my selfe A Bullocke or young Steere when he is to bee tamed they first halter his legges throwing him downe on the ground then they fall a shooing of him after that they binde a rope or a cord to one of his hornes which they suffer him to traile after him for some fewe daies and when they are minded to bring his necke to the yoake they yoake him with an old Oxe that hath beene long vsed to the plough and so by little and little disposing him thereunto they teach him by these degrees to beginne to draw handsomely and in the end to be as perfect as the best of them That young man therefore that hath a desire to be old let him leaue to follow my steps and let him striue to subdue his passions let him prepare and dispose himselfe to labour and in dispight of his owne will let him strongly struggle and wrastle with his idle and foolish desires and throw them flat on their backes to the ground that they may neuer rise vp any more to make resistance against him And when he hath thus gotten them downe vnder him let him binde them fast with that double twisted cord of Patience and Humility and let him traile after him for some certaine daies these his strange and dangerous appetites spending his time in vertuous exercises and many shall not passe ouer his head before hee be brought to bow his necke to that holy yoake of repentance and by yoaking him-selfe with good company hee shall quickly be inured to the plough wherewith he shall breake vp the earth of his euill inclinations But let no man thinke that hee shall bee able to doe this at the first dash and that once trying what he can doe shall be sufficient to make him grow perfect Some I know will not sticke to tell me I would doe this and I would doe that my will is to it but c. Let him speake this to such another as himselfe and to one that is of the like quality and condition as he is For I know well enough already that he is not willing to doe this nor to doe that For they that are willing indeed vse other more effectuall meanes And nothing is hard to them that will set them-selues hard to it Peraduenture such a one thinkes or expects that God should open the heauens and miraculously strike him to the ground as he did Saint Paul But let him not looke to haue the like course to be taken with him lest he be accounted a foole for his labour God threw him to the ground and humbled him sufficiently when he afflicted him with sicknes when he laid troubles vpon him and when he suffered him to be toucht in his good name if either then or now thou wouldst accept of grace while it is offered thee thou shalt be sure to finde it But thou wast neuer willing to entertaine these good motions much lesse to humble thy selfe with Saint Paul and to city out with him Domine quid vis vt faciam Lord what wilt thou that I doe What is thy diuine will and pleasure Thou wilt not like Paul be for God and yet thou look'st that God should be for thee And if he dealt thus with Saint Paul it was because God knew the earnest desire that he had to know and search out the Truth and that it was his zeale to the Law that did thus ouersway him the current whereof being turn'd another way he would be as feruent for the Gospell And you can instance but in a few that haue beene saued by a bare intention without any good worke These â—…o are to concurre in one intention and action I say if we haue any time left vnto vs for action or wherein we may doe any good worke And then shall a â—…me intention of amendment of life and a hearty sorrow for our sins past be accounted a good worke when the night of death shall sodainly ouertake vs and shut vs vp in darknesse But hauing day enough to worke and labour in the Lords Uineyard both these ought to goe together I meane intention and action For neither the spade alone nor the hand alone can digge and dresse the ground but hand and spade must both worke together But who hath put me into this theame Was not I in Florence euen now to my great content Thither doe I returne againe I assure thee that the more I walked vp and downe that Citie the more desirous I was to plant there my Pillars and not to seeke for a Plus vltrà For it was euen as I would haue wisht it to be all very beautifull and delightsome And if therein resided either flattery or enuie I tooke no great heed thereof but let it runne to others account for I was none of those that were comprehended in that Decree I had nothing to doe like Iudas with the almes of the poore nor could any preiudice thereby come vnto me being that I pretended nothing in Court And if they would any way haue holpen me I had no need to vse them Or had I stood in need of them I would not haue made any vse of them they euermore seeming vnto me the greatest meanes of mischiefe that euer came yet within my knowledge For one onely flatterer is sufficient alone of him-selfe to ouerthrow a Commonwealth if not a whole Kingdome Happy is that King and fortunate that Prince whose Subiects serue him for loue and who out of his wisedome leaues now and then an eare open to the peoples complaints as also their aduice for onely by this meanes shall he come to know truthes whereby hee may redresse those things that are amisse and keepe off flatterers from abusing his eares There would I haue liu'd all the daies of my life and haue past away the time like a Duke had I had wherewithall