Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A19241
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The defence of conny catching. Or A confutation of those two iniurious pamphlets published by R.G. against the practitioners of many nimble-witted and mysticall sciences. By Cuthbert Cunny-catcher, licentiate in Whittington Colledge.
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Greene, Robert, 1558?-1592.
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1592
(1592)
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STC 5656; ESTC S105058
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30,088
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38
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Cardes and yet your mashippe can winke at the cause they be wealthy but Cuthbert Conny-catcher cares for none of them no more then they care for him and therfore wil reueale all And because Maister R. G. you were pleasant in examples Ile tel you a tale of an Usurer done within a mile of a knaues head and since the Cuckow sung last and it fellout thus A pleasant tale of an Vsurer IT fortuned that a yoong gentleman not farre off from Cockermouth was somewhat slâ—pt behind hand and growne in debt so that he durst hardly shew his head for feare of his creditors and hauing wife and children to maiâ—taine although he had a prâ—per land yet wanting money to sâ—ocke his ground he liued very bare whereupon he determined with himselfe to goe to an olde penny-father that dwelt hard by him and so borrow some money of him and so to lay his land in morgage for the repayment of it He no sooner made the motion but it was accepted for it was a goodly Lorship worth in rent of assise seuen score pound by the yeare and did abâ—ut vpon the Usurers ground which drew the old churle to be maruellous willing to diâ—burse money so that he was content to lende him two hundred markes for three yeare according to the statute so that he might haue the land for assurance of his money The geâ—tleman agreed to that and promised to acknowledge a statute staple to him with letters of defeysance The Usurer although he likâ— this wel and sâ—w the yong man offereâ— more than reason required yet had a further setch to haue the land his whatsoeuer should chaunce and therefore he began to verse vppon the poore Conny thus Sir quoth he if I did not pittie your estate I would not lende you my money at such a â—ate for whereas you haue it after ten pounds in the hundred I can make it worth thirtie But seeing the distresse you your wife and children are in and considering all growes through your owne liberall nature I compassionate you the more and would do for you as for mine owne sonne therefore if you shal thinke good to follow it I wil giue you fatherly aduise I knowe you are greatly indeâ—ted and haue many vnmercifull creditors and they haue you in suit and I doubt ere long wil haue some exâ—ent against your lands so shal you be vtterly vndone and I greatly incumbred Therefore to auoyd all this in my iudgement it were best for you to make a deed of gift of all your landes without condition or promise to some one faythful friend or other in whom you may repose credite so shal your enemies haue no aduauntage against you and seeing they shall haue nothing but your bare body lyable to their executions they wil take the more easie and speedy composition I thinke this the surest way and if you durst repose your selfe in me God is my witnesse I would be to you as your father if he liued How say you to this compendious tale Maister R. G. â—â—uld the proudest setter or verser in the world haue drawne on a Conny more cunningly Wel againe to our yoong gentleman who simply with teares in his eyes to heare the kindnes of the Usurer thankt him hartily and deferred not to put in practise his counsell for he made an absolute deed of gift from wife and children to this Usurer of all his Lordshippe and so had the two hundred markes vpon the playne forfait of a â—and To be short the money made him and his merry and yet he did husâ—and it so wel that he not onely duly paid the interest but stockt his grounds and began to grow out of debt so that his creditors were willing to beare with him Against the three yeares were expired he made shift by the helpe of his friends for the money and carryed it home to the Usurer thanking him greatly and crauing a returne of his deed of gift Nay soft sir sayth the olde Churle that bargaine is yet to make the land is mine to mee and mine heyres for euer by a deed of gift from your owne hand and what can be more sure take the money if you please and there is your band but for the Lordship I wil enter on it to morrow yet if you wil be â—y tenant you shall haue it before another aud that is all the fauour you shal haue of me At this the Gentleman was amazed and began to plead conscience with him but in vaine whereuppon he went sorrowfully home and told his wife who as a woman halfe lunatike ran with hir little children to his house and cryed out but bootlesse For although they called him before the chiefe of the country yet 〈◊〉 the law had graunted him the fee simple thereof he would not part withal so that this distressed gentleman was faine to become tenant to this Usurer and for two hundred marks to lofe a Lordship worth six or seuen thousand pounds I pray you was not this an old Conycatcher M. R. G. that could lurtch a poore Conny of so many thousands at one time whether is our crosâ—ing at cardes more perillous to the commonwelth than this cossenage for land you winke at it but I wil tel all yet heare out the end of my tale for as fortune fel out the Usurer was made a Cony himselfe The gentleman and his wife smothering this with patience she that had a reaching wit haâ—â— brain reuenge in hir head counseld hir husband to make a voyage from home to stay a weeke or two and q. she before you come againe you shal see mee venter faire for the land The gentleman willing to let his wife practise hir wits went his way and left al to his wiues discretion She after hir husband was foure or fiue dayes from home was visited by the Usurer who vsed hir very kindly and sent victuals to hir house promising to sup with hir that night and that she should not want any thing in hir husbands absence The gentlâ—woman with gratious acceptance thankt him and bad diuers of hir neighbors to beare him company hauing a further reatch in hir heade then he suspected For the olde Churle comming an hower before Supper time euen as she hir selfe would wish after an amorous wehe or two as olde Iades wynnie when they cannot wagge the tayle began to be very pleasant with his tenant and desired her to shew him al the roomes in hir house and happily saith he if I die without issue I may giue it to your children for my conscience bids me be fauorable to you The gentlewoman lead him through euery part and at last brought him into a backe roome much like a backhouse where she â—aid thus vnto him Sir this roome is the most vnhandsomest in all the house but if there were a dormar built to it and these shut windows made bay windows and glazd it would make the properest parlour in al the house for saith she