it to the wurst especially if there ensue any euil vnto the partie therby it shal not help the party to say that hée ment him good or at y least no euil therby for although that in felony the intent 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 the yée had come in found thē dooing some felonious or vnlawful act by means wherof yée had had sufficiēt coullour to haue laid yourhāds vpon thē for euery man is an Officer for peace sake for the preseruaciō therof then quoth hée your case had béen otherwise vnto this wée aunswered that our act in all reason séemed more lawful and tollerable then theirs for that in their exercise there is little good purpose or none at all nor better end or purpose then to induc◠such euil and vnhappy euents and consequents as hapned in this case of ours and that therfore their cause ought not to haue fauour against vs as if wée had hindred or interrupted their honest or lawful exercise in any godlynes or in any thig tending vnto vertue to the glory of God or to the proffit of the common welth His aunswere vnto that was that we are not to dispute of that which the reuerend and honorable Magistrates haue established yea holden in no small reputatiō it falleth for y Magistrates Rulers Officers to beare with them in all incidents casualties otherwise should they disalowe their owne Acts and be contrary vnto them selues which were inconuenient Then wée demannded of him why for the first Viall that was broken the Maister should not bring the action against the Dauncer who in very déed was the breaker therof and not the other man His aunswer therunto was that in very déed wée were bothe Trespassers vnto him alike he at his libertie election to take his remedy aginst vs bothe or against any of vs for quoth hée although the daūser were the materiall cause yet was y other man y efficiēt cause therof asfor proof if a carter wilfully driue his cart ouer a man woman or Childe bothe the cart the horses and the Carter are guiltie of the fact wherof the deaf man is not excusable neither can plead not guiltie to the fact because hée was the first and chéef efficient cause therupon wée mooued vnto him this question why the Musitions them selues should not be said to be the first efficient cause séeing that without their noise the Daūcer would not so haue fared nor taken on neither the deaf man haue taken him for a madde man as bothe you and wée would haue doon if wée had béen in his case and had heard no more then hée heard Vnto that his answere was that whatsoeuer it séemed vnto him or vnto vs it is quoth hée at your peril and at all mens perils els that resorte haunt to such places to put on all our Sences wits and vnderstandings and also to desire God to giue them wisdome and his grace to Iudge wisely wel to digest such things as they heare and sée therin and the wée be not snared in euil thorugh ignorant appetite of our sences vnto our hinderaunces more then wée our selues are able of our selues to Iudge or think for saith hée séeing wée are not able neither is our authoritie to blame or chalenge the places neither to disalowe the things there professed which were to derogate from the Magistrate Yet if wée haue so much grace of God as to be Magistrates vnto our selues and in such cases to blame and reprooue our selues and our owne sences and inordinat desires either in due time before wée are fallen orels in some reasonable time and with our reasonable losse and hinderaunce it may suffice for answere vnto vs by them vnto whome otherwise wée must créep and pray our redresse neither able to craue it at their hands without an inconuenience aforesaid which is condemn and disalowe the things by them selues allowed and established Wée asked him what reason there was that wée should be charged in seuerall actions and vnto seuerall Persons for one trespasse as namely vnto the Maister and also to the seruants His answere thervnto was that the Maister hath a speciall interest in his seruant for the proffit hée is to receiue by his seruice for which seruice hée is to recouer not for the hurt doon vnto the person for the partie him self recouereth for that To be short his resolution was that for all our harmes and losse that wée had gotten wée weare so far from all hope of redresse or amends that wée were in the wurse case in our defēce against thē very like to yéeld amends by iudgement of law And thus you sée quoth Pierce how poore guiltlesse simple men in a far honester cause are put to the wurser end Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast as for the be as bée may But truely Neighbour you had but euil successe in going to sée pleasure and to heare Musick and yet trust mée if yée wil I suppose the you sped a great deale better then a nūber spéed in such like places who think neuerthelesse them selues to haue sped there wel and come away right wel contented which in very déed is the only cause why in my fantasie they spéed wurse then you for why you are hurt and féel it but they are hurt but haue no féeling therof vntil their hurt be past all cure for a man is neuer so daungerously sick or sore as when hée hath lost the sence and féeling of the sore or of the sicknes So fareth it in such persons as these for although they féel no euil that they contract and yet in such places yet doo they carry thence with them the séeds and radicall causes of great Infortunes as the woful and lamentable end of many a good mans Childe hath witnessed dayly dooth wil. But truely Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast you are waxen more then half a Lawyer by these meanes Nay soft quoth Pierce I haue an other matter to tel you and that almoste as straunge as this and that chaunced to my self in a mischaunce about a foure yéeres past I pray yée let vs heare it quoth our Hoast marry quoth Pierce thus it hapned A Fréend of mine would néeds giue mée my dinner at an Ordinary table where wée fared very daintily but I promise you for myne owne parte I haue thought my self better at ease many a time oft with bread chéese in other Company So Sir in the name of God when dinner was doon in stéed of grace to the dice they went on euery side vpon proper square tables fit I warrāt you for the purpose there to the hazard they go xx s. xl s. v. l. vi l. a cast I stood by and beheld Anon there came a Straunger a plain homely felowe of the Cuntrye much like my self and hée séeing such sums of
Newes from the North. Otherwise called the Conference betvveen Simon Certain and Pierce Plowman faithfully collected and gathered by T. F. Student Aut bibe aut Abi IMPRINTED AT LONdon at the long shop adioyning vnto S. Mildreds Church in the Pultrie by Iohn Allde 1579. THE PRINTER TO Simon Certain and Pierce Plowman Go foorth Pierce PlowmaÌ„ go foorth Sim Gertain right woorthy bothe of coÌ„mendation Of your de grees I turn you out for twain such as I neuer found where I haue gon God let you wax to many thousands moe that mine eyes may beholde it and that I May then say Lord now let thy Seruant go for then shall I be wel content to dye TO THE RIGHT HONOnorable and his singuler good Lord Sir Henry Sidney Knight of the moste Honorable Order of the Garter Lord President of VVales Marches of the same ALthough there can be no Freendship right Honorable and mysinguler good Lord to speak properly vvhere there is no equalitie betvveen the parties yet may the simplest and the meanest looue and honor the highest and greatest yea somuch the more as their inequalitie is the greater But that is not properly called freendship but rather a dutyful looue is harder to be expressed and shevved for the inequalitie aforesaid For Frâ—â—ndship is betvveen equalls or at the least vvhere the inequalitie is not so very great that the Offices and Duties of Freendship vvhich are the bonds and sinevvs therof can haue no entercourse I speak this for my self that haue long desired occasion to shevv my hartie goodvvil and affection vnto your Lordship vvhich hath been somevvhat hard for mee to doo for the cause abooue remembred And therfore hauing gathered this little conference I made bold to dedicate it vnto my good Lord A thing meeter to be my gift then vvoorthy to be presented vnto your Honor or to go further vnder the name of such a Patron Hovv be it my trust is that your Lordship of your accustomed clemency vvil accept a simple thing of him at vvhose hands nothing at all vvas looked for and vvill aloovv my goodvvil tovvards the reparation of such faults and ImperfectioÌ„s as are heerin So praying God to blesse your Lordship and prosper you From London the tvventie six of Nouember 1579. Your Lordships in all humilitie T F. TO THE GODLY AND Gentle READER THou hast heer Godly and gentle Reader the ConfereÌ„ce betwéen Sim Certain and Piere Plovvman two great Clarks as thou maist vnderstand by their Discourse which I have gathered reported as faithfully and as truely as my simple memory could retaine the same and that with some trauail which I accounted my dutie First vnto them and others by them héerin mentioned And secondly vnto all euery good man and woman whose mindes and harts God may sturre vp vnto Godlynes and Vertue by their good ensample Namely all such as are Fathers and Maisters of housholdes but chéefly and principally of common Innes and Tauerns whose good or euil example spreadeth far and wide and I feare in these our dayes rather in corruption of life and maners then in edifiyng or increase of Vertue and Godlynes according to the saying of Iesus of Sirack that it is as hard for a Merchant to be no Lyar and for a Tauerner or Inholder to be no drunkerd which thing although hée hath said to be very hard yet for the Inholder that his rule admitteth exception thou maist héer finde with out traueling to Rippon