PROLOGUE. CICERO in his book De Amicitia these words doth express, unto like Saying nothing is more desirous than like is Whose words are most true and of a certainty doubtless mislike. For the virtuous do not the virtuous company But the vicious do the virtuous company eschew And like will unto like, this is most true. It is not my meaning your ears for to weary, With hearkening what is theffect of our matter But our pretence is to move you to be merry, Merrily to speak, meaning no man to flatter. The name of this matter, as I said whilere, Is, Like will to Like, quoth the Devil to the Collier. abound, Sith pithy proverbs in our English tongue doth Our author thought good such a one for to choose, eke be found, As may show good example, and mirth may But no lascivious toys he purposeth for to use. Herein, as it were in a glass, see you may B 2 4 Like Will to Like The advancement of virtue, of vice the decay To what ruin ruffians and roisters are brought here see of them the final end You may Begging is the best, though that end be nought But hanging is worse, if they do not amend. The virtuous life is brought to honour and dignity And at the last to everlasting eternity. And because divers men of divers minds be, Some do matters of mirth and pastime require Other some are delighted with matters of gravity, To please all men is our authors chief desire. Wherefore mirth with measure to sadness is Desiring annexed perplexed. that none here at our matter will be Thus, as I said, I will be short and brief, Because from this dump you shall relieved be And the Devil with the collier, the thief that seeks the thief, see Shall soon make you merry, so shortly you shall And sith mirth for sadness is a sauce most sweet, sauceth it. Take mirth then with measure, that best Here entereth Nichol Newfangle the Vice, laughing, and hath a knave of clubs in his hand which, as soon as he speaketh, he offereth unto one of the men or boys standing by. New. Ha, ha, ha, ha now like unto like it will be none other, Stoop, gentle knave, and take up your brother. Why, is it so and is it even so indeed Why then may I say God send us good speed And is every one here so greatly unkind, Like Will to Like 5 That I am no sooner out of sight, but quite out of mind woe, Marry, this will make a man even weep for That on such a sudden no man will let me know, Sith men be so dangerous now at this day Yet are women kind worms, I dare well say...