the same withouten stryfe Not onely for his Godly zeale And Christian life accordinglie But also for this booke in sale Heare present now before thine eye Herein the Abuses of these dayes As in a glasse thou mayest behold Oh buy it than hear what he sayes And giue him thankes an hundred sold. I. F. In Commendation of the AVTHOR and his Booke SHall men prophane who toyes haue writ And wanton pamphlets store Which onely tend to noorish vice And wickednes the more Deserue their praise and for the same Accepted be of all And shall not this our AVTHOR than Receiue the Lawrell pall Who for good will in sacred brest He beares to natiue soyle Hath published this Godly Booke With mickle paine and toyle Wherein as in a Mirrour pure Thou mayest behold and see The vices of the World displayed Apparent to thy eye He flattereth none as most men do In Hope to game a price But shewes to all their wickednesse And Gods diuyne Iustice. A Godlyer booke was neuer made Nor meeter for these dayes Oh read it than thank GOD for it Let T'HAVTOR haue his praise THE AVTHOR AND HIS BOOKE NOw hauing made thée seelie booke and brought thée to this frame Full loth I am to publish thee lest thou impaire my name The Booke Why so good Maister what's the cause why you so loth should be To send mée foorth into the World my fortune for to trye The Author This is the cause for that I know the wicked thou wilt moue And eke because thy ignoraunce is such as none can loue The Booke I doubt not but all Godly Men will loue and like mée well And for the other I care not in pride although they swell The Author Thou art also no lesse in thrall and subiect euery way To MOMVS and to ZOILVS crew who'le dayly at thée bay The Booke Though MOMVS rage and Zoilus carpe I feare them not at all The Lord my GOD in whom I trust shall soone cause them to fall The Author Well â—â—th thou wouldest so faine be gone I can thée not withhold Adieu therfore GOD be thy speade And blesse thée a hundred fold The Booke And you also good Maister mine GOD blesse you with his grace Preserue you still and graunt to you In Heauen a dwelling place The Anatomie of the Abuses in AILGNA ¶ The Interlocutors or Speakers Spudeus Philoponus God geue you good morow Maister Philoponus Philo. And you also good Brother Spudeus Spud. I am glad to sée you in good health for it was bruted abroad euery where in our countrey by reason of your discontinuance I thinke that you were dead long agoe Philo. In deede I haue spent some tyme abroad els where then in my natiue countrey I must needs confesse but how false that Report is by whom soeuer it was first rumored or how farre so euer it be dispersed your present eyes can witnesse Spud. I pray you what course of lyfe haue you lead in this your longe absence foorth of your owne countrey Philo. Truely brother I haue lead the life of a poore Trauayler in a certaine famous Ilande once named Ainabla after Ainatirb but nowe presently called Ailgna wherein I haue liued these seuen winters and more trauailing from place to place euen all the Land ouer indifferently Spud. That was to your no litle charges I am sure Philo. It was so but what thaÌ„ I thank God I haue atchieued it and by his dyuine assistance prosperously accomplished it his glorious name worthie of all magnificence bee eternally praysed therefore Spud. And to what ende did you take in hand this great trauayle if I may be so bould as to aske Philo. Truely to sée fashions to acquainte my selfe with the natures qualities properties and conditions of all men to breake my selfe to the worlde to learne nurture good demeanour cyuill behauiour to sée the goodly situation of Citties Townes and Countryes with their prospects and commodities and finally to learne the state of all thinges in generall all which I could neuer haue learned in one place For who so sitteth at home euer commorante or abiding in one place knoweth nothinge in respecte of him that trauayleth abroade and hee that knoweth nothing is lyke a brute Beaste but hee that knoweth all thinges whiche thinge none doeth but God alone hee is a God amongest men And séeing there is a perfectioÌ„ in knowledge as in euery thing els euery man ought to desire that perfection for in my iudgement there is as muche difference almost betwixt a man that hath trauayled much and him that hath dwelt euer in one place in respect of knowledge and science of things as is betwen a man lyuinge one dead in graue And therfore I haue had a great felicytie in trauayling abroade Spud. Seing that by diuyne prouidence we are heare met together let vs vntill we come to y e end of our purposed iorney