in Yorkshire to learne and so for a grote or sixpence thou maist know the which cost mée abooue fiue marcks to learne besides my trauail and time spent which yet if it please thée to accept I shall account right wel bestowed which God graunt that in all thy Iourneys thy hed ake not before thou alight in such an Hostry Farwel Aut bibe aut abi ¶ The Printer to the READER GENTLE READER IF THOV finde any ImperfectioÌ„ in this woork either for the matter in substaÌ„ce or els for the diuision the maner and forme therof I trust y wilt allow a reasonable excuse aswel vnto the Author as vnto mee bewen whoÌ„e thy blame is otherwise to be deuided Thou knowest y to write reporte a thing at the mouth of the Speaker asketh a â—umble hand and a great memory if a man had his Tooles ready for the purpose which yet this Author had not redy for nothing so like as any such matter and there fore was forced to put his brain â—an in trust with all and to write it in his way homeward In dooing wherof his care was greter to couch the matter truely in substance then to parte or to deuide or otherwise to digest the same Which hee referred vnto mee a which also I haue doon as the shortnes of the time gaue me leaue Bothe which excuses if it please thee to admit thou maist in time to come receiue it in more perfection aswel for his part beeing the matter in substance wherof I dout not much hath escaped him and also for the diuision beeing mine Farwel VVM in commendation of this Treatise LEauing at large the Brunts of brinish flood The pitched Feelds and fables finely pend This Author héer to doo his Cuntrie good On woork of woorth his time and toile dooth speÌ„d The busie Brain with cankred Enuse fraught That sues and striues for sturring of a straw May read héerin his lesson largely taught And by the same descrie him-self a Daw. The Countailor the Spokesman and the rest Who simple soules to néedlesse lawing eg May learn héerby such dealings to detest As driue poore men their bread with teares to beg The prating Sot whose peremptory spéech Is brayed foorth all Lawyers to defame Not far from hence may finde a 〈◊〉 Leech To charme his tung and â—roâ—d it in with â—aine But in few woord â—iny meaning to 〈◊〉 Yf you deniaund what mine opinion 〈◊〉 Hée hath doon 〈◊〉 Gods blessing on his â—art Who send mée 〈…〉 Coelum non Solum VV. M. Antony Munday to all curteous and freendly Readers in commendation of this VVoork ‡ AS Tully did of vertuous life define And Oâ—id paint the od conceits of looue And Maro squared in a direct line The hard assanles that valiant harts did prooue In bloody Battels for their fames behooue As fliering Fortune should them chaunce to pay In vaunting verse as Maro tels the vvay But leauing novv at large such fond delights Such Fables fond as pratling Poets vse This Author heer presenteth to your sights Such tales of trueth as may you force to muse To iudge aright the crime of eche abuse As heer tvvixt Sim and Pierce be dooth compound Such vvise conceits as seldome hath been found VVhen you haue red Iudge then the Authors paines His tedious toyle in vvisshing vvel to thee Thy Freendly thanks he craues no other gaines VVhich vnto him more vvelcome sure shall bee Then riches store if thou couldst giue it free VVherfore my
executors That is very true also quoth Pierce except they be wicked persons bothe the sufferer and the executor Then quoth our Hoste séeing all punishments are fear full and gréeuous vnto the sufferer therof no pleasure but rather sorowe and gréefe of hart vnto the erecutors therof such and so must néeds be the first causes and occasiōs therof That is very true quoth Pierce You knowe quoth our Hoste that the causes and occasiōs of punishment is sin wickednes and misgouernment of life for the woord of God telleth vs that the reward of sinne is death All that is very true quoth Pierce Very well then quoth our Hoste these Propositions which you haue graunted doo suffise for the matter which I haue taken in hand to prooue which is that these great Fées and charges were neuer ment nor yet are receiued or conuerted into priuate or proper vse I pray you Neighbour quoth Pierce let me heare how it is prooued for I promise you faithfully for any thing I haue yet herd your prooues are farther to fet You knowe quoth our Hoste that the nature of the vngooly is to be quarelous and contencious and dayly prouoking one an other and also to take no wrong doo no right That is very true quoth Pierce You knowe quoth our Host that the common weapō wher with they wil be auēged vpon eche other is the Law which indéed is the Magistrate as ye haue already graunted so that vpon the matter he is made the executor of their wilfulnes and vengeaunce which they will néeds doo vpon eche other which thing you haue alredy confessed to be gréeuous and vnpleasant to euery good man Therfore hath it euer béen and yet is thought and that very wisely and truely that the likeliest way meane to disswade their wilfulnes which no reason looue nor feare of GOD could disswade was to make their wilfulnes as déere and as heauy vnto them as reasonably might be doon to the end that they should not so lightly and for euery trifle ver and trouble bothe the Magistrate one an other which effect although it failed to woork that their madnes would not be restrayned therby that yet their vngodlines might return to the profit and reléefe of others their Neighbours Brethern that were better affected so by one self and same meane the vngodly punished fléeced and the godly amended inriched therby that this was their meaning y was the first assessors therof common experience teacheth vs for in néedfull and necessary actions as debt detinew and account and such like the charges are so reasonable as that no man would in conscience giue lesse The reason is for that they are actions of common right and such as must néeds day by day arise betwéene a man and his Brother neither doo they dishonest either of the parties which I dare not affirm vpon actions vpon cases neither did they so iudge of them as I verily beléeue and therfore did they set double and treble charges thereupon for greater is the charges in a brabble for a woord spoken then for thrée hundred pound of honest det So that the Magistrate who for such Ale house actions and brabbles should otherwise neuer be at rest except he should deny them his help which might be slaunderous and perillous to the whole estate The Magistrate I say of pure pittie and compassion was forced to set great charges vpon them for the small fauour that he bare vnto them vnto their first causes occasions The greatnes of all which charges not withstanding yet doo we dayly sée how the vngodly run togither by heaps like brute beasts and yet I dare safely say that by the greatnes of these charges and the terrour therof many a brabling matter hath béene and is dayly put vp without any reuenge sought therof and many a one hauing pursued and recouered in his action yet haue his charges so gallded him that he hath béene easier to deale with all his life after And so by this meane many a wilfull body brought to knowe him self and to honor God therby I cannot tell Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce but I my self haue had two or thrée brabbles that haue kept me dooing these seuen yéeres in which time I am sure I haue spent abooue fiftie pound beside my charges to and fro losse of time and my hinderaunce at home And what haue ye gotten for all this quoth our Hoste These papers quoth he Wel woorth fiftie points quoth our Hoste I think verily quoth our Hoste if any honest Neighbour had néeded to haue borowed ten Pound therof you would not haue it so ready to haue pleasured him withall If I should say truely quoth Pierce I think the very same What are you assessed vnto the poore in your parish quoth our Hoste A peny a wéek quoth Pierce And think you that enough quoth our Hoste Yea verily quoth Pierce Loe Sir quoth our Hoste whether commeth this vnto my saying and maintenaunce of these great Fées and charges or not Who can deny the excellency of this institution wherby the Couetous vngodly men are shot one against an other and doo punish eche other and wherby also so plentiful prouision is made for the godly poore at their charges and yet no thank to them therfore and that those things from the which they would depart vnto any Honest or godly vse or purpose with as good will as from their eyes to be plucked out of their heads or their tripes out of their bellyes by this meane vndesired of their owne accord they bring it in by handfuls so as it hath béene sayd plentiful prouision made for their godly Neighbours at their charges and yet no thank vnto them therfore Call you this a prouiding for the poore Neighbour quoth Pierce I would I had giuen you the best horse in my Plough to make this saying true and I swere to you quoth he prooue it true and you shall haue him yet or this day Seuen night for that would case my hart if I might perceiue that any godly person hath fared the better or were amended by any parte of all my great expences For then yet should I think that I haue doone some good with all the losse of my money Why Neighbour Pierce quoth Simon doo you doubt that all these sommes or the greatest part therof commeth not to the vse of the common welth and to the reléefe and sustenaunce of the godly poore and other easements of common things in maintenaunce of the common Welth Nay Neighbour Simon quoth he I dout it not for I am fully perswaded the contrary Truely Neighbour Pierce quoth he this is an vncharitable and a very erronious oppinion and that I will prooue vnto you by reasons manifest and apparant such as your self haue alredy graunted confessed I pray you neighbour Simō quoth Pierce let me heare how Simon approoueth these fees and charges as publique and not priuate by
