Among serving men also above all other, what wicked and detestable oaths are there heard?1 If there be any of that sort, which fear God & love his word, & therefore abstain from vain oaths, how doth his company lout him. Look what an ass is among a sort of apes, even the very same is he among his fellows. They think him not worthy to ⟨p. xxii⟩wear a sword & buckler, that can not face out the matter with plenty of oaths. He y• can swear best, & soonest give a blow, he is counted an hardy fellow, and fit to do a Gē till man service, when to say the trueth, of all men he is most wretch and coward, and most of all unapt to do such a Gentle man service as •oveth God and his holy laws. Yea such pestilent swearers and filthy blasphemers of God and his creatures ought all honest and virtuous Gentle men to put out of their houses, unless they bring the vengeance of God upon their whole family, wife, children, servants. &c If they know that any man have been in that place, where the plague reigneth, & would come into their houses, they spear the gates against him, they shut him ou•, by no means will they suffer him to enter. ⟨image 24⟩And why? Verily because they will not have y• plague brought in among them, unless they should be infected and so dye. Alas for pure pity, to dye we are all borne, and dye we must at one time or other, whither it be by the plague or otherwise, & therefore it may seem that the death of the body ought not so greatly to be feared why than rather do they not put out of their houses these pestiferous caitiffs, which through their abominable swearing infect all their family, not only their bodies, but their souls also, and provoke God to pour out his most fierce & grievous plagues upon them? Is not this the saying of the wise man, the man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity,2 and the plague, y• is to say, the vengeance of GOD shall not go away from his house? Awake therefore, O ye gentle men, ⟨p. xxiii⟩awake, & ye men of nobility awake,3 suffer no swearers in your houses, eschew them more then a venomous serpent, feed a dragon sooner in your house, than any such one as hath pleasure in swearing.
Among seruyng mē also aboue all other, what wycked and detestable oothes are there hearde?1 If there be ony of that sorte, which feare God & loue his worde, & therfore abstayne from vayn oothes, how doth his cō panye lout hym. Loke what an asse is among a sorte of apes, euē the very same is he amonge hys fellowes. They thyncke hym not worthye to ⟨p. xxii⟩weare a sweard & buckelare, that cā not face oute the matter with plentye of oothes. He y• can swearebest, & soonest gyue a blowe, he is coūted an hardy fellowe, and fyt to do a Gē tyll man se•uyse, whan to saye the truethe, of all men he is moost wretche and coward, and moost of all vnapte to do suche a Gentyll man seruyse as •oueth God and his holy lawes. Yea such pestilent swearers and fylthy blasphemers of God and hys creatures ought all honest and vertuous Gentle men to putte oute of theyr houses, vnlesse they bryng the vengeaunce of God vpō theyr whole family, wyfe, chyldrē, seruauntes. &c If they knowe that onye man haue bene in that place, where the plage reygneth, & woulde come into theyr houses, they speare the gates agenst hym, they shutte hym ou•, by no means wyll they suffer him to enter. ⟨image 24⟩And why? Verely because they wyll not haue y• plage brought in among them, vnlesse they should be infected and so dye. Alas for pure pite, to dye we are all borne, and dye we must at one tyme or other, whyther it be by the plage or otherwyse, & therfore it maye seme that the death of the body ought not so greatly to be feared why than rather do they not putte out of theyr houses these pestiferous caytisses, which thorow theyr abhominable swearyng infecte all theyr family, not onely theyr bodyes, but theyr soules also, and prouoke God to poure out his moost fearse & greuous plages vpō them? Is not this the sayeng of the wyse man, the mā that vseth muche swearyng shall be fylled with iniquite,2 and the plage, y• is to saye, the vengeaunce of GOD shall not go awaye from hys house? Awake therfore, O ye gentyll men, ⟨p. xxiii⟩awake, & ye men of nobilite awake,
- 1Serving menSeruing men
- 2Eccl. xxiii
- 3An admonition for Gentle men.An admoni•ion for Gentle mē.
