heeles true Emblems bee How quick he can inuent how quickly â—lee By him are Thieues inspirde and from his guift They plot to steale and run away most swift In their conceites and sleights no men are sharper Each one as nimble finger'd as a Harper Thus Thieuing is not altogether Base But is descended from a lofty Race Moreouer euery man himselfe doth showe To be the Sonne of Addam for we knowe He stole the Fruite and euer since his Seâ—de To steale from one another haue agreede Our Infancy is Theft t is manyfest We crie and Rob our Parents of their Rest Our Childe-hood Robs vs of our Infancy And youth doth steale our childe-hood wantonly Then Man-hood pilfers all our youth away And middle-age our Manhood doth conuay Vnto the Thieuing hands of feeble age Thus are we all Thieues all our Pilgrimage In all which progresse many times by stealth Strange sicknesses doth Rob vs of our health Rage steales our Reason Enuy thinkes it fit To steale our Loue whilst Folly steales our wit Pride filcheth from vs our Humillity And Leachery doth steale our honesty Base Auarice our Conscience doth purloin Whilst sloath to steale our mindes from work doth Ioyne Time steales vpon vs whilst we take small care And makes vs olde before we be a ware Sleepe and his brother Death conspire our fall The one steales halfe our liues the other all Thus are we Robb'd by Morpheus and by Mors Till in the end each Corps is but a Coarse Note but the seasons of the yeare and see How they like Thieues to one another be From Winters frozen face through snow showers The Spring doth steale roots plaÌ„ts buds flowers Then Sommer Robs the Spring of natures sute And haruest Robs the Sommer of his fruite Then Winter comes againe and he bereaues The Haruest of the Grayne and Trees of Leaues And thus these seasons Robs each other still Round in their course like Horses in a mill The Elements Earth VVater Ayre and Fire To rob each other daily doe Conspire The fiery Sun from th' ocean and each Riuer Exhales their Waters which they all deliuer This water into Clowdes the Ayre doth steale Where it doth vnto Snow or Haile Conicale Vntill at last Earth Robs the Ayre againe Of his stolne Treasure Haile sleete snow or Raine Thus be it hot or cold or dry or wet These Thieues from one another steale and get Night Robs vs of the day and day of Night Light pilfers darknes and the darknes light Thus life death seasons and the Elements And day Night for Thieues are presidents Two Arrant Thieues we euer beare about vs The one within the other is without vs All that we get by toyle or Industry Our Backs and Bellies steale continually For though men labour with much care Carke Lie with the Lamb downe rise vp with the Lark â—weare and forsweare deceaue and lie and Cog And haue a Conscience worse then any Dog â—e most vngracious extreame vile and base And so he gaine not caring for disgrace Let such a Man or Woman count their gaines They haue but meat Rayment for their paines No more haue they that do liue honestest Those that can say their Consciences are best Their Bellies and their Backs day night and hower The fruites of all their labours do deuower These Thieues do rob vs with our owne good will And haue dame natures warrant for it still â—omtimes these Sharks do work each others wrack The Rauening Belly often Robs the Back Will feed like Diues with Quaile Raile Pheasant And be attir'd all tatter'd like a Peasant â—ometimes the gawdy Back Mans Belly pines â—or which he often with Duke Humphrey dines â—he whilst the minde defends this hungry stealth And sayes a temp'rate dyet mainetaines health â—et Corland crie let Guts with famine mourne The maw's vnseene good outsides must be worne Thus do these Thieues Rob vs and in this pother The minde consents and then they Rob each other Our Knowledge and our Learning oft by chance Doth steale and Rob vs of our Ignorance Yet Ignorance may sometimes gaine promotion Where it is held the Mother of deuotion But knowledge ioynd with learning are poor things That many times a man to begg'ry brings And fortune very oft doth Iustly fit Some to haue all the wealth some all the wit Tobacco Robs some men if so it list It steales their Coyne as Thieues do in a Mist Some men to Rob the Pot will neu'r refraine Vntill the Pot Rob them of all againe A prodigall can steale exceeding Briefe Picks his owne purse and is his owne deare Thiefe And thus within vs and without vs we Are Thieues and by Thieues alwayes pillagde be First then vnto the greatest Thieues of all Whose Thecu'ry is most high and Capitall You that for pomp and Titles transitory Rob your Almighty