so muche more is hée strayned to geue reckoning to God of the distribution of it And therefore if any saye vnto you you haue inough to lyue vppon without trauaile tell him he is eyther a flatterer or verye ignoraunt not knowing that God by his intollerable ordinaunce hath bounde vs al to trauaile without excepting any creating and apointing vs to labour as hée hath made the birdes to flye sayth Iob And if Adam afore sinne was put in the Terrestrial Paradise to trauaile there as the scripture sayth much more is man bound thereunto after sinne ¶ The Ritche sort haue more to trauaile then the poore and in what Such as labour in mind trauaile more then the painefull labourer A proofe hovve idlenes is the cause of other euilles Idle men are malice dreamers Exhortacion not to follovve idlenes Exhortacion to trauaile by apte comparisions vvherein idle Beastes are expulsed from the societye of others that trauaile The .9 Chapter GReat trauaile belongeth to the Ritch man who more then any other hath as it were his worke cut out if as hee ought hée discharge the dutye of his estate towardes God For howe many sicke and néedly people be in his toune so much the more is his trauaile to visite them to distribute amongst them of his owne proper welth and to procure contribucion of the other sort to whom in cōmon belongeth that charge ouer the poore If according to saint Paul the poore artison bée bounde to trauaile with his handes not onelye for his owne reliefe but also to haue meane with the gaine aboue his owne necessitye to geue ayde to the wantes of others how much more is the ritchman strained to the distribution out of whose abundance maye bée spared without hurt a compotent portion to sustaine many Such as are to trauayle in minde as the pollitike and ecclesiastical Pastors haue a burden of labour farre more heauy gréeuous painefull then the others For by how much the spirite is more noble excellent thē the body by so much is his labour more vehement painefull consuming all the vertue and force of the body Wherof it hapneth that in such people as in their estates are vsed in the trauayle of their mindes are for the most part founde infirmities and weakenesse of body subiect to diseases drye leane and thinne rather the images of dead men then of bodyes bearyng life And where we sayde that from idlenesse deriued all other vices euyls we may well call it the very sincke spring of all corruption of maners from thence comes whoredome as is expressed by Ezechiel in the example of Sodome Gomorrhe and appeareth also in Dauid who walking in his Gallerye beholding a farre of Barsabe bathing in her Garden entred into lust committed adultery with her Where if his minde had not béen in that leasure and abstinence of businesse or if as be confesseth in his Psalmes he had then as at other times thought on Gods Lawe prayed or béen occupied in great affaires as belonged to so great a Lorde he had not fallen into so wicked an acte Was not the idlenesse of Eue the cause of her destruction and our death If she had been busily employed to labor in the earthly Garden where God put her with Adam she had not wandred to beholde curiously the fruite that was defended her nor had spared her eare to the tempting of the Serpent no the Serpent woulde not haue come to haue entised her to an acte so miserable Idlenesse makes men théeues gluttons and disposed to all wickednes and therfore the ecclesiastick saith That it teacheth men much malice Therefore is it sayde and seene in experience that people of Cities be more subtile deceitfull and malicious then those of the countrey because to their ease in the citie is ioyned time and leasure to dreame thinke vppon malice a naturall inclination of Adams séede whereto the vplandishe sort being still followed with labor there is no respite of tyme nor dispensation of trauell Salomon repeteth in many places that néede and pouerty be the two ordinary handemaydes of negligence and idlenesse calling them most foolish that follow idlenesse séeing he that trauayleth hath wherevpon to liue in an other place hée sayth that the slow hand opneth pouertie but the hande of great workers bringeth richesse he exhorteth the slothful to trauell by the example of the Ant who appliyng diligence to oportunity laieth vp his releefe liueth in plenty The Pismyre spareth not in the sommer to heape vppe little graynes to féede him in the winter wherevnto he is not taught by any schoolemaster the like industry is in the Honny bées yea in thinges profitable good and necessary to our lyfe their trauell their industrye their art their paine and the profit that our liues receyue by them is ynough to moue shame to ydle men and bring them into a trayne of trauayle for profit the Oxe the Horsses and the Asses do trauell then man who hath so manye doctrines and commaundementes to draw him to labor can he deserue lesse then publike confusion and punishment and in the ende to dye of hunger in his extreeme age therfore sayth the wise man who trauayls not shall fall into such necessitie that he shall begge yea God will punishe him on such fashion that he shall finde no man that will giue vnto him Let the fable of the Pismyre which trauelled alwayes and of the Crycket which spent the Sommer in singing bring him to beholde the truthe The Crycket after Sommer is spent hauing not to liue vpon but begging for his sustenaunce asketh almes of the Pismyre who demaunding what he did in the sommer aunswered that he song then daunce now if thou wilt sayth the Pysmyre for me my store serues mine owne turne and I haue néede of it Great is also the example of prouidence in the Bées who with an industry aboue the Ant make profitable good and artificiall workes all being resolued in trauell some in the feeldes and others in their Hiues not one of them losing the opportunitie of the weather and if there be any dranes amongst them who being eyther vnprofitable or ydle seeke to deuour the common store of hony and liue of the labors of others the whole companies driue them out of their commonweale as vnworthy of the socyety of the true laboring Bées In their order pollicy and trauelsome lyfe is expressed good example of order in commonweales polleticke wherein as there ought to be no tolleration to anye ydle bodye but all the world driuen to follow some vocation so where is a loyterer let him with the vnprofitable dranes be expulsed punished according to his merite and if the silly Bées also trauell in common and ayde one another not sufficing to gather only for themselues but also for vs what iust shame and condemnation may be ascribed to Christians who ought by nature and are by grace all members conioyned