argument taken from effects vnto their causes Chap. 5. WHosoeuer he be that Coueteth priuately to gaine and profit by any thing quoth our Hoste coueteth the thing wherby he gayueth and profiteth this is so true quoth he that I will not desire you to graunt it vnto me for it is a necessary argument from the effect vnto the cause and therfore if ye will affirm that the Magistrate and officer coueteth these great fées and charges and priuately to thriue and wax rich therby you must necessarily conclude that he fauoureth all the first mean causes therof which were a horrible a fearfull conclusion yet as I haue said followeth necessarily vpon y premisses granted therfore is couetise so much more odious detestable in a Magistrate then in a common person for couetise as he excéedeth all other vices simply considered euen so respectiuely he excéedeth him self I say respectiuely to wit qualified by the person in whom he dwelleth for in a priuat person he is but a priuat sin exteÌ„deth vnto his M. only but in a Magistrate he is a publique geÌ„erall corruptioÌ„ of all y people for ther is no couetoê° person béeing but a priuat man or womaÌ„ y wisheth any other to be such as they theÌ„ selues are the reason is for that the Couetise of others is nothing whereby they should gayne or be aduaunced but rather lose therby Therfore could they be content that there were few or no others such as they are wherby it appéereth that couetise in a priuate Person neither woorketh nor wisheth any general corruption and yet fulfilleth the talent and habit of his subiect and so much the more The very same is to be said of all other vices in all other persons without exception of degrée as Whoordome Pride Gluttony Drunkennes and all other excesse in voluptuous plesure in all which things what soeuer hath or euer had the greatest felicitie and enioyd most therof yet would they not that others did the like or at the least no moe then they them selues must necessarily vse for for tha'ccomplishment of their pleasures which requireth some company The reason is already shewed to wit for y other Folkes pleasures are not their pleasures neither doo increase the same but rather their paines and misery For the hunger scarcitie and want of others giueth a good taste and sauour vnto the voluptuousnes and pleasures of y vngodly and therfore could they be very wel content to enioy their owne wickednes theÌ„ selues for pleasure haue they none nor gain in the lewdnes or the misgouernauÌ„ce of other And if they had yet want they power to corrupt others therby otherwise then by example which can not doo much in any one priuate man or woman for that they haue but the leading of their owne liues But of Couetise in the Magistrat it is otherwise for hée hath the leading and the fourming of other mens liues and therfore differeth from the coÌ„mon and priuat person bothe concerning his wil and also concerning his habititie and power to execute the same ¶ First concerning desire and will hée cannot wish that the common people should be godly and vertuous for neither standeth his great gain nor his Ambition therin for why they are two things incompatible and contrary Then concerning his power to execute his wil and desire it is so great and so mightie that the olde Proouers hath not douted to call the common People the Image of their Magistrates and officers for as certainly as this antecedent The man cateth and drinketh inferreth this consequent the man is a liue euen so certainly this proposition the Magistrates officers are couetous inferreth this coÌ„clusion The People are vngratious and vngodly The reason is peremptory for the Magistrate and Officer hath the Bridls rain in his hand either to giue libertie vnto vngodlynes and dissolution of life orels to refrain the same Now all men may dayly sée by proof that there is no wilde Beast so very brute and barbarous as man will wax and bée through libertie and that for the excellencie of his nature booue all other Creatures and his great vnderstanding in good and euil ¶ And therfore to admit in a Magistrate a couetise and a desire of priuate and proper gain Namely by fées and charges arysing and growing as is alredy confessed these were to conclude an odious and detestable Consequence against the Magistrate and Officer of whome wée are forbidden by God to speak or think saue all honor and reuerence ¶ Wherfore I say it standeth not with the reuerend and honourable opinion that wée are bound to haue of the Magistrate to say or to think that these great gains and fées doo return to him in priuate and proper vse but rather to Judge think that the Magistrate Officer receiueth them as thingâ— excommunicat and as a common Treasure dedicated vnto godly vses and purposes in ease and reléef of the whole common welth ¶ Would God this were true quoth Pierce for I dare lay my life quoth hée that if all the sums of money that are leudly and shamefully spent in one Terme about vain sutes and brabbles were reserued and accounted in the end of y Term they would amount to more then all the Collection for the Poore through out all the parishes in England for half a yéer neuerthelesse many a one thinketh him self sore charged namely my self God forgiue mée Truely Neighbour quoth our Hoast I am of no other Opinion neither doo I Judge that all these great Fées and Reuenues are any other thing but a Collection for the purposes and intents aforesaid neither that the Receiuers of y same doo differ from those other Collectors in Parish Churchâ— sauing in the greatnes of their receit and also sauing that they are not forced to craue it at the parties hands and some time to conuent him before a Iustiâ—er of peace for a grote or six pence as the others oft times are And also sauing that for their reuerend and honorable estemation they are not accouÌ„table Sauing vnto the Lord God the Author generall and vnto their owne Consciences Pierce denyeth the reasons alleaged as probable but not necessary his reasons therfore Cap. 6. NEighbour Simon quoth Pierce you haue alleaged many fair and coulorable propositioÌ„s and conclusions and haue gon about mée with this reason and with that I am no Schoole man Neighbour quoth hée but yet some reason I haue and some experience I haue séen and some héed I haue taken thereof wherfore if you wil giue mée leaue to answere you you shal hear mée as probably disprooue these your allegations as you prooued them for I shall prooue all your propositions are probable and not necessary neither doo inferre a necessary conclusion as you haue pretended For the better dooing wherof first for orders sake I wil reherce your propositions reasons and arguments wherof the first is that the Magistrate and Officer is to be had in all
honor and reuerence because hée is the Law which is moste honorable and reuerend this I confesse as an vndouted trueth namely for that the end aswel of the one as of the other is that God may be honored and glorified godly People cherished and maintain peace and concord strengthned and furthered wherupon standeth the proâ—peritie the good estate of all Cuntries and common welths their wayes and meanes you haue alleaged are these To punish and chastice the wicked and the vngodly and to restrain their libertie as much as is possible Yée haue further alleaged that punishments are diuers some corporall some pecuniall and that that all punishments are gréeuous bothe vnto the sufferers and also vnto the dooers therof but that I will not graunt ye without distinction Very true it is that all punishments without exception are greeuous vnto the sufferers therof but vnto the executor therof they are not all so namely such as are pecuniall and the gaine therof returning vnto the executor For although that to beat burn hang or whip any creature of God namely a Christian man or woman is an odious thing wherin no good or Godly hart can haue pleasure yet for aduauntage sake it is often otherwise for otherwise there would not so many Oxen Shéep and Calues be murthered and so few Hogs Dogs or Cats their offences béeing only their good flesh Wherfore although that in all Godly reason your arguments haue great necessitie yet in humaine reason and experience it hath butb are probabilitie and is no more But as if for example you wil say Women ought to be ashamed to be séene bibbing Wine in common Tauerns or to be séen at common lasciuious and bawdie Stage Playes therfore they are ashamed therof This is an argument gathered from posse to esse to wit from should or ought to be to is simply and hath not any necessitie nor firmitie and that shall you sée if you will goe with me to London this next terme How be it you séeme to inforce your antecedent 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 consequence which necessarily ensueth vpon the denyall therof Truely that not withstanding me thinketh all this but a very bare and naked proofe â— Simon maintaineth his assertion by authoritie of holy Scripture and diuersitie taken betvveen the revvarde of Vertue Learning and Knovvledge and the hire of seruile trauail 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 vpholdeÌ„ by giuing vnto God y which is due vnto God and vnto man the which is due vnto man But vnto God what can wée giue saue honor prayse glory first and immediatly vnto him self and secondly vnto his Deputies and Lieutenaunts 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 self hath said them that honor mée I will honor and they that dishonour mée I will 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 appoited 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 the goodnes and benefit receiued either at y handê of God or man Lastly