maker of his Glory And giue the Honour due to him alone Vnto a Carued block a stock or stone An Image a Similytude or feature Of Angell Saint or Man or any creature To Alters Lamps to Holly Bread or Waters To shrines or tapers or such Iugling matters To Relliques of the dead or of the liuing This is the most supreamest kind of Theiuing Besides they all commit this Fellonie That breake the Saboath day malliciouslie God giues vs sixe dayes and himselfe hath one Wherein he would with thanks be calld vpon And those that steale that day to bad abuses Robs God of Honour without all excuses Vnto these Thieues my Thiefe doth plainely tell That though they hang not here they shall in Hell â—xcept Repentance and vnworthy Guerdon â—hrough our Redemers merits gaine their pardon â—hen Ther 's a Crew of Thieues that prie and luâ—ch â—nd steale and share the liuings of the Church â—hese are Hells factors Marchants of all Euill â—obs God of Soules and giue them to the Deuill â—or where the Tythe of many a Parish may â—llowe a good sufficient Preacher paye â—et Hellish pride or lust or Auarice â—r one or other fowle licentious Vice â—obs Learning Robs the people of their teaching who in seauen yeares perhaps doth heare no preaching When as the Parsonage by accounts is found â—earely worth two 3. or 4. hundred pound â—et are those Soules seru'd or else staru'd I feare â—ith a poore Reader for eight poundes a yeare Preacher breakes to vs the Heau'nly Bread â—hereby our straying Soules are taught and fed â—nd for this heau'nly worke of his 't is sence â—hat men allow him earthly Recompence â— shall he giue vs foode that 's spirituall â—nd not haue meanes to feede him Corporall 〈◊〉 of all men t is most manifest â—ainefull Churchman earnes his wages best â—â—ose that keepe back the Tythes I tell them true 〈◊〉 arrant Thieues in Robbing God of'is due 〈◊〉 he that robs Gods church 't encrese their pelse â—is most apparent they Rob God himselfe The Patron oft deales with his Minister As Dionisius did with Iupiter He
pardond those that in their graues were laid â—o those that were exceeding poore or fled Except good words I very little sed â— praid for them that onely would and could not â—nd I inueigh'd at those that could and would not â—nd let those shifters their owne Iudges be â—f they haue not bin arrant Thieues to me â—or first and last they tooke with their good wills â—eere fifteene hundred bookes vpon their bills â—nd all their hands If I the truth may vtter â—re worse then obligations seald with butter â—or I haue in my store not worth a Lowse â—s many Bills as well may thatch a House â—nd there I haue the hands of Knights and Squiers â—nd Omnium gatherum Cheating knaues and liers â—eauen hundred in a Galleymawfrey Close Which I would sell for fifteene pence the Groce â—hei'le neyther pay with comming nor with sending â—nd are like olde Bootes past all hope of mending â—â—rst they did Rob me of my expectation â—nd made me walke along perambulation â—nd as my Royall Maister when I came â—he good Prince and my Lord of Buckingham With many more of Honour Worship and â—en of inferiour callings in this land Were bountifull to me at my Returne Yet I like one that doth one Candle burne In seeking of another spent their guifts To finde out Sharkes and Complements and shift Theft is the best Name I can giue their Crime They rob me of my Bookes my Coyne and time Of others Bounty and mine owne good Hopes And for this Theft I leaue them to the Ropes I speake to those that can and will not pay When in the Streets I meete them euery day They doe not much mistake if they doe thinke I wish them hang'd for keeping of my Chinke Thus haue I touch'd a Crue of Thieuing fellowes That Rob beyond the Compasse of the Gallowes Whilest many little Thieues are hang'd vp dead That onely Steale for need to finde them Bread As Pharaoh's fat Kine did the Leane deuoure So great Thieues swallow small ones by their power And sure I thinke that Common Burglaries Pick-pockets High-way Thieues and Pilferies And all that thus Felloniously doe Thieue Are Thieues whose labours many doe Relieue Who but poore Thieues doe Iaylors wants supply On whom doe vnder Keepers still rely From Thieuing money still is gotten thus For many a Warrant and a Mittimus And if men were not apt to Filch and Thieue 'T were worse for many a High and vnder-Shrieue The Halter-maker and the Smith are getters For fatall Twist and pond'rous Bolts and Petters â—e Carman hath a share amongst the rest â—hough not voluntary yet hee 's Prest 〈◊〉 Ballad-maker doth some profit reape 〈◊〉 makes a Tiburne Dirge exceeding