vse some â—onference of the state of the World now at this daie as well to recreate our minds as to cut of the tedyousnes of oure iorneye Philo. I am very well contente so to doe beinge not a litle glad of your good companie For Comes facundus in via pro vehiculo est 1. A good Companion too trauayle withall is in steade of a Wagon or Chariot For as the one doth ease the painfulnes of the way so doth the other alleuiat y e yrksomnes of the iourney intended Spud. But before I enter combat with you because I am a countrey man rude and vnlearned you a Cyuilian indued with great wisdome knowledge and experience I most humbly beseech you that you wyl not be offended with me though I talke w t you somwhat grosly without eyther polished wordes or fyled speeches which your wisdom doth require and my insufficiencie and inabylitie is not of power to affoorde Phil. Your spéeches I put you out of doubt shal not be offensiue to mée if they be not offensiue to God first Spud. I pray you what maner of Countrey is that Ailgna where you say you haue trauailed so much Philo. A pleasant famous Iland immured aboute with the Sea as it were with a wall wherein the aire is verie temperate the ground fertile and abounding with all things either necessary to man or néedefull for beast Spud. What kinde of people are they that inhabite there Philo. A strong kinde of people audacious bold puissant and heroycal of great magnanimitie valiauncie and prowes of an incomparable feature of an excellente complexion and in all humanitie inferiour to none vnder the Sunne Spud. This people whome God hath thus blessed must needes bee a verie godly people eyther els they be méere ingrate to God the authour of all grace of these their blessinges especially Philo. It gréeueth me to remember their liues or to make mention of their wayes for notwithstanding that the Lorde hath blessed that Lande with the knowledge
man would lend then how should y e poor doo wherfore the lawes y â— permit some small ouer-plus therin doo very wel Philo. Non faciendum est malum vt inde veniat bonum we must not doo euil that good may come of it yet the lawes in permitting certain reasonable gain to be receiued for the loane of money lent lest otherwise the poore should quaile for without some commoditie the rich would not lend haue not doone much amisse but if they had quite cut it of and not yéelded at all to any such permission they had doon better But héerin the intent of the lawe is to be perpeÌ„ded which was to impale with in the Forrest or park of reasonable and conscionable gain men who cared not howmuch they could extorte out of poore-mens hands for the loane of their money lent and not to authorise any man to coÌ„mit vsurie as though it were lawful because it is permitted Therfore those that say that the lawes there doo allow of vsury licence men to commit it fréely doo slaunder y â— lawes are woorthy of reprehension for though the lawes say thou shalt not take abooue ij.s. in y â— pound x. li in a hundred and so so foorth Dooth this prooue y â— it is lawful to take so much or rather y â— thou shalt not take more then y â— if I say to a man thou shalt not giue him abooue one or two blowes dooth this prooue y â— I licence him to giue him one or two blowes or rather that he shal not giue any at al or if he doo he shal not excéed or passe y e baÌ„ds of resonable mesure so this law dooth but mitigate y e penalty for it saith y â— the party y â— taketh but x. li for y â— vse of an C.li. loseth but y â— x. li not his principal Spud. Then I perceiue if Usurie be not lawful by the lawes of the Realm then is it not lawful by the lawes of God Philo. You may be sure of that For our Sauiour Christe willeth vs to be so far from couetousnes and vsury as he saith giue to him that asketh thée and from him that would borrow turn not thy face away Againe Lend of thy goods to them who are not able to pay thée again and thy reward shalbe great in heauen If wée must lend our goods then to them who are not able to pay vs again no not so much as the bare thing lent where is the interest the vsurie the gaine and ouer-plus which we fish for so much Therfore our Sauiour Christe saith beatius est dare potius quam accipere It is more blessed to giue then to receiue In y â— 22. of Exodus Deut. 24. 23. Leuit. 25. Nehe. 5. Eze. 22. 