put on their cap, I would they would have this meditation, I am now putting on my power upon my head. If they had this thought in their minds, they would not make so much pricking up of themselves as they do nowadays. But now here is a vengeance devil; we must have our power from Turkey of Velvet, and gay it must be, far fetched, dear bought; and when it cometh, it is a false sign. I had rather have a true English sign, than a false sign from Turkey. It is a false sign when it covereth not their heads as it should do. For if they would keep it under the power as they ought to do, there should not any such tussocks * nor tufts be seen as there be; nor such laying out of the hair nor braiding to have it open. I would marvel of it, how it should come to be so abused, and so far out of order; saving that I know by experience, that many will not be ruled by their husbands, as they ought to be. I have been desired to exhort some, and with some I could do little in that matter.

But there be now many Adams that will not displease their wives, but will in this behalf let them have all their own minds, and do as them listeth. And some others again there be nowadays that will defend it, and say it may be suffered well enough, because it is not expressed in Scripture, nor spoken of by name. Though we have not express mention in scripture against such laying of the hair in tussocks and tufts, yet we have in scripture express mention De tortis crinibus, of wreathen hair, that is for the nonce forced to curl. But of these tussocks that are laid out nowadays, there is no mention made in scriptures, because they were not used in scripture time. They were not yet come to be so far out of order, as to lay out such tussocks and tufts. But I will tell thee, if thou wilt needs lay it out, or if thou wilt needs shew thy hair, and have it seen, go and poll thy head, or round it, as men do; for to what purpose is it to pull it out so, and to lay it out? Some do it, say they, of a simplicity: some do it of a pride; and some of other causes. But they do it because they will be quarter-master with their husbands. Quarter-masters? Nay, half-masters: yea some of them will be whole masters, and rule the roast as they list themselves.

*An old word for a braided lock of hair. Such locks the ladies of those times wore finely adorned; some hanging down before, and others behind, of various lengths.

But these defenders of it will not have it evil, because it is not spoken of in scripture. But there be other things as evil as this, which are not spoken of in scripture expressly, but they are implied in scripture, as well as though they were expressly spoken of. For the Prophet Isaiah saith, Væ qui consurgitis mane ad comessandum, ad ebrietatem sectandam et potando usque ad vesperam, ut vino estuetis. "Wo unto

you that arise early in the morning, and go to drinking until night, that ye may swim in wine."

This is the scripture against banqueting and drunkenness. But now they banquet all night, and lie a-bed in the day-time till noon, and the scripture speaketh nothing of that. But what then? the devil hath his purpose this way, as well as the other; he hath his purpose as well by revelling and keeping ill rule all night, as by rising early in the morning and banqueting all day. So the devil hath his purpose both ways. Ye noblemen, ye great men, I wot not what rule ye keep: For God's sake hear the complaints and suits of the poor. Many complain against you that ye lie a-bed till eight, or nine, or ten of the clock. I cannot tell what revel ye have over night, whether in banqueting, or dicing, or carding, or how it is; but in the morning, when poor suitors come to your houses, ye cannot be spoken withal: they are kept sometimes without your gates, or if they be let into the hall, or some outer chamber, out cometh one or other, "Sir, ye cannot speak with my lord yet, my lord is asleep, or he hath had business of the king's all night," &c. And thus poor suitors are driven off from day to day, that they cannot speak with you in three, or four days, yea, a whole month: what shall I say more? yea a whole year sometimes, ere they can come to your speech, to be heard of you. For God's love look better to it, speak with poor men when they come to your houses, and despatch poor suitors, as indeed some noblemen do, and would Christ that all noblemen would so do. But some do.

I went one day myself betime in the morning to a great man's house to speak with him, in business that I had of mine own. And methought I was up betimes; but when I came thither, the great man was gone forth about such affairs as behoved him, ere I came. Well, yet, thought I, this is well, I like this well: this man doth somewhat regard and consider

his office and duty. I came too late for mine own matter, and lost my journey, and my early rising too: and yet I was glad that I had been so beguiled. For God's love follow this example, ye great men, and arise in the mornings, and be ready for men to speak with them, and to despatch suitors that resort unto you. But all these I bring to disprove them that defend evil things, because they be not expressly spoken against in the scripture. But what forceth that? when the devil hath his purpose, and is served as well one way, as another way: though it be not expressly spoken against in scripture, yet I reckon it plainly enough implied in the scripture.

