THe three brethe­ren aforesayde, to witte, the Drunkarde, the Whoore­monger, and the Dice play­er, being come (according to appointe­ment) before the Iudges to plead their causes themselues, concerning the in­heritaunce of theire deceased Fathers succession: the Drunkarde first and for some consideration, stood forth and after silence was made, sayd in this maner.

I am not ignorante (righte honou­rable) with what weighte and im­portance, the present altrication and controuersie betweene vs three brethe­ren, is pursued & followed by meanes of oure Fathers last will and Testa­ment. By the whiche our vices must of necessitie, be openlye heard and vn­derstoode, and by reciprocall accusati­on, one brother must vnnaturallye and [Page] wickedly by constraint set vppon an o­ther, a deed no doubt greatly to be a­uoided: But he which hath (as hauing sequestred from him all honestie) ac­cording to the French prouerbe, once passed ouer the bridge of Gournay, or entered the Pïc bakers dore, that is to say, hath drunke vp all his shame, fea­reth not so much reproch and infamie, as he doth, hunger & beggery, but stai­eth himselfe vpon y^e Greeke prouerbe mencioned in Homer, and reported in Titus Liuius, that is, to dye for hun­ger is a most miserable thing, which thing hauing before mine eies & with the same, the pitifull complainte of Franclipeur in plautus, wher he thus cryeth. O miserie of miseries, to bee hungry, & not to haue wherof to feede or satisfie hunger, to the ende I maye auoide such a calamitie, & not be for­ced to stretch out my hand in begging (if by aduenture I should by your sen­tēce be disherited) I entēnd this day to pleade mine owne cause, on purpose by fallible reasōs & sufficiēt arguments to approue y^t our father ment not to dis­herite [Page 2] one of these my bretheren, but both of them, & I onely to be his succes­sor & heir, for so much as I am assured to proue y^t both of their crimes and of­fences do far exceede & surpasse mine, and to make it cleere and manifest vnto you, I am purposed to sette vpon both of them, to the intent y^t the vile filthi­nesse of the one beeing beaten downe, I may with one onely charge and ala­rome assaile the vile infamous life of the other, not forgetting neuertheles how sacred the name of inuectable bro­therhood is, neither how straightly the coniunction of brothers is bounde, nor how much one brother ought to loue an other. But at this present all the same is not so much of my part to bee obserued and kept, as beggery is to be contemned and auoided, beside there is of antiquity a prouerbe no lesse prac­tised thē cōmon, which is: neerer vn­to me is my shirt then my coate, by following of which euerye man com­monly loueth his own profit more then others. Wherfore (right honorable) not to hold you with to long an oration [Page] know you that our present strife is to vnderstand which of vs three Brethe­ren, as the most wicked & vicious, shall be depriued of our deceased Fathres succession, following the order of his last will and Testament, which of ne­cessitie and infallibly we must accom­plish & keepe, and you to the same, as to the onely marke, directe and areste your sentence.

Now to begin my assault, who is he that doth not euidentlye see that my brother the whoremonger is notably & especially marked as worthye for the vilenesse of his life, to bee disherited more thē any other. I cannot but con­fesse my selfe to be an excessiue bibber, marueilous desirous of strong drinke, as by the Scarlet coloure on my face and firie heate in myne eyes it is eui­dently to be seene: but though the same be a vice, yet is it much lesse then that of whoredome:Euery man giuen to thinke his own fault [...]east. for (speaking onelye now vnto the Whooremonger) is there any thing more vicious and infamous then to be tormented and incensed euen vnto the becomming Bedlem madde [Page 3] for the loue (if so I oughte to tearme lasciuious lust) of one or manye har­lots: and among such vile and infamous sowes not to liue so long, as to lan­guish and to imprison themselues, as in a most vile and filthie stinking hogs stye, and with those lewde Callottes and accursed queanes to chaunge their most desired libertie, into a moste vile and filthie subiection & seruitude wher and with whom they make shipwracke not onelye of good name and honour, (treasures moste precious) but also of health and goods, only there to attayne shame, infamie, misery, and beggery.

If all men, after Caesar in his Cō ­mentaries, naturally desyre to lyue free and at liberty, hating aboue all thinges to bee helde in seruitude, a thing most noysome and loathsome to all, cheefely to such as be noble and free borne: howe can wee sufficientlye and worthily blast out the execrable vice of the infamous Whooremonger or Ad­ulterer, who like to a brute beaste (for Whooredome or Adulterie transfor­meth a man into a beaste, sayeth Plu­tarch: [Page] and it is most neare to beastiali­tie sayth Erasmus of any vice, and farr more meete sayth Herodiā for a heard of swine thē for mē) goeth willinglye as it were headlong, & casteth himselfe into the gulph & bottomles bondage of an harlot, a bōdage sayth Socrates mē ­tioned in Plutarch moste vile and infa­mous, of whiche opinyon Cicero was also, saying: In his booke of age, shall I call or accoumpt that man free or at liberty, whom an harlot cōmandeth, or to whom such a one imposeth & giueth lawes? If shee aske, hee muste giue: if she calleth, he must come: if shee beck­eth, he must bēd, if she biddeth, he must auoyd: if she threatneth hee must trem­ble. No: such a one saith the moste elo­quent Orator, & famous Philosopher, in my iudgement ought not only to be called a slaue, but a most wicked, vyle, & filthy slaue, yea, were he issued out of y^e stock of Priam, or anye other more illustrius. But passe wee on farther, al those y^t be giuen to whordom, & ther­on setteth al their minds and thoughts as on their only ioy & felicitye, they be [Page 4] not only breakers, & disdainers of hu­maine lawes, but also of diuine pre­cepts, & that euen vnto their leauing & losing, both of y^e true knowledge & pure worshipping of y^e only almighty & omnipotēt God, to conuert & turne to y^e culture, & sacrifice of Idolls, & o­ther such like execrable abhominatiōs By harlots & whores, y^e wise king Sa­lomon became an adulterer: & for the same, as it is written in the booke of kings, all y^e realme of Israel fell wholy into y^e hāds of Ieroboam his seruāt, y^e stock & cities of Iuda excepted, whiche ramained vnder the rule of Roboam his son. By adultry many and sundry haue beene peruerted, & y^e sacred estate of marriadge so violated, as bastardes became possessors of y^e inheritance of y^e right begottē, through harlots childrē haue assailed & murthered their owne fathers and mothers, by adultry diuers wiues haue died & imbrued their hands in the blood & bowels of theire louinge husbands. By whordome many kings & princes, w^t their kingdomes & coun­tries haue beene betraied & rendred in­to [Page] to the handes of their enimies, euen by those of his owne Countrey, yea, often­times of their kindred, & their Townes and Citties sacked, and throwne to the dust. The moste wisest and learnedste haue become madde and foolishe, and the most vertuous, strong, and mag­nanimious haue bene made weake, and effeminate, and of men (euen lyke as by the poyson and witchcraft of Circes the cōpanions of Vlisses) haue ben trās­formed and tourned into swyne, and o­ther such kinde of Beastes. Whiche thinges well considered, is there anye to be found more worthy to be blamed, or more vicious and damnable then the Whooremonger, Adulterer, or for­nicator. Truste mee these kinde of li­uers aunciently by the lawe of the most iust God, were condempned to be pub­likely stoned to death among the chil­dren of Israell (as the most faulty) and it was executed as in Iosua it is to bee approued. There be two things great­lye desyred and esteemed among men, that is, renown and riches. For what thinge canne there happen during [Page 5] this life vnto menne, that is more pre­cious and deere, then renowne, and the Title of an honest and vertuous man, which thing, sayth the wyse man, is farre better then infinite riches, and vnto vs more permanente and lauda­ble then all worldly Treasures, yea what thing can a man wish or desyre to haue more noble, or more bright and honourable, then a good name, and glo­rious renowne: to attayne vnto the whiche, all labours perrils and daun­gers euen vnto death, are freelye and with a willing heart vndertaken, and borne with an inuincible courage, and constancie, as Horace that famous Authour affirmeth by these words fol­lowing, Thou Glory only doest heat both the heartes and minds of men: Likewise what greater contentmente is there to be found in the worlde. or what greater felicitie then a wealthye patrimonie, and aboundaunce of ry­ches, for the getting of which, the liues of men are continually in laboure and without rest, and that in suche wise, sayth Ecclesiasticus, as a number doe [Page] accompt it better to be without life, thē to liue in neede & pouertie, as who shoulde say, it is almoste impossible to support and suffer our liues to want that, whereof we haue had afore time aboundance. Now notwithstanding that those two things, renowne and riches, be so precious, excellent, and necessarie, and so muche esteamed and soughte for of all menne, yet is the whoremonger, adulterer and fornica­tor so wicked and euill of himselfe, as he nothing at all esteemes of them, but rather as one without any respect or care, doth willingly make ship­wracke of them: for this filthie lust­ing loue doth alwaies bring & drawe after it, dishonour and beggerie, the reason is forsomuch as y^e whoremon­ger or adulterer doth euer more slen­derly foresee or regard his goodes and fame, of which two things, when a man is once naked, especially of the last, that is, renowne or good name, he is then most vile and reprochful, and as an infamous person is poynted at with the finger of all men, as one vn­worthye [Page 6] to bee moned or lamented, be­cause that of his owne free will, as preferring like a brute beaste) lasciui­ous lust and lecherye, before vertuous humanitie, he plungeth himselfe into an execrable puddle of fylthines, wher­in both his goods and good name are so swallowed vp and deuoured, as he euer afterwards remayns lyke one bewrapped in miserye and beggerye: for besides so manye instructions both natural and euident, it is good reason saith the harlot in plautus, that infa­mie, reproch and beggerie should fol­low and pursue my company: Be­sides for me and for my sake saith she in Salomon, man shall bee consumed vnto a crumbe of bread, y^t is to say, who soeuer haunteth the companye of an harlot, shall wast his substaunce as it were Waxe agaynste the warme Sunne.