18. many other places we are forbidden to vse any kinde of vsury or interest or to receiue again any ouer-pluss besides the principall either in money corne wine oyle beasts cattel meat drink cloth or any thing els what soeuer Dauid asketh a question of the Lord saying Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle and who shall rest in thy holy hil wherto he giueth the solution him self saying euen he that leadeth an incorrupt life hath not giuen his mony vnto vsurie nor taken reward against the innocent who so dooth these things shall neuer fall In the â—5 of Deut. the Lord willeth vs not to craue again the thing we haue lent to our neighbor for it is the Lords frée yéer If it be no lawful then to aske again y â— which is lent for it is not the law of good conscience for thée to exact it if thou be abler to beare it then the other to pay it much lesse is it lawful to demaund any vsury or ouer-plus And for this cause the Lord saith let there be no begger amoÌ„gst you nor poore person amongst the Tribes of Israel Thus you sée the woord of God abandoÌ„neth vsurie euen to hel and all writers bothe diuine and prophane yea the very heathen people moued onely by the instinct of nature and rules of reason haue alwaies abhord it Therfore Cato béeing demaunded what vsurie was asked againe what it was to kill a man making vsurie equiualent with murther And good reason for he that killeth a a man riddeth him out of his paines at once but he that taketh vsury is long in butchering his pacient suffering him by little little to languish and sucking out his hart blood neuer leaueth him so long as he féeleth any vitall blood that is luâ—re and gaine comming foorth of him The Usurer killeth not one but many bothe Husband Wife Children seruants famelie and all not sparing any And if the poore man haue not wherewith to pay aswel the interest as the principall when soeuer this gréedy cormorant dooth demaund it then sute shalbe coÌ„menced against him out go butter-flies and writs as thick as haile so the poore man is apprehended and brought coram nobis and béeing once conuented iudgement condemnatorie and diffinitiue sentence procéedeth against him compelling him to pay aswel the vsury and y e loane of the money as the money lent But if he haue not to satisfie aswel the one as th'other then to Bocardo goeth he as round as a ball where he shalbe sure to lye vntil he rotte one péece from an other without satisfaction bée made Oh cursed Caitiue no man but a deuil no Christian but a cruel Tartarian and mercilesse Turck darest thou look vp toward heauen or canst thou hope to be saued by the death of Christe that sufferest thine owne flesh and blood thine owne bretheren sisters in the Lord and which is more the flesh and blood of Christ Iesus vessels of saluation coheirs with him of his superiall kingdom adoptiue sonnes of his grace finally saints in heauen to lye and â—ot in prison for want of paymâ—nt of a little drosse which at the day of dome shall beare witnesse against thée gâ—aw thy flesh like a canker and condemn thée for euer The very sâ—ones of the prison walles shall rise vp against thée and condemne thée for thy crueltie Is this looue Is this charitie is this to doo to others as thou wouldest wish others to doe to thée or rather as thou woâ—ldest wish the Lord to doe vnto thée Art thou a good member of the bodie which not onely cuttest of thy selfe from the vine as a rotten brauâ—ch and void lop but also he west off other members fâ—om the same true vine Christe Iesus No no thou art a member of the Deuil a limme of Sathan and a Childe of perdition Wâ—e ought not to handle our bretheren in such sorte for any worldly matter whatsoeuer Wée ought to shew mercie and not crueltie to our bretheren to remit trespasses and offences rather then to exact punishment reâ—erring all reuenge to him who saith Mihi vindictam et
world to haue escaped to repaire to Holofernes by some meanes or other to work his destruction who guided by the hand of God attempted the thing brought it happely to passe For she cut of his head with his owne fauchine wrapping his body in the canopie wherin he lay sléepingly possest as he was with y e spirit of drunkennesse this done the Women of Israell came together and went to visit this worthie Woman and to coÌ„gratulat her prosperous successe with instruments of musick singing of Godly songs and dauncing for ioye in hâ—nor and prayse to God for this great victorie obtained Now who sâ—eth not that these women sang dauÌ„ced and played vppon instrumentes in prayse of God not for any other lewdnes or wantonnes as coÌ„monly the world doth now adaies This also ouerthroweth the dauncinges of Men and Women together in one companie for though there was an infinite number of People by yet the Text saith there daunced none but onely Women which plainly argueth the vnlawfulnesse of it in respecte of Man And this being but a