meaning in releeuing theyr hungar plentifully repayring theyr bodies if they bee naked In recompence whereof God promiseth large blessings to theyr houses al their posterity And to induce the Israelits to this hospitality which properlye is no other thing then liberalitye to strangers for whose succor perticularlye Hospitalles were erected called by the Gréeks Xenodocheia whiche is places where Pilgrimes were bestowed as where the sicke were lodged was called Nosodocheia and where the common poore were bestowed Prochodocheia and in our time al such places of succor named at this day Xenodocheia beare the name of hospitals for straungers or passangers hée puttes them in remembrance that euen them selues were straungers in Egipt forbidding them to do them any dollor or wrong S. Paul also in a more zeale sayth that theyr Patriarkes dwelt not but in Tabernacles Lodginges portatiue thorow countreys hauing no permanent dwelling vpon the earth for that they confessed they searched a better abiding in heauen by which meane as also S. Peter with him he geueth vs aduertisemēt that wée are all strangers and being not of this world we haue our countrey house in heauen where is laid vp our inheritance with our euerlasting father And therefore let vs take héede as strangers be armed against al desyres of the flesh worldlye pleasures which hinder vs in the wel performing of our pilgrimage in this wicked world But in déede that we be truly strangers who searcheth the original of families yea of al cities coūtreis shal find that since certain times we are come out of strange countreies It can not bée denied but that we are discended of Sem Cham or Iaphet the children of Noe who for theyr first habitacion choase the Regions of the Orient therfore being discended of them we can not deny how auncient soeuer we make our Citye or countrey but that it was builded many thousand yéeres after so in the consideration of our auncestors wée can not be but straungers And as god then hath singularly recommended straungers so S. Peter S. Paul stoode in like care ouer them when they enioyne vs to succor them without murmor meaning that we should not excuse or complaine of the burden of Hospitality or that wée had not sufficient to norish the poore of our perticular tounes dwellinges for by our charity that way sayth the scripture wee shal receiue great reward yea euen the same which Iesuch Christ hath promised in S. Mathew I was sayth hée a stranger or passanger and you lodged mée in my pouerty for which hospitalitye he promiseth recompense of eternal life Abraham Loth and Tobias vnder the habit of poore straungers or passangers receiued Aungels into the succor of theyr houses to whom for recompence were prouided many blessinges as to the fyrst promise to haue children in his old age Loth was preserued from the fyre wherewith Sodom Gomorre were consumed to Tobias was geuen the Angel Raphael for the happy successe of al his good desires by whom was guided happely reguided his sōne with abundance of goods restitucion of the sight which hée had lost Dauid confesseth that God holds in singular grace the stranger pupill poore widowe and in Deutronomy it is witnessed the God kéepeth a deare care protectiō ouer the poore stranger such as haue béen vnpitiful to straungers haue suffred seuere punishment as was expressed by god to those people which denied passage to the poore Israelits cōming from Egipt into Canaan would not aforde meate to sustaine theyr liues But if the Egiptians intreated Abraham so gently in time of famine what ought we Christians to do to our poore brethren And as such as gaue louing aide to the Israelits when they wandred into Arabia were highly fauored of God so when the Egiptians entred into hard dealing with that people did they not begin to search theyr owne ruine Where so long as they gaue fauor to that desolate flock of Israel they florished in al worldly felicity were euen Lords ouer al theyr humane desyres Al which examples ought to remayne to our gouernors of this time as warnings to cherish more such poore passangers and strangers to whome the place afordes no special fauor credite nor knowledge then other the needy sort naturall to their Tonnes known abroade in the countrey least being abandoned of succors which is more oftē seen then pitied they dye vnder hedges theyr bodies remaine in pray to Rauēs Dogs Wolues other vermine of the field For which vnpitiful dealing great plagues of famine pestilence or other miseries haue happened to those places from whence they were reiected For the death of such as are secréetly killed as perishing for not being succored in their nakednes pouerty procureth vengeance in the scripture against the inhabitaūts of the place by whose inhumanity those poore soules are suffred to dye What may bée then aunswered against our polletike worldlinges of these daies who with theyr goodly fraile reasons impugne the very expresse cōmandements of God neglecting so many Ritch ample promises wherof they are not worthy which God hath made to such as harbor such kind of poore They alleadge that when vittails grow deare it sufficeth theyr proporcion to norish the poore of theyr perticular Townes that if they gaue entrye to strangers in so straite a time they should famishe them selues and fyl theyr tounes with mouthes without meate and so they holde them vnable to sustaine so great a charge By which reasōs may be gathred that in time of darth it behoueth to suffer to starue die the true poore passāgers who without suttelty or affected pouerty passe only by countreys hauing no commodity of sustenaunce but by almes trauailing to ouercome theyr necessityes fall eyther into the spoile of Théeues as happeneth to Marchants or driuen into the wages of the Warres which of al other refuges is a most pitiful and daungerous succor In this case as the dealing of one Cite is an example to other countreys who with cōmon consent dispatch those miserable soules to theyr destruction eyther by Robbery flaughter or rage of Hungar. So howe can those gouernors eyther auoide the crime of Murder or merit the reward of Christian charitie which at such seasons and to such people ought chieflye to bée showed when is pitye either more necessary then in time of darth or more meritorious then in cases of extreame necessity wée reade that wée must communicate that is to saye distribute our common goodes to the necessityes of the holy ones which are christians sanctified haue wée not commaundements to norish our enemies to geue them meate if they bée oppressed with hungar to reach them drinke when they suffer thirst and yet we restraine lodging and refection from him which beséecheth vs in gods name which honoreth vs with his knée touching the earth which geues vs reuerence as to his lord yea hée
