Recently Recovered "Lost" Tudor Plays with some others

by Unknown

Sensuality. What, lady Nature! have I none intress
As well as Reason or Innocency?
Think ye this, lady! a good process
That they are advanced and I let go by?
Ye know right well that I ought naturally,
Before all other, to have of him the cure:
I am the chief perfection of his nature.
Alas! what could the silly body do?
Or, how should it live nor were the help of me?
Certes! it could not well creep nor go;
At the leastwise it should neither feel here nor see,
But be as other insensate bodies be;
In much worse case than worms of the ground
In which unneth any token of life is found.
Meseemeth it should abhor him for to hear
That I destrained should be in any wise,
Standing that I was create to be his fere;
Of all his guiding to take the enterprise:
And now ye put me out of his service,
And have assigned Reason to be his guide—
With Innocency, his nourice, thus am I set aside.
Ye clepe him lord of all beasts living;
And nothing worthy, as far as I can see.
For, if there be in him no manner of feeling,
Nor no lively quickness, what lord is he?
A lord made of clouts, or carved out of tree;
And fareth as an image graved out of stone
That nothing else can do but stand alone.
If ye intend him to continue long
In honour, or worldly felicity,
He must needs follow his appetite among;
And conform himself to the more part.
I tell you men will have no dinty
To do service or homage to a block:
All the world will think it but a mock.
Suffer me, therefore, to have with him a room,
And to be with him as chief counsell[or];
And if he do so, I think to doom
He shall reign in the world as chief governor.
But, if Reason tickle him in the ear,
Or bear him on hand the cow is wood,
He shall never be able to do earthly good.

Nat. My friend! as I said to you before,
A room shall ye have: no man saith nay;
But Reason must be preferred evermore.
For he can best lead him to the way
Of virtue and grace, whereby he may
Longest continue to God's high pleasure;
To the which end God hath ordained this His creature.
Content thyself now with Reason, my friend!
And meddle thee no further than thou hast to do.
Thou has brought many a man to a wretched end
And so thou wouldst spoil His creature also.
But whatsoever he say take no heed thereto
Without that Reason will allow the same;
For whoso doth the contrary deserveth much blame.
God and I, Nature, have set thee in better case
Than any creature under the firmament.
Abuse not, Man! abuse not thy grace
Of God Almighty that from above is sent!
Thou shalt be the first that shall repent
If ever thou flee Reason and sue folly,
When once thou feelest the smart of misery.
But, be of comfort! hardely God shall send
Both ghostly aid and worldly help also;
And I shall never fail, unto thy life's end,
To minister unto thee as me oweth to do.
Lo! yonder the world which thou must needs to:
Now, shape thee thither; there is no more to say—
Thy Lord and mine guide thee in thy way!

[Then Nature goeth out.

Sen. Well, lady Nature! leave ye me in this case?
Shall I have of you none other comfort?
By Christ! yet will I not hide my face;
For, as soon as we shall to the world resort,
I put no doubt he will me support.
He hath been my good master many a day;
And he will not see me thus cast away.

Rea. Siker thyself, man! I advise thee hardely.
Be not so passionate, nor yet so furious;
Thou tormentest thyself and wottest not why.
No well-advised body will demean him thus;
Be sure thy mind is all erroneous;
Thou takest a self will and wrong opinion
Which shall be thine and others confusion.

Sen. Yea, Reason! sir, ye speak like a noble man;
But yet are ye taken with a point oversight.
What, would ye make me stand as a lurdan,
And not speak one word for mine own right?
I see it well that if your lordship might,
By means possible, once bring it about
Yourself should be a ruler, and I but a cast-out.

Rea. A ruler? certes! and so I ought to be;
And a lord also, though ye say it in scorn.

Sens. A lord! whose lord?

Rea. Thy lord.