I said before: Titivilly would assay you a bront.
Beware from henceforth of his fables delusory!
The proverb saith: _Jacula prefata minus ledunt_.
Ye have three adversaries--he is master of them all--
That is to say, the devil, the world, the flesh, and the fell;
The New Guise, Now-a-days, and Nought, the world we may them call;
And, prope[r]ly, Titivilly signifies the fiend of hell;
The flesh, that is the unclean concupiscence of your body.
These be your three ghostly enemies in whom ye have put your
confidence;
They brought you to Mischief to conclude your temporal glory:
As it hath be showed before this worship[f]ul audience.
Remember how ready I was to help you; from such I was not dangerous;
Wherefore, good son! abstain from sin evermore after this!
Ye may both save and spoil your soul, that is so precious:
_Libere velle, libere velle!_ God may not deny, I wis.
Beware of Titivilly with his net, and of all his envious will;
Of your sinful delectation that grieveth your ghostly substance:
Your body is your enemy: let him not have his will.
Take your leave when ye will; God send you good perseverance!
[_Man_]. Sith I shall depart, bless me, father! hence then I go--
God send us all plenty of His great mercy!
_Mer. Dominus custodi[a]t te ab omni malo!_
_In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti._
Amen! [_Hic exit_ MANKIND.
(EPILOGUE.)
Worship[f]ul sovereigns! I have do my property;
Mankind is delivered by my several patrociny.
God preserve him from all wicked captivity;
And send him grace, his sensual conditions to mortify!
Now for His love, that for us received His humanity,
Search your conditions with due examination!
Think and remember: the world is but a vanity,
As it is proved daily by d[i]verse transmutation,
Mankind is wretched; he hath sufficient proof;
Therefore, God [keep] you all _per suam misericordiam_,
That ye may be pleyseris with the angels above,
And have to your portion _vitam eternam_.
Amen!
FINIS.
_O liber, si quis cui constas forte queretur,_ _Hyngham, quem monacho
dices, super omnia_ _consta[s]._
[Illustration: [_Reduced Facsimile of Title-page of "Nature," from
copy_ _now in the British Museum._ C34,e,54.]]
NATURE
A GOODLY INTERLUDE OF NATURE, COMPILED BY
MASTER HENRY MEDWALL
CHAPLAIN TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD
JOHN MORTON
SOMETIME CARDINAL AND ARCHBISHOP
OF CANTERBURY
#The Names of the Players#:
NATURE
MAN
REASON
SENSUALITY
INNOCENCY
WORLDLY AFFECTION
BODILY LUST
WRATH
ENVY
SLOTH
GLUTTONY
HUMILITY
CHARITY
ABSTINENCE
LIBERALITY
GARCON
CHASTITY
GOOD OCCUPATION
SHAMEFACEDNESS
MUNDUS
PATIENCE
PRIDE
_Cum Privilegio_
[Illustration]
NATURE
_First cometh in_ MUNDUS, _and sitteth down,_ _and saith nothing;
and with him_ WORLDLY AFFECTION, _bearing a gown and cap and
a_ _girdle for_ MAN.
_Then cometh in_ NATURE, MAN, REASON, _and_ INNOCENCY; _and_
NATURE _sitteth down and_ _saith_.
_Nature._ Th' almighty God that made each creature,
As well in heaven as other place earthly,
By His wise ordinance hath purveyed me, Nature,
To be as minister, under Him immediately,
For th' encheson that I should, perpetually,
His creatures in such degree maintain
As it hath pleased His grace for them to ordain.
To me it longeth, by natural engendure,
Thing to continue that hath spirit of life;
Which, nor were my help, should never endure,
But suddenly perish and wax all caitiff.
Atwixt th' elements, that whilom were at strife,
I have suaged the old repugnance
And knit them together, in manner of alliance.
Eke, I have ordained the goddess Diane,
Lady of the sea and every fresh fountain,
Which commonly decreaseth when she ginneth wane,
And waxeth abundant when she creaseth again.
