THE ISLE OF MAN OR The Legall Proceeding in Man-shire against SINNE Wherein by way of a continued Allegorie the chiefe Malefactors disturbing both Church and Common-Wealth are detected and attached with their Arraignment and Iudiciall triall according to the Lawes of England The spirituall vse thereof with an Apologie for the manner of handling most necessary to be first read for direction in the right vse of the Allegory thorowout is added in the end By R. B. Rector of Batcomb Somers The fourth Edition much enlarged LONDON Printed for Edw. Blackmore at the great South doore of Pauls 1627. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sr. THOMAS THYNNE Knight and to his religiously-affected Ladie the Lady KATHERINE THYNNE All sauing graces in the blessed way vnto eternall Comforts are vnfainedly wished Right Worshipfull SInce your departure and now returne to Longleate where the poore feele your mercies in set times of releefe and daily almes and your tenants and common neighbouring Inhabitants good entertainment at the generall time of great house keeping it was my hap to trauell into and thorowout the whole Isle of man now its vsuall with Trauellers to discourse of their iourneying and to relate their Obseruations And therefore let none obiect say vnto mee that of Persius Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter For I found good in my paines taking and bonum is communicativum sui diffusivum and so quo communius eo melius In my very entrance and afterwards euery where I found written that old ancient precept Nosce teipsum This lesson I began to take out with diligent obseruation And it brought to my mind the Apostles charge Quisque explorat seipsum which I laboured to put in practice and so sought my selfe in my selfe for I remembred that saying long since learned Orbis quisque sibi nec te quaesiueris extra Thus my trauell became very profitable to mee and the variety of sights withall procured delight and turned my paines into pleasure In my trauelling I came to the County Towne or chiefest Seat there called Soule Where I rested for some time because it fell out to be the Assise weeke for all that Iland Where I specially marked how in all things they proceeded against Malefactors according to the Lawes of England in this onely lyeth the difference there is neuer but one Iudge whereas wee haue euer two appointed in euery Circuit as wee haue now in this Westerne very honorable and religious Iudges quos honoris causa non possum non nominare Sir Iohn Walter Lord Chiefe Baron and Sir Iohn Denham another worthy Baron of the Exchequer louers of vertue and Iustice And indeed such ought Iudges to be as was and is this Iudge in Man He is a Iudge of Iethroes choice verax Dei timens osor turpis lucri Hee is diuinely giuen prudent impartiall and very quicke vpon good information in dispatch of Causes Hee was worthily attended as he ought euer to bee with a worthy Sheriffe with Iustices of Peace Knights and Esquires Gentlemen of singular note and fame in that Countrie This I heard of them and it appeared by their practice that they all stand for the maintenance of the lawes they see their Soueraigne well serued Iustice duly obserued and iudgement executed accordingly They neuer side with any for they hate faction Pride and Enuy two restlesse Make-bates who for notorious misdemeanour I saw bound to the good behauiour So as now there a Caesar-like spirit patitur superiorem a Pompey suum parem They runne all one course and as true Israelites quasi vir vnus for publike good Therefore doe the people liue in peace the land prospereth Iustice flourisheth vertue is exalted vice suppressed and the enemies at home and abroad made to feare The whole discourse of this excellent order and carefull proceedings there by me obserued from my first entrance vnto the end I am bold here to present vnto your Worships whom I haue now found diligent Readers of holy Scripture addicted to priuate prayer besides set forme for the whole family to be entertainers of the Preachers of Gods Word giuing freely to such Benefices as they hap to be void not being seduced by mens offering large summes to procure Aduousons afore hand as too many Patrons bee in these daies Now the Lord God Almighty hearten you in and to these things more more and to euery other good grace that may liuely demonstrate to the world the power of sauing knowledge in the vse of Gods abundant earthly blessings so largely bestowed vpon you with which earnest prayer vnto God for you and for a blessing vpon these my endeuours to further the same I humbly take leaue Your Worships in all Christian seruices at command RICHARD BERNARD Batcombe May 21. THE AVTHORS earnest requests FIRST to the Worthy Reader whosoeuer to whom let me but say thus much of this Discourse and allegoricall narration that in it sunt bona sunt quaedam mediocria sunt mala nulla Yet if any thing may seeme distastfull let thy minde be to take it well as Caesars was to interpret well the seeming offensiue carriage of one Accius the Poet towards him and thou wilt not be displeased Thy good minde will preuent the taking of an offence where none is intended to be giuen In discouery attaching arraigning and condemning of finne I tax the Vice and not any mans person so as I may say with one Hunc seruare modum nostri nouere libelli Parcere personis discere de vitijs Thou hast heere towards the end of this discourse the tryall and iudgement vpon foure notorious Malefactors Two of them the very prime Authors of all the open rebellion or secret Conspiracies which at any time euer were in that Iland The other two were the principall Abettours and the chiefest Supporters of them Their names their natures and their mischieuous practices thou mayest find at large in the narration There should haue beene at that Assises with these the arraignment of certaine suspected Witches but this was preuented because the Grand-Iurie Gentlemen could not agree to bring in their Billa vera for that they made question of diuers points whereof they could not be resolued at that present 1. Whether the afflicted did suffer by onely some violent diseases in nature producing strange effects like practices of Witch-craft Which for want of a iudicious Physitian they could not discerne 2. Whether the afflicted were a counterfeit as was one Marwood the Boy of Bilson and one Mary Brosier Or that he or she hauing some natural disease did make vse thereof and counterfeited the rest as one Mainy did who was troubled with the hysterica passio 3. Whether being a disease supernaturall yet might come vpon the afflicted by the operation of the deuill without the association of a Witch as it happened to Iob and others in the Euangelists Or that the afflicted hath a deuill
