her Which was accordingly brought her by certain midwiues and that so secretly that her husband did acknowledge it for his owne sonne and so it was generally holden of the most But here consider Gods iust iudgement vpon her viz. that she could neuer set her loue and affection vpon him nor find in her heart he should haue any thing to do in her house though by meanes of the foresaid supposition he was left sole heire by his reputed father And her hatred against him increasing dayly more and more in the end grew to that passe that he was constrained to oppose himselfe against her and to seeke remedie by order of law where he prosecuted the matter so hotly in following of his right as being the sole heire that he called her to account for all the goods that his father had left her Which did so sting and cut her to the heart that she went about to compasse his death at leastwise it is credibly thought that he was murthered by her meanes But consider another prank which is oftener played by womē with child who desiring to be deliuered of a sonne to winne the loue of their husbands make enquiry against the time of their trauell for some poore women who come neare their count that they may agree with them vpon some reasonable conditions to haue their sonnes whom they may substitute in stead of their owne if haply they be deliuered of a daughter Yet this is not the onely reason why women vse these sleights But this I say that those who vse these theeuish practises for the end before mentioned are farre more excusable if any may be excused then those that practise them to the end they may enioy their husbands goods and so defraud the right heires On the other side there be some who hide their great bellies that so they may be accounted honest maids or matrons or lest it should be knowne that those who are now their husbands were formerly their harlots For which purpose vertugals inuented by curtizan courtiers serue them excellent well Whereupon a certain Franciscan descanted not amisse who preaching at Paris on a time said that when women began to weare vertugals they abandoned vertue but the gale remained with them still 32 And here I wil conclude this Chapter though I am not ignorant that this argument would affoord store of matter to furnish a more ample discourse and that I haue omitted sundry particulars appertaining thereunto as traitors among the rest who of all other theeues are most to be detested For doubtles whosoeuer shall seriously consider their plots practises shall find them as it were compounded of all manner of theeuish practises Nay I dare be bold to say that he that will make an Anatomy of treason shall find that it hath sundry veines as it were and sinewes of sacriledge except we shall giue Philosophers the lie who teach that friendship is a sacred thing and therfore in no case to be violated which notwithstanding traitors do and that in the first place Howbeit I perswade my selfe that there were not half so many treasons in old time as there are at this day Yet herein God is mercifull vnto vs in that as the number of traitors doth more increase so doth the senate of wise and deepe-reaching politicians who firke and firret them out Whereof I remember I haue read a memorable example in Erasmus his book de Lingua of Pope Iulius the second his Embassadour who by speaking two or three words bewrayed himself at leastwise gaue occasion of suspition which layd the first ground of his detection The story as I haue translated it out of Latin is this During mine abode in England there came an Italian to the Court sent as Embassadour from Pope Iulius the 2. to moue the King to war against the French Who after he had deliuered his embassage before the Kings priuy Councell answer was made him that his Maiestie was for his part willing and ready to yeeld to his Masters motion but that it was not so easie a matter to leuie such forces vpō the sodaine as wherewith he might encounter so puissant a Prince considering that England by reason of long peace had not bene enured to the warres In answer wherunto a word escaped him which he might well haue kept in for he said he had told the Pope as much long since which made the Lords of the Councell suspect that notwithstanding he were the Popes Embassadour he fauoured the French faction whereupon they watched him so well that they found him conferring by night with the French Embassador for which fact he was cōmitted to prison and had all his goods confiscate Howbeit if he had fallen into the Popes hands it would haue cost him not only his liuelihood but also his life Now these words so sottishly spoken by the Embassadour gaue King Henry occasion to hasten the warres whereas if he had concealed and kept them to himselfe he might perhaps haue accorded both Princes and set them at vnitie This is the story as Erasmus relates it speaking of it as of an accident which fell out during his abode in England and therefore might haue certaine intelligence thereof especially considering his great credit in the Kings Court And I was the more willing to record it though onely by the way for that it affoordeth vs a very rare example of traitors whose teeth are knocked out of their heads before they can bite I meane who are discouered before they can atchieue their plots and proiects or bring their purposes to their period I say onely by the way because my purpose is not so to insist vpon them as to prosecute them to the full but to content my selfe