawll.
**
What can thy quyetnesse helpe nede? Yf shulde starve, thou hast nat, thynke, One peny bye one potte drynke. Nay richesse myghte rule the roste,
Beholde what cause have Lo, here pardons halfe For gostely ryches they have
boste: dosyn,
cosyn.
And more over me they brynge Sufficient succour for my lyvynge.
syr) sirs, edit. 1569. hop] hope, 1st edit.
The word omitted
rulde,
*here be] here are, edit. 1569.
rhyme.
the orieito
edit. 1569.
well as, 1st edit. hop] hope, 1st edit.
better]
the first edition, but
necessary
begger -
Cit beis
be orI
• InIn I
**1*
if all ye
in 1311%
a as I
I as
as is
for
in
to
be is I”ye in
noa
to byI of us 199I to a
ye
to to us
If all I Ito
we
yf ye is
Iat ne I a
2
it, so
in by
z
THE Four P's.
And here be * relykes of suche a kynde,
As in this world no man can to fynde,
Knele downe thre, and when leve kyssynge,
Who lyste offer shall have my blyssynge. Frendes, here shall evyn anone,
Hallowes the blessydjaw bone 13%, Kys hardely with good devocion.
79
Poticary. Thys kysse --~ mocyon.
shall - brynge muche pro
never kyst wars;
Hallowe's ars; thynketh,
|Fogh,
were
Tor That
Palmer. Ye judge any breth stynke,
Poticary. knowe Hallowes,
kysse the galows. Pardoner. Nay syrs, beholde, here may
The great toe the trinite,
Who thys toé any money voweth,
And ones may role his moueth, All hys lyfe after, undertake,
He shall never be vext with the tooth ake. Poticary. praye you torne that relyke aboute
Either the Trinite had the goute, elles, bycause toes one,
God made asmuche thre toes alone.
Pardoner. Well, lette that passe, and loke upon thvs.
Here relyke that doth nat mys
helpe the leste well the moste: This buttocke-bone of Pentecoste.
be] are, edit. 1569. can] may, edit. 1569.
All hallowes, the blessyd jaw-bonel All hallowes All Saints. Mr. Steevens, his note The First Part King Henry IV,
S. 2. remarks the absurdity appropriating word formed express community saints particular one the number.
He shall never vert with the tooth ake. . ] He shall ryd the toth ake, 1st edit.
Either] Other, 1st edit. asmuche] muche, 1st edit.
saynt savyour good kysse
Hallowes, yet Hallowe's breth stynketh.
Orels were tyme
Hallowe's breth unknowen your owne.
myne owne breth from
1*
***To Or**7
YfYe Of
199
in
* ye
be
onin it[I I to
I of all
be
ye se
a is is a a
to it
allby itall allas by
of as it it
of a
is
us
of
to l.
:
: all
on isintoitall ye 39 iii. is allI se
to of as me a as
of
A.
a
A.
80 THE FouR P's.
Poticary. By christe, and yet for your boste,
This relyke hath shyten the roste.
Pardoner. Mark well thys relyke here whipper,
My frends” unfayned, here” slypper
Of one the seven slepers sure”.
Doutlesse thys kys shall you great pleasure;
For these two dayes shall ease you, That none other savours shall displease you.
Poticary. All these two dayes nay, these two ere;
For also savours that may come here Can be no worse; for worde,
One the seven slepers trode torde.
Pedler. Syr, me thynketh your devocyon but
smal.
Pardoner. Small! mary me thynketh hath none at all.
Poticary. What the devyll care what thinke Shall prayse relykes when they stynke?
Pardoner. Heer eye toth the great Turke. Whose eyes ones sette thys pece worke, May happely lese parte his eye-syght,
But nat tyll blynde out ryght.
Poticary. What ever any other man seeth,
have devocyon unto” Turkes teeth For although never sawe greter,
Yet me thynketh have sene many better.
frendes] freend, edit. 1569. One the seven slepers
said have lived Being commanded
here] this, 1569.
sure. ] These seven slepers are the time the emperor Decian.
