A Very Pleasaunt Fruitful Diologe Called the Epicure | Page 5

a great parte of the scripture beside teache them their duties, and shew playnely what maner of men they shulde bee: Yea, and how greuously the holy Prophetes crie out vpon false and ignoraunt priestes, the thyng is very euident. But through the helppe of God all those that be ignoraunt, or els learned (as they take them selues) wyll leaue of, and repent them of their wicked and obstinate blyndnes, and bowe them selues with all oportunitie too draw mens heartes too the holy testament of God: consideryng, that in the terrible day of iudgement, euery m? shall yeoue accompte of his Beliwicke, where neither ignora?ce shall excuse vs, ne yet any worldly p?pe may defêd vs. Most happye thê shall they bee, whiche haue walked iustely in the sight of the Lorde, and ||B.iii.|| that haue syncerely preached his testament and lyuely woord withoute flattery or iuggelyng: Yea, and in that fearful day, all they (as writeth S. Augustine) shal fynde mercie at the handes of god, whiche haue entised and allured other vnto goodnes and vertue. Weiyng this with my self, (most excellent, and vnto all kynd of vertues most pr?pt & prest?t Prince) I thought it good too translate this Dialoge, called the Epicure, for your grace: whiche semed too me, too bee very familiar, & one of ye godliest Dialoges that any m? hath writtê in ye latin tong. Now therfore I most humili praie, that this my rude & simple tr?slation may bee acceptable vnto your grace, trustyng also that your most approued gentilnes, wil take it in good part. There as I doo not folow ye latyn, woord for woord, for I omytte that of a certaine set purpose.
_Your humile seruaunt, Philyppe_ Gerrard, groume of your graces Chambre.
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The interlocutours
{HEDONIVS} {SPVDEVS}
What meaneth hit Spudeus, too applye hys booke so ernestlye I praye you what is the matter you murmour so with yourselfe? _SPVDEVS._ The truth is (O _Hedoni_) I seke too haue knowledge of a thing, but as yet I cannot fynde that whych maketh for my purpose. HEDO What booke haue you there in your bosome? _SPVDE. Ciceros_ ||dialoge of the endes of goodnes. _HEDO._ It had bene farre more better for you, too haue sought for the begynnynges of godly thynges, then the endes. _SPVDE._ Yea, but Marcus Tullius nameth that the ende of godlines which is an exquisite, a far passing, and a very absolute goodnes in euerye puincte, wherein there is contained all kynde of vertu: vnto the knowledge ther of whosoeuer can attaine, shuld desire none other th?g, but hold himselfe hauyng onely that, as one most fully content and satisfied. _HED._ That is a worke of very great learning and eloquence. But doo you thynke, that you haue preuailed in any th?g there, whereby you haue the ||rather come too the knowledge of the truth? _SPE._ I haue had such fruite and c?moditie by it, that now verelye hereafter I shall doubt more of the effect and endes of good thinges, then I did before. _HEDO._ It is for husb?d menne too stande in doubt how farre the limittes and mereb?kes extend. _SPE._ And I cannot but muse styll, yea, and wonder very muche, why ther hath been so great controuersie in iudgementes vpon so weightie a matter (as this is) emongist so well learned menne: especially suche as bee most famous and auncient writers. _HEDO._ This was euen the cause, where the verite of a thyng is playne and manifest, c?trarily, ye errour through || ignoraunce againe in the same, is soone great & by diuers meanes encreaseth, for that thei knewe not the foundation and first beginnyng of the whole matter, they doo iudge at all auentures and are very fondly disceaued, but whose sentence thynke you too bee truest? _SPE._ Whan I heare MARCVS Tullius reproue the thyng, I then f?tasie none of all their iudgementes, and whan I heare hym agayne defende the cause: it maketh me more doubtfull thê euer I was and am in suche a studie, that I can say nothyng. But as I suppose ye Stoickes haue erred the lest, and nexte vnto thê I commend the Peripatetickes. _HEDo._ Yet I lyke none of their opinions || so well as I doo the Epicures. _SPV._ And em?gist all the sectes: the Epicures iudgement is most reproued and condemned with the whole consent and arbitremêt of all menne. _HED._ Let vs laye a side all disdayne and spite of names, and admitte the Epicure too bee suche one, as euery man maketh of hym. Let vs ponder and weighe the thyng as it is in very deed. He setteth the high and principall felicitie of man in pleasure, and thiketh that lyfe most pure and godly, whiche