prayeth to God for vs with ioyned handes offereth his teares for our prosperity and yet in refusing to aide him wée chase him also frō vs as if hée were an Infidel wée reade that to geue to the poore impouerisheth not the geuer for god multiplieth the corne in the garnors of the Almes geuer blessing him with al sortes of Goodes wée reade in the Booke of Kinges that a poore widdow lodged Helias the Prophete in a season of extreame famine and hauing but one litle loafe for the whole sustenance of her selfe and family and imparting it with him as in Almes and charity Bread was not wanting in her house vntyl the time of fertillitye An other Woman lodging Heliseus became Ritche and had a Childe for recompence of her liberall hospitalitye yea let vs remember when Christ in the desert fedde the poore and hungrye troupe of so many thousand mouthes as hée was in the exercise and distribution of that Almes the Loaues and Fishes multiplyed in wonderfull abundaunce ¶ VVee must not feare that by geuing Almes wee shal be poore for God vvho is iust and true hath promised not to suffer the almes geuer to haue necessitye Strangers aboue al other sortes of poore are to be fauored in necessity Let the countreyes as vvell as Cities norish their perticular poore Such as distrust the prouidēce of God not norishing the poore are conuinced by the Turkes reasons by the vvhich vve ought not to haue distrust In times of plague ought such prouision to bee made as the poore dye not of vvant and pouertye ¶ The .5 Chapter THen seeing we haue so many cōmaundements to féede harbor the poore in theyr necessityes with ample promises cōfyrmed with exāples of plentiful graces of God why should wée doubt if wée doubt of his word we cannot bée but Infidels shal wée dare to resist God impugning so fiercelye his commaundementes are we not his subiectes is not hee the Lord which can do al thinges which is iust and true In this doubte and infidelitie wée merite the threatning in Salomon That that which wee feare shall assuredly happen vnto vs Or in place of that some other more gréeuous plague wée shal crye to him for ayde and shal find none neyther in life nor in death He sayth who kéepeth no reckoning of the poore or denyeth him his iust demaund doeth wrong to him that hath made him who heareth not the prayer of the poore shal crye shal not be hard as of the contrary who inclineth in compassion to the poore is sure to bée heard in al his requests for we haue declared that God multiplieth the corne in the Garner increaseth the wine in the seller of the Almes geuer who sayth hée wyl geue ayde to the poore of his owne towne and stretche not him selfe to helpe others Rates him selfe and prescribeth to his wil what he thinketh good leaueth to God to doo with the rest what hée will which can not but bée heaped against him as an ouerwéening rashenesse speciallye to deuide and parte that which hée hath set in state indiuidible willing at the least that wée vse as great care to poore straungers as to others that are familiar to the countrey The reason why God in the Scriptures hath more recommended poore straungers then others is that as hée that hath most néede of ayde ought most to bée succoured and is worthy of most great compassion So the straunger hauing neyther Parent Allye Neighbor or other meane of friendship by the commoditie of the countrey standes in most néede of Christian charitye For the which only being for the loue of God onely hee is succoured and not for other ende Therfore séeing the only respect of the loue of God is more great in this case then in other greater necessity also requiring the almes employed there must necessarily bée more great and the charity more commendale Heare if it bée replied that wée are most bound to our owne countrey I aunswere with S. Paul that there is neyther Iewe Greeke Scithian nor Barbarian in Iesus Christ no neyther woman nor man as who saye wee must not make distinction with Iesus Christ touching charitye no more then in the case of Saluation wée meane not heare of Parents kinred who in the actes and duty of charity ought by right of nature and deuine Lawe to bee first considered Besides although as we haue saide there were some fleshly affectiō yet the causes are greater to exercise charity to poore passengers as being more vexed with wantes haue more necessity of helpe yea hospitals or townes as we haue said were made therfore with the time expressly and principally for them For those within cities were sustayned in the particuler houses of wealthy and honest men Why should not then the place consecrated to their vse euen from the first institution be reserued for them What iniquity is it to take from them that which they haue possessed aboue prescription of time But heare I meane not that to reléeue straungers we should be carelesse ouer our familier poore and leaue them destitute But where is feruency of charity there the towne maye suffice to all so that none perishe with hungar And in our charge to nourishe straungers I comprehend them not but as passangers or wayfairing and to bée refreshed for a daye or twoo in the Hospitall and not to entertaine them in idlenes or geue sufferāce to theyr vaine pleasures touching the weake sicklye there is other consideration For in that nor in any other act wherin wée employ our selues to do wel charitye is not ruled but is gouerned by the necessitye And where it may bée feared that a whole world of poore people of the countrey may flock to the townes That doubt is answered if there bée aduertisement geuen that they receiue none but poore passangers and that those of the countrey bée ruled by a generall ordinaunce that in euery parishe the most Ritch of common liberality reléeue such as are trulye poore so that none bée suffered to come out of the countrey but certaine who eyther for shame or other necessary occation wil go séeke some meane to liue by Such men in any wise must bée applied to trauaile to auoide damnable idlenes of whome if any fal to disorder let him bée sent from whence he came with seuere threates of corporal paines hauing perhaps left Father Mother wife and children who by his absence may suffer sharpe necessitye Touching other feares which these timerous Almes giuers maye alleadge they ought no more to bée hearde then Infidels but are surmounted euen by the Turkes of this age with whome are continued goodly Hospitals to nourishe the poore but speciallye passanger strangers and that in time of dearth more thē in any other season Let also those fearefull Christians note that as true faith and charity haue neuer any feare but obedience to God with suretye of his word So the wise man