Ephesus
sacrifice according the Pagan manner,
mount Ceylon, where they fell asleep, and
they fled
continued
according
the emperor Theodosian, who, being informed this extraordinary event, came from Constantinople see them, and satisfy himself
the truth the relation. Having communicated him the several circumstances their case, they all, the Legenda Aurea
cave
that state 372 years, asserted some, though
others only 208 years. They awoke the reign
expresses “enclyned theyr hedes
“spyrites the commaundement “deyed. ” See Legenda Aurea, 196.
these thys, 1st edit.
th’erth, and rendred their our Lorde Jesu Cryst, and soo
- 114 to, 1st edit.
at it,
tointo of no
of
of
in to at I
so
is
be
as
of
to *
all
of
*
of a
142 140 to
I of all
to to
by : of he all is in ye a
of
.
I
I he be be
an at it inbe of a do
ofto aon be
to
as is
in 1 so is of ofIa a
is 2.
**
THE FouR P's. 81
Pardoner. Here is a box ful of humble bees,
That stonge Eve as she sat on her knees, Tastynge the frute to her forbydden.
Who kysseth the bees within this hydden,
Shall have as muche pardon of ryght, As for any relyke he kyst thys nyght.
Palmer. Syr, I will kysse them with
my herte. Poticary. Kysse them agayne, and take my parte,
For am nat woorthy: may, lette be,
Those bees that stonge Eve shall nat stynge me.
Pardoner. Good frendes, have yet here” thys glas,
Which the drynke the weddynge was Adam and Eve undoutedly.
honor this relyke devoutly, Although thurste whyt the lesse,
Yet shal) drynke the more, doubtlesse:
*
well, good Kysse relyke ;
[After whyche drynkynge
stande your hede Poticary. Ye mary, now presens thys the rest
shall mete
on your fete.
con" you thanke”;
blanke.
Wolde God thys relyke had come rather:
that father. Suche the payne that palmers take,
kysse the pardon bowle for the drynke sake.
holy yeste, that loketh full sowr and stale,
goddes body, helpe me cuppe The more beholde” the, the more
The oftener kysse the, the more lyke But sins kysse the devoutely,
ale. thurste
burste.
Hyre me” and helpe me with drynke tyll dye. What, muche prayeing and lytell spede
Ye, knoweth whan nede
Pardoner.
yet, edit. 1569.
147 con you thanke. ] See note vol. II.
146 can, 1st edit.
Gammer Gurton's Needle,
beholde] see, edit. 1569.
Hyre hear me, and afterwards we meet with this line,
“But answered you, and geven you hyring. ” vot, Is - G
e
C.
in
*148 145
orTo Ino soIis on
I
me is
II
of on yeye no
-
I be as
4.
34 to
to a
be
so
I is2
to of :
r
all
it
so
at
I
ye
I as ye
If Of ye
*
82 TIIE Four P's.
Tosende folkes drynke; but by saynt Antony,
I wene he hath sent you to muche redy. ] Poticary. have never the more for the,
thy relykes ryches me; thy selfe, excepte they
More benefycyall then can se.
Rycher one boxe this tryacle “9, Then thy relykes, that myrakell.
thou haddest prayed but halfe muche me, As have prayed thy relykes and the,
Nothynge concernynge myne occupacion,
But streyght shulde have wrought one” operation:
Then Nor
And value
So here lyeth muche rychesse
have boxe rebarb here, Whiche deynty dere.
pas you ace,
lytell space. So helpe me god, and hollydam,
Of this wolde not geve To the beste frende have Though wolde give me
For thoughthe stomake
dram
Englande's grounde,
pounde. abhor, pourget you clene from the color;
And maketh your stomake sore walter,
That shall never come the halter.
Pedler. Then that medycyn soverayn thinge,
To preserve Poticary.
ever Here have
man from hangynge.
wyll taste but thys crome that see, hanged never truste me.
diapompholicus,
-
speciall oyntement,
For fistela for Thys oyntement
doctours discuse, canker:
evenshot anker; tryacle] theriaca, remedy against poison.
Blount.
The word triacle also not used for *
unfrequently indeed any kind infallible powerful medicine.
one] in, 1st edit.