with that which hath bene spoken leauing the Reader to search out other examples which he shall iudge fittest for this purpose A matter of no great difficultie seeing our moderne histories are as it were full fraught with them And now I proceed to discouer and as it were to point forth other thefts with the finger not so easie to be descried For though I here end this Chapter which is too long I confesse yet I do not bid adieu nor giue a finall farewell to all theeues CHAP. XVI Of the thefts of Merchants Phisitians Apothecaries c. HAuing formerly spoken of notable and famous theeues who being discouered are straight condemned by the law and sent to the gallowes wheresoeuer iustice is rightly executed It is high time I should now intreate of those who cloke their thefts vnder colour of traffick or trade office or vocation or to speake in a word more plainly who steale not like theeues but like merchants or men of this or that trade and occupation But before I enter discourse hereof I must intreate those whose consciences witnesse that they are not of their number to whom I direct my speech that they would not go about to make their quarrell good who shall haply feele themselues to be
willingly choose viz. by a long and a lingring death for he famished and pined himselfe away obstinately abstaining so long from all manner of sustenance till he had starued his soule out of his body as we may reade in Sleidan and other historians CHAP. XIX Of Crueltie practised at this day ALbeit the murthers formerly mentioned be not altogether voyde of crueltie nay though some of them breathe forth as it were nothing but barbarous sauage and cruell immanitie I will notwithstanding alleadge some few examples hereof apart by themselues yet not all our moderne examples promiscuously which offer themselues to my pen but such onely as are rare and extraordinary exceeding the vulgar sort And albeit our last ciuill warres might serue as a plentifull store-house to furnish me with choise of matter yet I will beware how I harpe vpon that string lest rubbing of old sores I should make the wounds of many to bleed afresh Neither will I speake of the cruelties executed at Merindol and Cabriere which being but barely related in the high Court of Parliament at Paris by the Atturney Aubery and other Lawyers caused the auditors to stop their eares they were so hideous and horrible This one thing may giue sufficient testimonie of the enormitie and hainousnesse thereof in that Iohn Meâ—ier Lord of Oppede ring-leader in this dance as being chiefe President of the Parliament of Prouince and Lieutenant generall for the King in that country in the absence of the Lord de Grignan could not find souldiers cruell enough to his liking notwithstanding he had made choise of the veriest bloudy butchers that were in a country commanding them among other his Canniball-like cruelties to rip vp women with child before his face to tread their babes vnder their feet O currish crueltie wel worthy that horrible death which befell him not by the hand of man but by the iust iudgement of God the searcher and seer of all secrets And this persecution raised against the poore people of Merindol and Cabriere is so much the more famous in that they led a great army against these poore soules who neuer desired any thing more then to yeeld themselues neuer attempting nor once intending to resist and make head against them but humbly intreating that they might be suffered to vse the liberty of their conscience in their priuate houses and not to be inforced to admit of the Romane religion at leastwise that they might be permitted to flie into some other country vpon such condition as they should thinke good 2 But leauing this history I proceed to other examples of crueltie nothing inferiour to that in Herodotus which notwithstanding is thought by many so incredible For where is the man to be found who hearing what he reporteth of Herpanus viz. how he was serued with the flesh of his owne sonne and how he are thereof at a feast to which he was inuited by Astiages King of the Medes neuer suspecting he should haue bin serued with such a sawce nor entertained with such a dainty dish will not presently fancy it to be as very a fable as that which the Poets haue fained of Atreus who made his brother Thyestes eate his owne children Notwithstanding we find as great cruelties practised in these dayes For Pontanus reporteth how that certaine Italians hauing taken one of a family with which they were in deadly feud chopped him forthwith into small peeces and hauing pulled out his liuer broiled it vpon the coales and ate of it euery man his morsell with great reioycing vsing sundry solemne ceremonies and merriments therewith I will here set downe his words at large Aâ—iam meam Leonardam rarissimi exempli matronam non sine multis lachrimis puer audiâ—bam referentem quà m inter digladiantes quasdam inter se familias inimicitia summis exercerentur odijs captum quempiam factione ex altera eumque è vestigiâ— concisum in minutissima etiam frusta moxque exemptum illi iecur in prunis candentissimisque carbonibus ab factionis eius principibus tostum pérque buccellas minutim dissectum inter cognatos ad id inuâ—tatos in â—entaculum distributum Quae aut luporum tam exanhelutâ— rabies aut sauientis pro erepta prole tigridis hanc ipsam superauerit Allata etiam post degustationem tanâ— execrabilem pâ—cula non sine collecti cruoris aspergine congratulationes habita