and is a Witch and hath by his or her owne wayes brought this euill vpon him or her without the practice of any other Witch 4. Whether they might proceed vpon meere presumptions against the suspected or rather stay till they had more certaine and grounded proâ—fet 5. Whether they could none of them being read in any learned Tractates touching the practices of Witches rightly examine the suspected to finde out a Witch and so to bring him or her deseruedly vnder the power of Authority There is now come forth by the leaue of Authority a Guide to Grand-Iury men in cases of Witch-craft my suit is that they would be pleased to accept of my well-meaning therein In which all these points before are fully handled as also That there are witches who are most subiect to be made Witches How they prepare themselues for the Deuill How Satan draweth theÌ„ to a league becommeth familiar with them That there are good Witches and the signes to know them That there are bad Witches and how then practise and what it is that they can doe and how many things must concurre in bewitching What are the signes to know one to be bewitched That Witches may be detected What are strong presuÌ„ptions of a Witch What are the certaine euidences against such an one How throughly to examine a Witch With many other particulars set forth in 28 distinct Chapters fully and yet with great breuity The death of fiue brethren and sisters lately condemned and executed for Witches one more yet remaining formerly brought before a Iudge and now in danger to bee questioned againe hath mooued mee to take this paine not to preuent Iustice nor to hinder legall proceedings but that I may not be mistaken nor wronged as I was once and more should haue beene had not the wisdome and goodnesse of so reuerend a Iudge accepted graciously of my vpright Apologie against vaine Accusers I made a Petition then to my Lord the Iudge to the worthy then M. Sheriffe and to all the Worshipfull of the Bench then present which I am bold to renew againe more publikely and that now this third time because it pleased that reuerend Iudge so well to like thereof to second it and is wished of many to finde some good effect at the length The state of poore prisoners is well knowne and how their soules safety is neglected and yet our Sauiour gaue such a testimony to a penitent theefe as hee neuer gaue to any mortall man else for he told him that he should be that day with him in Paradise How blessed a worke would it be to haue maintenance raised for a learned godly and graue Diuine that might attend to instruct theÌ„ daily Twelue pence a quarter of one parish with another in our Countie would encourage some compassionate holy man thereunto And what is this Not a mite out of euery mans purse to saue soules If with this instruction there should bee meanes to set them also on worke they might get somewhat for food for raiment They might so preuent the miserable fruits of sloth their mindes would bee imployed their bodies bee preserued in health and not pine away and be consumed with vermine Yea enforced labour there would terrifie loose vagrants lazie wanderers and the idle rout from turning the eues more then either imprisonment or death hitherto hath done And besides such as should escape would by this heauenly meanes of instruction and bodily labour become through Gods mercy more profitable members in the CommoÌ„-Weale afterwards whereas now they become twice more the children of Belial than they were before Oh let me be hold earnestly to beseech you and in all humility to craue your mercifull and tender bowels of compassion towards them And first of you right Honourable my Lords the Iudges who sit as Gods among men to giue iudgement vpon this so wretched and so miserable a generation of mankinde that if they die they may be more ready with all patience and submission of spirit to receiue their iust reward and your doome of death vpon them or if they be acquitted and so liue they may learne afterwards to liue the life of good Christians and so make a good vse of their deliuerance And would not this reioyce your hearts to forward such a worke when your Lordships doe know that the blessed Angels doe reioyce at the conuersion of Sinners Next of you Worthy Master Sheriffe vnder whose wisedome religious affection tender mercies and powerfull habilities the Prison and the Prisoners be for the time present Shall not this worke set forward by you be vnto you an euerlasting remembrance Then of all you Right Worshipfull the worthy Iustices of our Country by whose authority these offenders are sent vnto prison Oh that it might not displease you to heare me calling vpon you by name who I hope are well-minded to such a blessed and charitable a worke Yee deseruedly honoured Knights Sir George Speke Sir Iohn Stowel Sir Francis Popham Sir Henry Barkley Sir Iohn Windham Sir Iohn Horner Sir Edward Rodney and Sir Robert George And may I not here also name the worthily esteemed of their Country though not at this present in Commission with you Sir Ralph Hopton Sir Robert Philips Sir Charles Barkley and Sir Edward Barkley All to be graciously pleased to commiserate their lamentable case and to helpe forward this worke of pietie and pitie towards prisoners O yee other worthies of your Country no lesse generously affected Iohn Powlet Robert Hopton Edward Rogers George Lutterell Iohn May Fra. Baber Ro. Cuffe Tho. Breerton Io. Coles William Francis Rice Dauys Thomas Windham Iohn Harrington Io. Harbin William Capel and Anth. Stocker Esquires let the bowels of compassion compasse you about that you may affect this so good a deed and be honoured for euer in bringing to passe so rare a charitie The worke surely would blesse you all Alas the Prison now is a very picture of Hell and more is the pitie as the case now stands is no lesse than a preparatiue thereto for want of daily instruction It would be by a faithfull ministery and bodily imploiment of them a house of correction with instruction and so happily the way of life Then might charity quicken vp iustice to send offenders obstinately persisting in euill and abusing their liberty vnto prison in good hope of their reformation The losse of their corporall liberty might through Gods mercy then gaine them spirituall freedome Health by labour would be preserued and their soules by wholsome instruction saued The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ perswade your well-disposed hearts to such an vnbegun worke among so many good deeds very famous in this renowned Nation The spirit of the Lord God of Heauen and Earth rest vpon you to cause you to affect this and in time to effect the same by stirring vp the Country and by your owne mercies in your life times you giuing