But I was in a manner blowne vp and all my money was almost spent I need not to confirme this vnto you with an oath for you may very well if you will beleeue me on my bare word The Riuer now began to grow drie and my store to faile me for Del monton que sacau y no ponen presto lo descomponen Pull from your heap and put nothing to it you or your heape if not both may rue it So that my moneys still going out and none comming in if I should haue staid any longer there I should quickly haue runne my-selfe out at the heeles and it would haue beene a great disreputation for me to haue come in a horsebacke and to goe out a foote I thought it good counsell to vphold mine honor and to depart from thence both to my credit and content before that being forced thereunto by necessity I should come to discouer my wants and be bound to stay still there for lacke of meanes to be gone I acquainted Sayavedra with this my purpose and plainly opened my minde vnto him For by this time I
downe laying fast hold on me they fell a searching mee thinking to haue found the stolne-goods about me They tooke off the Pack-saddles searched the Pannels leauing not so much roome as you may put a pins-head betweene which they did not narrowly pry into and when they could find nothing there then they beganne to exclaime and cry out vpon me Ah thou thiefe confesse and tell vs the truth for we will hang thee here presently if thou delay vs any longer They would not heare me nor admit of any excuse I could make for my selfe and in despight of the world without any other cause giuen saue their own selfe-will and opinion I and no other man must needs be the fellow They gaue me many blowes thumpes on the brest boxes on the eare with the backes of their hands and many other outrages wherewith they tormented me and all that I might not be suffered by them to speake for myselfe and to pronounce something in mine owne defence And although it did much grieue me to see how ill I was vsed by them yet I could not choose but laugh to my selfe for that my companion was worse dealt withall laying more load and harder blowes vpon him than me as a receiuer and concealer of this theft and that he was my partner and sharer therein Doest thou not here perceiue the peruerse inclination of men who haue scarce any feeling of their owne miseries when they see those of their enemies to be greater then their owne I was not halfe Cater-cousins with him because by his meanes I had lost my Cloake and sup't vpon a Mule And therefore I did beare mine owne hurt the better because hee suffered somewhat more than my selfe They did beat him without mercy they had no pitie of him in the world but were still bawlling vpon him that hee should discouer whither he had carried these goods and to what secret place hee had conueyd them The poore man that was as innocent as my selfe and as free from any such fault as the child that is new borne did not know in the world what to doe He thought at first that they had beene but in iest with him but when he saw they were in earnest and past so farre beyond the bounds of sport and that it was now no longer a iesting matter He curst the dead to the diuell all those that should but shed a teare for him This sport did nothing please him and wisht by this time with all his heart that he had neuer seene mee The Gowne as they say was now brusht cleane not a specke to bee seene all was vnfolded and searched ouer and ouer but nothing at all to bee found and though the theft appeared not yet the rigour of their punishing ceased not But as if they had the Law in their owne hands or had beene to fit vpon vs as our lawfull Iudges they did vse vs most cruelly both in word and deed perhaps it was giuen them so in charge amongst other their instructions Now they being weary with punching vs and wee with suffering it they began to bind our hands and pinion our armes to carry vs backe vvith them to Seuill Let it be in thy Letany that God would deliuer thee from committing any offence against these three Holy's The holy Inquisition the holy Hermandad and the holy Crusada But if thou bee faulty then pray That the Lord would deliuer thee from the holy Hermandad for the other Holy's hauing as they haue vpright Iudges men of truth knowledge and Conscience their Ministers notwithstanding and vnder-Officers are of a different condition And your Sergeants and Catch-poles belonging to the holy Hermandad are in the generall a kind of most lewd and wicked people men without Soules and not worthy to be spoken of or named amongst honest men And very many of them for a very little matter will not sticke to sweare that against thee which thou neuer didst nor they neuer saw more then the money which they tooke to beare false witnesse against thee vnlesse thou bestow the wine vpon them or otherwise content them by greasing their fist They are in conclusion of a rascall kind of race very Varlets Buckle-bosomes Collar-catchers in a word they are Sergeants and Catch-poles and so by consequence theeues passants or but an Ace lesse and as we shall tell you hereafter those that rob the Common-wealth where-soeuer they come as if they had a Commission for these their open thefts And now my honest Sergeant me thinkes I heare thee mutter that I speake amisse telling mee that thou for thy part art a very honest man and dost