immortall purtraits of the diuinitie of God and in hospitalles only the corruptible and mortal bodies of decayed men are fed and cherished In Colleges also poore children may bee susteined if the houses haue liberal dowries the same ministring great cause to the gouernours to prouide Colledges séeing also it is a common interest to all men to sée to the good instruction and education of youth what course of science so euer they take as hauing no abilitie of them selues to know what is good honest profitable nor what is conducible to the safetie of their soules and much lesse to discerne God and searche out his wil yea they shal be ignorant in their rule and gouernment of humaine reason so wicked and obscure a nature carrie they by sinnes so ignorant is their spirit so peruersed their will and affections whereby those children folowing time without discipline and institution should fall into infinit errours and dissolute manners and as vice encreaseth as the wicked wéede groweth without culture or labor and euery minde by his proper nature caried to doe euill where vertues can not bee attained without discipline and instruction so these young forward plantes if thei should not be licorred with wholesome moysture and moderated by the industrie of skilfull workmen they would bring forth fruites of corruption and troubles to their common weales and in the end ouergrow them to their generall destruction Let it be therefore a principall care in chief Rulers to erect Colledges building them in places ayrie cleane and faire obseruing the commoditie of the Sunne and wind reflecting temperatly a thing very delightful to the wit and profitable to the health of the body foreséeing that they carrie such state in showe and buildinge that aswell the beauty of the workmanship as the serenitie of the place may draw children of noble houses to passe their youth there and inuite other good wittes to establishe and follow the studie of learning The romthes standing in such amplitude and the chambers so many that they may conueniently conteyne the nūbers of schollers within the house being very hurtfull by many reasons to make separation of studentes one from another and vnder the chambers to bee made formes to the ende the Regentes and maisters remaining in the said chambers and hauing vnder them the said fourmes may better kéepe their schollers in dutie then if their fourmes were elswhere bestowed if the place be commodious it is necessary to make libraries in the sayde chambers which would bée very requisite for good Studentes for to yonge children and such as beare no vehement will to studie they would be but occasion to hinder or disorder their exercise it were good they were bestowed in a mild swéete and softe aier if the place beare commodity for the recreation and pleasure of wittes the windowes of these ought to haue aspect towardes the East and West for the South resolueth the wit and dulleth it and filles the braine with hurtfull vapour and the wind of the North as in winter when it is cold hindreth the memory and is hurtfull to the lyuer and lightes because it stirres vppe defluxion Secondly a Colledge or schole ought to bee indued with reuenue sufficient to entertaine a principall and Regentes of singular vertue and knoweledge with wages accordinge to their order and qualitie and that with such iust payment that they haue no occasion to complaine of their common weale nor of such by whō they are called to the exercise of that profession Touching the reuenues of Colledges without the which the stately buildings should séeme as cages wherin the birdes died of hunger for want of prouision goodly to beholde but not to dwell there the Church in other tymes hath prouided for her part a principall Regent for which purpose shée leauied foure or fiue hundreth Frankes of estate in the Cathedrall Churches for the finding of a man of excellent learning and vertuous life who at this day retaynes the name called Scholemaister and the Bishops and common weales supplied the reste as thei saw necessitie require wherein for the default of some of our predecessours discontinuinge this good and holy institution I wish our Ecclesiastical prelates of this time to restore and recontinue so auncient and necessarie constitution would where neede is either erect newe Colledges and encrease their reuenew or at least repaire such as are towardes ruine and of their grosse reuenues superfluous for the countenance of a churchman compart some porcion to the fauour of learning honour of God seruice of their countrey and their owne perpetuall memorie and as those holy and graue prelates of the former tymes saw there were no better meanes to preuent heresies and correct vices then by laying a ground of good instruction in the first yeares of youth so if their successours had succéeded them aswel in example and imitation as in their huge and wealthie liuinges they had stopped the course to many sectes and opinions which only are the cause at this day that Christendome standeth deuided in religion and the kinges thereof drawen into actes of mutuall conspiracie In some places common weales and cities onely haue had the honor to builde endue Colleges with a reuenue of a thousand or xii C. Frankes at the least for the which they haue bene and are amongest all other cities most celebrated Others not hauing like abilitie in wealth but no lesse forward in affection to learning séeking not to be slow or negligent in that which they sawe raysed their common weale to benefite and them selues into immortall honor procured brotherheads to be annexed leuied generall and particular gatheringes to erecte and endue their Colledges and solicited Bishops to transferre the ayde of certaine benefices makinge by that industrie their colledges both faire and riche wherein in some places as the prince to helpe the want of some townes vnable but well disposed to plant such foundacion of a common weale hath wisely appointed the Cathedrall and Collegiall churches to bestow Cannon prebendes to the reliefe of Colledges specially in their capitall Townes where ought to bee the residence of learned men to teach the whole Diocesse So in many townes specially in Fraunce where they haue so ready meane and either will not or dare not applie it to vse what great offence doe they to their Countrey and pitiefull wrong to their vniuersall youth for where their cities are poore and haue chapters and riche churches to supplie their prouision with the reuenue of prebendes whilest they are voyde yet they leaue the care and prouidence of their prince without execution and are negligent in the instruction of their poore frayle youth for the which they stande not onely condemned afore God but also subiecte to reproche in all posteritie yea euen of the youth them selues to their perpetual dishonor young wittes being by their negligence abandoned to vices ignorance and all sortes of dissolution where if they had ben trained in a colledge they