Cheape 〈◊〉 whil'st the Printers and the dolefull Singers 〈◊〉 in these gainefull busines dip their fingers 〈◊〉 very Hangman hath the sleight and skill 〈◊〉 extract all his goods from others Ill 〈◊〉 is the Epilogue vnto the Law 〈◊〉 from the jawes of Death his life doth draw 〈◊〉 last the Hangmans Broaker reapes the fruit 〈◊〉 selling to one Thiefe anothers Sute â—â—sides Thieues are sit members for 't is knowne â—hey make men carefull how to keepe their owne 〈◊〉 were it not for them we still should lye â—â—ck'd in the Cradle of security â—ll'd in base Idlenes and sluggish sloath 〈◊〉 to all ill and to all Goodnes loath â—hich would infect vs and corrupt the blood â—nd therefore for our health's sake Thieues are good â—nd some men are so prone to steale I thinke 〈◊〉 as Nat'rall as their meate and drinke â—hey are borne to 't and cannot doe withall â—nd must be filching still what e're befall â—wispe of Rushes or a Clod of land 〈◊〉 any wadde of Hay that 's next to hand â—hey'l steale and for it haue a good excuse â—hey doe 't to keepe their hands in vre or vse â—ut not t' excuse a Thiefe in any case 〈◊〉 there are some Crimes as voyde of Grace On whom men scarce haue feeling or a thought Nor e're like Thieues are to the Gallowes brought Those that obey false Gods commit offence Against th' Eternall Gods Omnipotence Those that doe grauen Images adore Are worse then Thieues yet are not hang'd therefoâ—â— T is Treason high to take Gods Name in vaine Yet most men doe 't through frailty or for Gaine The Saboth is prophan'd continually Whil'st the offenders pay small penalty And Parents are dishonour'd without Awe The whil'st the Children doe escape the Law And Murther though 't be ne're so foule and dead Is oft times made Man-slaughter or Chance-med Adultery's neighbourhood and Fornication May be Conniu'd at with a tolleration A Witnes that false Testimony beares T is a great wonder if he loose his Eares But sure the Prouerbe is as true as briefe A Lyer's euer worser then a Thiefe And 't is call'd Thrift when men their mindes doe To couet how their Neighbours goods to get To be vaine-glorious and Ambitious proude Are Gentleman-like partes must be allow'd To beare an Enuy base and secretly T is counted Wisedome and great Pollicy To be a Drunkard and the Cat to whip Is call'd the King of all good Fellowship But for a Thiefe the whole world doth Consent That Hanging is the fittest punishment 〈◊〉 if that Law were put in Execution â—hinke it would be Mankindes Dissolution â—nd then we should haue Land and Tenements 〈◊〉 nothing or for very easie Rents â—hereby we see that man his wealth esteemes 〈◊〉 better then his God his soule it deemes â—or let God be abusde and let his soule â—â—nne greedily into offences foule 〈◊〉 scarcely shall be question'd for 't but if â—mongst his other sinnes he play the Thiefe â—nd steale mens goods they all will sentence giue 〈◊〉 must be Hang'd he is vnfit to liue 〈◊〉 the Low Countryes if a wretch doe steale 〈◊〉 Bread or Meate to feed himselfe a meale â—hey will vnmercifully beat and Clowt him â—â—le pull and teare spurne kicke flowt him â—ut if a Drunkard be vnpledg'd a Kan â—â—awes out his Knife and basely stabs a man 〈◊〉 runne away the Rascall shall haue scope â—one holdes him but all Cry Lope Scellum Lope â—hus there 's a close Conniuence for all Vice â—xcept for Theft and that 's a Hanging price â—ne man 's adicted to Blaspheme and sweare â— second to Carowse and Domineere â— third to Whoring and a fourth to Fight â—nd Kill and slay a fift man to Backbite â— sixt and seauenth with this or that Crime caught â—nd all in generall much worse then nought â—nd amongst all these sinners generall â—he Thiefe must winne the Halter from them all When if the matter should examin'd be They doe deserue it all asmuch as he Nor yet is Thieuery any vpstar sinne But it of long Antiquity hath bin And by this Trade Great men haue not disdain'd To winne Renowne and haue their states maintain Great Alexanders Conquests what were they But taking others goods and Lands away In manners I