exercise thy Office well without abuse vnto any I confesse as much and say that thou art such an one and that I know thee to be so But tell me my friend and let vs speake it in secret betweene our selues that no body may heare vs doest not thou know and confesse ingenuously that this is truth which I speake of thy fellowes if thou knowst as much as thou canst not choose and that it is so indeed I talke to them and not to thee Now had we quite lost our Clergy-men we shooke hands with them at the first who walked afoot their way and we ours Shall I tell you vvhat I thought with my selfe if you will giue me the hearing I will Trust me all the blowes that I receiued nay Death it selfe would not haue beene halfe so grieuous vnto me as to see my selfe brought backe againe in this manner to mine owne Countrey if their resolution had held if they had carried me to any place where I was vnknowne to it and it vnto me it had not beene a Pins-poynt matter I should haue set light by it and cast it at my heele especially considering that in the end I must be set at libertie and come off cleare and that the truth would at last shew it selfe and make it knowne to the world that I was not the man they took me to be We were drawn along like dogges in a paire of couples afflicted in that manner as thou mayst imagine if euer the like misfortune should happen vnto thee I know not how it came to passe but so it was that one amongst the rest lookt stedfastly vpon me and said to one that was by him How now what 's this I feare mee we haue taken our marke amisse and through our too much haste haue run into an errour The other answered Why thinke you so Hee replide Doe not you know that he whom we are to seeke after wants his left Thumbe and this Youth you see is sound in that part Whereupon they went to read their Requisitoria which did set downe the markes whereby they should know him and they found they had beene deceiued almost in euery one of them But questionlesse they had a great desire to beat some-body and so fell vpon him that came first to hand Presently thereupon they
to vnderstand that I am a Gentleman my natiue Soyle Saragoça in Aragon my name Iayme Uiues which I borrowed from my father for so likewise vvas he called It is not many yeres since that following an occasion it being the nature of young-men to bee in action I fell into the Moores hands and was made a slaue by a subtill kind of trechery and false play of certaine fained friends which whether it were occasioned through their enuy or my misfortune is too large a tale to tell you It shall suffice that I deliuer vnto you that being in their power they sold me to a Renegado one that had renounced his Christianity who how he did vse me it is inough to haue nam'd his condition He led me along with him till he had brought me to Granada where a Gentleman bought mee called Zegri one of the principallest persons in that City This man had a sonne of the same yeeres with my selfe vvhose name was Ozmin who because he was the very picture of my selfe as well in age as in stature feature fauour condition and all things else whatsoeuer for that I did so truly resemble him he was the more desirous to buy me and to vse me the better that it might breed the greater fastnesse and friendship betweene vs. I taught him all I could or knew according as my selfe had learned of my friends at home in mine owne Country which was the more perfected in mee by the frequent practice of such like exercises being of that common vse with vs as nothing more From whence I reaped no small benefit for by conuersing with my Masters sonne my knowledge was thereby increased which otherwise I might haply haue forgot and experience teacheth vs That men by teaching come to learne Hence grew to be refined both in the sonne and father that affection which they bore vnto me trusting me with their persons and wealth so much did they rely vpon my truth and honesty This young Gentleman was a Suitour to Daraxa daughter to the Alcalde de Baça my Mistresse whom you so much adore the marriage was treated of and vpon the point to take effect for the Articles of agreement were already drawne and no doubt the match ere this had beene concluded had not the warres hindred it and the present siege that was then layd vnto it wherby they were forced to deferre it till some fitter time Baça was shortly after yeelded vp by occasion whereof this intended Marriage hung in suspence And because I was then Dominus Fac-totum and the onely man in fauour and trust with them I went and came with presents and other inter-changeable kindnesses from the one City to the other it being my good fortune to be in Baça at that time when it was rendred vp and so I recouered my liberty together with many other Captiues I would faine haue returned home to mine owne Countrey but I wanted money In the end I had notice that a Kinsman of mine was abiding in this City Two things did concurre to draw me hither the desire I had to see this place being so noble and magnificent a City and the supplying of my wants the better to performe my Iourney I continued here a great while without finding him that I sought for for hearing no newes of him but such as were vncertaine it turned to my vtter vn-doing by finding that which I did not seeke for as in such cases it commonly falleth out I vvent