Also sayeth plautus, the Whore­monger accoumptes of his goodes as of drosse, for without anye regarde hee selleth and spendeth it awaye, for it is [Page] the propertye of these vylanous Har­lots, to waste and ruinate all, soule, body, and goods, and to bee so cat­ching, and shamelesse snatching, that they neuer cease crauing and taking. For euen as the lecherous desyre of the Whoremonger increaseth and spring­eth vp hote and insatiable within him, euen so is the importunitie of an Har­lot neuer satisfied nor fylled from as­king, catching, and drawing? for haste thou giuen her to daye, to morrow thou must also do the same, yea, sayth Plau­tus, so long as she seeth anye thing to bee gotten by thee, as money, or mo­neyes worth, she will with sweete hon­nye wordes in flattering wise seeke to content and please thee, and all the roomes in hir house shall be opened vn­to thee, and her seruauntes as slaues shall serue and obey thee, but art thou frowned on by Fortune? or are thy goods and substance gone and wasted? then farewell, fayre friendes haue good daye, for no longer Penny, no longer pater noster, thy credite is crackt, and thy former professed friendship, vtterly [Page 7] maimed, nay, sayth the Harlot, if thou bringest no mony with thee, thou comst in vayne to haue dalyaunce or coun­tenaunce of me. Besides, beeing so dis­furnished and powlde of substaunce, euerye one will flie from thee, and re­proche and sorrowe accompanied with greefe will pursue and follow thee, ba­nished from all estimation, as a thing by thee, and vnto thee, worthelye meri­ted, for sayth the Poet.

Likewise it appeareth, that the worthy Poet, and most famous Philo­sopher Hesiodas, went about careful­lye to aduertise and withdrawe vs, by these his verses.

Likewise, wherevnto tendeth all the Comicall Poets, or the end of their Comedies, for Comedie is nothing else after Cicero, alleaged in the Au­colastus of Gnaseus, then the myrrour and representation of humayne lyfe, saue onely to reprooue and blame this filthie shamelesse & abhominable loue, and from the same, as from a thing most vicious and infamous to estrange and turne all wanton youthfull folke, as also to bee an example and instruc­tion to flie and abhorre the baytes and allurements of these harlots, together their infinite cautels and deceptions, and as many daungers and euill haps as depend therevpon: beholde in the Merchaunt of Plautus, how the father with sharpe threatninges and verball rebukes, with all the force hee hath endeauoured himselfe to reuoke and vnwrap his sonne Charin oute of the snares & hookes of harlots, in which he [Page 8] was synfully snared, as knowing the same vyce to bee aboue all other moste pernitious and hurtfull, principally to youth, and generally to al ages. In the Turculent of the same Poet, sayth one named Getus, I cannot better resem­ble an harlot thē to y^e sea: bicause y^t shee deuoureth, like vnto y^e sea, al y^t she get­teth, & yet neuer will be satisfyed, giue vnto hir as much as thou wilt, & there shall nothing be seene either of y^e giuer or the receauer: for which cause Dio­genes in plutarche calleth the belly of an harlot▪ y^e Caribdes or gulphe of life, bicause y^t it swaloweth and glutteth vp al things, & is neuer content nor filled. Now Caribdes was a gulphe of y^e sea, & very dangerous, which swalowed vp only al that passed by it, neuertheles it afterwardes did vomite it out agayne. But as touching the insatiable bely of an harlot, neither y^e aire, y^e earth, y^e sea, nor y^e riuers suffice, but it swalloweth & deuoureth fields, castles, & houses, & neuer rēdreth or returneth anye thing backe agayne, whiche thing Argiripus knowing very well, though somewhat [Page] too late, for so much as hee had bene spoyled of all that euer hee had, in a brothell house, and afterwards cast out of it naked: he cried oute in his com­plaint, and sayd: O sea, thou art not the sea, but you O ye harlots are the same, whereon so manye thousande of yong youths sustaine shamefull losse & ship­wrack, for you suck & sip vp the blood of men, of whose laboures and trauayles you haue your houses most sumptuous­ly and gorgeously decked and adorned to theire shame, ruine, and confusion. Wherefore, sayth Plautus again in his Stico. Whosoeuer can eschew them, let them eschew them, whose name among the Auncientes, haue bene in such dete­station, as many fathers haue disheri­ted their Heires, because they yeelded their neckes to the yoakes of Harlots. The nature of whome beeing ingen­dered of Pluto and Tisiphone (sayeth Palingenius) is to promise Suger, and honny, but to giue nothing but bitter Gall and poyson.

Among the x. Commaundementes of Almighty God, this one is specially [Page 9] noted Thou shalt not commit adul­terie, by which words we are expres­ly prohibited and forbidden all man­ner of fornication, whatsoeuer it bee comprehended (as it is written in Augustin) vnder this word, Adulte­rie. The which commaundement is notably and very often reapeated in the holy Scriptures, by the onely mouth of God, his Apostles, and E­uangelists. Now then if it behoueth vs inuiolably, and infallibly, and that on payne of eternal death, to obserue, fulfill, and keepe the diuine Lawes and statutes, in which there is nothing forgotten needefull to our health: What sayst thou O Adulterer, O Whoremonger, O Fornicator, which against sayst the same, doest thou not see, or wilt thou not cōfesse thy vicious life to be farre more filthy & abhomi­nable thē mine? I will tel the, whore­dome was in old time so abhorred in Italy, as by the thirteenth Lawe of Romulus the first King of the Ro­maines, it was establyshed and per­mitted to husbandes and parents to [Page] kill or cause to bee killed after what manner so euer they would, theyr wiues or kinsfolkes taken in adul­terie, which thing thou neuer heardst any Lawe commaunde against any dronkard.

And although that Lycurgus, that King and seuere Law maker of the Lacedemonians, hath not written (as the Iurisconsull Baw [...]ow [...] in his Commentarye vppon the Romulan Lawes re [...]eth) neither made anye Lawe for whoremongers, possible it was bicause he thought that there woulde bee no whoredome, vsed in Lacedemon, where the people by meanes of his seuere Lawes, were most modest and content: neuer­thelesse the time of Romulus was not so, and therefore he wisely thought no Lawe to be more necessarie in a com­mon weale, then that against Adul­terers and Whormongers.

And yet Lycurgus peraduenture woulde haue aunswered, to them that hadde demaunded it, that hee [Page 10] omitted and left out that Lawe, bicause that hee hoped, that with great paine and difficultie it coulde haue indured with such seueritie. For what is it that Whordome dareth not doe? what is it that it vndertakes not?

What is that it doth not breake, vyolate and peruert? What is it that can restrane the lasciuious and lewd will or affection of sensuall and dis­ordinate men? Truely there was ne­uer Lawe more required, nor ofte­ner made and reapeated, neither more boldly and often broken and de­spised.

Which Lawe of Romulus, the auncient Germaines or Almaines see­med to followe: For among them as Tacitus writeth, husbandes were so permitted to punish their wiues ta­ken in adulterie.

Also by the Lawe of Iulius, it was lawfull for the Father, to burye his Daughter quicke, if hee hadde taken her in Adulterye.

[Page] Zeleucus likewise among manye other lawes which hee made to the Locrians, ordeined that the adulterer or whoremonger, what soeuer he or she were, should haue both his and her eyes put out, & as he would haue executed the sayd Lawe in the person of his own sonne accused of the same crime, and that the magistrates and citizens of Locres, in fauour of the vertues and deserts of his father, had compassion and pittie of the Sonne, and remitted and acquitted his of­fence, he neuerthelesse beeing a rare myrrour of Princely Iustice, desi­rous first to keepe the Law inuiolate, which he himselfe had made, caused one of his owne eyes and one of his sonnes to be put out.

Beside amongst the auncient Ae­gyptians, y^e whōremonger was whip­ped till y^e bloode followed, & the harlot had hir nose cut, to the end that by the same meanes (as Tauet writeth in his Cosmographie of Leuant) shee might be depriued of that part of hir face, by losse of which she presently [Page 11] lost all her bewtye whiche had leade both her, and the Whooremonger, her vicious louer to commit euil.

Thus loe by the Lawes and sta­tutes both of the Scripture and other­wise it is euidently approued, that the Whooremonger hath bene vsed to bee condemned to death, and to bee gree­uouslye punished for adulterye, whiche thing neuer was done vpon the Dron­kard: by whiche onelye argumente, O Whooremonger thou art iustlye to bee adiudged farre more worse and euill then I, and so by consequence depry­ued of our Fathers Landes.

And yet notwithstanding all these vices and inconueniences aboue na­med belonging to the whooremonger, tell me what is whooredome and suche vnhonest loue (if as before I sayde, I may tearme it loue) but onlye a meere madnesse, a forgetfulnesse of reason, a trouble of Councell, a corrupting of good and vertuous myndes, and a plucking backe of vertuous and Hea­uenly enterprises, to darke and earth­ly, nay rather hellish vsages, making [Page] men become euer more, complay­nours, quarrellours readye to ry­otte and anger, proud, rashe, sla­uishlye fawninge, vnprofitable for all thinges, yea finallye, for them­selues.

For the Whoremonger broy­lyng in the disordinate and insati­able desire of reaping his delight, after that hee hath during this hun­ting, loste and consumed long space of his time, in maddnesse, mour­ning, teares, sorrowing and lamen­ting, hee at the last, wasteth in suche manner, as miserablye (sayeth Alciat) beeing so wrapped and snarreled, hee whollye perisheth, whereby hee not onelye becommeth hatefull to all other, but also to him selfe, for then hee hateth to lyue.

O where is that so shamelesse an Whoremonger or so obstinate a Venerian warriour, or bolde Soul­dioure of Cupid, that these aduer­tisements will not enforce to blushe [Page 12] and sownde for shame, and that acknowledginge his owne infamye, with weepinge and wayling, trem­blinge and quakinge, will not con­demne himselfe as the moste re­prochefull and vile creature in the worlde.

Or if this will not suffice thee, O Adulterer, hearke yet what Va­lerius saythe in exclaminge agaynste thee.

What is there (saythe hee) more vycious and infamous, more infecti­ous and hurtefull, then whordome: the whiche as by Witchcrafte or In­chauntemente so farre transporteth the minde of man, that it throweth him from reason to beastialitye, ma­king him not only foolish, sottish and filthye mopish, but also so madde and witlesse, that hee willingelye nouri­shethe the Aspe in his boosome that bytethe him euen to the hearte, not feeling the poyson so neere.

By the which: Uertue is chaun­ged, Glory quenched, and good name [Page] killed, for it doth not al only consume and wast the goods belonging to the bodie, but also those most precious giftes belonging to the soule: in such manner, as it is harde to iudge, which of these two daungers are most to be feared, either to be taken of enimies or of harlotes, which miserie most wo­fully wrapped the Citie of the Volsi­ans in greuous calamities and shame­full infamies: for as soone as the same Citie, (which wontedly was the heade of Hetruria, no lesse garnished with good Lawes, manners and cu­stomes, then with aboundaunce of wealth and riches) was once brought into the bondes of filthinesse, it fell in and vnto the verye bottome of all wretchednesse, in such wyse, as it sub­mitted it selfe most slauishlye vnto the seruitude of slaues.

