VINCENT:  In good faith, good uncle, I can deny none of this.  And indeed, unto those who were despoiled and robbed by the Turk’s overrunning of the country, and all their substance movable and unmovable bereft and lost already, their persons only fled and safe, I think that these considerations—­considering also that, as you lately said, their sorrow could not amend their chance—­might unto them be good occasion of comfort, and cause them, as you said, to make a virtue of necessity.

But in the case, uncle, that we now speak of, they have yet their substance untouched in their own hands, and the keeping or the losing shall both hang in their own hands, by the Turk’s offer, upon the retaining or the renouncing of the Christian faith.  Here, uncle, I find it, as you said, that this temptation is most sore and most perilous.  For I fear me that we shall find few of such as have much to lose who shall find it in their hearts so suddenly to forsake their goods, with all those other things before rehearsed on which their worldly wealth dependeth.

ANTHONY:  That fear I much, cousin, too.  But thereby shall it well appear, as I said, that, seemed they never so good and virtuous before, and flattered they themselves with never so gay a gloss of good and gracious purpose that they kept their goods for, yet were their hearts inwardly in the deep sight of God not sound and sure such as they should be (and as peradventure some had themselves thought they were) but like a puff-ring of Paris—­hollow, light, and counterfeit indeed.

And yet, they being even such, this would I fain ask one of them.  And I pray you, cousin, take you his person upon you, and in this case answer for him.  “What hindereth you,” would I ask, “your Lordship,” (for we will take no small man for an example in this part, nor him who would have little to lose, for methinketh such a one who would cast away God for a little, would be so far from all profit, that he would not be worth talking with).  “What hindereth you,” I say, therefore, “that you be not gladly content, without any deliberation at all, in this kind of persecution, rather than to leave your faith, to let go all that ever you have at once?”

VINCENT:  Since you put it unto me, uncle, to make the matter more plain, that I should play that great man’s part who is so wealthy and hath so much to lose, albeit that I cannot be very sure of another man’s mind, nor of what another man would say, yet as far as mine own mind can conjecture, I shall answer in his person what I think would be his hindrance.  And therefore to your question I answer that there hindereth me the thing that you yourself may lightly guess:  the losing of the many commodities which I now have—­riches and substance, lands and great possessions of inheritance, with great rule and authority here in my country.  All of which things the great Turk granteth me to keep still in peace and have them enhanced, too, if I will forsake the faith of Christ.  Yea, I may