must call it Martiall dealing But truth will tearme it Rob'ry and flat stealing For vnto all the world it is well knowne That he by force tooke what was not his owre Some Writers are with Tamberlaine so briefe To stile him with the Name of Scithian Thiefe Licurgus lou'd and granted guifts beside To Thieues that could steale and escape vnspide But if they taken with the manner were They must restore and buy the bargaine deere Thieues were at all times euer to be had Exampled by the good Thiefe and the Bad. And England still hath bin a fruitfull Land Of Valiant Thieues that durst bid true men stand One Bellin Dun a famous Thiefe suruiu'd From whom the Towne of Dunstable's deriu'd And Robin Hood with little Iohn agreed To rob the Rich men and the Poore to feede The Priests had heere such small meanes for thereâ—oâ— That many of them were inforc'd to Thieuing Once the Fift Henry could Rob exc'llent well When he was Prince of Wales as Stories tell â—hen Fryer Tucke a tall stoute Thiefe indeed â—ould better Rob and steale then Preach or reed 〈◊〉 Gosselin Deinuill with 200. more 〈◊〉 Fryers weedes Rob'd and were Hang'd therefore â—hus I in Stories and by proofe doe finde â—hat Stealing 's very olde time out of minde â—re I was Borne it through the world was spread â—nd will be when I from the world am Dead But leauing thus my Muse in hand hath tooke To shew which way a Thiefe is like a Booke A Comparison betweene a Thiefe and a Booke COmparisons are odious as some say But my Comparisons are so no way In the Pamphlet which I wrote before Compar'd a Booke most fitly to a Whore â—nd now as fitly my poore Muse alludes â— Thiefe t' a Booke in apt similitudes A good Booke steales the minde from vaine pretences From wicked Cogitations and offences 〈◊〉 makes vs know the worlds deceiuing plesures And set our hearts on neuer ending Treasures So when Thieues steale our Cattle Coyne or Ware It makes vs see how mutable they are Puts vs in mind that we should put our trust Where Fellon cannot steale or Canker rust Bad Bookes through eyes and eares doe break enter And takes possession of the hearts fraile Center Infecting all the little Kingdome Man With all the poyso'nous mischiefe that they can Till they haue Rob'd and ransack'd him of all Those thinges which men may iustly goodnes call Robs him of Vertue and Heau'nly grace And leaues him Begger'd in a wretched case So of our Earthly goods Thieues steale the best And richest Iewels and leaue vs the rest Men know not Thieues from true men by their lookâ— Nor by their outsides no man can know Bookes Both are to be suspected all can tell And Wisemen e're they trust will try them well A Booke may haue a Title good and faire Though in it one may finde small goodnes there And so a Thiefe whose actions are most vile Steales good opinion and a True mans stile Some Bookes prophane the Sacred Text abuse With common Thieues it is a common vse Some Bookes are full of lyes and Thieues are so One hardly can beleeue their yea or no. Some Bookes are Scurrilous and too obsceane And hee 's no right Thiefe that loues not a Queane Some Book 's not worth the Reading for their fruites Some Thieues not worth the Hanging for their sutes Some Bookes are briefe and in few wordes declare Compendious matter and Acutenesse rare And so some Thieues will breake into a House Or cut a Purse whilst one can cracke a Lowse Some Bookes are arrogant and Impudent So are most Thieues in Christendome and Kent Some Bookes are plaine and simple and some Thieâ—â—â— Are simply Hang'd whil'st others get Reprieues Some Bookes like foolish Thieues their faults are spâ—â— Some Thieues like witty Bookes their faults can hide â—ome Bookes are quaint and quicke in their Conceits â—ome Thieues are actiue nimble in their sleights â—ome Bookes with idle stuffe the Author fills â—ome Thieues will still be Idle by their wills â—ome Bookes haue neither Reason Law or sence No more haue any Thieues for their offence â— Booke 's but one when first it comes to th'Presse 〈◊〉 may encrease to Numbers Numberlesse And so one Thiefe perhaps may make threescore And that threescore may make ten thousand more Thus from one Thiefe Thieues may at last amount Like Bookes from one Booke past all mens account And as with Industry and Art and Skill One Thiefe doth dayly Rob another still So one Booke from another in this Age Steales many a Line a sentence or a Page Thus amongst Bookes good fellowship I finde All thinges are common Thieues beare no such minde And for this Thieuing Bookes with Hue and Cry Are sought as Thieues are for their Fellony As Thieues are chasde and sent from place to place So Bookes are alwayes in continuall Chase. As Bookes are strongly Boss'd and Clasp'd bound So Thieues are Manacled when they are found As Thieues are oft examin'd for their Crimes So Bookes are vsde and haue bin at all times As Thieues haue oft at their Arraignment stood So Bookes are tride if they be bad or good As Iuries and Graund Iuries with much strife Giue vp for Thieues a Verdict Death or Life So as mens fancies Euidence doe giue The shame or fame of Bookes to dye or liue And as the veriest Thiefe may haue some friend