At what time also that the migh­tie King Xerxes, gaue himselfe ouer vnto luste and Whooredome, at that very same time, began both the ruine of himselfe and his Persian Monar­chie.

[Page 13]By Whooredome that mightie ta­mer of Monsters, and onely subduer of tyrantes, Hercules became so vyle and effeminate, that hee tooke a Distaffe and spindle, and with the same in the at­tire of a woman did spinne among wo­men, as hereafter I will shewe more at large.

Who, or what broughte that victo­rious and deadly vowed enimie of the Romaines, Hanniball to vtter ruine in Capua, and that moste famous King Priam of Troy, but onely Whoores, & Whooredome, the whiche also aliena­ted the good King and Prophet Dauid, from the feare of god, and prouoked him to murther.

Infinite of suche other like exam­ples of mightie Princes, and worthye personages I might and could alleage, which through that vyce of Whoore­dome, became soone infamous and most ruinous of goods and honour.

Likewise many glorious publique Weales, puissant Empyres and king­domes, yea the moste mightiest, sayeth Titus Liuius, therby haue ben brought [Page] to vtter ruine and desolation.

But because that bookes bee filledfull with such thinges, & that the same vnto vs al is so euidentlye knowne, I will as from superfluous matter, make my retreat, although to speake truelye, I cannot sufficientlye sette oute the abhomynation of the same sinne.

For the braue and gallant traine be­longing therevnto is: Effemination, Pusillanimitie, De­struction, losse, Ill happe, Infamie, Care, Greefe, Dolor, Sorow, Frenzie, Derision, Trauaile, Tribulation, Fol­lie, Filthinesse, Foolishnesse, Rashnes, shamelesse Malice, Couetousnesse, Sloth, Beggerie, Rage, Suspition, In­iurie, hate, Wrath, and Enmitie. To be short, as an other Poet sayeth, in speaking of the same infamous, and voluptuous loue, the cause of manye e­uils.

Loue (sayth hee) is a gulphe of euil, meaning lasciuious loue, for it assot­teth the wyse, it blindeth reason, it [Page 14] ouerthroweth houses, it shameth re­nowne, it ingendereth nothing but re­pentaunce, and yet it is but a Smoke, which dispearceth it selfe into wind in the ayre.

Likewise sayth hee, those lusting louers, (Lubbers he might haue ter­med them) are so tyed vnto theyre Harlottes, as their heartes, myndes, and thoughtes, are as it were impriso­ned within theire breastes, where they make them lyue and abyde in o­ther bodyes besides theire owne: in suche manner, as the Whooremonger maye saye with Plautus, where I am, I am not: and where I am not, my heart, minde, and thoughte is. To which the elder Cato agreeing in Plu­tarche, sayth. The Louer lyueth and dwelleth in the bodye of hys belo­ued.

Besides, wee commonlye saye in these dayes, the mynde and affection is rather there where it loueth, then there were it liueth.

If it bee then so certayne, that [Page] such villanous loue is no other thing but meere madnesse and furye, and that whooredome or adultery is nothing else but distruction and infamye, doeth it not appeare more then playnelye, that the Whooremonger is the moste vici­ous, and so muche the more to bee bla­med, because of his owne free will hee subiecteth hymselfe to so villanous and pernicious a vice, for the intertaining of whiche, hee committeth a thousande euils, carrying all that hee can catche or come by, vnto his polling mistres. mooued therevnto, by the wrath and iealousye that hee hath, leaste any of his companyons, or other as honeste as himselfe, shoulde shroude themselues betweene her sheetes, a suspition sure not withoute cause, for as it is writ­ten in Ecclesiasticus: The common woman is trodden downe vnder the feete of all passers by, as it were dyrt, and myre in the high way, for so much as it is not her nature and condition to serue onelye to one, but to intertaine manye, and of sundry Grapes to make hir Uintage, and fill vp her Barnes, [Page 15] for shee openeth hir mouth to drinke of all waters, and notoriously len­deth and selleth hir selfe to them that giue moste, resembling (saith Plautus in his Cistellarius) a great mightie Citie which cannot come to abounde in wealth without the vse and fre­quention of many men.

Thus by reasons before alleaged it is made manifest vnto you (right Honourable) how the whoormonger is not onely moste wicked and infa­mous, but also most filthy and vici­ous, aboue all other: in such manner, that the more I am moued against him, the more matter I finde still a­bounding to beate downe his vile ig­nomious life.

Wherefore I pray harken what the Mother of king Lamuel sayd.

My sonne, giue neyther thy selfe nor thy substaunce to these common vncomely Curtizans: for they bee the cause of many kings destruction, neither harken thou to their deceites, sayth the wise, for their lips are like distilling honnie: but the ende more [Page] bitter then gall. Their tongues cut as a two edged swoord: they walke not in the paths of lyfe, but their feet stretch vnto death, and their steppes vnto the pit. Make thou thy passage therfore farre from them, & beware of approching neere to their houses, for who so euer followeth them is foolish, & the gaine he getteth by them is▪ shame, reproch, & dishonour, which can no waies be done away againe, yea, to be short, whosoeuer is in y^e fa­uour of harlots, is lead by them as an Ore to the Sacrifice. Auoide them therfore, for by them the most migh­tiest haue binne slaine: Their houses are the wayes to death, and I haue found them saith Ecclesiasticus more bitter then death, for their handes bee meere hookes and limetwigs.

Whosoeuer will please God lette him eschew them, for he with whome the Lord is angry shal fall into their pits, and the sinner shall bee taken in theire ginnes & snares, through which many haue perished, refraine thy heart therefore from them, least thou [Page 16] also perishest with them, for the false sweetnesse and honnied flatery of an harlot, hunteth after the precious soule of a man, vnto his hurt and ru­ine, drawing the vnwarie and il ad­uised to goe towards them to theyr shame and distruction▪ for so much as it is y^e peculiar propertie of harlots to consume & wast al things in their filthinesse (sayth Alciat) which thinge is approued by the Acolastus of Gna­feus, when he cryeth out in complay­ning, saying: Thou whooredome, whō I haue had for my especial freind and companion, hast caried from me, both my gods, renowne, and frindes, lea­uing me in their places, thy daugh­ters, infamy and beggery.

Fly from fornication saith S. Paul: for al other sins, whatsoeuer man cō ­mitteth is without y^e body, but who committeth adultery sinneth within his body, & therfore shall not possesse y^e kingdom of God, wherfore I shalbe a sodain witnes against whormongers and adulteries saith the Lord in Ma­lachie, and theyr portion shall bee [Page] in the lake burning with fire and Brimstone.

Then seeing that the whooremon­ger is in such execration before God and men, it most euidently appeareth that the vice or sinne of whoordome is greatest, vilest, & most infamous of all other, goe your wayes therfore you whooremongers, or adulterers, goe your way and hide your loath­some heads, within the brothell hou­ses of your most lewd lasciuious La­dyes.

I was readye to conclude when there came mustering and marching before mine eyes, these most profita­ble aduertisementes of the most rare & learned Poet and Christian Philo­sopher Pallingenius. The which I thinke good, desent, and conuenient to alleage heere, translated as follow­eth.

Neither the Circes of Libia, nor the deuouring Silla, nor the rage of Cha­ribdis, nor any other thing in the world whatsoeuer it be, is so much to be detested, feared, and euited, as [Page 17] filthie fleshly pleasure, for alas to howe many destructions and ruines, doe that abhominable sinne leade menne vn­to.

How many renowned and valyaunt captaynes, how many Cities, Townes and kingdoms haue there ben brought to vtter decay thereby.

And to the ende I may not anoy you by citing so many examples.

This one which I will now rehearse shall suffice, and so I will ende with the whoremonger.

Who was euer more renowned and famous for his workes, then Her­cules, who euer ended mo noble actes them hee.

First being but a childe, he strang­led two horrible Serpentes by force of handes.

He brused and broke in sunder the bones of Lyons, and cut off the se­uen increasing deades of the Lerni­an monster Hidra.

He out ran by footemanshippe the mightie stagge of Menalon.

He ouercame▪ the fierce furious [Page] Bull of Crete.

Likewise the cruell kinge of Thrace was slayne by his prow­esse.

He subdued the Oxen of Iberi­des.

He brake the horne of Achelo­us.

He tourned the Strinphales. He wone the golden apples of Hes­perides. He brake the gates of Hell, and from thence he drewe the three headded hound Cerberus. He slewe the Erimautean borne, Cacus and Anteus.

Afterwardes he susteyned & bare vpon his shoulder (whilest the migh­tie Atlas for beeing wearie, tooke his ease and rest) the two neere fallinge Poles.

And yet notwithstandinge all these his inuincible vertues, he sla­uishlye didde quake and tremble at the commaundemente of a simple Ladye.

I praye you consider the case, hee that neither feared the wrath, ire, or [Page 18] filthy flames of Pluto, Megera, and phlegiton.

He that neuer quaked at the ter­rible lookes of vgly Charon.

He fearing oftentimes (most ef­feminatly) the blaming threates of his Mistres: in steede of a blacke warlike Morian, tooke one him the white kerchife of a woman, and in steede of his swoorde and Targotte, (most infamously) hee toke the di­staffe and spindle, and spanne threde all day, and at night as a seruile ser­uant hee rendered vp his taske to his Mistres among the rest, quaking for feare, least shee finding fault should chide or beate him.

O what infamie, naye rather what villanye was this, by which onely example, euery man maye easilye and rightly iudge that there is nothinge more contrarye to ver­tue then whooredome: Seing that by the same, wee beholde heere the ouer commer of Monstrous and Extirpatour of Tyrauntes, [Page] to be short, the most valyaunt and ver­tuous worthye that euer was, to bee most vilest beaten downe and broughte vnder the yoke and seruage of Ioele, a sillie yong Damsell.

Credite me I am abashed to beholde mē make no more account of the great­nesse of this vice then they doe, and that they consyder not howe muche it dis­pleaseth God, seeing with what gree­uous woundes and daylye plagues: withoute excepcion of person hee puni­sheth Whores, and whoremongers, as with scabbes, gowtes, pockes, balde­nesse, and other like lazares diseases, the due and ordinary rewards of whor­mongers, whose bastardes moste often­times sitte in the seates, and inheryte the lands of the true begotten.

