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
although they appéer not such at the first yet when they are come to their ripenes and haue brought foorth their increase to wit Fellonyes Thefts Man slaughter Murder and such like there is not so ignorant a person that will not say the man or woman was neuer like to come to better end namely for his euil and dissolute life in the beginning This libertie is in the hands of Maiestrates and Officers to bid or to forbid euen after as they will prefer the honor and glory of God or els their owne welth pomp and vaine-glory And therfore how hartely were it to be desired at the hands of GOD that such as are Maiestrates and Officers should not be couetuoê° or els such as are couetoê° should not be Magistrates for héerof Iethro did warne Moyses in the xviij of Exodus talking with him concerning the election and choise of Maiestraâ—s and Officers and bad him chuse such as hated couatise and spake of no other vice The cause wheâ—of is apparant to wit least the wickednes and vngodlines of the people came to be valuable let and set rented and farâ—ed bought and solde for what other thing is valluing leâ—ting and setting renting buying and selling of offices whose value is more or lesse according to the state of the people and their dishonouring of God therby And where you maintâ—ine these great gains by their godly and woorthy effects the fâ—rst wherof you alleadge to be their great purchase of lordships lands and possessions and the effect therof you alleadge to be a prouision and patrimony for the good and godly the efâ—ect wherof yée say is the increase of them and the decrease of the contrary the effect wherof you say is godlines vnanimitie loue charetie and benignitie one towards an other And last of all the effect therof be the manifold graces and blessings of God promised by God in the Psalmes to the house town Cittie or Cuntry where these things are From the first cause to his effect I graunt your argument that these great gains are cause of great purchase but from the purchase to his effects yée shew not how it is but how it ought to be for instéed of the effects wherof you haue spoken I sée many gay houses â—ul of gay châ—â—â—is costly banqueting houses Galleries bowling Allâ—is strange toies of point deuise and woorkmanship but with in I finde no man dwelling saue pride who hath châ—sed theÌ„ce hospitalitie and charitie and as for other preferment that the godly haue at their hands in any of their purchases I sée not but euen who wil giue moste and can make mightâ—est freÌ„ds anâ— who those are in our daies the vngodly vnfaiâ—hfull and vncharitable dealing so vniuersally doo plainly declâ—re The people so euel giuen both yong and olde so vngodly in liuing so vnciuil yea so rude barbarous in manners wherin me thinketh they haue preuailed increased more more all after as these offices haue waxen more gainfull and the desire to haue them greater And therfore your distinction betwéen their purchase and the merchant chapman and â—ther toÌ„â—â—â— persons what soeuer sauing his probabilitie vain and rediculous to the purpose Therfore Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce your reasons are weak to maintain the greatnes of their fées vnable Abide Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoaste giue me leaue to answere vnto these matters first because that in very déed probable reason giueth place to necessary proof demonstration wherin â—e suppose that ye haue you beyond me because the against my bâ—â—e naked reasons as you terme them ye haue alleadged authoritie and that of your owne experience I wil answere you with the like and that of mine owne experience also and more direct vnto my matter then any of yours which are indéed indirect and stand in different and I wil proâ—â— that the Magistrate and Officer in the beginning was and yet is such aâ— I haue aleadged and also the first assessing of the said fées and reuenues and their great vtillitie and necessitie namely for the vses intents and purposes aforesaid For proof wherof I wil rehearse vnto you a matter which I my self did bothe heare and sée The Hoste maintaineth the contrary and for disproofe therof and for the proofe of his assertion alleadgeth the purchase of a certain welthie Officer towards the Law Chap. 15. ABout two yeeres agon it was mâ— fortune to be beyond London in Kent at the house of a worshipfull Officer towards the Law who not pâ—st a Moneth before my comming thither had purchased a Lordship wherin were diuers good formeâ— and their leases too expire at Micheâ—â—as thâ—n to come twelue Moneths It came to passe one day of my béeing there thither came a rich man dwelling not farre thence whose sute was to this Gentleman to take one of his said Farmes in â—euertion and comming to him thus he began Sir quoth he I vnderstand ye haue bought suâ—h a Lordship God â—â—ne ye joy thereof Very true it is quoth hée Sir ê™ this rich man I pâ—ay you let me be your tenaunt of such a Farm geuing more