The word no addition, but found
Thys oyntement even shot anker. ] ought read sheet anchor. The sheet anchor
ship, and the last refuge mariners; for when that fails take hold the ground, the vessel left the mercy
balsam,
So) Addition. both the old
should suppose the largest belonging
A. It *I If to * * ** If
aI
to a I a as all tobe
yeye isinis of Ihe
isso bea as If
is
isa isa
ye is
I
to
ofI no
of
is
an
do
isof or If
of
I
I
or
to
do a it it xxin is
as
as
in nobeto isis ato soall
at isI in
of theto
we * or
ye -
C. a ”
to
THE Four P’s. + 83
For this medecyn to helpeth one and other,
Or bringeth them in case that they nede no other. sHere is a syrapus de Byzansis,
To lytell thynge is inough of this;
For even the weyght of one scryppall,
Shall 1* make you as strong as a cryppull. Here are other, as diosfialios,
Diagalanga and sticados,
Blanka, manna, diospoliticon, Mercury sublyme, and . netridaticon; Pellitory, and arsefetita;
Cassy, and colloquintita.
[These be" the thynges that breke Betwene manne's sycknes and his lyfe.
stryfe From payne these shall you delever,
And set you even Here medecyn Whiche comenly
reste for ever. molyke the same;
called thus name, Alkakengy,
Alikakabus
goodly thynge for dogges that "mangy.
Suche these medycymes, that can
dogge
! Nat one thynge here partycularly,
But worketh universally;
For doth me muche good when sell
the byers that taste smell
Helpe
wel man.
Now syns my medycyns And one operacion
speciall, generall,
ever they shall, that ryches am principall;
And redy worke when
any rewarde may entreat ye,
besech your masshyp good "me,
marmelade, Sofyne that you may dyg with spade.
Pedler. Syr, thanke you, but your rewarde nat the thynge that regarde:
And shall have boxe
storm. The sheet anchor was called and by the French maitresse ancre.
medecyn] oyntment, edit. 1569. be] are, edit. 1569.
to] unto, edit. 1569.
the ancients, anchora sacra
Wil,
be] are, edit. 1569.
154 Shall]
edit. 1569.
”***
Is
I IfSo As A
S. by 136
it
a to
or Iby
;
ye inallita is in bea
all
to
or
I I as as is at a no
I so as
ofbesobe a so it,
I it.
be
all
if,
84
THE Fou R P's.
I muste and wyll be indifferent. Wherfore procede in your intente.
Poticary. Nowe yf I wyst thys wysh no synne, I wolde to God I myght begynne.
Pardoner. I am content that thou lye fyrste.
* Now let us here of all thy lyes,
Palmer. Even so am I; now
say thy
worste. fewyst * can.
The greatest lye thou mayst devyse.
And in the wordes thou
Poticary. Forsoth, ye be
Pedler. There sayde ye muche, but yet no lye. Pardoner. Now lye ye bothe, by our lady.
Thou lyest in bost of hys honestie, And he hath lyed in affyrminge the.
Poticary. Yf we both lye, and ye say true,
Then of these lies your parte adew: And if ye wyn, make none avaunt, For you are sure of one servaunte.
an honest man.
You may perceyve the wordes He taketh your mashyp but for But who tolde truthe" lyed
gave,
knave. dede,
That wyll knowe *we procede. Syr, after that fyrste began
To prayse you for honest man,
When affyrmed for lye”,
Now, your fayth, speke even truely; Thought your affyrmacyion true?
Palmer. Ye mary, for woldeye knewe,
thynke my selfe honest man.
Poticary. What thought the contrary than?
Pardoner. that thynke from trouth
Policary. And what
now] and, 1st edit.
your mushyp) i. e. your mastership.
truthe] true, 1st edit.
for tolye) for lie, edit. 1569.
your] our, 1st edit.
thought Poticary. And thought
Pardoner.
god that dyed.
be] you are, edit. 1569.
or] ere, edit. 1569.
sayde the contrary, dyd nat vary.
my wordes? lyed.
“1°1"**
I
II
no
yeof
I In *I
16"
I, *ye by
ye in
in
a he
so
an
it an
I no or1% yll
II S.
or
by
byye ye
TIIE FouR P's. 85
Nowe have you twayne eche for hym selfe layde,
That none hath lyed, but bothe true sayd And twayne none hath denyed,
But bothe affyrmed that have lyed. Now syns bothe ye" the trouth confes, "How that Ilyed, doo bear witnes. That twain may soon agree,
And that the lyer the wynner must be, Who coulde provyde suche evydens,
have done this pretens?
