after this care they were in anextacie considering what they would do in the possession of their loves as if they had alreadie verily past the night and overcome the difficulty This doubting and hammering of theirs served me well to my purpose that they might not perceive the gulleries that I put upon them and the smoake that I sold them Whereby I finde that those who paint Love blinde have great good reason for them because that if they not bin so they would have perceived all my promises to be nothing but winde and that the meanes which I propounded to them were for no other end but to gull them CHAP. X. In which he proceedeth to relate his invention begun with some discourses of Love between the Governour of the house and this Gallie-slave THe night being come which be a day for me inlightning the heaven with infinite numbers of starres so bright and resplendent that they dazeled the light of the day and filled my soule with joy when my honest Governour enters the Gallie brave Gallant and clothed with the best apparell that he had because that amongst other directions that I had given as well to him as to his Master the chiefe was that they should be fine brave as being a thing most requisite and necessarie for Magick skill and having saluted me with close embracements he said to me friend that thou maist know that I can doe what I will at the Captaines hands and that I want not goodwill to help thee thou shalt know that through my intreatie he gives thee leave to leave off thy chaine for this night and it may be for ever that thou maist walke with greater libertie and performe thy businesse and what is 〈…〉 though the Captaine 〈◊〉 â—ome difficultie I deaâ—t so earnestly that I obtained this favour in earnest of that which I desire to do 〈…〉 I who then was more knavish and more dissembled then foolish fell into some suspition imagining that this liberalitie offered ere it was desired was fained and but only to try me wherfore I answered him Sir I thanke you for the care you have had of me obtaining of my Master that he will take off my chaine a favour which I would kindly accept if it were possible but it is not because I must not change the estate that I 〈◊〉 in nor one point of that which is of my estate it being necessarie that he who shall make this tryall must make in the same estate apparell that he is accustomed to weare and so I may not goe but in mine owne clothes 〈◊〉 with the chaine because otherwise we shall do nothing The Governour was not a little contented with my answer being assured that there was in me no kinde of deceite nor malice but the pure and simple truth pittying me beleeved assuredly that there was more passion in my words then Iustice he embraced me the second time saying friend God who is wont to give the salve according to the wound hath brought thee to this Gallie that by it thou mightst come to the knowledge of my Master and enjoy the speciall favours which thou shouldst promise to thy selfe from his liberalitie if the businesse fall out well How well answered I him hath the Captaine any suspition that I would deceive him No by the world answer'd the Governour seeing that though thou wouldst doe it thou couldst not but it is the great desire that we both have to soften the hardnesse of these she-Tygers and to turne them to our love that makes us thinke that impossible which is easie for thee to doe and this is usuall amongst Lovers I never was one answer'd I and though I should be more in love then was â—arcissus I should never purswade my selfe that day were night that 〈…〉 and other fantasticall imaginations that haunt Lovers which rather may be called follies and idle thoughts then love passions It well appeareth that his darts have not strucke thee saith the Governour for if thou hadst tried them thou wouldst not have spoken with so great freedome and so little trouble Know friend that Physitians ranke this disease amongst Melancholiâ—e passions into which the diseased falleth beleeving that which is not and framing a thousand phantasies and visions which have no other ground but their perverse and corrupt imagination which workes the same effect in Lovers giving them an impression of jealouse to an other of disdaine to an other of favour making a mountaine of nothing all which is bred of a burning desire which they have to possesse that which they love But to be willing to perswade this unto him who hath not tried it is to desire to draw water with a sive and to weight the earth I am no Doctor Master Governour I answer'd him nor yet Batcehler because being left yong friendlesse and poore I lived also without knowledge having only foure words of Latin Neverthelesse by the use of reason well knowen of all sciences I understood the smal reason that Lovers have to be so oft troubled upon so small occasion as they are troubled because of necessitie their affections tend to two points to wit that the woman must be good or evil faithfull or disloyall If she be good faithfull answerable to your affection in mutuall love it is a great follie to be jealous over her if she be unfaithfull and known for such a one there needs no other counsel but not to trust her nor love her Whence may be coÌ„cluded that all the