wandring vp and downe the City and hauing little money and much care it was my happe to meete with a rare piece of Nature an admirable Beauty at least in my eye howsoeuer in other it might be otherwise but that 's all one beeing that is onely faire which most pleaseth To her I deliuered vp all my faculties leauing to my selfe not one of them to liue with me I made now no more any reckoning of my selfe nor possessed any thing which was not hers This faire workmanship is Donna Elvira sister to Don Rodrigo and daughter to Don Luys de Padilla my old Master And because counsell as the saying is springeth from necessity seeing my selfe so wholly lost in her loue and not finding any meanes to manifest my affection together with the quality of my person I held it my best course to write Letters vnto my father of the recouery of my liberty and that I was indebted in a thousand double Ducats and that he would be pleased to supply me with so much moneys for my reliefe Which businesse succeeded well for hauing sent me the whole Summe and a seruant with a horse for my iourney I put my selfe into good Cloathes and fitted my selfe with all things necessary according to mine owne mind The two or three first dayes I began to make that street my walke giuing many a turne at all howers of the day but could neuer haue the happinesse to see her Now from my continuall walking that way I began by some suspicious people to be obserued who seemed to haue a watchfull eye ouer me wherefore for the auoyding of Spyes I with-drew my selfe from my wonted walke and betooke my selfe to a more retired course of life My seruant to whom I imparted my Loue-businesses thinking vpon some course for me aduised me as beeing elder and better experienced then my selfe finding a certaine piece of Worke going forward in my Lords house to suite my selfe like a day-Labourer and to change my name that I might not be knowne and so ranke my selfe amongst the rest that are hired to digge and carry away the rubbish from the Masons worke I began to consider with my selfe what might happen thereupon but because Loue ouer comes all difficulties and Death is too weake an aduersary to withstand its force all feare was layd aside euery thing seemed easie vnto me I put on a resolution to entertaine his aduice and so I did accordingly At that time there befell mee an vn-expected accident vvhich was this When the Worke was finished they receiu'd me into the house to be their Gardiner Then neuer till then was that happy day that I long looked for my Moone was now come to her Full and I was now climing to the height of my good fortune for the very first day that I supplyde that place and had but newly set foot within the garden I luckily met with Daraxa she wondred to see me there and I no lesse to behold her We gaue an account each to other of our liues relating our mutuall misfortunes she recounting hers and I mine not sticking to tell her how farre I was in loue with her friend and in what fast Fetters she held my heart intreating her withall that since shee had such cleare knowledge both of my parents and selfe and how nobly I was descended she would bee pleased to fauour my pretension and to worke so with her by her good intercession that I might come by the holy Rite of Marriage to enioy the fruit of
liu'd and ill they dye as was their life so was their end What doth he thinke with himselfe that suffers himselfe to be made Waxe when he taketh from one that which is his right or that which he iustly deserueth and doth transferre it on a foole or some vn-worthy person whom he hath a desire to pleasure Shall I tell thee what becomes of this man in the end He melts and drips away like Waxe not knowing how nor which way he comes to bee consumed his health decayes his honour diminisheth his wealth wastes away his friends faile him his wife his children and his kinsfolke are taken from him by Death on whom as on the proppes of his house leaned all his pretensions he is swallowed vp with Melancholy as it were in a graue or some deepe pit yet knowes not the cause why nor whence it should proceed But the cause my friend is that these are the whips of God wherewith he scourgeth them temporally in this world in that part which shall paine them most besides that which he reserueth for their farther punishment in the world to come And his diuine Maiesty for the comfort of the righteous is willing that those that doe dissolutely sinne by doing publike and open wrongs contrary to all right and reason should be corrected in the sight of men and in the open view of all the world to the intent that they may magnifie him in his iustice and draw consolation vnto themselues from his mercy which is also made knowne in the chastisement of the wicked Wouldst thou liue in health wouldst thou bee cheerefull and merry wouldst thou continue free from those disturbances which might giue thee cause to lament wouldst thou abound in riches and leade a contented life without melancholly Take then this rule of me Make thy dayly account with God confesse thy selfe vnto him euery day as if that very day thou wert to dye Let Iustice be obserued by thee in that maner as it is defined and set down vnto thee giuing to euery man that which is his due Eat of the sweat of thine owne browes and not of the labours of other men and to this end store thou