Much more euill commonlie carrieth the reporter,Sententia. in deliuering an ill suppose of a reasonable conceyted matter, then oftentimes dooth the action it selfe, in the most woorst degree of truth that can bee, beeing equallie considered of, for example, was it euer helde a thing insufferable for a Gentleman to frequent companie or to plaie at dice?Paramologia. May it not sometimes be iustifiable to breake a mans heade? is it a matter of preiudice that hee who once did mee seruice was seene in my company? Your selfe, sir, I knowe wil aunswere for me to all these, No. Then will not I, not only not deny but I did all these, but by your fauour, iustifie to their faces, that honestlie, lawfullie, without offence against you, or reasonable mislike of anie other, I haue and might againe at any time enter into the like vsage of all or any of these, as at that time I did, when they so complained of me.
The company whereof I am accused were such onely and none other as I found in mine Inne,Commoratiō. gentlemen ech to you wel known and of all men generallie well reputed, the plaie that I vsed was with them, the set by agreement not great, concluded vpon more to passe time, then whereof to make gaine.Hypotyposis. Hereunto commeth a bad fellowe out of the town accompanied with one of your tenaunts, who looking on a good while, craued at last hee might set, which being granted, a cast fell between him and me of a nūber to be decided, for his opinion he dared me a good time with twenty Nobles to my geldings, I accepted the wager, the boorde went with mee, your tenant excepted, who against all others stood against me, and hauing this wager in his custody would not deliuer it me. Words by such meanes multiplied, and they both arose against mee, whereupon forced to some impatience,Metonomia. my hand made way to my right, wherewith I quailed their resistance. Lo now sir,Epiphonema. the matter thus highly framed against me, lo here the losse, the pawning, the borrowing of money, and what killing and slaying against mee reported.Synonymia. See here I beseech you the vnthriftines, the misrule, the il company, and what else that malice could any waies deuise to ouerthrow me.
And yet if but truely in their verie supposes they shoulde haue dealte with me, what conceipt could they then haue found in all this to obiect against me?Erotema. Is it not a thing ordinary among Gentlemen when they meete together to solace themselues with some one or other reasonable pastime, in allowance whereof, no one is ordered by himselfe, but by common liking of the rest? Is it not a thing naturall to man, after wearisome trauels to vse vnto his minde some honest recreation? Is it not accordant to ciuilitie to entertaine times and occasions? Affoorded you not therefore the money you gaue mee, in companie well reputed, and in their honest exercises, moderatelie to maintaine mee? Agreeth not hereunto your onelie dailie conuersation, your entertainments, your continuall vse of companie applied in your owne behauiors, and in others commended before me?
What then may bee saide to condemne me?Anthypophora. the common name (perchaunce) of the plaie, carying with it a continuall surmize of inconuenience?Paramologia. I need not here lay vnto your wisdome for my defence, that as well therein, as in all other demeanors, there is vse which is allowed, and abuse, that in it selfe is insufferable. To commende the moderate vse hereof,Epanodis. I can induce nothing more then custome, and for the choise of the best obseruation, the company must cleare mee. Nowe in auoiding the enormities, the charge (if I misconceiue not) you gaue me, extended to the fellowship of the worst, in whose societie nothing is so common as ill vsage, and in whose pleasures, no one thing so ordinarie as vnthriftinesse, each of which occasioning that euill which I seeke to shunne, hath beene herein so far exempted, as I protest there resteth in veritie, no suspicion at all wherewith I may be charged.
But if nowe sir,Apostrophe. you will reason of your tenauntes hurte, what therein may bee obiected that shall not euery waie further mee: who is hee that by nature could bee so restrained, but by the verie instinct thereof, hee will rather kill if neede bee, then stande to be killed?Paradigma. Hath not the Soueraigne mother of all our earthlie beeing, armed euen the verie Beastes themselues to their owne defence? hath not the Lyon his clawes, the Bull his hornes, the Dogge his teeth, and the Boare his tuskes? Doe not the worthiest sort of mankinde also contemne to be misprized, and naturallie couet where they bee enforced, immediatlie to be reuenged? Allotteth not the lawe vnto euerie man his right?Erotema. Was it not by Conuention agreed, that the winner shoulde haue the wager? And did not the vniuersall sentence of the whole boord, adiudge it to me? What resteth any waies then to bee alleadged whereby in this action to accuse mee? Nay rather what is vnleft herein to condemne him,Polyptoton. that being your tenaunt, hauing his liuing of you and yours, beholding as hee is to all yours, woulde yet be so vile conceipted against any of yours, as not with ordinary speeches alone, but with vnfitting tearmes, with violent force woulde goe about to withstande me,Asyndeton. to hurt mee, yea desperatelie to confederate with another of my life and money to bereaue me.
But nowe to drawe vnto the last parte that toucheth my man, standing as a coniecture for that hee was in my companie the night before, I must conspire with him to rob you.Dialysis. Do but cōsider sir I pray you, what likelihood of truth this beareth: would any one be so mad as once to harme, or go about to hurt the possessions that in right is to no one so much as himselfe? Woulde I euer appeare so vngracious as to confederate with a stranger, to no benefit but of himselfe, to rob and spoile my father?Ecphonesis. Alas, what coulde there be so aduerse vnto Nature, as should enforce in me so vnkinde a condition? You must needes Sir (by your fauour) something consider, what one thing or more might bee in mee occasioning vnto the same, it must either bee some vehement necessitieExpeditiō. (which neuer hapened) constraining mee, some great extremity (which you know to bee contrary) wherewith by keeping mee too short of expence or maintenance you might enforce me, a kinde of wanton prodigality, whereof no worlde can accuse me, ill counsell whereunto so far forth I neuer could yeelde me, or a most detestable and vile disposition graffed in my selfe, which no man euer found in me. These causes as I thinke are the most likest of all others inducing to those opinions, which howe farre they or any of them haue estranged my condition, let but the verie consciences of my vtmost aduersaries indifferently trie: me what if hee were in my company, is not that a thing that without any suspition at all, might easliest of al others happen vnto me?Dichologia. I am not weeting of mens thoughts, neither can I coniecture of any other but their outward demeanors: if he were il, weigh I pray you, the fault proceedeth not from me. Sory I am that any such conceipt by any one of mine should so much offend you.
These things then falling out in such sort as they be, it may please you sir, henceforth to allowe of this my iust Apology,Epilogus. and by the selfe same nature, piety, and louing condition, wherewith in all duty and obedience I seeme firmely charged vnto you, in like sort to recognize and receiue mee, who notwithstanding I confesse many waies heretofore, to haue erred,Dichologia. yet heerein in no one point indifferent rest I rightlie to be challenged. The expectation whereof hath made mee presume to the recommendation of these letters, attending therwithal the newes of your good conceipt, and happy returne of this bearer. From, &c. this, &c.
TO this defence, we will for the more variety suppose a reply to be made by the Father, the reasons whereof shall yet also consist in the selfe same state absolute, yeelding thereby a more ample demonstration of the diuersitie of constructions incident to those places, and how by the forcible applications of their special intendmentes, they are, or may be caried to diuers seuerall purposes. Inasmuch, as like to their present vse in this defence they haue beene suggested for confirmation and to the clearing of the sonnes faultines, herein also by the same conueiance they shal be maintained by the confutation of al his former allegations, the matter whereof, in sort following may be considered.