particular fact of a sort of imprudent Women shall we draw it into example of lyfe and thinke it lawfull or good because they did practife it It was a custome in those dayes when God had powred foorth and notable blessing vpon his People from his Heauenly Pallace the People in honour praise and thankesgiuing to God for them would play vppon their instruments sing Godly Songs daunce leape skip and triumphe shewing foorth the ioye of their mindes with their thankefulnesse to GOD by all exteriour gestures that they could deuyse Which kinde of thankefull dauncing or spirituall reioycing wold God we did follow leauing all other wanton dancing to their Father the Deuill Their .vij. Reason Did not quothe they the Damosell daunce before Kinge Herode when the head of Iohn Baptist was cut of She daunced indeed And herein they maye sée the fruite of dauncing what goodnesse it bringeth For was not this the cause of the beheading of Iohn the Baptist Sée whether dauncing styreth not vp lust and inflameth the mind For if Herode with séeing her daunce was so inflamed in her loue and rauished in her behauiour that he promised her to giue her whatsoeuer she wold desire though it were half of his Emperie or Kingdome what wold he haue béene if he had daunced with her and what are those that daunce with them hand in hand chéek by chéek with bussing and kissing slabbering and smearing most beastly to behold in so much as I haue heard many impudently say that they haue chosen their Wyues and wyues their Husbands by dauncing Which plainely proueth the wickednesse of it Their .viij. reason Did not Christ rebuke the People for not dauncing saying we haue pyped vnto you but you haue not daunced They may as well conclude that Christ in this place was a Pyper or a Minstrell as that he alowed of dauncing or reproued them for not excercysing the same This is a Metaphoricall or Allegoricall kinde of speach wherin our Sauiour Christ goeth about to reprooue and checke the styfneckednes the rebellion and pertinacious coÌ„tumacy of y â— Scribes and Phariseis who were neither mooued to receiue the glad tydings of the Gospell by the austeritie of Iohn the Baptiste who came preaching vnto them the doctrine of repeÌ„taunce in mourning sort neither yet at the preaching of our Sauiour him selfe breaking vnto them the pure Ambrosia the Coelestial Manna the word of life in ioyfull and gladsome maner Ihon the Baptist he piped vnto them that is he preached vnto them austeritie of life to mourn for their sinnes to repent to fast pray and such like Our Sauiour Christ he pyped that is preached vnto them the glad comfortable tidyngs of y e Gospell yet at neither of these kinde of concions they were any whit mooued either to imbrace Christ or his gospell Wherfore he sharply rebuketh them by a similitude of foolishe Children sitting in the market place and piping vnto them that wold not daunce This is the true vndoubted sence of this place which whether it ouerthrow not all kinde of lewd dauncing at lest maketh nothing for them allowing a certen king of spirituall dauncing and reioysing of the heart vnto God that I may suspend my owne iudgement let wyse men determine Their .ix. Reason Saith not Salomon there is a time to wéep a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to daunce This place is directly against their vsuall kinde of dauncing For saith not the Text there is a time meaning somtime now and than as the Israelites did in prayse to GOD when anie notable thing happened vnto them and not euery daye and howre as we do making an occupatioÌ„ of it neuer leauing it vntil it leaue vs. But what and if Salomon speaketh here of a certen kind of spiritual dauncing and reioysing of y e heart in praise to GOD This is easily gathered by the circumstances of the place but specially by the sentence precedent vz. there is a time to mourn a time to daÌ„ce c. that is a time to mourn for our sinnes a tyme to dauÌ„ce or reioyse for the vnspeakable treasures purchased vnto vs by y e death passion of Iesus christ How much this place maketh for defence of their nocturnall diuturnall wanton lewde and lascivious dauncings if it be censured in the imparciall ballance of true iudgement all y e world may sée aud iudge And now to draw to an end I will come vnto their vltimum refugium That is Doth not Dauid both commend and also coÌ„maunde dauncing and playing vpon instruments in diuerse of his Psal. In all those places y e Prophet speaketh of a certeÌ„ kind of spirituall dauncing and reioysing of the heart to y â— Lord for his graces benefits in mercie bestowed vpon vs. This is the true kinde