The Anatomy of Abuses, Part 1
The Anatomie of the Abuses in AILGNA.
¶The Interlocutors, or Speakers.
Spudeus. Philoponus.
God geue you good morow, Maister Philoponus.
Philo.
And you also, good Brother Spudeus.
Spud.
I am glad to sée you in good health,Flying fame oftentimes lyeth, for it was bruted abroad eueryevery where in our countrey (by reason of your discontinuance, I thinke) that you were dead, long agoe.
Philo.
In deede, I hauehave spent some tyme abroad, els where, then in my natiue countrey, (I must needs confesse) but, how false that Report is (by whom soeuer it was first rumored, or▪ how farre so euer it be dispersed) your present eyes can witnesse.
Spud.
I pray you, what course of lyfe, hauehave you lead in this your longe absence, foorth of your owne countrey?
Philo.
Truely (brother) I hauehave lead the life of a poore Trauayler,The place wher the Authour hath trauayled. in a certaine famous Ilande, once named, Ainabla, after, Ainatirb: but nowe presently called Ailgna, wherein I hauehave liued these seuen winters, and more, trauailing from place to place, euen all the Land ouer indifferently.
Spud.
That was to your no litle charges, I am sure?
Philo.
It was so: but what thā? I thank God I hauehave atchieued it,Trauailing chargeable. and by his dyuine assistance prosperously accomplished it, his glorious name (worthie of all magnificence) bee eternally praysed therefore.
Spud.
And to what ende, did you take in hand this great trauayle, if I may be so bould as to aske?
Philo.
Truely, to sée fashions, to acquainte my selfe with the natures, qualities, properties,The causes that moued the author to take this trauaile in hand and conditions of all men, to breake my selfe to the worlde, to learne nurture, good demeanour, & cyuill behauiour: to sée the goodly situation of Citties. Townes and Countryes, with their prospects, and commodities: and finally, to learne the state of all thinges in generall: all which I could neuer hauehave learned in one place. For who so sitteth at home, euer commorante or abiding in one place, knoweth nothinge, in respecte of him, that trauayleth abroade: and hee that knoweth nothing, is lyke a brute Beaste, but hee that knoweth all thinges (whiche thinge none doeth but God alone) hee is a God amongest men. And séeing there is a perfectiō in knowledge, as in eueryevery thing els, eueryevery man ought to desire that perfection: for in my iudgement, there is as muche difference (almost) betwixt a man that hath trauayled much,The differēce betwixt a mā the hath trauayled, and a man that hath not. and him that hath dwelt euer in one place, (in respect of knowledge, and science of things) as is betwen a man lyuinge, & one dead in graue. And therfore I hauehave had a great felicytie in trauayling abroade.
Spud.
Seing that by diuyne prouidence, we are heare met together, let vsus (vntill we come to ye end of our purposed iorney) vse some …onference of the state of the World now at this daie▪ as well to recreate our minds, as to cut of the tedyousnes of oure iorneye.
Philo.
I am very well contente so to doe, beinge not a litle glad of your good companie: For, Comes facundus in via, pro vehiculo est. 1. A good Companion too trauayle withall,The benefite of a good Companion to trauayle withall. is in steade of a Wagon, or Chariot. For as the one doth ease the painfulnes of the way, so doth the other alleuiat ye yrksomnes of the iourney intended.
Spud.
But, before I enter combat with you (because I am a countrey man,A request to auoid offēce. rude and vnlearned: & you, a Cyuilian, indued with great wisdome, knowledge and experience) I most humbly beseech you, that you wyl not be offended with me though I talke wt you somwhat grosly, without eyther polished wordes, or fyled speeches, which your wisdom doth require, and my insufficiencie and inabylitie is not of power to affoorde.
Phil.
Your spéeches (I put you out of doubt) shal not be offensiue to mée, if they be not offensiue to God, first.
Spud.
I pray you, what maner of Countrey is that Ailgna, where you say you hauehave trauailed so much?
Philo.
A pleasant & famous Iland, immured aboute with the Sea,Ailgna, a goodly cūtry. as it were with a wall, wherein the aire is verie temperate, the ground fertile, and abounding with all things either necessary to man, or néedefull for beast.
Spud.
What kinde of people are they that inhabite there?The people of Ailgna.
Philo.
A strong kinde of people, audacious, bold▪ puissant, and heroycal, of great magnanimitie, valiauncie and prowes, of an incomparable feature, of an excellente complexion, and in all humanitie, inferiour to none vnderunder the Sunne.
Spud.
This people, whome God hath thus blessed, must needes bee a verie godly people, eyther els they be méere ingrate, to God the authour of all grace, & of these their blessinges especially?
