ΙΠ.

LITTLE JOHN NOBODY.

We have here a witty libel on the Reformation under king Edward VI. written about the year 1550, and preferved in the Pepys collection, British Museum, and Strype's Mem. of Cranmer. The author artfully declines entering into the merits of the caufe, and wholly reflects on the lives and actions of many of the Reformed. It is fo eafy to find flaws and imperfections in the conduct of men, even the best of them, and ftill eafier to make general exclamations about the profligacy of the prefent times, that no great point is gained by arguments of that fort, unless the author could have proved that the principles of the Reformed Religion had a natural tendency to produce a corruption of manners? whereas he indirectly owns, that their REVEREND FATHER [archbishop Cranmer had used the most proper means to ftem the torrent, by giving the people access to the Scriptures, by teaching them to pray with understanding, and by publishing homilies, and other religious tracts. It must however be acknowledged, that our libeller had at that time fufficient room for juft fatire. For under the banners of the Reformed bad inlifted themselves, many concealed papifts, who had private ends to gratify; many that were of no religion; many greedy courtiers, who thirfted after the poeffions of the church; and many diffolute perfons, who wanted to be exempt from all ecclefiaftical cenfures: And as thefe men were loudeft of all others in their cries for Reformation, fo in effect none obftructed the regular progress of it so much, or by their vicious lives brought vexation and shame more on the truly venerable and pious Reformers.

The

The reader will remark the fondness of our Satirift for alliteration: in this he was guilty of no affectation or fingularity; his verfification is that of Pierce Plowman's Vifions, in which a recurrence of fimilar letters is effential: to this he has only fuperadded rhyme, which in his time began to be the general practice. See farther remarks on this kind of metre in the preface to Book 111. BALLAD I.

IN december, when the dayes draw to be short,

After november, when the nights wax noyfome and As I paft by a place privily at a port,

I faw one fit by himself making a fong:

[long;

His laft talk of trifles, who told with his tongue That few were faft i'th' faith. Ifreyned+' that freake, Whether he wanted wit, or fome had done him wrong. He faid, he was little John Nobody, that durft not fpeake..

John Nobody, quoth I, what news? thou foon note and
What maner men thou meane, that are so mad. [tell
He said, Thefe gay gallants, that wil conftrue the gofpel,
As Solomon the fage, with femblance full fad;
To difcuffe divinity they nought adread;

More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke.
Thou lyeft, quoth I, thou lofel, like a leud lad. [fpeake.
He faid, he was little John Nobody, that durft not

Its meet for every man on this matter to talk,
And the glorious gospel ghoftly to have in mind;
It is fothe faid, that fect but much unfeemly fkalk,
As boyes babble in books, that in fcripture are blind:

Yet

Perhaps He left talk.

† feyned. MSS. and P. C.

Yet to their fancy foon a caufe wil find;
As to live in luft, in lechery to leyke:
Such caitives count to be come of Cains kind;
But that I little John Nobody durft not speake.

For our reverend father hath fet forth an order,
Our fervice to be faid in our feignours tongue;
As Solomon the fage fet forth the fcripture;
Our fuffrages, and fervice, with many a fweet fong,
With homilies, and godly books us among,
That no ftiff, ftubborn ftomacks we fhould freyke:
But wretches nere worse to do poor men wrong;
But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

For bribery was never fo great, fince born was our Lord,
And whoredom was never les hated, fith Chrift har-

rowed hel,

And poor men are fo fore punished commonly through the world,

That it would grieve any one, that good is, to hear tel: For al the homilies and good books, yet their hearts be fo quel,

That if a man do amiffe, with mischiefe they wil him wreake;

The fashion of thefe new fellows it is fo vile and fell: But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

Thus to live after their luft, that life would they have, And in lechery to leyke al their long life;

Ver.

3.

For

Cain's kind.] So in Pierce the Plowman's creed, the proud friars are faid to be

-" Of Laymes kind." Vid. Sig. C. íj. b.

For al the preaching of Paul, yet many a proud knave
Wil move mischiefe in their mind both to maid and wife
To bring them in advoutry, or else they wil ftrife,
And in brawling about baudery, Gods commandments
breake:

But of thefe frantic il fellowes, few of them do thrife ;
Though I little John Nobody dare not speake.

If thou company with them, they wil currifhly carp,

and not care

According to their foolish fantacy; but fast wil they naught:

Prayer with them is but prating; therefore they it forbear: Both almes deeds, and holiness, they hate it in their

thought:

Therefore pray we to that prince, that with his bloud us bought,

That he wil mend that is amifs: for many a manful freyke Is forry for thefe fects, though they say little or nought;

And that I little John Nobody dare not once fpeake,

Thus in No place, this NOBODY, in No time I met, Where No man, ne* NOUGHT was, nor NOTHING did appear;

Through the found of a fynagogue for forrow I fwett,

That Aeolus +' through the eccho did cause me to hear. Then I drew me down into a dale, whereas the dumb deer Did shiver for a fhower; but I fhunted from a freyke: For I would no wight in this world wift who I were, But little John Nobody, that dare not once speake. IV. Q

*then, MSS. and P. C.

+ Hercules, MSS, and P, C.

IV.

Q. ELIZABETH's VERSES, WHILE PRISONER AT WOODSTOCK,

WRIT WITH CHARCOAL ON A SHUTTER,

-are preferved by Hentzner, in that part of his Travels, which has lately been reprinted in fo elegant a manner at STRAWBERRY-HILL. In Hentzner's book they were wretchedly corrupted, but are here given as amended by his ingenious Editor. The old orthography, and one or twe ancient readings of Hentzner's copy are here reftored.

OH, Fortune! how thy restleffe wavering state

Hath fraught with cares my troubled witt!

Witnes this prefent prifonn, whither fate

Could beare me, and the joys I quitt.
Thou caufedeft the guiltie to be lofed

From bandes, wherein are innocents inclosed:
Caufing the guiltles to be ftraite reserved,

And freeing those that death had well deferved.
But by her envie can be nothing wroughte,
So God fend to my foes all they have thoughte.

A.D. MDLV.

ELIZABETHE, PRISONNER.

V. THE

Ver. 4.

Could beare, is an ancient idiom, equivalent to Did bear

r Hath borne. See below the Beggar of Bednal Green, ver. 57.

Could fay.