Chapter V: L. Indeed, thou say'st true, it must needs be so,

For like will ever to his like go;
And my conditions and thine so far do disagree,
That no familiarity between us may be.
For thou nourishest vice both day and night:
My name is Virtuous Life, and in virtue is my delight.
So vice and virtue cannot together be united;
But the one the other hath always spited.
For as the water quencheth fire, and the flame doth suppress,
So virtue hateth vice, and seeketh a redress.

PIERCE. Tush, if he be so dangerous, let us not him esteem,
And he is not for our company, I see very well;
For if he be so holy, as he doth seem,
We and he differ as much as heaven and hell.

NEW. You know, that like will to like alway,
And you see how holily he is now bent:
To seek his company why do we assay?

PIERCE. I promise you, do you what you will, I do not consent:
For I pass not for him, be he better or be he worse.

NEW. Friend, if you be wise, beware your purse.
For this fellow may do you good when all comes to all;
If you chance to lose your purse in Cutpurse Hall.
But, in faith, fare ye well, sith of our company you be weary:
We will go to a place, where we will be merry.
For I see your company and ours do far differ;
For like will to like, quoth the Devil to the Collier.

CUTHB. Well, let us be gone, and bid him adieu:
For I see this proverb proveth very true.

PIERCE. Then let us go to Hob Filcher's house,
Where we will be merry, and quass carouse.
And there shall we find Tom Tosspot, with other mo,
Meet makes for us: therefore let us go.
Then, seeing we are all of one mind,
Let us three go, and leave a knave here behind.
[_Exeunt_ NEW., CUTHB., _and_ PIERCE.

_They sing this song[350] as they go out from the place._

_Good hostess, lay a crab in the fire, and broil a mess of souse-a:
That we may toss the bowl to and fro, and brinks them all carouse-a._

_And I will pledge Tom Tosspot, till I be drunk as a mouse-a:
Whoso will drink to me all day, I will pledge them all carouse-a._

_Then we will not spare for any cost, so long as we be in house-a:
Then, hostess, fill the pot again, for I pledge them all carouse-a._
[_When this is spoken,_ V. LIVING _must pause
a while, and then say as followeth_.

O wicked imps, that have such delight,
In evil conversation wicked and abhoninable:
And from virtue's lore withdraw yourselves quite,
And lean to vice most vile and detestable.
How prone and ready we are vice to ensue?
How deaf we be good counsel to hear?
How strange we make it our hearts to renew?
How little we have God's threats in fear?
Saint Augustine say'th in his fifth book, _De Civitate Dei,
Conjunctæ sunt ædes Virtutis et Honoris_, say'th he;
The houses of virtue and honour joined together be.
And so the way to honour's house is disposed,
That through virtue's house he must needs pass:
Or else from honour he shall soon be deposed,
And brought to that point, that he before was.
But if through virtue honour be attained:
The path to salvation may soon be gained.
Some there be, that do fortune prefer;
Some esteem pleasure more than virtuous life.
But in my opinion all such do err;
For virtue and fortune be not at strife.
Where virtue is, fortune must needs grow:
But fortune without virtue has soon the overthrow.
Thrice happy are they, that do virtue embrace,
For a crown of glory shall be their reward:
Satan at no time may him anything deface,
For God over him will have such regard,
That his foes he shall soon tread under foot;
And by God's permission pluck them up by the root.
It booteth not vice against virtue to stir,
For why vice is feeble and of no force:
But _virtus eterna preclaraque habetur_.
Wherefore I would all men would have remorse,
And eschew evil company vile and pernicious:
Delight in virtuous men, and hate the vicious.
And as the end of virtue is honour and felicity,
So mark well the end of wickedness and vice!
Shame in this world and pain eternally,
Wherefore you, that are here, learn to be wise,
And the end of the one with the other weigh,
By that time you have heard the end of this play.
But why do I thus much say in the praise of virtue,
Sith the thing praiseworthy needs no praise at all?
It praiseth itself sufficiently, this is true,
Which chaseth away sin as bitter as gall?
And where virtue is, it need not to be praised,
For the renown thereof shall soon be raised.

_Intrat_ GOOD FAME.

G. F. O Virtuous Life, God rest you merry,
To you am I come for to attend.

V. L. Good Fame, ye are welcome heartily.
I pray you, who did you hither send?

G. F. Even God's Promise hath sent me unto you,
Willing me from you not to depart:
But always to give attendance due,
And in no wise from you to start.
For God of his promise hath most liberally
Sent me Good Fame to you Virtuous Life;
Whereby it may be seen manifestly,
God's great zeal to virtue both in man and wife.
For why they may be sure, that I, Good Fame,
From the virtuous life will never stray:
Whereby honour and renown may grow to their name,
And eternal salvation at the latter day.