Me thymketh this mater sufficient cause you gyve judgement;
And gyve me the mastrye,
For perceyve these knaves can nat lye.
Palmer. Though neyther" yet had lyed,
untryed;
For yet we have vysed nothynge,
But answered you, and geven you hyring.
Pedler. Therfore have devysed one waye, Wherby thre your mindes may saye.
For eche you one tale shall tell,
And whiche you telleth most mervell,
Yet what we can
And most unlikest
true,
Shall most prevayle, what ever ensew. Poticary. set mervaylynge,
mervaylouse thynge. And though dede nat true,
Yet suer the most parte shall new. dyd cure longer ago,
But
Then shall here
Anno domini millesimo, woman yonge and fayre,
On
That never have sene
God save all women that lyknes. This wanton had the fallen syknes,
gayre.
none] one, edit. 1569. yel your, 1st edit. How, &c. ] First edition reads,
And that we both my lye
That twayne thre newther] nother, 1st edit.
from, 1st edit.
witnes, one agree.
unlikest] unlyke, 1st, edit.
110* ** of
I To As aI
of us
us in
of
70 a so
a be '99 all to
I deis
so *
*
be
of us as
ina
as yeto
of all
of I ye do
of us
'so
no
in yeIf of
to
in
be on be
I
:
86 THE Fou R P's
Whiche by dissent came lynyally, For her mother had it naturally: Wherfore this woman to recure,
It was more harde ye may be sure.
But though I boste my crafte is suche, That in suche thynges I can do muche:
How ofte she fell were muche to reporte,
But her hed so gydy and her helys so shorte, That with the twynglynge of an eye,
Downe wolde she falle evyn by and by.
But or she wolde aryse agayne,
shewed muche practyse muche my payne.
For the tallest man within thys towne
Could "* nat with ease have broken her swowne.
Although for lyfe dyd nat doute her,
Yet dyd take more paines” about her, Then wolde take with my owne syster.
Syr,
the last gave her thrust thampyon
glyster: her tewell,
heevy
And bad her kepe for
But knew there 174° was
That sure was wolde nat tary:
cary,
vice. —A tewel (tuyau tuyal, Fr. ) pipe; and the sake continuing the metaphor) for bore
his Mechanick Exercises, defines the tewel smith's forge into which the nose the bellows
here used (for caliber. Moxon,
be that pipe introduced; and
jewell;
or] ere, edit. 1569.
17* Could] Shulde, 1st edit. paines] payme, 1st edit.
trust thampyon her tewell The allusion gunnery. Thampion (tampon, Fr. bung, cork, plug wood) now writ
ten tompion, and signifies the stopper with which the mouths
cannon are closed up, prevent the admission rain, sea water, whereby their charges might rendered incapable ser
Ms. fragment, said written Sir Francis Drake, con cerning the stores one the ships under his command,
“master shippe passinge while the court lay theare, and
“meaning (as the manner is) with sayle and shot honour “place, unadvisedly gave fire piece charged with stone
“stede tampion, which lightinge the Quene's house “ranne throughe chamber, and did further harme. ”
applied gun.
word tewel
Lambarde's Dictionarium Topographicum Historicum, 129.
said, “It happened the reigne Quene Marye, that
a
of itI to or a it
to by
a in
a
it
is In a
I I
in
a to ofbe
to in
it
in in
'7*
I II atII
of of is of aaa
'7'
a S. of is or to
no
on of
a be
'7°
&
to
is or
of
to
by
to
to
a to
p. of or
in inthe the the a
of
is of is
is
'7" 17
a
I
THE Four P's. 87
For where gonpouder is ones fyerd,
The Thampyon wyll no lenger be hyerd :
Whiche was well sene in tyme of thys chaurice, For when I had charged this ordynaunce, Sodeynly, as it had thonder'd,
Even at a clap losed her bumberd 17°.
Now marke, for here begynneth the revell: This thampion flew x longe myle levell,
To a fayre castell of lyme and stone, For strength I know nat suche a one, Whiche stode upon a hyll full hye,
At fote wherof a ryver ranne bye,
So depetyll chaunce had it forbyden,
*Well might the regent there have ryden.
