PEDLAR. That is of all the very worst way; For more hard it is, as I have heard say, To begin virtue where none is pretended, Than where it is begun, th' abuse to be mended. How be it, ye be[563] not all to begin, One sign of virtue ye are entered in: As this, I suppose ye did say true, In that ye said ye use no virtue. In the which words I dare well report, You are well beloved of all this sort, By your railing here openly At pardons and relics so lewdly. 'POTHECARY. In that I think my fault not great; For all that he hath I know counterfeit. PEDLAR. For his and all other that ye know feigned, You be not[564] counselled nor constrained To any such thing in any such case, To give any reverence in any such place. But where ye doubt, the truth not knowing. Believing the best, good may be growing, In judging the best, no harm at the least; In judging the worst, no good at the best. But best in these things it seemeth to me, To make[565] no judgment upon ye; But as the church doth judge or take them, So do ye receive or forsake them. And so be you sure ye cannot err, But may be a fruitful follower. 'POTHECARY. Go ye before, and as I am true man, I will follow as fast as I can. PARDONER. And so will I, for he hath said so well, Reason would we should follow his counsel. PALMER. Then to our reason God give us his grace, That we may follow with faith so firmly His commandments, that we may purchase His love, and so consequently To believe his church fast and faithfully; So that we may, according to his promise, Be kept out of error in any wise. And all that hath scaped[566] us here by negligence, We clearly revoke and forsake it; To pass the time in this without offence, Was the cause why the Maker did make it; And so we humbly beseech you to take it, Beseeching our Lord to prosper you all In the faith of his Church Universal.[567] A NEW INTERLUDE, CALLED THERSITES. EDITION _A new Enterlude called Thersytes. This Enterlude followynge dothe declare howe that the greatest boesters are not the greatest doers_. THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS. THERSITES, _a boster_. MATER, _a mother_. MULCIBER, _a smyth_. MILES, _a knyght_. TELEMACHUS, _a childe_. [Col.] Imprinted at London, by John Tysdale and are to be solde at hys shop in the vpper ende of Lvmbard streete, in Alhallowes Churche yarde neare vntoo grace church. 4°. Black letter. HASLEWOOD'S PREFACE.[568]