Well I haue done, wherefore now vaunt yee, you Adulterers, vaunt yee hardlye, vpon you to common and vn­ruly adulterye, for seeing it is tyme to sounde retreate, I will conclude yeel­ding good and profitable mediocritye.

Aduertising thee, seing that among and with harlots thou doest willinglye [Page 19] wast and spend both thy time, honor, and goods, taking as it seemes delight and pleasure in following thy ruine and destruction, to confesse & acknow­ledge thy selfe to be, (as certainly thou art) the most vicious & reprochfull of vs three, which thing good brother I beleue thou wilt not denie, by fol­lowing the vse of such as thou art, which is, neuer to hide or keepe close their vice, but rather to vaunt & bold­ly boast of it. Thus hauing said suf­ficient against the adulterer, I will bend my peece towards the dice play­er, and with him I will skirmidge an other while with other newe exam­ples, vnto which I beseech you right honourable, to lend as attentiue eare as they shall by me be curiously and zealously set forth.

TO the ende I maye in like manner bring to open view the greatnesse of the Dice­players vice and infamye, as I haue done the same of the Adulterer, I beseeche you my Lordes, consider if there bee any thing more pernicious and vnhonest then that Game of Dice­playing (if the same bee worthye to beare the Title of a Game) the which is no other thinge, then a meere tor­mente: a conciliation of Theeues: a father of bloody thoughtes, a rack­ing of the interioure man, that is to say, a laboure of the minde, a repulse of vertue, a decaying of honestie, a rayser of anger, a kindler of blas­phemie agaynst GOD and men, and a breaker of friendship, vnto whiche accursed Game, whosoeuer is gi­uen [Page 20] or inclined, they are alwayes so­rowfull and disquieted with vexati­on, for wrath and dispight makes theyr faces pale and wanne, they al­wayes doe that which they haue to doe in furye and desperatly beeinge continually tossed & tormented with a malicious will, and consequentlye noted with open reproche: in such manner, as not without iust and great cause, all good authours haue condempned and reproued this game or playe, infaminge and blaminge all those that giue themselues vnto it.

Amonge which, that excellent Philosopher Aristotle, in the fourth of his moralls, verye sharplye doth followe theyr defame, callinge them infamous villaines, as giuing them­selues to all abhominable filthynesse.

All Law makers by theyr sta­tutes doeth reproue and punishe them seuerely.

The Iurisconsul [...]s haue a title, by the which penaltie is indited and constituted, not onely against those whiche playe at the Dice, but also [Page] those which make, lead, or moue any to play at them.

Likewise that y^e lawes prohibite them, Horace witnesseth by this his verse The play of dice, the law forbiddeth. &c.

Moreouer Cato teacheth and in­structeth vs to eschew them. Also the most auncient and vertuous Romaine senate, forbid it straightly by expresse decree: following the which, Lenticu­lus who played oftentimes, with the renowned Marke Anthonie at dice, was sharply reproued & condemned. The Author whereoff is Cicero (who calleth that man most wicked and euill, which commonly playeth and ordinarily spendeth his time among dicers, saying: that the congregation and assembly of them is most filthye and villanous.

The satiricall teeth of Iuuenal, not onely iustly, but iolily doth touch & bite them, and before him Plato (as Plutarch rehearseth) reproued & bla­med a yong man bitterly y^t had plaied at dice. To be briefe, y^e ordinary iudg­mentes [Page 21] cryminally executed vpon dice players doe sufficientlye witnesse how greate vicious, and punishable dyce­playing is.

O thou inuentor or deuisor of them, whatsoeuer thou arte (for to thee it is that I directe my speech) hearken vn­to me, thou haste not deuised or in­uented a place of pleasure, or of pas­tyme, as no lesse coakishlye then com­monlye men make accounte of it: but rather bloodye tormente and daunge­rous payne. The ende of which amonge a thousand inconueniences and euylles that happen, is, (after they haue dis­poyled men of their goods, honoures, and faculties, to prouoke and (almoste by force and necessitie) constrayne and thrust them, to the committing of mur­ders and theft, and so lastly moste mise­rablye and shamefully to yeeld vp theyr bodies as a praye to the hangman, and a moste infamous spoyle to the Gal­lowes.

But for so muche as we pleade not before vnlearned Iudges, or ignoraunt folke, I will a little stray abroade, and [Page] wander along the pleasaunt Riuers & greene flourishing groues, of such hu­maine documentes and disciplines as haue bene collected and taken of the moste fertil and delightfull studies of plato, which Prince of Philosophers sayth, that there was once in Ae­gipt one named Theuth or Theuthas, otherwise Tempungine, or Triuege­ste, whome some, onelye Cicero and Lactantius, affirme to be Mercury the fifte, to whom the bird called Ibis, was dedicated, which birde is like the stork, not that it is the same, the which fee­deth vpon Serpentes, and with the ende of her Bill or Beake, purgeth hir selfe behinde: wherby it is thought that some learned of it, y^t arte or prac­tise of Clisters: The whiche Theuth or Theuthas, firste deuised Geometrye, Astronomie, Arithmeticke, and Let­ters, and also Dice, for the which first foure inuentions, I worthilye thinke him worthye of greate honoure and commendation. But as I thinke him so for these foure, so I am of opinyon, that hee deserues no lesse reproche and [Page 22] infamie, for deuising and inuenting of the fith, which is Dice, for the great euill and hurt that commeh of theyr vse, being put in ballaunce agaynst the goodnesse and profite of the first four noble Arts is found to bee farre more heauie and waightie,

Notwithstanding Herodotus the father of Histories attributeth vnto the Lidians (a people of Asia y^e lesse) the first inuention of Dice: But be it that Theuth or Theuthas (after Pla­to) or the Lidians (after Herodotus) that were the inuentors, surely which of them soeuer did it, did deuise for men a most pernicious and miserable thing. For the vse & exercise thereoff, ingendereth in the hart of y^e diceplaier, a facilitie & inclination to al wicked­nesse & vice: In such wise, as many haue bene, & oftentimes are most fil­thie & infamous ends to themselues, and a sorow, greif, dolor and shame to their frindes & parents. The which no lesse elegantly then trulye, the worthie renowmed Bourbon Poet noted in these words following.

The Germaines or Almaines of an­tiquitie were such great & obstinate plaiers at dice, as not withstanding how earnest so euer their other af­faires were, they would thereat conti­nually exercise themselues, forgetting & neglecting all their other businesse, committing to the hazard and perill of that game all their goodes and fa­culties, and that oftentimes in such sorte, as being throughly heate with griefe of losse, when all other means to maintaine play wanted, they [Page 23] would lastlye hazarde their bodies and libertie.

So that the loser entred (as willing­ly) into miserable bondage and sub­iection of the winner, at whose will and for his profite the looser (were hee neuer so noble, yonge or strong,) suf­fered himselfe to be bound and soulde like a beast. Which thing saith Cor­nelius Tacitus was a great presumpti­on and pertinacitie, howbeit amonge them, they called it fayth or fidelitye.

Credite me, I cannot comprehende how so many men should come to bee so subiect and thrall to such a mysera­ble happe and hazarde, whether it pro­ceedeth of themselues, of Nature, or of the influence of Starres, and yet now I remember my selfe (if we may credite Firmicus Maternus) whatso­euer they be that haue their Horoscope and birth in the ninth parte of Libra, shall be hotte and hardie Diceplayers. O Starre moste daungerous, O com­plection moste calamitous, and O Planets moste cruell and pernitious: vnder whiche, and by whiche, men are [Page] borne to be Dece players, and thereby bound to the bondage of all vices. Woulde to God for my parte, that all Dice, with the games and pastime be­longing vnto them, I meane their cur­sed happe, miserye and torment (for in them there is not founde neither doth there proceede from them, any other thing) I would to God I say for my part, that they were altogether taken away, & remoued from men, to the ende that so the thousand inconueniēces, ca­lamities, hurts, & mischāces might be auoided, which the same vile and moste execrable game bringeth and draweth with it.

I pray thee, thou Dice player, tell me one thing truly, as often and when sooner thou hearest thy selfe called by that abhominable name, doest thou not blushe? or if thou knowest not what it is to blush, (for blushing is a signe of grace) doest thou not waxe pale and wanne?

Trust me, I had rather farre be called a drunkard, then either a whore­monger, or a Dice player.

[Page 24]For to be drunken now and thenEuery man flatters him selfe in hi [...] sinne. is a point of Phisicke bicause (as a Prusian Doctor writeth) by wine the strengh of the body is nourished and encreased, the courage quickened, the magnanimitie exercised, the bloud & naturall heate conserued, the debily­tie or weaknesse of the stomacke com­forted, the appetite caused, the vryne prouoked, and besides all the rest, it is a souereigne remedie against ve­nyms and poysons hurting by colde­nesse.

Also euen as Whoredome & Dice­playing are accompanied euer more with grife, sorrow, vexation, and an­guish, so to the contrarie, wine drink­ing, carieth with it delyght to the heart (saith Salomon) driuing awaye sadnesse, and clearing the darknesse of the minde, and is a very ready help a­gainst al cares & solicitudes, for it ca­rieth w^t it (saith Horace) rest & sleepe: calling it forgetfull (an Epithete ve­ry proper vnto it) bycause it causeth forgetfulnesse of all wrath and do­lour.

[Page]Therefore to be shorte considering the greate commoditye that commeth by Drinking, and the exceeding dis­commoditye by Whooredome and Dice playing, I conclude, that it can not bee, but that by obseruing the lawes and institution of our decea­sed Fathers Will, my Brother the Whoremonger, or both of them, as the Dice player, or both of them, as the most vicious and wicked, shall bee condemned, and I by your vpright and vnpartiall Iudgment, adiudged wheritour of the succession, for which presently wee contende, and so I ende.