knowing the 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 â—euenues that the gains might be great and yet the causes therof few quite contrary to all other estates and faculties for what other reason is there that one man shall labour fore a whole day at night shall receiue twelue pence or eight peÌ„ce for his hire An other for half or a quarter of an houres easie trauail shall receiue xx shillings or sometime more what is the cause of this diuersitie euen this the one is a hire and a price of a seruile labour and trauell and is receiued in proper and priuat vse the other is an honor doone vnto vertue Godlinesse and knowledge which doo receiue nor holde or account any so base things proper or priuat or can be so basely minded as to ioy therin further then they may glorify God therby What other reason is there that one man in the return of a Reame of paper shall gaine xij pence or xvi pence cléer and yet where he layd out ij pence the other layd out x. shillings And after the same rate in Wax that one man shall sell more for vi pence then an other shall sell for viij pound which neuerthelesse bought as déere as he within xy pence at xx shillings waring and bothe layd out more mony longer looked for the return therof I say theris no reason other then is already made Pierce denyeth the calling to office to be such as Simon hath alledged Chap. 8. NEighour Simon quoth Pierce wheras you maintaine your assersion by the woorthines of the Magistrate and Officer and doo insist therupon alledging that they are called by God and that for their godlines and vertue The first part I greatly dout for that many of them buy their offices and pay very déerely therfore 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 refer my self héerein to my Maisters that are learned The next part that they are called for their Vertue and Godlines surely then I verily suppose some of them are called for the things that neuer were in them before and then were the caller deceiued which God cannot be except you will say that God of his méere goodnes and mercy called them for the vertues and godlines which he meaneth to call them vnto and in this order beginneth to woork I meane in bestowing vpon them so liberally by that meanes to charge them with his expectation in respect of their great Talent committed vnto them which thing you séeme to alledge as no small cause and consideration of the high assessing of the fees and charges aforesayd 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 verteous from thence foorth what so euer they were or had béene before All which arguments
although they be godly and probable yet as I sayd before they stand doutful for the olde Prouerb Honors chaunge maners I beléeue the godly and the learned doo dout whether it be taken in the better part or in the wurse 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 degrée Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste there is no rule so generall that it admitteth not exception albeit I â—out not nor euer did that honors chaunge maners is and euer was meant in the better part For the wise man 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 whom it is said that béeing called from a simple boy after his Inauguration he felt him self sudenly chaunged and as the book saith he felt a new hart in him The like examples we haue of many Kings Prophets in the holy Scripture But to come néerer bothe 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 euill 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 sharply rebuked them and giuing them small rewards yet better then he thought them woorthy he forbad them during their liues to come within xij miles of the Court and that vpon great penaltie All these examples doo manifestly prooue that liberall reward of vertue and high and Honorable calling doo increase vertue in them in whom it is alredy and causeth them in whom it is not saue only in apparaunce yet for pure shame to imbrace it séeing that otherwise hot coales are heaped vppon their heads through their shamelesse vnthankfulnes vnto them that haue so thorowly prouoked theÌ„ with the greatnes of their benefits And therfore against all these reasons and proofs to say that the Magistrate and Officer should priuatly Couet and conuert so great summes of treasure it were to shamefull and slaunderous considered that they are the effects of so euill causes as hath already béene shewed And considered also the horrible and wicked conclusion that would ensue therupon as also hath already béene prooued Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce neuer tell me what might or dooth insue therupon but consider the trueth and the matter as it is in déed And if these great fées and charges doo not come vnto their receiuers and takers in proper and priuate what meanâ— they to make so great labour sute fréendship and cost to get those offices and callings And how commeth it to passe that by the meanes of such offices such as before were of small habilitie come to purchase a Barons liuing yea twaine or thrée Shortly that their care is greater to heare and learne where any Land or Lordship is to be solde then for the Money wherewith to purchase the same Simon confirmeth his assertion touching the desire to beare office to be good by the Etimologie and exposition of the vvoord Officium Chap. 9. NEighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast all these matters are easily deuided vnto the which thus I answere To the first which is their great desire to be in such Offices of receit I say you misiudge of their desire because you doo not vnderstaÌ„d the meaning of this woord Office and doo think him to be an English man wheras in very déed his Father is an Italian whose proper signification and meaning you doo not vnderstand for in our English tung Office is no more to say nor nothing els but Seruice so that whosoeuer desireth an Office hée desireth to doo seruice orles a place wherin to doo seruice now all men knowe that a priuate man is not able to compare with the Magistrate or Officer in abilitie and power Therfore to desire an Office is to desire to be better abled to expresse and declare the hartie goodwil and affection which hée hath to bée seruiceable vnto God and his common welth for that in priuat estate his power answereth not vnto his goodwil therin and therfore the better man the more desirous to be in Office and in the more Offices for the greater is his power to shew his good affection towards God who is the Giuer of all these things ¶ Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce I cannot tel what Cuntrie mans Office is neither doo I greatly force whether his Father be an Italian Spaniard or Frenchman but if he be the same in Latin that seruice is in English I am sure that both in Latin French Spanish and English hée stinketh when he is to frely offered and that I am very sure did Aesop mean in his Fable of the Sowe great with pig vnto whome saith hée there came a For who alleadging vnto her his great skil in the art of a Midwife profferd her his seruice toward her deliuerance vnto whome shée answered that the greatest and best seruice that hée could doo vnto her was to kéep him far inough from her which shee also prayed him to doo wherby you may gather what the Authors opinion was vpoÌ„ this voluntary offer of seruice and yet hée dooth not alleage that the For offered any money I suppose because hée had no money to offer But SimoÌ„ Magus offered money in y Acts of the Apostles and what the holy Ghost thought therof you may there vnderstand Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast this is a colde reason and no Argument to say that a mans earnest desire to haue an Office argueth his desire of priuate gaine proffit and so for his great desire to doo good condemne him of euil without proof therof Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce I doo not so barely reason neither so nakedly as you haue alleaged if you did mée right in repetition of my Argument not intercepting the same nor seuering the partes ther of as you haue doon and so haue answered the first part by it self which is the weakest and haue said nothing to the second part which is their great purchase and the strength effect of the first for my Argument taken wholly togither is thus much to say that their great desire to haue the Offices and their great purchase of Lands and liuing following the same sheweth that from the beginning there was ment nought els but priuate pouching for euer the act that is last in exception is the first in ImaginatioÌ„ in all mens dooings this is moste assured Neighbour quoth our Hoast this Argument of yours which you holde so forcible is of no force at all whither the parties therof be considered iointly or seuerally neither dooth this great desire to be in Office neither the