But now to come to my matter again: Videte et cavete ab avaritia, "See and beware of covetousness:" And I shall desire you to consider four things: Quis dicat, quid dicat, cui dicat, et quare dicat: "Who speaketh it; what he speaketh; to whom he speaketh; and wherefore he speaketh it." As here, Christ speaketh to a rich man against avarice: And why against avarice? what shall be the end of all covetous persons Eternal damnation. "For the covetous persons, (saith Paul), shall not possess, nor enter into the kingdom of God." Here therefore I shall desire you to pray, &c.

?

THE

SECOND SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD

IN THE AFTERNOON OF THE SAME DAY.

LUKE xii. 15.

Videte et cavete ab avaritia, &c.

See and beware of covetousness.

FIRST, who spake these words? Forsooth, Christ spake them; if I had spoken them of myself, it had been little worth. But Christ spake them, and upon a good occasion: The story is, Duo litigabant inter se ." There were two at strife between themselves," (Luke xii.) and by this it appeareth that Christ spake them. Well, Christ spake these words at that time; and now he speaketh them by his Preacher, whom ye ought to believe; and so it is all one. But upon what occasion did he speak it? There were two brethren at strife together for lands, wealthy men, as it appeareth, and the rich fellow would not tarry till Christ had ended his sermon, but interrupted it, and would needs have his matter despatched by and by. He was at Christ's sermon, but yet he would not defer his worldly cause till Christ had made an end of his godly exhortation. This was a thorny brother, he was a gospeller, he was a carnal gospeller (as many be nowadays for a piece of an abbey, or for a portion of chantrey lands), to get somewhat by it, and to serve his commodity. He was a gospeller, one of the new brethren, somewhat worse than a rank papist. Howbeit, a rank papist nowadays shall sooner have promotion than a true gospeller shall have, the more pity. But this was a thorny gospeller, he heard Christ's preaching and followed him for company, and heard his words; but he was never the better for it; but the care of the world so choked

the word of God in him, that he could not hear the sermon to the end, but interrupted the sermon for his worldly matter ere it were all done.

And what was Christ then doing? forsooth he was sowing of good seed, but it fell upon stony ground, so that it could not take any root in this fellow, to bring forth good fruit in him. And let me tell you of the seed that Christ was then sowing; bear with me awhile, and seeing that I come now to take my ultimum vale of this place, hear me patiently, and give me leave a little while, and let me take my leave honestly.

At the time when this fellow interrupted Christ's sermon, he was preaching a long sermon to his disciples, and to the people, being gathered together in a wonderful great multitude, as appeareth in the twelfth chapter of St. Luke's gospel: and there he first of all taught his disciples a good lesson, saying, Cavete vobis à fermento Pharisaorum: "Beware in any wise (saith he) of the leaven of the Pharisees." What is this leaven of the Pharisees? Leaven is sometimes taken for corrupt living, which infecteth others by the evil example thereof, and against such corrupt living, God's preacher must cry out earnestly, and never cease till it be rooted up. In the city of Corinth one had married his step-mother, his father's wife; and he was a jolly fellow, a great rich man, an alderman of the city, and therefore they winked at, they would not meddle in the matter, they had nothing to do with it; and he was one of the head men, of such rule and authority, that they durst not, many of them.

But St. Paul hearing of the matter, writ unto them, and in God's behalf charged them to do away such abomination from among them. St. Paul would not leave them till he had excommunicated the wicked doer of such abomination. If we should now excommunicate all such wicked doers, there would be much ado in England.

Ye that are magistrates shew favour for affection to such, and will not suffer they may be rooted out or put to shame. Oh he is such a man's servant, we may not do him any shame. Oh he is a gentleman, &c. And so the thing is not now any thing looked unto. Lechery is used throughout England, and such lechery as is used in none other place of the world. And yet it is made a matter of sport, a matter of nothing, a