murther 6 The sixt is a Popish fellow called Fore-fathers hee aduanceth his Ancestors and their worth and thinketh so well of them that to imitate them is no sinne Thus the Samaritanes iustified their false worship 7 The seuenth is one Sir Power he maketh euer that warrantable which Law establisheth ordaineth and decreeth Great and capitall sinnes in the Romish Synagogue are thus countenanced 8 The eight is Sir Sampler who produceth for patternes great mens and learned mens examples as if they could not doe amisse but whatsoeuer they doe or say it must be good and lawfull and therefore imitable without sinne 9 The ninth is Sir Most-doe who maintaineth sinne from a generall practice because multitudes do it here and there and euery where therefore no sinne to doe such a thing which almost all or the greatest part doe 10 The tenth is one Sir Silly one made all of good meaning who will qualifie the fact by thinking no harme or intending well Thus would Saul haue iustified his rebellion and Abimelech excused his taking of Abrahams wife And thus vaine persons excuse their wanton communication lasciuious songs foolish iestings and such like saying they meane no harme they only make themselues merry Thus Sir Silly is hee that maketh simple soules plead good meaning for all their foolish superstitions blind deuotions and licentious merriments The eleuenth is Vaine-Hope this teacheth to put off the fault to some other as Adam to Euah and Euah to the Serpent and to deny the fact as Cain did euen to God himselfe hereby hoping to shift off sinne and to escape punishment who maketh God all of mercy The twelfth is the Lord Presumption hee feareth not iudgement he blesseth himselfe in his euill waies he maketh a couenant with Death and a league with Hell and suffers sinne to be his daily guest and will let the Hue and Crie passe along without any feare of perill as nothing at all concerning him The thirteenth is Sir Wilfull hating to be reformed this is an obstinate friend for sinne who will wilfully defend it and bee carelesse of all reproofes This fellow in contempt will tread downe the Hue and Crie vnder his feet and maintaine sinne The foureteenth is Sir St. like which vnder the shew and shadow of Piety and pretended honesty wil couer much iniquity and hide it for a time that it be not taken by the pursuer with the Hue and Cry such were the Hypocriticall Scribes and Pharises These great ones and many other moe are the friends of this Theefe and Rebell but yet for all these Fauourites Godly-Iealousie espies him out and his harbour and presently goeth to a Iustice of Peace to procure a warrant for the Constable to attach him and all his Companions with him The Iustice is not one of a meane ranke or any petty Iustice but the very Lord chiefe Iustice of Heauen and earth the Lord Iesus for it is hee that can giue the warrant to attach sinne no other warrant will sinne obey The Warrant is the Power of Gods Word The Forme of which warrant is as you see in my Text to search out and attach sinne with all his Associates and to bring him and them before Authoritie to answer to such things as shall bee obiected against them in his Maiestie the King of Heauens behalfe The procuring of this warrant is by going vnto and conferring with some of the Lord Chiefe Iustices Secretaries the Writers of holy Scripture setting downe this charge as Ieremie doth here to search and try our waies This Warrant procured Godly-Iealousie taketh and carrieth to an Officer which hath Authority to make search and attach sinne This Officer without which sin neither can nor indeed will be attached is Vnderstanding who knoweth what sinne is Now as there bee foure sorts of Officers which may attach Felons by warrant The Deputy-Constable the Tithingman The Petty Constable and the Head Constable so is the spirituall Officer fourefold 1 The Deputy-Constable is commonly some Neighbour intreated to performe the office in the others absence this is the very shadow of a Constable and will not willingly intermeddle in any thing so as the people where hee dwels may do for all him what they list This Deputie Constable in this spirituall Towneship is the Vnderstanding darkened the sonne of Ignorance and grand-childe of Blindnesse of heart this is a blinde Constable and hath neuer an eye to see with This suffers all disorder in the whole man or Soule-Towne-ship Heere be such as bee alienated from the life of God past feeling giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes with greedinesse All the affections are quite out of order and no care taken for their reformation for this foolish fellow imploieth himselfe about his grounds cattell sheepe and oxen about buying and selling as for the estate of his soule he is to it a very stranger He knowes the price of corne oxen and sheepe but what is the excellencie of Vertue what the euill of Vice what the price of his soule hee neither knowes nor cares to know 2 The Tithingman which commonly is a meane fellow and so contemptible as few or none care for him And therefore hereupon is very little or no reformation where hee hath his dwelling If any amendment be sought it is onely for some notorious shameful misdemeanours and he must be much called vpon for this too else no reformation thereof and as for many other offences there is no care had at all This Tithing-man is Grosse-vnderstanding like one purblinde who cannot see a farre off but only grosse transgressions forbidden in the Law according to the sound of the bare letter only as Theft Murther Adultery and so forth The spirituall meaning and large extent of the Commandement hee is wholly ignorant of This purblinde Tythingman suffers a number of disorders in his Towneship and must be much vrged to see very grosse and foule misdemeanours else will hee not seeke to reforme them 3. The Petty Constable which is some ciuill honest man of the Parish and perhaps hath some Country learning but yet is an one-eyed fellow halfe-sighted and so passeth by many faults This Pettie Constable is the Vnderstanding somewhat cleered hee hath an insight into the Morall Law who by ciuill education some Art and learning an outward forme of Religion and reading in the Bible now and then can speake of the Gospell Historically and prettily discourse of Religion But this his knowledge is onely superficiall for neither in the Common-Law which is the Law Morall neither in the Statute Law the Law of the Gospell or Law of Libertie is he any professed Student Hee is no Innes of Court man neuer brought vp in the Inner Temple He maketh neither the Common nor Statute Law his profession As he is no Student in these so