ferme corne and forestall the market such to whom the goods aperteined had made sale to the commoditie of them selues and to their poore neyghbours where these deuouring golphes of marchauntes in respect of their perticular gaine care not to put a whole worlde to vndoing for the husbandman selling his féeldes and working cattle becomes poore euen he that afore was in good estate to liue The laboring man hath his refuge in begging and his wife daughters abandoned to extreme pouertie subiect to filthie prestitution yea some of them dying of hunger what recompence to these wronges what relesse to these extremities how can these wretched marchantes and manslears satisfie so greate offences all the indulgences and full pardons of that counterfet priest of Rome can not absolue them from dampnation if with contricion they wéepe not and crye in heauines for the mercie of God all the dayes of their life and with good Zachea satisfie to that which they haue gained vnlawefully and commit the greatest parte of that which remaines to almes and déeds of charitie and compassion which if they do not all the miseries happening by their wretched couetousnes shall be written in their forehead afore god in condemnation and they shall finde verified vppon them selues the effect of Salomons warning that cursed shall he be aboue all the people of a nation which hath hid corne gathering it from all partes into his priuate garners and not put it to vent till the world wéepe for hunger In this may be comprehended also the dearth of all other thinges necessarie to mans life the same being the cause and for such like great abuses that with Saint Ambrose the traffike of marchants was holden an estate damnable wherin it behoueth the magistrate by constraint to opē the garners of such gréedy storers as being a thing of most equitie to make perticular profite giue place to the common benefit specially where the perticular is superfluous and not necessary to the owner ¶ How the Marchaunt maye performe his lawful trades and gaine iustly in his estate Chapter xj THe Marchant cannot lawfully make this prouision of corne and other common vittels without doing hurt but in two causes eyther when the straunger séekes to make so great transport that without careful prouision the countrey would within the yere fall into great want of reliefe then such prouidence of the marchant is both vertuous and commendable and worthy of honest profite not such as their couetousnes requires but according to the rate and iudgement of the gouernours or when there is such plentie that it lieth voyde to vse there common store fully furnished and the perill of the yere already past or els prouided for Thus did Joseph in Egypt foreséeing the dearth necessitie to come There is besides this a prouidence of good marchaunts both more profitable and of greater gaine as when they sée an iminent necessitie of vittels in a countrey but chiefly in their owne then to traffike into straunge countreys where is plentie as Gods infinit goodnes hath so prouided that by the plentie of one nation shal be supplied the wants of an other to entertaine them in amitie and perpetuall confederation Many marchants in many townes become very riche by those traffikes for which and such like marchandise was first instituted bringing profite to many and doing hurt no none It is not long since that a marchant of Brittaine died welthy in many thousand crownes rising to that estate from an almes asker and basket carier it pleased the Kyng by the report of his wealth and his franke liberalitie to the poore succouring the good sort without interest or vsery to reason with him how he became so riche to whom as a Philosopher he aunswered with buying deare and selling good cheape explaning his meaning to the Kyng in this ciuill modest circumstance Sir quod he when I vnderstood that in any forreine coūtrey corne was good cheape deare in this realme I resorted thither with as much money as I could borowe of some of others such marchandise as I knew to bee deare in that countrey And béeing there I had quicke vent of my wares with reasonable gaine and with the money bought somewhat aboue the market so much corne as my proporciō would stretch vnto By which meanes vppon my retorne embasing the price of corne in myne owne countrey euery one ranne to mée desirous with ready money to bée my chapmen and so making my retorne for the most part euery two Monethes I gayned by both voyages And so according to the increase of my stocke I roase to furnish Shippes Barkes and Boats of mine owne setting many idle mariners on worke and succouring many other sortes of poore people for the which God blessing my labours I encreased in wealth as it were sléeping neuer receyuing any notable losses my mind my léege being alwayes voyd of care my body in estate disposed as you sée The Gentlemen of the Countrey also séeing my successe in wealth were sometimes contented to make me their Farmor and suffered me to gayne plentyfully vnder them for the which I accompt me bound to remayne at their deuocion Thus Sir I gained both by land and Sea and am by Gods onely goodnes risen to this little wealth which to your Maiestie is made great ritchesse The king deliting in the ciuilitie and roundnes of the man attributing with all much to his merytt for dooing good to the whole realm made him a gentleman with armes to his great comfort and contentement of the estates of Brittaine who had earst commended him to his Maiestie Let this example leade other good marchantes for the honour of their estate and proper vocation to vse the like prouidence to succour the necessities of their Countreys by their honest and well meaning industrie Many maye bee here the questions of many busie marchantes who if they cōsider wel of the lessons in the first two lawes may be both resolued and satisfied Can I saith the marchant suffering some wast in his corne eyther by leckage or other common casualtie or hath his cloth marred in the carriage or by his owne negligence is beguiled in his wares recouer my money if I may not sell aboue the market to redéeme my losses or seeing my intention was to bring reliefe and profit to the whole common weale is it reason that on me onely should be laied the losse and hindrance I aunswere if his will were such and his desire in déede christian and that hée had in venture the commō money of the citie he ought to be ayded of the general store as being a publike minister and factor of the Citie But if they be harde to consider his losses and more straite to restore him to succours hee hath his comforte in a patient hope that God at some other time will recompense his present losses with greater gaine as no man is without hys perplexities so no marchant doth
