Two Dyaloges. Erasmus Desiderius

with many gay goodly glystryng ornamentes. Mary syr thou hast set it forth in his ryght colours in dede, wolde to god it might so adourne the with good cõdiciõs that thou myghtest ones lerne to be an honest man.

      Poli. There shall be no defaute in me, I tell you I wyll do my diligence.

      Can. Naye there is no doute of that, there shall be no more faute in you now I dare say then was wonte to be.

      Poli. Yea but (youre tarte tauntes, and youre churlysshe checkes, and raylynges set asyde) tell me I pray the this one thynge, do you thus disprayse, condempne, or fynde faute with them whiche caryeth aboute with them the newe testament or the gospel boke?

      Canni. No by my fayth do I not good praty man.

      Poliphe. Call ye me but a praty one and I am hygher then you by y^e length of a good asses heed.

      Can. I thynke not fully so moche yf the asse stretch forth his eares, but go to it skyllis no matter of that, let it passe, he that bare Christ vpon his backe was called Christofer, and thou whiche bearest the gospell boke aboute with the shall for Poliphemus be called the gospeller or the gospell bearer.

      Polip. Do not you counte it an holy thynge to cary aboute with a man the newe testament?

      Cãni. why no syr by my trouth do I not, except thou graunte the very asses to be holy to.

      Poli. How can an asse be holy?

      Cannius. For one asse alone is able to beare thre hundreth suche bokes, and I thynke suche a great lubber as thou art were stronge inoughe to beare as great a burden, and yf thou had a hansome packesadle sette vpon thy backe.

      Poliphe. And yet for all your iestynge it is not agaynst good reason to saye that ye asse was holy which bore christ.

      Cannius. I do not enuye you man for this holynes for I had as lefe you had that holynes as I, and yf it please you to take it I wyll geue you an holy & a religious relyke of the selfe same asse whiche christ rode vpon, and whan ye haue it ye may kysse it lycke it and cull it as ofte as ye lyst.

      Poli. Mary syr I thanke you, ye can not gyue me a more thanckefull gyfte nor do me a greatter pleasure, for that asse withouten any tayle was made as holye as any asse could be by the touchynge of christes body.

      Canni⁹. Undouted they touched christes body also whiche stroke and buffeted christ.

      Poliphe. yea but tell me this one thynge I praye the in good ernest. Is it not a great sygne of holynes in a man to cary aboute the gospel boke or the newe testament?

      Cannius. It is a token of holynes in dede if it be done without hypocrysie, I meane if it be done without dissimulacion/and for that end, intent & purpose, that it shuld be done for.

      Poliphe. What the deuyl & a morten tellest thou a man of warre of hypocrisie, away with hypocrisie to the monkes and the freers.

      Cannius. Yea but bycause ye saye so, tell me fyrste I praye you what ye call hypocrisie.

      Po. When a man pretendis another thyng outwardly then he meanis secretly in his mynde.

      Cannius. But what dothe the bearynge aboute of the newe testament sygnyfie. Dothe it not betoken that thy lyfe shulde be conformable to the gospell which thou carryest aboute with the.