[Page 25] RIghte honourable, Aesope in one of his Fables no lesse eligant and delighfull, then full of good Doctrine, and erudition, maketh mention of certayn men, carying by Sackes or Wallets, vppon theire shoulders, who in the Bagge that hanges before them, vse to putte all the little faultes and small crymes of other men, and in that bee­hynde theire backes their owne great and horrible ones, thereby giuing vs no lesse truelye then pleasauntly to vn­derstande that we willingly watch and carefullye take heede to the imperfecti­ons and faultes of our neighboures, as men by an naturall ill happe couered ouer with clere seeing eyes, much lyke vnto Argus & Linx: but to see, searche oute, and vnderstande our owne faultes and offences we bee as blinde as Bee­tles, and sleepy as Moles. The whiche with infinite other wee haue this daye especially and manifestlye perceyued in oure Brother the Drunkarde, who more then assotted and blinded in hys [Page] owne doinges, but moste subtile and watchfull in ours, casting his eyes vp­on our small biles, neyther seeth nor fauoureth his owne moste daungerous fistoles and deepe scarres, and so abu­sed in himselfe declayming agaynst vs twain his bretheren, & such like whor­mongers, and diceplaiers, as wee bee, hath not only maintained drunkennes by certaine small examples, touching the vertue of Wyne to deserue as it were excuse and pardon, but also in a manner to be desyred as a thing praise worthy. But wee will not any wayes hide or keepe secrete our vice, but frely & plainlye we confesse whordome, and Diceplaying to be two thinges very vicious and infamous, marrye yet not so muche as dronkennesse: the whiche we will sustaine and playnly approue, by inuincible examples & argumentes. Beseeching you, as you haue atten­tiuely heard our brother to complayne agaynst vs, so with willing affection you will doe the like on oure syde: to the ende that if in defaming and quib­bing other, he hath taken pleasure, hee [Page 26] in hearkening and feling the like, may be set beside his Cushions. Now to the ende, y^t by this we may begin, I saye, y^t man is not made and composed of soule onely, nor of body onlye, but of both of thē together, & therfore for y^t cause hee entertayneth and preserueth by great care and diligence the good dispositi­on and integritie of them both. As touching the soule, hee indeauoureth himselfe with all his force, to conserue it in the giftes of grace, diuinely be­stowed vppon it, whiche are the ver­tues: among the whiche, Prudence firste and principally glistereth, as the Sunne among the Starres, and tou­ching the body he giueth no lesse heede and care to keepe & preserue it in the gifts of nature, as in strēgth, agillity, dexterity, helth, & such like, & although both these gifts be so precious and ine­stimable, only y^t first (to wit of y^t soule, especially prudēce, which is the onelye art of life, without which it is impossi­ble for any to guide himself by reason) yet notw^tstanding al this, they be spoild & vtterly ouerthrown by drunkennes, [Page] For saith Plautus, Dronkennesse is no oth [...]r thing, then a meere and manifest hurt, neyther doeth it drawe after it (sayth the prophet Abacuc) other then defame and beggerye. Besydes, it is a thing greatly to be noted, y^t all such as are giuen to wine, howe excellente and perfecte workeman soeuer they bee in anye Arte or Science, they neuer wax rich, sayth Salomon.

Doeth not Dronkennesse depryue man of vnderstanding? doeth it not make him to becomme as one madde, and frentike, doth it not spoyle him of his brayne, banishing both reason and prudence from him, doeth it not steale awaye health, and ingender prodigali­tie, and consume honoure, it hath shame of nothing, it expulseth vertue it wast­eth renowne, it shiuereth Iudgement, and blindeth the minde, In considering of whiche, I cannot but greatlye mar­uell at the diligence and sagacitye of our forefathers, who no lesse learned­lye then wittilye, did tearme Wine by the name of T [...]ema, that is to saye, hol­ding or tempting the thoughte: and by [Page 27] consequente haue also named Dron­kennesse Temulenes, names no doubt very apt and proper, for the liuely ex­pressing of the effect of wine taken a­boue measure. For Dronkennes tos­seth & tourneth the minde & thought of man here & ther, casting it at plea­sure, like a ship vpon the wallowing waues,

O what vice more infamous and vnhonest can happen vnto man then dronkennesse, the which (after the opi­nion of Ennus Seneca, that dedly eni­mie to all vices) is a meere madnesse and voluntarie incensement. Is there any thing more villanous, or more neere to bestialitie, then for a man vo­luntarily & of will to throwe & alienate himselfe from himselfe, that is to say, from his vnderstanding and power, & to become without iudgement & rea­son, like vnto a childe of a yeare old? which thing the drunkarde doth ordi­narily and of vse, for so soone as the wine or strong drinke excessiuely ta­ken spread in y^e body, beginneth once to waxe hot and to boile, then euen as [Page] soone doth it beat downe and cast vn­der feete, y^• vigor or vertue of y^e minde, rauishinge & bereauing man of cou­rage and spirit, and that in such wise as he hath no vnderstanding or know­ledge what he doth.

[...]rust me it is the greatest iniu­rie that to a man may be done, to re­proue him of a wil to haue pleasure in foolish madnesse, and to saye that of himselfe he is such a one: for so much as it is the propertie of a man to seeme prudent and to haue his wit and vnderstanding at will, of which, dronkennesse is the onely decay and ruine. Wherfore not without cause hath Androcides sayde verye wisely that euen as y^e hemlocke is a venime & poyson vnto a man, so is wine vnto the hemlocke, signifiyng thereby, and giuing to vnderstand, that wine is vn­to man, a venime of venimes, or poyson of poysons. And truely if wee haue good consideration of the words and effect, venime is rightly no other, then a dimunitiue of wine, forsomuch as of it, more then of any other venime, [Page 28] proceedeth greatest euils & daungers, For who knoweth not that the super­fluitie and intemperature of Wine, ingendereth infinite euils & inconue­niences, to the preiudice and hurte of mans health, as well inwardlye as outwardly? From whence commeth these swimmings of the brayne, these head akes, this continual heauines to sleepe, this grife of stomack, these fiery eyes, this weaknesse of sight, this stif­nes of sinowes, this palsey, these stin­king breths, these hot burning agues, these vlcers in y^e legs, & thousand other such like, saue onely of dronkennes? which also maketh a mans going stūbling, staggering, & vncertein. For sayth Plautus, wine is a wily wrast­ler, & it first gets victory ouer y^e legs, To be short, of dronkennes cōmeth in­numerable sorts and kindes of sicke­nesses, and oftentimes intested death.

For which cause Dronkennesse is rightly called the nursse or Mother of diseases, and therefore so soone as anye one is fallen into anye sicke­nesse or disease, the Phisition the [Page] first thing that he doth, forbiddeth the patient to drinke wine, as the onelye roote and nourishment of sickenesse. Which thing Cicero approueth in his third booke of the nature of Gods, bi­cause that wine (saith he) hurteth the sicke very oft (yea very rare and sel­dome doeth it good to the healthfull) therefore is it much better to giue thē none at all, then any at all. For feare least vnder a dowbtfull and vncer­teine hope of giuing them health, ye giue them death, or some other certaine and assured greife or inconuenience? Beside y^t which dangerous accidents, infamies and aboue named miseries, the dronkard neuer makes an ende, vntill he hath prodigally spent all his goods and substance vpon the lyco­rous delicious wine, esteeming and waying it farre more deere and preci­ous then golde, siluer, or other met­tall, and with farre greater plea­sure and delectation he beeholdeth it, then hee doth either the Sunne, Moone, or other glorious parts of the Heauens.

[Page 29]Yea, finally (as it is dayly to be sene) without neede of other examples, Dronkennesse being euermore atten­ded and wayted one by griefe and sor­row, goeth infamously and shameful­ly to yeeld vp it selfe all naked, saith Salamon, into the handes and armes of his deere beloued companion, beg­gerie, with whom he euer afterwards remayneth, as estraunged, and voyde from good fame and honour, for which causes, euen in these daies, if any one offend vs, if we be dispo­sed to vexe and touche him as it were to the quicke, we presently call him drunkard.

And not onely in these our daies, but of antiquitye, men haue vsed to reproue men, by the detestable name. Achilles beeing moued very wrath­fully, with Agamemnon in Homer, coulde not deuise a more iniurious and bitinger name, by whiche he myghte shame and vexe him, then to call him Oenobares, a Greeke worde, which is as much to say, as taken or ouercome with wine.

[Page]The mother of Saint Augustine hauing ben reproued and quibbed by the same worde at the handes of hir handmaide, toke y^e same so grieuous­ly, that she neuer after would drinke any other then fayre water.

Besides, consider how many mur­thers, and vnnatural slaughters haue bene committed and perpetrated (yea oftentimes on their owne naturall parents and kinsfolk) by those of god Baccus his hand.

Wine (sayth Esdras) as a seductor and ouerthrower of vnderstandinge, causeth dronkards, to runne to wea­pones, and with them to kill one another, of which deed, afterwards when they are become sober and haue slept, they haue no more remembraunce then beastes.

That mightie Alexander, did hee not beeing drunken, kill euen at his table, that faithfull frinde and wise counseller of his, Clitus? did hee not as much also vnto his vertuous Phi­losopher Calisthenes, and to other his familiar and household acquaintance?

[Page 30]For whom after that hee became againe sober, he so mourned and la­mented their deaths, that he bitterly wept and wished to be dead him­selfe.

Who is ignorant of the great slaugh­ters, ruines & calamities that dron­kennesse hath caused?

By it, the most warlike and puis­sant nations y^t euer were, haue bene throwne and rendered into the hands of their enimies: it hath submitted the most proude and arrogant vnder the yoke of others, it hath ouercome and vanquished those, which at armes haue bene inuincible: it was the one­ly ouerthrowe of the Lapithes, a peo­ple of Thessaly, & most mightie war­riours. By it, the Siracusians fell into the handes of Marcel, and vnder the power of y^t Romaines. By it y^t horrible Massagetes were ouercome by y^t Persi­ans. By it, the pride of Babilon, came vnto y^e lot of king Cyrus. By it, the so famous & renowned citie Troy was finally brent & sackt in one only night by a small company of Greeks, for they [Page] founde them (vsinge the selfe same wordes of Virgil, buryed in wine and sleepe.

Drunkennesse inflamed the kinge Cambisus, vnto the murtheringe and killing of his good and faithfull coun­seller paraxa [...]pes, bicause that he told him of his drunkennesse.

Likewise the most valiaunt Kinge philip of Macedon, beeing in Wine, by iudgement, reuerted y^e ryght cause of a poore widowe: which widow per­ceiuing him to be drunken, with a free and bold voice, sayde vnto him: in cry­ing, I appeale vnto thy selfe, I when thou art become sober.

Also drunkennesse caused the cru­ell and monstrous Ciclops, poliphe­mus to lose his only eye by the hands of Vlisses, whome the same monster helde prisoner with other Greekes in caue.

