saying I haue killed a far better man than thy selfe such like words will he say with a brazen face and a stony heart lifted vp with the pride of his manhood for he that is a murtherer doth thinke that he is the best man in the world especially if he escape the gallowes so long vntill he hath killed two or three men I haue been my selfe in company with many of them Oh remember how the curse of God fell vpon Cain for murther but I did neuer see any fruit of repentance in them for when they haue past the hands of the pittifull Iudge then they thinke that they are cleered for euer as well in this world as in the world to come and then will they say if they did offend they had the Law for it but I know not how so many of them escape the gallowes there is a Prouerbe saith foolish pitty ouerthroweth towne and Citty I thinke and am verily perswaded that a murtherer is accurst and hated both of God and man yea I am also perswaded that the house is accurst wherein they dwell and the ship wherein they saile at sea mark their end and you shall see that although they passe the hands of men yet God persues them with the hue and crye of his vengeance which followeth them and apprehendeth them and bringeth some of them to one kind of death and some to another as these few examples following shal declare and thou maist consider of them to thy benefit First Sir Iohn Fitz how wickedly and how cowardly did bewith two or three of his men pursue and ouertake Master Stannell as he was riding from Testok in Deuonshire towards his owne house this Master Stannell was beloued both of rich and poore hee was a good and bountifull house-keeper and his vntimely death was lamented of thousands the occasion of the quarrell was as I haue heard because Master Stannell called Sir Iohn Fitz. Tenant for that sir Iohn Fitz his father hid vsed to pay him a matter of two shillings a yeere this was no great cause of quarrel if it had been weighed in the ballance of discretion considering the great loue and familiarity which had continued long time betwixt them the which also was the reason that Master Stannell had not of long time demanded the rent nor did make any reckoning or account of it But then both hauing appointed to meet at a merry making in Testok onely to be merry and there this vnfortunate word tenant proceeded out of Master Stannels mouth which sit Iohn tooke in very great choller Master Sannell perceiuing that hee had mooued him betooke himselfe presently to his horse and riding homewards hauing but only his footman with him before he had rode two miles sir Iohn Fitz with two or three of his men being well horst ouer-tooke Master Stannell and there compassing him about som before him and some behind him most cowardly and desperately murthered him and vpon that sir Iohn fled into France but before one yeere was past his friends procured a pardon for him insomuch that he came home againe and to euery mans seeming was at quiet but the hue and cry of Gods vengeance was in his conscience and three or fowre yeeres after vpon London way there apprehended him as you shall heare for then and there most cruelly and diuelishly he killed his hoste which was a very honest man and afterwards most desperately with his owne hands tooke his rapier and murthered himself yet thus much I can say of sir Iohn Fitz he was a proper man and for the space of thirty yeeres he liued orderly to the gesse of the world for he was well beloued in his country and if he had so continued to the end it had been well but what should I say a man may be an honest man thirty yeers yea forty years and yet be a knaue at the last Another example was that of one Hocket of Pitmouth who looking out at a window and espying one Captaine Robinson comming downe the street and he hauing an old quarrell to the said Robinson which began at sea this Hocket stept to his dore with his rapier ready drawn and standing within his owne house vntill Captaine Robinson was come iust against his door he there without speaking one word ran him through with his rapier and afterwards was cleered by the Iudge of this world but after his comming out of the gayle he went to sea Master in a man of war and within ten dayes after he was gone from Plimoth to sea the first ship they met withall shot but one shot and yet killed this Hocket and no man in the ship killed nor hurt but only this murtherer Likewise in Plimoth one Captaine Treherne and Captaine Egles fell out about nothing in a manner the cause was for that one of them was denied lodging where the other did lie by the good wife of the house for it may bee she affected the one better then the other and two dogs and one bone commonly can neuer agree well together but they fell out about such a trifling matter and at the doore in the streete they fought and in the first bout Treherne was downe in the gutter and Eagles there in presence of many might haue killed him but staied his hand and suffered him to rise againe but then Trehearne assaulted Captaine Eagles most furiously and it so chanced that with a blow Eagles rapier brake and then running into a house to saue himselfe Traherne run him into the backe and killed him and afterwards he receiued his tryall for it but by the mercy of the Iudge he was discharged of that matter After his comming out of the gayle he presently got a crue of twenty eight persons and a ship and went a rouing vpon the coast of France where they were