The Palace of Pleasure | Page 8

of the motions of Grace,
driuing from them the feare of God, and running headlong into all sinne,
first, lustelie contemne God, than scornefullie mocke his worde, and
also spitefullie hate and hurte all well willers thereof. Then they haue in
more reuerence the triumphes of Petrarche: than the Genesis of Moses:
They make more account of Tullies offices, than S. Paules epistles: of a
tale in Bocace, than a storie of the Bible. Than they counte as Fables,
the holie misteries of Christian Religion. They make Christ and his
Gospell, onelie serue Ciuill pollicie: Than neyther Religion cummeth
amisse to them....
For where they dare, in cumpanie where they like, they boldlie laughe

to scorne both protestant and Papist. They care for no scripture: They
make no counte of generall councels: they contemne the consent of the
Chirch: They passe for no Doctores: They mocke the Pope: They raile
on Luther: They allow neyther side: They like none, but onelie
themselues: The marke they shote at, the ende they looke for, the
heauen they desire, is onelie, their owne present pleasure, and priuate
proffit: whereby, they plainlie declare, of whose schole, of what
Religion they be: that is, Epicures in liuing, and +atheoi+ in doctrine:
this last worde, is no more vnknowne now to plaine Englishe men, than
the Person was vnknown somtyme in England, vntill som Englishe man
tooke peines to fetch that deuelish opinin out of Italie....
I was once in Italie my selfe: but I thanke God, my abode there, was but
ix. dayes:
[Sidenote: Venice.]
And yet I sawe in that litle time, in one Citie, more libertie to sinne,
than euer I hard tell of in our noble
[Sidenote: London.]
Citie of London in ix. yeare. I sawe, it was there, as free to sinne, not
onelie without all punishment, but also without any mans marking, as it
is free in the Citie of London, to chose, without all blame, whether a
man lust to weare Shoo or Pantocle....
Our Italians bring home with them other faultes from Italie, though not
so great as this of Religion, yet a great deale greater, than many good
men will beare.
[Sidenote: Contempt of mariage.]
For commonlie they cum home, common contemners of mariage and
readie persuaders of all other to the same: not because they loue
virginitie, nor yet because they hate prettie yong virgines, but, being
free in Italie, to go whither so euer lust will cary them, they do not like,
that lawe and honestie should be soche a barre to their like libertie at

home in England. And yet they be, the greatest makers of loue, the
daylie daliers, with such pleasant wordes, with such smilyng and secret
countenances, with such signes, tokens, wagers, purposed to be lost,
before they were purposed to be made, with bargaines of wearing
colours, floures and herbes, to breede occasion of ofter meeting of him
and her, and bolder talking of this and that, etc. And although I haue
seene some, innocent of ill, and stayde in all honestie, that haue vsed
these thinges without all harme, without all suspicion of harme, yet
these knackes were brought first into England by them, that learned
them before in Italie in Circes Court: and how Courtlie curtesses so
euer they be counted now, yet, if the meaning and maners of some that
do vse them, were somewhat amended, it were no great hurt, neither to
them selues, nor to others....
An other propertie of this our English Italians is, to be meruelous
singular in all their matters: Singular in knowledge, ignorant in nothyng:
So singular in wisedome (in their owne opinion) as scarse they counte
the best Counsellor the Prince hath, comparable with them: Common
discoursers of all matters: busie searchers of most secret affaires: open
flatterers of great men: priuie mislikers of good men: Faire speakers,
with smiling countenances, and much curtessie openlie to all men.
Ready bakbiters, sore nippers, and spitefull reporters priuily of good
men. And beyng brought vp in Italie, in some free Citie, as all Cities be
there: where a man may freelie discourse against what he will, against
whom he lust: against any Prince, agaynst any gouernement, yea
against God him selfe, and his whole Religion: where he must be,
either Guelphe or Gibiline, either French or Spanish: and alwayes
compelled to be of some partie, of some faction, he shall neuer be
compelled to be of any Religion: And if he medle not ouer much with
Christes true Religion, he shall haue free libertie to embrace all
Religions, and becum, if he lust at once, without any let or punishment,
Iewish, Turkish, Papish, and Deuilish.
It is the old quarrel of classicists and Romanticists, of the ancien
régime and the new school in literature,