accidents to which you say lovers are subject are the overflowings of follie and wants of wit it being a notable extravagancie to love one that hateth this being supposed that hatred cannot be the subject of love nor love of hatred seeing we ordinarily love them that bind us thereto by their love If it went by experience saith the Governor thou wilt lose thy cause because usually they â—ate these that love them best taking the fight of a dying man for the occasion of their hate and it is a voice in them now a dayes turned inâ—o a nature to shun those that follow them and to abhorre those who adore them as the Captaine and I have hitherto made a long and unhappy tryall Thinke not so Master Governour I answer'd that you have made a good conclusion for if you will have the patience to â—eare me I will make you see clearely in what your arguments faile and know that love ceaseth not to love nor hatred to hate there being no 〈◊〉 of nature and he that foster'd you in this philosophy hath fed you with 〈◊〉 milke because that Loâ—â— alone not being accompanieâ— with other circumstances which are to be proportioâ—nable and reasonable is noâ— all the motive of an other love That Princesse of noble bloud should be tyed to love a Porter that dieth for her onely because he adoreth her I deny your proposition she is no wise bound to doe it nor her well to affect him the
object that might move her not being in him As a Prince hateth to the death a poore damsell because she depiseth him being unwilling to give consent to his wanton love whence it may be gathered that neither the Porters love 〈◊〉 in any case tye the Prinâ—â—sse wil nor Damsels scorne â—all breed hatred in the â—rinces minde Seeing that 〈◊〉 love is found the good 〈◊〉 profit and pleasure which 〈◊〉 the hookes with which 〈◊〉 will is taken then it is 〈◊〉 motive of love and the â—ady shal not be able to hate â—im who loveth her upon â—hese conditions but therein â—eing unequalitie and dishoâ—our she may do it You shall more clearely perceive this 〈◊〉 hatred because when a man dieth for a Gentle-woman she hates him exceedingly this hate is not that which inflames his love but the account she makes of her honour the feare of shame if she should consent to the pleasure of him that loveth her which consideration makes her coole and backward and him extreamely passionate Whence it is concluded that the woman offendeth not in hating him that worships her nor any man ought to hate such a woman that disdaineth him This thy Philosophie my friend answered the Governour is framed of moe words than learning and I could refute it by plaine reasons if time did afford 't is leasure but the houre is already come the Captaine will looke for us only I would intreate thee to be mindfull of me as a friend making thy inchantment of equall power with the crueltie of the Gentlewoman of whom I have spoken to thee Away with this care Sir answerd I for I will doe it in such sort that though your Mistresse were harder-hearâ—ed more frozen then the Alpes she should be turned into a Mountaine of fire hotter then Mount Aetna of Sicile I beleeve so said the Governour but I cannot chuse but wonder why thou being so cunning a fellow didst not enchant the Iudge to be in love with thee and not have condemned thee to the Gallies If this secret were good for a man said I a hundred yeares a goe I had bin a Duke or a Governour of some Province if I had not bin a Monarch It is not good but for women because he that first found it out gave it this vertue only That alone sufficeth me saith the Governour if with it I can soften that adâ—â—mant but with the hope that thou hast given me I hold the victorie as certaine and I hinder my selfe that I doe not see to morrow already With these words we came to the other side of the harbour where my kinde Captain waited for us with great impatience and unquietnesse by whom I was very well received he asking me why the Governour had not taken off my chaine as he had charged him I answered him the same things which I had before answered the Governour wherewith he was exceeding wel contented They leapt both on horse backe I followed them at leasure because of the waight of my chaine and being about a â—â—ague from Marselles we â—â—rived at the place appointed They lighted down and â—ying their horses at a tree we with drew our selves to â—â—ther to the place where our â—â—yall was to be made taking them with some necessary ceremonies and telling them what they should say I â—â—ade a Circle on the ground whispering I cannot tell what strange and uncouth words and turning my selfe often sometimes towards the East sometimes to the West with some ceremonies so unusuall that they made the Captaine and his Governor of the house both of them 〈◊〉 and fearefull At haffe an houres end after that I had gone turning about like a foole I made the Captaine goe within it charging him to say after me who was so obedient and so forward to all that I would have him that if I had then cut off his mustaches he would have beleeved that it was needfull for the inchantment I made him strip himselfe teaching him to say certaine words to every parcell of his clothes which he put off which he pronounced so exactly that he lost not