of dauncing which the word of God doth allow of in any place and not that we should trippe like rammes skip like goats leap like mad men For to y â— end our féet were not giueÌ„ vs but rather to represent y eimage of God in vs to keep Companie with the Angels to glorifie our heuenly Father thorow good works Spud. Do you condemne al kinde of dauncing as wicked and prophane Ph. All lewde wanton lasciuious dauncing in publique assemblies conuenticles without respect either of sex kind time place Person or any thing els I by the warrant of the word of God do vtterly condemne But that kind of dauncing which is vsed to praise and laud the name of God withall as weare the dauÌ„ces of the people of the former world either priuatly or publiquely is at no hand to be dysallowed but rather to be greatly commended Or if it be vsed for mans comfort recreation and Godly pleasure priuatly euery sex distincted by themselues whether with musick or otherwyse it cannot be
man of sounde wit but rather a very Bedlem or muche worse no Christian but an Antichristian no meÌ„ber of Christ Iesus but an impe of SathaÌ„ and a lymme of the Deuill Wherfore in the name of God let vs auoyd al excesse imbrace temperancie and sobrietie receiue so much meats and drinks as may satisfie nature not the insaciat appetits of our fleshly desires Knowing that except the Lord blesse our meats and drinks within our bodyes and giue them power strength to nourish and féede the same and our bodyes their naturall powers euery meÌ„ber to doo his office and dutie our meates shall lye in our stomacks stincking smelling and rotting like filthie carion in a lothsom sinck So farre of ought we to be from abusing the good creaturs of God by ryot drunknesse or excesse that we ought neuer to take morsell of bread nor sope of drinke without humble thankes to y e Lord for the same For we neuer read that our Sauiour Christ euer eat or dranke but he gaue thankes or as we call it said grace both before the receipt therof and after This néeded he not to haue done in respect of himselfe but for our erudition learning according to this saying omnis Christi actio nostrà est instructio Euery action of our Sauiour Christe is our example and instructioÌ„ to follow as néere as we are able And thus much of druÌ„kenesse which god grauÌ„t may euery wher be auoided Spud. Shew mée I pray you y e state of that Cuntrey aâ—litle further is it a welthie Countrey with in it selfe or otherwyse poore and bare Philo. It is a most famous Yland a fertile Cuntrey abounding with all maner of store both of riches treasure all things els whatsoeuer but as it is a welthie and riche Countrey so are the inhabitaunts from the highest to the lowest from the priest to the populare sorte euen all in generall wonderfully inclyned to couetousnes and ambitioÌ„ which thing whilest they follow they caÌ„ neuer be satisfied for erescit amor nummi quantuÌ„ ipsa pecunia crescit The loue of mony doth by so much the more increase by how much more y e monie it selfe doth increase and y e nature of a couetous man is such that tam deest quod habet quà m quod non habet as well that thing which he hath as y â— which he hath not is wanting vnto him A couetouse man may wel be compared to Hell which euer gapeth and yawneth for more and is neuer content with inough For right as Hell euer hunteth afâ—er more so a couetous maÌ„ drowned in the quagmire or plash of auarice and ambition hauing his summam voluptatem reposed in momentaine riches is neuer content with inough but still thirsteth for more much like to a maÌ„ sicke of the ague who the more he drinketh the more he thurteth the more he thursteth the more he drinketh the more he drinketh y â— morâ— his disease increaseth Therfore I hould it true which is writ bursa auari os est diaboli the powch of a rich couetous Man is the mouth of the deuill which euer is open to receiue but alway shut to giue Spud. But they will easily wipe away this blot namely in saying are we not bouÌ„d to prouyde for our selues our wyues our children famelie Doth not the Apostle hold him for an infidell and a deneger of the faith who prouydeth not for his Wyfe and Family Is it not good to lay vpsomthing against a stormie day wherfore they wil rather déeme theÌ„selues good husbaÌ„ds than couetous or ambicious persons Philo. Euery Christen MaÌ„ is bound in coÌ„science before God to prouide for their houshould Family but yet so as his immoderat care surpasse not the bands nor yet transcend the limits of true Godlynes His chiefest trust care is to rest onely in the Lord who giueth liberally to euery one y â— asketh of him in