some great Emperour or some mighty King Should be imprison'd by a vassall slaue And lodg'd aliue as 't were within his Graue Such is the case of Siluer and of Gold The chiefest of all mettals fast in hold And darknesse lies held in the Misers stocks In steele and yron bars and â—oâ—ts and locks Though gold and siluer royall mettals be Yet are they slaues to yron as we see But leauing Gold and Gowt â—e turne my pen To what I haue digrest from Iayles and men Let man examine well himselfe and he Shall find himselfe his greatest enemie And that his losse of liberty and pelfe He can accuse none for it but himselfe How passions actions and affections cluster And how to ruinate his state they muster His frailty armes his members and his senses To vndertake most dangerous pretences The backe oft tempts him vnto borrowed brauery And all his body suffers for 't in slauery His Belly tempts him to superfluous fare For which his corps lies in a Iaylors snare His Eyes from beauty to his heart drawes lust For which he 's often into prison thrust His Eares giue credit to a knaue or theefe And 's body suffers for his eares beleefe His Tongue much like a Hackney goes all paces In City Country Court and Campe all places It gallops and false gallops trots and ambles One pace or other still it runnes and rambles Of Kings and Princes states it often prattles Of Church and Common-wealth it idly rattles Of passing of it's word and suretiships For which at last the Iayle the Carkasse nips Mans Hands haue very oft against him warr'd And made him of his liberty debarr'd A stab a blow a dâ—shing of a pen Hath clap'd him closely in the Iaylors den The Feet which on the ground men daily tread The way to their captiuity doe lead Now for the inward faculties I find Some lie in Prison for their haughty mind Some for their folly some because too wise Are mew'd vp in the Iaylors custodies Some for much gaming or for recreation Doe make a Iayle their homely habitation And thus it plainely may be proued well Mans greatest foes within himselfe doe dwell And now two contraries I will compare To shew how like and how vnlike they are A Iayle our birth our death and setting free These foure doe all agree and disagree For all degrees our birth and life we know Is naturall one way for high and low But death hath many thousand waies and snares To take our liues away all vnawares And therefore of our liues it is no doubt That ther 's but one way in and many out But to a Iayle there 's many waies to win Ten thousand tricks and sleights to clap men in And ther 's but one way out as I doe know Which is by satisfying what we owe. O west thou the law thy life dispatch and pay And from the Prison thou art freed away Dost thou owe mony quickly pay thy score And farewell goe thy waies man ther 's the dore As men in all that 's ill are Satans Apes So sundry sinnes bring death in sundry shapes Life from the God of life which is but one To all degrees one way giues life alone And so our seuerall frailties seuerall waies Our wretched Carkasses in prison laies But ther 's but one way out that e're I saw Which is by satisfying of the law The faults we doe in spring-time of our youth In Summer of our man-hood gather growth Then Haruests middle age doth make them ripe Which winters old age doth in prison gripe And thus the very seasons of the yeare Fit emblemes of our thraldome doe appeare In London and within a mile I weene There are of Iayles or Prisons full eighteene And sixty Whipping-posts and Stocks and Cages Where sin with shame and sorrow hath due wages For though the Tower be a Castle Royall Yet ther 's a Prison in 't for men disloyall Though for defence a Campe may there be fitted Yet for offence men thither are committed It is a house of fame and there is in 't A Palace for a Prince a Royall Mint Great Ordnance Powder Shot Match Bills and Bowes Shafts swords pikes lances shouels mattocks crows Bright armor muskets ready still I say To arme one hundred thousand in a day And last it is a Prison vnto those That doe their Soueraigne or his lawes oppose The Gatehouse for a prison was ordain'd When in this land the third king Edward reign'd Good lodging roomes and diet it affoords But I had rather lie at home on boords Since Richards reigne the first the Fleet hath beene A Prison as vpon records is seene For lodgings and for bowling there 's large space But yet I haue no stomacke to the place Old Newgate I perceiue a theeuish den But yet there 's lodging for good honest men When second Henry heere the Scepter swaid Then the foundation of that gate was laid But sixty six yeeres ere our Sauiours birth By Lud was Ludgate founded from the earth No Iayle for theeues though some perhaps as bad That breake in policie may there be had The Counter in the Powltry is so old That it in History is not enrold And Woodstreet Counters age we may deriue Since Anno fifteene hundred fifty fiue