Of ebb and flood she is cause certain;
And reigneth, as princess, in every isle and town
That with the sea is compassed environ.
I am causer of such impression
As appeareth wondrous to man's sight:
As of flames that, from the starry region,
Seemeth to fall in times of the night;
Some shoot sidelong, and some down right:
Which causeth the ignorant to stand in dread
That stars do fall, yet falleth there none indeed.
What needeth it to speak of things here below?
As fowls, beasts, and fishes in their kind;
Of trees, herbs, and stones, how they grow.
In which, men sundry and many virtuous find
One thing, be ye sure, and think it in your mind:
No manner creature may take on him the cure
Of these works, but only I, Nature.
And, plainly, there is in earth no manner thing
That is not partner of my influence;
I do provide, for every beast living,
Of natural food always sufficience;
And give them, also, a manner of prudence
Whereby they may naturally ensue
Thing that is delectable, and th' other eschew.
Who taught the cock his watch hours to observe,
And sing of courage with shrill throat on high?
Who taught the pelican her tender heart to carve
For she nold suffer her birds to die?
Who taught the nightingale to record, busily,
Her strange entunes in silence of the night?
Certes! I, Nature, and none other wight.
But if that I should clepe to memory
Each strange effect, and every great marvel
That I have caused, I ensure you faithfully
That rather time than process should me fail.
It were your pain, and to me but travail
All such matters as now to bring in place;
Wherefore, I let pass them till other time and space.
But, if ye covet now to know th' effect
Of things natural, by true conclusion,
Counsel with Aristotle, my philosopher elect;
Which hath left in books of his tradition
How every thing, by heavenly constellation,
Is brought to effect; and, in what manner wise,
As far as man's wit may naturally comprise.
Wherefore, sith God, of His great largesse
Hath thus enriched me with dower of His grace,
And made me, as who saith, a worldly goddess,
Of duty I can no less do in this case
But with heart's joy and entire solace
Myself address to do His high pleasures,
And to this same move all other creatures.
Enforce you, therefore, His creatures each one
To honour your Maker with humble obeisance--
Namely, thou man! I speak to thee alone
Before all other, as chief of His creance.
Think how He hath made thee this semblance;
Pluck up thine heart, and hold thine head upright;
And evermore have heaven in thy sight.
Ovid in his book, cleped _The Transformation_,
Among all other his fables and poesies
Maketh special mention of thy creation;
Showing how God wondrously gan devise
When He thee made, and gave to thee th' emprise
Of all this world, and feoffed thee with all
As chief possessioner of things mortal.
In token whereof He gave thee upright visage;
And gave thee in commandment to lift thine eye
Up toward heaven, only for that usage
Thou shouldest know Him for thy Lord Almighty,
All other beasts as things unworthy;
To behold th' earth with grovelling countenance;
And be subdued to thine obeisance.
But, as touching the cause specially
Wherefore I have ordained thee this night to appear,
It is to put thee in knowledge and memory
To what intent thou art ordained to be here.
I let thee wit thou art a passenger
That hast to do a great and long voyage,
And through the world must be thy passage.
Address thyself now towards this journey;
For, as now thou shalt no longer here abide,
Lo! here Reason to govern thee in thy way,
And Sensuality upon thine other side.
But Reason I depute to be thy chief guide,
With Innocency that is thy tender nourice;
Evermore to wean thee from th' appetite of vice.
_Man._ O Lord of Lords, my Lord God immortal!
To Thee be honour and joy ever to endure;
Whose heavenly empire shall never be final,
But world without end remain stable and sure;
Whom heaven and hell and earthly creature,
With one assent, and all with one accord,
Honoureth, praiseth, and knowledgeth for their Lord.
To Thee mine head I humbly incline,
Thanking Thy grace that first hast ordained me
To be as a silly creature of Thine;
And, after that, of Thy great bounty
Thou hast me set in sovereign degree,
And given me the profits of every earthly thing,
As well of fruits as of beasts living;
And that, that is also most precious,
Thou hast me inspired with heavenly wisdom,
Whereby I may do works marvellous.
