A Trial of Private Devotions, Dialogue 1 – Dialogue 2
A TRIALL OF Priuate Deuotions. OR, A DIALL FOR THE houres of PRAYER.
Charis.
GOD saue you Madam.
Curia.
Lady Charis? My louelove salutes you, much ioying to see you. Madam, it is newes to see you at Court. Some good winde, no doubt, hath blowne you hither.
Cha.
Madam, no other wind, but of duety and affection to visit your Ladiship. OnelyOnly I must confesse, that the late Booke of Deuotion, which your Ladiship sent mee, hath occasioned mee to come sooner, then otherwise I should, or well could.
Cur.
Madam, you are the more welcome. And I pray you, how doe you like that Booke.
Ch.
Madam, it were good manners I should first howsoeuer giuegive your Ladiship thankes; for I dare say, whatsoeuer the Booke is, your Ladiship out of good Deuotion sent it me as a token of your louelove vntounto mee. Otherwise, for the Booke it selfe, I must confesse, that so soone as I looked but vponupon the Frontispeece of it, and seeing it to weare the vsuall Badge of Iesuiticall Bookes, I had certainly without any more adoe flung it away; but for the due respect I bore to the sender, your Ladiship. And yet I thought with my selfe, that haply your Ladiship had mistaken one Booke for another. Otherwise I knew not what to thinke; whither some might hauehave gone about, if not to seduce, yet at leastwise, to induce your Ladiship to a friendly opinion of the Popish Religion; or I wot not what.
Cur.
But Madam, though I hauehave but little Latine, yet I hauehave learned by rote one Prouerbe, Fronti nulla fides: The outward front or face of things is not to be belieued. But hauehave you looked within the Booke, and read it ouer? Then you will be of another mind, and conceiue a better opinion of it.
Ch.
Surely Madam to the front or face of it I confesse I gaue but small credit: But looking further into the Booke, and according to the scantling of my slender capacitie, and shallow iudgement, taking a view of the whole frame and mould of it, it seemed to me to hold sutable enough to the Front, and to be much what the same in substance, that the Title made shew of.
Cur.
But Madam, I hope you are none of those, that censure the Booke for Papisticall, as Puritans hauehave slandered it.
Cha.
Madam, I dare not take vponupon me to passe my censure vponupon Bookes. Yet I confesse, seeing your Ladiship vrgeth me, that it smelleth strongly of Poperie. Yet not relying vponupon mine own conceit, I desired some learned Ministers to tell me their iudgement of it, and none of them could approue of the Booke.
Cur.
I pray you what Ministers were those?
Cha.
Madam, I dare be most bold to name mine own Chaplaine for the rest.
Cur.
But doth your Chaplaine hold the Booke to be Papisticall?
Ch.
Madam, I had rather I had some good occasion to be a suiter to your Ladiship for some good preferment for my Chaplein, and no better then he deserueth: … present occasion, which I feare may perhaps preiudice his preferment. We poore Countrey-people cann… …use sometimes, when our leasure serueth, but as …, discerne which way the game goeth, … to hazzard our stake, where we see such infinite odds of Court-wit to Countrey-simplicitie.
Cur.
Madam, you speake merily. But in good sadnesse I desire for mine owne satisfaction to heare what your Chaplaine can say to this Booke, either in whole, or in part. I promise you, of mine honour, it shall be no manner of preiudice vntounto him, but I will rather doe him all the good I can.
Ch.
Madam, vponupon these conditions my Chaplaine shall attend you, when you please to appoint the time.
Cur.
Madam, I thanke you. Then, if it may stand with your conueniencie, I shall entreat your Ladiship to bring him with you on Friday morning by eight of the clocke. I will set all other businesse apart for this. And for the better boulting out of the truth, and satisfaction on both sides, my Chaplaine also shall be here, to answer to such things, as yours shall except against. For I must tell you Madam, my Chaplaine Master Diotrephes, doth as much applaud this Booke, as yours doth disallow of it.
Ch.
Madam, I doubt not but my Chaplaine is able to shew good grounds for any thing, that he shall except against. But I like it very well, that your Ladiship is pleased to appoint your Chaplaine to be here. Both I, and my Chaplaine (God willing) will be ready at your time appointed to attend your Ladiship. But Madam (if I may be so bold with your Ladiship) will your honour be stirring so soone, as by eight in the morning?
Cur.
Nay, God helpe vsus Co…rt-Ladyes; … in the Countrey hauehave but a poore conceit of vsus, to thinke vsus such idle Hous-wines, as to lye a bed till eight of the clocke in the morning. But we must beare all with patience.
Char.
Madam, if we in the Countrey thinke so of the Court, it is but because we are willing to hope, that all the idle Hous-wiues be not in the Countrey. But before I take my leaue of your Ladiship for this time … me leaue a little to shew my learning, and to try … (that our Chaplaines may not seeme to carrie all … away) let me obiect one verie materiall … …n the Booke, to your Ladiship.
Cur.
Nay God a merciemercy Madam; For (I wis) if we women (as light account as men make of our learning and iudgement) might but as freely as men dispute, and if the fashion were but ones on foot, they shall find that we hauehave not onelyonly words, but wit at will, and perhaps as smart and shrewd arguments, as the most Scholasticall among them. But I pray thee Madam let vsus heare your obiection.
Char.