thought word or deed for a sinne not all the Popes Dispensations and Pardons not all the subtill Distinctions of the most learned no custome nor any thing else whatsoeuer can acquit it from Sinne but sinue it is and so must it be taken as a lawfull prisoner to bee brought to the Barre and indited and put vpon the Iurie of Life and Death The Bill being found true then they proceed vnto the Arraignment The Prisoners are brought forth chained together and set to the barre before the Iudge The Prisoners are Sins as you haue heard before the Old-man with Mistris Heart her Maids and Will her man Their Bringing forth is the Manifestation thereof by the Gaoler M. Newman Knowledge Holinesse and Righteousnesse They are chained for sinnes are linked together as Adultery and Murther in Dauid Pride with Hatred of Mordecai in Haman Couetousnesse and Treason in Iudas Couetousnesse Hypocrisie and Lying in Ananias and Saphira yea the breach of all the Commandements in the fall of Adam and Euah They therfore are brought out chained together The Barre is the Apprehension of Gods wrath due for sinne After all this when the Prisoner standeth at the Barre a Iurie for life and death is impannelled who are for the King and are sworne to giue in a true Verdict according to their Euidence This Iurie is a chosen Companie of excellent Vertues the fruits of the Spirit deliuered in by the Sheriffe Religion to be called and to bee of this Iurie in the behalfe of the Kings Maiestie IESVS CHRIST to goe vpon the prisoners the Fruits of the Flesh which stand at the Barre Their names being giuen vp they are called as the Clerke of the Arraignment the Tongue nameth them then the Cryer Manifestation of the Spirit calleth them one by one to appeare as the Clerke names them and they are these 1. Call Faith Cryer Vous aues Faith which purgeth the Heart 2. Call Loue of God Cryer Vous aues Loue of God which is the keeping of the Commandements 3. Call Feare of God Cryer Vous aues Feare of God which is the beginning of wisdome 4. Call Charity Cryer Vous aues Charity which reioyceth in the Truth 5. Call Sincerity Cryer Vous aues Sincerity which makes a true Israelite in whom there is no guile 6. Call Vnity Cryer Vous aues Vnity which maketh men to be of one heart and is the bond of Peace 7. Call Patience Cryer Vous aues Patience which worketh experience and by which men possesse their soules 8. Call Innocencie Cryer Vous aues Innocencie which keepeth harmelesse 9. Call Chastity Cryer Vous aues Chastity which keepeth vndesiled 10. Call Equity Cryer Vous aues Equitie which doth right to euery man 11. Call Verity Cryer Vous aues Verity which euer speaketh truth 12. Call Contentation Cryer Vous aues Contentation which euer rests satisfied Then the Clerke saith Countes And so the Cryer saith to them Answer to your names Then the Clerke nameth them and the Cryer telleth or counteth them Faith one Loue of God two Feare of God three Charitie foure Sincerity fiue Vnitie six Patience seuen Innocencie eight Chastitie nine Equitie ten Veritie eleuen Contentation twelue Then the Cryer saith Good men and true stand together and heare your charge With all these Graces should the soule of man bee endued to proceed against Sinne wee should be able to say that we haue them by the manifestation of Gods Spirit and also to know their power and vertue and distinctly to be able to reckon them and so wisely to esteeme them as the good and true gifts and graces of God which haue a charge giuen them which is euery grace his proper gift and all coniointly haue power to discerue of any sinne and to giue a iust verdict thereupon This Iury thus called and impannelled are commanded to looke vpon the Prisoners at the Barre vpon whom they are to goe This is when we oppose Vertues to Vices in our meditation that so by the excellency of the one wee may see the foulenesse of the other and so come to the greater loue of Vertue and to the more deepe hatred of Vice This is the Iury of vertues profitable looking vpon vices the prisoners at the Barre The prisoners though they stand together yet are they to answer one by one So Sins must distinctly one by one be arraigned for wee cannot proceed against sin but vpon a particular knowledge thereof A generall and so a confused notion of sins which yet is that which is in most men will neuer make a man truly to see how his estate standeth with God and so to bring sinne vnto death The Prisoners at the sight of the Iurie and naming of them haue leaue to challenge any of them if they can giue good reasons against this or that man they are put off the Iurie and other chose in their stead These prisoners seeing such a Iurie presently begin to challenge them Vnbeleefe hee cryeth out against Faith as his Enemie Hatred of God against the Loue of God as his Enemie Presumptuous sinning against the Feare of God as his Enemy Cruelty against Charity as his Enemie Hypocrisie against Sinceritie as his Enemie Discord against Vnity as his Enemie Anger Rage and Murmuring against Patience as their Enemy Murther Fighting and Quarrelling against Innocency as their Enemie Wantonnesse Adultery Fornication and Vncleannes cry out against Chastity as their deadly Enemie Coozenage Theft and Vniust dealing against honest Equity as their Enemie Lying Slandering and False-witnesse-bearing against Verity as their mortall Enemie And lastly Greedy desire Couetousnesse and Discontentment cry out against Contentation as their enemy All these together challenge the whole Iury crying out and saying Good my Lord these men are not to bee of the Iury against vs for your Lord-ship knoweth very well and none better that they are all of them our deadly Enemies Your Honour knoweth that euery one of them hath petitioned the Lord Chiefe Iustice very often and importunately to binde vs all to the good behauiour and to cast vs into prison as wee haue beene by their meanes They haue made Master Newman the Keeper and his vnder-keepers to deale very hardly with vs. It is well knowne my Lord that Chastity procured Master Newman almost to famish Incontinencie to death Good my Lord consider of vs these are our most bloudy and cruell enemies Wee appeale to your Lordship to God and to all good men that know both them and vs that it is so Our humble suit to your Lordship therefore is that more indifferent persons may be chosen to goe vpon vs else we are all but dead men Wee doe know my Lord that there are heere many other of very good and great credit in the world fit to bee of this Iurie men very well knowne to your Lordship and to Master Sheriffe and the