For me the one 's too old and one's too new And as they bake a Gods name let them brew Bridewell vnto my memorie comes next Where idlenesse and lechery is vext This is a royall house of state and port Which th' eight king Henry built and there kept Court King Edward somewhat ere his timelesse fall Gaue it a way to be an Hospitall Which vse the city puts it well vnto And many pious deeds they there doe doe But yet for Vagabonds and Runnagates For Whores and idle knaues and such like mates 'T is littell better than a Iayle to those Where they chop chalke for meat and drinke and blowes In this house those that 'gainst their wills doe dwell Loue well a Bride perhaps but not Bridewell Fiue Iayles or Prisons are in Southwarke plac'd The Counter once S. Margrets Church defac'd The Marshalsea the Kings Bench and White Lion Where some like Tantalus or like Ixion The pinching paine of hunger daily feele Turn'd vp and downe with fickle Fortunes wheele And some doe willingly make there abode Because they cannot liue so well abroad Then ther 's the Clinke where handsome lodgings be And much good may it doe them all for mee Crosse but the Thames vnto S. Katherins then There is another hole or den for men Another in East-Smithfield little better Will serue to hold a theefe or paltry debter Then neere three Craues a Iayle for Hereticks For Brownists Familists and Schismaticks Lord Wentworths Iayle within White Chappell stands And Finsbury God blesse me from their hands These eighteene Iayles so neere the City bounded Are founded and maintain'd by
betwixt them both a Golden meane Which would direct their superfluities They would not hang themselues for niggardize Nor wastfully or prodigally spend Till want bring them to hanging in the end And they and many others by their purse Might scape that hanging which is cald a curse There 's many a Gallant made of foole and feather Of Gold and Veluet Silke and Spanish leather Whose ragged Hangers on haue mou'd my minde To see pride goe before and shame behinde With scarce a button or an Elboe whole A breech or any shooe that 's worth a sole Those are like Golden Iybbets and their Traines Are like poore tatterd Theeues hang'd vp in chains He that doth suffer Whores or Theeues or Knaues Base flattering Villaines or such kinde of slaues To hang vpon him and knowes what they are That man vnto a Gallowse I compare That Vintner I account no friend of mine Who for good money drawes me scuruie wine And by the rule of Conscience not of Law That he is fitter made to hang than draw The Lawyer that at length doth spin mens causes With false delayes and dilatorie clauses Who makes a trade to broach and draw contention For him a hanging were a good preuention But holla Muse come backe you beare my Rime To hanging in good earnest ere the time There are a many sorts of hangings yet Behinde which I by no meanes must forget One hanging is a necessary thing Which is a pretty Gamboll cald a Swing And men of good repute I oft haue seene To hang and stretch and totter for the spleene This hanging is a militarie course Not by the Law but strength of armes and force Thus euery morning for a little spurt A man may hang himselfe and doe no hurt This hanging oft like Tyburne hath a tricke Saues charge of physicke or of being sicke Besides the word Hang is so much in vse That few or none will tak 't as an abuse It doth a great mans kindnesse much approue When he shall bid a man Be hang'd in loue And with some men 't is common courtesie To say Farewell be hangd that 's twice God â—wy The pictures of the dearest friends we haue Although their corps are rotten in the graue We hang them for a reuerend memorie To vs and vnto our posteritie Some hang their wiues in picture which haue cause To hang their persons wer 't not for the lavves Some hang their heires in picture who would faine Wish their good fathers hang'd their lands to gaâ—ne I oft haue seene good garments for mens wearing Haue very thriftily beene hang'd to airing And I haue seen those garments like good fellows Hang kindly with their master at the Gallowse And then into the Hangmans Wardrobe drop Haue beene againe hang'd in a Broakers shop Which after by a Curpurse bought might be And make another iourney to the Tree Twixt which and twixt the Broaker it might goe Or ride some twelue or thirteene times or moe Thus th'hangmans haruest and the Brokers grow They reape the crop which sin and shame doth sow There are rich Hangings made of Tapestrie Of Arras and of braue embroderie Those are for Princes and for men of worth T' adorne their Roomes and set their greatnes forth But as dead bones in painted Tombes doe bide These Hangings filthy rotten walls doe hide A Harts horne to a post fast nailed on Serues well for men to Hang their hats vpon But if they knew their heads would serue the turne They would not shift their hats from horn to horn Mens swords in Hangers Hang