vp such riches as are well and truely gotten so shalt thou liue contentedly so shalt thou be happy and euery thing shall prosper and thriue with thee and all shall goe well with thee and thine In good sooth I am halfe afrayd that this consideration of mine hath ledde mee on a little too farre where-into I haue so farre thrust in my foot that I had need of some helpe to pull it out I haue launched out too much into the deepe and ingulphed my selfe before I was aware I haue almost lost my selfe in this businesse in dilating vpon this point and should runne out much more at randome if I should goe about to tell you why and how some of these things are thus and thus carried whether out of priuate interest or affection or passion c. But I will bee silent all shall bee hush with me for I will not in these tongue-controlling dayes that the Law take hold vpon mee Secreta mea mihi My secret I will keepe to my selfe I will locke it vp close in mine owne bosome besides good and discreet silence is counted a holy thing Though in that which I haue spoken I acknowledge my excesse and confesse I haue with the Cobler gone beyond my Last this being a point of doctrine fitter to bee discussed by a Preacher then a Picaro These barkings will require better mouth'd Dogges Let them stretch out their throats and yawle alowd that they may discouer the theeues But alas it may happely or rather vnhappely bee that they haue their mouthes stopt with a crust which makes them to hold their peace CHAP. IV. Guzman de Alfarache deliuereth a learned and witty Discourse conceyued by himselfe against the Uanity of Honour touching by the way vpon the Vices of Seruants of Shop-keepers of Notaries of Proctors of Iudges of Artificers of Apothecaries of Physicians and of Lawyers I Haue made a long and a tedious digression and am well witting thereof to my selfe But I would not haue thee make it a matter of wonder for the necessitie that enforced me therevnto was very great And if two or more hurts meet in one and the selfe-same body it is good discretion to succour the more important not being vnmindfull in the meane while of the lesser So doth it often occurre in Warre and in all other things whatsoeuer I assure thee by the faith of an honest man that I am not able to tell thee which of the two were the greater either that which I did let alone or that which I tooke in hand considering how much both of them imported and of what consequence they were But let vs redeeme the Pawne that stands ingaged and returne againe to our former matter following the pursuite of that Discourse of whose footing we haue found the pricks already It was my hap one day to beare in my basket which I brought from the Shambles a quarter of Mutton for a certaine Hosier or Gentleman Taylor I had by chance at that time about me certaine old Coplas or Ballads which in a kind of broken tune still as I read this or t'other line I fell a singing as I went along My good Master hauing as it should seeme listened vnto me look't backe on the sudden and smiling said How now my totter'd Raskall a pox take you for a ragga-muffin can you reade you Rogue Yes marry can I Sir quoth I I thanke God I can reade reasonable well but my writing is better then my reading Sayst thou me so Boy And with that he intreated me that I would teach him to write his name or to make some marke that might serue for a subscription or vnder-signing hee cared not which for either would serue his turne I pray Sir said I what good can this doe you What can you benefit your selfe by hauing learned to make a bare marke and no more Me thinkes you should haue no great vse for that alone vnlesse you could write too Yes marry haue I Sir quoth he for I haue much worke goes through these hands of such and such great men I make all the cloathes their children weare and there by the way he reckons me vp a bead-roll of these and these Lords and therefore I would very faine if I knew how learne to write my Name or to make my Marke that if occasion were offered I might not be taken for an Asse and say like a foole as I am when I am call'd to subscribe Indeed Sir you must pardon mee I cannot write And so this businesse broke off as abruptly as it began And I making a large Soliloquium and meditation to my selfe went on a good while with the same after this manner Heere Guzman thou shalt see what a kinde of thing Honour is seeing it is conferred
aside to goe fetch a Plate and on it I brought him all that I had stolne for in very deed I had not tasted thereof the quantitie of a Nut hauing only done it for the ostentation of my wit When he lookt vpon it he ask't me What 's this I told him I now deuide with your Lordship part of my theft He reply'd I will'd thee that thou shouldst fill thy selfe and not filch And therefore now you haue lost I answered I haue neither fill'd my selfe with it nor so much as tasted what it is nor doe I thinke that I haue lost by doing of this for this is that wherewith I meane to fill my belly Besides all that was stolne out of the Box is yet whole and intire as you may very well perceiue but if because I haue shew'd my selfe honest I must suffer for it which way shall I walke to goe right if you barre me of the path wherein I ought to tread My punishment does not trouble me nor does it grieue me that I haue lost as long as I am perswaded I