beare office and authoritie in your Parrish yée iâ— the whole Shire where we both dwell so that I hope from hencefoorth we shall haue great store of you and that of the greatnes of such fées and charges of sutes in Law and of the fiâ—st Assessors and the now receiuers therof ye are vtterly coâ—cluded estopped to speak or think saue in all honor reueâ—ence Doo you think so Neighbour quoth he Yea verily quoth he for you haue confessed all this your reformatioÌ„ aâ—endment to haue commen thence and look what effect it hatâ— wrought in you ye are of charitie bound to think that it hath wrought woorketh wil woork in a number mo then you and the mony that you haue or rather think that haue departeâ— from is in their hands who are treasurers therof as I haue aleaged towards the good and godly vses intents purposes that may or shall arise héerafter in coÌ„mon benefit to wit serâ—ice of the whole common welth wherin your part is as farrâ— foorth as theirs Doo you call this a mending Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce In very déed quoth he I must néeds confesse that these great and excessiue Charges and large Expences haue rebuked me haue chasticed and amended me but to say that I think or iudge it thank woorthy vnto them that haue receiued my money I say the Deuil kisse his arsse that so amendeth me or any fréend of mine for verily such amending in my iudgement deserueth asmuch and the very like thanks as did the Wife who gaue her husband two strong poisons meaning to spéed him in déed but the poysons béeing of contrary natures wrought one vpon an other and destroyed either others force wherby the man béeing hardly handled for a season yet béeing driuen into a lask by their extremitie auoyded them bothe and with them much corruption so that where before he was a very corrupt body he was by their clensings the better xx yéers after Thus she did him good by accident but far from her intent or purpose and vtterly against her will And surely they that take so excessiuely of me and of others our money by that kinde of punishment amend and refourme vs I holde them woorthy as much thank therfore as was this Wife at her husbands hand for his amendment which was wrought by her meane For I dare safely vndertake that for our affliction and punishment or for the dishonour of God and other vngodlynes that dependeth therupon they are as sorowful as was the parish Clark of a Town that was sore visited with the Plague who said vnto his wife vpon a day Wife quoth he if there come two corpses to day we will haue a shoulder of Mutton and a quart of Sack to supper if there come but one wée will haue a shoulder of Mutton and but a pinte of Sack Content husband quoth she And verily I think that as hartely as this good man his Wife praied for their recouery that were visited so hartely pray these for peace quietnes and the honor and seruice of God and the Godly charitable dealing and liuing of their Neighbours and Bretheren Pierce prooueth that the sufferaunce of wickednes and vngodlynes increaseth their gaine who are and should be therebukers and punishers therof and that to be the cause of great in iustice and vnrighteousnes Cap. 14. NEighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste I pray you let me further vnderstand wâ—at yée doo meane by this history for it should séem that ye haue alleadged it against mee not with standing that it maketh for me by â—he wunderfull effect which you your self â—re forced to confesse that it hath wrought vpon you I knâ—we what I haue confessed Neighbour quoth Pierce and also in what maner I haue confessed it far enough from your â—urpose or any confirmation therof And where in maintenanâ—e of these great fées and reuenues you haue alleaged that theâ— are publique and also how many and how good godly are the'ffects and fruits therof without proof made of them or oâ— any one of them either by your owne experience or by othâ—r necessary demonstration There in proof of the contrary tâ— wit that they are proper and priuate and therfore excessiuâ— and vnreasonable which is my assertion I haue brought you this proffe of mine owne experience wherby I haue sâ—fficiently shewed that the first causes of all these great gaineâ— and profits are prosecuted as I haue affirmed and not perâ—ecuted as you pretend For I haue partely shewed you héer what leaue and libertie the common people namely youth haue to follow their own lust and desire in all wantonnes and dâ—ssolution of life For further proof wherof I call to witnesse â—he Theaters Curtines Heauing houses Rifling boothes Bowling alleyes and such places where the time is so sâ—amefully mispent namely the Sabaoth daies vnto the great â—ishonor of God and the corruption and vtter distruction of youth All which I say are either the causes or the effecâ—s of these great gaines and reuenues or els both causes aâ—d effects interchaungeably For I dare vndertake that if eitâ—er these gains and profits were publique as you pretend or els if there were as great gain and proffit to the Maiestâ—ates and Officers in the godly liues and honest conuersation of the common people as there is in the contrary these haâ—bours of vngodlines misnurture would haue lesse fauour and maintenaunce then they haue and godlines Sobrietie and