قراءة كتاب A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 3
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اللغة: English
الصفحة رقم: 5
and rail
At such holy mysteries and matters so high,
As thou speakest of now, and rail'dst at so lately!
New Cus. What mean ye, sir, or to whom do you speak?
Art you minded on me your anger to wreak,
Which have not offended, as far as I know?
Perv. Doc. I speak to thee, knave; thou art mad, I trow.
What meanest thou to rail right now so contemptuously
At the chiefest secrets of all divinity?
New Cus. Verily I railed not, so far as I can tell,
I spake but advisedly, I know very well;
For I will stand to it, whatsoever I said.
To recant thy words, I hold thee a pound,
Before thou depart hence out of this ground.
New Cus. No, that shall you not do, if I die therefore.
Perv. Doc. Thou shalt see anon, go to, prattle no more,
But tell me the effect of the words which were said.
New Cus. To recite them again, I am not afraid:
I said that the mass, and such trumpery as that,
Popery, purgatory, pardons, were flat
Against God's word and primitive constitution,
Crept in through covetousness and superstition
Of late years, through blindness, and men of no knowledge;
Even such as have been in every age.
Perv. Doc. Now, precious whoreson, thou hast made a lie;
How canst thou prove that, tell me by and by.
New Cus. It needeth small proof; the effect doth appear.
Neither this is any place for to argue here.
And, as for my saying, I hold the negative:
It lieth you upon to prove the affirmative;
To show that such things were used in antiquity,
And then I can easily prove you the contrary.
Perv. Doc. Standest thou with me on school points? dost thou so indeed?
Thou hadst best to prove me whether I can read;
Thinkest thou I have no logic, indeed thinkest thou so?
Yes, prinkocks, that I have; for forty years ago
I could smatter in a Duns[12] prettily, I do not jest;
Better I am sure than a hundred of you, whosoever is the best.
New Cus. Truly I believe you, for in such fond books
You spent idly your time and wearied your looks:
More better it had been in books of holy scripture,
Where as virtue is expressed, and religion pure,
To have passed your youth, as the Bible and such,
Than in these trifles to have dolted so much;
Not more to have regarded a Duns or a Questionist,
Than you would the words of the holy evangelist.
Perv. Doc. What, for a child to meddle with the Bible?
New Cus. Yea, sure, more better than so to be idle.
Perv. Doc. Is study then idleness? that is a new term.
New Cus. They say better to be idle than to do harm.
Perv. Doc. What harm doth knowledge? I pray thee, tell me.
New Cus. Knowledge puffeth up, in Saint Paul you may see.
Perv. Doc. Yea, but what knowledge meaneth he? tell me that.
New Cus. Even such knowledge as ye profess flat;
For the truth and the gospel you have in contempt,
And follow such toys as yourselves do invent:
Forsaking God's laws and the apostle's institution
In all your proceedings and matters of religion.
Perv. Doc. By what speakest thou that, let me hear thy judgment?
New Cus. Not by any guess, but by that which is evident.
As for the scriptures, you have abolished clean;
New fashions you have constitute in religion; again,
Abuse of the sacraments than hath been to-fore,
Have you brought, and in number have you made them more
Than Christ ever made: wherefore show your auctority,
Or else have you done to the church great injury.
Th' apostles never taught your transubstantiation
Of bread into flesh, or any such fashion;
Howbeit they were conversant every day and hour,
And received that sacrament of Christ our Saviour.
You feign also that Peter was bishop of Rome,
And that he first instituted the seat of your Popedom:
But, perverse nation, how dare you for shame
Your fancies on Christ and th' apostles to frame?
Perv. Doc. Marry, avaunt, Jack-sauce and prattling knave,
I will conjure thy coat, if thou leave not to rave.
With all my heart and a vengeance, come up and be nought:
I see we shall have an heretic of thee, as I thought.
These things were approved, ere thou wast born, dost thou not see?
And shall be, when thou art hanged, I warrant thee.
New Cus. Ere I was born! nay, sure that is not true,
For in comparison of me they be but new.
Perv. Doc. Of thee! ha, ha, ha! what, of thee! thou art mad.