then any other man wil giue for a fine The rent of the Farm was v. l. What will ye giue me for a lease for xxj yéeres quoth this Gentleman Sir quoth he I wil giue ye an C.l. and vnto our Mistresse a Veluet gown and xx Angels to buy hâ—r pines be sides You haue bidden like a Chapman said the Gentleman giue me leaue to be aduised vnto Munday next said he and then I shall giue you an answere héerin so causing him to tary dinner he let him departe and this was vpon a Thursday The next day béeing Friday this Gentleman sent for the Farmer of the same péece of land who came thither and with him thrée hansome yong men his sonnes So when he was by the Landlords commaundement brought beforâ— him hée asked him of what age he was He answered lxxv yéeres He asked him how long he had dwelled in that Farm He answered that he had dwelt there all his life for he was â—orne in it and his father before him You know quoth the Gentleman that I am now become your Landlord I knowe iâ— very wel quoth he and I beséech you of your fauour What will you giue for a new lease of xxi yéeres quoth the Gentleman for you knowe your olde lease is néer an end Sir quoth the poore man let me giue you reason only that I may be â—ble to doo my Prince and your woorship seruice to reléeue my poore neighbours as hetherto I haue doone and haue beâ—n well able Very wel quoth the Gentleman be héer again vpon Munday next and then ye shall vnderstand more The poore man his duty doon departed The next Munday beeing munday next before Bartholmew day the poore man was come again and brought with him a couple of fat Capons about an houre or twaine after came this Churle very wel mounted his Gelding not déere of
manner of the getting of their gaines wherwith they purchase doo chaâ—ge them with a reuerend and fatherly regarde in letting and setting the same to the honor and glory of God who hath so mightely blessed them yea so far abooue all that they euer coâ—ld with out shame haue wished or desired so heaping hot coales vpon their heads in their vnthankfulnes and dealing otâ—erwise which as I haue alredy said is not or at the least noâ— so greatly to be hoped or looked for at their hands of bace anâ— meane calling And therfore Neighbour Pierce quoth hée admitting and confessing the greatnes of their purchase yâ—t can yée not conclude against mée the proper or priuate rece t or imploying of Charges fées and reuenues aforesaid ne ther wil I graunt it vnto you for the slaunderous and shame full consequence which it inferreth necessarily as hath alrâ—ady béen duly prooued ‡ Pierce repeateth the Reasons and Arguments of Simon and confuteth them by proof and expecience deâ—onstratiue as froÌ„ the cause to the effect and that vpon his owne knowledge Cap. 10. Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce yée haue made as your self dooth suppose many strong reasoÌ„s conclusioÌ„s to aprooue the first asessing and that now receiuiÌ„g of eight pence or twelue pence for a shéet of paper and other excessiue and vnreasonable Fées and charges of sutes as not only tollerable iust and reasonable but also godly and moste conducible vnto the common welth and to the prosperous and good estaste therof namely for that these fées and charges were ment and yet are the punishment of vice and the reward of godlynes and vertue And also that they were and yet are ment a publique treasure in the hands of the receiuers therof to all godly vses intents and purposes Wherunto I answered alleadging the great purchase of Lands and Lordships by the receiuers of the same as a thing repugnant and contrary to your Assertion wherunto you haue replied that their great purchase is not only contrary to your first Assertion but a confirmation of the same For you say that their porchase of lands is a prouision with out comparison more assured and permanent then were or could haue béen the distribution of the money or any parte therof from hand to hand and also that the effects and fruits therof are moe and greater and doo stretch farther and more generally and vniuersally doo procure the honor and glory of God and the publique welth peace and quietnes To prooue that these things are so you haue alleadged the honorable calling of the Magistrate and Officer and the great expectation that hée sustaineth both before God and men and also the reuerend opinion that we are bound to haue of him Yée haue also alleadged that the first causes of all these great gaines and proffits are such as of duty he is bound to persecute and not to prosecute namely for that they are vngodlynes wickednes and all kinde of vice by the gain wherof say you no honest nor godly person can without great shame thriue and wax rich much lesse the Magistrate and Officer vpoÌ„ whose great expectation héerin you doo so greatly insist Truely Neighbour quoth hée all these are goodly and also godly reasons and doo very wel prooue how things either haue béen or els how things ought to be But that they are so presently these are either nâ— prooues at all or