one syllable beleeving that if he had missed in one jote he should have marred all this businesse With this ceremonie I stript him to his shirt he never making any shew of feare noâ— suspition being assured that he was safe enough by the presence of the Governour who was much astonisht to 〈◊〉 them finish'd it seeming to him that there should neither bâ— time enough nor inchantâ—ent sufficient for himselfe Pitty so moved my heart that I could not take off his shirt â—aving compassion of his inâ—â—cencie because it was then the coldest time of all the winter and either through â—eare or cold such a veheâ—â—â— quivering and shaking â—f all his joynts tooke him â—ith such a chattering of his 〈◊〉 that the noise thereof 〈◊〉 Have bin heard halfe a 〈◊〉 from the place I 〈◊〉 and encouraged him with the shortnesse and quick 〈◊〉 of the inchantment 〈…〉 assured possession of 〈◊〉 love injoyning him in 〈◊〉 meane time to be silent 〈◊〉 telling him that if he spake but one word we should be presently in lesse then the twinkling of an eye all of us in Barbary He then being in this plight that is to to say naked in his shirt I gave him a knife in his hand commanding him to make some stabs towards the foure quarters of the world at every one uttering some words 〈◊〉 the conclusion I made him goe into the sacke That which I then saw with mine eyes was a wonder a miracle of God because I alwaiâ—â— imagined that as he was going into the sacke he should suspect something that 〈◊〉 mine invention should 〈…〉 nothing but a little 〈…〉 not more obedient 〈…〉 â—â—ilde than he was 〈◊〉 that without any resistanâ—â— or shew of mistrust he went in being still assured by the presence of his Governour and the ignorance he had of his loves Which was good for me for if he had known that the Governour was to be inchaÌ„ted also he had never gone into the sacke Finally having packed up the poore Captain I laid him along upon the ground with his belly upwards tying the sacks mouth with a cord that was by me speaking stiâ—â— to the Governor to encourage him and wishing him to have patience a quarter of an houre the enchantment was to last So having left him in this taâ—ing the Governour and I went aside about a stones casâ— who said to me in an exceeding great pelting chafe I wil lay a wager that thou hast forgotten something of my businesse for here I see neither sacke nor knife for me as for the Captaine Here is no need of a sacke said I because your Magicall experiences are made stronger or weaker according to the greater or lesser cruelty that Gentle women have and the Captaines being exceeding disdainfull I have made the enchantment of a sacke for her which is the
Art hath beene alwayes preserved among the Nobilitie sith Paris stole Helen ravisht before that by Theseus The same Theseus stole Ariadne and Iason Medea The Lacedemonians of whose policie and good government Plutarch maketh honorable mention had this laudable and vertuous custome of stealing and hee that was most cunning and subtile in that Art was in greatest account and estimation amongst them The very mothers taught their children while they were but little ones to steale holding it for an infallible point of policie that they could never be good and brave souldiers if they had not beene cunning and well experienced theeves I will not tarrie now to tell the name and reputation which Vircat got himselfe by his thefts nor the renowne which Crocota deserved by them in the time of Augustus Caesar for I should never have done CHAP. VI. The theefe followeth his historie proving that all men of what qualitie so ever are Theeves THis Noble profession of stealing hath evermore as I have said beene held in high esteeme amongst the greatest and best qualified men of the world but as there is no kinde of vertue nor noblenesse which is not envied by the vulgar it became in time so ordinarie common that there was not so very a Butcher or Porter who would not imitate the Nobilitie in their thefts Whence and from the little discretion and exceeding great boldnesse that then was amongst people it was one time so disdained and disliked that those who did openly follow it were punished with shamefull paines and accounted infamous But as all things of the world have their contrary weights time would needs finde a remedie for this abuse seeking meanes to steale without punishment and so disguised that not only theft seemed not vice but was esteemed a rare and singular vertue To this end many brave spirits invented the diversitie of Offices and charges which to this day are exercised in the world evâ—ry one of which serveth 〈◊〉 a maske or cloake to makâ— his harvest and inrich himselfe with another maâ— goods And to the end thaâ— you may not judge my word rash nor my proposition toâ— bold runne I pray you oveâ— all states that are in the Common-wealth and you shall finde that wee all are the children of Adam For I thus argue That man that hath an Office of a thousand Crownes of rent without any other living pension or patrimonie holds a house for which hee payes eight hundreth Crownes a yeare keepes a horse two Pages and a footeman his wife and two waiting Gentlewomen his children and a Master to â—ach them who to keepe â—ll this traine hath