In every place, wheresoever I come,
Of each perfection Thy grace hath lent me some;
So that I know that creature nowhere
Of whose virtue I am not partner.
I have, as hath each other element
Among other in this world, a common being;
With herbs and trees continual nourishment
That is sufficient to natural living;
With sensual beasts I have a manner of knowing
Whereby I should in good things delight,
And flee the contrary of mine appetite.
And, over all this, Thou hast given me virtue
Surmounting all other in high perfection:
That is, understanding, whereby I may aview
And well discern what is to be done;
Yet, for all that, have I free election
[To] do what I will, be it evil or well;
And am put in the hand of mine own counsel.
And, in this point, I am half angelic;
Unto Thy heavenly spirits almost egal;
Albeit in some part I be to them unlike.
For, they be ordained to endure perpetual;
And I, wretched body! shall have my funeral
When it pleaseth Thy grace so to provide:
Man is not ordained alway here to abide.
Wherefore, unto Thy sovereign and high estate,
Most heavenly prince! I make mine orison
Sith it hath pleased Thy noble grace algate
That I, unworthy of so great renown,
In this world shall have possession:
Thou give me grace myself to enure
As may me profit, and be to Thy pleasure.
_Nature._ God hath heard thy prayer, Mankind, no doubt,
In all thy requests and right full petition.
Now, forth thy journey! and look well about
That thou be not deceived by false prodition.
Let Reason thee govern in every condition;
For, if thou do not to his rule incline,
It will be to thy great mischief and ruin.
I wot well Sensuality is to thee natural,
And granted to thee in thy first creation.
But, notwithstanding, it ought to be over all
Subdued to Reason, and under his tuition.
Thou hast now liberty, and needest no main-mission;
And, if thou aband thee to passions sensual,
Farewell thy liberty! thou shalt wax thrall.
_Sensuality._ What, lady Nature! have I none intress
As well as Reason or Innocency?
Think ye this, lady! a good process
That they are advanced and I let go by?
Ye know right well that I ought naturally,
Before all other, to have of him the cure:
I am the chief perfection of his nature.
Alas! what could the silly body do?
Or, how should it live nor were the help of me?
Certes! it could not well creep nor go;
At the leastwise it should neither feel here nor see,
But be as other insensate bodies be;
In much worse case than worms of the ground
In which unneth any token of life is found.
Meseemeth it should abhor him for to hear
That I destrained should be in any wise,
Standing that I was create to be his fere;
Of all his guiding to take the enterprise:
And now ye put me out of his service,
And have assigned Reason to be his guide--
With Innocency, his nourice, thus am I set aside.
Ye clepe him lord of all beasts living;
And nothing worthy, as far as I can see.
For, if there be in him no manner of feeling,
Nor no lively quickness, what lord is he?
A lord made of clouts, or carved out of tree;
And fareth as an image graved out of stone
That nothing else can do but stand alone.
If ye intend him to continue long
In honour, or worldly felicity,
He must needs follow his appetite among;
And conform himself to the more part.
I tell you men will have no dinty
To do service or homage to a block:
All the world will think it but a mock.
Suffer me, therefore, to have with him a room,
And to be with him as chief counsell[or];
And if he do so, I think to doom
He shall reign in the world as chief governor.
But, if Reason tickle him in the ear,
Or bear him on hand the cow is wood,
He shall never be able to do earthly good.
_Nat._ My friend! as I said to you before,
A room shall ye have: no man saith nay;
But Reason must be preferred evermore.
For he can best lead him to the way
Of virtue and grace, whereby he may
Longest continue to God's high pleasure;
To the which end God hath ordained this His creature.
Content thyself now with Reason, my friend!
And meddle thee no further than thou hast to do.
Thou has brought many a man to a wretched end
And so thou wouldst spoil His creature also.