But when this thatmpyon at this 77 castle did lyght,
It put the castel so farre to flyght,
That downe they came eche upon other,
No stone lefte standynge by goddes mother,
But rolled downe so faste the hyll In suche a nomber, and so dyd fyll
From botom to bryme, from shore to shore, Thys foresayd ryver, so depe before,
Our antiquary writes like one unacquainted with his subject, no man, I believe, ever talked of charging a gun with a tampion ; neither would the said tampion (consisting of a piece of hard oak)
have done much less mischief than a stone, if pointed f-rom the Thames at the Queen's Palace at Greenwich. S.
17* there] Addition in the 2d edit.
bumberd] piece ordnance.
Wellmyght the regent there have ruden] The Regent was one
the largest ships war the time King Henry the Eighth.
the fourth year his reign, Sir Thomas Knevet, master the horse, and Sir John Carew, Devonshire, were appointed captains
her, and company with several others she was sent fight the French fleet near 13rest haven. An action accordingly ensued, and the Regent grappled with French Carrick, which would
have been taken had not her falling into the hands room. This communicating
gunner board the vessel, prevent
the English, set fire the powder
the flames both ships, they shared
the same fate together, being both burnt. On the part the
French 900 men were lost; and that the English more than
700. See Hall's Chronicle, tempore Henry VIII. fol. 21, '77 this] thys castell lyght, 1st edit.
on
in
A
on of
a to
S.
of
to
to
of
In of
of on
of
of
to
a
of of in
of
of
*17*
88
THE Fou R r's.
That who lyste nowe to walke thereto, May wade it over and wet no shoo. So was thys castell layd wyde open,
That every man myght se the token.
But in a good houre maye these wordes be. spoken
After the thampyon the walles was wroken, And pece pece peces broken.
And she delyvered, with suche violens,
Ofall her inconveniens,
left her good helth and luste;
And she doth contynew, truste.
Pedler. Syr, your cure can nothynge tell;
But your" purpose have sayd well.
Pardoner. Well, syr, then marke what can say
pardoner many day, And done greater cures gostely,
have ben
dyd bodely.
Namely thys one, whiche shall here,
Of one departed within thys seven yere, frende myne, and lykewyse
To her agayne was frendly who fell syke sodeynly,
That dede she was even and by, And never spake with preste nor clerke,
Then ever
whyt thys holy warke; For was thens, coulde nat be,
Nor had
say she asked for me.
bethought me howe thys chaunced,
have heven avaunced So many soules me but straungers,
And coude nat kepe my frende from daungers,
Yet harde
But when And that
daungerously, For her soule helth especyally;
these] this, edit. 1569.
your] our, 1st. edit. line,
The edit. 1569 has this
“And done more cures ghostely. ”
But she
C.
I
* *9'78
A I
to III no so of he a of dy
in
by
:
so
it of
in
to to
so
* as
by
:
ye
a
ye II
-
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II
I
17°
to
so
in
on
Wherto they sayd, she came nat here
Then ferd I muche it was nat well; Alas, thought I, she is in hell;
THE Fou R P's. 89
That was the thynge that greved me soo, That nothynge could release my woo, Tyll I had tryed even out of hande,
In what estate her soule dyd stande. For whiche tryall, shorte tale to make,
I toke thys journey for her sake.
Geve ear, for here begynneth the story:
From hens I went to purgatory,
And toke with me thys gere in my fyste,
Wherby I may do there what I lyste. I knocked and was let in quyckly:
But Lorde, how lowe the soules made curtesy; And I to every soule agayne
* Dyd gyve a beck them to retayne,
And axed them thys question than,
If that the soule of suche a woman Dyd late amonge them there appere 2
For with her lyfe I was so acqueynted, That sure I thought she was mat saynted.
With thys it chaunced me to snese;
Christe helpe, quoth a soule that ley for his fees. Those wordes, quoth I, thou shalt mat lees;
Then with these pardons of degrees, payed his tole and set hym quyght,
That strayt heaven toke his flyght,
hell that nyght, myght;
And from thens help this wonan
Nat who sayth
But the waye
And fyrst the devyll that kept the gate
came, and spake after this rate.
All hayle, syr devyll, and made lowe curtesy: Welcome, quoth he, thus smillyngly.
Dyd gyve cations has that
beck them retayne] beck among other signifi salutation with the head. So, Shaks
S.
authorite,
entreate.
peare’s Timon
“A serving becks, and jutting out bums.