to run and ride after it and to offer largely for it and maketh some Patrons theeues and to admit many an Ignoramus into the charge and cure of Soules and many a Minister to be a periured Simonist before God Hee maketh not a few to heape vp meanes not onely for maintenance but also to make themselues great and many which come in freely to neglect the care of their flockes and to seek after their fleeces to care to bee rich and to follow so after the world as that either they giue ouer to preach or doe make them preach at home very idly seldome and vnprofitably though abroad either for their hire or applaudity more diligently and commendable When People come to Church my Lord hee marreth their deuotion and haleth their soules out of the Church to make them to bee walking their grounds talking with their friends plotting businesses and to bee going some iourney to bee at some Market or Faire to bee counting their debts following their debtors reckoning vp their loane vpon Vsury their profits and gaine here and there not without feare of losses And all these things my Lord with many other worldly thoughts whilst their bodies are in Church When people come from the Church hee choaketh the seed of Gods Word that it thriueth in very few and of these few it is more in talke than in practice Hee keepeth my Lord many from the Church causing them to set the Lords Day apart not for his seruice but for their worldly affaires because they will not take another time for hindering their profit in the weeke daies Much more my Lord I haue to say but I am loth to be too tedious You Master Church haue spoken sufficiently and enough to condemne him Call Master Common-Weale Master Common-Weale what can you say on the Kings behalfe against the Prisoner at Barre My Lord this man hath entred so farre into all businesses as hee hath almost vtterly vndone mee Hee propoundeth Offices to sale and so maketh the buyers to sell their duties for profit to make vp their monies He hath monopolized commodities into his hands inhanced the prices of things to the great grieuance of the Kings Subiects Hee as your Lordship well knoweth hath miserably corrupted the course of Iustice by briberie by making many Lawyers plead more for Fees than honestly for the equitie of the cause by delaying the cause by remouing it from one Court to another till men be vndone He hath to get his desire suborned false witnesses counterfeited Euidences and forged Wils Good my Lord let some order be taken with him else he will vtterly bring mee to ruine and all mine for euer Call Master Houshold Master Houshold what can you say concerning the Prisoner My Lord this wicked Couetousnesse keepes holy exercises out of priuate houses he will not let parents haue any time to instruct their children hee maketh Masters vse their seruants more like beasts than men they are so wholly imployed in worldly businesses as for their soules there is no care taken but they are left to liue as soule-lesse men Hee causeth niggardly house-keeping and ouer-labouring of seruants He breedeth much contention chiding and too much vse of ill language by Mistresses and Dames yea betweene men and their wiues in their Family to the great griefe and ill example of their children and seruants Yea my Lord hee hath made children to bee cruel to their Parents brethren and sisters to hate one another neere of kindred and bloud to goe to Law one with another for and about diuiding goods lands and inheritances yea I can witnes this that hee hath made them murther one another Children their Parents Husbands their Wiues and one Brother another It would be too long to particularize how great euils and how many waies hee hath iniured mee and all mine But because other witnesses stand heere by mee I will trouble your Lordship with no more complaints at this time Call Master Neighbourhood Friend What is it that you can say touching this prisoner My Lord this vnhappy man hath altogether disunited mens affections so as in our Towne there is very little loue hardly will one doe another a good turne freely but either it must bee one for another like for like or in certaine future hope for gaine This wretch hath almost banisht all friendly society euery man is so now for himselfe as hee neglecteth his neighbor almost wholly He maketh them trespasse one another to rob cunningly one another in buying and selling and to fall out with bitter rayling vnneighbourly languages for a penny losse and causeth many suits and brabbles Wee are my Lord indeed miserably disquieted and almost vtterly vndone by him For my Lord we were a company of very good neighbours till he became Landlord here dwelt Amitie Kindnesse Gentlenesse Loue Peace Charitie Patience Goodnesse Readie-good-will Forgetfulnesse of wrongs Sociablenesse Good-turnes and Ioy but most vniustly by his cruelty wrong dealing hee hath displaced them and brought my Lord a company of infernall spirits for so I think I may without offence call them which are these Hatred Malice Enuie Wrath Anger Churlishnesse Discord Niggardlinesse Sturdinesse Strife Debate Variance Emulation Sedition Wrangling Fraud Deceit Malignitie Despight Vnnaturalnesse Implacablenesse Vnthankfulnesse Fiercenesse Highmindednesse Selfeloue Makebate and Vnmercifulnesse The best that hee brings in my Lord are Costlesse complement Faire-Speech How doe you Good-morrow Good euen Glad to see you well Word-welcome Will you drinke Fare-well Yours to command and such like also one Little-good with another called Soone-lost and amongst these No-harme is greatly commended but neuer a Good man amongst them much lesse any Too-good to bee found in the Parish except more in name than in deed And this is that which I haue to say my Lord at this time Call out Master Good-worke Master Good-worke what can you say touching the Prisoner My Lord there hath beene so much spoken that I need say nothing yet none haue more iust cause to complaine than I haue for he hath endeuoured to his vtmost to root me out and all my posterity Bounty Liberality and Hospitalitie My Lord we by reason of him daily stand in feare of our liues all the countrey crieth out of him in their loue to vs who well know how often hee hath attempted to murther vs. He hath put out of ioynt both the armes of my Son Bounty and almost broken the backe of my Son Liberality that he hardly at any time goeth vpright and all know this that he hath violently set vpon my Sonne Hospitality and forced him out of doores and in his stead hath let in Pride of apparel Sumptuous building Affectation of vaine Titles whom hee hath made to shut vp doores perswading them that to maintain their state they must increase their reuenues by new purchases by racking of rents by inhauncing their fines and incomes all