all taken and euery man of them hanged in France now I doe verily perswade my selfe that many of them might haue been liuing at this day if they had not hapned into this murtherers company Also one Bartlet who appointed the field with an other after one bout his enemy requested him to holde his hands that he might breathe which hee consented vnto but as they both stoode still this Bartlet sodainly charged his weapon vpon the other and ranne him through that he died presently and then Bartlet fled and escaped away for the space of seuen yeares but the huy and crie of Gods vengeance followed him insomuch that hee came againe to Plimouth of his owne accord thinking that all was well and forgotten but there he was apprehended and after the law had had his course vpon him Gods vengeance left him not but broght him to Plimouth againe and shortly after another did challenge this Bartlet they both mette in the field and there was Bartlet killed not farre from the place where he had killed the other before and he that killed him fled away and is not taken as yet Now Remember this example to
THE SCHOOLE OF THE NOBLE and Worthy Science of Defence Being the first of any English mans inuention which professed the sayd Science So plainly described that any man may quickly come to the true knowledge of their weapons with small paines and little practise Then reade it aduisedly and vse the benefit thereof when occasion shal serue so shalt thou be a good Common-wealth man liue happy to thy selfe and comfortable to thy friend Also many other good and profitable Precepts and Counsels for the managing of Quarrels and ordering thy selfe in many other matters Written by IOSEPH SVVETNAM LONDON Printed by NICHOLAS OKES 1617. ⧠TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES DVKE OF CORNEwale Yorke Albany and Rothesay Marques of Ormount Earle of Rosse and Baron of Armanoch high Seneschal of Scotland Lord of the Isles and Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter MOst Gracious and Noble Prince the many great and kinde fauours which I receiued from the hands of your late Brother deceased vnto whom I was tutor in the skill of weapons to my no little credit which makes me now turne backe to shew my loue in a small measure vnto your Princely selfe and yet it is as much as I am able a bunch of grapes is but a small present and yet King Philip of Macedon did receiue them and accept them and the rather because a poore man presented them and therefore J trust your Highnesse will more esteeme the good-will of the giuer then the value of the gift Three things did chiefly encourage me to publish it vnder the glorious name of your gracious Highnesse The first is in regard of your Highnesse deepe desire to gaine experience in all Arts and Sciences the which is seene by jour Graces fauouring and furthering any man which is endued with any good quality therein rightly resembling a branch of the same Stocke from whence your Excellency sprang of whom in my next Epistle to the Reader I will speake more at large But at this time for doubt of beeing offensiue with the renewing of olde griefes I stand in a maze like vnto that childe who being asked whether he loued his father or his mother best stood mute as doubting how to answer for feare of displeasing the one of them euen so in this place will J. Now the second cause of this my Dedication vnto your Excellency is in respect of my vehement loue wherto in duty I am bound vnto your Princely selfe and thirdly that it may passe vnder your Highnesse protection the better to shroud it selfe from backe-biters and fault-finders least amongst such it be taken vp like a friendlesse vagarant Oh therefore let it find fauour J humbly intreate your Highnesse although it can little pleasure your Princely selfe yet it may stead many others and so doubting least J haue troubled your Highnesse ouer long J will therefore heere drawe the Curtaines and commit your Highnesse to the Protection of the Almighty who euer blesse preserue and keepe your Highnesse with long life and prosperous health and happinesse to the worlds end By your Highnesse to be commanded so long as I liue Ioseph Swetnam An Epistle vnto the common Reader IN setting out of a booke friendly Reader this I know that there is no better a thing to be obserued then order for except there be an order in all things all runneth to confusion but what doe I meane to talke of orders which am no Scholler nor haue no learning but only a little experience which God and nature hath bestowed vpon me As it is vnpossible to build a Chuch without lyme or stone no more can a workman worke without tooles yet to auoide idlenesse somthing I will make of it although I cannot make it sound to so good a tune as I would for want of learning for I was neuer at Oxford but while I baited my horse nor at Cambridge but while one Sturbridge faire lasted wherefore if you doe examine mee concerning learning I shall answer you as the fellow did the gentleman who asking him the way to London a poke full of plumbes sir said he or as he which came from a Sermon was asked what he heard there he said it was a good Sermon and the Preacher spake well but he could not tell one word what hee said no more can I answer one word scholler-like or according to learning yet both at Oxford and Cambridge I looked vpon the Schollers and they looked vpon me and so I became a little the older but neuer the wiser