A divine herbal together with a forrest of thorns In five sermons. ... By…A divine herball together with a forrest of thornes In five sermons. ... By…

Doing neither profit nor prejudice to the Country he lived in. Here is no such stupid neutrality, nor infructuous deadness. It brings forth.

Doing neither profit nor preiudice to the Countrey hee liued in. Heere is no such stupid neutralitie, nor infructuous deadnesse. It brings forth.

2. They are not weeds it produceth, but herbs. A man had as good do nothing, as do naughty things. It is less evil to sit still, then to run swift by in the pursuit of wickedness. They that forbear Idleness, and fall to lewdness, ⟨p. 35⟩mend the matter, as the Devil (in the tale) mended his dames leg; when he should have put it in joint, he broke it quite in pieces. It is not enough that this ground brings forth, but that it yields herbs. Of the two, the barren earth is not so evil as the wicked earth: that men pity, this they curse. It brings forth herbs.

2. They are not weedes it produceth, but herbes. A man had as good do nothing, as doe naughty things. It is lesse euill to sit still, then to runne swift by in the pursuite of wickednes. They that forbeare Idlenesse, and fall to lewdnesse, ⟨p. 35⟩mend the matter, as the Diuell (in the tale) mended his dames legge; when he should haue put it in ioynt, he broke it quite in pieces. It is not enough that this ground brings forth, but that it yeelds herbes. Of the two, the barren earth is not so euill as the wicked earth: that men pittie, this they curse. It brings forth herbes.

3. Neither is it a paucity of herbs this ground affordeth, but an abundance: not one herb, but herbs; a plural and plentiful number. There is neither barrenness nor bareness in this ground; not no fruits, not few fruits, but many herbs.