The voyage of the wandering knight. Deuised by Iohn Carthenie, a Frenchman: and translated out of French into English, by VVilliam Goodyear of South-hampton merchant. A vvorke vvorthie of reading, and dedicated to the Right worshipfull Sir Frauncis Drake, Knight

¶THE KNIGHT DECLARETH HOVV HE EN∣tred into the Schoole of Repentaunce, and of his enterteinment there. The third Chapter.

WHen we approched to the Schoole of Repen∣tance, which was built vpon a high Hill in∣uironed with a Moate named Hun〈…〉〈…〉: Gods grace called, and out came Ladie Re∣pentance in plaine apparell, hauing next hir naked skinne a smocke of haire cloath, & vp∣pon the same a gowne of sackcloth, girded together with a great leather girdle, and a kercher of course canuasse vppon hir head. With hir also came two waiting maides, named Sorow for sinne, and Confession of sinne, both apparailed like their Lady: the first séemed very sorrowfull and sadde, and the second was bashfull and shamefast, and hung down hir head. Then Gods grace spake to Repentaunce, and pre∣senting me vnto hir, sayde: Héere is a Knight which I

haue brought to thy Schoole, that he might forget the euill which he hath learned abroade, and to be instructed in the good, which he neuer yet knew. And being receiued into the schoole of Repentance, I learned to liue wel, and forgot all the euill which I was taught in times past. And whereas before I learned to leape, daunce, eate, drinke, playe, haunt whores, and to do all villanie and mischiefe, now I learned a new lesson, namely: to knéele, to mourne, to fast, to pray, and to liue well: flat contrary to all that I vsed in the Pal∣laice of worldly felicitie. Then Repentance said to Gods grace, that my hatte full of feathers, and all things els about me, must be put off, and cast away. Then at the com∣maundement of Gods grace, Repentance began to take off these toyes, and first she hurled my hat of hautinesse into the dungeon, then off went my girdle of intemperance, where∣vnto was tyed my sword of rebellion, which being broken in peeces, with my coate of vaineglory, my hosen of lewde delight, and my dublet of ill desires, all were throwne into the lake, and there remained onely with me my shirt of la∣sciuiousnesse, the which also she wold haue pluckt ouer mine eares: but I entreated hir earnestly not to leaue me naked. So I was for a while excused, but not altogether: for sayd Repentance, except thou cast of all the apparell of the olde man, thou canst not come to my Schoole. Then Repentance sayd vnto me: Sonne, thou must enter in at this straight hole, whereout I came. But when I complained and said, that it was vnpossible, because my head would not in, shée sayd there was no other waye nor entrance into hir schoole. Then I called to minde what our Lord said in the Gospell of Mathew, The waye is straight, which leadeth to euerla∣sting life, and very fewe walke that waye.* 1.1

Now as I stoode wondering at the narrow hole, I saw an olde Serpent enter in, who for lacke of roome, lefte his skinne behinde him, and presently returned all renued, and young. Whereat as I meruailed, Gods grace tolde me, sai∣eng, Thus thou must doe: for in entring the Schoole of Repentaunce, thou must leaue thy olde skin behinde thée,

and afterwards thou shalt returne a new man. This is it which y^e Apostle speaketh of,* 1.2 saieng: Put off the old man ac∣cording to the first cōuersatiō, corrupted with ill thoughts, and put on the new man, which is to be created according to God, in iustice and holinesse of truth. The olde man is the affection of sinne, and the former euill life, which is lefte behinde in the schoole of Repentaunce, and the new man is the good life, which is newly begun in holines & truth. As Gods grace was thus teaching me, I saw an olde Eagle, heauie eied & thicke fethered, fluttring aloft. This Eagle falling downe, diued thrée times into a faire fountaine ther∣abouts, & presently returned young & lustie, which miracle made me maruell more then y^t of the Serpent. Then said Gods grace, Like as this Eagle is returned from the foun∣taine of water, young and lustie: euen so shalt thou after thou art come to Christ with sorrow for thy sinne, and con∣fession of the same, which if thou doe, thou shalt receiue thy first innocencie, which I gaue thée in thy Baptisme.

Then Gods grace entered into the Schoole of Repen∣taunce before me, saieng: I will drawe thée in, for it is none but I that sheweth sinners the way to Repentaunce. With y^t she pluckt me in, & foorthwith I became an enimie to sin. Now therfore let no man glorifie himselfe, séeing it is Gods grace that goeth before mans will, & that by it man is made good. Then I entering in after, & being a little way in, the passage waxed wider, Gods grace plucking me in by the head, & Repentaunce thrusting at my féete. So then in passing in at the narrow place, I left lasciuiousnes my shirt behinde me, torne in péeces, which she hurled into the dun∣geon, and all my body was scratched. This doth Repen∣taunce prepare hir scholler, for if any by mouth doth confesse his former sinnes, not hauing inward sorrow & hart-griefe for offending God, and good intent and full purpose to a∣mend his life, he is greatly abused. For thinking to haue Gods blessing, he shall be sure of curssing.

But to my purpose, Repentaunce put on my naked bo∣die, such apparell as she hir selfe did weare, which when I

saw, I thought vpon the Apostles, not that I thought my selfe as good as they, but hoping to come (by Gods grace) to the place where they are, I was well content to doe as they did.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 7.
• * 1.2

  Eph. 4.