neede â—f more then a thousand crownes every yeare yet notwithstanding with all this charge he is found at the yeares end with two suites of apparell free from debts with five hundreth crownes of gaine and yet it rained no more on his field than on other mens nor hath he inherited any thing of any of his parents or friends Ergo a Theefe A Tailer that eats more than it cost him and at sixe yeares end gives ten thousand crownes portion in marriage with his daughter never medling with other trade save his needle and his sheeres Ergo a Theefe A Shooe-maker that keepes six prentices in his shop and workes but foure daies 〈◊〉 weeke and those not whollâ— at three yeares end that twâ— tenements builded in thâ— fairest streets of the towne every one of which 〈◊〉 worth two him three hundreth pounds of yearely rent without any other stocke but that of his leather Ergo a Theefe The Clerâ—e who for every sheete of paper that he writes hath but a shilling and who writes scarcely sixe moneths of the whole yeare which are hardly ended but hee is seene to have his Velvet stooles damaske courtains silke-hangings and other rich ornaments which never came to him by heritage Ergo a Theefe Of the same kinde you shal find in all Offices giving you to understand that 〈◊〉 doe not speake here of the good and honest but of the â—ewd and baser sort who â—linded with profit and gain â—reade under their feete the â—eare of God the love of their neighbour and the truth of their own coÌ„science who force the poore and â—eedy to take sixe pence for that which they sell in their shops for twelue pence it is I say of those by whom the evills that I have mentioned ought to be understood And by reason that the great attention with which you doe harken to my reasons discovereth the desire that you have to know all that can be said upon this subject I will shew briefly the invention and deceits which the naughtie Tradesmen use for to robbe and steale The Tailer stealeth asking a third part more of cloth then there needeth to make a sute of and when he that putteth it out to making presuming to be wise enough for the Tailer would be by to see it cut he vexeth him and casts a mist over his eyes marking foure houres along the peece and overthwart and when hee hath at last dazeld him with a great many strokes and lines with his chalke hee throweth a false ply under the sheeres with which at the cutting of a paire of breeches one breech abideth with him for his gain besides buttons silke lace and lynings The linnen Weaver stealeth in asking more yarne than the web hath neede of laying fiftie ells instead of five and fortie and with the remainder of many broken threeds he pincheth out the length which makes worth to him the eight part all which he stealeth The Cordwainer restoreth with his teeth that which hee stealeth with his biting and drawing thinne the leather so that of one paire of shooes which one giveth him to make there resteth to him at least an upper lether or a heele for a third And if the lether be his owne he sets on a rotten soale with rotten threed to the end it may be the sooner spoil'd and fall off which I thinke but stealing The Physitian and the Chirurgion both steale the one appointing and th' other applying plasters which feed the disease and make it worse to the end that the time of the cure continning long the fees may be the greater and the more The Apothecarie stealeth with a quid pro quo putting in one drugge for another and taking that which is cheapest not considering what humour should be purged and what vertue the drugge hath which he applyeth in which hee stealeth the honour and reputation of the Physitian and the sick persons life And if haply any call for an oile which he hath not he wil not faile to give of that which hee hath for oile of or other costly oyle which any shall have asked them that they may not lose the credit of their shop The Marchant stealeth in putting out his money upon use taking more than the statute alloweth and writing downe in his booke such a debt which it may be shall be thrice
strongest of all Oh! brother saith the Governor what is this that thou hast done mine is hard-hearted disdainfull a Tyger and a Lyonesse for the Captaines though she loves him not notwithstanding shewes him some favour and if it goes by disdaine we neede a hundred sackes not one only what shall we doe Be quiet Master Governor said I then seeing him afflicted for there is a remedy for all but deaths for that which is not in one threed shall be in a hundred I will make with the haires and the cords a hanke which shall have no lesse force then the Captaines sacke and for as much as your Mistresse is so cruel as you say I wil adde thereto a small matter which shall make her that she shall never be able to take rest while she see you It is that which I looke for myfriend answerd hee let us martyr her in such sort that my love may torment her thoughts her memory performe my businesse quickly before my Masters be ended Speaking thus we came to the rooâ—e of a tree the place at which I had told him that his inchaÌ„tment should be made and in an instant making a circle â—eaching him what he should doe I made him goe into it starke naked to the skin because I