and, to say at one word, a thing concrete, heaped up and made of all kind of mischief.  But what the devil mean I to go about to describe particularly the devil’s nature, when no reason, no power of man’s mind can comprehend it?  This alonely I can say grossly, and as in a sum, of the which all we (our hurt is the more) have experience, the devil to be a stinking sentine of all vices; a foul filthy channel of all mischiefs; and that this world, his son, even a child meet to have such a parent, is not much unlike his father.

Then, this devil being such one as can never be unlike himself; lo, of Envy, his well-beloved Leman, he begat the World, and after left it with Discord at nurse; which World, after that it came to man’s state, had of many concubines many sons.  He was so fecund a father, and had gotten so many children of Lady Pride, Dame Gluttony, Mistress Avarice, Lady Lechery, and of Dame Subtlety, that now hard and scant ye may find any corner, any kind of life, where many of his children be not.  In court, in cowls, in cloisters, in rochets, be they never so white; yea, where shall ye not find them?  Howbeit, they that be secular and laymen, are not by and by children of the world; nor they children of light, that are called spiritual, and of the clergy.  No, no; as ye may find among the laity many children of light, so among the clergy, (how much soever we arrogate these holy titles unto us, and think them only attributed to us, Vos estis lux mundi, peculium Christi, &c.  “Ye are the light of the world, the chosen people of Christ, a kingly priesthood, an holy nation, and such other,”) ye shall find many children of the world; because in all places the world getteth many children.  Among the lay people the world ceaseth not to bring to pass, that as they be called wordly, so they are wordly indeed; driven headlong by worldly desires:  insomuch that they may right well seem to have taken as well the manners as the name of their father.  In the clergy, the world also hath learned a way to make of men spiritual, worldlings; yea, and there also to form worldly children, where with great pretence of holiness, and crafty colour of religion, they utterly desire to hide and cloak the name of the world, as though they were ashamed of their father; which do execrate and detest the world (being nevertheless their father) in words and outward signs, but in heart and work they coll and kiss him, and in all their lives declare themselves to be his babes; insomuch that in all worldly points they far pass and surmount those that they call seculars, laymen, men of the world.  The child so diligently followeth the steps of his father, is never destitute of the aid of his grandfather.  These be our holy holy men, that say they are dead to the world, when no men be more lively in worldly things than some of them be.  But let them be in profession and name most farthest from the world, most alienate from it; yea, so far, that they may seem to have no occupying,