modestie of liues maners would be in greater estimation then they are and the honor and glory of God more aduaunced therby But alas that the honor and glory of God and the vaine glory pompe and maiestie of man cannot stand together and that one of theÌ„ must néeds fall in the others exaltation for certainly the more libertie vnto wickednes sinne and the more falling from God through the same and the more humbly complainings vnto your good Lordships and vnto your good Woorships The more Recognances for the peace and good a bearing aswel by the Godly as by the vngodly the one inuading and the other defending the more praying paying waiting attending dowking crowding courtesing procuring of fréendship by meanes bribing of his flatterer bribing of her flatterer this driueth the great welth and abundance into few mens hands For where the vngodly through misgouerment is fallen into daunger of the Law what wil he not giue to redéem his life or his infamye yea euen vnto them who were the first causes and occasions of his fall into such folly and mischaunce through libertie and not restraint of the contempt of God his Lawes and seruice which he will not fayle to measure and fully to reward vnto all libertines contemners and despisers of his maiestie and will giuen them ouer into a reprobate minde from vice to vice vntil he hath fully brought him to naught So dangerous and fearfull a thing is libertie and not restraint of the beginning of euil which
And this is the very law of kinde which can not effectually woork among neighbours of whome some are dayly or yéerly flitting and giuing place vnto new namely such as will bid more the which commonly are the wurser sorte as hath béen already alleaged These are two effects The third is the sinceritie of Iustice and also of dicipline both which it greatly hazardeth namely for the buyers and sellers are Corelatiues and that the one cannot be without the other and for that also the causes of selling spoyling of patrimonies are such as I haue already declared These things are right perillous in a common welth and yet doo almoste necessarily followe the too often and common translation of possession and inheritaunce namely where it is by peny purchase against the which neuerthelesse it is meruelous hard to foresée and to prouide I meane for heires and inheritours of Lordships Lands and possessions to continue in the same béeing things that so many desire to haue yea oftentimes such as haue in their hands the bridle of libertie or restraint of good and euill and of the liues and manners of men for what is there in all this earth so much desired as houses landes Lordships and possessions and to commaund ouer people What els is the end of all so many and great trauels watch studie so many and so great hazards by Sea and land so many shifts sleights deceits and oppressions of all which this world hath béen is euer wil be full against all which who so will holde a thing of so great value he must be well prouided and of great defence and hath néed to haue in him self the strength wisdome councell and iudgement of many and so much the rather by how much his possessioâ— is the greater and that for two causes First for that in his eâ—rour of life fall and misgouernment lyeth the fall ruin and decay of a number what of his owne blood what of his tenaunts faithfull freends and seruants Secondly for that his estate is subiect vnto many enimies of whom the greatest and moste dangerous is the flatterer the olde enemie of all mankinde as the story of our Father Adam and mother Eue and the Serpent dooth well declare This mooued Iuno as Oâ—id fableth to commit Io her Cow vnto Argus to kéep which Argus had an hundred eyes in his head and therfore much adooe had Mercury to deceiue him withall his swéet songs and Musick for when he had brought on of his eyes a sleep â—ea diuers of them yet waked diuers other and stood vpon tâ—eir ward and whether his face or his back were towards Io yet he alway beheld her ¶ A reason why Coppyholdes Customes and Corporations were first ordained and how that Pride and Flattery are the cheef causes that many a yong Gentleman commeth to sell his Lands Chap. 1â— ANd surely in mine oppinion this mooued the wise honorable fathers Maiestrates of old time to incorporat so great liuings possessions also to erect establish in Loâ—dships so many coppy holds and custummarâ— tenures as the moste soueraigne remedy against pride and surcuydrie which commonly accompanieth thâ— priuate singuler sole proprietie in land possession office or any other thing whatsoeuer also a way and meane to furniâ—h the common welth with many both able to deserue well and to doo good also glad and willing therto vnto the which pâ—ide is either the only let and impediment or els of all otheâ— the greatest as he vpon whom flattery attendeth yea and in such sorte that he leadeth him by the nose vp and down the house making him to beléeue of himself any thing causing him also to delight no while in any one thing whether it be apparell or the fashion therof place person dyet fréend seruant Tenaunt or other thing what soeuer and this as dayly experience teacheth is the high and ready way to the Vsurers house and from thence to the Extorcioner who dwelleth hard by of which twaine by that time he