But whatsoever he say take no heed thereto
Without that Reason will allow the same;
For whoso doth the contrary deserveth much blame.
God and I, Nature, have set thee in better case
Than any creature under the firmament.
Abuse not, Man! abuse not thy grace
Of God Almighty that from above is sent!
Thou shalt be the first that shall repent
If ever thou flee Reason and sue folly,
When once thou feelest the smart of misery.
But, be of comfort! hardely God shall send
Both ghostly aid and worldly help also;
And I shall never fail, unto thy life's end,
To minister unto thee as me oweth to do.
Lo! yonder the world which thou must needs to:
Now, shape thee thither; there is no more to say--
Thy Lord and mine guide thee in thy way!
[_Then_ NATURE _goeth out_.
_Sen_. Well, lady Nature! leave ye me in this case?
Shall I have of you none other comfort?
By Christ! yet will I not hide my face;
For, as soon as we shall to the world resort,
I put no doubt he will me support.
He hath been my good master many a day;
And he will not see me thus cast away.
_Rea._ Siker thyself, man! I advise thee hardely.
Be not so passionate, nor yet so furious;
Thou tormentest thyself and wottest not why.
No well-advised body will demean him thus;
Be sure thy mind is all erroneous;
Thou takest a self will and wrong opinion
Which shall be thine and others confusion.
_Sen._ Yea, Reason! sir, ye speak like a noble man;
But yet are ye taken with a point oversight.
What, would ye make me stand as a lurdan,
And not speak one word for mine own right?
I see it well that if your lordship might,
By means possible, once bring it about
Yourself should be a ruler, and I but a cast-out.
_Rea._ A ruler? certes! and so I ought to be;
And a lord also, though ye say it in scorn.
_Sens._ A lord! whose lord?
_Rea._ Thy lord.
_Sens._ Nay, so mote I thee!
Thou liest! it may no longer be forborne;
Thou camest but to-night and mayst hap go to-morn.
For, if thou be as haughty as thou beginnest,
Thou shalt avoid much sooner than thou weenest.
_Rea._ As for mine avoidance, how soon soever it be,
It shall not skill as for this intent;
But he that first fleeth or forsaketh me
He shall have greatest occasion to repent.
It shall be to his great trouble and torment
That he hath left Reason, and sued his own folly,
That thereby is fallen to wretched penury.
But now, as touching the honour and degree
That I am ordained to, I will thou understand
That Almighty God, of His grace and bounty,
Of thee and such hath given me the overhand;
And will that I use thee as a servant,
To advise thee and reform thee when thou ginst to err;
And to clepe thee homeward if thou rail too far.
And, where thou sayst thou art so necessary
That man without thee can have no living,
As in that point we shall not much vary:
I wot thou art necessary to his being.
But, be thou sure that is not the very thing
That maketh him to appear so wondrous;
And to be, in his nature, so noble and precious.
It is a thing that doth right far exceed
All other perfections and virtues natural.
For sensuality, in very deed,
Is but a mean which causeth him to fall
Into much folly, and maketh him bestial;
So that there is no difference, in that at the least,
Betwixt man and an unreasonable beast.
But this other cometh of great tenderance
And spiritual love that God oweth to mankind,
Whom He hath created to His own semblance;
And endued with a wondrous mind
Whereby he may well discern and find
Sufficient difference betwixt good and bad:
Which is to be left, and which is to be had.
Lo! this is it that doth him dignify;
And causeth him to be reputed so excellent.
And of all this the chief doer am I,
Which from Heaven into earth by God am sent,
Only for that cause and final intent
That I should this, His creature, demean and guide
For the season that he doth in this world abide.
Now, compare thy virtues and mine together,
And say which is the worthier of them two.
_Sens._ Which is the worthier? forsooth! I trow neither;
We be good fellows.
_Rea._ Nay, my friend, not so!
Thou ought to obey me wheresoever I go.
_Sens._ Nay! that shall I never do; for, to-day
I shall thy fellow be, look thou never so high.