gain and very wisely handled so that when hée hath any thing to let or set vp goeth the Drum as welcome to him the Deuil of hel yea Belzabub him self as the Godlyest person in England yea as an Aungel of heauen for godlynes vertue or honestie is the last question that hée wil aske onely Quid vultis mihi dare Thus is the godly person sure to be put back orels to take the thing to his vtter detriment so that vpon the matter no question or difference whither of them spéed for the euil man is made a great deale wurse namely for that the greatnes of his rent stoppeth the mouth of him whose rebuke hée should moste feare whome hée would and should moste reuerence and regarde and therfore wil hée be as wicked and as vngratious and corrupt as many others as hée can and dare for feare of the lawes The godly person although hée gladly would doo good yet wanteth hée power therto being ouer set with the greatnes of his rēt so that in conclusion whether the good or euil may spéed they are forced to deale hardly with the world wherby aryseth little or no amitie fréendship or charitable looue among men but euen all for the peny as among meer Straungers nor any zeale vnto God nor to doo any good for his sake By all these Arguments it appéereth manifestly how much it were to be wished and desired at the hands of Almightie God that only or chéefly such were purchasers Land lords whose very estates and callings and the manner of the getting of their gains wherwith they purchase doo charge them with a reuerend and fatherly regarde in letting and setting the same to the honor and glory of God who hath so mightily blessed them yea so far abooue all that they euer could with out shame haue wished or desired so heaping hot coles vpon their heds in their vnthankfulnes and dealing otherwise which as I haue alredy said is not or at the least not so greatly to bée hoped or looked for at their hands of bace and mean calling And therfore Neighbour Pierce quoth hée admitting and confessing the greatnes of their purchase yet can yée not conclude against mée the proper or priuate receit or imploying of Charges Fées reuenues aforesaid neither will I graunt it vnto you for the slaunderous and shamefull consequence which it inferreth necessaryly as hath already béen duly prooued Pierce repeteth the Reasons and Arguments of Simon and cōfuteth thē by proof and experience demōstratise as from the cause to the effect and that vpon his ovvne knovvledge Cha. 10. NEighbour Simon quoth Pierce yée haue made as your self dooth suppose many strong reasōs conclusiōs to aprooue the first asessing and the now receiuig 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 estate therof namely for that these Fées charges were ment and yet are the punishment of vice and the rewarde of godlynes vertne And also the they were yet are ment a publike treasure in the hands of the Receiuers therof to all godly vses intents and purposes Wherunto I answered alleadging the grrat purchase of Lands and Lordships by the Receiuers of the same as a thig 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 purchase 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 frute◠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 susteineth bothe before God and Men also the reuerend oppinion the wée are bound to haue of him Yée haue also alleadged that the first causes of all these great gains and proffits are such as of dutie hée 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 shāe thriue and wax rich much lesse the Magistrate and Officer vpon 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 orels how things ought to be But that they are so presently these are either no prooues at all or very small and so your argument gathered and concluded from posse to esse as I haue said already and as I wil further prooue by Arguments gathered from the cause vnto the effect and from the effect vnto the cause euen the very same that you haue alleadged tying them togither in the same maner and fourme as your self haue alleadged them First you say that the originall cause of these grreat gains Fées and reuenues was the hate that the first Assessors therof bare vnto vngodlynes wickednes and all kinde of vice the fauour and good affection which they bare vnto Vertue and godlynes and therin they ment the punishment of the one and the preferment and aduauncment of the other 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 proffits and reuenues yée haue alleadged or rather I my self haue alleadged and you haue confessed and iustified to be the great perquisition and purchase of Lordships lands and possessions by the Magistrates and Officers Receiuors of the same The effect of their great purchase is by you aleadged to be a prouision a stay of liuing and patrymony for the Godly and honest People of the common welth and for their assuraunce peace and quietnes The effect of so good a prouision for the Godly you haue alleadged to be the increase of 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 bothe towards God and also one to an other the effect wherof you haue alleadged to be the manifolde blessings of God according to the saying of the Prophet in the hundred thrée thirtie Psalme Thus haue you argued from the first causes producing their effects and from those effects as from causes of their effects very orderly and very probablie but not necessarilye as I haue alreadye alleadged
money vpon the boorde and the dice trotting to fro and that now one snatched a heap and now another snatched an heap and ther withall such deuout swearing hée came is mée and rowning mée in the eare asked mée whose weare all those heaps of money that weare laid foorth mary quoth I his that can get them get them quoth hée how Marry quoth I by hazard say you so quoth hée claime they no farther propertie in their money but by hazard whether them selues shall haue their money or an other man no verily quoth I. What are those white things full of black spots that are so chaced to and fro Those quoth I are called dice vpon whome standeth the hazard ther withall my Fréend and I hauing dined and dispatched went our way foorth toward the Temple and before wée had gon so farre as a man might shoot a Bird bolte there arose an outery behinde vs stop the théef stop the théef and ther withall I looked behinde mée and loe the fellowe of whome I tolde you came running with bothe his hands ful of money and after him ran the ruler of the Ordinary and thrée or foure of his seruants as fast as euer they could run with hue cry wée turned not back neither made vs to doo therin So they followed him vntill they came as farre as Saint Dunstanes Church and there the fellowe béeing out of breath turned again and catching y Maister of the dicing house in his armes cryed I haue him I haue him this is y théef quoth hée Now was the throÌ„g 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 hée ded vpon the selony And there-hée had spâ—ed mée in the CoÌ„pany bad theÌ„ lay holde vpon mée for this knaue quoth hée gaue him the couÌ„cel is as false théef as hée There was no more to say I was laid holde vpoÌ„ apprehended and bothe hée and I caried before a Iusticer of peace the Fellowe 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 fore to the Fellowes charge that hée had broken his house forciblie and burglarlie and had feloniously robbed foure Gentlemen of woorship his Guests of diuers summes of money feloniously and against the Quéens lawes and peace Sirra quoth the Iustice what saist thou to this Sir quoth the fellowe I beséech you to slaÌ„d my good Fréend and Maister and let mée haue but law reason at your hands I trust it appéereth vnto your discretion quoth hée that this matter alleadged against mée is not sufficient to put mée to answere therunto First for the forcible entrie into his house and burglarye supposed I say his house was open and daily is and to long hath béen and vnto to many if it pleased God and the Magistrate such as your Woorship is for I vndertake hée that hath any thing to lose and cast away néed neither break doore nor wall to leaue it behinde him there and somuch for mine 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 felony of the thing wherto no man claimeth propertie very true it is quoth hée that I came into his house and séeing a company standing about a square Table diuers greet heaps of money laid foorth therupoÌ„ I asked this honest man that was a stander by meaning mée what was ment therby and also by two white square things full of black spots that were chased to and fro vpon the boord hée answered mée that they were playing at the dice for that is quoth hée the name of those square bones and said farther the the name of their game was hazard When I had heard him say so I considered with my self that there might be good to be doon for mée among them for hauing wel marked their order I found them the moste indifferent People to gain by that euer I met withall in my life for I perceiued that hée that laide the money downe the rest meant that hée should neuer take it vp again and for his part hée ment aswell vnto them and that all this stood in the fauour of hazard and so often time it chaunced accordingly to wit that the box béeing the third persoÌ„ caught a share and by no other nor better title then mée thought my self to haue for mée thought I was as indifferent to euery of them as was the box or as any of them was to osver 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 lewde and shameful mispending of the time such horrible swearing and blaspheming knew not where neither vnto whoÌ„e to complain for reformation therof thought in Conscience I ought not to suffer it as farfoorth as 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 bothe by law and good ConscieÌ„ce I might doo it and ought also and in this deliberation I awaited my time and 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 a cuÌ„ning théef indéed it is time to look to such knaues as you are Sir quoth the poore fellowe I beséech you be good to me I am a poore man and I trust sauing against them the lost the money the money is mine against all men and as vnto theÌ„ wheÌ„ they demauÌ„d me let me answere And as touching that honest man quoth hée by 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 suretie by recognisaunce to appéer at the next sessions there to make answer to such mater as should then and there be laid to my charge and that cost mée 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 hée giue you of a mends 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 orels 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 the way to help him