inter se risus iâ—ciâ— leporésque cibum ipsum condientes Denique dijsipsis propinatum tanta vindicta fautoribus Quid hic exclamem nihil habeo ni â—ortè c. Which story cals another to mind to this effect A certaine gentleman bearing great affection to a maried gentlewoman went into the warres where he intreated his fellow-souldiers that if it were his chance to be slaine in the field or otherwise to die they would take his heart and present it vnto her with certain speeches which he deliuered vnto them After his death which happened not long after his heart was taken and kept by the gentlewomans husband who had bin informed of the request he had made to his fellowes and he was no sooner come home but he caused his cooke to dresse it in such curious manner that his wife aâ—e thereof thinking of nothing lesse then of such meate Whereupon asking her how she liked it she answered she liked it well You cannot chuse quoth he but like it well for it is the heart of your best beloued She straight perceiuing his meaning tooke the matter so to heart that she neuer ate good morsell after neither had she need for she died shortly after for very griefe Which fact I haue not here set downe to parallele it with the former crueltie but only to shew his sauage nature in causing his wife to eate mans flesh For all things being well considered it will appeare that this his currish kindnes towards her was rather rigorous seuerity then ouergreat crueltie In like manner a Dutch gentleman punished his wife for playing the strumpet rather rigorously then cruelly who hauing slaine the gallant to whose lust she prostituted her selfe appointed her his skull to drinke in in stead of a cup. The same in my conceit may be said of a gentleman of Piemont who hauing taken his wife in the fact caused her together with the old bawd which had holpen her in this businesse to strangle the gentleman with whoÌ„ she was found and to beare the dead corps company all their liues after for he closed them round within a wall leauing them onely a little hole by which they might receiue bread and water Such facts I say are rather to be reckoned in the number of ouer-rigorous punishments then of ouer-cruell reuenge as that which I haue alleadged out of Pontanus which as it may be paralleled with the fact of Astiages recorded by Herodotus and that of Atreus mentioned by the Poets so are there sundry in this age which may as fitly be paragonized with that of Medea At leastwise
cuckolds Indeed I remēber that a man of worth after a tedious importunate sute was diuorced frō his light huswife but by this means she had that which she desired for she was put into a monastery where in stead of punishment she had oportunitie to follow her occupation with greater libertie I haue also heard of one who complaining of the wrong which his wife offered him receiued this answer Why sir would you be more priuiledged then such a great Lord a man of such valour who knowes full well that his wife makes him cuckold as well when he is in the Court present with her as when he is in the country absent from her and yet dare not speake a word for feare of cracking his credit Thus we see how long custome in sin hath so bereft many at this day of all sense of ciuill honestie that they make but a ieast at that which their ancestors counted the greatest crosse and corrasiue in the world I say their auncestors including the heathen as well as Christians For the Grecians and Romans we know punished adultery most seuerely following the law of God therein But not to seeke farre backe nor farre off for examples we may iudge by that which befell the high Stuards wife of Normandie in the raigne of king Lewis the eleuenth whether at that time they made but a ieast of adultery as they do at this day For he hauing taken his Ladie vpon the sodaine playing the whore with his steward first slue the adulterer before her face and after put her to the sword likewise notwithstanding their children which she held in her armes and yet was neuer troubled by the King nor called coram for the matter albeit she was descended of a noble house and of the bloud royall as some affirme Would not such a fact seeme strange at this day No doubt it would considering that the world is cleane changed from that it was in former time and as it were turned vp side downe For they are now growne to this height of impudencie to make wanton songs of purpose to embolden and flesh Venus white liuerd souldiers to violate their faith plight to their husbands one of which beginneth thus Ne void on pas les hommes Faire vertu d'aimer Et sottes que nous sommes Nous le voulons blasmer Ce que leur est louable Nous tourne à deshonneur Et faute inexcusable O dure loy d'honneur Pourquoy nature sage c. That is See we not men so honour wanton loue With vertues stile which we fond fooles reproue That which in them deserues so faire a name To vs why should it turne to mickle blame Hard law of honour why did nature sage c. This song likewise which was common in euery mans mouth at the Court was made vpon a Vandeuille beginning thus Ne void on pas les hommes se iouer ça là Et sottes que nous sommes n'osons faire cela That is How do our gallants swagger to and fro But fooles that we are we dare not do so And there was another in as great request the argument whereof was the licencious libertie and impunitie of adulterie a sinne so rife at this day one straine of the song is this Ami cocu veux-tu que ie te die Si