An Almond for a Parrot: Being a reply to Martin Mar-Prelate.
Religion
An Almond for a Parrot: Being a reply to Martin Mar-Prelate.
Marprelate controversy
speciell purpose, by preuentinge of his presse, to try who they be that
are hipocrites, and what they be yᵗ are innocent: And not vnlike too, for
hauing interrupted the trafique of honestye, so long as thou hast with
thy coūterfet knauery, tis more the hie time thy vnder-hād treachery,
were broght to the touchstone of authority. You think we know not how
pretily your Printers were shrouded vnder the name of salt-peter-men, so
that who but _Hodgkins_, _Tomlins_ and _Sims_, at the vndermining of a
house, and vndoing of poore men, by diggyng vp their floars, and breaking
down their wals. No, no, we neuer heard how orderly they pretended the
printing of Accidences, when my L. of _Darbies_ men came to see what they
were a doing, what though they damned themselues about the deniall of
the deede, is periury such a matter amongst puritans. Tush they account
it no sin as long as it is in the way of protestation, being in the mind
of a good old fellow in Cambridge, who sitting in S. _Iohns_ as Senior
at the fellowes election, was reprehended by some of his betters, for
that hee gaue his voice with a dunce like himself, contrary to oath,
statue and conscience: why quoth hee, I neither respect oath, statue,
nor conscience, but only the glory of God. Men are by men and may erre,
yea goodman _Spe._ himselfe in Paules church-yard, although he saith
he hath no sinne, what maruaile is it then, though some corruption
cleaue vnto our aged Gentleman by his owne confession. Learne of me to
iudge charitably, and thinke that nature tooke a scouring purgation,
when she voided all her imperfections in the birth of one _Martin_:
which if it be so, hee is not to be blamed, since as _Arist._ sayes,
_vitia naturæ nō sunt reprehendenda_. Gibe on, gibe on, and see if your
father _Mar-martin_ will beare you out in it or no, you thinke the good
sweet-faced prelate, _Masse Martin_, hath neuer broke sword in ruffians
hal, yes that he hath more then one or two, if the truth were known, and
fought for his wench as brauely as the best of them all, therefore take
heede how you come in his way, least hee belabour you with his crabtree
stile for your lustines, and teache you howe to looke into a _Martins_
neaste againe while you live. Alas you are but young, and neuer knewe
what his Bumfeging ment, for if you did, you woulde thinke fiue hundreth
fistes about your eares, were more then Phisicke in a frosty morning.
Write or fight which you will, our champion is for you at all weapones,
whether you choose the worde or the sworde, neither comes amisse to him,
he neuer took his domesticall dissention in hand to leaue it soone. All
England must bee vp together by the eares, before his penne rest in
peace, nor shall his rebellious mutinies, which he shrouds vnder the
age of _Martinisme_, haue any _intermedium_, till religions prosperity
and our Christian libertye, mis-termed of him by the last yeare of
Lambethisme, doe perishe from amongst vs, and depart to our enemies: then
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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