Philo.
It gréeueth me to remember their liues, or to make mention of their wayes,The liues of the people of Ailgna. for notwithstanding that the Lorde hath blessed that Lande, with the knowledge of his truth aboue all other Landes in the world, yet is there not a people more abrupte, wicked, or peruerse, liuing vponupon the face of the earth.
Spud.
From whence spring all these euills in man, for we sée euerie one is inclined to sin naturally, and there is no fleshe which liueth, and sinneth not?
Philo.
All wickednes,From whēce all euilles spring in mā. mischiefe, and sinne, (doubte you not brother Spud.) springeth of our auncient ennemie the Deuill, the in…eterate corruption of our nature, and the intestine malice of our owne hearts, as from the originals of all vncleannes, & impuritie whatsoeuer. But we are now newe creatures, and adoptiue children, created in Christ Iesus to doe good woorkes,We ought to hauehave no dealing with the workes of the fl…sh, which God hath prepared for vsus to walke in. Wherefore wee ought to hauehave no fellowship with the workes of darknesse, but to put on the armour of light Christ Iesus, to walke in newnesse of life and to worke our saluation in feare and trembling, as the Apostle saith, and our sauiour Christ biddeth vsus so work, as our workes may glorifie our heauenlye Father. But (alas) the contrarie is most true, for there is no sinne, that was euer broached in any age, which florisheth not nowe. And therfore the fearfull daie of the Lord cannot be farre of: at which day all the World shall stand in flashing fier, and than shall Christ our Sauiour come marching in y• clowdes of heauen, with his Taratantara sounding in each mans eare: arise you Dead,The day of Dome not regarded. and come to iudgement, and than shall the Lord reward eueryevery Man after his owne workes. But how little this is esteemed of, & how smally regarded, to cōsider it greeueth me to the very harte, and there is almost no life in mee.
Spud.
It is but a follie to greeue at them, who sorowe not for them selues. Let them sinck in their owne sinne:EueryEvery Man must answer for him selfe. lyue well your selfe & you shall not answeare for them, nor they for you. Is it not writen? vnusquisque portabit suū onus. EueryEvery one shall beare his own burden. Anima quae peccauerit, ipsa morietur ye soule that sinneth shall dy: wherfore surcease to sorow or greeue any more for them: for they are such, as the Lord hath cast of into a reprobat sence, & prei…dicat opinion, & preordinat destruction, that his power, his glorie and iustice may appeare to all the World.
Philo.
Oh brother, ther is no christē mā, in whose hart shineth scintillula aliqua pietatis, any sparke of God his grace, which will not gréeue to sée his brethren & sisters in the Lord, members of the same body, coheyres of ye same kingdom, & purchased with one & the same inestimable price of Christ his bloud, to runne thus desperatlie into the gulphe of destruction and laberinth of perdition. If the least and meanest member of thy whole body, be hurt, wounded, cicatriced or brused, doth not the hart, and euerie member of thy body,The mutuall harmonie of one member with an other feele the anguish and paine of the grieued parte, seking & endeuouring them selues, eueryevery one in his office & calling, to repaire the same, and neuer ioying, vntill that be restored again to his former integritie & perfection? Which thinge in the balance of Christian charity, consideratly weighed, may mooue any good Man to mourn for their defection, and to assay, by all possible means, to reduce them home again, that their soules maie be saued in the daye of the Lord. And the Apostle commandeth vsus, that we be (alter alterius emolumento) an ayde and helpe one to an other. And that we do good to all men, dum tempus habemus, whylest we hauehave tyme. To wéepe with them that weepe, to mourne with them that mourne, and to be of like affection one towardes an other. And common reason aduertiseth vsus, that wee are not borne for our selues onelie: for, Ortus nostri partem patria, partem amici, partem parentes vendicant. Our Countrey challengeth a part of our byrth, our brethren and frendes require an other parte,No mā born for himselfe. and our parentes (and that optimo iure) doe vendicate a third parte▪ Wherefore I will assay to doe them good (if I can) in discouering their abuses, and laying open their inormities, that they séeing the gréeuousnes of their maladies, & daunger of theyr diseases, may in time seeke to the true Phisition, & expert Chirurgion of their soules Christ Iesus, of whome onelie commeth all health & grace, and so eternally be saued.
Spud.
Séeing that so many and so haynous sinnes do raigne and rage in Ailgna, as your wordes import, and which mooue you to such intestine sorrowe, and griefe of minde, I pray you describe vntounto me more perticularly, some of those Capitall crimes, and chiefe Abuses, which are there frequented, and which dishonour the maiestie of God the most, as you suppose?