A Very Pleasaunt Fruitful Diologe Called the Epicure | Page 7

yearth, or a thyng earthly and brute, & that whiche dieth neuer, but alwayes c?taineth in it the godly nature. _Hedo._ And also, that false deceiueable & co?terfetted holy thynges, are not too bee taken for those, which in very dede be || godly. _Spude._ No more then the shaddowes are too bee estemed for the bodies, or the illusions and wonders of wytchcraftes or the fantasies of dreames, are too bee taken as true thynges. _HE._ Hitherto you answer aptly too my purpose, and I thynke you wyl graunt me this thyng also, that true and godly pleasure can reste and take place no where but only on such a mynd that is sobree and honest. _SPV._ What elles? for no man reioyseth too beholde the Sunne, if his eyes bee bleared or elles delecteth in wyne, if the agew haue infected hys tast. _HED._ And the Epicure hymselfe, or elles I am disceiued, would not clippe & enbrace that pleasure, whiche ||C.ii.|| would bring with it farre greater payne and suche as would bee of long continuaunce. SPV I thynke he woulde not, if he had any wytte at all. _HED._ Nor you wyll not denye this, that God is the chiefe and especiall goodnes, then wh? there is nothyng fayrer, there is nothyng ameabler, ther is nothing more delicious and swetter. _SPVDE._ No man wyll deny thys except he bee very harde hearted and of an vngentler nature then the Ciclopes. _HED._ Nowe you haue graunted vnto me, that none lyue in more pleasure, then thei whyche lyue vertuouslye, and agayne, none in more sorowe and calamytie then those that || lyue vngratiously. _Spu._ Then I haue gra?ted more thê I thought I had. _He._ But what thing you haue ones c?fessed too bee true (as Plato sayth) you should not deny it afterward. _SPV._ Go furth with your matter. HEDO The litle whelpe that is set store and greate price by, is fed most daintely, lieth soft, plaieth and maketh pastime continually, doo you thinke that it lyueth plesa?tly? _SPV._ It dooeth truely. _HEDO._ Woulde you wyshe to haue suche a lyfe? _SPV._ God forbyd that, excepte I woulde rather bee a dogge then a man, _HEDO._ Then you confesse that all the chief pleasures arise and spring fr? the mynd, as though it were from a welspryng. _SPV._ ||C.iii|| That is euident ynough. _HE._ Forsoth the strength and efficacy of the minde is so great, that often it taketh away the felyng of al externe and outward pain & maketh that pleasaunt, which by it selfe is very peynful. _SPV._ We se that dayly in louers, hauyng great delight to sytte vp long & too daunce attendaunce at their louers doores all the colde wynter nyghtes. _HEDo._ Now weigh this also, if the naturall loue of man, haue suche great vehemency in it, which is a c?mune thyng vnto vs, both with bulles and dogges, howe much more should all heauenly loue excell in vs, which c?meth of ye spirit of Christ, whose strêgthe is of suche power, that it ||would make death a th?g most terrible, too bee but a pleasure vnto vs. _Spu._ What other men th?ke inwardly I know not, but certes thei w?t many pleasures which cleaue fast vnto true and perfect vertue. _He._ What pleasures? _Spu._ Thei waxe not rich, thei optein no promoti?, thei b?ket not, thei da?ce not, thei sing not, thei smell not of swete oyntmêtes, thei laugh not, thei play not. _He._ We should haue made no mention in thys place of ryches and prefermente, for they bryng wyth them no pleasaunt lyfe, but rather a sadde and a pêsiue. Let vs intreate of other thynges, suche as they chiefely seeke for, whose desyre is to liue deliciously, see ye not daily ||C.iiii|| dr?kerdes, fooles, and mad menne grinne and leape? _SPV._ I see it _HED._ Do you thynke that thei liue most pleasa?tly? SPV God send myne enemies such myrth & pleasure. _HE._ Why so? _Sp._ For ther lacketh emongist thê sobrietie of mind. _HE._ Then you had leuer sit fastyng at your booke, then too make pastime after any suche sorte. _SP._ Of thê both: truly I had rather chose to delue. _H._ For this is plaine that betwixt the mad m? & the dr?kerd ther is no diuersitie, but that slepe wil helpe the one his madnes, & with much a doo ye cure of Physicions helpeth the other, but the foole natural differeth nothing fr? a brute beast except by shape and portrature of body, yet thei || be lesse miserable whom nature hathe made verye brutes, then those that walowe theim selues in foule and beastly lustes. _SP._ I confesse that. _Hedo._ But now tell me, whether you thynke thê sobre