wherefore if I should continue tempering this booke so long till I had put it in order I should resemble those which doe make their apparell so long of the newest fashion vntil they are quite out of fashion or like as the fidlers doe their strings who wrest them and temper them so long vntill they bring them out of all time tune and reason least I should doe so I will let it goe with this drafte as it is but gentle Reader looke not heere to gather grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles nor of a wild and a barren tree nothing else but wilde and barren fruit yet amongst dust sometimes there are pearles found and in hard rockes gold and stones of great price I haue heere as it were mixed wheat and rye barlye and oates Beanes and Pease altogether now take a little paines to separate that graine which thou likest best for thine owne benefit I giue thee here a friendly caueat to prepare thy selfe in a readines for although thou art at quiet now yet dost thou not know how soone thou shalt be vrged to take weapons in hand as my selfe and many others haue beene when I least thought vpon it therefore to haue iudgement and skill in weapons is good although thou neuer haue occasion to vse it The Prouerbe saith cunning is no burthen the same mouth which at one time saith I will liue quietly for I will make no brawles with any yet at another time he again will say oh that I had skill for then wold I bee reuenged on such a one that hath iniuriously wronged me Therfore for such a cause be prepared before hand for if the King were sure that he should neuer haue wars what neede had he then to prouide armour and weapons but in the time of peace hee prouideth himselfe the wise Mariner prouides in a calme for a storme for things doubtfull are to be dreadfull It is better to liue in feare then in security and to this purpose Tully hath a prety saying which goeth thus hee which desireth peace let him prouide for wars but I feare mee that the tyde will be spent before I can double this point and therefore here I will cast anchor and will ride in this rode something longer then I would for feare least I cast my barke away on a lee shore for want of water these words of warinesse doe I vse because there are many which no
idlely and yet grudge it nor when occasion shall serue either for thy King and Countrie or in defence of thine owne reputation but not in euery rascally brawle nor in a great assembly where manie times a foolish mad-braine will draw his weapon vpon an idle quarrell in such a place I haue knowne that after one hath drawne many haue likewise drawen their weapons for company according to the olde Prouerbe One foole makes many But howsoeuer in such a case I haue knowne much mischiefe quickely done although many of them haue not knowne the cause nor whom to strike vntill it hath beene too late but then when all is done these great fighters when it is too late they would make enquirie how the quarrell beganne and vpon what occasion but men of discretion and wisedome would examine the cause first before they do vnsheathe their weapon for in my minde hee that vndertaketh such quarrells sheweth neither manhoode wit nor valour and contrary vnto all the Lawes of Armes yet I will not say but where much people are a man that meaneth no harme may be wronged but there is no wisedome to right himselfe in a multitude for feare of a mutiny I meane in setting many together by the eares but in a place conuenient thou maiest call him in question which wronged thee before examining the cause of the quarrell when the heate is past and then if you finde it but a pelting quarrell being wisely considered vpon and that it hath beene no great scandall vnto thy good name and credite partly because the match was made and the field was appointed in a drunken humour in such a case I say it were a verie wise part for the one of them to make a friend acquainted which by wisedome may end the quarrell before a further mischiefe be done Nay more I haue knowne as good a man as euer did draw sword vpon an idle quarrell hath himselfe gone the next morning to the house of his aduersarie not making any friend at all acquainted with the busines and hee hath thus said I am come to answere what the last night I promised but yet withall to tell thee that our quarrell is but small and beganne vpon idlenesse yea so small that I am loath to haue it come into the eares of wise men left they should account vs both fooles now for the auoyding of this and other daungers it is not amisse for the wiser to offer this reasonable composition though wee doe thinke him too weake for thee for then thy credite will be the lesse in fighting with him and yet if thou doe kill him the danger is as great towards thee as if thou diddest kill the best man in the world now on the other side say he is a man noted and knowne to be as sufficient a man as euer drew sword then I say if an honest end can be made without fighting that is the best way For if two men of warre meete at Sea they will not fight willingly one with the other for they will consider before hand that there is little else then blowes to be gotten one of the other wherefore if you be perswaded to end it with a boll of Wine be not froward but yeeld vnto reason if no friends know of the quarrell then as I said before the wiser of the two may say vnto the other Come let vs goe and drinke our selues friends let vs take a haire of the