So the worst Bookes some Knaue will still defend As Thieues their Condemnation must abide Bookes are deem'd true somtimes somtimes bely'd As Thieues are Iudged so haue Bookes agen As many Censures almost as are men And as their faults are different in degree Some Thieues are hang'd some Bookes are burnt w◠〈◊〉 Some Thieues are for their small offences whip't All Bookes are Prest except a Manuscript As Thieues are buryed when the Lawe is paide So some Bookes in obliuions Graue are laide The Iaylors keepe the Thieues and much regards The strength of Fetters Locks bolts grates wards And will knowe when and how abroad they goe And vnto Bookes the Stacioners are so Still Bookes and Thieues in one Conceit doe ioyne For if you marke them they are all for Coyne Some Thieues exceeding braue a man may finde In Sattin and their Cloakes with Veluet linde And some Bookes haue gay Coates vnto their backe When as their insides goods and goodnes lackes Some Bookes are all betâ—tterd torne and 〈◊〉 Some Thieues endure a rugged punishment Some Thieues may come their sorowes to increase Before a shallowe Officer of Peace One that can Cough call knâ—ue with non sense Commit before be knowe for what offence A Booke somtimes doth proue a Thieues true friend And doth preserue him from a hanging end For let a man at any Sessions looke And still some Thieues are saued by their Booke And so some Bookes to Coxcombs hands may come Who can crye Pish and Mew and Tush and Hum Condemne ere they haue read or throughly scand Abusing what they cannot vnderstand Some Thieues are like a Horne-booke and begin Their A. B. C. of filching with a Pin Their Primer is a Poynt and then their Psalter May picke a Pocket and come neere a Halter Then with long practise in these Rudiments To breake a House may be his Accidence And vsing of his skill thus day by day By Grammer he may Rob vpon the way Vntill at last to weare it be his hap A Tiburne Tippet or olde Stories Cap. That is the high'st degree which they can take An end to all their Studies there they make For amongst Thieues not one amongst a score â—f they be rais'd so high they 'l steale no more Thus the Comparisons holdes still you see To Whores and Theiues Bookes may compared bee All are like Actors in this wauering Age They Enter all vpon the worlds great Stage Some gaine Applause and some doe Acte amisse And exit from the Scaffold with a Hisse Now if my Whore or Theife play well their Parts Giue them their due Applaud their good deserts If ill To Newgate hisse them or Bridewell To any place Hull Halifax or Hell And thus the Thiefe and Booke ioyne both in one Both hauing made an END they both haue DON Thus hauing Treated sufficiently of Whores and Whoring and Thieues and Thieuing I doe purpoâ—â— shortly to set forth a Pamphlet in the Commendatâ—â—ons of Iaylors and Iayles with the necessity of Hangiing and the Hangmans Art or Mystery Compendâ—â—ously described FINIS The Annagram of Rat is Art * I touch not his Trauailes to Scotland Germany or Bohemia or the Paper Boate. This Gentleman was pleased AnnagraÌ„matically to call me Water-Rat or water Art which I doe Annagrammatize Water-Rat to bee A trew Art * A Booke I writ called a Whore In the 93. page of a Booke called the Spirit of Detraction the Author cites 12. Parishes in one Hundred in Wales in this predicament Iupiters Idol in Scracusa in Sicitia The dore is Christ. One that 8 years since bought many houses where I many poore men dwelt presently raised our Rents from 3. l. to 5. l. but I changed him quickly for a better He cannot steale truly or truly he cannot steale * This fellowes Breches were not lynde with Apochriâ—ha I heard of one that had the picture of the Deuill in the back linings of his Dublet witnes at the Swan in St. Marâ—ids * This Miller kept a Windmill not many yeres since at Purflet in Essex Some say that he sold him the 4. Bushels againe and then stole one bushell for toll * He was the 40 th King after Brute he Raigned before Christs ' birth 171. yeares The Annagram of Waterman is A TREW MAN The Wherâ—yes were wont to haue all the Whores Till the Coaches Robd them of their Custom It is cald a Kicksie winsie or a Lerrio cunâ—â—wang To whom I in all humillity must euer acknowledg my obedience and dutiful Thankfulnes and seruice I have 700. Billes of their hands which in all coâ—â—es to neer 00. l. The trade of Thieuing is very profitable to many men Or none at all Run thiefe Runne Platarch Hen. 1. Rich. 2. Edw. 3. Edw. 2. There is odâ— betwixt a Keeper a Iaylor the Stationer keepes Bookes against his wil the Iaylor holdes Thieues with his will