self to keep you in dooiÌ„g in y he giueth such couÌ„cel to peace quietnes vnto such fellowes as you the would gladly cut hi out woork if him self were not his owne hinderaÌ„ce Nay surely Neighbour ê™ Pierce what councel soeuer he had giuen me therin or what councel 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 looue peare ensue it to looue mine owne house my honest labour trauel and chéefly abooue all other things to serue God wherin I finde the only stay and comfort of mans life to rest that when all is sought and tried there is none other rule ne leuel wel and surely to guyde order our affaires dooings The application of Pierces tale by the Hoste that the great charges of the Lavv is profitable to the common vvelth and a repressing of vice and sinne Chap. 13. AHa very wel said then quoth our Hoste I am glad that yet at the last ye are come to y point whereunto I haue all this while laboured to bring you which is to coÌ„fesse that these great and excessiue charges and expences haue reformed and changed you from an vngodly troublesome man to a godly wise and prudent man able to giue councell not only priuatly and to your owne fréends and family but also to beare office and authoritie in your Parish yea in y who le Shire where we bothe dwel 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 first Assessors and the now receiuers therof ye are vtterly concluded estopped to speak or think saue in all honor reuerence Doo you think so Neighbour quoth he Yea verily quothe he for you haue confessed all this your reformation amendmeÌ„t to haue comen thence look what effect it hath wrought in you ye are of charitie bound to think that it hath wrought woorketh wil woork in a number moe then you the mony that you haue or rather think that haue departed froÌ„ is in their hands who are treasurers therof as I haue alleaged towards the good and godly vses intents purposes the may or shall arise héerafter in coÌ„mon benefit to wit seruice of the whole common welth wherin your parte is as far foorth as theirs Doo ye call this a mending Neighbour Simon quoth Peirce In very déed quoth he I must néeds confesse that these great and excessiue Charges and large Expences haue rebuked me haue chastised and amended me but to say that I think or iudge it thank woorthy vnto them that haue receiued my money I say the Deuill kisse his arse 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 poysons meaning to spéed him in déed but the poysons béeing of contrary natures wrought one vppon an other and destroyed either others force wherby the man béeing hardly handled for a season yet béeing driuen into a lax by their extremetie 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 yéeres 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 kinds 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 dishonor of God and other vngodlines that dependeth therupon they are as sorowfull 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 we will haue a shoulder of Mutton and but a pinte of Sack. Content husband quoth she And veryly I think that as hartily as this good man his Wife prayed for their recouery that were visited so hartily 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 vvickednes and vngodlines increaseth their gayne vvho are and should be the rebukers and punishers therof and that to be the cause of great iniustice vnrightuousnes Chap. 14. NEighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste I pray you let me further vnderstand what yée doo meane by this History for it should séeme y ye haue alleadged it against me not with standing that it maketh for me by the wunderfull effect which you your self are forced to confesse that it hath wrought vpon you I knowe what I haue confessed Neighbour quoth Pierce and also in what maner I haue confessed it far enough from your purpose or any confirmation therof And where in maintenance of these great fées and reuenues you haue alleaged that they are publique also how many and how good and godly are the'ffects and frutes therof without proofe made of them or of any one of them either by your owne experience or by other necessary demonstration There in proofe of the contrary to wit y they are proper and priuate and therfore excessiue and vnreasonable which is my assertion I haue brought you this proofe of mine owne experience wherby I haue sufficiently shewed that the first causes of all these great gaines and profits are prosecuted as I haue affirmed and not persecuted as you pretend For I haue partely shewed you héere what leaue libertie the coÌ„mon people namely youth hath to followe their owne lust and desire in all wantâ—nnes and dissolution of life For further proofe wherof I call to witnesse the Theaters Courtaines Heauing houses Kissing boothes Bowling alleyes and such places where the time is so shamefully mispent namely the Sabaoth dayes vnto the great dishonor of God and the corruption and vtter destruction of youth All which I say are either the causes or the effects of these great gaynes and reuenues or els bothe causes and effects interchaungeably For I dare vndertake that if either these gaynes and profits were publique as you pretend or els if there were as great gayn and profit to the Magistrates and Officers in the godly liues and honest conuersation of the common people as there is in the coÌ„trary these harbours 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 pomp and maiestie of man cannot stand togither that one of them 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 aswell by the Godly as by the vngodly the one inuading and the other defending the more praying paying waiting attending dowking crowding courtesying procuring of fréendship by meanes bribing of his flatterer bribing of her flatterer this driueth the great welth and abundance into fewe mens hands For where the vngodly through misgouerment is fallen into daunger of the Law what will he not giue to redéeme 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 then ouer into a reprobate minde from vice vnto vice vntill he hath fully brought him to naught So dangerous and fearful a thing is libertie and not restraint of the beginning of euill 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 Magistrates 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 vaynglory And therfore how hartily were it to be desired at the hands of GOD that such as are Magistrates and Officers should not be couetuoê° orels such as are couetoê° should not be Magistrates for héerof lethro did warne Moyses in y xviy of Exodus talking with him coÌ„cerning the electioÌ„ choise of Magistrates Officers bad him choose such as hated couetise spake of no other vice The cause wherof is apparant to wit least the wickednes vngodlynes of the people came to be valuable let and set reÌ„ted farmed bought solde for what other thing is valuing letting setting reÌ„ting buying selling of offices whose value is more or lesse accordiÌ„g to the state of the people their dishonournig of God therby And where you maintain these great gains by their godly woorthy effects the first wherof you alleadge to be their great purchase of Lordships Lands possessioÌ„s the effect therof you alleadge to be a prouisioÌ„ patrimony for the good godly the effect wherof yée say is the increase of them the decrease of the coÌ„trary the effect wherof you say is godlynes vnanimitie looue charitie benignitie one towards an other And last of all y effect therof be the manifolde graces blessings of God promised by God in the Psalmes to the house town Cittie or CuÌ„trie where these things are From the first cause to his effect I grauÌ„t your argumeÌ„t the these great gains are cause of great purchase but froÌ„ y purchase to his effects yée shew not how it is but how it ought to be for in stéed of the effects wherof you haue spokeÌ„ I sée many gay houses ful of gay chineis costly baÌ„quetig houses Galleryes bowling Alleis straunge toies of point deuise woorkmanship but within I finde no man dwellig saue Pride who hath chased theÌ„ce hospitalitie charitie as for other prefermeÌ„t the the godly haue at their haÌ„dâ— in any of their purchases I sée none but euen who will giue moste can make mightiest fréends who those are in our daies the vngodly vnfaithful vncharitable dealing so vniuersally doo plainly declare The people so euil giueÌ„ bothe yung olde so vngodly in liuing so vnciuil yea so rude barbaroê° in manners wherin me thinketh they haue preuailed increased more more all after as these office haue waxeÌ„ more gaiÌ„ful the desire to haue theÌ„ greater And therfore your distincton betwéen the in purchase the MerchaÌ„t ChapmaÌ„ other coÌ„mon persons whatsoeuer sauing his probabilitie vain ridiculoê° to y purpose Therfore Neighbour Simon quoth Pierce your reasoÌ„s are weak and to maintaine the greatnes of their fées vnable Abide Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoste giue me leaue to answere you vnto these matters and first because that in very déed probable reason giueth place to necessary proof and demonstration wherin ye suppose that ye haue gon beyond me because that against my bare and naked reasons as you terme them ye haue alleaged authoritie and that of your owne experience I will answere you with the like 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 will prooue that the Magistrate and Officer in the beginning was and yet is such as I haue alleaged and also the first assessing of the said fées and reuenues and their great vtilitie and necessitie namely for the vses intents and purposes aforesaid For proofe wherof I will 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 vvelthie Officer tovvards the Lavv. Chap. 15. ABout two yéeres agon it was my fortune to be beyond London in Kent at the house of a woorshipfull Officer towards the Law who not past a Moneth before my comming thither had purchased a Lordship wherin were diuers good Farmes their leases to expire at Michelmas then to come twelue Moneths It came to passe one day of my béeing there thither came a rich man dwelling not very far thence whose sute was to this Gentleman to take one of his said Farmes in reuertion and comming to him thus he began Sir quoth he I vnderstand ye haue bought such a Lordship God giue ye ioy therof Very true it is ê™ he Sir quoth this rich man I pray you let me be your tenaunt of such a Farm giuing more then any oâ—her man wil giue for a fine The rent of the Farm was v. â— What wil ye giue me for a lease for xxi yéeres quoth this Gentleman Sir quoth he I wil giue ye an C. l. vnto our Mistresse a Veluet gown xx Angels to buy her pinnes besides You haue bidden like a chapman said the Gentleman giue me leaue to be aduised vnto Munday next said
