The Palace of Pleasure | Page 7

do not well vnderstand,
[Sidenote: An English man Italianated.]
what is an English man Italianated, I will plainlie tell him. He, that by
liuing, and traueling in Italie, bringeth home into England out of Italie,
the Religion, the learning, the policie, the experience, the maners of
Italie.... These be the inchantements of Circes, brought out of Italie, to
marre mens maners in England; much, by example of ill life, but more
by preceptes of fonde bookes,
[Sidenote: Italian bokes translated into English.]
of late translated out of Italian into English, sold in euery shop in
London, commended by honest titles the soner to corrupt honest
maners: dedicated ouer boldlie to vertuous and honourable personages,
the easielier to begile simple and innocent wittes.
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
It is pitie, that those, which haue authoritie and charge, to allow and
dissalow bookes to be printed, be no more circumspect herein, than
they are. Ten Sermons at Paules Crosse do not so moch good for
mouyng men to trewe doctrine, as one of those bookes do harme, with
inticing men to ill liuing. Yea, I say farder, those bookes, tend not so
moch to corrupt honest liuing, as they do, to subuert trewe Religion.
Mo Papistes be made, by your mery bookes of Italie, than by your
earnest bookes of Louain....
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
Therfore, when the busie and open Papistes abroad, could not, by their
contentious bookes, turne men in England fast enough, from troth and
right iudgement in doctrine, than the sutle and secrete Papistes at home,

procured bawdie bookes to be translated out of the Italian tonge,
whereby ouer many yong willes and wittes allured to wantonnes, do
now boldly contemne all seuere bookes that founde to honestie and
godlines. In our forefathers tyme, whan Papistrie, as a standyng poole,
couered and ouerflowed all England, fewe bookes were read in our
tong, sauyng certaine bookes of Cheualrie, as they sayd, for pastime
and pleasure, which, as some say, were made in Monasteries, by idle
Monkes, or wanton Chanons: as one for example,
[Sidenote: Morte Arthur.]
Morte Arthure: the whole pleasure of which booke standeth in two
speciall poyntes, in open mans slaughter, and bold bawdrye: In which
booke those be counted the noblest Knightes, that do kill most men
without any quarrell, and commit fowlest aduoulteres by subtlest
shiftes: as Sir Launcelote, with the wife of king Arthure his master: Syr
Tristram with the wife of king Marke his vncle: Syr Lamerocke with
the wife of king Lote, that was his owne aunte.
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
This is good stuffe, for wise men to laughe att or honest men to take
pleasure at. Yet I know, when Gods Bible was banished the Court, and
Morte Arthure receiued into the Princes chamber. What toyes, the
dayly readyng of such a booke, may worke in the will of a yong
ientleman, or a yong mayde, that liueth welthelie and idlelie, wise men
can iudge, and honest men do pitie. And yet ten Morte Arthures do not
the tenth part so much harme, as one of these bookes, made in Italie,
and translated in England.
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
They open, not fond and common ways to vice, but such subtle,
cunnyng, new, and diuerse shiftes, to cary yong willes to vanitie, and
yong wittes to mischief, to teach old bawdes new schole poyntes, as the
simple head of an Englishman is not hable to inuent, nor neuer was
hard of in England before, yea when Papistrie ouerflowed all. Suffer
these bookes to be read, and they shall soone displace all bookes of

godly learnyng. For they, carying the will to vanitie and marryng good
maners,
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
shall easily corrupt the mynde with ill opinions, and false iudgement in
doctrine: first, to thinke nothyng of God hym selfe, one speciall pointe
that is to be learned in Italie, and Italian bookes.
[Sidenote: pointing finger]
And that which is most to be lamented, and therfore more nedefull to
be looked to, there be moe of these vngratious bookes set out in Printe
within these fewe monethes, than haue bene sene in England many
score yeare before. And bicause our English men made Italians can not
hurt, but certaine persons, and in certaine places, therfore these Italian
bookes are made English, to bryng mischief enough openly and boldly,
to all states great and meane, yong and old, euery where.
And thus yow see, how will intised to wantonnes, doth easelie allure
the mynde to false opinions: and how corrupt maners in liuinge, breede
false iudgement in doctrine: how sinne and fleshlines, bring forth sectes
and heresies: And therefore suffer not vaine bookes to breede vanitie in
mens wills, if yow would haue Goddes trothe take roote in mens
myndes....
They geuing themselues vp to vanitie, shakinge