bin there and sâ— king to pursue them by their footesteps they went a cleane contrary way by reason that the horses were shod backward when in vaine they had long persube them they returned being neuer the â—éere Now VVallis vsde his feate so long that at length he was taken and two more with him whereupon according to the priuiledge of the Towne they put Halters about the théeues neckes presently to hang them vp When they were come to the place appointed VVallis and the rest being out of all hope to escape death prepared themselues paciently to suffer the rigor of the law And there with the rest laying open the lewdnesse of his life greeuously lamenting for his sinnes at length commending their soules to God they yeelded their bodyes to the graue with which sight the people were greatly mooued with pitty because they had neuer séene men come to hanging before but when they should haue beene tyed vp Hodgekins willed one of his neighbours to play the Hangmans part who would not by any meanes do it although he was a very poore man who for his paines should haue beene possest of all their apparell When he would not yeeld to y â— office one of those which had his cloth stolen was commaunded to do the deed but he in like maner would not saying When I haue the skil to make a man I will hang a man if it chance my workmanship do not like me And thus from one to another the office of the Hangman was poasted off At last a Rogue came by whom they would haue compelled to haue done that deed Nay my Masters qd he not so but as you haue got a Priuiledge for the Towne so you were best to procure a Commission to make a hangman or else you are like to be without for me Neighbor Hogekins quoth one I pray you do this office your selfe you haue had most losse and therefore you should be the most readiest to hang them your selfe No not I quoth Hodgekins though my losse were ten times greater than it is notwithstanding look which of these théeues will take vppen him to hang the other shall haue his life saued otherwise they shall all to prison till I can prouide a hangman When Wallis saw the matter brought to this passe he began stoutly to reply saying My masters of the towne of Halifax though your priuiledge stretch to hang vp men presently that are found stealing your goods yet it giues you no warrant to imprison them till you prouide them a hangman my selfe with these my fellowes haue here yéelded our selues to satisfie the Law and if it be not performed the fault is yours and not ours and therefore we humbly take our leaue from the gallowes the xviij of August And with that he leapt from the ladder and cast the halter at Hodgekins face When the Clothiers saw this they knew not what to say but taking them by the sléeues intreated to haue their owne againe Not so qd VVallis you get not the valew of a plack or a â—awby we haue stolne your cloth then why do you not hang vs Here we haue made our selues ready and if you wil not hang vs chuse A plague on you quoth he you haue hindred me God knowes what I made account to dine this day in heauen and you keep me here on earth where there is not a quarter of that good cheare The foule euill take you all I was fully prouided to giue the gallows a box on the eare and now God knowes when I shall be in so good a mind againe and so he with the rest of his companions departed When Hodgekins saw that notwithstanding their théeuery how they flowted at their lenity he was much moued in mind and as he stood in his dumps chewing his cud making his dinner with a dish of melancholy a grey Frier reuerently saluted him in this sort All haile goodman Hodgekins happinesse and health be euer with you and to all suppressors of lewd liuers God send euerlasting ioyes I am sory goodman Hodgekins that the great priuiledge which our King gaue to this towne comes to no greater purpose better far had it bin that it had neuer beene graunted then so lightly regarded the towne hath suffred through their owne yéeâ—ishnes an euerlasting reproch this day onely because foolish pitty hath hindred iustice Consider that compassion is not to be had vpon théeues robbers pitty onely â—ppertayneth to the vertuous sort who are ouerwhelmed with the waues of misery and mischaunce What great cause of boldnes haue you giuen to bad liuers by letting these fellowes thus to escape and how shall you now kéepe your goods in safety séeing you fulfill not the law which should be your defence neuer thinke that theeues will make any conscience to carry away your goods when they find themselues in no danger of death who haue more cause to prayse your pitty then to commend your wisdome wherefore in time seeke to preuent the insuing euill For my owne part I haue that care of your good that I would work al good means for your benefit yet not so much in respect of your profit as for the desire I haue to vpholde iustice and seeing I find you and the rest so