sorts of people whether they be Iewes Gentiles or the Churches of Christ. Let vs héedfully abstaine from all appearance of euill So shall the Lord God abundantly blesse vs so shall the Kings Maiestie most powerfully protect vs so shall our deare countriemen pray heartily for vs so shall not the land at any time hereafter vomit vs forth for filthie Amorites yea so shall we be sure to haue peace in our conscience with God and men Lo Sir this I assure you if the Lord God say amen to my purpose intended shall be the whole and the onely course that I will take with these kind of men Hydr. Surely Capnistus I do freely approue of this thy purposed course yea and I doubt not at all but that so many of them also as haue but one halfe dramme of Gods holy feare in their secret hearts as haue but one scruple of true honestie in their open foreheads yea as haue but one onely graine of common humanitie in their ordinarie courses will euery of them very conscionably most carefully accompt of the same As for those insatiable companions of whom thou didst speake euen now there is no hope at all to preuaile with any of them For can the blacke More change his skin or is it possible the Leopard should after his spots Then also may those men learne to do good who haue bene accustomed so long to do euill Otherwise howsoeuer they may be wise enough to do euill yet to do well they haue no wisdome within them at all But now shew me what course thou wilt take with the rest Capn. The course I intend to take with them shall be this Having first made throughly knowne to euery of thē this your present discourse I will then wish them withall for very shame to remember themselues in time to giue ouer all those their former carousing courses with spéede to forbeare now any longer to make such beastly swine of themselues by swillings in so superfluously the manifold blessings of God to abandon all their former vnnaturall dealings towards their owne wiues children towards their true hearted Tenants towards their honest poore neighbours and naturall countrie To take héede moreouer lest in pursuing such a superfluous supply to their insatiable gulling throats they do not procure a cleannesse of teeth throughout the whole kingdome lest in going about such an vnorderly augmentation of tillage they do not cause the whole earth to deceiue the dressers therof lest by this their inordinate swallowing downe of their filthy Tobacco fumes they do make their swéetest drinkes to be mingled with Myrrhe and to haue a most bitter fare-well to all the drinkes thereof lest by procuring such a néedlesse hauocke of wine ale and béere they themselues be constrained to drinke their owne water for monie lest instead of the harpe the violl the timbrell the pipe and the wine at their extraordinarie wanton feasts they be driuen to eate their owne bread with a trembling feare and to drinke their water with trouble and carefulnesse lest for their former most filthie abuse of the manifold blessings of God the Lord himselfe do shoote forth the arrowes of famine among them and breake the staffe of their bread in péeces lest for this their abundance of victuals now they be compelled to take wheate barley beanes lentils millet fitches with whatsoeuer else they can get in one vessel together to make them their bread thereof according to the number of daies wherein they must be faine to sléepe on their sides yea and to bake their said bread in the dung of men to eate it by weight and to drinke their water by measure Briefly lest they be enforced to heare a most horrible crie before and behinde them saying thus Awake you drunkards wéepe and houle you quaffers of wine because of the new wine for it shall finally be plucked away from your throats Whereas on the other side if they once soundly forsake their former most filthie waies and be heartily conuerted to God he will then so excéedingly blesse their basket and store as they shall not néede thus disorderly to run vpon any such desperate and dangerous attempts for the augmentation of tillage Because whensoeuer they do conscionably sow that selfe same portion of tillage which they haue at this present in their owne proper vse the Lord God of hoasts will euen then giue such a bountiful blessing vnto it as they shall be sure to find in one yeare an hundred fold more by due estimation For the Lord he will giue them the early and the latter raine and render them the yeares that the grashopper had eaten before Yea their very barnes shall be filled with wheate and their winepresses abound with wine and with oile And herein no maruell at all because the Lord in the day of this their holy conuersion will heare yea the Lord God of hosts will heare the heauens and the heauens they will heare the earth and the earth it will heare the corne wine and oile and the corne wine and oile will heare the people and the people shall sée the vallies stand so thicke with corne that they shall laugh and sing and say one to another Behold how the earth doth yéeld her increase and God euen our owne God hath giuen vs his blessing Lo Sir this is all the whole course I will take with that sort of men Hydr. This course I confesse is very conuenient were they men capable of it But alas Capnistus the wisedome of the word is a matter ouer loftie for such fantasticall fooles as do so insatiably affect their owne inordinate lusts they may by no possible meanes attaine to the height thereof Not because the words of wisedome are idlely bestowed among any the sonnes of mortall men for the feare of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdome but for that all such vnregenerate fooles do most disdainfully despite true wisdome it selfe and all holy instruction Neither yet hath the authenticall sound of such sacred knowledge bene hitherto held backe from any of them For behold Wisdome her selfe hath cried without she hath vttered her voyce in the open streets she hath called to them all in the publike assemblies yea euen in the very preasse of the people themselues as also in the middest of the Citie hath shee solemnely vttered her words saying thus Oh you foolish how long will you affect your owne foolishnesse and you scornfull take such pleasure in scorning Oh turne you at my correction for loe I will now euen powre out my mind vnto you at large and make you vnderstand my words to the full What I pray thee might Wisdome do more to the sonnes of men then shee hath hitherto done vnto euery of them But what behold how obstinately they do despise all her counsels and most
cruell towards their poore Tenants for the chargeable supply of their vnnecessary wants sith they are so outragiously resolute vpon the present spoile of other mens substance sith they are so fearefully opposite to the well setled peace of our countrey sith they are so starely repugnant to the good established lawes of our land sith they are so dangerously occurring to the publike peace of our soueraigne Lord the King sith they are so proudly rebellious to his Maiesties soueraigne power sith they are such ineuitable prouocations to the vntimely spilling of their owne and other mens bloud briefly sith they are the horrible beginnings of many mutinous broiles of ciuill dissentions of spending our selues of spilling much bloud of spoyling the present good blessings of God of opening a fearefull gap to forreine inuations of cruell massacres of an extreme hazard to our gracious King our Queene the royall Progenie to our happy Estate and most flourishing kingdome Let their owne proper bodies their patrimonies their wiues their children their poore oppressed Tenants their honest good neighbours the quiet of our countrey the lawes of our land the publike peace of our soueraigne Lord the King his Maiesties soueraigne power their owne and other mens blouds the forreine powers about vs our King our Queene the whole Progenie our present good the flourishing state of our kingdome yea and Capnistus also himselfe in the name of those our disordered Tobacconists let all these I say both ioyntly and seuerally conclude with me and for me whether those their filthie Tobacco fumes are not onely pernicious to their owne proper bodies but ouer profluuious also for those our â—isordered Tobacconists purses and too too pestiferous to the present good of our publike State Capn. Surely Sir I for mine owne part do not onely conclude it an infallible truth from my very heart roote but will herewithall very readily afford you a generall applaud from the rest and my selfe praysing the Almightie with heart and mouth that it was his gracious prouidence to bring me so right in your companie before that I entred vpon my purposed voyage protesting withall from an vnfained heart to haue from henceforth those filthe Tobacco fumes in no lesse detestation then the diuell of hell Hydr. Not so Capnistus For howsoeuer I am heartily glad to heare thee brought now into such a deadly deflation with those their former Tobacco fumes yet let not my present speech bring any such preiudice to that thy purposed voyage Thou art a proper young man of exceeding great hope in our countrey even now in thy best flourishing state and young-men thou knowest by trauelling forreine countries may haply attaine to a notable experience besides that this thy purposed adventure may become very gainful vnto thee Capn. I am a young man Sir I confesse and therefore do stand in more néed of a sound and setled experience Howbeit I have now gathered I thanke my good God such an experimented and sanctified wisedome from this your present discourse as doth very plainly demonstrate vnto me the palpable foolerie of all my former West India voyages Although this I acknowledge withall that if my purposed iourney had this way bene prosperous I could by the onely trafficke of Tobacco it selfe haue clearely gained thrée hundred pounds by my voyage at least so vainly are our vaine English-men affected after a vaine and vanishing filthie fume But Sir Gods holy name be blessed I begin now to abhorre the gaine that is enterprised with such imminent perils and accomplished also with such endless paines For what will it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule And Sir you told me but euen now that Whosoever but administreth an occasion of mischiefe he is the principall master of that mischiefe himselfe Hydr. That is certainly so But God grant Capnistus that this so forward a protestation proue not a fire-flash resembling those sodaine flames of thy filthy Tobacco fumes which being sodainly kindled with the flame of a candle are as sodainly quenched with good ale fumes Yea I beseech the Almightie with all my heart that this thy sodaine illumination proue not in the end and odde Interiection I meane some sodaine passion of a passionate mind prolated vnder an vnperfect voice and thereupon as sodainly vanish away like a flash or a fume Capn. Nay Sir my protestation procéeds from a firme and setled iudgement and that you may the rather credit my spéech I will tell you what seale shall be set to the same for a further confirmation thereof I have at this present two hundred pounds worth of this beastly Tobacco at home in my house all which notwithstanding the great value thereof shall either presently packe to the fire as a burnt oblation for this my aduised vow or else be sent swimming downe the Thames at the least directly towards West India from whence it first came in an vtter detestation of the most detestable fooleries of those our disordered Tobacconists Hydr. Not so Capnistus For howsoever the filthie fume of Tobacco taken inward be most pernicious to the bodies of men yet may there a very good vse be made of the hearbe it selfe for sundry diseases befalling the bodies of men as I told thee before Capn. Good Sir I am altogether hopelesse for euer beholding any good vse of that which being first abusiuely brought to our countrey by bad and wilde dispositions for the onely abuse thereof hath euer since bene beastly abused by like dispositions and never yet conuerted to any good vse at all And therefore for mine owne part I will neuer regard whatsoever supposed good vse may hereafter bee made of Tobacco it selfe all the while I perceiue the present abuse of filthie Tobacco fumes in such earnest request among our disordered Tobacconists more especially among those our insatiable deuourers of all the good blessings of God and therefore I will for euer hereafter beware of giuing the least occasion to any such fearefull abuse Hydr. Gods holy name be blessed for these his good beginnings of grace and the Lord multiplie his sweete mercies vpon thee an hundred fold But yet thus much I would haue thee remember withall that as it is the vndoubted true nature of all those to whom the Lord restoreth the ioy of his sauing health and more fully establisheth with the spirit of freedome to shew forth his mercifull waies to the wicked so is it a speciall dutie imposed vpon euery Christian Conuert being soundly conuerted himselfe euen then also most seriously to labour the sound conuersion of all others besides And therefore good Capnistus I pray thee heartily do thou now make knowne thy Christian conuersion by that thy Christian care in conuerting thy brethren Shew thy selfe wise for euer hereafter in winning of soules and so shalt thou certainly know that he which hath conuerted a sinner from going astray from the waies of the Lord shall saue a soul from death
onely best ordinarie meanes to maintaine that one onely state it selfe in such solid condition as that thereby also all other estates besides are the more surely supported from time to time My meaning is this whether all other things else continuing stil their ordinarie accustomed rate the onely augmentation of tillage must be adiudged the best meanes of all to maintaine and vphold the husbandmans happie estate Capn. Surely Sir they do all ioyntly imagine it would be so Hydr. Their vncertaine imaginations they are no certaine conclusions And therefore do speake directly to the question propounded by giuing some certaine demonstration of that their vncertaine imagination Capn. They take in hand to demonstrate the matter thus By the augmentation of tillage say they there might be maintained in England as many moe husbandmen as there are at this present And so the greater multitude of husbandmen the greater aboundance of corne and the greater aboundance of corne the better cheape it would be by much Hydr. They shew themselues to be men of shallow conceipts because such an augmentation of husbandrie would directly become an augmentation of beggerie For if a poore husbandmaÌ„ may now very hardly vphold his present husbandrie when corne is presently worth some two shillings sixe-pence at least how should he be able to vphold the same in any good sort when the price of corne is but sixe-pence the bushell at most Capn. That might be very well done say they because for euery bushell he hath at this present he should then be sure to haue full foure at the least Hydr. They haue no certaine assurance of such a proportion because the increase of their labours consisteth not in any their owne proper planting but in the onely good blessing of God But be it supposed the increase it were ceâ—tainly such as they say and yet euen then also a man may plainly perceiue that according to this their propounded proportion the poore husbandmans state should euen now become worse then it was before by sixepence at least in euery bushell For if he might vsually sell his one bushell before for two shillings sixe-pence at least and now that corne is so cheape can sell those his foure bushels but for bare two shillings at most is not the poore husband-mans state impouerished rather then bettered by this their augmentation of tillage notwithstanding any the exceeding great plentie of corne Now then if the abundance of corne arising from that their former augmentation of tillage be brought once to such a low price as albeit the poore husbandman had now foure bushels at least for euery one bushell before how shall he be able in such an impouerished estate to discharge his annuall rents to performe his seruants wages to prouide plough and plough-geares cart and cart-geares at such an excessiue reckoning to defray his domesticall charges and vphold his husbandrie also without the vtter impouerishing of his present estate Capn. Very true But then the rents of Farmes would be brought to some low reckoning they say and so should the husbandman be somewhat eased thereby Hydr. How should the rents of Farmes be brought to a lower reckoning when the greatest number of Farmes are leassed forth for some ten twentie yea forty yeares yet to come with a strict couenant for such an excessiue rent during the whole remainder of yeares Those our husbandmen therefore being thus shrewdly impouerished through the small prices of corne and no way eased of those their excessiue rents neither yet any thing bettered by the abundance of corne who seeth not but that such an augmentation of tillage would become the vndoubted diminution of the poore husbandmans estate Capn. The Kings Maiestie might be moued they hope to mitigate those their excessiue rents in such reasonable sort as the poore husbandman may be able to liue well of his Farme Hydr. Yea but sith the leasing forth of lands is allowed by positiue lawes and for that many of our Noble-mens and Gentlemens lands are already so leased forth the Kings Maiestie gouerning the whole kingdome by those his positiue lawes he will not so farre forth intermeddle with those Noble-men and Gentlemens priuate possessions vnlesse such an extraordinarie course did necessarily tend to a more publike good then these our preposterous platformers are yet able to demonstrate vnto him by any one probable reason Besides that as the head must by no meanes go about to strengthen the legs and the feete by infeebling the shoulders and armes for that would bring hurt to the whole body it selfe no more may his excellent Highnesse for the onely support of inferiour subiects so weaken the good estate of his Nobles and Gentlemen who are the very shoulders and armes of his kingdome as they shall not bee able to yeeld him their publike assistance in time of need For must not our Nobles and Gentlemen of necessitie be maintained by their yearely reuenewes and rents But this could not now be possibly done if those their annuall rents and reuenewes were brought to such an abatement as these our base-minded platformers propound to them selues And therefore all other things else continuing still in such sort as they presently do I cannot perceiue I assure thee how the poore husbandmans state should not rather be hindred tâ—â—n helped by this their preposterous augmentation of tillage Capn. But if husbandmen say they were wise vpon the clause of réentrie contained in their lease they would by one vniforme consent make presently a forfaiture of all their old leases for the none-payment of those their excessiue rents and so suffer their land-lords to réenter vpon their farmes Hydr. A very proper deuice to impouerish them selues and to procure a present great hurt to our publike good because by this meanes that their supposed great multitude of Farmers should rather be decreased then any thing increased at all Moreouer what would then become of that their augmentation of tillage which they so eagerly pursue if all Farmers should so foolishly forfait their leases But to shew them their follie more plaine bee it supposed a great number of Farmes were so fallen and left for a while in the land-lords hands what issue thinkest thou might follow thereof for publike good Capn. This good say they would follow thereof Namely by that time those insatiable land-lords had held such forfaited Farmes in their owne occupation but seauen yeares together they would be right glad to let them afresh at a farre easier reckoning Hydr. As though if the Farmer did good on such a Farme notwithstanding his former excessiue rent the land-lord sitting rentfree and throughly occupying that selfesame Farme might not do much more good thereof then did the Farmer before him yea and so perhaps beginning a little to feele the sweetnesse of gaine will not hereafter lease forth the faid Farme any more but still hold the same in his owne occupation How then Where are now become the great multitude of Farmers which these our
labouring persons who buying corne now for nothing and selling their commodities and ordinary labours as excessiuely deare as euer before might in very short space attaine to a wonderfull wealth yet without doubt the poore husbandmans state by whose onely industrious labours all other estates are hourely vpholden it being greatly impouerished by the small prices of corne and mightly oppressed through the excessiue rating of all other commodities else I cannot possibly perceiue how this their augmentation of â—illage should in any sort be helpfull but euery way hurtfull to him Capn. Oh yes Sir For if there were once a farre greater augmentation of tillage obtained then euery husbandman say they should hold in his proper occupation twice so much land as he held before Hydr. And what then I pray thee Would not the small prices of corne in such an hourely excesse of all other things else become a very shrewd cooling card to that his great store of tillage he hauing thereby as much more toile imposed vpon him with a farre lesse commoditie then he vsually reaped before For tell me I pray thee whether it be the great store of tillage or the well manuring of tillage that breedeth abundance of corne Hath not some excellent husband as much corne of one acre as some haue of two or three Be it therefore supposed that a poore husbandman hauing in his occupation before but bare fortie acres of arrable land did yearely grow thereof some fortie quarters of corne at the least whereas now when he hath some fortie acres more annexed to his Farme hee hardly groweth fortie quarters of corne at the most How much thinkest thou is this poore husbandmans state aduanced by this their augmentation of tillage May he not boldly put vp the whole gaine of his getings in his eye yet see neuer the worse Is he not properly promoted by tillage being thereby surcharged now with a two fold toile for a bare single increase of corne Is not his great abundance of arrable ground through some lacke of good order growne now so farre out of order and heart as it will either yeeld him but little or no burden at all His charge of housekeeping of houshold seruants of horses of carts of ploughs with other odde implements is mightily increased and the great gaine of those his daily endeauours and industrious labours as deepely decreased How then is this poore husbandmans estate made any thing the better by that their augmentation of tillage Capn. Sir he must procure him abundance of shéepe they say to amend his barren land by the often foulding thereof and withall he must get him a great companie of beasts to bréede him good store of compose and thereby better his barren grounds by manuring of the same to the full Hydr. This indeed is something they say But yet now when the small prices of corne haue so mightily impouerished the poore mans purse as he is hardly able to buy him cloathes to his backe where is y e meanes thinkest thou that should compasse those cattle Corne he hath none to sel and many quarters of graine would not buy him halfe a quarter of a flocke to fould his said barren ground Or be it supposed the man had money good store to buy those beasts where is the most conuenient place for their walke or wherewithall shall he pasture those cattell when all his Inclosures and other laie-grounds are quite conuerted to tillage Before this augmentation of tillage a poore man might very well raise his whole rent from out his Fallow-fields those fields affording him great store of grasing to pasture his sheepe but when all his gras-grounds are turned to tillage that hope of gaine is growne out of vse and he may haply reape from his Fallow-fields now some three or foure loades of thistles to recompence his paines in ploughing the same For consider Capnistus and marke it well are there not at this present in euery Champion field some ten twelue yea twenty hundred acres of laie-grounds at least which being as it appeareth in former times made arrable land were all of them left laie by poore husbandmen some two hundred yeares past or more What was the maine cause thinkest thou that our fore-fathers in former times did make such a mighty decay of tillage Capn. Surely Sir either it was so because those poore husbandmen then could make no benefit at all by vpholding of tillage corne being brought at that time to such a low price and all other things else at an excessiue reckoning or for that those husbandmen wanted both grasse and hay for their cattell and were therefore enforced for very great néed to conuert their tillage againe into pasturing grounds Hydr. Thou speakest aright and therewithall dost fully conclude euen this our disordered persons proper dispute in a circular motion not vnlike to the circular paces of a maultmil horse For marke here I pray thee the manner of this their preposterous prate We must haue forsooth an augmentation of tillage by conuerting all ancient Inclosures and pasture-grounds into arrable land for the speedie abating of these excessiue prices of corne and then when corne is once come to so low a reckoning as the poore husbandman is not able to liue of his plough we must forthwith turne the greatest part of our tillage againe into pasturing grounds for the necessary increase of grasse and hay for our cattell Tell me Capnistus whether these their changeable courses be not in very deed to make and marre to do and vndo because the day is our owne till night Yea tell me I pray thee whether this be not a proper roauing dispute of these our round-about Robins as if they were hunting the wild-goose chase A man without question might quickly purse vp whole poake-fuls of wit if he would but follow a while all these their extrauagant courses and wandring vagaries and in the end be enforced to bring them backewards againe by the nose to let them then see if they would not be wilfully blind that the poore husbandman so long as all other things else do still continue their excessiue reckonings is rather hindred then helped by this their augmentation of tillage Capn. But Sir do you hold in good earnest that such an augmentation of tillage would bring some hinderance now to our Common-wealth Hydr. Perceiuing not hitherto any reason at all to the contrarie I vndoubtedly do and may very confidently hold this one speciall point Namely that such a preposterous augmentation of tillage as these our polypragmatâ—call spirits do now so fiercely pursue would rather be hurtfull then helpefull to the poore husbandmans present estate so long especially as all other things else do thus continue as we see at such an excessiue reckoning as I shewed thee and thou thy selfe hath confessed before Besides that these our beastly bellie-gods who babble so inconsiderately I might say so baldly about the abundance of corne without due consideration or further regard of
then any sound hearted Christians Assuring my selfe withall that all those our vgly blacke raueâ—s which seeke to dwell alone vpon the face of the earth by that their vnspeakeable crueltie shall one day be sure to feele a woe with a witnesse and to haue the law of like repayed double and treble vpon their owne pates Yea and that they and all theirs without a speedie repentance must vndoubtedly receiue their allotted reward with wicked king Ahab Although yet I doubt not at all but that those our great breeders of sheepe which so make the best of their pasturing grounds without grinding the faces of their silie poore Tenants they are the blessed instruments of our bountifull God for publike good And therefore concerning that point which thy selfe hath heard some Preachers auouch in publike place about the great breeding of sheepe howsoeuer I make no doubt but that those selfe same Preachers they deliuered then the priuate opinion and thought of their owne proper hearts yet when they shall hereafter somewhat more considerately examine the matter it selfe without any such wry-respect and according to the proportionable bounds of Christian policie for publike good I make no question at all but that they themselues will eftsoones affirme that in those their blind baiard-like bold speeches against such necessarie breeding of sheepe they were rather misguided with the sway of inordinate affection than soundly directed with any authenticall rule of setled reason For howsoeuer those our great pasture men do gather vp to them selues an exceeding great gaine by the breeding of sheepe as there is no reason at all but that they which win it should weare it yet surely if I conceiue not the matter amisse there is no one commoditie throughout the whole land more tending to the publike good of rich and poore than the great abundance and mightie increase of sheepe as that which was the ordinarie practise of all the Patriarkes and which also receiued from time to time an extraordinarie approbation from the vnchangeable prouidence of the eternall God And to let passe the much bettering of arrable ground by the foulding of sheepe this I do verily suppose may here be auouched for an infallible truth that almost the third part of people in this our English Iland are vpheld maintained by the breeding of sheepe Whereupon this consequent doth clearely demonstrate it selfe to all the world that those men which prate purposely against the great breeding of sheepe they do either discouer at vnawares their wayward and enuious hearts against the breeders themselues without any respect of publike good or lay open at least their owne inconsiderate thoughts and shallow conceipts concerning such matters of publike regard Capn. The one or the other must necessarily follow thereof But Sir if you be able indéed so demonstrate soundly vnto vs that almost the third part of people in this our English Iland are vpheld and maintained by the ordinary bréeding of shéepe you shall satisfie many concerning this point Hydr. I doubt not to demonstrate the same to the full For first let an exact suruey be had of those our great sheepe-maisters themselues as also of that their ordinarie retinue which they hourely imploy about the breeding hearding of sheepe then next of all those our professed clothiers in Wales in Cornewall in Deuonshire in Kent in Essex in Suffolke in Northfolke in Yorkeshire Lancashire Cheshire Hallifax Kendall with other like places where cloath-making is purposely professed and practised together with all their whole families depending vpon them then next let the selfe same suruey be likewise taken of al the poore labouring people which are this way set hourely on worke by those our cloth-makers about the seuering sorting towsing carding spinning knitting weauing fulling shearing dressing and dying of wooll and of cloathes then next of all those prouident husbandmen who yearely defray their rents and apparell themselues by the breeding of sheepe and then lastly of all those Artificers Trades-men and poore labouring people which yearely do cloathe themselues their wiues and families with those webs of cloath which they vsually make of the gathering loakes that are scattered in pastures and fields by the breeding of sheepe let I say now some sound and exact suruey be forthwith taken of all and euery of these and I doubt not when the accompt is cast vp in a totall summe but that the whole wil amount to the third part of people in our land at the least Capn. The third part say you Sir nay the better halfe I am sure Hydr. Go to then tell me what one reason those Preachers haue to barke so bitterly against y e breeding of sheepe or any man else to mislike of that one commoditie whereby the one halfe of our kingdome is so well set on worke and which tendeth to the publike good of our countrey Capn. But Sir howsoeuer there be great store of cloath-making amongst vs in England yet cloathes they say are neuer the cheaper in England and therefore they sée not how poore men are bettered any thing at all by the making of cloath Hydr. Though cloathes in very deede were neuer the cheaper by the great store of cloath-making among vs in England which is vtterly vntrue yet would cloathes become more excessiuely deare among vs in England by much were it not for the great store of cloath-making throughout the whole land And therefore howsoeuer these gaine-saying companions do grosly imagine that the poorer sort of people are nothing bettered by the making of cloath yet surely if that one trade alone were discontinued among vs but for few yeares together not onely the better sort of men they would quickly begin to feele some very shrewd want but many poore soules besides set on worke by that meanes should shortly haue hungrie bellies Yea euen those our Tobacconists themselues would plod vp and downe with thread-bare backes and tattered tailes But now tell me Capnistus I heartily pray thee how any great store of cloathes may possibly be made without abundance of wooll which way men may haue abundance of wooll without a continuall breeding of sheepe how such a continuall breeding of sheepe may well be maintained without abundance of pasture and how such abundance of pasture may possibly be had where all our Inclosures are thus preposterously conuerted to tillage Capn. Surely Sir I wot not which way to supply such a want and therefore I do fully referre the further answer hereof to those our disordered Tobacconist's who labour so eagerly after such a preposterous augmentation of tillage without giuing regard at all to sundrie other as néedfull commodities as corne it selfe for the orderly supportation of euery seuerall estate in the land Wherein moreouer they declare at vnawares that as the water which driueth the mill decayeth the mill so surely those their disordered affections which so preposterously enforceth them forwards in such an idle conceite of publike good would turne in
will neither suffer themselues to see the depth of their desperate follie herein nor yet let them be handsomly led forth to a better dexteritie from y e approued iudgement of others For let the earth but yeeld yearely the like abundance of graine that it now ordinarily groweth from time to time and I doubt not at all but the prices of corne may still be continued in the selfe same reasonable reckoning which they hold at this present yea and perhaps be brought to a lower rate as neede shall require if the obseruations I could giue them herein were rightly respected Capn. Put downe those obseruations I beséech you Sir Hydr. Nay soft here a while For as I am not I assure thee a professed Polititian so dare I by no meanes presume to put downe political orders for the publike State in a kingdome especially so prudently gouerned Capn. Let no such néedlesse conceite I beséech you withhold your Christian care from y e publike good of your countrey For as it was no presumption in Naamans little girle to propound nor any preiudice to the reputation of Naaman to practise her prudent aduice for the timely restauration of his diseased bodie to it pristinate estate so is it no arrogancie in your owne selfe nor derogancie at all from the iustly deserued dignity of any our politike statesmen to referre your good thoughts for the publike good of your countrey to a publike consideration And therefore feare not to put your obseruations vpon termes at y e least whatsoeuer dislike ensue thereof Hydr. I do willingly consent to this thy reasonable and honest perswasion First therefore if it might but please his excellent Maiestie to command from time to time a strict execution of all those penall statutes which were formerly prouided against the needlesse transportation of corne and victuals into forreine parts beyond y e ordinary prices of corne put downe in those statutes with a seuere exaction of the penalties appointed at the hands of such husbandmen first as conuey or cause to be conueyed their corne to any hauen or port to be so transported at the hands also of such insatiable Merchants or others as do so transport our said corne and then lastly at the ship-maisters and marriners hands for so transporting the same I doubt not but that there would be plentie enough of corne in our countrey and the same continued from time to time at a reasonable rate Againe if his said Maiestie might eftsoones be pleased to become very prouident in granting so many needlesse licenses to any of those our monopolian Merchants especially who do nothing else in effect but ship ouer our corne with other the like substantiall commodities of their natiue countrey into all forreine parts and bring home from thence their trifling toyes I meane boxes hobbie-horses and rattles for little young babes loombe-works and laces for young ladified lasses proud pomanders perriwigs and squirrels tailes for prickmadaintie fooles with other like trumpry trash and I doubt not but that there would be plentie enough of corne in our countrey and the same continued from time to time at a reasonable rate Againe if his said excellent Maiestie might likewise be pleased to command from time to time the like seuere execution of penall lawes prouided against all Fore-stallers Regrators and Ingrossers of corne and victuals with a full exaction of the penalties appointed against euery offender therein and I doubt not but that there would be corne enough in our country and the prices continued from time to time at a reasonable rate Againe if his said Maiestie might be pleased to giue it in speciall charge that the Iustices of euery countrey should from time to time take a diligent suruey and view whether any of our countrey cormorants do accustomably keepe vp in their hands some two three foure fiue yea sixe yeares corne together first for the feeding of rats mice weasels and then being good for no purpose else to bee tumbled forth by whole quarters at once for hogs and swine with a very seuere and sharpe punishment for such as so filthily consume the good blessings of God I doubt not but that there will be plentie enough of corne in our countrey and the prices continued from time to time at a reasonable rate Againe let his Maiestie be likewise pleased to giue strictly in charge from time to time that no roysters ruffians riotous persons nor tippling Tobacconists do continue day by day and night by night at tippling Alehouses in a needlesse gormandizing carousing quaffing and swilling in of wine ale and beere as they vsually do but be industriously held and kept to their seuerall callings and labours and I doubt not but that there will be plentie enough of corne in our countrey and the prices therof continued from time to time at a reasonable reckoning Againe let his excellent Maiestie be likewise pleased to command very strictly the due execution of lawes from time to time vpon rogues vagabounds and sturdie-beggers who like greedie Caterpillers deuoure the good blessings of God and as idle drones do but sucke vp the sweete of other mens labours as also vpon any their maintainers and releeuers together with such and so many as neglect their timely apprehension and I doubt not but that there will be corne enough in our countrey and the prices thereof continued stil at a reasonable rate Briefly let his said excellent Maiestie be likewise pleased to command his said Iustices in euery countrey from time to time to execute very sharply the breach of his lawes vpon all disordered Alehouses as also to put presently in practise the speedie suppressing of superfluous Alehouses to the sixt part at the least in our land and I doubt not to haue plentie enough of corne in our countrey and the same at a reasonable rate from time to time For I make no question at all but that ten hundred thousand quarters of mault at the least besides the abundance of wheate and other the good blessings of God are very riotously wastefully and needlesly bestowed from yeare to yeare in our land by reason of such superfluous tippling houses which said mault wheate and the rest of Gods good blessings being otherwise most frugally dispended onely for the present necessitie of his Maiesties subiects would make more plentie of corne in our land by much and continue the same from time to time at a reasonable rate without any such needlesse augmentation of tillage Capn. Surely Sir if these things were prouidently obserued and carefully executed from time to time as in equitie they ought according to the true intent and meaning of law we should haue from yeare to yeare such abundance of corne and at so reasonable a rate withall as the augmentation of tillage would rather be hurtfull then helpefull to all estates and therefore that the disordered enterprice of those our tippling Tobacconists for any thing
but endeuour to trafficke home rather the cedar trées and firre trées the Algummin wood the gold of Ophir and precious stones so shall we be worthely estéemed those honest and frugall aduenturers who séeke rather the publike good of our countrey then the priuate gaine of our purses But if notwithstanding any thing hitherto said we neither care what bad trafficke we buy nor passe not what excessiue prices our poore countreymen pay for our paysonsome pelse all the while wee our selues may liue by their losse then surely we shall most filthily shame our selues and plucke a iustly deserued reproch vpon our worthie profession For mine owne part my reuerend brethren I had rather vndergo I assure you ten hundred thousand tortures of death then but once more to vndertake the enriching of mine owne selfe by the sale of that which not onely doth no manner of good and which is many waies so pernicious to the bodies of men so profluuious to poore mens purses and so pestiferous to the publike good of my natiue countrey For surely knowing so much as now by the swéete mercies of my God I do sincerely know and féeling what comfort by the worke of his spirit I presently féele if I should still continue that my former most couetous nay rather most cutthroate-like course all the whole world might iustly conclude that if time would serue to vent them forth by open sale I would desperately aduenture with the Babilonish Merchants to trafficke also from Rome euen Agnus Deies crucifixes popish pardons with other like paultrey pelfe by the fearefull Tale of any poore countrymens soules Yea and which more is by much that I would with the most vicious Venetian Panders very desirously packe ouer whole ships-full of sorrie Venetian Courteghianes and most shamefully lease them forth in fée-farme for a filthie lucre Alas my deare brethren alas what a proportionable equitie is that thinke you which chaffereth but chaffe vnto men for their precious wheate which giueth them goose-quils for their glittring gold and which onely affordeth them a foule thinking fume for their seuenfold refined siluer Is not this to accomplish that ancient hyperbolicall prouerbe which so accustomably accompleth each vile contemptible trafficke no better in effect then the very shadow of smoke that is but a vanishing shew without any substance at all Is not this to make men beléeue that we prouided them very daintie fine cates howsoeuer most dearely bought when yet as is vsually spoken we set onely before them an holy sacrifice forsooth without any swéete smoke that is a poore beggerly banquet without either béefe or browesse at all Would we our own selues my reuerend masters be willingly feasted so at other mens tables Could we at any hand endure to pay so excessiuely deare for our suppers before hand and when all cometh to all be then so conie catchingly fobbed forth with such a vaine shew of fantasticall fooleries Can we be contented I pray you that any one liuing person vpon any such our former most chargeable payments should promise vs the gainefull purchase of golden mountaines and then for our substantiall siluer procure onely vnto vs but the deceiptfull sale of a most filthie vanishing fume that is should make vs many great glorious promises which notwithstanding are finally destitute of their wished effects Might we not my worshipfull brethren for these our insatiable and dog-like inordinate desires of gréedie gaine be iustly termed not the worshipfull Merchant venturers but rather those worrie-shéep mucke-scrape Vespasian vipers who for filling their extraordinary gaping after gréedie gaine do make an ordinarie sale being spoken with reuerence of their most filthie stinking stale Yea and which more vile is when at any time their godly minded Matrons or their sanctified sonnes with great anguish of heart and griefe of mind do but once séeme to distaste or dislike of such kind of sale euen then most contemptuously to proffer the most poysonsome stinke of that stinking gaine to their sanctified noses bidding them boldly to smell thereof and then tell him withall whether that same siluer so gathered together doth not yéeld as redolent a sauour as any of the swéetest gold couched vp long since intheir Cabbinets made of spruce By this meanes making good vpon their owne paultrie pates the pestiferous Vespasian prouerbe which telleth them plainly that the sauour of insatiable gaine from what filthie matter soeuer the same ariseth doth afford as fragrant a smell to those their insatiable and hunger-sterued nostrils as any the finest ciuet or muske Thereby also canonizing that heathenish Poet for a Preacher of truth who telleth them plainly thus From whence it comes we neuer care So it may fall vnto our share Perhaps your good worhips would willingly know the maine reason it selfe why those filthie mucke merchants should become such hungersterued Heluoes concerning the holy hunger of gold such gréedie gormandizers of filthie gaine yea and such insatiable Philargyrians in gathering treasures togither the reason hereof saith Zenodor is onely this namely because the néedie beggars satchell can neuer be satisfied Now then if we also our selues my worshipfull masters should in these our sea-faring courses declare our selues to be such were we not very well worthie euen for this onely respect to be no lesse odiously estéemed of and therein also as deseruedly in all points to be dealt withall as was that notable conie chatcher Thurinus in the daies of Alexander Seuerus Who being sharpely accused and presently produced before the said Alexander for that he remaining otherwise in no fauour at all with his Maiestie did notwithstanding continually beare the sillie poore subiects in hand that he was all in all and in excellent accompt with his Highnesse By this base and paltrie practise vnder an onely pretence of speaking for them to his Maiestie he did very péeuishly pilfer much mony from out of the poore mens purses Howbeit so soone as that his said knauerie brake forth to the open view of the world and the same accordingly made knowne to the King he was forthwith adiudged to be surely made fast to a stake and hauing great store of gréene wood then kindled about him to be so smothered to death by the violent smoke of that fire The Executioner also then crying out to the by-standers and saying thus He is worthily adiudged to perish with smoke who hath so deceiptfully sold forth his smoke vnto others And herein moreouer that conie catching companion did personally accomplish the old ancient Prouerbe which speaketh thus By flying from smoke I fell forthwith into the flame it selfe These the precedent matters being now more naturally and more exactly considered with their seuerall circumstances concurring also therewith let vs in Gods name my worshipfull fathers and fellowes at no time hereafter after giue any further offence this way but very conscionably and carefully from henceforth carrie our selues towards all
very short time to the fearefull subuersion of our publike good Hydr. That is vndoubtedly true as may bee plainly demonstrated vnto them by a pregnant comparison put downe by Adrian the fourth vpon a very like occasion of discontentment Capn. Declare the comparison I pray you at large Hydr. With a very good will this therefore it is It came to passe on a time saith he that all the members of a mans body conspired ioyntly against the poore stomacke as against him forsooth who by his insatiable rauine did continually exhaust and deuoure the ordinarie labours of all the other members besides For whereas the eie it selfe was neuer satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing whereas the hands were bent each minute of an houre vpon their ordinarie labours the feete became fearefully sorebated with trotting to and fro the tongue was euen worne to the stumpes about the moderating of speech and silence yea all the whole members were mutually deuoted towards the publike good of the whole body it selfe onely in this their generall carefulnesse and excessiue toyle the stomacke it selfe as they falsly surmised he liued at ease and whatsoeuer the rest of the members had carefully prepared before by any their mutuall labours he alone deuoured vp the same by a prodigall waste What neede many words The rest of the members considering this they do all ioyntly conclude to desist forthwith from all those their peculiar designements for publike good and therewithall withholding whatsoeuer conuenient sustenance from the said stomacke it selfe they fully resolued to torture that their insatiable and slothfull aduersarie with the continuall want of nutriment Vpon this their ouerhastie and headie resolution one day was passed quite in a pining penurie The second day followed more tedious and irkesome than the other before But the third was so extremely byting and pinching to the stomacke it selfe and all the said members besides as they ioyntly began to faint and to fagge Oppressed thus by vrgent necessitie the members they assemble themselues afresh very seriously consulting about their owne and that their supposed aduersarie his present estate In which their publike assemblie the head it hung drooping downe the shoulders being shrewdly benummed they shakingly shrunke together the armes became weake the hands vnable to hold themselues vp the feete were infeebled so sore as they could not possibly support their appointed burden the whole body it consumed away yea the tongue which vntill then was pregnant enough to pleade for the publike good of the whole body it selfe it eftsoones began to faulter and cleaue so fast to the roofe of the mouth as it had now no power in it selfe to propound and expound the publike occasion of that their present calamitie The case standing fearefully thus the whole members by a ioynt consent they make their mutuall recourse to their soueraigne Ladie the Heart for present aduice in this their publike distresse who examining the matter with a more aduised and mature deliberation by the very sway of sound and substantiall reason did make it apparently euident to all the members that this so exceeding a miserie befell them all onely because of their former hard measure towards the said stomacke their falsly supposed aduersary For by withdrawing a competent sustenance from him he being the deputed publike dispenser thereof to the rest of the members they did thereby also depriue theÌ„selues of conuenient naturall nutriment And sith none ought to go a warfarre at his owne proper cost it cannot otherwaies be but that by withholding the publike maintenance from the said stomacke it selfe they themselues were proportionably disabled euery of them from the dutifull discharge of their proper designements for publike good Neither may any blame thereof bee iustly imputed vnto the poore stomacke because he could not possibly distribute that publike sustenance to the rest of the members which he receiued not first for himselfe And therefore saith reason I conclude it a safer course and much more consonant to natures sacred direction that a conuenient nutriment be primarily bestowed on him who must proporâ—ionably distribute the same vnto others then by thus peeuishly depriuing the said stomacke therof to procure an ineuitable penurie vpon it selfe and all the rest of the members Hereupon it came forthwith to passe by reasons pithie perswasion that the said stomacke being presently repleate with corporall sustenance all the rest of the members by her operation were proportionably and mutually refreshed together Ladie Experience the Schoolemistrisse of fooles making the rest of the members now to perceiue their former exceeding great follie the stomacke he was vniuersally freed from all imputation of blame concerning this their needlesse calamitie Because howsoeuer he be in very deede an insatiable deuourer of whatsoeuer their publike labours yet doth he not so insatiably feede thereupon for himselfe alone but likewise for all the rest of the members and therefore he being pined with a needlesse penurie they cannot but be miserably pinched with a biting hunger Surely Capnistus if thou examine the matter aright thou shall find it euen so in the politicke body of euery particular countrey Wherein albeit the stomacke the poore husbandman I meane doth heape vp together exceeding much maintenance yet doth he not heape vp the same so much for his owne proper vse as for the publike good of all the particular members in that selfe same politicall body And therefore so much the more heedfull regard must hourely be had about the orderly supportation of that one estate aboue all the rest by how much the prosperous or the pining condition of all other estates doth proportionably depend vpon that one estate aboue all the rest For be thou throughly assured of this that there is proportionably euen one and the selfe same office of the stomacke in a naturall bodie and of the poore husbandmans estate in euery politicall body Because if the stomacke it selfe be hourely kept in good quarter all the rest of the members they are mutually refreshed thereby Whereas if it be made empty of corporall sustenance how should it then be able either properly to support it owne selfe or collaterally to sustaine the rest of the members And euen so if the poore husbandmans estate be vpheld in an happie condition the rest of the members throughout the whole politicall body are substantially and soundly supported from vtter confusion Whereas if the poore husbandmans happie estate be fearefully impouerished how should any estate else in that selfe same politicall body be possibly enriched or safely preserued And therefore let these our disordered Tobacconists take heede in time lest by this their preposterous augmentation of tillage vnder an idle and fained pretence of publike good they do not hurt themselues and the rest of the members in this our politicall body to the vtter subuersion of our publike good For if corne it selfe by this their augmentation of tillage should inconsiderately and causelesly be brought to such a