hath taken foorth his lesson kindely I dare be his suretie hée wil not be hasty to doo good to any good body neither if he would shall he haue wherwith all for either shall he haue no lands left him at all or if he haue any he shall be glad to let them déerer then that any honest man shall doo good thereon so that in conclusion both thâ— Landlord and the tenaunt shal be miserable The cause héerof is Pride moste and chéeftly as I haue said and oftentimes youth good nature or peraduenture excesse of Pleasure and Sensuall delights where through yong Gentlemen are often snared through euill company béeing ouertaken sometime by giuing their woord sometime through a bribe of a little present mony sometime by one deceit sometime by an other wherin men are soone pampred namely such as are of small experience and iudgement and knowe not the false lures of the wicked and vngodly against all which these Corporations and customes are of great force and a great defence for in both these cases hardly can they be assaulted much lesse inuaded by any of the enemies aforesaid First for that a corporation is neuer vnder age as for example Maior and Comminaltie Deane and Chapter Wardens and Fellowes and such like whose succession is by election their proprietie is ioynt and in common neither can one doo any thing without the rest and therfore to flatter any one of them vaine and to flatter them all very hard namely mens Natures Wit Iudgements and Affections béeing diuers and euery man willing to maintaine and prefer his owne opinion or his fréends Pride atteinteth them not for who is proud or at the least so proud of any thing wherin a number hath to commaund as much as he and without whom he can doo nothing then béeing armed against Pride the Father of necessitie and néed they are â—etter fréely to afforde their good woord or déed and therfore in vaine were it to bribe them But admit that any of them would be bribed it were also in vaine and would procure the euill will of all the rest with out bribing them all which were heauy and hard to doo So that in any competicion made vnto such persons against any olde Fréend Tenaunt Officer or seruant it is very hard to preuaile except it be through his owne great misbehauiour And where it is betwéen méere Sraungâ—rs one of them against an other there the best and moste woorthy is sure to spéed for certainly and infallible there is â—othing in all this world so amiable so beloued and fauoured as honestie vertue and godlines are Where priuate flatterie or briberie stand not in their light as in the case of priuate Owners and proprietaries I haue alleadged that it both may and often dooth And thus much of the Corporations of their effects Now to speake of the customes of Manours the very same or like in effect may be said for the Inheritour of
But as if for example you wil say Women ought to be â—shamed to be séen bibbing wine in common Tauernes or to be séen at common lasciuious and bawdie Stage Playes therfore they are ashamed therof This is an argument gathered from posse to estâ— to wit from should or ought to be to is simply and hath not any necessitie nor firmitie and that shall you see if you will goe with me to London this next Terme How be it you séem to inforce your antecedenâ— by the honorable existimation wherin I am bound to haue the Magistrate and Officer and therby you think that of dutie I ought to graunt it you for the shamefull consequencâ— whiche necessarily ensueth vpon the deniall therof Truely that notwithstanding me thinketh all this but a very bare and naked proof ¶ Simon maintaineth his assertion by authoritie of holy Scripture and diuersitie taken between the reward of Vertue Learning and Knowledge and the hire of seruile trauaile and labour Cap. 7. CAll you this a bare and naked proof Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast if you denye this proof quoth hée you reuerse ouerthrow all humain societie which is maintained and vpholden by giuing vnto God that which is due vnto God and vnto man that which is due vnto man But vnto God what can wée giue saue honor praise glory first and immediatly vnto him self and secondly vnto his Deputies and Lieutenants to wit Magistrates Officers whose calling and appointing therunto as it is of God so must and ought wée to think that it is for their godlynes and vertues for God him selfe hath said them that honor me I will honor and they that dishonour mée I wil dishonour wherfore our wise and reuerend Elders and Forefathers in their assessing these great fées and charges did mean to honor them whome God honoured And therfore vnto their callings appoiÌ„ted they great and honorable reuenues knowing that their gain is the punishment of vice and the rewarde of Vertue and that the part portion of all the godly is therin knowing also that there is not so great Incouragement vnto Vertue and Godlynes as the liberall rewarde therof and that all vngodlynes and vnthankfulnes is measured by the greatnes of thy goodnes and benefit receiued either at the haÌ„ds of God or man Lastly knowing that they might not prosecute but persecute the causes occasioÌ„s of these gains as hath alredy béen prooued and therfore I say abooue all common reason and discretion they assessed these Fées and reuenues that the gains might