London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…

First, There is mendacium jo•osum, the sporting Lye; and §1this is when men will lye and tell untruths to make men sport, to make men merry. Of this sin the Prophet Hosea complains, Chap. 7. 3. They make the King glad with their wickedness, and the Princes with their lies. Courtiers frame ¹fictions, and tell ridiculous stories to delight Princes. Among many Courtiers loud lies are esteemed ornaments and elegancies of speech; and none are accounted so sweet and pleasant in their discourse, as those that can tell the most pleasing lies: but such Mirth-mongers and Mirth-makers may do well to remember, that such kind of mirth will bring bitterness in the end. If for every idle word that men shall speak, ²they must give an account in the day of Judgment, then surely much more for every lying word. And if foolish talking and jesting be condemned, then surely lying talking, and ⟨p. 114⟩jesting shall be much more condemned, if not here, yet in the great day, when all lying Jesters shall hold up their hands at Christs Bar. Now were there none within nor without the Walls of London, that were guilty of merry lies, of sporting lies? But,

First, There is mendacium jo•osum, the sporting Lye; and §1this is when men will lye and tell untruths to make men sport, to make men merry. Of this sin the Prophet Hosea complains, Chap. 7. 3. They make the King glad with their wickedness, and the Princes with their lyes. Courtiers frame ¹fictions, and tell ridiculous stories to delight Princes. Among many Courtiers loud lyes are esteemed ornaments and elegancies of speech; and none are accounted sosweet and pleasant in their discourse, as those that can tell the most pleasing lyes: but such Mirth-mongers and Mirth-makers may do well to remember, that such kind of mirth will bring bitterness in the end. If for every idle word that men shall speak,