Here endith a compendiouse treetise dyalogue. of Diues [and] paup[er]. that is to say. the riche [and] the pore fructuously tretyng vpon the x. co[m]man̄mentes ...

The fifth chapter.

DIues.

That many a gode woman is deceyued: and destroyed by flatering: men kn∣owe wel / But that flatering de∣stroyed cetyes: lordes houses na∣cions and desperpled them from nacion to nacion I se not: but I praye the telle some exaumple:

Pau{per}.

As we fynde ī the four∣th boke of kynges and the boke of ieremye / For the chyldren of israel wolde not here the wordys of ieremye and of other true pro∣phetys: ne do therafter: but had lyking in flateringe of fals pro∣phetis which bihight them welth and pros{per}ite for to plese the peo∣ple: therfore was the cetye of ie∣rusalem destroied and nigh al ye cetyes and castellys of the londe The hynge sedechie was take & his children slayn byfore hym: & after his iyen were put oute / All the lordis and the gentilis of the londe eyther they were slayn: or elles ledde prysoners into baby∣loyne / The peple was sleyn wi∣th hungur moreyn & swerde And al tho that were left a lyue after

that the cetye of ierusalem was taken were desparpled in diuers nacions: and slayn in diuers ma¦ner: for they trusted alwey in fla¦terynge of false prophetys: and slowe ieremye and other good {pro}¦phetys that sayde them the truth and wold haue saued them And I dare say that flateringe of fal∣se prophetis and prechours: and of other spekers that blynde the people with plesaunt lesīges: ne wyl not vndo to thē ther wicked¦nesse: is prīcipal cause of destruc¦cion of many realmys and lond∣des people: and cetyes into thys day: as we might se at iye if fla∣teringe and lesīges blent vs not

Diues.

Men prech these dayes ful welle a yens synne.

Pauper

Sūme do so: but a yens the gre∣te synne that al the lond is entri∣ked in & al cristendome knowth & is open cause of oure myschefe ayens that no man precheth but nighe al be aboute to maīten it.

Diues.

Which sine is that

Pau¦per.

Ofte haue I tolde the: but thou beleueste me not / Go ouer these: and there men shal tel it ye if thou axe / we fynde ī the thyrd boke of kynges: that the kynge of israel whos name was achab was styred to be sege the cetye of ramathigalaad & so begīne werr̄ ayens the kynge if sirie / This a¦chab sent after foure hūdred fals flatering prophetys of his londe whych were wont to plese hym & to flatere him: & axed them coū∣seyle and howe he shulde spede: They flatered him al and badde him go and fight: and sayd that he shuld spede right wel and ta∣ke the ceti and destroie al the lōd of sirie / Thanne at the counseyl of iosephat the king of iuda that was come to helpe hym: he sent for mychee goddes prophete to knowe what he wolde saie / And as he came towardys the kynge the massēgere sayde to michee ye prophete Al other prophetys wi∣the one mouth tel oure lorde the kynge good tidynges and say y^t he shal spede right wel. I praye the saye as theye saye / Thanne the prophete answered what my lorde god saythe to me: that shal I speke to oure lorde the kynge And whanne he cam by fore the kyng he said to ye king achab. I sawe bi visōn al the peple of isra¦el des{per}pled ī the hillys & scatered aboute as shepe wythoute a she∣peherd Anon the king was wra∣th and saide that he tolde him ne¦uer good ne welthe / Thanne the prophete sayde / Here the worde of god. I sawe oure lorde god sit¦tynge on hys sete / and al the ofte of heuen stondynge bisydys him

on the right syde and on the lifte syde / Thanne sayde oure lorde god: who shal deseyue achab kī∣ge of israel to do him go & fighte in ramothgalaad and falī fight Anon a wicked sprite stode for∣the: and sayde I shal desseyue hī Than oure lorde axed him hou he shuld disseue him I shal seide he go oute and be aspryte lyer in the mouth of al his false prophe¦tys / Thanne oure lorde god sei∣de Thou shalt deseyue hym and thou shalt haue the maistri of hī Go forthe and do as thou haste sayde / Thanne the kynge was more wroth: and cōmaunded hī to presone / The kynge lefte the counseile of the prophete michee and followed the counseile of his false prophetis: and went to ba∣teile and was slayne: and his pe¦ple discoumfyt.

Diues.

Dauid speketh moch in hys boke of the gylous tunge: that is cleped in lateyn. lingua dolosa.

Pauper.

The gylous tung is the flaterīg tunge / For comonly euery gyle in spech is medled with flaterīge In gilous spech be two thingys sleyght and flateringe. And ther¦fore gilous spech is lyckened to an anglyng of fysshe / For in the anglyng be two thinges: the ho∣ke & the mete on the hoke / The hoke is the sleyght in spech: the mete on the hoke is flaterynge y^t drawth man womā on to the de¦uelys hoke Thus adam and eue were desseiued with ye fendes spe¦che: For slyly he axed Eue why god bad that they shulde not ete of euery tre ī paradise / And whā he sawe hir vnstable and doutīg he put therto the mete of flaterīg and sayde: that they shulde not dye but be as goddes kunnynge good and wycked / And so by fla¦teringe the fende loste alle man∣kynde / Figure hereof we haue ī ye secūd boke of kīges xx c. whe¦re we fīd y^e ioab gitiously slough the noble prince amasam wythe a knyfe craftely made lyghtlye to go oute of the sheth / And whā he shulde steke hym wythe the knife he toke hī by the chyn and sayde to to him heyle my brother And for hys flaterynge and fay¦re / wordis: amasa tok no hede to the knyfe / And in the same ma∣ner whanne iudas betraide crist he sayde in flaterynge and gyle Aue rabi Heile thou master.