be great and yet the causes therof few quite contrarie to all other estates and faculties for what other reason is there that one man shall labour sore a whole day at night shall receiue twelue pence or eight peÌ„ce for his hire Another for half or a quarter of an houres easie trauail shall receiue xx shillings or sometime more what is thâ— cause of this diuersitie euen this the one is a hire and a pricâ— of a seruile labour and trauell and is receiued in proper aâ—d priuat vse the other is an honor doone vnto vertue Godlâ—nes and knowledge which doo receiue nor holde or accouâ—t any so base things proper or priuate or can be so basely mâ—nded as to ioy therin further then they may glorify God theâ—by what other reason is there that one man in the returne of a Reame of paper shall gaine xij pence or xvi peâ—ce cléer and yet where he layd out ij pence the other laid ouâ— x. shillings And after the same rate in Wax that one â—an shall sell more for vi pence then an other shall sell for viij pound which neuerthelesse bought as déer as he within â—ij pence at xx shillings waring and both laid out more monâ—y longer looked for the return therof I say there is no reaâ—on other then is already made ¶ Pierce denyeth the calling to office to be such as Simon hath alleaged Cap. 8. NEighbour Simon quoth Pierce whâ—ras you maintaine your assersion by the wâ—orthines of the Magistrate and Officer and doo insist thervpon alledging that they are â—alled by God and that for their godlines anâ— vertue The first part I greatly dout for thâ—t many of them buy their offices and pay very déerly therfâ—re yea some sell their very inheritaunces for that purpose I mean to buy offices now did I neuer read that euer God receiued Money for an office how be it I referre my self héerâ—n to my Maisters that are learned The next part that they are called for their Vâ—rtue and Godlines surely then I verily suppose some of theâ— are called for the things that neuer were in them before â—nd then were the caller deceiued which God cannot be eâ—cept you will say that God of his méere goodnes and mercy called them for the vertues and godlynes which he meaneth to call them vnto and in this order beginneth to woork I meane in bestowing vpon theÌ„ so liberally and by that meanes to charge them with his expectation in respect of their great Tallent committed vnto them which thing you séem to alledge as no small cause and consideration of the high assessing of the fées and charges aforesaid and that so great mercies graces bestowed vpon them by God and so liberall reward appointed vnto them by men should suffise to make them godly and vertuous from thence foorth what so euer they were or had béen before All which arguments although they be godly and probable yet as I said before they stand doubtful for the olde Prouerb Honors chaunge manners I beléeue the godly and the learned doo dout whether it be taken in the better part or in the wursse for I am very sure that many are wurse disposed and much more vngodly in high and honorable calling then while they were in meane estate and degree Neighboure Pierce quoth our Hoste there is no rule so generall that it admitteth not exception albeit I dout not nor euer did that honours chaunge manners is and euer was meant in the better parte For the wiseman saith He that is vngodly in welth how much more vngodly would he be in pouertie The examples are many that doo prooue that honors chaunge men to the better namely of Saule of whome it is said that béeing called from a simple boy after his Inauguration he felt him selfe suddainly chaunged and as the book saith he felt a new hart in him The like example we haue of many Kings and Prophets in the Scripture But to come néerer both for the time and also the place in our English History we read of that noble King H. the fifth who in his Fathers life was of euil gouernment and kept company with riotors and vnthrifts so that there was small hope of him but after the death of H. the fourth when this yung man was placed in his kingdom he sent for all his olde companions who were not a little glad therof but when they weare come into his presence he
haue him I haue him this is the théef quoth hée Now was the throng so great that a man could not know which was which vntil at the last the Officers came and took them bothe and knowing the Maister of the dicing house asked him what the matter was Mary quoth hée this Villain Théef hath robbed diuers Men of Woorship my Guests of great summes of money and I haue followed him for he fled vpon the fellony And there hée had spied mée in the Company bad theÌ„ lay hold vpon me for this knaue quoth he gaue him the couÌ„cel is as false a théef as hée There was no more to say I was laid hold vpon apprehended and bothe hée and I caried before a Iusticer of peace the fellow and I my fréend would not leaue mée but went with mée to sée and heare the end So sir when wée were come before the Iusticer hée laid sore to the Fellowes charge that hée had broken his house forciblie and burglarlie and had felloniously robbed foure Gentlemen of woâ—rship his Guests of diuers summes of money feloniously anâ— against the Quéens lawes and peace Sirra quoth the Iusâ—ice what saist thou to this Sir quoth the fellowe I beseech yâ—u to