tu m'en crois ne di ta maladie Car si ta femme vn coup est descouuerte Elle voudra le faire à porte ouuerte Estre cocu n'est pas mauuaise chose Si autre mal on ne luy presuppose That is Cuckold my friend if thou wilt me belieue Neuer expresse the thing that gars thee grieue For if thy wife be knowne once for a whore She then will iade thee at thine open doore It matters not so much to weare an horne And if it might be free from others scorne The conclusion of the song is this Ou si tu crois cocu estre vne tache Garde toi bien au moins qu'on ne le sache Le remede est à qui les cornes porte De les planter ailleurs de mesme sorte That is If hornes thou deemst a blemish to thy brow See well that neuer man thy sorrow know Hornes haue no cure but when thy selfe is sped To plant thy hornes vpon anothers head I am not ignorant that this sweet song was made in imitation of Ouid but the question is whether he being a prophane Pagan be a sufficient warrant for Christians to oppose such notorious vile villanies to Gods holy commaundements And which is yet more he was then accounted no body that could not sing this song whereas if a man had sung the ten commandements or one of Dauids Psalmes they would haue sung him a song of frying a fagot and committed him to the Lords of the burning chamber My selfe being in the Court had mine eares often beaten with a like song coming out of some such shop in which mention is made of a certaine Ladie who perceiuing her selfe to wrinkle and waxe old greatly lamented her former course of life viz. that she had bene honest and kept touch with her husband the song beginneth thus Ie plain le temps de mon florissant aage c. That is I waile the time of my once flouring age c. Thus thou seest gentle Reader how they incite women to wantonnesse and dalliance as if they were slacke and backward of themselues when they are intreated to play such pageants those I meane especially who are brought vp in all idlenesse delicacie and wantonnesse for whose good these songs containing such goodly instructions were purposely made I omit other triuiall songs many prouerbes as also sundry wanton and effeminate speeches and gestures which aime at nothing else but the corrupting of maids and matrons For to wind vp all in a word there is no deuice so diuelish or damnable but hath bene found out in these daies to make vices vertues which I vnderstand especially of whoredome And to the end they might throughly corrupt vs they haue erected Priapus his images againe with all their traine in their pleasant gardens witnesse that of Saint Germain des Prez at Paris so finely trimmed by an Italian who was owner therof and who kept a brothell house in it for all commers What remaines there then to make the vices of this Age so superlatiue but that it may out-strip and go beyond not onely the age last past but all others since the world began Verily nothing but the modest pictures of Philaenis and Elephantis But hath not Italy I speake it with griefe furnished vs with as bad or rather with worse then they Yea and with some such as were not heard of before wherin that is liuely presented to the eye which whosoeuer hath but a sparke of the feare of God in his heart cannot so much as name with our horror So that we may wel say Venimus ad summū and yet all too little to set forth the exceeding great
it almost in the same maner Whilest this Florentine was with her knaue there came another to whom though sore against her will yet for certaine respects she gaue entertainment She then hearing him come vp the staires desired him that came first to hide himselfe behind the bed till she had sent the second away whom because she could not dismisse so soone as she wished it so fortuned that her husband came whilest both were with her in the house Then if euer there was poore womā put to her shifts it was she seeing she was to answer for them both at once and to giue a reason of their comming and as for the second he could not chuse but be descried hauing left his horse in the court thinking her husband had bene gone from home What doth she then Marke the wile of a womans wit she requested him that came the second to draw his sword and with an angry frowning countenance to runne downe the staires and to say as he went I vow here before God I will meete with him in some other place which when he had done not answering her husband a word who asked him what the matter was but that he wold meet with him some where else which he boūd with a great oath the good man went vp the staires and finding his wife at the staires head pensiue and sore afraid asked her what the matter was and why the man whō he met went in such threatning maner She drawing back towards the chamber that her knaue behind the bed might heare her answered Alas husband I was neuer in such feare in all my life for here is a yong man within a stranger whom I neuer saw before who fled hither to saue himselfe being pursued by one with a drawne sword To be short she handled the matter so cunningly by her prittle prattle the gallant which lay hid afterwards affirming that it was so that whereas she like a villanous queane had done her husband double wrong in one and the same action yet she made him beleeue that she had done both honestly and wisely in foreseeing that no such mischiefe should be committed in his house The good man then hauing inuited the knaue to supper and furnished him with a good horse brought him safely to his house to Florence