A Very Pleasaunt Fruitful Diologe Called the Epicure | Page 7

betwxt the solle and the bodye _Spu._ Euen as much as
there is betwene heauen and yearth, or a thyng earthly and brute, & that
whiche dieth neuer, but alwayes cõtaineth in it the godly nature.
_Hedo._ And also, that false deceiueable & coûterfetted 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 whõ 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
graûted more thê I thought I had. _He._ But what thing you haue ones
cõfessed 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 plesaûtly?
_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 frõ 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
cõmune thyng vnto vs, both with bulles and dogges, howe much more
should all heauenly loue excell in vs, which cõmeth of ye spirit of
Christ, whose strêgthe is of suche power, that it ||would make death a
thîg most terrible, too bee but a pleasure vnto vs. _Spu._ What other
men thîke inwardly I know not, but certes thei wãt many pleasures
which cleaue fast vnto true and perfect vertue. _He._ What pleasures?
_Spu._ Thei waxe not rich, thei optein no promotiõ, thei bãket not, thei
daûce 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|| drõkerdes, fooles, and mad menne
grinne and leape? _SPV._ I see it _HED._ Do you thynke that thei liue
most pleasaûtly? 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 mã & the
drûkerd 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 frõ 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