fast by their side Their Stirrops Hang when as they vse to ride Our Conies and our Deere are Hang'd in toiles Our meat hangs o're the fire when as it boiles Our light Hangs in the Lanthorne all men sees Our fruiâ— we eat was hang'd vpon the trees Signes hang on posts shew where as tradesmen dwels In steeples all men know are Hang'd the Bels The scales or ballance hangs where things are weigh'd Goods Hang'd in Cranes that 's in or out conueâ—'d Yards sailes shears tacks lists caskets bolins braces Are fitly hang'd in their conuenient places The compasse that directs where windes doe blow Is Hang'd vpon the Needles point we know In stately buildings Timber Lead and Stone Are Hang'd and hoist or Buildings would be none Our Maps wherein the world described be Are all Hang'd vp against the walls we see Our Cazements Hang as they doe ope and shut Our Curtaines Hang which 'bout our beds we put Our Hogs are Hang'd else Bacon we might looke Doores Hang on Hinges or I am mistooke And many a trusty Padlocke Hangs no doubt To let in honest men and keepe Knaues out Sea Cabins Hang where poore men sleepe rest Our Clokes Hang on our backs 't is manifest The Viall Citterne the Bandore and Lute Are cas'd or vncas'd all Hang'd vp and mute Our Linnen being wash'd must Hang to dry Or else Lice will Hang on and multiply Thus Hanging 's beneficiall to all States Whilst Gods dread curse Hangs o're the reprobates And as for those that take my Lines amis And will be pleas'd to be displeas'd with this For groats a peece nay lesse for three pence either I 'le giue them all leaue to to be Hang'd together Since Hanging then is prou'd so naturall So beneficiall so generall So apt so necessary and so fit Our reason tels vs we should honour it It is a good mans life and 't is their death That rob and rifle men of goods and breath This kind of Hanging all offences ends From which God euer blesse me and my friends I from the Hangman this conclusion draw He is the fatall period of the Law If theeues or traytours into mischiefe runne If he haue done with them then they haue done 'T is often seene that many haplesse men Haue beene condemn'd and Iudg'd reprieu'd agen And pardon'd haue committed new transgressions And in againe oft many a Size and Sessions When many warnings mend them not therefore Thâ— Hangman warnes them they offend no more Hee 's the Catastrophe and Epilogue Of many of the desperat Catalogue And he is one that cannot wanted be But still God keepe him farre enough from me THE DESCRIPTION of Tyburne I Haue heard sundry men oft times dispute Of trees that in one yeere will twice beare fruit But if a man note Tyburne 't will appeare That that 's a tree that beares twelue times a yeere I Muse it should so fruitfull be for why I vnderstand the root of it is drie It beares no leafe no blossome or no bud The raine that makes it fructifie is blond I further note the fruit which it produces Doth seldome serue for profitable vses Except the skilfull Surgions industry Doe make Defection or Anatomy It blossomes buds and beares all three together And in one houre doth liue and die and wither Like Sodome Apples they are in conceit For touch'd they turne to dust and
THE PRAISE AND VERTVE OF A Iayle and Iaylers WITH THE MOST EXCELLENT 〈…〉 sterie and necessary vse of all sorts of HANGING ALSO 〈…〉 ch at Tyburne for a Period 〈…〉 uthors free leaue to let them 〈…〉 who are offended at the 〈…〉 ke without cause By IOHN TAYLOR LONDON Printed by I. H. for R. B. 1623. TO THE SENSEABLE Reasonable Affable Amiable Acceptable minded Honourable in Wit Iudgement and Vnderstanding Able Robert Rugge Gentleman Reare Adelantado of the HOLY ILAND the FAIRNE and the STAPLES on the Coast of NORTHVMBRIA NO Hanging Tap'strie Quilt or Couerlet This dedication of my wit could get No Mattresse Blanket Sheet or Fetherbed Could haue these labours of my working head But cold by Nature from my Nurses dugge My inclination still hath lou'd a Rugge Which makes my thankfull Muse thus bold to be To consecrate this worthlesse worke to thee Thou that within those happie Iles doest bide Which Neptunes waues doe from our land diuide Wherein the Holy Iland stands a Fort That can defend and iniuries retort That doth command a goodly Hauen nigh Wherein a hundred Ships may safely lie Thou in the Farne and Staples bearst such sway That all the dwellers there doe thee obey Where Fowle are all thy faire inhabitants Where thou Commander of the Cormorants Grand Gouernour of Guls of Geese and Ganders O're whom thou art none of the least Commanders Whereas sometimes thou canst not stirre thy legs But thou must tread on tributarie Egs For they like honest true plaine dealing folkes Pay thee the Custome of their Whites and Yolkes Which to thy friends oft times transported be As late thou sentst a barrell full to me And in requitall to so good a friend This Prisone and this Hanging here I send Because within