And, therefore, hardely be somewhat fellow-like;
Leave thy haut conceits, and take a meetly way.
For shame of the world, man! let us not stick
At a matter of right nought, and traverse here all day.
Have me in few words, man! and hark what I say:
Meddle thou in no point that belongeth to me,
And I shall promise thee never to meddle with thee.
And, standing the nonage of this gentleman,
On my peril take no care therefore.
I shall demean it as well as I can
Till he be passed forty years and more;
And Reason then, if ye will undershore
His crooked old age, when lusty youth is spent,
Then take upon you: I hold me content.
For, trust ye me! the very truth is this:
This man is put in his own liberty;
And, certainly, the free choice is his
Whether he will be governed by thee or by me.
Let us, therefore, put it to his own jeopardy,
And therein stand to his arbitrament
To which of us twain he had liefer assent.
_Rea._ Nay, sir, not so! I know his frailty;
The body is disposed for to fall
Rather to the worse than the better part;
But it be holpen by power supernal.
_Sens._ Yet, Reason! when thou hast said all,
If thou see him not take his own way,
Call me cut when thou meetest me another day.
_Rea._ For certain yet, according to mine office,
I must advertise and counsel him, at the least,
To haunt virtue and 'schew all vice;
And therein assist him to the uttermost;
And if he will algates be a beast,
And take none heed to my lore and doctrine,
The peril and hurt shall be his, not mine.
_Inno._ Sirs! I shall answer for this man, as yet
That he is maiden for all such folly
As should disdain nature, or dishonour it.
Brought up with me, full well and tenderly,
Wherefore I dare the surelier testify
For Innocency, that he is yet virgin,
Both for deed and eke consent of sin.
And longer will not I be of his acquaintance
Than he is virtuous, and of good living;
For, fleshly lust and worldly pleasance
Is, with Innocency, nothing according.
But, if his behaviour and daily demeaning
Be of such draught as reason will allow,
I shall him favour and love, as I do now.
_Sens._ Well spoken and wisely! now have ye all done?
Or, have ye ought else to this man to say?
_Rea._ O, sir, yea!
_Sens._ Peace, no more of this disputation!
Here be many fantasies to drive forth the day;
That one chattereth like a pie; that other like a jay;
And yet, when they both have done what they can,
Maugre their teeth, I shall rule the man.
_Man._ O, blessed Lord! what manner strife is this
Atwixt my reason and sensuality,
That one meaneth well, and that other all amiss.
In one is sikerness, and in tother great frailty;
And both they be so annexed to me
That needest I must with one of them abide.
Lord, as Thou thinkest best for me, do provide!
For, I am wondrously entriked in this case,
And almost brought into perplexity;
Notwithstanding, thanked be Thy grace,
As I did never assent, nor agree
To things that should be contrarious unto Thee;
Of sinful deed and thought all innocent,
Subdued to Reason as his obedient.
_Rea._ Christ grant you therein good continuance!
To be ever of the same mind and intent.
But now, will ye call to your remembrance
For what cause ye be hither sent?
I hold it well done, and right expedient
That ye were brought unto the world's presence.
_Man._ Be it so! in God's name I pray you go we hence!
_Rea._ And will ye that I shall for you declare
Unto the world the cause of your coming,
What is your intent, and what person ye are?
_Man._ Yea! I would be glad that everything
Be done even after your devising.
_Sens._ Shall I then stand as I were tongue-tied?
_Man._ Yea, hardely! till Reason have said.
_Rea._ Sir World! it is the mind and also pleasure
Of lady Nature, as she bade us to you tell,
That ye accept and receive this her creature
With you, for a season here to dwell;
Desiring you heartily to entreat him well,
With all the favour that ye can devise;
Wherein ye shall do her great pleasure and service.
_The World._ Sirs! ye be welcome to us heartily.
Your message is to us right acceptable.
Be ye assured there is nothing earthly
To us so joyful, nor yet so delectable,
As to be acquainted with persons honourable;
Namely, such as ye seem to be,
Men of high honour and of great dignity.