Besides, right honourable, to the ende, y^t there may not remayne with­in your breasts one scruple or dramme of doubt, but that you may haue great reason on your sides to adiudge our [Page 31] brother the drunkarde the moste vile and vicious, and so by consequence to loose the inheritaunce of our Father, we are determined (following the ex­ample of our brother, who helped him­selfe with the opinyons and senten­ces of the best learned Aucthoures that hee coulde fynde, to alleage the lyke, for the iustice of our cause, and sette foorth the authorities and opinyons al­so of the best and moste approoued, that of Drunkennesse haue written and in­treated. A thing to wright, no lesse fruitefull and profytable, then vnto the eares of the wyse, learned, pleasaunte, and delightfull.

The Lacedemonians, who were so notablye well instructed in all ver­tue and modestye of life, by the lawes of Licurgus, neuer knew sayth Xeno­phon, what Wine was: as men drink­ing none, or if they drunke anye, it was with so much water, as it tasted nothing of wyne.

For the same worthy Lawmaker, moste straightlye for badde superfluous drinking and bibbing, vppon greate [Page] paines and punishments, as a vice, saith he, that doth both infect y^e health, the iolitie of the bodye, the nobilitie and integritie of the minde.

And yet notwithstanding he som­times permitted them to drinke, but alwaies vnder subiection of drinking very little and soberly.

Plutarch in his Apothegmes ma­keth mencion that the same Lacede­monians, fearing least their children shoulde run into the vice or sin of drun­kennesse, the better to estraunge & driue them from it, they caused oftentimes their seruants, (or as others say) por­ters or such kinde of men as vsed to be drunk, to be brought before them, to the ende, that their children seeing the beastly behauiour and filthy fashi­ons of those drunkardes, might haue the same vice in perpetuall horrour and abhomination.

The Persians aunciently (beeinge a warlike people) vsed to drinke no wine, but (saith Xenophon) their one­ly drinke was altogether pure wa­ter. Whose childeren sayth the same [Page 32] author, when they trauailed abrode, vsed ordinarily to carrye with them cuppes and pottes of earth, to drinke water in by the way, alwayes when they were thirstie, thinkinge (as no doubt it is) y^t to drinke when thirst enforceth, and that onely pure wa­ter, was no lesse profitable & health­full, then pleasant & delightfull, and that they did to auoid wine, wheroff by that meanes they had no desire or care.

The Aegyptians, they had of olde a certaine measure which was verye little, y^e quantitie whereoff they durst not exceede, when or whersoeuer they were drinking of wine.

Plato, Aristotle, Eusebius, and Ga­len, doe greatly commend and praise the Carthaginians law, by which it is denied to any whatsoeuer he bee, du­ring the time y^t they bee in campe, or in siege, or in y^t affayres of warre, to drinke any wine at al, but altogether do absteine from it, drinking all y^e time no other then faire water, as beeing of opinion, that by Wine men are [Page] made effeminate, and doe become ouer delicate and dayntye to beare anye la­bour or trauayle, and also that it doeth hinder and hurt as well the head Cap­tayne, as the souldyer, of that care, stu­die, policie, and diligence whiche they oughte to haue agaynste theire enni­mies.

Which consideration it should seeme did make the aunciente Captaynes, men of war, and Legionaries of Rome, being most worthy and valyaunt war­riours, to be sober in drinke: in suche wise as it is written of the Noble cap­tayne, Lucius Papirius Dictator, that beeing readye to giue battayle to the Samnites, hee made a solemne vowe that if hee obtayned victory ouer them, hee woulde drinke a Cup full of wyne to Iupiter, as who shoulde saye, that to doe so, it is a maruaylous straunge thing.

Cato likewise, whom thou O drun­karde, diddest often bringe in for thy purpose agaynste vs, returning victo­riouslye from Spayne, enuyroned with manye notable spoyles, accoumted it a [Page 33] great praise and glory vnto him that during the whole voiage and expedi­tion which he had made vnto the same country by Sea, he had drunk no other drinke then the same of the common marriners.

Caesar in his Commentaries re­hearseth that the Sweaues and Al­maines, a nation very warly, & y^• Neo­mans, at this day called Tourulsians, in old time neuer suffered wine to bee brought into their countries, bicause they thought that thereby the bodyes of men would be made feeble and vn­apt to endure labour and sweat, and y^t the vertue & vigor of their mindes and braines, did therby wax weake▪ their courages saint, and their hearts and strength towardly

Which though Homer went a­bout to approue when he introdu­ced that honour of knighthoode, y^e most valiant Hector, who apperilling him­selfe to passe out of Troy in battaile against the Greekes, sayde thus vnto Queene Hecuba his deere mother, let no wine be brought vnto me: to y^e end [Page] (after the intense of that diuine Poet) that it might not weaken or make him forget his accustomed force and vertue.

In following of whiche opinyon, Archidamus, a moste famous prince of the Lacedemonians sayd vnto suche as promised him sweet & delicate wine: To what end, seing that the more wee drinke of it, the more it maketh vayne of no force, the thinges appertaining to worthy valient men? a refusall & sen­tence, no doubt worthye the mouth of a Spartaine Prince, Plutarche in the A­pothegmes aforenamed rehearseth that Crates, & Thebane Philosopher, & dis­ciple vnto Diogenes, Cinike was gretly angry & vexed w^t Demetrius Falere­an Duke of Athens, because he had sēt him wine, which was nothing seruice­able vnto a man desirous of wisedome, and knowledge said he, whose modestye & sobriety, he being sent ambassador by y^t Thebanes vnto this Demetrius Fa­lerean, whom others named Poliocre­tes, so much preuailed as the same A­thenian Emperoure, seduced thereby raised his Campe from before Thebes [Page 34] which he then beseeged, vnto certayne other y^t enquired wherfore the Lacede­mōs so refraind & abstained frō wyne, drinking scarce any: (the Prince Cle­omines son to Anaxandrides, aunswe­red) to the end y^t others shoulde not bee troubled in counsayling of vs, but ra­ther wee others▪ Signifying by this wise & laconicall answere, with sharpe­nesse and sagacitie, mē being ouercome & laden with wine, are not apte nor ca­pable to counsayle well and wisely: but to the cōtrary sobriety is y^t only course and head spring of laudable enterpry­ses, good counsayles & their executions for it is alwayes accōpanied with pru­dence, diligence, & honesty, as to y^e con­trary. Ebrietie or drunkennesse is ne­uer without folly, sloth, & filthines, for so muche as there is nothing in this world more vnmeete for a man, then the same vice, contrary to al vertue, & ther­fore for y^t occasiō y^e Lacedemons, had it in such horror & execration, as only vn­to strangers at their feasts & collasions they gaue none but the hardest wine w^t Biscuit. It is also written y^t Romulus [Page] beeing at a sumptuous feast, was as­ked why he had drunke so littel: bi­cause, sayde he, to morrow it behoues me to talke on matters of great im­portaunce.

Also it is not without cause that the good modest Emperour, Marke Anthonie (whose historie Herodian begins) drawing neere his ende, was in a meruailous great care and pen­siuenesse. Least that his son Commo­dus (which very young should succeed him) should giue himselfe to ryot and drunkennesse.

It commeth now to my memorye that my brother the drunkard alledg­ed that he neuer heard of any law or statute that condempned the drunk­ard to death, but if he had turned the lease (as it was saide vnto the Nunne that reade but halfe the Sentence and leaft the other halfe vnreade for want of turning ouer the leafe) to reade a littel farther, he had found the contrary, for onely Romulus by him­selfe heeretoofore mencioned, did ex­presly ordeine by his thirteene lawe, [Page 35] that all women drinking wyne, should be punisht with death, like to the adul­terer, the which lawe or the like, long time before the building of Rome, was made and obserued, generally through oute all Italy: where women whollye abstayned from drinking of wyne, for feare least they being ouercome there­with, shoulde fall into shame and dis­honour, they being forbidden the same, vpon payne of death, with whiche they were punished without excuse, or excep­tion of person, whensoeuer it was prooued that they had offended: The author of whiche is Denis in his anti­quities.

The which law or custome (as Baw­doen, the Iurisconsull in his commen­taries aforesayd, vpon the Romulan Lawes affyrmeth) in Latiae a Region of Italy, was executed onelye vppon the queene Fawna or Fatua, Daughter to Pic of the Latins, and Sister and wife to Fanus, the king of the most an­ciēt Aborigenes, which queene hauing against the decencye of royall dignitye drunke so muche Wyne as made her [Page] drunken (was whipped to death with willow rods by the onlye hands of the king her husband in such great detesta­tion they had Drunkennesse there, and to the contrary, sobrietie in Estima­tion.

Likewise the wife of the Mecenian Egnacius (as Valerius reheareeth in his commentaries) was slayne by hir husband with whippes or wands in the caue or seller hard by the Uessell, oute of the which she had drawne the Wine that made her dronken.

For whose slaghter Egnacius not only remayned vntouched or reprooued, but also he was for the same highlye com­mended and praysed by Romulus, for it was his aduise and counsell that the sayd woman had iustlye suffered herre punishmente, for breaking and vyola­ting the bandes of sobrietie, notwith­standing the forbidding of his lawes.

In the Annualles of Fabius Pic­tuer, I read of a certaine widdow that was forced by her neere parentes and kinsfolke to sterue for lack of meate (in following the same law) because onlye [Page 36] she had opened the cubburd priuilye wherein the keys of the wineseller were.

Solon in his lawes affirmeth, that Prince to bee worthy of death which is approued to bee giuen to drunkennesse, or much drinking of wine.

Pittacus of Mittelene establyshed greiuous punishments against the dronkard.

Aeneas Domicius depriued his wife of hir dowry bycause that vnknowne to him she had dronke wine.

For the same cause the auncient Romaines following the institution of Marcus Cato (as himselfe witnes­seth, & Tertulian repeteth in the A­pologitica) vsed alwayes, and as of coustome, to kisse their frends & kins­women oftentimes, for no other oc­casion, saue onely to knowe if they smelt of wine, or not, to the ende, that if they were thereby taken in fault, they myght without fauour bee punished.

[Page]And no doubt to speake vprightly, all women ouermuch giuen to drinke, little regarding sobrietie, easily and lightly doe leaue y^t reine of continen­cie to follow & prostrate themselues to all vicious thinges. Furthermore, y^e lawe whereof we haue spoken before (made by Romulus, which lawe hee himselfe kept and obserued) hath not only ben kept & mainteined in Rome and Italy, but also in Greece, as Xe­nophon sheweth in the sayd commen­taries.