very small and so your argument gathered â—nd concluded from posse to esse as I haue said already and as I wil further prooue by Arguments gathered from tâ—e cause vnto the effect and from the effect vnto the cause eueâ— the very same that you haue alleadged tying them together in the same maner and fourme as your selfe haue alleadgeâ— them First you say that the originall cause of these greâ—t gains Fées and reuenues was the hate that the first Assessâ—â—s therof bare vnto vngodlines wickednes and all kinde of vice the fauour and good affection which they bare vnto Vertue and godlynes and therin they ment the punishmeâ—t of the one and the preferment and aduauncement of the oâ—her and so you conclude lewdnes vnthriftines and vngodlynes to haue béen and yet stil to be the first cause of these great gains Fées and reuenues and these great Fées and reuenues their effect the effect of these fées profits and reuenues â—ée haue alleadged or rather I my self haue alleadged and â—ou haue confessed and iustified to be the great perpuisition â—nd purchase of Lordships lands and possessions by the Magistrates and Officers Receiuers of the same The effect of their great purchase is by you aleâ—dged to be a prouision a stay of liuing and patry mony for the Godly and honest People of the common welth and for their assuraunce peace and quietnes The effect of so good a pâ—ouision for the Godly you haue alleadged to be the increase â—f them and the decrease of the wicked vnthriftie and vngodly the effect of the increase of godly people you haue alleadged to be mutuall looue charitie and all good affection both â—owards God and also one to an other the effect wherof you haue alleadged to be the manifolde blessings of God accordiâ—g to the saying of the Prophet in the hundred thrée thirtie Psalme Thus haue you argued from the first causes prâ—ducing their effects and from those effects as from causes of their effects very orderly and very probablie but not necâ—ssarilye as I haue already alleadged and as I doubt not héerafter I shall prooue vnto you so directly and so euidently that you shall either confesse your owne prooues fallible and false or els you must and shal say that causes produce no effects or els clean contrary effects which is to reuerse and to ouerthrowe the order of Nature and all the law and rule of reason as to say there can be a Father or a mother without a Sonne or a Daughter or that betwéen a man or a woman there should be begotten a dogge or a cat And for proof héerof I wil aleage bothe reason as strong as you haue alleaged any and also mine owne experience which I my self haue déerly bought and paid for I pray you Neighbour let mée héer that quoth our Hoast ¶ Pierce Plowmans first tale for that purpose where he sheweth how his Neighbour and hee went to the Tauern and to the daunsing Schoole and what hapned there Chap. 12. AT my béeing in London this last term quoth Pierce it fortuned one afternoone hauiÌ„g little or nothiÌ„g to doo as God knoweth what Idlenes vngodlines commeth of our idle waitiÌ„g attending vpon our dayes of heariÌ„g as they tearm them when in the mean time we run vp and down in the stréets and if happely wée méet with any Fréend or acquaintaunce it is holden great humanitie to offer him the curtesie of LondoÌ„ which is as much to say to haue him to the Tauern there to sit bibbing vntil neither of theÌ„ can scant finde the way
foorth again So as I was about to tel you one day amongst all others wée met a company of Neighbours and Fréends together in Poules six in number all Cuntrie-men and Neighbours saue one that was a Londoner a Neighbour borne of ours who was our Leader to many a good place dout you not so on Gods name néeds wée must to the Tauern and so wée went to the Tauern there fast by wherby that time we came forth again our heds were better laden with heare then with Wit so on Gods name when our heds were wel fraughted wée must néeâ—s go to sée some pleasures of the Cittie that were straunge anâ— noueltie vnto vs of the Cuntrie and so on Gods name wée â—ent into a dauncing Schoole not very far thence now was â—here one man of our Company that was as deaf as a doore â—â—ile ¶ When wée weare come into the Schoole the Musitions were playing and one dauncing of a Galiard anâ— euen at our entring hée was beginning a trick as I rememâ—er of sixtéens or seuentéens I doo not very wel remeÌ„ber buâ— wunderfully hée leaped flung and took on which the deâ—f man beholding and not hearing any noyse of the Musicâ— thought verily that hée had béen stark mad and out of his wit and of pure pittie and compassion ran to him and caught â—im in his armes and held him hard and fast The Dauncer â—ot knowing his good meaning and taking it to the wurst and hauing a Dagger drew it out and smot the man a great blâ—we vpon the hed and brake his hed very sore The man sore mooued and gréeued therewithaâ—l and béeing a man of great strength threw him from hiâ— with all his strength among the MusitioÌ„s and hee lighting vpon