freke or a lubber, as this Poliphemus
was, whiche beynge a man of warre or
a courtyer, had a newe testament in his
hande, and loked buselie for some
sentence or text of scrypture
and that Cannius his
companyo espyed
and sayd to
hi as fo-
loweth.

* * * * *

[C]The parsons names are Cannius and Poliphemus.

Cannius. what hunt Polipheme for here? Poliphemus.
Aske ye what I hunt for here, and yet ye se me
haue neyther dogges, dart, Jauelyn, nor huntyng
staffe. Cannius. Paraduenture ye hunt after some
praty nymphe of the couert. Poliphemus. By my
trouth and well coniectured, be holde what a
goodly pursenet, or a hay I haue here in my hande.
Cannius. Benedicite, what a straunge syght is
this, me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin,
Poliphemus with a boke in his hande. This is a
dogge in a doblet, a sowe with a sadle, of all
that euer I se it is a non decet. Poliphe. I haue
not onely paynted and garnyshed my boke with
saffron, but also I haue lymmed it withe Sinople,
asaphetida, redleed, vermilo, and byse. Can. It is
a warlyke boke, for it is furnished with knottes,
tassils ||plates, claspes, and brasen bullyons.
Poliphe. Take the boke in your hand and loke
within it. Canni. I se it wery well. Truly it
is a praty boke, but me thynkes ye haue not yet
trymmed it sufficiently for all your cost ye have
bestowed upon it. Poliphe. Why what lackes it?
Canni. Thou shuldest haue set thyne armes upon it.
Poliphemus. what armes I beseche the? Canius. Mary
the heed of Silenus, an olde iolthed drunkard
totynge out of a hoggeshed or a tunne, but in good
ernest, wherof dothe your boke dyspose or
intreate? dothe it teache the art and crafte to
drynke a duetaunt? Poli. Take hede in goddes name
what ye say lest ye bolt out a blasphemie before
ye be ware. Canius. why bydde ye me take hede what
I saye? is there any holy matter in the boke?
Poli. what ma it is the gospell boke, I trow there
is nothynge can be more holye. Cannius. God for
thy grace what hathe Poliphemus to do withe the
gospell? ||Poli. Nay why do ye not aske what a
chrysten man hathe to do with christe? Cannius.
I can not tell but me thynkes a rousty byll or a
halbard wold become such a great lubber or a
slouyn as thou arte a great dea