or Maister wil say I become your man and faith wil beare you sauing the faith which I owe vnto God and to my Prince All which the homager dooth vnto his Lord what may not a man hope at his hands that is thus allied vnto him this also is farther veryfied by the said honorable and ancieÌ„t Lawe of this Land which dooth giue vnto the Lord a writ of aid Pour file marier aid pour fair son fitz Cheualier and doo binde the Tenaunt to serue his Landlord in the warres either in his person or by sufficient Deputie In all which things the Law hath an honorable consideration to deliuer the Landlord from careful and heathenish desire and care to gather for the preferment of his Children béeing already assured where to leaue the same and neither charged with the gathering in or with the daungerous kéeping therof either from the Théef or from his owne misgouernment or intemperaunce of life in apparail or in diet which are moste perrillous théeues Also for the seruice of his Prince and his owne defence It is not to tel what a masse of treasure is spent vpon how few men that are but hirelings and come but for their hire for the which they euer think they doo to much and are alwaies ready to finde occasion of quarrel bearing as I haue said no looue to the man nor seruing therefore but for the hire But of the Tenaunt it is and hath béen wel prooued to be other wise and that in many a famous and memorable Iourney happily atchieued by our Auncestors to their great commendation Shortly this fréendship dyeth not but with the parties except it be through the Landlords great default either selling the land and ther withall his déerest and moste assured Fréends orels by extream couetise and crueltie taking from him all mean to liue able to be a Fréend Bothe which things are now of late yéeres waxen to common the more pittis Thus it appéereth quoth hée that such hard and extreame dealing standeth not with the dutie of any priuate person either toward God and his coÌ„mon welth nor with his owne assuraunce and countenauÌ„ce Now much lesse with our duties which excelleth theirs as far as heauen excelleth the earth namely towardes God and our Country before whome wée sustain so great an expectation of godlines vertue and all benignitie so largely and so liberally rewarded vnto a desire of priuate gaine and lucre from the beginning which desire would like wise detect vs of all impietie of percialitie and fauour vnto all vngodlynes wickednes béeing the first causes of all our great gaine where through wée become Purchasers And therwithall he made an end and putting his hand in to his pocket hee drew foorth two Déeds indented and causing his Clark to read the one parte which was a lease for one and twentie yéeres after the olde rent he sealed subscribed it and inâ— our presence deliuered it as his déed vnto the olde Farmer The rich Fellow beholding this took him to be very glad and praysed God therfore so great reuereÌ„d is the mistery of godlynes as saith Saint Paule that euen they who in their déeds and woorks haue denyed the power therof yet are they touched with remorce to reuerence it in others and to haue their déeds in admiration This matter thus ended the rich Fellowe tooke his leaue and the next day I my self hauing ended my busines came a way also A A A A A A Amen quoth Pierce Plowman What meane you by such a very long Amen Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoast Beati qui audiunt quoth Pierce what mean you Neighbour quoth our Hoast Nam miranda canunt quoth Pierce I trow the man doteth quoth our host Nay Neighbour quoth Pierce I am affraid least you doate your self why quoth our Hoast dooth this matter séeme so straunge and maruelous vnto you I will tell you another matter which is as true as this and of myne owne exerience also I pray you let mée heare Neighbour quoth Pierce An other tale by the Hoast of a yung Gentleman that had morgaged his Land comming to an other great Officer of the Lavv to vvhome bee offered to sell his land of vvhome hee had great comfort Chap. 16. IT fortuned an other time I was in Rent also at the house of an other great and rich Officer towardes the Lawe where I had occasion to soiourn certain dayes during which time there came thether a yung Gentle man to offer his Land to sel and made an offer therof vnto this man in my presence vnto whome this Woorshipful Lawyer spake in this maner Wherfore will you sel your Lands quoth hée béeing an auncient possession and a fair liuing Sir quoth this yung man I am fallen into great det comming to my Lands before I was wise and haue morgaged my Land for two hundred pound which except I come with in these ten dayes I vtterly lose my Land. You haue brought your self into great extremitie quoth this Gentle man how be it to sel your Land mée think a very hard remedie therof and great pittie if any other way might be taken for hée that selleth away his Land selleth away his best and moste assured Fréend Besides that to sel away namely his auncient Patrimony and which hée neuer bought is bothe shameful and slaunderous as to haue disherited destroyed his name house familie which is an odious thing the thing which the good Naboth the Iesraelite denyed euen vnto the King of Israel for when Achab demaunded of him his Vinyard for as much as it was woorth God forbid said the poore man that I should sel thée my Fathers Inheritaunce béeing yet but a poore Vinyard yet did hée defend it to the losse of his life Wée may read in the olde Testament how greatly God himself fauoured the maintenaÌ„ce and preseruatioÌ„ of Inheritaunce possession in their Tribes houses names families For hée commaunded by Moyses expresly that if any man solde his Inheritaunce béeing Land or house it should return vnto him again in the yéere of Iubile which was euery fiftie yéeres Also that Women vnto whoÌ„e Lands and Inheritaunce were deuolute in default of heires males should not marry into any other Tribe Wherfore ê™ hée I wish you to haue a great regarde in departing from your Inheritaunce so great a blessing of God for it is a great infamie reproche to be said an vnthrift and the first decaier of a house famely whether it were greater or smaller Alas Sir quoth this yung man I am in greater distresse yée knowe these Merchaunts of London are harde dealcts with whome there is no mercie but for ready paiment wel quoth the Gentleman I will doo thus much for you I my self wil lend you an hundred pound which you shall repay by fourtie pound a yéere and that I suppose you may easely doo ordering your self wisely take that quoth hee offer it to the MerchauÌ„t if happily he
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 so great trauels watch studie so many and so great hazards by Sea land so many shifts sleights deceite and oppressions of all which this world hath béene 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 possession is the greater that for two causes First for that in his errour of life fall and misgouernment lyeth the fall ruin and decay of a number what of his owne blood what of his tenaunts faith full fréends and seruants Secondly for that his estate is subiect vnto many enemyes of whom the greatest moste dangerous is the flatterer the olde enemye of all man kinde as the story of our father Adam and mother Eue and the Serpent dooth well declare This mooued Iuno as Ouid fableth to commit Io her Cow vnto Argus to kéep which Argus had an hundred eyes in his head and therfore much a dooe had Mercury to deceiue him with all his swéet songs Musick for when he had brought one of his eyes a sléep yea diuers of them yet waked diuers others and stood vpon their ward and whether his face or his back were toward Io yet he all way behéeld her A reason vvhy Copyholdes Customes and Corporations vvere first ordayned and hovv that Pride Flatterye are the cheefe causes that many a young Gentleman commeth to sell his Lands Chap. 18. ANd surely in mine oppinion this mooued the wise and honorable fathers and Magistrates of olde time to incorporat so great liuings and possessions and also to erect and establish in Lordships so many coppy holdes and custummary tenures as the moste souereign remedy against pride and surcuydrie which commonly accompanieth the priuate singuler sole proprietie in lād possession office or any other thing whatsoeuer also a way and meane to furnish the common welth with many bothe able to deserue wel and to doo good also glad and willing therto vnto the which pride is either the only lot and impediment or els of all other the greatest as he vpon whō flatterie attendeth yea and in such sorte that he leadeth him by the nose vp and down the house making him to beléeue of him self any thing causing him also to delight no while in any one thing whether it be apparail or the fashion therof