This was the Florentines feate Let vs now heare how another huswife neare to Florence gulled her husband with the like which though it may seeme at the first not halfe so cunningly carried as the former yet it exceeds not onely it but all the rest I haue remembred so that I cannot sufficiently wonder how women should haue such wits wiles to saue their credit good name and in the meane time shold be so ill aduised to hazard the same But the prouidence of God is much more to be wondred at in causing these shifts and deuices inuented to cloke their knaueries to be the only meanes to discouer them to the world and propagate them to posteritie which ought to teach vs to walk before him in feare This gentle Gillian then hauing hid her varlet vnder the bed went forthwith to her husband who came home whē she litle expected and began to chide him exceedingly telling him that it seemed he was purposed to cōmit her into the sergeants hands who were but newly departed hauing ransacked euery corner of the house The poore man quaking to heare such newes asked her aduice what was best to be done cōsidering the gates of the citie were already shut She told him she knew no better course then to hide himself in the doue-coat where hauing mewed him vp taken away the ladder to put him in greater feare she caused her knaue to counterfet the Sergeant and after he had made a great rumbling noise about the house she slept with him securely holding him close prisoner of whō she stood in feare It were infinite to recount al the sleights and subtilties which are reported of these huswiues to omit those that are dayly inuented though I should but only reckon vp such as haue bene plaied at Paris where notwithstanding women haue no such need of a Robin good fellow to helpe them at a pinch as in other places considering the great libertie or licence rather which is granted them Now as we haue spoken of some theeues more cunning then bold and of others more bold then cunning so we haue examples of two sorts of theeuish queanes to instance this kind of theft whereof we now speake And to begin with their boldnesse and impudencie I remember a notable example of a woman whom I haue seene sundry times at Paris who hearing her husband knock at the doore as she was in bed with her louer would not once stirre a foote but charged the porter to whom she had giuen the watchword that he should not open the doore till he had bene soundly wet a full houre by the clocke to the end she might enioy her knaues companie the longer and commit her villanie at her pleasure Where her silly husband nothing mistrusting such false play continued crying and calling Wife open the doore But the more he cried the more she cursed saying that he laboured but in vaine and that she was too cunning to be deceiued by such a companion though he knew wel how to counterfet her husbands voice threatning him withall that if he would not be gone she would crowne him with such a garland as he would not like of In the end when she thought it fit time hauing hid her sweet heart she set the porter to open the doore to whom notwithstanding she cried out at the window to colour the matter the better Thou knaue why doest thou open the doore to this ruffian thou shall answer for this geare This pageant being much like to one formerly mentioned was played at Paris about seuenteene yeares ago 27 But as the seldome and rare apparition of spirits hath not a little endomaged popish Priests and wanton women so doubtles both of them haue lost much by the bargaine since pilgrimages grew out of request those especially who because they could haue no childrē by their husbands were wont to seek the help of some good Saint True it is indeed they haue recourse to processiōs also which are yet in some credit But going on pilgrimage I can tell you was another manner of matter then going in procession for our Ladie of vertues would by one means or other make vertues of vices before they came home again Concerning Priests I remember a subtill sleight inuented by a woman dwelling neare Amboise which hath nothing common with the former being such a deuice as by Gods iudgment befell the Priest who followed her direction The story which is famous amongst fiue hundred is this The Curate of Onzain neare to Amboise perswaded by his hostesse whō he kindly entertained to make as though he would be gelded to preuent the suspition and iealousie of her husband and
bon coeur n'y obeisse Monsieur nous faisons le seruice 18 Mais quand ie di Frere Simon Pourquâ—â— n'allez-vous au sermon Frere Gringâ—ire frere Gille Que ne preschez-vous l'Euangile Chacun dit Ie fai 〈…〉 Pater en disanâ—â— seruice 19 Or ne sauroit-on tant prescher Tant exhorter tant reprocher Leur mauuais train pour les confondre Que ne les â—yez tous respondre Quelque chose que dire puisse Monsieur nous faisons le seruice That is 1 To you sir Friers this sute I make That some good course of life ye take In single heart and sobernesse And leaue your dayly drunkennesse Which of all ill doth stirre the fire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 2 Ye do but if you sober liue To God ye shall right worship giue And in the people breed a strife To tread in steps of your good life Vertue then vice hath better hire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 3 But vnto God 't is detestable To sit full three houres at the table In drunkennesse and belly cheare Why do ye not amend this geare Lest God you