To which lawe agreeing Ze­leucus (of whome our brother also hath much vaunted him) among many o­ther excellent lawes that he made vn­to the Locrians, ordeyned & established that whosoeuer drunke anye wine without permission of the Phisition, should suffer death, wherof Atheneus & Elian are authors. Moreouer the graue Romaine Censor sayth, y^t if any woman doeth committe a vile or filthy offence, as drinking of Wine, she shall be punished sharply by hir husband.

[Page 37]And surelye this laudable▪ reason that women shoulde not drinke wine vnlesse their husbands license them, remained and stoode in effect and force a long time, among the best and most famous familyes or houses in Italy.

But passing from these prophane examples, I will a little enter among those of the sacred and holy Scrip­tures.

The most mightie, iust, and mer­cifull God, creator of all things, spea­kinge vnto his Minister of holye thinges, sayde: When thou enterest into the witnesse of the Tabernacle, thou, nor thy children shall drinke a­ny wine, nor other thing whatsoeuer that maye make you drunken, leaste that you dye the death.

In an other place by the same di­uine voyce this warning is expreslye repeated to all, ministring in his tem­ple, in the which besides wine ther is also comprised by these expresse words, Ale and Cider: by which words (Ale and Cider,) the Hebrewes vnderstand and signifie all sorts and manners of [Page] drinke, by which a man may be made dronken.

And the sayde interdiction was made to the ende that they might at­tende and watche more holylye and warely about the diuine Ministrie: which thing they had not done, nei­ther could haue done, had they bene ouercharged or laden with wine, the onely corruption and marring of the minde and thought, the deuertor and neglector of true worship, and the ve­ry bate or pricke of dissolution and intemperance.

For which cause the auncient Priests of Aegypt abstained wholly from wine, all the time of their sacri­fices, euen from the beginning of thē, vnto the ende.

That vessell of election, and most faithfull preacher of the truth Saint Paul, condempning dronkennesse, wil­led and ordeined (writing vnto Ti­mothie the firste Epistle) that among other things the Bishop should be so­ber, and not giuen to wine, Where­off the decrees make mention, in the [Page 38] place conteining these wordes: Thē Apostle condempneth the Priest gi­uen to wine.

And therfore his disciple Timothie dranke nothing but water, as his writing vnto him witnesseth, where he saith, let not thy drinke heereafter bee water, but for y^e health of thy sto­macke, and the sickenesse, with which thou art often troubled, vse a lyttle wine. Also in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the same most Christian Doctor saith, that dronkards shal not inherite the kingdome of Heauen.

For which cause Saint Hierome forbiddeth in a manner the whole vse of wine vnto Priests & Churchmen, writing and commaunding vnto his Neuew Nepotion, in this sort: Be­ware (saith he) that thy breath doth not smell at any time of Wine, for feare least approching nere any one, thou hearest this saying of the Philo­pher pronounced against thee: this is no kisse that thou presentest, but Wine, the sente of whiche, issu­ing out of thy mouthe, yeeldeth [Page] a most filthy smell.

The same holy man also forbid­deth by expresse woords, all Christian Uirgines, the vse of drinkinge Wine, commaunding them to eschew and abhorre it, as venime or poison.

The Esseans a people of Iudea, whose sect for their vertues haue ben so highly estemed by Saint Hierome, Philō, Iosephus, Eusebius, Plinie, and porphine, dronke no wine at all.

Was it not prophecied of that Prophet, and more then a Prophet, Saint Iohn Baptist, that he should not drinke strong drinke, to the ende that he might choose the good and leaue the euill? an argument most plaine & eui­dent that wine and strong drinke cor­rupteth & peruerteth iudgment and reason: and that a man ouercome therewith in steede of taking and choo­sing veritie and vertue, taketh & choo­seth falshoode and vice.

Salomon was of opinion that vn­to a king it was good to minister nei­ther wine nor stronge drinke, to the ende that he thereby might iudge the [Page 39] causes of the poore, with a more iust and sound reason.

Cursed be he saith the Prophet, that riseth early to make himselfe dron­ken.

We reade in Genesis, that dron­kennesse was the onely cause that Lot that godly man, committed ex­ecrable incest with his daughters, who els by noe meanes coulde haue drawne him to such an abhomination.

After the Deluge, as it is written in Genesis, as Noe first planted the Uine, first made wine and first dronk thereoff: so also he was the first that was made drunke therewith: where­by we may gather, that if wine was nothing fauourrable to him that first made it, what fauor should any other hope to finde in it saue the like.

Thus by sundry agitations and diuers troubles arising by excesse of wine and strong drinke, the thoughts of men are diuersly tossed and moued▪ some become madde and furious, full of noise, quarrels, and iniuries: others idle rash and carelesse, of all manner [Page] of worke and businesse, some raylors, and gybing Iesters: some vyle and vi­cious talkers: some merrye withoute modestye: some wrathfull withoute vertue or honestye. For wyne in force and efficacie is like vnto blacke Cho­lar, that is to say, of dyuers and varia­ble effects, and of many sorts and man­ners: which thing one of the probleme [...]octors of the most noble Philosopher Aristotle declareth, beeing as it see­meth, borrowed by Horace, thus wry­ting.

Whiche thing an other Poet also approueth writing of Bacchus, as fol­loweth.

Of lyke opinion is that Scythian Anacharsis, for he saith that the Uine beareth three sortes of grapes, the first of pleasure, the seconde of drunken­nesse, and the thirde of wrath and vyo­lence.

The lyke speache in manner hath bene vsed by Aesope ▪ howbeit y^t others say it came from the foresayde Ana­charsis, but be it whosoeuer ye will, it is certainly the woordes and sentence of a man both prudent and wise & these they be: The firste Glasse of Wine, belongeth to thyrste, the seconde to delyghte, the thirde to pleasure, and the fourth to furye or frensie. If then the fourth glasse of wine being dronke, doe make menne become madde and furious, what will become of them, that glowse and carowse, [Page] downe their throats, thirtie or fortie at a time? trust me not onely madde but most beastly and brutishlye mad, as: menne transported and alienated whollye from their right sence and vnderstanding.

For most certaine it is, that the more such drunkards doe drinke, the more desirous of drinke they be, wher­by their follye and ma [...]nsse doth the more increase.

And sure this alteration and hot desire of wine is no otherwise ingen­dred then by the vicious and exces­siue vse of drinking: vnto which they be so outragiously giuen, that it seemeth rightly, that such men (if it bee lawfull for me to call them men) are not borne, but onely to deuoure, and glowse, or glut vp wine.

Among which number, Nouelie a Millannon deserueth to bee put, who beeing a Consull during the time of Tiberius Cesar, and hauing droncke three Congies of Wine at one meale, (which Congie was a vessell aunci­ently conteining sixe Septiers,) had [Page 41] no shame to cause himselfe to bee cal­led and surnamed Tricongiarie, see­king to acquire renowne and fame, by a most vile, fylthie, and infamous vice.

But if dronkennesse bee so muche the more to bee blamed and abhorred by howe muche the more the partie or personage whiche is infected and noted therewith is raysed to honour & digni­tie, with what worthy note shall wee make the infamous Bonosus, that dronken Emperoure of Rome. Of whom Aurelian was wont to say, Bo­nosus is not born to liue, but to drink. Whose death was as honeste as his lyfe, for being vanquished by the Con­sull Probus, hee ended his dayes with an halter: of whome being hanged vp in the ayre, this Prouerbe went. This is no man that hangeth, but an Hogsheade: onelye because he had du­ring his lyfe, Tonned vp as it were whole hogsheades full of Wyne with in his belly, for which cause hee deser­ued perpetuall infamie.

Where to the contrarye, the moste [Page] vertuous Alphonsus King of Naples is worthy of eternall prayse and glory, for his being (among many other excel­lent vertues▪ to y^e example of al famous Princes) very sober in drinking, for he neuer did drinke any wine, but hee had three partes of water mingled with it, whiche argueth greate generositie in the said Prince: for the right noble mā which esteemeth of honour, will aboue all thinges haue dronkennesse in hor­ror, as a vice most brutishe, vile, and in­famous, the abhomination & filthinesse whereof, is impossible to be deciphered and also the euilles and inconueniences that comes thereof.

Because the Drunkarde is vnwise, (sayth the most sapient Salomon) and hath no honoure nor prudence in him, I am determined to alienate my selfe and abstayne from Wine: forbidding and warning vs (as the Apostle also doth) not to be like vnto them, whiche therevnto bee inclyned and giuen, neyther to bee assistaunt at theire ta­bles, nor at the meales or banquets [Page 42] of tumulous dronkardes: for so muche as of dronkennesse springeth dissenti­ons, quarrels, hates, rancours, and moste often, murthers, and slaugh­ters.

Yea, it is the deathe of Uertue: it is the forgetfulnesse and mis­knowledge of all honeste duetye, for in it, (sayth the Mother of King La­muell) is no secrecie, but it vtte­reth all thinges, for the tongue of a Dronkarde cannot bee healde, it also commaundeth the wyse as well as the foolishe, the learned as well as the vnlearned, and thereof commeth, Follye, Furye, Presumption, and pryde.

Also the reason why Denis (com­monlye called Bacchus) after the Ethnicks, the fyrste inuentoure of Wyne, is pictured or paynted with Hornes vppon his heade, is not be­cause the same goodlye God of dron­kardes, didde fyrste couple Oxen togi­ther, as Diodorus beleeueth, but bi­cause that only by his inuention, that [Page] is to saye, of Wine, and the outragi­ous vse thereoff, menne become hor­ned, that is to say, furious, and easilye moued to excesse and rash insolence.

For onely the moste poore and wret­chedest abiecte that is, if hee bee once ouercome with wine, hee then as for­getfull of his calling and qualitie, ta­keth hornes vpon him, sayth the Poet, that is, hee rayseth himselfe vp in all fiercenesse and presumption, euen vn­to the disdayning of the most noble and mighty, and like vnto Aesopes Crane, he compareth himselfe with his superi­ours and betters.

Also the same is to be seene in the most ignoraunt, sottish, and vnlearned, for beeing once vppon his Hornes, you shall presently heare him, bee it righte or wrong, vppon his Ergoes, philoso­phying agaynst Plato and Aristotle: or so encherubind, he will dispute obsti­nately on some other Art or Science, againste the best learned and moste ex­perimented menne that are in the world.

Yea, onlye the moste wicked and in­famous, [Page 43] if he be once dronken, he will boldlye intermeddle himselfe with the most honorable, and stande vppon his slippers against the honestest man that is.

