A14136:86
The Obedience of a Christian Man
The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christ[n] rulers ought to govern, where in also (if thou mark diligently) thou shalt find eyes to perceive the crafty conveyance of all jugglers.The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christe[n] rulers ought to governe, where in also (if thou marke diligently) thou shalt fynde eyes to perceave the crafty conveyance of all iugglers.
At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the second day of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the seconde daye of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Furthermore though he be the greatest tyrant in the world / yet is he unto thee a great benefit of God and a thing where fore thou oughtest to thank God hilly. For it is better to have somewhat than to be clean stripped out of all together: it is better to pay the tenth than to loose all: it is better to suffer one tyrant than many & to suffer wrong of one than of every man. Yea and it is better to have a tyrant unto thy king than a shadow / a passive king that doth nought himself / but suffer other to do with him what they will / and to lead him whither they list. For a tyrant though he do wrong unto the good / yet he punisheth the evil & maketh all men obey nether suffereth any man to poll but him self only. A king that is soft as silk and effeminate / that ⟨p. xxxiiij⟩is to say turned unto the nature of a woman / what with his own lusts / which are as the longing of a woman with child / so that he can not resist them / & what with the wily tyranny of them that ever rule him / shall be much more grievous unto the realm than a right tyrant. Read the chronicles & thou shalt find it ever so.1
Forthermoare though he be the greatist tyraūte in the worlde / yet is he vnto ye a greate benefit of God and a thīge where fore thou oughtest to thanke God hyly. For it is better to have somwhat than to be cleane stripte out of all togeder: it is better to paye the tenthe than to loose all: it is better to suffer one tyraunte thē mani & to sofre wronge of one thē of every mā. Ye and it is better to have a tyraunte vnto thy kīge thē a shadow / a passive kīge yt doth nought hīselfe / but sofre other to doo with hī what they will / and to leade hī whither they lyst. For a tyraunte though he do wronge vnto the good / yet he punessheth the evill & maketh all mē obeye nether sofereth any man to polle but him selfe only. A kinge that is soft as sylke ād effeminate / that ⟨p. xxxiiij⟩is to saye turned vnto the nature of a womā / what with his awne lustes / which are as ye lōginge of a womā with childe / so yt he cā not resiste thē / & what with ye wyly tyrānye of thē yt ever rule hī / shalbe moch moare grevous vnto ye realme thē a right tyraunte. Reade ye cronycles & thou shalt finde it ever so.1