one of the greatest and fairest Vialls brake it all in péeâ—es Therwithal vp start the Musitions for him and we for to help the other béeing our Fréends and Neighbours and then went out Daggers vp went Pantostes al the rest of the Instruments in the throng were all to trodden and â—roken and but that Neighbours hearing the noise and buâ—â—liÌ„g came in and parted vs surely some of vs had béen in greaâ— daunger to haue béen slain I lost my Cloake and had my hed broken and so hâ—d thrée of my Neighbours moe and hardly the Musitions â—nd their partakers went not scotfrée But shortly to end aâ—â— come to my purpose you shall heare what followed First and formoste wée were all arrested and câ—mmitted to Prison for a fraie and bloodshed where I think you may make no question if it cost vs any thing before wâ—â— gat out again But hauing paid our Fées there and thinâ—ing verily that the wurst had béen past euen at our commâ—ng foorth from thence wée were all newly arrested by latitaâ—es and remained vntil wée had put in Sureties to appéer at the day of the return of the writ in the Kings bench So wée laid our purses togither and went to a woorshipful and learned Lawyer that had béen of our counsaile aforetime and shewed him the declarations that were against vs wherof the first was at the sute of the Owner of the schoole wherin hée alleadged that with force and armes wee had entred into his house and beaten wounded and euil intreated his Seruants by reason wherof he had lost their seruice by the space of eight dayes to his hinderaunce and damage six pound and also then and their thrée Instruments of Musick commonly called Vialls did spoile and break to his losse and hinderaunce six pound Besides this euery of his Seruants the parties theÌ„ selues seuerally declared against vs all ioyntly of an assault and battery made vpon them and that wée had beaten wounded and euil intreated them to their seuerall damages fortipence the Dauncer himself declared seuerally against the deaf man for assaults and battery vpon all which matters wée praied his counsel and aduice his answer was shortly that in his opinion the law was against vs in all and euery of our cases wherof he gaue vs the causes reasons as I shal reherse vnto you To the first point of the first declaration for forcible entry wée praied his reason how or by what reason our entrie might be said forcible séeing the doores were open and if they had béen shut our coÌ„ming in was but to hear sée our meaning not hurtfull to any man His answere therunto was that a mans meaning that commeth into my house shal be coÌ„strued and taken to haue béen such from the beginning as is his act there doon after he is entred for that shal be taken for his meaning the declaration therof namely where hée entreth wtout special commaundemeÌ„t or liceÌ„ce of the party because saith hée that after your entry into the house yée did there coÌ„mit a force vnlawful act therfore your first entry and comming into the house shal be déemed iudged vnlawful forcible Then we asked how or by what reason our act could bée said vnlawful which was but that taking of a man in his armes of very good wil to stay him thinking that he had béen mad out of his wit and might haue mischeiued him self His answere therunto was that therin the act was not lawfull nor iusticiable but a Trespassers although no farther hâ—rme had ensued therupon which yet by your confession theâ—e did for to speak generally it is not lawful to imbrace or â—rain any man against his wil for if him list to take it to the burst especially if there insue any euil vnto the partie therâ—y it shall not help the party to say that hée ment him good or it the least no euil therby for although that in felony the inteâ—t doo qualifie the fact it is not so in Trespassers wherfore your act was not lawful nor Iusticiable except yée had béen Officers or otherwise that yée had come in found theÌ„ dooing some â—elonious or vnlawful act by means wherof yée had had suffiâ—ient coullour to haue laid your hands vpoÌ„ theÌ„ for euery man â—s an Officer for peace sake for the preseruation therof then quoth hée your case had béen otherwise vnto this wée â—nswered that our act in all reason séemed more lawfull and tollerable then theirs for that in their exercise there is little good purpose or none at all nor better end or purpose then â—o induce such euil and vnhappy euents and consequents as hapned in this case of ours and that therfore their cause ougâ—t not to haue fauour against vs as if we had hindered or interrupted their honest or lawful exercise in any godlines or in any thiÌ„g tending vnto vertue to the glory of God or to the proffit of the common wealth His answere vnto that was that we are not to dispute of that which the reuerend and hâ—norable Magistrates haue established yea holden in no small reputatioÌ„ it falleth for the Magistrates Rulers Officers to beare with them in all incidents casualties otherwise should
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