III. Little John Nobody. .............................................................................................
We have here a witty libel on the Reformation under King Edward VI. written
about the year 1550, and preserved in the Pepys Collection, British Museum, and
Strype'sMemoirs of Cranmer. The author artfully declines entering into the merits of
the cause, and wholly reflects on the lives and actions of many of the Reformed. It is
so easy to find flaws and imperfections in the conduct of men, even the best of them,
and still easier to make general exclamations about the profligacy of the present times,
that no great point is gained by arguments of that sort, 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 stem 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 sufficient room for just satire. For under the banners
of the Reformed had inlisted themselves, many concealed papists, who had private
ends to gratify; many that were of no religion; many greedy courtiers, who thirsted
after the possessions of the church; and many dissolute persons, who wanted to be
exempt from all ecclesiastical censures: and as these men were loudest of all others in
their cries for Reformation, so in effect none obstructed 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 reader will remark the fondness of our satirist for alliteration: in this he
was guilty of no affectation or singularity; his versification is that ofPierce
Plowman's Visions,in which a recurrence of similar letters is essential: to this he has
only superadded rhyme, which in his time began to be the general practice. See an
Essay on this very peculiar kind of metre, prefixed to Book vi.
IN December, when the dayes draw to be short,
After November, when the nights wax noysome and long;
As I past by a place privily at a port,
I saw one sit by himself making a song:
His last[1] talk of trifles, who told with his tongue
That few were fast i' th' faith. I freyned that freake,
Whether he wanted wit, or some had done him wrong.
He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speake.
"John Nobody," quoth I, "what news? thou soon note and tell
What manner men thou meane, thou art so mad."
He said, "These gay gallants, that wil construe the gospel,
As Solomon the sage, with semblance full sad;
To discusse divinity they nought adread;
More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke."
"Thou lyest," quoth I, "thou losel, like a leud lad."
He said he was little John Nobody, that durst not speake.
"Its meet for every man on this matter to talk,
And the glorious gospel ghostly to have in mind;
It is sothe said, that sect but much unseemly skalk;
As boyes babble in books, that in scripture are blind;
Yet to their fancy soon a cause will find;