place person dyet fréend seruaunt Tenaunt or other thing whatsoeuer 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 twain by that time he hath takē foorth his lesson kindely I dare be his suretie he will 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 lest him at all or if he haue any he shall be glad to let thē déerer then the any honest man shall doo good thereon so that in conclusion bothe the Landlord and the Tenaunt shal be miserable The cause héerof is Pride moste and chéefly as I haue said and often times youth good nature or peraduenture excesse of Pleasure and Sensuall delights where through young Gentlemen are often snared through euill company béeing ouertaken sometime by giuing their woord sometime through bribe of a little present mony sometime by one deceit sometime by an other wherin men are soone pampred uamely 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 bothe 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 ioint and in common neither can one dooe 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 oppinion or his fréends Pride atteinteth them not for who is proud or at the least so proud of any thing wherein a number hath to commaund as much as he and without whō he can doo nothing then béeing armed against Pride the Father of necessitie and néed they are better fréely to afforde their good woord or déed and therfore in vayne were it to bribe them But admit that any of them would be bribed it were also in vain and would procure the euel wil of all the rest without bribing them all which were heauie and harde to doo So that in any competition made vnto such persons against any olde Fréend Tenaunt Officer or seruaunt it is verie harde to preuaile except it be through his owne great misbehauiour And where it is betwéen méere Sraungers one of them against an other there the best and moste woorthie is sure to spéed for certainly and infallibly there is nothing in all this world so amiable so belooued and fauoured as honestie vertue and godlynes 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 Corporatiōs of their effects Now to speake of the customes of Manours the very sāe or like in effect may be said for the Inheritour of customary Land although hée be seased therof to him and to his heires yet can hée not sel it without licence of the Lord and that solemnly graunted by his Steward in open Court and there entred nay hée cannot set or let the same or otherwise impaire the wood or other commodities therof without the licence aforelaid So great an entresse and commaundement hath the Lord therin and yet not to the hinderaunce or preiudice of the Inheritaunce but econtra namely that the selling setting or other gouernment of such a royall possessiō as land is should stand in the Iudgemēt discretiō of diuers those of the ripest best aduised and not to be solde wasted or spoiled through the intemperaunce of one foolish or vngodly man or woman either for néed or necessitie or other wise for flatery or other fōd or foolish affection what soeuer wherin the Lord and his lerned Stuard and the homagers of the Court are Iudges In all which cases it may euidently appéer how great a care those honourable and reuerend Forefathers
for hée neither eateth Buls flesh nor drinketh the blood of Gotes It resteth then that wée giue vnto them that are héer his Bayliffes and Receiuours for that intent and purpose and vnto them in whose persones hée hath figured him self vnto vs to wit vnto his poore and godly Saints and seruaunts that are héere vpon Earth among vs vnto whome whatsoeuer wée giue hée hath promised to accept it as giuen vnto him as a payment of so much det a testimonie not of our merit but of our woorking faith in his grace and mercie and in this only sence and meaning giuing and lending are vertues and proper vnto the Children of God. 2. THe next Question put by our Hoast was whether is the harder matter to make a Lord or a Gentleman Pierce answered y in all coÌ„mon reason also by experience the harder thing the harder is the dooing therof a Lord 〈◊〉 hée is greater degrée then a Gentleman and therfore harder to be made then a Gentleman I answered that I thought and knew the contrary by experience for I know quoth I where a Churle by his purchase of a Mannour is become Lorde of a number better men then him self and so is hée a Lord and yet no Gentle man. 3. THe next Question of Pierce Plowman was why poore men are not called to office of estate gouernment in common welths but euermore the rich and welthy OVr Hoast answered because quoth hée the poore would be rich and so are not content with their present estate but desire alteration and chaunge and all such persones are more méet to be coÌ„maunded then to commaund in a common welth But of the rich and welthie it is clean otherwise for they are alredy that which the poore haue desire to be and therfore content and consequently Fréeâ—ds and furtherers of peace and vnitie which is neuer nor neuer wil be where they haue authoritie in their hands that are not content with their owne present state so great hazard of the common peace lyeth therin 4. THe next Question by mée what is the reason that the Sonnes and Children of great purchasers namely Lawyers and Merchants are commonly such horrible and shameles vnthrifts Pierce answered that hée knew no reason therin but hée thought it a very secret Iudgement of God vpon the parents that haue eaten soure Grapes and set their Childrens teeth an edge OVr Hoast said it argued great equitie and consience in their Children in that they ment to buy wit and to pay as déer therfore as their fathers and fréends had solde theirs 5. THe next questioÌ„ by our Hoast what was first y reason of giuing and wearing of mourning gownes garments for such as are disceassed Pierce answered hée thought it was in fauor of our imbicilitle and weaknes and for that reason are not so prone and redy to wéep so sore namely rich widowes who cannot wéep so redily as a dog can make water and therfore it was thought expedient that such mourning were and that such as could not mourne for other busines there might be allowed vnto them some honest and coullorable meanes to mourn by attourney as wee se y in matters of law he that for other nescessary busines cannot attend vpon his causes is receiued by his Attourney and of these great heires executors and rich widdowes that are otherwise necessarily occupied and haue no leisure to wéep it was thought in like maner Also it was thought profitable for the parties them selues for that it is an honest mean of publicatioÌ„ aâ—wel of the widowhed as also of her great heuines therfore wherby the more Counselers may resorte vnto her for in straunge place a widowe is knowen from other by her mourning and sorow 6. THe next Question by Peirce what differeth a couetous person from a Niggard ¶ Our Hoast answered a niggard is affraid to want him self and therfore husbandeth and spareth and oft liueth besides his owne But the â—ouetous is wurse affraid least others should not want and therfore kéepeth and engrosseth all to defraude the hungrie soule and to make the poore want bread 7. THe next Question by me why such folke as delight in rich and costly apparel and also in delicat and daintie meantê and drinks do not eat and drink in y open streats as they do weare their apparel ¶ Pierce answered because that for their delicat fare no body would honor or reuereÌ„ce them except they gaue them part with them which because they purpose not to doo therfore they holde it best to eat it within doores and in seceret but in their braue apparel there lieth some honor at the least as they suppose because they se many y méet them strike their sailes therat although as great and the like reason in the one as in the other 8. THe next Question by our Hoast why the best and daintiest meats drinks and such as bréed and make the moste best nurishment in the body doo not also bréed the best maner but rather the contrary I Answered because that commonly folke take to much of them and haue so great felicitie therin the rather that the ministers of voluptuousnes and sensualitie may thriue but the chéefest and best reason séemeth to be this that men may knowe that Godlines and vertue are not tied vnto meat and drink neither doo consist therin as Christe hath said The kingdome of heauen is neither meat nor drink to mooue vs therfore to eat and drink to liue and not to liue to eat and drink 9 THe next Question by me what possession is the best and surest and least subiect vnto rauin and violence OVr Hoste answered the best things the wurst for vertue which is the best possession a man may cary farre enough without béeing robbed therof and or that either man or woman offer to take it from him and as it is of the best so is it of the wurst for once quoth he I lost a Gloue which was taken vp and brought after me 10 THe next Question by our Hoste whether beautie honestie may dwell togither in one house and be tenaunts bothe vnto one Landlord or not PIerce said he knew no cause to the contrary except the Landlord quoth he be a Purchaser of Land or a great builder or bothe then Beautie must haue a Licence of the Iustice to kéep a Seller or a Bowling alley or an inordinary table or els all thrée and then honestie must take a house farther of 11 THe next question by Peirce what is the reason that some Women doo so curle and lay foorth their heres THe answere by our Hoste for that to be beardlesse is in a man monstrous and to be bauld headed in a woman as in a trée neuer to haue leaues or ground grasse and therfore lest for want of shewing their heres they might peradumture be suspected to be monsters they make them selues â—â—ry monsters in déed Dum vitant stulti vicua in contrarium