Pleasure and Pain Heaven and Hell, Title page – Dedication
¶ Pleaſure And Payne, Heauen and Hell: Remembre theſe foure, and all ſhall be well.
¶ Compyled by Roberte Crowley, Anno Domini, MDLI.
❧ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum ſolum.
¶ O ye that be my fathers bleſſed ones come and poſſes the kyngdome that was prepared for you befor the beginning of the worlde.
¶ Goe ye curſſed ſorte into the euerlaſtyng fyre that was prepared for the Deuill and his Angelles
Math, xxv,
¶ To the ryght worſhypful Lady Dame Elizabeth Fane, wyfe to the ryght worſhypfull Syr Rafe Fane Knyghte: Roberte Crowley Wyſhethe the Lyfe euerlaſtynge
AFter I had compiled thys litle treatiſe (ryght vertuouſe Lady) I thought it my duty to Dedicate the ſame vntounto youre Ladiſhyppes name, as to a ryght worthy Patrones of al ſuch as laboure in the Lords harueſte. Not for that I thyncke I hauehave herein done any thyng worthy ſo liberall a Patrones, but for the worthynes of the matter, whych is a parte of the holy goſpel of Ieſu Chriſt wrytten by the holy Euangelyſte Mathewe, and is moſt neceſſary to be beaten into the heades of all men at thys daye, to dryue them (if it be poſſible) from the gredy rakeying togyther of the Treaſures of this vayne worlde. I do not doubt, but if god hauehave not geuē mē vp to their owne herts luſt they wyll nowe at the laſte endeuoure to lyue the goſpell which they hauehave of longe tyme talked. In dede it was neceſſarie that God ſhould ſtyr vp ſome to plage ſuch emonge his people as had offended euen as he dyd often tymes ſtyr vp the Heathen to plage hys people of Iſraell but yet it is not neceſſarye that the ſame ſhould continue in oppreſſyng the offendars and Innocent togither. For ſo ſhal they alſo deſerue the lordis Wrath & in the ende be plaged by ſome other that God ſhall ſtyr vp to reuenge the iniurye done to the innocent ſorte Moued therefore wyth the deſyre to ſe the wealth of my contrey by the pacifiyng of gods Ire, which (no doubt) wyl fal vponupon this realme very ſhortly, if oppreſſiō and gredye couetiſe ceaſe not: I hauehave ſo playnely as I coulde, ſet forth in thys litle boke the terrible Iudgment of god (which no doubt of it is at hāde) that if there remayne any feare of god in mens hertis it may cauſe them to ſtaye at the leaſt waye and not to procede any farder in ye Inuētyng of newe wayes to oppreſſe the pore of thys realme whoes oppreſſion doeth alredy crye vntounto the lorde for vengeance. The lorde work in the hertis of the rych that this vengeaunce fall not on thys realme in oure dayes, for doubtles it wyl be gret when it cometh. And if the oppreſſion ceaſe not, the vengeance can not tarye longe. For the lorde hath promiſed to reuenge his people in haſte. This lord preſerue your good ladiſhip to hys good pleaſure in thys lyfe and geue you blyſſe in the lyfe to come So be it.
Your Ladyſhips at cōmaundement Robert Crowley.