HYPOCRISY. The nature of hypocrites herein we rehearse; Which, being convinced by the text of God's word, The end of their spouting is fire and sword. But if you will needs be chief, God speed well the plough: I will be none that shall follow your train; For if I should, I know well enough That to fly the country we all should be fain: Then were my labour done but in vain. You know not so much as I do, Tyranny, Therefore, I advise you, be ruled by me. TYRANNY. _Inter amicos omnia sunt communia_, they say: Among friends there is reckoned no property, But that the one hath of his own, th' other may Have the use of the same at his own liberty, Even so among us it is of a surety; For what the one hath of his own proper right, It is thine to use by day or by night. AVARICE. Indeed you say truth, the end is worth all; [HYP. He hath learned logeres.[32]] Such things as to get the end are referred, And by this reason to you I prove shall, That I before Hypocrisy must be preferred: The conclusion of my reason is this[33] inferred; Sith Hypocrisy was invented to augment private gain, I am the end of Hypocrisy: this is plain. HYPOCRISY. _Actum est de amicitia_, the bargain is despatched, And we two in friendship are united as one. AVARICE. In the same knot with you let me also be matched, And of money, I warrant you, you shall want none. HYPOCRISY. I agree; what say you? shall he be one? TYRANNY. I judge him needful in our company to be, And therefore, for my part, he is welcome to me. [HYP. Friendship for gain.] Let us now speedily on our business attend, And labour each one to bring it about. HYPOCRISY. That is already by me brought to end, So that of your preferment you need not to doubt; And my coming hither was to find you out, That at my elbow you might be in readiness, To help, if need were, in this weighty business. To tell you the story it were but too tedious, How the Pope and I together have devised, Firstly to inveigle the people religious, For greediness of gain who will be soon pressed: And, for fear lest hereafter they should be despised, Of their own freewill will maintain Hypocrisy, So that Avarice alone shall conquer the clergy. Now, of the chiefest of his carnal cardinals He doth appoint certain, and give them authority To ride abroad in their pontificals, To see if with Avarice they may win the laity; If not, then to threaten them with open Tyranny: Whereby doubt not but many will forsake The truth of the gospel, and our parties take. TYRANNY. This device is praiseworthy: how say'st thou, Avarice? AVARICE. I like it well, if it were put in ure, Yet little gain to me shall this whole practice, More than I had before-time, procure.