Madam, I am possessed with an exceeding wonderment, that this Booke should find such entertainment and approbation in the Court, especially among (pardon my rudenesse) you Court-Ladyes, being so full, I say not of complements, but of many imployments, chiefely your selfe. Yea the verie curiosities of Courtly attires, and the varieties of fashions, which not onelyonly must be followed with the first, but studied also to vphold the Court credit, are they not enough to take vp all one forenoone? And then Madam where will you find time for your Matins, and other houres of Deuotion, which this Booke imposeth vponupon you? What? Will the Author of this Booke make the Court a Monasterie, or Nunnerie? Would he hauehave the Ladyes and Mayds of Honour to turne Nunnes? What? Nothing almost, but euerie houre of the day, to turne ouer and ouer your Beads? This were a strange Metamorphosis, for Courtiers thus to keepe holy day. And therefore Madam, I wonder, that the Court, of all other, cryeth not downe such a Booke as this. Nay Madam, seeme to approue it as much as you will, yet you can neuer perswade the simplest Rusticke, that you Courtiers are, or can be euer a whit the deuouter for all this Booke. For it is impossible for you to practice one quarter of it. And taking vponupon you the obseruation of such canonicall rules, as standeth not with possibilitie to keepe, either you must get a dispensation to remit the rigour of them, and to admit of such a practise of deuotion, as either your Court-leasure, or disposition can conueniently, or but indifferently performe: Or otherwise you must be driuen of necessitie either daily to goe to shrift for absolution, or to chawke vp all your defects and failings for your generall shrift: Wherein, and for which, such penance may be imposed vponupon you, as you shall hardly determine, whither of the two is more grieuous, to obserue the rules for your deuotion, or to satisfie for the penaltie.
Cur.
Surely Madam you argue verie vnhappily; nor doe I thinke, your Chaplaine, or any man can say more to this Booke, then you hauehave done. But Madam, what would you hauehave vsus to doe in this case? We poore Ladyes, Protestants of the Court, are in a great strait. We are pressed on the one side with importune impossibilities, as you say: On the other, with the vrgent examples of Romane-Catholicke Ladyes, among whom we conuerse, who presse vsus with their exemplarie practise of pietie and deuotion in their Religion, putting vsus and our Religion to shame, if we doe not equalize at least, if not outstrip them in point of deuotion.
Char.
Madam, all such Romish practise of deuotion is not worth Godamercie, or that it should stand in the least competition, or comparison with true deuotion. The Priests of Baal, what a stirre kept they, what zeale shewed they in launcing of their fl…sh, what vnwearied deuotion in the repetition of their prayers, and that euen vntill the euening Sacrifice, fulfilling almost all their canonicall houres, and yet all to no purpose: Whereas Elias Gods Prophet vsed onelyonly a short prayer, which preuailed with God? Doe you thinke Madam; that your Roman-Catholicke Dames are euer a whit regarded of God, for all their turning ouer their Beads, or saying ouer their Beadrowes of Pater-nosters, and Aue-Maries, and they wot not what? Alas Madam, blessed be God, we are not so childish, after so long a bringing vp vnderunder the Word, to account such Baby-deuotion worthy of our least emulation, much lesse of Apishimitation? Therefore Madam, if I may aduise you, away with this idle Apish Booke of Popish Deuotion; suffer not either your Court, or your Christian libertie so to be imposed vponupon with such obseruations, as are either impossible, and at the best, perhaps vnprofitable; as whereof it may be said, Who required these things at your hands? But I feare I am too bold with your Ladiship. Thus you see a Fooles bolt soone shot. I will take my leaue.
Cur.
Madam, I will detaine you no longer, my attendance also calling me away. Therefore, till the set time, adiew Madam. Remember Friday morning.
Char.
Madam, I will not forget.
The next meeting on Friday morning.
Charis.
MAdam, God giuegive you good morrow.
Cur.
Welcome Madam. I was euen expecting of you. HaueHave you brought your Chaplaine with you?
Char.
Madam I hauehave; who is ready to tender to your honour such satisfaction, as he hath in his iudgement conceiued to be conuenient.
Cur.
Master Iohannes, I would intreat you here to spend a little familiar conference with my Chaplain Master Diotrephes, about that Booke which your Lady hath acquainted you with. I suppose you come sufficiently instructed what to say therein.
Iohannes.
Madam, I must craue pardon for my boldnesse in this my rudenesse, hoping that wherein I shall offend, my Ladies command in bringing me hither will helpe to excuse me. For as for this Booke, I confesse I was loth to meddle with it, but vponupon her ouer earnest pressing of me. And besides my time hath beene verie short to informe my selfe sufficiently touching all the particulars of this Booke, which perhaps a more iudicious eye vponupon better deliberation might more fully discouer. Nor did I thinke it fit to trouble your Ladiships eares with any tedious canuasses to and fro; but rather to recommend it to your Ladiship in one briefe view, to peruse the same at your best leasure. And here it is in writing, praying your Ladiships honour to pardon my rudenesse and plainnesse therein, according to your honours promise to my Lady here.
Cur.
Sir, I thanke you very kindly, wishing I could as easily requite your paines and courtesie, as I can hardly otherwise deserue it.
Ioh.
Madam, your noble acceptance shall be to me as a most ample recompence.
Cur.
I promise to bestow the reading of it thorowly.
Ioh.
Madam, God grant you may reape much fruit thereby.