Philargyry of Great Britain, Title page – To the reader
¶ Philargyrie of greate Britayne
i. Timoth. vi,
The rote of al miſchife yt euer dyd ſpring
Is carefull Couetiſe, & gredy Gathering
☞ The Contentes of thys boke.
Howe Philargyrie came into greate Brytayne
¶ Hys Oration to the people that reſorted to hym
¶ Howe the peopl… ſubmitted them ſelues to hym
¶ Hypocriſies Oration.
¶ Howe he cōmitted the gouernance of ye people to Hypocriſie
¶ Howe Philargyrie deuoured all the treaſure that Hypocriſie had layde vp in ſtore
¶ Howe Hypocriſie wēt about to wythſtande Philargyrie
❧ How ſelfe louelove vttered Hypocriſie his intēt to Philargyrie
How Philaute went to Nodnoll and what he dyd there
¶ How ye people forſoke Hypo.
How truth tolde al to ye kynge
How the kynge draue al theſe oute of his realme
Finis
¶ To the Readar
IF Poetes maye proue
and trye theyr owne wytte
In feyneyng of Fables
greate Vices to blame:
And if they be blameleſſe
although they do hytt
The Treuth▪ in theyre Treatyſe
vnderunder a ſtraynge name
Then maye I by ryght
(me thyncke) do the ſame
Wherefore though I touth the
take it in good parte,
For I wyll the none Ill
as God knoweth myne herte.
I graunte I hauehave feyned
and wrytten a lye,
And yet not ſo lowde
as I woulde it were,
For treuly thys Gigant
greate Philargyrie
Is preſent in greate Brytayne
euen eueryevery where
Not one man is free
From hys Tyrannie there,
For all men he polled
fyrſte by Hypocriſie,
And nowe by ſelfe LoueLove
he doeth all deſtroye.
The Hypocrites had gotten
into theyr owne handes
All placis of Pleaſure
in eueryevery coaſte
So had they the good
and profitable landes
Which nowe by ſelfe louelove
are ſpoyled and loſte
No good thynge at all
remayneth welmoſte
The thyngis that were beſt
are nowe made ſo bad
That where much thynge is
there nought can be had.
The Hypocritis were Ill
but worſſe is ſelfe louelove
Wherefore gentle Reader
I praye the hertily
Make erneſt petition
to the Lorde aboue
To delyuer greate Britaine
from Philargyrie
Who hath brought that rich Iland
into ſuch miſerie
That thyngs of greatiſt plentie
are ſcantiſt to be had
And al thynge that good was
is nowe made to bad.
Finis.
VntoUnto ſuche as be yet wythoute All thyngis ſhalbe ſpoken in Parables. Marke. iiii.