verity truth reprocheth no maÌ„ withall he is to vse such ordinarie meanes as God hath appointed to y â— performaunce of y e same But so farre froÌ„ couetousnes froÌ„ immoderate care wold y e Lord haue vs y â— we ought not this day to care for to morow for saith he sufficient to y e day is the trauail of the same After all these things with a distrustfull inordinat care do the heathen séek who know not God saith our Sauiour christ but be you not like to theÌ„ And yet I say as we are not to distrust the prouidence of God or despaire for any thing so are we not to presume nor yet to tempt the Lord our God but to vse such secundary and instrumental meanes as he hath commaunded and appointed to y â— end purpose to get our owne lyuing maintenance withall But this people leauing these Godly meanes do all runne headloÌ„g to couetousnes ambition atteÌ„pting all waies assaying al meanes possible to exaggerat heap vp riches y e thick clay of damnatioÌ„ to theÌ„selues for euer So likwise LaÌ„d-lords make marchandise of their pore tenaÌ„ts racking their rents raising their fines incoÌ„mes setting theÌ„ so straitely vppoÌ„ y e teÌ„ter hookes as no man caÌ„ lyue on them Besides y â— as though this pillage pollage were not rapacious enough they take in and inclose commons moores heaths and other common pastures wher out the poore commonaltie were wont to haue all their forrage and féeding for their cattell which is more corne for them selues to lyue vppon all which are now in most places taken from them by these greedye Puttockes to the great impouerishing and vtter beggering of whole townes and parishes whose tragicall cries and incessant clamors haue long since pearced the Skyes and presented them selues before the Maiesty of God saying how long Lord how long wilt thou deferre to reuenge this villanie of thy poore Sainctts and vnworthie members vppon the earth Take héed therfore you riche men that poll and pill the poore for the bloud of as manye as miscarie any maner of way thorow your iniurious exactions sinister oppressions and indirect dealings shall be powred vppon your heads at the great daye of the Lord Cursed is he saith our Sauiour Christ that offendeth one of these litle ones it were better that a milstone were haÌ„ged about his neck he cast into y e middest of the sea Christ so entierely loueth his poore members vppon earth that he imputeth the contumely which is done to anie one of them to be done to himselfe and will reuenge it as done to himselfe wherfor GOD giue them grace to lay open their inclosures againe to let fall their rents fines incommes and other impositions wherby GOD is offended their poore Brethren beggered I feare mée y e whole realme will be brought to vtter ruine decay if this mischiefe be not met withall and incoâ—Ì„tred with verie shortlie For
these inclosures be the causes why rich men eat vp poore men as beasts doo eat grasse These I say are the Caterpillers and deuouring locustes that massacre the poore eat vp y e whole realme to y e destruction of the same The Lord remooue them Upon the other side the Lawyers they goe rufling in their silks veluets and chaines of Gold they build gorgeous howses sumptuous edefices and stately turrets they kéep a port like mightie poteÌ„tates they haue bands and retinewes of men attendant vppon them daylie they purchase castels towers Lands and Lordships and what not And all vppon the polling and pilling of the poore commons They haue so good consciences that all is fish that comes to the net thei refuse nothing that is offred and what they do for it in preferring their Poore clients cause the Lorde knoweth and one day they shall finde it If you haue argent or rather rubrum vnguentum I dare not say Gold but red oyntment to grease them in the fist withall than your sute shall want no furtherance but if this be wanting thaÌ„ farewel clyent he may go shooe the goose for any good successe he is like to haue of his matter without this sheriffes Officers wil returne writs with a tarde venit or with a non est inuentus smally to the poore maÌ„s profit So long as any of this ointmeÌ„t is dropping they wil beare him in hand his matter is good and iust all to kéep him in vre till all be gon and than will they tell him his matter is naught and if one aske theÌ„ why they tould not their clieÌ„ts so in y â— beginning they will answere I knew not so much at the first y e fault is in himselfe he tould me y e best but not the worst he shewed mee not this euidence that euidente this president and y â— presiâ—ent turning al the fault vpoÌ„ y e suggester wheras y e whole fault indeed is in himselfe