same dogge which the last night did bite vs and made vs madde shall now cure vs and make vs whole and so let vs smother vp this pelting quarrell But now if the other be froward and will not accept of thy reasonable motion but will needs end it with weapons then rather then shew thy backe to thy spitefull enemy let him see thy heart bloud I meane if he can get it but there is no such danger in fight except Skill and Discretion be wanting wherefore rowze vp thy spirit and what thou vndertakest doe it without rashnesse and yet performe it without feare alwaies in a good quarrell if thou be ouercome let thy heart yeelde last of all and if thine enemie be not too rash vpon thee it is a sufficient conquest that when thou mightest hurt or kill yet do it not but stil weare Patience to the hard back for by such victory thou workest thine owne peace and he that thus doth getteth himselfe credite If the peace-makers are said to be blessed then the quarrellers make-bates are accursed As ther are many men so they are of many minds for some will be satisfied with words and some must needes be answered with weapons and some are neuer well full nor fasting therefore I would haue euerie man fitly armed for his defence what companie soeuer he keep let him be armed with patience still a faire tongue We must not seeke reuenge one of an other because the Lord saith Reuenge is mine and a good weapon so that if one will not serue another must rough or smoothe as occasion serueth for some are like vnto nettles which if thou handle tenderly it will sting thee but if thou gripe it hard thou shalt haue no harme euen so if thou giue vnto some men neuer so milde and gentle words yet will they not be perswaded but they will the rather deeme that thou fearest them and so domineere the more vpon thee but yet for all that they are the children of God which desire peace for the Prophet Dauid saith I seeke peace but when I speake thereof they are bent to wane Psal 120.7 Againe there are many reasons to perswade one Christian not to fight with another First the King and Councell haue and still doe make strait Lawes for the keeping of peace and for preuenting of murders but aboue all God expresly commaunds to the contrary and if thou wilt not obey man yet feare the displeasure of Almighty God aboue all Consider then and meditate thus with thy selfe before thou passe thy word to meete any man in the field why should I go into the field for when thou commest there thou must not kill for if thou doest thou must looke to answer it before that great and fearfull Iudge which is the Iudge of all Iudges howsoeuer thou by friendship or by pitty dost escape the hands of the Iudge in this life Besides thou doest loose thy goodes which thy wife and thy children should possesse Againe when thou commest into the field and there calling to minde these dangers before spoken of and so forbearing as being loath to kill Then thy enemie by sparing him may kill thee and so thou perish in thy sinnes hauing small or no time of repentance and so thy death will be doubtfull except thou diddest leade a very vpright life before which may very well be doubted for if thou diddest serue God aright or fearest his iudgements then thou wouldest not for any cause fight with thy brother Concerning this there is an excellent
that knowes thee so that thy life will be more loathsome then death therefore not to fight at all is best except thou be charged vpon contrary to thy expectation then defend thy selfe and yet feare as much to kill as to be killed CHAP. V. The cause of quarrells and what preparation you ought to be prepared with to answer a challenge DIssention quarrells and murther growes many times vpon small occasions yea so small that when it commeth to the eares and to bee disputed vpon amongst the the wise when they haue skand it ouer yeelds vp their verdit saying such and such are fallen out for the value of a rush and such and such haue killed one another for iust nothing is not heere more madnesse Be wel aduised before thou do passe thy word for a man will be as good as his word for a man will be as good as his word if it do cost him his life for it is a cowards tricke to crie peccaui or least in sight the next morning yet I will not say but at one time or another a mans reputation may be so neerly touched that it cannot stand with his credit to pocket it vp although it be made vpon drinke for indeed the pot is the chief cause almost of all quarrells yet being wronged it can not stand with a mans credite to keepe his weapon in his sheathe neyther doe I counsell all men to pocket vp all iniuries which some will proffer them but to answer a good quarrell not onely with words but with deeds as followeth for the further instruction Whoso is honourably challenged vnto single combate the challenged may make choice of his weapon and likewise of the time when and of the place where Likewise the challenged may choose to fight on foote or on horse backe which for his best aduantage hee shall thinke fittest now also the challenged is to consider well the qualitie of the Challenger that thereby hee may make the better prouision of such furniture as may serue for his owne defence and likewise to terrifie and hurt the challenger Now if the challenger be chollericke and hastie then charge thy poynt directly vpon him that if hee prease vpon thee he may come vpon his own death but before thou goest into the field