staÌ„d my good Fréend and Maister and let mée haue but law reason at your hands I trust it appéereth vnto your â—iscretion quoth hée that this matter alleadged against mée â—s not sufficient to put me to answere therunto First for the forcible entrie into his house and burglarye supposed I say his house was open and dayly is and to long hath béen and vnto to many if it pleased God and the Maiestrates such as your Woorship is for I vndertake hée that hath any thiâ—g to lose and cast away néed neither break doore nor walle tâ— leaue it behinde him there and so much for my answere vnto that part As to the money supposed to be stolne hée declareth no certaintie therof neither conueieth to him self any property therin and so no fellony of the thing wherto no man â—laimeth propertie very true it is quoth hée that I came into his house and séeing a company standing about a square Table diuers great heaps of money laid foorth therupoÌ„ I asked this honest man that was a stander by meaning mée what was ment thereby and also by two white square things full of black spots that were chased to and fro vpon the bâ—â—rd hée answered mée that they were playing at the dice â—â—r that is quoth he the name of those square bones and said farther that the name of their game was hazard When I hâ—d heard him say so I considered with my self that there migâ—t be good to be doon for me among them for hauing wel marâ—ed their order I found them the moste indifferent People tâ— gain by that euer I met withall in my life for I perceiued that hée that laid the money downe the rest meant that hâ—e should neuer take it vp again and for his parte hée meâ—t aswell vnto them and that all this stood in the fauour of hazâ—rd and so often time it chaunced accordingly to wit that thâ— box béeing the third person caught a share and by no other â—or better title then mée thought my self to haue for me thougâ—t I was as indifferent to euery of them as was the box or as any of them was to other for I verily thought and yet doo that if neither of them euer fingered that laid down either had his desire against other moreouer quoth hée when I beheld such lewd and shameful mispending of the time such horrible swearing and blaspheming knew not where neither vnto whoÌ„e to complain for reformation therof and thought in conscience I ought not to suffer it as far foorth as it were in my might I saw no way so likely to redresse it as to take away the cause which I perceiued was the money I thought that both by law and good conscience I might doo it and ought also and in this deliberation I awaighted my time snatched vp al that I could lay holde vpon and came my way wherupon I pray your discretion and whether this be fellony wherin there is title or at the least cullour of title A Sirra quoth the Iusticer you are acuÌ„ning théef indéed it is time to look to such knaues as you are Sir quoth the poor fellowe I beséech you be good to me I am a poore man and I trust sauing against them that lost the money the money is mine against all men and as vnto them when they demaund me let me answere And as touching that honest man quoth heby me I neuer delt with him nor neuer saw him before to be short the Fellowe was committed to Newgate and I was fain to finde surety by recognisaunce to appéer at the next sessions there to make answere to such matter as should then and there be laid to my charge and that cost me fiue shillings and this was all that I got by hauing my dinner giuen mée And what said your Lawyer to you for this said our Hoast what comfort dooth he giue you of a mendes against the partie that thus misused you truely quoth Pierce hée vtterly discourageth mée to stur or meddle farther therin and all vpon the same reasons that hée made before or els the very like in effect Truely Neighbour quoth our Hoast that Lawyer was no Counceller neither for your purpose and much lesse for his owne Why so Neighbour quoth Pierce marry quoth our Hoast for there is no courage in him neither hath he that way to help him self to kéep you in dooing in that he giueth such couÌ„sel to peace and quietnes vnto such fellowes as you that would gladly cut him out woork if hmself were not â—is owne hinderaÌ„ce Nay surely Neighbour ê™ Pierce whaâ— counsel soeuer he had geuen me therin or what counsel he or any other of them all shall héerafter giue me in such matters I am taught alredy though to my cost while I liue to loue peace ensue it to looue mine owne house my honest labâ—ur trauel and chéefly aboue all other things to serue Goâ— wherin I finde the only stay and comfort of mans life to resâ— that when all is sought and tried there is none other â—â—le ne leuel wel and surely to guid and order our affairs anâ— dooings The application of Pierces tale by the Hoste tha the great charges of the Law is profitable to the commonwelth and a repressing of vice and sinne Cap 13. AHa very wel said theÌ„ quoth our Hoste I am glad that yet at the last ye are coÌ„e to yeâ—oiÌ„t wherunto I haue al this while laboured to briÌ„g you which is to coÌ„fesse that these great and excessiue charges expences haue reformed â— changed you from an vngodly and troublesâ—me man to a Godly wise and prudent man able to giue coâ—nsell not only priuatly and to your owne fréends and famely but also to