y farder, those bookes, tend
not so moch to corrupt honest liuing, as they do, to subuert trewe
Religion. Mo Papistes be made, by your mery bookes of _Italie_, than
by your earnest bookes of _Louain_....

[Sidenote: pointing finger]

Therfore, when the busie and open Papistes abroad, could not, by
their contentious bookes, turne men in England fast enough, from
troth and right iudgement in doctrine, than the sutle and secrete
Papistes at home, procured bawdie bookes to be translated out of the
_Italian_ tonge, whereby ouer many yong willes and wittes allured to
wantonnes, do now boldly contemne all seuere bookes that founde to
honestie and godlines. In our forefathers tyme, whan Papistrie, as a
standyng poole, couered and ouerflowed all England, fewe bookes were
read in our tong, sauyng certaine bookes of Cheualrie, as they sayd,
for pastime and pleasure, which, as some say, were made in
Monasteries, by idle Monkes, or wanton Chanons: as one for example,

[Sidenote: Morte Arthur.]

_Morte Arthure_: the whole pleasure of which booke standeth in two
speciall poyntes, in open mans slaughter, and bold bawdrye: In which
booke those be counted the noblest Knightes, that do kill most men
without any quarrell, and commit fowlest aduoulteres by subtlest
shiftes: as Sir _Launcelote_, with the wife of king _Arthure_ his
master: Syr _Tristram_ with the wife of king _Marke_ his vncle: Syr
_Lamerocke_ with the wife of king _Lote_, that was his owne aunte.

[Sidenote: pointing finger]

This is good stuffe, for wise men to laughe att or honest men to
take pleasure at. Yet I know, when Gods Bible was banished the
Court, and _Morte Arthure_ receiued into the Princes chamber. What
toyes, the dayly readyng of such a booke, may worke in the will of a
yong ientleman, or a yong mayde, that liueth welthelie and idlelie,
wise men can iudge, and honest men do pitie. And yet ten _Morte
Arthures_ do not the tenth part so much harme, as one of these
bookes, made in _Italie_, and translated in England.

[Sidenote: pointing finger]

They open, not fond and common ways to vice, but such subtle,
cunnyng, new, and diuerse shiftes, to cary yong willes to vanitie,
and yong wittes to mischief, to teach old bawdes new schole poyntes,
as the simple head of an Englishman is not hable to inuent, nor
neuer was hard of in England before, yea when Papistrie ouerflowed
all. Suf