discharge thy duty and conscience towards God aswell as in weapons for thy best aduantage otherwise it can not choose but be to thy body dangerous and vnto thy soule doubtfull and a most principall note is this to be obserued for thou art not sure whether euer thou shalt returne againe or neuer Remember your skill when you are at play or in fight for I haue knowne many when their fight and play is ended they doe remember that with this tricke or with that tricke they might haue defended themselues and either hurt or disgraced their enemy but many through madnesse and fury remember it not till it be too late If you be both skilfull in the false play then I hold it good for both to play vpon the true play for it booteth but little to vse false play to one that knowes how to proffer it and how to defend it for it is ill halting before a Cripple yet I will not say but the best of all may be deceiued by false play but especially false play may stand thee in great stead vpon those which are not come vnto the ful perfection of knowledge Againe one may haue skil in one kind of false play but not in all Now whether thy enemy be skilfull or not it is a very easie matter to know so soone as hee beginneth to charge his weapon if thou haddest no former knowledge before hand If two crafty knaues meete at dice if either of them shift in false dice the other will perceiue it presently and so they will know each other to be gamesters but they will giue ouer the sooner with small losse each to other referring themselues to their better fortunes and hoping to meete with easier gamesters euen so I wish all men if they perceiue themselues to be hardly matched the wiser of them to yeelde vpon composition after reasonable triall made each one of the other before any great hurt be done for the best man that euer breathed hath and may meete with his equall and when two good men meete the conquest will be hardly and dangerously ended on the one side except Discretion be a mediator to take vp the matter before it come to the worst if by friends it be not ended before hand but if thou canst hurt thy enemy yes although it be but a little or vnarme him of his weapon which thou mayest very easily doe if thou doe fight with good discretion And eyther of these are accounted for a victorie also take this for a generall rule alwayes keepe thy bodie within compasse of true Defence considering otherwise that the danger is great in that part of the bodie which lieth most discouered and is nearest vnto thine enemie Now when thy enemy doth assault thee and is lifting vp his weapon to discharge at thee be not then to prepare thy Defence but be ready before hand to defend euery part of thy bodie according to my directions as when you come to it you shall see more plainely For thou dost not know before hand where the blow will light As shrinking vp of shoulders is no payment of debts no more will winking or blinking defend thy carkasse as those which haue no skil will winke therefore againe and againe I say bee prepared with skill before hand Most sure it is the blow must haue his fall but at euery weapon I haue shewed how to defend it therefore the Defender must bee well experienced before hand with his defence at such a weapon as he meaneth vsually to carrie that when the blow doth light thou mayest bee in thy defence not to defend thine enemies blowe onely but also to answere him againe in the time of aduantage for a quicke answer sheweth good cunning Nor to know the true place for the holding of of thy weapon that is not all but alwayes so long as thou art within thy enimies danger continue them in their place except it be at the very instant time when thou goest about to offend thine enemy and that must be done with a very good discretion and thy weapon must bee recouered vp againe into his place nimbly Now if thy enemy doe discouer some part of his body that to thy seeming lieth very open yet be not too hastie in offering play though the baite be neuer so faire bite not at it too rashly or vnaduisedly lest like the foolish Fish you be taken with the hooke which lieth couered with the baite for if your enemy finde your weapon or weapons out of the place of true defence yea if it be but an inch too high or too lowe too wide or too narrow it is asmuch as concerneth thy life if thou be matched with one that
example of Patience shewed by King Dauid in the second of Samuel 16.6.10 Dauid being in the middest of his Army there came a fellow with cursing and rayling speeches saying vnto him Come out thou murtherer and withall threw stones and dust at him and one of the seruants of Dauid saide vnto his Maister Shall I goe and take off the head of this Rayler But Dauid very wisely and mildely answered his Seruant thus It may bee that the Lord hath sent him and therefore let him alone but now we haue a saying That flesh and blood cannot endure such iniuries as heere you see Dauid did But I say those that will go to Heauen must not looke to be carried thither in a feather-bed but by enduring iniuries crossings vexations and tribulations O then thinke on Heauen and yet forget not Hell presume not nor yet despaire not liue to die and yet die to liue Oh then leade thy life in true humilitie for so shalt thou vndoubtedly escape Hels damnation and enioy Heauens euerlasting saluation which place the God of gods vouchsafe vs all CHAP. II. Declaring the difference of sundry mens teaching