the chiefest meanes here to set the poore on worke which cannot bee without wooll and wooll cannot bee had without flockes of sheepe If this Worthy Knight and good Common-Wealths man tooke any aduice of mee it was for publike good Good my Lord consider that Pouertie is impatient euer complaining and very vnthankfull to his best friends if they doe not alwayes supply his wants You know this my Lord to be true and all the Worshipfull Iustices of the Bench. Touching Master Church his accusation vnworthily doth he lay the faults on me for when any doe ride post so for Benefices when they be fallen they are set on my Lord sometime by Perking Pride sometime by Neighbour Need and all of them by Master Haste to get the liuing and by Master Feare to come short of it It was neuer I that made them offer such summes of monies to Patrons for it is my manner to aduise my friends to be euer sparing of their purses but it was their ouer-forward friend Master Hope-to-preuaile that counselled them to make such profers I am not my Lord the cause of any Ministers negligence in his Function but a couple of base loytering fellowes dwelling with such Ministers commonly called my Lord the Parsons men Ease and Idle by whom such Ministers are too much led If the people profit not vnder those that bee painfull Ministers my Lord the fault is not through mee but the fault is in Inbred Ignorance Dulnesse Old man Mistresse Heart and Wilfull Will her man and Maides hating to bee reformed Dislike of Teachers either for their person or doctrine Want of loue of the Truth Contentednesse to liue and die in Ignorance and the verie Deuill himselfe my Lord their vtter enemie These ought to beare the blame my Lord and not I. For Master Common-Weale my Lord I maruell that hee should thus abuse me and wrong me for my Lord he knowes well that I haue many waies enriched such as belong vnto him his cunning Merchants in trading and his craftie Lawyers in pleading I haue holpen many a meane man to a great estate and many a base birth to bee counted of the Gentrie Forward haue I beene to helpe all sorts of euerie estate of euery professioÌ„ of euery trade and course of life and must I now be questioned for my life Concerning Master Houshold hee hath no reason of all others to blame me for I taught him how to be warie in his house-keeping how to manage his estate for his best thrift how to aduantage himselfe in buying and selling Corne and Cattell how to let and set and hire grounds to graze and fat Cattell and my Lord I euer sought his profit in all my courses Hee hath no cause thus to accuse me to your Lordship He had neuer gotten vp to haue maintained so great a Family but by me I raised his Father from a base Cottage to be a Free-holder and so himselfe to be Master of a great Family and houshold If any such euils haue happened vnder him as hee complayneth of let him accuse Vnnaturalnesse Impatience Vnruly Passions and such like makebates and withall the Suggestions of Satan which doe set men on such mischiefes and not mee my Lord. For Master Neighbour-hood hee may of all other be ashamed to accuse mee so because hee hath liued much better and nothing worse by me my Lord for I caused to bee remoued from him and his neighbours in their often and idle meetings which they pleased to call Good-fellowship a Company of verie Vnthrifts Waste Ryot Prodigalitie Drunkennes Gluttonie Idlenesse Carelesnesse Needlesse-Expence and a rout of very Rascals with reuerence be it spoken my Lord. I taught him and all such as hee is a better way to liue and a more thriuing course to looke diligently to their estates and to take good courses to saue to get and to increase their meanes As first hauing abandoned such lewd companie before named in the next place I aduised them to put away their bad Men-seruants Slacke and Slothfull Carelesse and Wastfull Gor-belly and Tospot Weake and Way-ward Loue-bed Drowsie Light-finger and Lurching Gamester and Go-gay Slipstring and Wanderer Scape-thrift Spendall and such like vnprofitable Hindes And withall to rid themselues in like manner of al their bad Maid-seruants such as these Pranker and Prattle Wanton and Loue-sick Sleepy and Slugge Sweetlip and Daintie Gadding and Forgetfull Greene-sicknesse and Tender Driuell and Slut also and aboue all the Choare-woman and her daughters Pocating and Filch with all their fellowes And in stead of these my Lord I commended vnto them a company of Men-seruants worth entertainement all one mans children the sons of mine honest Neighbour Good-husbandrie as Care and Forecast Makehasâ—e and Warie Thriftie and Pinch Aduantage and Holdfast Cunning and Catch Watchfull and Toilesome Homely-fare and Meane-clad Clouted-shooe and Patch Vp-betimes and Labour Last vp and Trustie Getting and Lockfast Spend-little and Get-much Take-time and Lose-nought Debtlesse and Gaine with such other profitable seruants And because I knew that Maid-seruants answerable to them were as necessarie I aduised the best I could to prouide such also the daughters of Good-hous-wiferie as Eager and Spare Quicke and Nimble Trusty and Timely-vp Health-full and Chaste Euer-doing and Silent Wittie and Pliant with other of the like nature helpfull to vphold a mans estate By which good counsel of mine my Lord Neighbour-hood liueth now richly and not beggerly Neede knockes not daily at his doore either to begge or borrow as he was wont to doe Concerning the last man Master Good-worke he hath least cause of all others to complaine for that same which hee pleaseth to call in me Oppression Vsurie Extortion and what not haue built many a faire Almes-house many a goodly Hospitall in the Land my Lord and haue also giuen by will many a large Legacie to the poore and much to publike vses My Lord when I was a Romane Catholique in our Forefathers dayes none was than in more grace and fauour with all the Clergie than my selfe By mee the holy Father the Pope greatly increased his Treasurie by my Counsells the Prelates gat vp to such an infinite wealth and to such glorious dignities by me they making Religion a cloake for me to put on they got such stately houses for their dwellings and for the varietie of their orders built in the best places of euery Nation and such yearely Reuenewes as did exceede for their certaine maintenance Good my Lord let it please your Lordship to thinke better of me than these men procured for witnesses haue suggested for falsely haue they spoken against me Good my Lord good my Lord doe me right I beseech you Stand vp stand vp Fellow I haue heard with Patience these thy verball Apologies thy subtile shifts to acquit thy selfe thy faire shewes to winne thee credit if it weare possible thereby to
procure thine owne release But know that yet for all that thou hast said the Inditement against thee standeth firme and the Euidence against thee is good which here my brethren the Kings Sergeant and the Kings Atturney and these worthy Gentlemen Iustices of this County likewise affirme It is very true which your Lordship saith Good my Lord before you pronounce sentence against me as you be a righteous Iudge heare me but this once more What hast thou to say yet for thy selfe My Lord I am endited by a wrong name my name my Lord is Thrift and not Couetousnesse as all this while my Aduersaries haue borne your Lordship in hand Then the Iudge asked Iustice Sapience where his examination was The Iustices Clarke called Experience brought it forth and read it In which his name was found to bee Couetousnesse and that by the witnesse of his neighbours to whom he was verie well knowne Fellow saith the Iudge why dost thou denie thy name My Lord I doe not denie it for my name is Thrift but when I get vp some wealth the enuy of my neighbours gaue me this other nickname and so common it grew by their so often calling me as I lost my other name among them But there are diuerse of my honest neighbours which loue me and are glad of my welfare they haue told me that my name formerly was Thrift and they do assure me that I am vntruly called Couetousnesse Then saith the Iudge who be these and what are their names My Lord one is Master Faire-speech a louing kind man and another is Master Soothing his kinsman both of them my familiar friends whom I haue often enuited and welcomed to my house Also many other of my good neighbours do affirme as much to me as my neighbour Needy Retainer Dependant Workeman Hireling Tenant Feareman Fainhart Loath-to-offend Clawbacke and Fawning for though some of these bee but poore men yet I haue euer knowne thē all to be so honest that they haue hated to slatter me There are besids these my Lord other very substantiall Gentlemen as Master Lucre Master Bribery Master Opression Master Harddealing Master Scrapgood Master Niggard Master Pinch-poore Master Extortion Master Basemind Master Chubrich Master Vsury Master Hardhart Master Louegood Master Suckingaine and Master Griphard all these my Lord and other moe of my good friends haue much maruelled that I would suffer my selfe to be soe falsely called Couetousnesse by these my Accusars my euer hatefull and malicious enemies such as is Master Pitie Master Reliefe Master Liberalitie Master Bountie Master Hospitality with certaine lend Companions such as Carelesse and Wastfull Pride Prodigalitie Idle and Bellicheare with the like haters of my thriuing and prouident courses for I haue heard some Preachers say that hee which prouideth not for his family is worse then an Infidle and I would be loath to be hold such a one that am a Christian man And my Lord if it please you to heare mee and also to beleeue mee I haue euer hated Couetousnesse for I keepe my Church I say daily my prayers and now and then as I may attend it I heare Preachers yea such as be held of the incercut euer railing against the Couetous I haue beene Patron of many a good Benifice and haue euer giuen them freely and if it happened that I reserued out of them any Tithes it was then vpon my Chaplens thankfulnesse and onely vpon an honest cōposition I haue giuen almes now and then I haue not beene altogether soe straight handed to the poore when I sold or let any thing as often I did the price set vpon the same euer was so reasonable as my Stewards and Bailiffes told mee for I trusted them that if one would not giue the money another would If in house-keeping I haue beene any whit sparing it was onely warines to auoid Riot Excesse Drunkennes Gluttonie which euery honest man hateth If the poore so many as came were not all relieued it was for that I saw beggers to encrease thereby and so I may do more harme then good by my almes for while some came from farre for an almes or a peny they might haue earned at home in that time perhaps two pence yea a groate sometimes making their going and comming a whole dayes labour I gathered my Lord what I haue gotten by Gods blessing and great paines-taking for present and for future maintenance of my selfe my wife and children after me and I meant withall when I died to haue giuen something to the Church something to the poore and a reward to a Preacher to Preach my funerall Sermon and somewhat more perhaps to other good vses Good my Lord I beseech you consider of me I haue euer had a good mind to wrong no man but onely haue striuen carefully and honestly to thriue in this hard world and if all my courses bee neuer so strictly obserued they will onely proue mee to bee Thrist which is my right name and not Couetousnesse It hath been my ill happe though I haue done good deeds to be very wrongfully abused either by such as haue enuied my good prosperitie or by some railing Tenants or by some bordering Neighbours that cannot buy of me how when and what they list at their owne prices or by some vnthankfull persons not satisfied according to their humours though rewarded aboue their deserts Good my Lord be good vnto mee and bee not carried away with the words of my malicious enuious Accusers Fellow saith the Iudge but that I onely sit to iudge and not to bee thy Accuser I could tell thee First that those thou hast before named to prooue thee to be Thrift and not Couetousnesse are either slatterers or fearefull to displease thee or wretched men companions in euill like thy selfe And therefore their witnesse is nothing worth Next that all thou hast alleaged concerning thy Religion thy almes-deeds thy house-keeping and the rest do not cleare thee of Couetousnesse for the Scribes and Pharisecs would pay Tithes fast weekly make many and long prayers yea they heard Iohn Baptist a seuere Reprouer of sin and Christ Iesus too who sharply reprehended them They would giue almes adorne sepulchers and doe many things which thou dost come farre short off and yet were they very couetous The young man that came to Christ and stood vpon his well doing towards all men and that from his youth vp yet was he a Mamonist and trusted in his riches There were certaine Iewes as one Propher telleth vs who would heare Sermons seeme to delight therein shew loue to their Teachers in word and speake to others to go and heare them yet their hearts followed after their couetousnesse In a word the carriage of thy owne speech vttered in thy owne praises sauoureth strongly of Couetousnesse But as I said I will not bee both an Accusar and thy Iudge we will heare witnesses for the
brethren borne before him or in a younger Beniamin brought forth soone after him When I thus did apparell him I intended to send him forth to his brethren hoping hereby to procure him the more acceptance where hee happily should come and my expectation hath not failed deceiued altogether I am not as was Iacob in sending his Ioseph among his enuious brethren For not onely hundreds but some thousands haue welcomed him to their houses They say they like his countenance his habit and manner of speaking well enough though other too nice bee not so well pleased therewith But who can please all or how can any one so write or speake as to content euery man If any mistake me and abuse him in their too carnal apprehension without the truly intended spirituall vse let them blame themselues neither me nor him for the fault is their owne which I wish them to amend You that like him I pray you stil accept of him for whose sake to further your spiritual meditation I haue sent him out with these Contents and more marginall notes His habite is no whit altered which he is constrained by mee to weare not onely on working dayes but euen vpon holy daies and Sondayes too if he go abroad A fitter garment I haue not now for him and if I should send out the poore Lad naked I know it would not please you This his coate though not altered in the fashion yet is it made somewhat longer For though from his first birth into the world it bee scarce halfe a yeare yet he is growne a little bigger but I thinke him to become to his full stature so he wil be but as a litle pigmie to be carried abroad in any mans poket I pray you now this fourth time accept him vse him as I haue intended him for you and you shal reape the fruite though I forbid you not to be Christianly merry with him So fare you well in all friendly wellwishes R. B. May 28. 1627. FINIS Errata Good Reader I pray in page 137. for incircut reade nicer-cut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The scope of this booke for one to see and know himselfe Exod. 18. Oldman Madame Heart What to be considered of before men come in with a verdict against supposed witches See Doctor Cotta his tryall of Witches Request to Grand-Iury men touching my booke of Witches The summe of that booke Iudge Denham Sir Rob. Philips Request to the Iudges the Sheriffe and Iustices for spirituall food to poore prisoners The benefit of setting prisoners on worke Sir Ioh. Walter L. chiefe Baron Sir Io. Denham Mast Symmes If I mistake your places I pray you pardon mee Request to the Keepers of prisons Request to the poore prisoners Meditations for them while they lye in Gaole Request to professors of the Law A search to be made for sin Sinne is the great malefactor Sinne robbes vs. Sinne doth kill if it bee not killed Sin is strong Prou. 5. 22. Rom. 7. 23. Isa 9. 18. Sinne doth him the most hurt that most loueth it Ierem. 5. 25. Ierem. 4. 18. The euils which sinne doth Mat. 26. 14 15. 1 Kings 22. Matth. 13. Matth. 12. Act. 5. 10. Sinne is very subtill Heb. 3. 13. Rom. 7. 11. A watch set to espie out sin The watchman is one Assistants are two The Towne watched Trauellers Posts The Inne Towne large Streets are foure Charge giuen to the Watch-men Deut. 4. 9. Preu 4. 23. Heb. 3 12 13. A watch word Isa 30. 21. The Hue and Crie Eleuen waies how to know sinne Rom. 3. 20. 7. 7. 1 Iohn 3. 4. Isa 1. 11. 18. 3. 14. 5. 20. Act. 5. 5. 13. 11. Ier. 25. 6. Lam. 3. 33. Iosh 7. 20. Psal 15. 5 14. 1 Sam. 12. 19. Mat. 27. 4. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 9. 2 Chr. 19. 2. 1 Sam. 2. 19. Who carrieth the Hue and Crie Psal 51. 1 2. Vertues enemies 1. Outside and his description What he is an enemy to 2 Wicked worldly-wise described Lam. 3. 15. What he is an enemy to 3. Luke-warme his description What he is an enemy vnto 4. Plausible Ciuill his description What he is an enemy to 5. Machiauell his description What he is an enemy to 6. Libertine his description What he is an enemy to 7. Scrupulosity his description What he is an enemy to 8. Babylonian his description Whom he is an enemy to Shifts by which sinne escapes are principally two 1 By a shew of Vertue 2 Cor. 11. 15 14. 2 By the name of Vertue put vpon Vices What Vices get the name of Vertues Friends of sin and how they shew it 1. Ignorance how a friend to sinne 2. Error how a friend to sinne 3. Opinion how a friend to sin 4. Subtilty how a friend to sin 5. Custome how a friend to sinne Mat. 27. 18. 16. 21 26. Ioh. 18. 39 40. 6. Fore-fathers Ioh. 4. 10. 7. Power how a friend to sin 8. Sampler how a friend to sin Ier. 44. 17. 9. Most-doe how a friend to sinne 10. Silly how a friend to sinne 1 Sam. 15. 15. Gen. 20. 5. 11. Vaine-hope how a friend to sinne Gen. 3. 4. 12. Presumption how a friend to sinne Deut. 29. Isa 28. 15 16. 13. Wilfull how a friend to sin 14. St. like how a friend to sin Godly-iealousie will not be deceiued by these Lord chiefe Iustice Warrant and he forme hereof Secretaries to the Lord chiefe Iustice The Officer to attach sin is Vnderstanding Vnderstanding fourefold 1 Deputy-Constable Vnderstanding darkned Eph. 4. 18. 1 Ioh. 2. 11. Eph. 4. 18 19. The euils vnder it committed 2 Tithing-man Grosse-vnderstanding and the euill thereof 2 Pet. 1. 9. 3. Pettie Constable Vnderstanding somewhat cleered A meere ciuill honest man who and what a one What he onely lookes vnto What sinnes he regards not 4. Chiefe Constable Illuminated vnderstanding and the excellency thereof 1 Cor. 2. His habitation is Regeneration His Family The good he doth This is that which apprehendeth sinne * Which hath intecedent concomitant subsequent sinnes â—ydants Two Serâ—ants 2. Neighbour Godly-Sorrow and his seuen Sonnes 1. Care 2. Cleering 3. Indignation 4. Feare 5. Vehement desire 6. Zeale 7. Reuenge A couple of busie fellowes 1. Selfe-loue what euill he doth Selfe-deniall remoues him 2. Selfe-conceit and the mischiefes therof Pro. 12. 5. 3. 5 7. Isai 5. 21. Prou. 16. 2 25. Pro. 30. 12. Reuel 3. Humility puts him away The Inne Mistresse Hearts house Old man Ephâ— â— 22 Fiue doores 1. The doore of Hearing Genes 3. What euils enter by hearing 2. The doore of Seeing 1 Iohn 3. What sinnes enter by seeing Genes 6. Ios 7. Psal 119. 37. Iob 31. 1. 3. The doore of Tasting The sins which enter by this sense Prou. 23. 2 20 21. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 4. The doore of Smelling Prou. 7. 17. What entreth here 5. The doore of Feeling Rom. 13. 13. What entreth here Degrees to the heart Hall-attendant Commonsense Parlour attendant