womanish that you could not find in your hearts to hang a theefe I haue deuised how to make a gin that shal cut off their heads without mans helpe and if the King will alow thereof When Hogekins heard this he was somewhat comforted in mind and sayd to the Frier that if by his cunning he would performe it he would once againe make suite to the King to haue his grant for the same The Frier willed him to haue no doubt in him and so when he had deuised it he got a Carpenter to frame it out of hand Hodgekins in the meane time posted vp to the Court and told his Maiesty that the priuiledge of Halifax was not worth a pudding Why so sayd our King Because quoth Hodgekins we can get neuer a hangman to trusse our theeues but if it shall like your good Grace quoth he there is a feat Frier that will make vs a deuice which shall without the hand of man cut off the cragges of all such Carles if your Maiesty will please to alow thereof The King vnderstanding the full effect of the matter at length granted his petition whereupon till this day it is obserued in Halifax that such as are taken stealing of their cloth haue their heads choyt off with the same gin How the Bailifes of London could get no man to be a catch pole and how certaine Flemings tooke that office vpon them whereof many of them were fled into this Realm by reason of certaine waters that had drowned a great part of their country Chap. 9. THe City of London being at this time gouerned by Bayliffes it came to passe that in a certaine fray two of their catch-poles were killed for at that time they
the Gyant and assoone as they were alighted they were saluted by the Marchants who wayted their comming thither and alwaies prepared for them a costly supper where they commonly made their bargaine and vpon euery bargaine made they stil vsed to send some tokens to the Clothiers wiues The next morning they went to the hal where they met the Northern clothiers who greeted one another in this sort What my maisters of the West wel met what chéere what théere Euen the best chéere our Marchantes could make vs quoth Gray Then you could not chuse but fare well quoth Hogekins and you be weary of our company adien quoth Sutton Not so sayd Martin but shall wée not haue a game ere wée goe Yes faith for a hundred pounds Well sayd olde Cole sayd they and with that Cole and Gray went to the dice with Martin and Hogekins and the dice running on Hogekins side Coles money began to waste Now by the Masse quoth Cole my mony shrinks as had as northerne cloth When they had played long Gray stept to it and recouered againe the money that Cole had lost But while they were thus playing the rest being delighted in contrary matters euery man satisfied his owne humor Tom Doue called for musicke VVilliam of Worcester for wine Sutton set his delight in hearing merry tales Simon of South-hampton got him into the kitchin and to the pottage pot he goes for he estéemed more of a messe of pottage than of a venison pastie Now sir Cutbert of Kendall was of another minde for no meate pleased him so wel as mutton such as was laced in a red petticoate And you shall vnderstand that alwayes when they went to dice they got into Bosomes Inne which was so called of his name that kept it who being a foule slouen went alwayes with his noâ—s in his bosome and one hand in his pocket the other on his staffe figuring forth a description of cold winter for he alwaies wore two coates two caps two or thrée paire of stockings and a high paire of shooes ouer the which he drew on a great paire of lined sâ—ippers and yet he would oft complaine of cold wherfore of all men generally he was called Old Bosome and his house Bosoms Inne This lump of cold ice had lately married a yong wife who was as wily as she was wanton and in hir company did Cutbert onely delight and the better to make passage to his loue be would often thus commune with her I muse good wife quoth he Good wife quoth she Uerily sir in mine opinion there is none good but good and therefore call mee Mistresse Then said Cutbert Faire Mistresse I haue often mused that you being so proper a woman could fiâ—d in your heart for to match with such a greasâ—e Carle as this an euill mannered mate a foule lump of kitchin stuffe and such a one as is indéed a scorne of men how can you like him that all women mislikes or loue such a loathsome creature me thinks verily it should grieue you to lend him a kisse much more to lie with him Indéed sir quoth she I had but hard fortune in this respect but my friends would haue it so truly my liking and my loue toward him are alike he neuer had the one nor neuer shall get the other yet I may say to you before I married him there were diuers proper young men that were sutors vnto me who loued mee as their lines and glad was he that could get my company those were my golden dayes wherein my pleasure abounded but these are my yeeres of care and griefe