A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
English drama
Still pretend religion, whatsoever you say,
And that shall get thee good credit alway,
Pleasing the multitude with such kind of gear,[22]
As with them, to the which most inclined they are.
Square caps, long gowns, with tippets of silk,
Brave copes in the church, surplices as white as milk,
Beads, and such like: all these bear the price.
To these things apply thy attendant device:
And other likewise, which well you do know,
Which all of great holiness do set forth a show.
Though some of them, doubtless, be indifferent, what matter!
They furnish our business never the latter.
For these, of antiquity since that they do smell,
Our cause must commend right wonderful well:
And these be the things whereof thou hast need,
The better of thy will and purpose to speed.
Then give thy attendance, and so be sure of this:
That I will be ready and never will miss
To assist thee still in working thy purpose,
To th' advancing of thee, and depressing thy foes.
PERV. DOC. Gramercy, good sister, even with all my heart,
For this your good counsel; and for my part,
Whatsoever in this case may be possibly done,
I shall follow your precepts as a natural son.
For the matter so stands, if we look not well about,
That we quite perish all out of doubt,
Unless some such way we take out of hand,
Whereby we may be able our foes to withstand.
And for this cause my brother Ignorance and I,
Lest it should chance us to fall into jeopardy,
Through envy of our names in any man's ear:
For this intent, I say, we did diligently care
Our names to counterfeit in such manner of sort,
That wherever we go we may win good report.
HYPOCRISY. Of my faith, that is very well done indeed!
God send thee a good wit still at thy need.
And that in thy doings such success thou may'st find,
That all things may chance to thee after thy mind.
My brother, if thou have ought else for to say,
Speak on, ere that I depart hence away.
PERV. DOC. Great thanks for your counsel, and if ye chance
to go thither,
You may meet with Ignorance, to hasten him hither.
HYPOCRISY. Farewell: he shall be here, you shall see, even anon.
[_Exit._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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