forbare to meddle withall getting by this meanes full power and libertye to make the sound sicke and to geue death to suche as are but litle diseased the same being more familiar with him then to cure one onely Ephemerides or an Ague of one fit Such one shal beare more renoune then euer did Hipocrates or his interpretour Galien and his name so plawsible that in it is drowned the estimation of others in whom is more knowledge iudgement Honesty and Sad experience So that these counterfeites in whom is none other experience then in cōmon Herbes or receiptes or haue the faculty to make Distillations applying them to all diseases without iudgement of the reason or obseruation of Ages complexions Times Places and other Circumstaunces shall drawe more Dignitye and Credite with their masking behauiour then other Phisitions whose skill is approued by aucthoritie of the Vniuersities Wherin if these deceiuers deserue rebuke seueritie of paine the common people is no lesse reprehendible for their hasty credulity Therfore it behoueth the Magistrate to bée so muche the more prouident in these cases by how muche the life of man is precious being committed to the hazarde of such men Who so euer hath any processe of det House or land hee wil recommend his cause to the best Lawier hée can finde Much more doeth the case of life require care and prouidence specially where is more perril of death then profe of knowledge And now touching the seruice of good Phisitions in common weales this is to bée obserued in their election that they bée learned faithful wise and well experienced it is a good argument that they are learned if they haue diligentlye studied Philosophie and beene three yeres at the least resolute practisors in Phisicke and ten yéeres in the medicine Theorical employing twoo of the last yéeres in Anathomie in the knowledge of Herbes and in Pharmacopole to vnderstand the composition of al medicines those thrée things are to bée learned by the eye To the wisedome of a Phisition is required an exquisyte iudgement whiche is made perfect by experience wherin by necessary reason they ought to haue good vnderstanding séeing they haue the life of al sortes of men in iudgement with power to dispose without appeale to any higher Iudges but to God where to all other inferiour Courtes belonges this prorogatiue That albeit the Iudges bée neuer so wise yet there is liberty to appeale to higher places And if in a common consult assembly of Phisitions to debate vpon a disease there can bée no good resolution where is no grauety of learning experience much lesse ought a yong phisition to bée receyued whose want of practise takes from him the estimation of iudgement and experience So that it is highly necessary to the credite of a Phisition to study the time appointed and duly runne ouer the thrée thinges aforesayde Then let him haue conuersation certaine yéeres with learned Phisitions practising in Cities and good Tounes A custome which certaine phisitions vse to their learned disciples carying them with them when they visite their paciēts explaning by palpable demonstration of the eye hand the true practise of the Arte Which sort time of exercise wyl bring vnto them hability of practise wherein they néede not faile for want of experiēce the like is obserued amongst Lawiers who hauing ouercom the discourse of the lawes take not vpō them forthwith the state of pleaders for so might many causes suffer hazard but obseruing two or three yeres the examples of the most famous counsellers of a court haunting the bar rather to heare then pleade they searche out the Counsels writinges and memoryes of excellent Aduocates and so gooe out perfect Maysters hauing as good habilitye to pleade at the first as if they had had no other exercise during their life Euen so it is not for yong Phisitions to practise their prentise cunning vpon fat monkes which beare no importaunce in the worlde and muche lesse in Hospitalities or Vplandish Tounes afore they come to the chiefe Cities the same being as muche as if they should bée counselled to goo kill the world or at least to learne the meanes thereunto Let them honour their beginnings with the presence and testimony of the best Cities drawing their practise from the example of the most excellent in that arte And making profe of their learning by publike disputes and aucthority of auncient professours let them shewe Certificate of the continuaunce of their studie and time of their Degrées Herein it maye bée sayde that in regarde of the time of this Studye it is necessarye that suche as Aspire to the Arte bée eyther verye Ritche or at least furnished to beare out so chargeable a Cost I must in déede confesse that that common weale suffereth great inconueneience wherein the poore sort make profession of Phisicke For as pouerty being voide of power to releue the time of so long studie hath lesse meane to furnishe other necessary charges as Bookes whereof they must haue great stoore for the due searching out of the secréetes of that Arte So it is for the most part gréedye of Gaine aspiring to wealth whersoeuer they may finde it And being neuer satisfied they fall by increase of newe and freshe profite into extréeme auarice It is written that the first professours of this Arte were Ritche men and great Lordes as amongest others Apollo Esculapius and Hipocrates Whose truth and maner of adiuration as I wishe might stande alwaies afore the eyes of suche couetous people as séeke to enter into the studye of Phisicke So I woulde also that the example of that Pagan him might kéepe our Christian Phisitions from periurye by impietye as abusing this Arte eyther by ignoraunce auarice rashnesse infidelity or peruerse affection They were at the first Arboristes Pothicaries and Surgeons as appeareth by the last Chapter of Genesis where the Phisitions had charge to embaume the bodye of Iacob the same being also expressed in the .xxi. chap. of Exodus and by all the auncient bookes But since the world beganne to multiply and Ambition Couetousnes beare rule ouer the heartes of men of one Estate they haue made thrée yea a fourth which bee Arboristes whereof there bée companies in diuers places notwithstanding Phisitions holde the most honourable most gainefull and least painful Estate being as maisters to iudge and command the others vsing the seruice of the Arboristes and Pothicaries ioyntly to discerne the simples and the Pothicaries alone to compose drognes and minister thē to the patient And imploying the Surgeons to cut or Anothomise and doo handy Cures vppon the outward partes of the bodye the Phisitions reserue them selues onely for the inward partes and iudgement of purgations afore the Surgeon apply his Plaster or make incision But such is the malice of time and men that in these twoo last Estates who ought to bée subiect to the phisition hath béen found no small abuse by vsurpation of the Arte
