English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700; English wit and humor; Great Britain -- Civilization -- 17th century -- Literary collections
_Pure._ O! resist it, _Win the fight_, it is the Tempter, the wicked
Tempter, you may know it by the fleshly motion of Pig; be strong
against it, and its foule temptations, in these assaults, whereby it
broacheth flesh and blood, as it were, on the weaker side, and pray
against its carnall provocations, good child, sweet child, pray.
_John._ Good mother, I pray you, that she may eate some Pigge, and her
bellyfull too; and doe not you cast away your owne child, and perhaps
one of mine, with your tale of the Tempter: how doe you, _Win_? Are
you not sicke?
_Win._ Yes, a great deale _John_ (uh, uh).
_Pure._ What shall we doe? call our zealous brother _Busy_ hither, for
his faithfull fortification in this charge of the adversary; childe,
my dear childe, you shall eate Pigge; be comforted, my sweet childe.
_Win._ I,[F. 79] but i' the _Fayre_, mother.
_Pure._ I meane i' the _Fayre_, if it can be any way made, or found
lawfull; where is our brother _Busy_? Will hee not come? looke up,
Child.
_John._ Presently, mother, as soone as he has cleans'd his beard. I
found him fast by the teeth, i' the cold Turkey pye, i' th' cupbord,
with a great white loafe on his left hand, and a glasse of _Malmesey_
on his right.
_Pure._ Slander not the _Brethren_ wicked one.
_John._ Here hee is, now, purified, Mother.
_Pure._ O brother _Busy_! your helpe heere to edifie, and raise us up
in a Scruple, my daughter _Win the fight_ is visited with a naturall
disease of women; call'd A longing to eate Pigge.
_John._ I, Sir, a _Bartholomew_[F. 80] pigge; and in the _Fayre_.
_Pure._ And I would be satisfied from you, Religiously-wise, whether a
widdow of the sanctified assembly, or a widdowes daughter, may commit
the act, without offence to the weaker sisters.
_Busy._ Verily, for the disease of longing, it is a disease, a carnall
disease, or appetite, incident to women: and as it is carnall, and
incident, it is naturall, very naturall: Now Pigge, it is a meat, and
a meat that is nourishing, and may be long'd for, and so consequently
eaten; it may be eaten; very exceeding well eaten; but in the _Fayre_,
and as a _Bartholomew_-pig it can not be eaten, for the very calling
it a _Bartholomew_-pigge, and to eate it so, is a spice of _Idolatry_,
and you make the _Fayre_ no better than one of the high _Places_.
This, I take it is the state of the question. A high place.
_John._ I, but in a state of necessity, _Place_ should give place Mr
_Busy_. (I have a conceit left, yet)
_Pure._ Good brother _Zeale of the land_, thinke to make it as lawfull
as you can.
_John._ Yes, Sir, and as soone as you can; for it must be, Sir; you
see the danger my little wife is in Sir.
_Pure._ Truely, I doe love my child dearely, and I would not have her
miscarry or hazard her first fruites if it might be otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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