A Very Pleasaunt Fruitful Diologe Called the Epicure | Page 8

lustes. _SP._ I confesse that. _Hedo._ But now tell me, whether
you thynke thê sobre and wyse, which for playn vanities and shadowes
of plesure, booth dispice the true and godlye pleasures of the mynde
and chose for them selues suche thynges as bee but vexacion & sorowe.
_SPV._ I take it, thei bee not. _Hedo._ In deede thei bee not drûke with
wyne, but with loue with anger, with auarice, with ambicion, and other
foule and filthie desires, whiche kynde of drunkenes is farre worse, thê
that is gotten with drinking of wine. Yet Sirus that leude cõspaniõ ||of
whom mention is made in ye commedie, spake witty thynges after he
had slepte hym self soobre, and called too memorie his greate and

moost beastlye drunkenes: but the minde that is infected with vicious &
noughty desire, hath muche a doo too call it selfe whom agein? How
many yeares doeth loue, anger, spite, sensualitie, excesse, and ambition,
trouble and prouoke the mynde? How many doo wee see, whiche euen
from their youth, too their latter dais neuer awake nor repêt them of the
drunkennes, of ambitiõ, nigardnes, wanton lust, & riatte? _Spu._ I haue
knowen ouermany of that sorte. _Hedo._ You haue graûted that false
and fayned good || thinges, are not too bee estemed for the pure and
godly. _Sp._ And I affirme that still. _Hedo._ Nor that there is no true
and perfect pleasure, except it bee taken of honest and godly thynges.
_Spud._ I confesse that. _He._ Then (I pray you) bee not those good
that the commune sorte seeke for, they care not howe? _Spu._ I thinke
they be not. _Hedo._ Surely if thei were good, they would not chaunce
but onely too good men: and would make all those vertuous that they
happen vntoo. What maner of pleasure make you that, doo you thinke it
too bee godly, which is not of true & honest thynges, but of deceatfull:
and coometh out of ye shadowes of good thynges? _Sp._ || Nay in noo
wyse. _He._ For pleasure maketh vs to liue merely. _Spu._ Yea,
nothyng so muche. _He._ Therfore no man truely liueth pleasauntly,
but he that lyueth godly: that is, whiche vseth and delecteth onli in
good thynges: for vertue of it selfe, maketh a man to habound in all
thynges that bee good, perfete, & prayse worthy: yea, it onely
prouoketh God the fountaine of all goodnes, too loue and fauour man.
_SP._ I almost consent with you. _HED._ But now marke howe far
they bee from all pleasure, whiche seeme openly emongist all men too
folowe nothyng, but the inordinate delectation in in thynges carnall. ||
First their mynde is vile, and corrupted with the sauour and taste of
noughtie desires, in so muche that if any pleasaunt thing chaunce them,
forthwith it waxeth bitter, and is nought set by, in like maner as where
ye welle hed is corrupted and stynketh, there ye water must nedes be
vnsauery. Agein ther is no honest pleasure, but that whiche wee receaue
with a sobre and a quiet mynde. For wee see, nothyng reioyseth the
angry man more, thê too bee reuenged on his offenders, but that
pleasure is turned into pain after his rage bee past, and anger subdued.
_Spu._ I say not the contrary. _He._ Finally, suche leude pleasures bee
taken of fallible thinges, therefore || it foloweth that they be but
delusiõs and shadowes. What woulde you say furthermore, if you saw a

mã so deceaued with sorcerie & also other detestable witchecraftes, eat,
drynke, leap, laugh, yea, and clappe handes for ioye, when ther wer no
such thyng there in very dede, as he beleueth he seeth. _Spu._ I wolde
say he were both mad and miserable. _Hedo._ I my self haue been
often in place, where the lyke thyng hath been doone. There was a
priest whiche knewe perfectly by longe experience and practise, the
arte to make thynges seme that they were not, otherwise called,
deceptio visus. _Sp._ He did not lerne that arte of the holy scripture?
_Hedo._ Yea, || rather of most popeholy charmes and witchecraftes:
that is too saye, of thinges, cursed, dampnable, and wourthy too bee
abhorred. Certayne ladies & gentlewomen of the courte, spake vnto
hym oftentimes: saiyng, they woulde coo[~m] one day too his house
and see what good chere he kept: reprouyng, greatly vile and homly
fare, and moderate expenses in all thynges. He graunted they shulde
bee welcome, and very instauntly desired them. And they came fastyng
because they would haue better appetites. Whã they wer set to dyner (as
it was thought) ther wãted noo kynde of delitious meat: they filled thê
selues haboûdantly: after ye feast was || doone, they gaue moost hearty
thanckes, for their galaunte cheare,