For which occasion the Scithians wisely and wittily quibbing and re­prouing the Greekes Orges and Bac­chanales, (which were wont to cele­brate the Feaste of their dronken God Baccus, by excesse drinking of wine, in playing on Tabors, Timpanies, & such like dissolate dronkennes) deni­ed and disavowed that a God should be an inuentor of so pernicious and hate­full a thing (speaking of wine) seeing that men thereby become furious and frenticke.

Also Diogenes called such feasts and banquets as they celebrated to Baccus in Athens, the myracles of fooles.

And pallingenius following the same (in mocking also the Thebans, who gloried that Baccus was brone in Thebes, but Indie denyeth it,) cryed out: O you offspring of Cad­mus, [Page] why vaunt you of youre Orges and Bacchanales? Youre frenticke friskes and madde Daunces? youre Bacchus is no God, neyther did Semel conceyue him of Iupiter, but rather the blacke and furious Tartar, begate him on the moste cruell and horrible Furie, Megara. No, no, he is no God: for he himselfe is the disdayner and ha­ter of the Gods, and neuer can a dron­ken sacrificer, order the vse of a Sacra­fice orderly.

But who can rehearse the thou­sand thousand parte of the euilles, and inconueniences that proceede of this redde nosed God, for (sayth Salomon) to whome, happens care, dolour, ill hap, strife, wounds, wante of sighte, trouble of minde, and such like, saue onelye vnto those that haunte the Wyne Ta­uerne, and that studie and take delight to empty the pots.

Beware (sayeth he) howe thou ta­kest pleasure in beholding the Wyne sparckle or sprinckle in the Cuppe, or desire to taste & drinke it afterwardes [Page 44] morely corouslye or wantonlye, for be­sides that wee of oure selues, are too much inclined and readye thereto, the nature thereoff, is at the beginning so agreeable and well liking, as it slides downe mens throates with great sweetenesse and pleasure, but the tayle thereoff poysoneth and veno­meth much lyke the Serpent, in such manner that almoste by the vertue on­lye of the hot sparckles that proceedeth thereof, (much lyke to the Basilickes eyes, it beateth downe, ouercomes and casteth him that vseth it, into all oppro­brious ignomy.

Thou therefore, that dwellest alto­gether with the Wine (sayth the wise manne) arte like vnto him whiche du­ring the greatest storme, & rainiest part of a tempest, sleepeth in the top of the ships Maste, and is so tossed and tum­bled on the wallowing waues and sur­ging billowes of the raging Seas, as he is in iminent daunger of drowning.

The lyke whereoff, Homer in his Odisses rehearsed, happened vnto Elphe [...]or, who hauing dronke him­selfe [Page] dronken, brake his necke going downe a high hill neere vnto the Pal­laice of Circes, in following of Vlis­ses and his fellowe Grecians, whiche already were discended and nie embar­ked. Whiche thing himselfe after­wardes confessed for shorte tyme after, the same King of Ithaca fynding him in Hel, asked the cause of his comming thither, to whiche Elphenor aunswe­red, the Wyne whiche I dranke so excessiuelye whiles I lyued, did slay mee.

The same also, beguiling the strengthe of Holophernes, as it is written in Iudith, was the cause that hee loste his heade, by the hands of that good Matrone, whiche thing had not happened vnto that fearefull and dreaded Gyaunt, had hee reade and fol­lowed the saying of the Prophet Es­dras, where it is written: Wine is stronger then they that drinke it, for it conuerteth all oure fantasyes into an assured pleasure, it corrupteth iudg­ment, it maketh the thoughts of men vaine and ridiculous: those of little [Page 45] children, like vnto those of mightie kings: those seruants like vnto those of masters: and those of the poore like vnto those of the rich. For the drun­kard knoweth neither what he sayth, nor what he doth: thinketh and drea­meth, al his hie thoughts to be honest and lawdable: he maketh no accounte of King or Magistrate: he neuer spea­keth but by talentes and thousands: he neuer remembreth or esteameth of freindeshippe or brotherhoode: but to the contrarye, all furyous without occasion, and for a thing of naught he takes his sworde in hand: for strife and contention (saith Salomon) is in wine: and euen as fyre approueth the hard­nesse of yron, so wine argueth y^e hearte of the proud, being a biternes to the soule, & ingendreth in man by his ex­cesse: a dispightfull boldnesse & anger to all wrastlings: which thing is the right and peculyar propertie of an in­censed foole.

For which occasion wise and dis­creete men are sufficed with lyttle Wine, considering that against the [Page] force and violence thereof one canne resist, be he neuer so wise, graue, strong magnanimious, or of what estate or condition so euer. Thus gentle drun­ken brother, I haue made playne vnto thee the gallant, courteous, precious gifts, and excellent properties with the honest guerdons, and vertuous recom­penses of thy great God Bacchus, whō thou in hearte, adorest, worshippest, and tearest vp to the highest degree of gods.

But to the ende (righte Honoura­ble Iudges) that whiles wee render to oure brother the Whoremonger the like assaulte that hee rendered vs, wee appeare not immodest and su­perfluous wee will sounde a retreate, not denying, but freelye confessing to leaue manye thinges vnconf [...]ed, and vnaunswered, whiche our brother alleaged agaynste vs. Howbeit, no harde thing to doe: but wee doe not seeke onelye after that, for so to doe is the part of him that intendeth to iusti­fie himselfe, and to bee approued and found innocente, touching oure selues, wee meane otherwise, for wee will not [Page 46] hide our faults: neither will we, lyke vnto many other, excuse our selues, or say, we ar blamelesse, for certaine it is, that whooredome and dice playing are both so vile and vitious offences, as they are no lesse domageable then dishonest, and also the name of them are (as names filthy and infamous) to be auoided, notwithstanding to the contrary we will maintein & vphold y^e vice of drankennes to be far more grea­ter: then either y^e whoormonger or the diceplayer: for as we haue euidently showen before, not onely, honour and good na [...]e (y^e onely treasures of men) with goods and faculties, are consu­med & wasted by dronkennesse, but also the soule, health, and vnderstandinge, and the minde of man is troubled, [...]os­sed and grieued, & hurt thereby, euen vnto the making of him that vseth it, to become more vile then any brute beast, which thing our brother chiefly and es­pecially argued and blamed in vs, as a vice most greatest and most infa­mous of all other, and for such a one iustly, and with good resō did condemn [Page] & reproue it by the authoritie of ma­ny famous Philosophers, and worthy authors. Moreouer, besides the same afore rehearsed, whosoeuer will wise­ly and dilligently aduise & haue re­gard vnto the original soeuer and first beginning of all vices, & also to y^e ex­ercise and continuing of them, they shall finde that dronkennesse ought onely to be accused, and adiudged most worthy to beare the burthen & blame as the onely causer, kindler, & mouer, and procurer of men to all villanous iniquitis, and especially to fornica­tion, whooredome and adultery. For wine, sayth Titus Liuius, among ma­ny other excellent authors, followeth, draweth, prouoketh, & nourrisheth, the dishonest pleasures and desires of the flesh. The rest concerning the equitie of this present strife (right honoura­ble (lyeth in your fidilcie & prudence, vnto which we do commit our cause, be seeching you, if you do see euedently (as no doubt you doe as cleere as the Sun) y^t dronkennesse is the worst or more vile and infamous then whooredome [Page 47] or diceplaying, that you will dismisse our brother the dronkerde of oure fa­thers succession, for which our presente question is, adiudging the same vnto my brother the diceplayer, and to mee, by your iust and rightfull sentence, at which we conclude. Thus pleaded & concluded the parties, which done, the president arose vp on his feete to aske and require the aduice and opinions of the Iudges assistant. During whose counsell manye learned men and other of sundry estates and qualities theres present assembled, (who had heard and vnderstood the difference) murmuring and muttering with softe voyce, talked and vttered their aduises, euery one ac­cording to his fantasy: beeing all in a manner of diuers and contrarye opiny­ons, as naturally and commonlye wee be willingly included and giuen to fa­uour and excuse or hide our own faults and vices. Some hold with the Dron­kard, others with the diceplayer, but the greatest part with the whoremon­ger, as these here for the one, and those there for the other.

[Page]Many sayd, that they were all three as vicious the one as the other, and that it were therefore best and most expedient (notwithstanding the will of their father) that each of them did inherite his succession equally. There were others of opinion y^• sayde, y^• seing they were all so vicious & euil, that it were therefore good to disherit them al three. To be short, there was no one among them that agreed. The cause peraduenture was, for so much as each of them were perticulerly tou­ched, & infected with one of these three vices, or with two, or possibly with all three togeather. But at last among all the rest, there stoode vp one an aun­cient graue Gentleman, named The­ophilus Equicolus, who after he had made obeisaunce, sayd.

My Lordes, to speak in truth and vprightly, I cannot see nor perceiue, but that this iudgemente is of greate weight and importaunce, and not to be lightly looked vnto and let slip, also I doe not thinke the contrarye, but y^• these honourable Iudges before they [Page 48] giue a difinite sentēce, will haue great cōsideration theroff, but trust mee they should not be in this care & trouble if one of these bretheren were a couetous person: for such a one should presently be dismissed & put out of the succession (for which this present contention & question is) as the most vile, wicked, & infamous: not onely of th [...]se three, but of all other liuing, by a thousand, thou­sand reasons, examples, authorities, & inuincible arguments which myght be brought foorth & alledged against him onely among the rest (for al) these to witnesses of the Scripture wold suffice: couetousnesse is a seruitude of Idolls, which is y^e ground of al abho­mination & iniquitie: couetousnesse is the roote of al euil: & cheifly, sayd The­ophilus, couetousnes is the only poison & pestilence of charitye, without the which saith y^• Apostle, nothing profi­teth, bicause, (as y^e same Apostle sayth father) y^e charitie is of God, & god is charitie, & charitie is the ground of per­fection, & the ende of cōmaundement, wherfore follow it, & you shalbe clothed therewith.

[Page]Which opinion of Theophilus, all the assistantes togither with one voyce approued, condemning couetousnesse as the moste wicked and moste perni­cious vice that is vppon earth. But fy­nally, the officers hauing caused sy­lence to bee made, the same generallye kept, the president being returned from counsell, pronounced his sentence, by the whiche it was ordeyned: that the parties should correct and amend their plea, and giue replyes, and shoulde in­forme one an other, if it seemed good vnto them, within one month, for all prefixins and delayes, that the same beeing brought agayn vnto the court mighte bee ordered and adiudged accor­ding to equity and reason,