qualetye and grauetye doo varye according to the matters and obiectes as lying dissembling scoffes flatteries c. ⧠The .1 Chapter MAny men for the most part make no conscience of raylings Scoffes Iestes Dances wanton Musicke and dissolute Songes nor of diuerse other kindes of Idlenesse Pastimes and speciallye of the vaine losse of their tyme Many also holde no reckoning of deceytes Lyes diuerse Ipocrisies Flatteryes with other lyke vices which according to theyr diuerse vse or rather abuse are forbidden by sundry commaundementes of God As if flatterye for examples sake bée practised to this ende to drawe the goodes of any one it apertaines to the defence of that coÌ„maundement wherin wée are forbidden to steale If it leade you to the acte of any dishonest pleasures or procure it in others it is within the coÌ„passe of this coÌ„maundement Thou shalt commit no whordom If the flatterer pretende to stryke or cause to bée stroken any man he shal find that forbidden in the precept which warnes vs to do no murder And so of others and many together maye bée forbidden by diuerse commaundementes not speaking heare of lying which ordinarilye is accompanyed with peruersitye of the minde and will. But sith flatterie is first brought into example wée can not tearme it more properly then a pleasant deceite a swéete lye a mortal poyson and a sinne aboue al other most pernicious cloaked with inuented speache whiche as the wise man sayth is the deceyte of fooles A swéete and delitefull venim to the glorious a destruction of Yong men a consumer of the Ritche and noble rase the abusor of great Princes and absolute ruine of great houses That was it that made Salomon saye it were better to bée wel scooled and disciplined of wise men then deceiued with the flattery of Fooles who with publike signes wil not sticke to Iest at those whom they flatter and speake as much euill behinde theyr backes as theyr wordes bée pleasaunt afore their faces For this cause Dauid sayeth that their wordes were as swéete as the Oyle of Odour or smelling oyntment and yet being sharpe as dartes they were notwithstanding very traytours who as Iudas betrayed Christ with a kisse so doo they abuse the foolishe Right Architophels and Dechistes wicked counsellours and cariers of vntrue reportes from whome warres controuersies grudges and murders doo flowe yea oftentimes they sowe gréeuous diuorces betwéene deare friendes They are transformed into this trade chiefly for couetousnes for seldome doo they flatter but with an entent to enritche them selues folowing for the most suche as bée wealthye and are disposed into bellichéere and prodigall expenses I wishe that to these filthes all men would doo as Dauid did to a flatterer who to obtaine the grace of Dauid and bring great benefite to him selfe brought to him the Diademe of Saul and his braflettes saying he had killed him and was come with great diligence to bring him those good newes to whom for recoÌ„pense of his dissembled trâ—th Dauid gaue present execution of death Dauid prophesied no lesse of the miserable ende of Doech the flatterer of Saul and wicked reporter of that which Dauid had done to Achimelech the great Priest whiche was that Dauid tooke Armes in the Tabernacle when hee fledde and that Achimelech suffered him so to doo and gaue him vittails to goo his waye whereof grewe great murders Architophel by the iust iudgement of God hanged him selfe for that hée came not to the ende of his counsailes and flatteries by the whiche hée had abused poore Absalon indusing him to leauye warre against his Father Séeing also it is written that the detractour and hée which as the Cameleon wil turne his tongue into many Languages sometimes saying one thing sometimes holding another as doe flatterers bée cursed for they trouble many people which haue peace togeather And séeing withall that they are so expreslye forbidden in the Scripture to bée such the Magistrate hath no reason to geue sufferaunce and much lesse grace of pardon to people so abhominable to God and hurtful to theyr countrey Yea and as gouernours them selues haue néede to take héede that they be not the first taken and enchaunted with these hurtful Serenes so let them not suffer that the youth of theyr Citye bée seduced by such spiders whose custome is to sucke the blood of great flies Let them rather with the example of the good Heardsman who pursueth the Rauens that folowe the weakest Beastes to picke out theyr eyes and so kill them to the ende they may féede vpon the Carkasse Let I saye our polletike Pastors ouer kingdoms and common weales thonder exemplary iustice vpon these deuouring Rauens whose custome as the Philosopher sayth is to hunt after weake braines and giue them so many pouders of glory that at the last picking out their eyes they make them so blinde that by the perswasions of these wretches they sée them selues to bée no more men but rather halfe Gods when in déede these mistes make theyr miserye the greater The next waye not to bee beguiled with flatterers is to geue them no eare to him that knoweth them not when they beginne to make way into his fauour by extolling his vertues let him acknowledge al vertues to bée of God and that for one vertue hée is infected with ten vices and therefore hath more cause to humble him selfe as in déede a man can not haue vertue if with humilitye he bée not a condemnour of him selfe Besides there is no iuste man which oftentimes falles not into sinne and hee that standes nowe vpright maye stumble and fall in a moment as was the case of Salomon For which cause the wise man sayth wée ought not to praise man in life for that hée beareth on his backe a subiection to chaunge If it bée forbidden to praise a man it is no lesse defended to a man to heare his owne commendation When the flatterer therefore goeth about to extol him let him saye that as hée is forbidden to demaunde glory for his good déedes so hath hée no power to geue it but that it is his part to ascribe all glorye to God who is the onelye aucthour of al good And if hée magnify him in that which hée hath not let him franklye saye that hée brookes no praise in Lyes Hée can not beguile a wise man for that his conscience which is the true witnes and iudge of all our doinges impugneth the prayses of the flatterer And so who wil not bée abused by the flatterer let him geue him no audience and if hée wyll eschew the Poyson of his practise let him stop his eares from the Charme of his wordes Howe many flatterers haue accesse to a mans person euen so many spyes and enemyes doo enuyron his estate and life The Fowler counterfetteth the laye of the Birde but it is to bring her to his Net the Scorpion smiles with his countenaunce but it is to strike with his Taile The