the Fairne and Staples too The dwellers doe as they doe please to doe Their pride and lust their stealing their treason Is all imputed to their want of reason I therefore haue made bold to send thee this To shew them what a Iayle and Hanging is Thou hast from Hermes suck'd the Quintessence Of quicke Inuention and of Eloquence And thou so well doest loue good wittie Bookes That makes thee like Apollo in thy lookes For Nature hath thy Visage so much grac'd That there 's the Ensigne of true friendship plac'd A Chaulkie face that 's like a Pewter spoone Or Buttermilke or Greene cheese or the Moone Are either such as kill themselues with care Or hide-bound miserable wretches are Giue me the man whose colour and prospect Like Titan when it doth on Gold reflect And if his purse be equall to his will Hee 'le then be frolicke free and Iouiall still And such a one my worthy friend art thou To whom I dedicate this Pamphlet now And I implore the Heau'ns to proue so kinde To keepe thy state according to thy minde Yours with my best wishes IOHN TAYLOR THE VERTVE of a IAYLE and necessitie of Hanging MY free borne Muse of Bondage rudely treats And strange vagaries in my Braine-pan beats Whilst I vnmaske vnuisor or vnueile The vertues of a Iaylor and a Iayle And then of Hanging and the Hangmans Art My lines doe end and at the Gallowes part First I doe finde in Histories enrold Iayles for antiquity are very old For Ioseph was in Prison false accus'd That he his Masters Wife would haue abus'd And all the world doth vnderstand a Prison Is not an vpstart Fable newly risen And Ieremie was vnder bolts and locks By Pashur once imprison'd in the stocks And after that he twice was put in Thrall For true foretelling Israel Iudah's fall The Sacred Histories doe well declare That Prisons for their time most ancient are Yet though my lines doe speake of Iayles I see That mine inuention and my Muse is free And I doe finde the name of Prisone frames Significant Alluding Anagrams As thus 1. PRISONE Anagramma NIP SORE THere men are Nip'd with mischiefes manifold With losse of freedome hunger thirst cold With Mourning shirts and sheetes lice some store And thus a Prison truly doth Nip sore 2. PRISONE Anagramma IN ROPES AGaine the very word portends small hopes For he that 's in a Prisone is In Ropes 3. PRISONE Anagramma IN PROSE TO all good verses Prisons are great foes And many Poets they keepe fast In Prose 4. PRISONE Anagramma NO PRISE INdeed it is no profit or No Prise But woefull purchase of calamities The name of Iayles by letters transposition Doth very well discouer their condition 5. IAYLES Anagramma I SLAYE ANd well it doth befit it euery way The Nature of all Iayles is still to slay There are men slaine most strange tormenting waies In name fame state and life with long delaies 6. BONDAGE Anagramma BANDOGE ANd Bondage like a Bandâ—gge still doth gnaw Fangd with the tushes of the byting law 7. IAYLER Anagramma I RAYLE THis doth befit the Iayler wondrous trimme He at the prisoners railes and they at him 8. ARESTING Anagramma A STINGER A Resting very well with this agrees It is A Stinger worse than Wasps or Bees OR 9. ARESTING Anagramma IN GRATES THis very word includes poore prisoners fates Aresting briefly claps em vp In Grates 10. SERIEANT Anagramma IN ARESTE TO turne this word vnto the very best A Serieant In Areste doth breed vnrest OR 11. SERIEANT Anagramma IN TEARES IN cares and Teares he leaues men to lament When Credit Coine and goods and all is spent 12. WARDES Anagramma DRAVVES A Prisoners purse is like a Nurse for why His Ward or lodging drawes or sucks it dry A Iuâ—y here of Anagramms you see Of Serieants and of â—ailes empanneld be And now my pen intends to walke a station And talke of Prisons in some other fashion That Iailes should be there is Law sense and reason To punish Bawdry Cheating Theft and Treason Though some against them haue inuectiue bin And cal'd a Iaile a magazin of sin An Vniuersity of Villany An Academy of foule blasphemy A sinke of drunkennesse a den of Theeues A Treasury for Serieants and for Shreeues A Mint for Baylifes Marshalls men and Iailors Who liue by losses of captiu'd bewailers A Nurse of Roguery and an earthly hell Where Deuils or Iaylers in mens shapes doe dwell But I am quite contrary to all this I thinke a Iaile a Schoole of vertue is A house of study and of contemplation A place of discipline and reformation There men may try their patience and shall know If they haue any friends aliue or no There they shall proue if they haue fortitude By which all crosses stoutly are subdude A Prison leades the Creditor vnto His cozning debter that would him vndo T is Physicke that preserues a common wealth Foule Treasons snaffle and the curbe of stealth The whip of hellish pride the scourge of lust The good mans helpe in plaguing the vniust Were Theeues and Villaines not in prison put A world of Throats past