wherein my sorrowes exceede Now no man regards me no man cares for me and albeit in secret they might beare me good will yet who dares shew it and this is a double griefe he carries ouer me so iealous a mind that I cannot looke at a man but presently he accuseth me of inconstancy although I protest without cause And introth quoth Cutb. he should haue cause to complaine for somewhat were I as you As sure as I liue and so he shal quoth she if he do not change his bias Cutb. hearing her say so beganne to grow further in requesting her fauor wishing he might be her seruant and secret friend and the better to obtain his desire he gaue her diuers gifts insomuch that she began something to listen vnto him and albeit she liked well of his spéeches yet would shee blame him and take him vp very short sometimes for the same till in the end Cutbert shewed himselfe to be desperate saying he would drowne himselfe rather then liue in her disdaine O my sweete heart not so qd she God forbid I should be the death of any man Comfort thy selfe kind Cutbert and take this kisse in token of further kindnesse and if thou wilt haue my fauour thou must bee wise and circumspect and in my husbands sight I would alwayes haue thee to finde fault with my doings blame my bad huswifery disprayse my person and take exceptions at euery thing whereby he will be as well pleased as Simon of South-hampton with a messe of Pottage Deâ—re mistrsse quoth he I will fulfill your charge to the vttermost so that you will not take my iest in earnest Shee answered Thy foulest speeches I will esteeme the fayrest and take euery dispraise to be a prayse from thee turning â—ch word to the contrary and so for this time adieu good Cutb. for supper time drawes neere it is meet for me to look for my meat With that down comes old Boâ—ome calling his wife saying Ho Wiinifred is supper ready they haue done playing aboue Therefore let the Chamberlaine couer the table By and by husband qd shée it shall be done straight way How now my masters who wins qd Cutb. Our mony walkes to the west qd Martin Cole hath woon forty li. of me Gray hath gotten well the best is qd Hogekins they will pay for our supper Then let vs haue good store of sacke qd Sutton Content sayd Cole for I promise you I striue not to grow rich by dice-playing therefore call for what you will I wil pay for all Yea sayd Simon Chamberlaine I pray thée bring a whole potle of pottage for me Now Tom Doue had all the Fidlers at a beck of his finger which follow him vp and downe the citie as diligent as little Chickens after a hen and made a vowe that there should want no musicke And at that time there liued in London a musician of great reputation named Reior who kept his seruants in such costly garments that they might seeme to come before any Prince Their Coates were all of one colour and it is sayd that afterward the nobility of this Land noting it for a seemely sight vsed in like maner to keepe their men all in one liuery This Reior was the most skilfullest musician that liued at that time whose wealth was very great so that all the instruments whereon his
the kings approach presented him with a Garland of sweet stoures yielding him such honour as the Ladies of Rome were wont to doe to their Princes after their victories which the King tooke in gracious part and for his farewell from that country they bore him company ouer part of the Plaine with the sound of diuers swéet instruments of musicke All which when his Grace vnderstood was done at the cost of a Clothier he sayd he was the most honoured by those meÌ„ aboue al the mean subiects in his laÌ„d so his highnes past on to Exceter hauing giuen great rewards to these maydens Thomas Doue and the residue of the Clothiers against his Graces comming thither had ordained diuers sumptuous shewes first there was one that represented the person of Augustus Caesar the Emperour who commanded after the Romane inuasion that their City should be called Augustus after his owne name which beforetime was called Isea and of latter yéeres Exeter There his Maiesty was royally feasted seuen daies together at the onely cost of Clothiers but the diuers delightes and sundry pastimes which they made there before the King and his Nobles is too long here to be rehearsed And therefore I will ouerpasse them to auoide tediousnes His grace then coasting along the country at last came to Gloucester an ancient City which was builded by Glove a Brittish King who named it after his own name Gloucester Here was his maiesty entertained by Gray the Clothier who profest himselfe to be of that ancient family of Grayes whose first Originall issued out of the ancient and honorable Castle and towne of Rithin Héere was the King most bountifully feasted hauing in his company his brother Robert although his prisoner the same time And his Grace being desirous to see the maidens carde and spinne they were of