punish in his ire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 4 But when y'haue drunke carowses twentie If once ye find your mazors emptie Not one of you doth rest content But cals for fresh replenishment Vnto his nouice or apple-squire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 5 But what 's all your discourse and talke Of queanes and how the pots may walke As full of lust and wantonnesse As you your selues of idlenesse Ye muse of ill in towne and shire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 6 But thinke you God ye serue aright His name blaspheming day and night Ne're thinking of contrition But how t' encrease your pension Or some fat benefice t' acquire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 7 But thinke you t' is enough at least To pray for such as are deceast And to your Couent something gaue While you ne pray that God ye saue And with his grace your hearts 〈◊〉 An 't please you Sir we serue 〈◊〉 Quire 8 But what a seruice call you this If of your commons ought ye misse In spight of God vs and our calling To make such murmuring and such brawling Enough to set the world on fire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 9 But wherefore serue your songs so graue When each you playes the cosining knaue And hath no vertue nor science Saue to vexe womens conscience Which are full nice in their attire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 10 But what auaileth't to go to Kirke To sing the booke of Dauids werke To descant in an hundred sorts Your Lessons Anthemes and Reports When pudding is your chiefe desire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 11 But this your inuocation Is deepe dissimulation And these your songs melodious Are vnto God but odious Who doth the praise of th' heart require An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 12 But little auailes to sing with voyce Except the heart sing and reioyce It is but exercise of lungs To straine your sides and wag your â—ungs The while your mind 's at kitchin fire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 13 But you in stead of worke diuine Best seruice offer vnto wine Their Ayres you chant most sweet and fresh And so you pamper may the flesh You care not for the soule a brier An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 14 But you are so inordinate So hoodwinck'd in your foule estate That not the wisest man aliue Can argument so well contriue T' amend the life of Monke or Frier An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 15 But nought you giue and all you take Regardlesse how and for whose sake Of whom or why so that you haue The thing your greedy gut doth craue What care you so y'enrich the Priour An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 16 But neuer comes it in your head The sacred scriptures once to reade To study them or marke their frame To thinke thereon or teach the same Your nouices for thanks or hire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire 17 For answer vnto the Subpriour The Couent saith there 's not a Frier But well accepts and doth fulfill This exhortation heart and will Obedient as child to sire And all say Sir we serue the Quire 18 But when I say to him or him Why mist you sermon Frier Sim Sir Giles and you sir Gregory Why preach you not the Gospell Why An 't please your worship saith the Frier I do my dutie in the Quire 19 And thus they answer all and each What ere we say what are we preach Nor can the voice of man so sound As their ill guises to confound But still in answer they conspire An 't please you Sir we serue the Quire But seeing I haue honored the Laitie so farre as to register their liues and actions thus authentically as it were in the court roles from point to point I feare me I should be holden an enemy to our holy mother the Church some lurking Lutheran or odde Huguenote if I should not make as honorable mention of her obedient children the Catholike Cleargy CHAP. XXI Of the lechery and whoredome of the Popish Cleargie FIrst therefore to begin with whoredome let vs see to what height it is growne since Menots time Est filia seducta saith he fol. 82. col 3. quae fuit per annum inclusa cum sacerdote cum poto cochlcari at bed and boord hodie venit ad confessionem vis dicere quòd cras debet ire ad dormienduÌ„ cum Canonico vel cuÌ„ alio sacerdote sic perseuerare toto tempore vitae suae Moreouer he saith that the first prey that souldiers sought for wheÌ„ they entred any towne was Priests leÌ„mans or concubines But if I durst be so bold I wold speake of the infamous tribute which was wont to be exacted of Priests to the end they might be dispenced with for keeping of leÌ„mans which hath also borne a shameful name And such as desire to know the originall of such sweet doings may here see it In the first Councel of Toledo which was holdeÌ„ as the story saith in the raigne of the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius to the end it might appeare what holy spirit was then president in Councels among a nuÌ„ber of Prelates there assembled this canon was agreed vpon for the keeping of Concubines Caeterùm is qui non habet vxorem pro vxore concubinam habet à communione non repellatur Tamen vt vnius mulieris aut vxoris aut concubinae vt ei placuerit sit coniunctione contentus And about two hundred yeares after Isidore as Gratian quoteth him in his great dunghill of decrees dist 34. hath written hereof in these words Christiano non dicam