Sir, ye shall wait on me soon, And be God's servant day and night, And in every place where ye become, Give good counsel to every wight: And men axe your name, tell you Remembrance, That God's law keepeth truly every day; And look that ye forget not repentance, Then to heaven ye shall go the next[166] way, Where ye shall see in the heavenly quere The blessed company of saints so holy, That lived devoutly while they were here: Unto the which bliss I beseech God Almighty To bring there your souls that here be present, And unto virtuous living that ye may apply, Truly for to keep His commandments; Of all our mirths here we make an end, Unto the bliss of heaven Jesus your souls bring.[167] AMEN. THE PARDONER AND THE FRIAR. _ A mery Play between the Pardoner and the frere, the curate and neybour Pratte. [Col.] Imprynted by Wyllyam Rastell, the v. day of Apryll, the yere of our lorde m.ccccc.xxxiii. Small folio_. This piece by John Heywood differs from those which have preceded it. It is destitute of the allegorical element, and like some other productions which are to follow, is a mere dramatic interlocution, lightly and inartificially constructed, with little or no plot. A former editor[168] remarks: "It was printed in 1533, but must have been written before 1521, because Leo X. is spoken of in it as living." THE PARDONER AND THE FRIAR. THE FRIAR. Deus hic, the Holy Trinity, Preserve all that now here be! Dear brethren, if ye will consider The cause, why I am come hither, Ye would be glad to know my intent: For I come not hither for money nor for rent, I come not hither for meat nor for meal, But I come hither for your soul's heal: I come not hither to poll nor to shave, I come not hither to beg nor to crave, I come not hither to gloss nor to flatter, I come not hither to babble nor to clatter, I come not hither to fable nor to lie, But I come hither your souls to edify. For we friars are bound the people to teach, The gospel of Christ openly to preach, As did the apostles by Christ their master sent, To turn the people and make them to repent. But since the apostles from heaven would not come, We friars now must occupy their room. We friars are bound to search men's conscience, We may not care for groats nor for pence, We friars have professed wilful poverty, No penny in our purse have may we; Knife nor staff may we none carry, Except we should from the gospel vary. For worldly adversity may we be in no sorrow, We may not care to-day for our meat to-morrow, Barefoot and barelegged must we go also: We may not care for frost nor snow; We may have no manner care, ne think Nother for our meat nor for our drink; But let our thoughts fro such things be as free As be the birds that in the air flee. For why our Lord, cleped sweet Jesus, In the gospel speaketh to us thus: Through all the world go ye, saith He, And to every creature speak ye of me; And show of my doctrine and cunning,