A Select Collection of Old English Plays, vol 1 | Page 6

thou, rich man, have thereof
the keeping, Yet is not this riches of thy getting, Nor oughtest not in
reason to be praised the more, For by other men's labour it is got before.
A great-witted man may soon be enriched, That laboureth and studieth
for riches only; But how shall his conscience then be discharged? For
all clerks affirm that that man precisely, Which studieth for his own
wealth principally, Of God shall deserve but little reward, Except he the
commonwealth somewhat regard; So they say that that man occupied is
For a commonwealth, which is ever labouring To relieve poor people
with temporal goods, And that it is a common good act to bring People
from vice, and to use good living. Likewise for a commonwealth
occupied is he, That bringeth them to knowledge that ignorant be; But
man to know God is a difficulty, Except by a mean he himself inure,
Which is to know God's creatures that be: As first them that be of the
grossest nature, And then to know them that be more pure; And so, by
little and little ascending, To know God's creatures and marvellous
working. And this wise man at the last shall come to The knowledge of
God and His high majesty, And so to learn to do his duty, and also To
deserve of His goodness partner to be. Wherefore in this work declared

shall ye see, First of the elements the situation, And of their effects the
cause and generation; And though some men think this matter too high,
And not meet for an audience unlearned, Methink for man nothing
more necessary Than this to know, though it be not used, Nor a matter
more low cannot be argued; For though the elements God's creatures be,
Yet they be most gross and lowest in degree. How dare men presume to
be called clerks, Disputing of high creatures celestial, As things
invisible and God's high warks, And know not these visible things
inferial? So they would know high things, and know nothing at all: Of
the earth here whereon they daily be, Neither the nature, form, nor
quantity. Wherefore it seemeth nothing convenient A man to study, and
his time to bestow, First for the knowledge of high things excellent,
And of light matters beneath nothing to know, As of these four
elements here below, Whose effects daily appear here at eye, Such
things to know first were most meet study; Which matter before your
presence shortly In this interlude here shall be declared Without great
eloquence in rhyme rudely, Because the compiler is but small learned.
This work with rhetoric is not adorned, For perhaps in this matter much
eloquence Should make it tedious or hurt the sentence. But because
some folk be little disposed To sadness, but more to mirth and sport,
This philosophical work is mixed With merry conceits, to give men
comfort, And occasion to cause them to resort To hear this matter,
whereto if they take heed, Some learning to them thereof may proceed.
But they that shall now this matter declare Openly here unto this
audience, Behold, I pray you, see where they are. The players begin to
appear in presence; I see well it is time for me go hence, And so I will
do; therefore now shortly To God I commit all this whole company.
Hic intrat NATURA NATURATA, HUMANITY, and STUDIOUS
DESIRE, portans figuram.
NATURA NATURATA.
The high, mighty, most excellent of all, The Fountain of goodness,
virtue, and cunning, Which is eterne[11] of power most potential, The
Perfection and First Cause of everything, I mean that only high Nature
naturing. Lo, He by His goodness hath ordained and created Me here

His minister, called Nature Naturate. Wherefore I am the very naturate
nature, The immediate minister for the preservation Of everything in
His kind to endure, And cause of generation and corruption Of that
thing that is brought to destruction. Another thing still I bring forth
again, Thus wondersly I work, and never in vain. The great world
behold, lo, divided wondersly Into two regions, whereof one I call The
ethereal region with the heavens high, Containing the planets, stars, and
spheres all; The lower region, called the elemental, Containing these
four elements below, The fire, the air, the water, and earth also. But yet
the elements and other bodies all Beneath take their effects and
operations Of the bodies in the region ethereal. By their influence and
constellations, They cause here corruptions and generations; For if the
movings above should once cease, Beneath should be neither increase
nor decrease. These elements of themselves so single be Unto divers
forms cannot be divided, Yet they commix together daily, you see,
Whereof divers kinds of things be engendered, Which things eftsones,
when