haue wonne howsoeuer I may be ouer-borne But I will be wiser the nex◅time and be sure to lose no more vpon the like match Nay Guzmanillo bee not angry said my Lord I would not thou shouldst grieue or complaine for this I confesse I haue done thee wrong and haue blamed thee without a cause but I prythee tell me said hee out of which of all these Boxes didst thou take this forth I put forth my hand and told him This is it my Lord and I shew'd him how and which way I did it Hee was well pleased with the subtilnesse of my wit but hee could haue wisht that I had not had so much finenesse in me for he was afraid lest one time or other I would mis-imploy it to my greater hurt Hee willed me to take the Boxe notwithstanding for my paines and to carry it away with mee Many such things as these came from me and he tooke pleasure both in them and me as being sleights of the hand vsing these iuggling trickes more for sport then harme If any of my fellowes should chance to fall asleepe when he should waite and giue attendance they might the next day goe buy them new shooes and stockings for Flyes of waxe were sure to be their Cocks to wake them Our exercise was euery day two houres in the morning and two in the Euening to heare our Schoole-master reade vnto vs of whom I learned for the time that I studied there the Latine tongue which I had reasonably perfect I had a little Greeke too and some Hebrew The rest of that vacant time which wee had from seruing of our Master which vvas God knowes very little wee bestowd in reading of bookes telling of tales and in gaming If we went forth a doores at any tine it was only to coozen the Bun̄oleros and amongst the Cookes our credit was very good for Pye-meate We would goe a-nights to play the waggs with the Curtizans and to exercise our wits vpon them and to sing songs at their doores And thus did I spend my time till my beard began to bud And howbeit it may seeme perhaps to thee a life of entertainment and full of mirth yet it was to me as if I had beene ty'de to a stake with a collar of iron about my necke exposed to shame All this was as a stinke in my nose none of these things could content me night and day I did sigh for the losse of my former delights But when I once began to write Man and was able to girt a Sword to my side I would haue beene glad of any augmentation of honour whereby I might haue gained some hope to haue proceeded farther And I verily perswade my selfe that if my Actions had deseru'd it I should not haue wanted the meanes But in stead of getting iudgement and doing things that were vertuous for to gaine mens good wils and thereby to binde them vnto me I fell to gaming euen to the losse of my cloathes from my blacke and as I was some-what of the freest so was I too liberall in my play I made it my study to benefit my selfe by all tricks and cheating deuices that I could inuent or learne and especially when I plaid at Primera How often when I went vpon two Cards would I take three and conueying fiue now and then into my hand would set vp my rest vpon the three best How often would I take the last Card and clapping it vnderneath would see whether it were good for me or no and in an instant looke on the other already seene and then make my best aduantage of them which was all one as if I should haue robb'd a man vpon the high-way How often would I haue a friend sit by me which should seeme as if he were asleep and should supply me with Cards vnder the boord to serue my turne How often had I a Copesmate that stood by looking vpon the others games who would tell mee what Cards they went vpon and what their game was all which he signified vnto me by such secret and cunning signes that it was impossible for them to finde it out How often would I so set and packe the Cards that I vvould deale to him that playd against me two and fifty and hauing an Ace to helpe me would make my selfe fiue and fifty or else with a fiue incounter foure and fifty and so either winne the Game by one peepe or by the elder hand Now when we were two against one and plaid bootie and dealt the Cards one to another how often taking the discarding Card and clapping it on the top would we play on till we could make our aduantage of it how by a beck or a nod did we know how the world went how to shuffle and mixe the Cards so as to make our game sure how to set some priuy marke or signe vpon them whereby to know them how to know them by the corners being bigger or lesse and a thousand the like which wee made good vse of either by the helpe of a stander by that shared with vs or by corrupting him that sold the Cards which are ordinarie things O how many lewd prankes did I play in that kinde how many rogueries how many villanies there was not that cheating or coozening tricke which I was not acquainted withall and had at my fingers ends And as I was perfect in the knowledge of them so did I put them in practise when time serued For such is the blindnesse of play that those that are crafty and cunning in their gaming haue a large field wherein to expatiate themselues and to shew their skill And if it might be lawfull I say lawfull that as in the Common-wealth houses of sinne are permitted for the auoiding of greater inconueniences there were appointed in euery principall Citie or Towne Masters of this coozening and cheating Science of whom