had neede of a shirt Having him there in this fashion I tooke his Mistresse haires twisting them with a cord I made a big roule with which I tyed his hands to the stumpe of a tree shewing him the mysterie that was hid in every ceremonie I would faine also have tied his feete if I had not feared that hee should have suspected this to be rather the fact of a Robber then of a Magitian but as his hands were enough for my purpose I would do no more Finally having made theÌ„ 〈…〉 bouÌ„d defended froÌ„ the sharpnes of the cold aire with the onely fire of Love that burned in their heart there was no body that could hinder me to give two or three knocks at the lock of my chaine with a hammer that I carried in my pocket and taking their horses and clothes I got me out of sight being armed like 〈◊〉 S. George I tooke 〈…〉 high way to Lions CHAP. XI In which the Theefe 〈◊〉 the disgrace that happenâ—d to him about a 〈◊〉 of Pearle WIth the victorie of this daÌ„gerous journey I tooke the high way towards the town of Lyons joyfull to see my self free the owner of foure and twentie double pistolls which I found by the hazard in my Masters pockets with which and with their clothes being brave gallant I went into the towne falling in love with as many brave Dames as were there I talked of love to all that I met with and receiving particular favours of some because my presence and my clothes assured them that I was a man of some great house and of good ranke True it is that to keep them in this errour and to hold my selfe in the good account with which I had be gun I oftentimes visited the Merchants of greatest credit telling them that I lookt for some Merchandise from Venice and promising to deale with I made them in love with me and they trusted my words as much as my outside and my honest looks did deserue By which by counterfeit noblenesse some Gentle women tooke occasioÌ„ to be as far in love with me as Thysbe was with Piramus to whom I gave correspondence in the best manner â—hough I understood that I was not so blinded with love but this colour'd goodwil these fained sighs tended rather for my monies then for any good quality or beauty of mine But as there is nothing that can resist the kinde alluremeÌ„ts by which a woman maketh warre against him whom she minded to deceive I suffered my selfe a little to â—e carried away by amorous shewes of a Gentle woman of the towne merry pleasant c who entertained me best though she was none of the fairest who making shew that she was taken with my love in a short time emptied my poore purse leaving me like an Image wrapt up in velvet I pressed also to binde her by allmeanes possible answerable to her fained affection not so much for my contentment as for that she was provided with fine knackes which she had bin accustomed to aske of any new lover such as are chaines rings bracelets above all a chain of Pearle so bigge round bright that at the very sight of them any man of courage would desire them This friendship at first was very hot had a prosperous gale of winde but as soone as she perceived the weakenesse of my purse she struck the sailes of her good-will began to looke upon me with a crosse sowre countenance an accident which in some sort put me in doubt made me distrust that I should never work my seate which I had projected at the beginning of her loves So before that any falling out or vexing should rise between us relying upon the kinde offers which a little before she had made me making me understand that not only her goods but also her very life shuld be sacrificed to my friendship I requested her to â—awn her chain or her Pearls for to contribute with her for the expences of the kitchin assuring her that I looked for two thousand Ducats from a living which I had in my country But as they are old and subtle in their trade so they are also in their distrust and so she excused her selfe saying that the Pearles and the chain were pawns of a friend of hers who was to â—ome and redeeme them the 〈◊〉 day and that her honor should be greatly endangered if she had them not in readinesse There needed no small 〈◊〉 to cover the annoy which that crafty answere bred me â—or little wit to turne into jest such a plaine denyall So without making any shew or answering one word to that purpose I fell a laughing most heartily over her shoulders saying to her that it was a device that I had framed to try her good will and to see if she would indeede confirme that which she had promist by her words and drawing out of my pocket a counterfeit letter of Exchange I made her reade it that she mighâ— see the power that was given me to take up eight hundred Ducats from a rich Marchant of Lyons whoâ— she knew well where with comming to her selfe from her rugged coynesse shee fell againe into her smiling humour giving me a few light blowes on my cheeke calling me distrustfull and mocker I went away from her with a thousand embracings making her beleeve that I was going to receive a part of that sum and God knowes what my heart was But as povertie hath ever bin the mother of inventions amongst many others which my imaginatioÌ„ afforded me I choosed out one which was to sell my 〈◊〉 at any rate whatsoeâ—er being content only to â—â—ve monie