a bloodie desire to haue all taken away, by sword or burning,
_Pigius._ // that be not of their faction. They that do
read, with indifferent iudgement, _Pygius_ and
_Machiaue-_ // _Machiauel,/i>, two indifferent Patriarches of thies
_lus._ // two Religions, do know full well that I say trewe.
Ye see, what manners and doctrine, our Englishe men fetch
out of Italie: For finding no other there, they can bring no
Wise and // other hither. And therefore, manie godlie and
honest tra- // excellent learned Englishe men, not manie yeares
uelers. // ago, did make a better choice, whan open crueltie
draue them out of this contrie, to place themselues there, where
_Germanie._ // Christes doctrine, the feare of God, punishment
of sinne, and discipline of honestie, were had in
speciall regarde.
I was once in Italie my selfe: but I thanke God, my
_Venice._ // abode there, was but ix. dayes: And yet I sawe
in that litle tyme, in one Citie, more libertie to
sinne, than euer I hard tell of in our noble Citie of London in
_London._ // ix. yeare. I sawe, it was there, as free to sinne,
not onelie without all punishment, but also
without any mans marking, as it is free in the Citie of London,
to chose, without all blame, whether a man lust to weare Shoo
or pantocle. And good cause why: For being vnlike in troth
of Religion, they must nedes be vnlike in honestie of liuing.
Seruice of // For blessed be Christ, in our Citie of London,
God in // commonlie the commandementes of God, be more
England. // diligentlie taught, and the seruice of God more
reuerentlie vsed, and that daylie in many priuate mens houses,
Seruice of // than they be in Italie once a weeke in their
God in I- // common Chirches: where, masking Ceremonies,
talie. // to delite the eye, and vaine soundes, to please
the eare, do quite thrust out of the Chirches, all seruice of
The Lord // God in spirit and troth. Yea, the Lord Maior
Maior of // of London, being but a Ciuill officer, is com-
London. // monlie for his tyme, more diligent, in punishing
sinne, the bent enemie against God and good order, than all
The In- // the bloodie Inquisitors in Italie be in seauen yeare.
quisitors in // For, their care and charge is, not to punish
Italie. // sinne, not to amend manners, not to purge
doctrine, but onelie to watch and ouersee that Christes trewe
_the brynging vp of youth._ 235
Religion set no sure footing, where the Pope hath any
Iurisdiction. I learned, when I was at _Venice_, that there it is
counted good pollicie, when there be foure or fiue // An ungod-
brethren of one familie, one, onelie to marie: & // lie pollicie.
all the rest, to waulter, with as litle shame, in
open lecherie, as Swyne do here in the common myre. Yea,
there be as fayre houses of Religion, as great prouision, as
diligent officers, to kepe vp this misorder, as Bridewell is, and
all the Masters there, to kepe downe misorder. And therefore,
if the Pope himselfe, do not onelie graunt pardons to furder
thies wicked purposes abrode in Italie, but also (although this
present Pope, in the beginning, made som shewe of misliking
thereof) assigne both meede and merite to the maintenance of
stewes and brothelhouses at home in Rome, than let wise men
thinke Italie a safe place for holsom doctrine, and godlie
manners, and a fitte schole for yong ientlemen of England to
be brought vp in.
Our Italians bring home with them other faultes from
Italie, though not so great as this of Religion, yet a great deale
greater, than many good men can well beare. For commonlie
they cum home, common contemners of mariage // Contempt
and readie persuaders of all other to the same: // of mariage.
not because they loue virginitie, but, being free in Italie, to go
whither so euer lust will cary them, they do not like, that lawe
and honestie should be soch a barre to their like libertie at
home in England. And yet they be, the greatest makers of
loue, the daylie daliers, with such pleasant wordes, with such
smilyng and secret countenances, with such signes, tokens,
wagers, purposed to be lost, before they were purposed to be
made, with bargaines of wearing colours, floures, and herbes,
to breede occasion of ofter meeting of him and her, and bolder
talking of this and that &c. And although I haue seene some,
innocent of all ill, and stayde in all honestie, that haue vsed
these thinges without all harme, without all suspicion of harme,
yet these knackes were brought first into England by them,
that learned them before in _Italie_ in _Circes_ Court: and how
Courtlie curtesses so euer they be counted now, yet, if the
meaning and maners of some that do vse them, were somewhat