prouide so that this soule I meane the diuine law entertayning with it the lawe naturall and politike as the reasonable soule in man compreheÌ„des vnder her regiment the spirit sensitiue and vegatiue be Lady and mistres chiefly ouer your selues as gouerning your dooings according to hir direction to the ende that by your guyde she gouerne and entertayne all the rest of the body politike without being hindered by you in fauours or other corruptions ciuill yea let her fréely stretche out her selfe in vigour and vertue equally to euery generall and particular parte for the better abilitie of his proper and naturall action I meane let euery one exercise the particular vocation whereunto he is called for the better regiment of the whole in one equall faith without acception of persones euery one with franke readines enclining to the prescript of that law according to the limite of his particular charge by which obseruation there can not happen eyther to the whole or any peculiar proporcion of the body any disorder disagréement contencion or confusion And euen as when the humane body of man is gouerned and ruled by phisicke it seldome falles into disease for that in that Science is prescription of all thinges necessarie to conserue health euen so by this lawe the true Phisicke medcine of mindes so long as they obserue the rules of it common weales are not onely entertained in plausible and constant prosperitie but withall armed against the assaultes of al casuall inconuenieÌ„ces eyther by suttletie malicious force or pollecie But as the body then slides into infirmities and diseases when it giues ouer the counsell and iudgement of phisicke so the body ciuill neglecting the rule of the law prepares to it self occasions of many passions as warre famine with such miseries as God vseth to sende for the transgression of his law God in many places in his law but specially in Deuteronomie forespeakes blissinges and happy successe to the good obseruers of his lawe that aswell in their houses as their Cities Countreys and whole affaires as of the contrary his threates be terrible to the traÌ„sgressors prophesying all miseries to their families their goods their cattell yea to their owne bodies with these miseries the Prophetes often tymes threaten the Israelites for their transgression as also other straunge nations for that they had ben cruel to the desolate people of Jsraell There are none more imediat causes of the miseries afflicting men in priuate or common weales in generall then the transgression of the lawe and obstinate constancie in wickednes For we find that in all times miserie hath followed sinne as the smoke doth the fier aswell to perticular men as in Cayn Lamech Agar Iâ—maell Esau Hei Onan with many such from the beginning of the world as to whole commoÌ„ weales suffring impunitie of sinne as in Josua it is sayed that for Acham who contrary to Gods commaundement tooke a wedge of gold and for the sacrileage of Hiericho all the Armie of Jsraell to whom was promised victory was put to flight so grieuous to God is sinne how secret so euer it be who will haue it punished for that cause Salomon sayth that sinnes makes people and nations vnhappy which then appeareth most when it is knowne and the common weale makes no care to do iustice of it as we sée hapned in Gabaon of the Beniamits in which Citie for the vnchast violacion of a woman dying of the violence almost all the sayd Beniamites were ouerthrowen by the other Jsraelites God ordeyning this iudgement for the reuenge of the womans dishonour oftentimes the man that hath done euill is not punished only but also the affliction stretcheth to his house as hapned to Cham for mocking his Father with whom his sonne Canaan with all his Chananites were scourged The sinne of Loth and his daughters is not punnished only with the penance of the good Patriarch but also vppon his children The Moabites and Ammonites who were reiected froÌ„ the alliaÌ„ce with the Jsraelites for their reproued generatioÌ„ yea forbideÌ„ to enter into the temple albeit thei were coÌ„uerted to god much more grieuously is punished the sin of the Prince the Magistrate not vppoÌ„ themselues only but what they loue is touched their whole people visited as is manifest in Dauid who notwithstanding he did penaÌ„ce for his adultery murder yet his sonne died for the punishmeÌ„t or satisfaction of those two sinnes as also for the adultery he did to an other maÌ„s wife his owne coÌ„cubines in the meane while were polluted And for that he rose into pride he was striken with plague by the death of three score and ten thousaÌ„d persons who consenting with their Prince in his vain glory and vices had their share in his iudgement and punishment when all the world was resolued into sin God spared not a generall punnishment by the great flood which had power ouer all flesh sauing eight persons preserued in the Arke In Sodome and Gomorrhe the fier of heauen consumed all but Loth his wife his two daughters And in the first sacking of Ierusalem but much more in the last and generall spoyle of Titus Vespatian to the ruine of all Iuda according to the prophesie of Iesus Christ For all the world had erred eyther actually or by manifest consent or secretly and to come yea euen the little-children who albeit had yet done none euill yet if they had had then iudgement or ripe age they had had the same will with their pareÌ„ts as with all children in some sort are the substance and principall goods of their parents So that their fathers offending and deseruing to be grieuously punished the scourge falles also vpon their goods children I meane touching temporall paines for concerning the soule the sinne followeth the author according to the iudgement of God who as a iust and soueraigne Lord punisheth the man for his proper vice and euery vice in the man as we sée hee did in the first ruine of the worlde when he drowned fathers mothers children seruants with all sortes of beastes sauing such as he reserued for propagation and sacrifice ¶ Counsell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chapter v. IT belongs then to gouernours of a common weale as to good Phisitions by the doctrine of the law both deuine and humaine the true medecine and preseruatiue of Christian soules to kéepe and conteyne their people and gouerning them both in generall and perticular by this law that they fall into no daungerous sinnes and mortal diseases of the soule they are restrained to no lesse care art and dutie to preserue them then the Phisitions corporall are bound to defend the bodies from sicknesses by iudgement rule of good regiment And not confounding the two estates Ecclesiastical and pollitike or secular from doing their perticular functions albeit in profession diffring yet teÌ„ding to one generall end to erect Gods kyngdome