Hillarius, That is the cause wherefore their Bing pluto, & Neoptolemus, Eacus, Minos & Rhadamanthus, yt criminal Judges of the Infernal court, and of those Plutonicall Regions, do open unto them the charters & prisons of Purgatory, & do give unto them field plays and pastimes and leave to play a little, as the School masters 1do give unto their scholars, for to take some recreation & pastime, even as Mantuan witnesseth saying.
As oft as men their Sacrifice2
By alms or feasts do make:
Or else by prayers they do think.
the needy's thirst to slake,
To bellies rage and pampered flesh
a bridle they do set,
And to the gods they do pour out
their prayers from heart yfet.
By means whereof, the furious rage
of windy force is laid
For gods thereto agreed hath
which makes them well apaid.
By use whereof and gods good grace
they have both mirth and joy.
And save them from the hellish rage
that doth their souls annoy.
⟨image 141⟩It were good reason that they should have at the least 3once or twice in the year, some good Aristotolicall days for to delight and refresh themselves and for to bring them out of these hot and burning furnaces. I pray thee think what joy they do make, when that they feel & perceive their feast to draw nigh, in which they look to have some liberty and to find some little grace and favour of their king Pluto, by whom I mean him of whom the French Poet hath written after this manner, in his hell.
It is the holy name of Pope, that hellish hounds embrace,
And with his stole can cull them in, & win them to his grace,
But fearest thou not, that monster great, that doth affirm & say,
That hell to open and also shut, he both them can and may,
Yea he it is, by scorching heat, that martyr can the souls
And thousand thousands rid he can from heat of parching coals.
I think that then he holdeth his keys in the right hand 4for to let loose a little these poor souls, that they should laugh and be merry, if that be true which a holy father preached at Bordeaux, saying and affirming, that when one offereth for the dead, and that the souls do hear the sound of the money which falleth ting, ting, in the basin, or the bore prepared to receive the offering, they receive so great joy, and do begin so much to laugh, that they do make a noise, ha, ha, ha, hi, hi, hi. What wilt thou more? should one spoil and rob them of their laughing?5
Hillarius, That is the cause wherefore their Bing pluto, & Neoptolemus, Eacus, Minos & Radamantus, yt criminall Iudges of the Infernall courte, and of those Plutonicall Regions, do open vnto them the charters & prysons of Purgatory, & do giue vnto them fielde playes and pastimes and leaue to play a litle, as the Schoole maisters 1do giue vnto their scollers, for to take some recreation & pastime, euen as Mantuan witnesseth saying.
As ofte as men their Sacrafice2
By almes or seasts do make:
Or els by prayers they do thinke.
the needies thirst to slake,
To bellies rage and pamperd flesh
a brydell they do set,
And to the gods they do poure out
their prayers from heart yfet.
By meanes whereoff, the furious rage
of windy force is layd
For gods thereto agreed hath
which makes them well apayd.
By vse whereoff and gods good grace
they haue both mirth and ioye.
And saue them from the hellish rage
that doth their soules anoye.
⟨image 141⟩It were good reason that they should haue at the least 3once or twice in the yeare, some good Aristotolicall dayes for to delite and refresh themselues and for to bring them out of these hot and burning furnaces. I pray thee thinke what ioye they do make, when that they feele & perceiue their feast to drawe nigh, in whiche they looke to haue some libertie and to finde some little grace and fauoure of their king Pluto, by whom I meane him of whom the Frenche Poet hath written after this manner, in his hell.
It is the holy name of Pope, that hellish hounds imbrace,
And vvith his stole can cull them in, & vvinne them to his grace,
But fearest thou not, that monster great, that doth affirme & say,
That hell to ope and also shut, he both them can and may,
Yea he it is, by scorching heate, that martir can the soules
And thousand thousands ryd he can from heate of parching coals.
I think that then he holdeth his keyes in the right hand 4for to let loose a little these poore soules, that they should laugh and bee merry, if that be true which a holy father preached at Bordeaux, saying and affirming, that when one offereth for the dead, and that the soules do heare the sounde of the money which falleth ting, ting, in the basin, or the bore prepared to receiue the offring, they receiue so great ioy, and do beginne somuch to laugh, that they do make a noyse, ha, ha, ha, hi, hi, hi. What wilt thou more? should one spoyle and robbe them of their laughing?5
- 1The plays and pastimes for the souls.The playes and pastimes for the soules.
- 2Mantua. li. 3. Alphonsi.
- 3The days of Aristotle.The dayes of Aristotle.
- 4The merry conceits and jests of a holy fatherThe merry conceits and iestes of a holy father
- 5The laughing of the soulsThe laughing of the soules