with a direction for the entrance into the practise with thy weapons AS men of all arts trades and sciences differ in arte and workmanship as for example all Physitions doe not vse one kind of purgation nor all Surgions one manner of salue nor al writers write not alike but to make a rehearsall of all artes it were too long my meaning is so many men so many mindes euen so in this art of defence as the number which are experienced in it is infinite euen so seuerall fashions doe exceede the number of infinite if it were possible for euery man holdeth his opinion to be best in that fashion which he hath been most vsed vnto although a man shew them many errours by good iudgement yet it is as hard to withdraw them from their owne wil as it is to compell a Papist from his religion which he hath been alwayes trained vp vnto But the true skil of weapons once perfectly learned is neuer forgotten againe for if any man were to fight for his life as by a familiar example I will tell you of those which haue been vnskilfull yet haue had a suddaine occasion to vse their weapons and euen then suddenly summoning vp their wits what defence they should vse for the safegard of their liues being so suddenly charged doth not hee then as I said remember himselfe of the best defence or the best trick that euer was shewed him for then is the time to stand him in stead and then will vse it although he neuer plaid nor neuer practised in seauen yeeres before Nay further he which neuer learned one tricke but what nature bestowed nor neuer had any other experience vse nor practise at one weapon nor other but onely what he hath seene of others by chance where hee hath hapned to come yet such a one vpon a present occasion being vrged thereunto will instantly cal to minde that such a time and such a time I did see such a man fight or play and he was accounted a very good player or a very tall man of his hands and thus he lay or thus he defended himselfe Loe thus imitating for their defence that which they haue seene others doe before another example which by experience I can speake of and that is of some which neuer did nor neuer could swim in all their liues yet such at sometimes haue been in danger of drowning by chāce falling ouer boord into the sea or into other deepe Riuers where there was no hope of life but onely by swimming such I say being put to their shifts haue remembred themselues in the water and so by laboring themselues I meane with their hands and their feet so haue escaped and saued their liues Now I say if euery man before hand were grounded in skill with his weapons in the art of swimming when they were yong then would either of them be the lesse fearefull for what is bred in the bone will neuer out of the flesh Yet here one example more take a yong plant and set him and come againe within a month and you may pull him vp with ease but let him grow a yeere or two and he will be so deepe rooted in the ground so that you cannot pull him vp for your heart except you vse other meanes euen so of youth if they giue their minds to good and laudable exercises when they are yong it were great pitty that they shold want encouragement whereby it might take roote but if their minds be giuen to any idle or bad exercises it were good then that it were pulled vp in time before it haue taken any deep root And so I will here leaue off because I shall haue occasion hereafter to speake concerning those matters CHAP. III. Fearefull examples of murther with aduise to auoid murther GEnerally three sorts of men are hated for the most part and very much abhorred that is to say the proud minded man a coward and a murtherer but especially a murtherer howsoeuer it be done therefore most vnhappy is he which killeth a man cowardly in a desperate humour but if he doe it in his owne defence or in a morning vpon a iust quarrell in the field and both being equally matched then it may be the better tollerated both before God and man yet I doe not well to say so for Romans the 9. it is said what art thou which doest dispute with God then why goe I about to make my toleration in murther when God hath giuen vs an expresse commandement to the contrary saying thou shalt not kill Exodus 20. According to this saying In no case commit not murther he which striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword and likewise S. Paul giueth vs a good lesson saving doe nothing without foresight and iudgement Because I touch diuinity in many places of my booke no doubt some will say what should fencers meddle with diuinity but to answer you againe euery Christian ought to know the word indeed the sword is good but much the better when they goe both together But to our matter againe those which feare God and by chance happen into the company of a murtherer there haire will stare and their blood will rise that they will inwardly wish they were out of his company againe for many simple men do feare a murtherer euer after they haue once known him to commit a murther yet diuers honest men doe by chance happen into a murtherers company when they would bee glad to shift themselues from him againe or as were to spue him out of their presence in regard of his euill qualities which is quarrelling and taking exceptions vpon any little occasion If any man also doe seeme to contrary a murtherer or a litle crosse him in his swaggering he will forthwith breake out into these or such like vngodly speeches