And, as touching the message that ye have brought,
Have thereof the full mind and intent;
Assuring you that our busy thought
Shall be to do dame Nature's commandment.
And, thereunto, we will be diligent
To do her pleasures in that we may;
And so we would ye should to her say.
And where ye show unto me that this man
Is ordained to reign here, in this empery
I assent well; for, or nature began
To shape the world she thought finally
To ordain man therein to occupy;
He to take upon him as mighty governor,
Having all things subdued to his power.
Wherefore, I receive greatly his coming.
Mankind, sir, heartily welcome ye be!
Ye are the person, without feigning,
That I have evermore desired to see:
Come! let me kiss you. O, benedicite!
Ye be all naked! alas, man! why thus?
I make you sure it is right perilous.
_Man._ I thank you; but I need none other vesture;
Nature hath clothed me as yet sufficiently.
Guiltless of sin, and as a maiden pure,
I wear on me the garment of innocency.
_Inno._ Yea, hardely wear that garment continually:
It shall thy body sufficiently safeguard
From stormy weather, my life to jeopard.
_The World._ Be peace, fair woman! ye are not very wise;
Care ye not if this body take cold?
Ye must consider this is not paradise,
Nor yet so temperate by a thousandfold.
Whoso liveth here, be he young or old,
He must suffer both fervent cold and heat;
And be out of temperance oft time in his diet.
Also, he must needs do as the world doth
That intendeth any while here to reign;
And follow the guise that now-a-day goeth,
As far as his estate may it maintain.
And who doth the contrary--I will be plain--
He is abject and despised utterly;
And standeth ever banished from all good company.
Sith God, therefore, had ordained this body
To dwell here in this earthly region,
Of convenience he must himself apply
To worldly things; and be of such condition
As all men be; and leave each fond opinion
That is not approvable of wiser men than he;
To take such way it is but vanity.
Take this garment! man, do as I you bid!
Be not ashamed hardely to do it on.
So, lo! now this girdle have gird it in the mid;
And this for your head go set it upon:
By the charge of me! you be a goodly one
As ever I saw sith that I was born;
Worth a thousand that ye were beforne.
Give me your hand! be not in fear!
Sit down as ye are born to occupy this place!
I give you here authority and power
Over all thing that conceived is, in the space
Of all the earth that round is in compass,
To be as lord of every region;
And, thereof, I give you peaceable possession.
_Man._ Blessed be Thou, my Lord, most bounteous!
That of Thy great abundant charity
Me, Thy wretched creature, hast honoured thus
With natural gifts and worldly dignity.
Now, I beseech Thee, for Thy great pity,
Sith Thou hast set me in so noble way,
Suffer me not hereafter wretchedly to decay.
For, certes! it is mine heart's desire
So to demean me in this life present
As may be most unto Thy pleasure,
And unto nature not disconvenient.
This is my will and my chief intent;
This will I observe, Thy grace to borrow,
Though I, therefore, suffer much worldly sorrow.
_Rea._ Forsooth! these words be greatly to allow
If they from meek and lowly heart proceed.
Now, Mankind, sith thou hast made this vow,
Shape thee, thereafter, thy life to lead;
And let thy word be cousin to thy deed:
That is to say, do thou none otherwise
Than thou here openly to God dost promise.
_Inno._ Yea, sir! and ever look that ye abstain,
Not only from deed, but also from the assent;
See that ye commit neither of them twain
If ye will observe the high commandment.
For, surely ye may not be cleped innocent,
Nor guiltless of sin, as far as I can find,
If once ye assent to folly in your mind.
_Mun._ This is an hard word, sister, that ye have spoken;
An hard word, surely, and an heavy sentence!
But think ye God's commandment broken
For a light trifle and matter of insolence?
Alas! have ye such a spiced conscience
That will be entriked with every merry thought?
Leave it, woman! leave it! For it is nought.
[_Loquitur ad ho[minem]._