purpose set to their worke among whom was faire Margaret with the white hand whose excellent beauty hauing peaâ—st the eyes of that amorous Duke it made such an impression in his heart that afterward he could neuer forget her and so vehemently was his affection kindled that he could take no rest till by writing he had bewrayed his mind but of this we will speake more in an other place and the King at his departure sayd that to gratifie them hée would make his son Robert their Earle who was the first Earle that euer was in Gloucester Now when his Grace was come from thence he went to Worcester where William Fitz-allen made preparation in all honourable sort to receiue him which man being borne of great parentage was not to learne how to entertaine his Maiesty being descended of that famous family whose patrimony lay about the towne of Oswestry which towne his predecessors had inclosed with stately walles of stone Although aduerse fortune had so grieuously frowned on some of them that thier children were faine to become tradesmen whose hands were to them instead of landes notwithstanding God raised againe the fame of this man both by his great wealth and also in his posterity whose eldest son Henry the Kings god-son became afterward the Mayor of London who was the first Mayor that euer was in that Citty who gouerned the same 23. yéeres and then his son Roger Fitz-allen was the second Mayor The Princely pleasures that in Worcester were shewen the king were many and maruelous and in no place had his Maiesty receiued more delight then here for the which at his departure he did shew himselfe very thankfull Now when his Grace had thus taken view of all his good townes Westward and in that progresse had visited these clothiers he returned to London with great ioy of all his commons How Hodgekins of Halifax came to the Court complained to the King that his priuiledge was nothing worth because when they found any offendor they could not get a hangman to execute him And how by a Fryer a gin was deuised to chop off mens heads of it selfe Chap. 8. AFter that Hogekins had got the priuiledge for the town of Halifax to hang vp such théeues as stole their cloth in the night presently without any further iudgement al the clothiers of the towne were excéeding glad perswaded themselues y â— now their goods would be safe all night without watching them at al so that whereas before the town maintayned certaine watchmen to kéepe their cloth by night they were hereupon dismissed as a thing néedlesse to be done supposing with themselues that seeing they should be straight hanged that were â—ound faulty in this point y â— no man would be so dâ—sperate to enterprise any such act And indeede the matter being noysed through the whole countrey that they were straight to be hanged that did vse such theeuery it made many lewd liuers to refraine such theeuery Neuerthelesse there was at that same time liuing a notable Theese named Wallis whom in the North they called Mighty VVallis in regard of his valor and manhood This man beeing most subtill in such kind of knauery hauing heard of this late priuiledge and therewithall of the townes security sayd that once he would venture his necke for a packe of Northerne cloth and therefore comming to one or two of his companions he asked if they would be partners in his aduenture and if quoth he you will herein hazard your bodies you shal be shaâ—ers in all our booties At length by many perswasions the men consented whereupon late in the night they got them all to a Farriours shop and called vp the folks of the house What the foule ill waâ—â— you haue quoth they at this time of the night Wallis answered saying good fellowes we would haue you to remooue the shooes of our Horses feete and set them on againe and for your paines you shal be well pleased The Smith at length was perswaded when he had pluckt off all the shooes from their horses feete they would needes haue them all set on againe quite contrary with the caâ—kins forward y â— should stand backward How fay fay man quoth the Smith are you â—â—ck fules what the deell doo you meane to breake your crags gud faith I tro the men be wood Not so Smith qd they do thou as wee â—id thee thoÌ„ shalt haue thy money for it is an old Prouerbe Bee it better or be it worse Please you the man that beares the purse Gud faith and see I â—all qd the Smith and so did as he was willed When VVallis had thus caused their Horses to be shod to Hallifax they went where they without any let laded their Horses with cloth and so departed a contrary way In the morning so soone as the clothiers came to the field they found that they were robd whereupon one ranne to another to tell these tidings Now when Hogekins heard thereof rising vp in haste â—e wild his neighbours to marke see if they could not descâ—ie eyther the footesteps of men or Horses Which being done they perceiued that horses had