class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="|" id="pgepubid00079"/>this mery conceite, that you name too bee so sage a matter.
H. Thei whiche gaue their studye and diligence to colour and set furth the preceptes of Philosophie wyth subtil fables, declare y^t there was one Tantalus broughte vnto the table of the goddes, whych was euer furnished wyth all good fare, and most nete and sumptuous that myght bee, whan thys straunger shoulde take hys leave, Iupyter thought it was for his great liberalitie and highe renoume, that his guest shuld not depart wythout some rewarde, he wylled him therfore too aske what he woulde, and he shoulde haue it: Tantalus (forsooth) lyke a verye leude and foolyshe person, for that he sette all the felicitie and pleasure of man in the delectation of the bely, and glotonye, desired but only too sytte at suche a table all the dayes of hys life, Iupiter graunted him his desire, and shortly his vow was there stablished and ratifyed. Tantalus nowe sytteth at the table furnyshed wyth all kindes of delicates, such drinke as the goddes druncke of was set on the table, and there wanted no rooses nor odours that could yeoue any swete smel before the Goddes, Ganymedes the buttler or one lyke vnto hym, standeth euer redye, the Muses stande rounde aboute syngyng pleasauntly, mery Silenus daunseth, ne ther wanted noo fooles too laugh at, and breuely, there was euerye thynge that coulde delyght any sence of mã but emongist all these, Tantalus sytteth all sadde, syghyng, and vnquiet with hym selfe, neither laughing nor yet touching such thynges as were set before hym
SPVDE. What was the cause?
HED. Over his head as he sate there hãged by an heere a great stone euer lyke too fall.
SPV. I woulde then haue conueied my selfe from suche a table.
HEDO But his vowe had bound hym too the contrarye, for Iupyter is not so easye too intreate as oure GOD, which dooeth vnloose the pernitious vowes of menne, that bee made contrary vnto his holy woord, if thei bee penitent and sorye therfore, or elles it myght bee thus, the same stoone that woulde not suffer hym too eate, would neither suffer hym to ryse, for if he had but ones moued he shuld haue been quashed al in peeses with the fall thereof.
SPVDE. You haue shewed a very mery fable
HEDON. But nowe heare that thing, which you wil not laugh at: the commune people seeke too haue a pleasaunt life in outwarde thynges, where as noothyng can yeoue that, but onely a constant and a quiet mind: for surely a far heuier stone hangeth ouer these y^t grudge with them selues, then hanged ouer Tantalus: it only hangeth not ouer them, but greueth and oppresseth the mynde, ne the mind is not troubled wyth any vayn hoope, but looketh euery houre to bee caste in too the paynes of hell, I praye you what can bee so pleasaunt emongist all thinges that bee yeouen vnto man, that coulde reioyse the mynde, whyche were oppressed wyth suche a stoone?
SPVDE. Truely there is nothyng but madnes, or elles incredulitie.
HEDO. Yf younge menne woulde weygh these thynges, that bee quyckly prouoked and entised with pleasure as it were wyth the cuppe of Circes, whiche in steade of theyr greatest pleasures receiue poysone myxte with honye. Howe circumspecte would they bee too doo anye thynge vnaduisedly y^t shoulde grudge their mindes afterward? What thinge is it that thei would not doo too haue suche a godly treasure in store against their latter daies? that is a minde knowyng it selfe cleane & honest and a name that hath not been defiled at any time. But what thyng now is more miserable then is agee? Whan it beholdeth, and loketh backward on thinges y^t be past seeth plainly with great grudg of conscience howe fayre thynges he hathe despiced and sette lyght by, (that is, howe farre he hath discented and gone astray from the promyses made vnto God in baptime) & agayn, how foule & noughty thîges he hath clipped and enbraced, and whã hee looketh forwarde, hee seeth then the daye of iudgemente drawe neere, and shortely after the eternall punyshemente of of hell.
SPVDE. I esteme theim most happie whych haue neuer defyled theyr youthe, but euer haue increased in vertu, til thei haue coomne vnto the last puincte of age.
HEDO. Next them thei ar too bee commended that haue wythdrawne theim selues from the folie of youth in tyme.
SPVDE. But what councel wil you yeoue agee that is in suche great myserie.
HEDO. No man shoulde dispayre so long as life endureth, I wyl exhorte him to flee for helpe vnto the infinitie mercye & gentilnes of God.
SP. But the longer y^t he hath liued the heape of his synnes hath euer waxen greate and greater, so that nowe it passeth the nomber of the sandes in the sea,
H. But the mercies of our lord far excede those sãdes, for although the sande can not bee numbred of manne, yet hit hath an ende, but the mercie of God neither knoweth ende, ne measure.
SP. Yea but he hath no space that shall dye by and by,
HEDONI. The lesse tyme he hath the more feruêtly he should cal vnto god for grace, that thyng is long inough before God, whiche is of suche power as too ascende from the yearth vnto heauê, for a short prayer forsoth streght entreth heauê, if it bee made with a vehemêt spirit. It is written, y^t y^e womã synner spoken of in the gospell did penaunce al her life dayes: but with how fewe wordes again did the thief obtain Paradise in the houre of death? If he will crye with hearte and mynde, God haue mercie on me after thy great mercie: