THE

PROLOGUE.

'L thinges be not foe as in fight they doe feeme,
What fo ever they refemble, or what ever men deeme.
For if our fenfes in their owne objects us do fayle
Sometimes, then our judgemente shall but little availe
In fome thinges, as fuch, where doubt geveth deniall
Of them in the best wife to make any triall.
Which fayinge is evident, as well fhall appeare
In this little Enterlude whiche we present heare;
Whereby we may learn how grofly we erre,
Taking one thinge for another, which differ fo farre
As good dothe from badde. Example therefore
You may take by these perfons if you marke no more.
For the primitive conftitution, whiche was fyrst appointed
Even by God himself, and by Chreft his annoynted;
Confirmed by th' appoftles, and of great antiquitie:
See howe it is perverted by manne's wicked iniquitie,
To be called newe Cuftome, or newe Conftitucion,
Surely a name of to much ungodly abufion.

Which our author indifferently scanninge in his minde,
In his fimple opinion this caufe hee doth finde;
That by reafon of ignorance which beareth great faie,
And alfo fubberne doctrine, which shutteth up the waie
To all good inftruction, and knowledge of right:

No marvell it was, though of the trueth we were ignoraunt quight.

For truely in fuche a cafe, the matter was but small,

To make the ignorant fowle to credite them all,

What fo ever they faide, were it trueth or a lye.
For no man able was then to prove them the contrarie.
Wherefore their owne fanfies they fette in great prise,
Negledinge the trewe waye, like men farre unwise.
Making femblant of antiquitie in all that they did,

To th' intent that their fubtiltie by fuche meanes might be bid.
Newe Cuftome alfo hath he named this matter verilie,

In confideration that the people fo fpeaketh commonlie,
Confuting the fame by reafons moft manifeft,

Whiche in confequent order of talke are expreft.

This fence bath our Author followed herein, as we faide,
For other meaning, morcover hee will not have it denaide,
But diverfe may invent muche diftant from this,
Whiche in no wife be wil have prejudiciall to his,
Nor his unto theirs, whatsoever they bee,

For many heades, many wittes, wee doe plainely fee.
Onely hee defireth this of the worshipfull audience,
To take in good parte without al manner offence,
Whatfoever shall be spoken, marking the intent,
Interpreting it no otherwife but as it was ment.
And for us, if of pacience you lift to attende,
Wee are readie to declare you the matter to the ende.

NEW

NEW CUSTOM E.

ACTUS I.

SCENA I.

Perverfe Doctrine and Ignorance entre.

Perverfe Doctrine.

T is even fo in deede, the worlde was never in fo evyll a state.

IT

But this is no time for us of these matters to debate.

It were good wee invented fome politike waie

Our matters to addreffe in good orderly staie.
And for us, reason would we looked to ourselves.
Do you not fee howe these newe fangled pratling elfes
Prinke up fo pertly of late in every place?

And go about us auncients flatly to deface?

As who shoulde fay in shorte time, as well learned as wee,
As wife to the worlde, as good they mighte accoumptid bee,
Naye, nave, if many yeers and graie heares do knowe no more,
But that every pevithe boye hath even as muche witte in store:
By the maffe then have I lyved to long, and I would I were
dead,

If I have not more knoweledge then a thousande of them in my head,

For how should they have learning that were borne but even now?

As fit a fighte it were to fee a goose fhodde, or a fadled cowe,
As to hear the pratlinge of any foche Jack Strawe.
For when hee hath all done I compte him but a very dawe.
As in London not longe fince, you wot well where,
They rang to a Sermon, and we chaunced to be there.
Up ftart the preacher I thinke not past twenty yeeres olde,
With a founding voyce, and audacitie bolde,

And beganne to revile at the holie facrament, and tranfubftan

ciation.

I never hearde one knave or other make fuche a declaration. But, if I had had the boye in a convenient place,

With a good rodde or twain not past one howre's space,

I woulde fo have fcourged my marchant 2, that his breeche fhould ake,

So longe as it is fince that he those woordes fpake.

What, younge men to be medlers in Divinitie? it is a godly fight!

Yet therein nowe almost is every boye's delight,

No booke nowe in their handes, but all fcripture, scripture, Eyther the whole Bible, or the New Testament, you may be fure.

The Newe Teftament for them? and then to for cowle my dogge 3.

This is the olde proverbe, to caft perles to an hogge.

Geve them that whiche is meete for them, a racket and a ball, Or fome other trifle to bufie their heades with all.

Playinge at coytes or nine hooles 4, or shooting at buttes, There let them be a goddes name, til their hartes ake and their guttes.

Let us alone with divinitie, which are of ryper age.

Youth is rafhe, they say, but olde men hath the knowledge.

2

my marchant] Merchant was antiently used as we now use the word chap. See Note on Romeo and Juliet, A. 2. S. 4. S.

-and then to for cowle my dogge] Cowle, or rather coll, I suppose to be the name of the dog. S.

Cowle my dog, I am inclined to believe means put a cowle or hood en a dog, and he will be as learned as a frier: the contempt into which the order had at this period fallen will at leaft countenance the explanation, if it fhould not be thought fufficient to prove it. I once was of opinion, that there might be an allufion to the cafe of one Collins a crazy man, who seeing a priest hold up the hoft over his head, lifted up a dog in the fame manner, for which both he and the animal were burnt in 1538. See Foxe, vol. II. 436.

4 Playinge at coytes or nine hooles] By the Stat. 33 Hen. VIII. c. 9. f. 16. a penalty is impofed on certain perfons therein mentioned, who fhould play at the tables, tennis, dice, cards, bowls, clafh, coyting, logating, or other unlawful game. Coytes are the fame as quoits.

For

For while they reade they know not what, they omit the

veritie,

And that is nowe the cause so many fall into herefie.

Every man hath his owne way, fome that, and fome this,
It wolde almost for anger furreverence 5 make a man to piffe,
To heare what they talke of in open communication,

Surely I feare me, Ignorance, this geare wyl make fome defolation.

Ignoraunce.

I feare the fame alfo, but as towching that wherof you speake ful well,

They have revoked diverse olde herefies out of hell.

As against tranfubftantiation, purgatory, and the masse,
And fay that by fcripture they can not be brought to paffe.
But that whiche ever hath ben a moft trewe and constant

opinion,

And defended alfo hitherto by all of our religion,

That I Ignorance am the mother of true devotion,
And Knowledge the auctour of the contrarie affection:
They denie it fo ftoutely as thoughe it were not fo.
But this hath ben beleft many an hundred yéere ago.
Wherefore it greveth mee not a lyttle that my cafe should fo
ftande,

Thus to be difproved at every pratler's hande.

Perverfe Doctrine.

Yea, doth then the more unwiseman you, as I trowe, For they fay as muche by me, as you well do knowe. And fhall I then go vexe my felfe at theyr talke? No, let them speake fo longe as their tongues can walke. They shall not greve mee, for why? in very fouth

It were follie to endeavour to stop every manne's mouth. They have brought in one, a younge upftart ladde as it ap

peares,

I am fure he hath not ben in the realme very many yeares,
With a gathered frocke, a powlde head and a broade hatte,
An unfhaved bearde, a pale face, and hee teacheth that
All our doinges are naught, and hath ben many a day.
Hee difaloweth our ceremonies and rites, and teacheth an

other way

5 furreverence] Perhaps a contraction of save your reverence. S. R

VOL. I.

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