as his own conscience caÌ„ beare him witnesse In presence of their clients they will be so earnest one with another as one that knew not their slaightes wold thinke they would go together by the eares this is to draw on their clieÌ„ts withal but immediatly after their clients being gon they laâ—gh in their sléeues to see how pretily they fetch in such 〈◊〉 of money and y â— vnder the pretence of equitie and iustice But though thei caÌ„ for atâ—â—e prestigiatorum instaâ— like cuÌ„ning deceiuers cast a mist before y e blind world yet the Lord who séeth suborned by none y â— secrets of all harts shall make them manifest to al the world and reward them according to their 〈◊〉 The marchaÌ„t meÌ„ by their marting chaffering and changing by their counterfait balances vntrue waights and by their surprising of their wares heap vp infinit treasures The Artificer Occupyers euen all in generall will not â—ell their wares for no reasonable price but will sweare teare pittifully y â— such a thing cost theÌ„ so much such a thing so much wheras they swear as false as the lyuing Lord is true But one day let them be sure y â— the Lord who saith thou shalt not sweare at all nor deceiue thy Brother in bargaining will reuenge this villanie done to his Maiestie Into such a ruinous estat hath couetousnes now brought that Land that in plentie of all things there is great scarsitie and dearth of all thinges So that that which might haue been bought heretofor within this twentie or fourtie Yéers for twentie shillings is now worth twentie nobles or xx pound That which thaÌ„ was worth twentie pound is now worth a C. pound and more Wherby the rich Men haue so balaunced their chests with Gold and siluer as they craâ—ke againe And to such excesse is this couetousnes growne as euery one y â— hath money will not stick to take his neighbors house ouer his head long before his yéers be expired Wherthorow many a poore man with his wyfe childreÌ„ whole famelie are forced to begge their bread all their dayes after Another sorte who flow in welth if a poore maÌ„ haue eyther house or Land they will neuer rest vntill they haue purchased it giuing him not the thirde parte of that it is worth Besides all this so desperately giuen are many that for the acquiring of siluer and Gold they will not sicke to imbrew their hands and both their armes in y â— blood of their owne Patents and Fréends most vnnaturally Other some will not make any conscience to sweare and forsweare themselues for euer to lye dissemble and deceiue the déerest frends they haue in the world Therfore the heathen Poët Virgill said very well O sacra auri fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis Oh cursed desire of gold what mischief is it but thou forcest Man to attempt it for y â— loue of thée This immoderat thirst of Gold monie bringeth an infinit nuÌ„ber to shameful end some as homicides for murthering killing some as latrones for robbing stealing some for one thing some for another So that surely I think maior est numerus Hoâ—minum quos dira auaritiae pestis absorpsit quam quos gladius vel ensis perâ—orauit the number of those whom the pestilence of auarice hath swallowed vp is greatter than the nuÌ„ber of those whom the sword hath destroid the Lord asswage the heat hereof with y e oyle of his grace if it be his good pleasure and wil. Spud. If I might be so bold I wold request you to shew me out of the word of god where this so detestable a vice is reproued Philo. Our Sauiour Christ Iesus the Arch-doctor of all truth in his Euangely the sixt of Mathew saith Be not carefull for to morow day for the morow shall care for it selfe Againe be not carfull for Apparell what you shall put on nor for meat what you shall eat but séeke you the Kingdome of Heauen the righteousnes therof and all these things shal be giuen vnto you He charged his Disciples to be so farre from couetousnes as not to cary two coates with them in their iorneys nor yet any money in their purses He tould his Disciples another time stryuing which of them should be y â— greattest that he who wold be the greattest must condescend to be seruaÌ„t of all When the people wold haue aduauÌ„ced him to haue béene King he refused it and hid him self He telleth vs we cannot serue two Maisters God Mammon he biddeth vs not to set our minds vppoÌ„ couetousnes inferring that wher our riches be there will our harts be also He saith it is harder for a rich Man that is for a Man whose trust is in riches to enter into the Kingdome of God than for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a néedle The Apostle biddeth vs if we haue meat drinke