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CHAP. LXV.
Of Beggerie.
IT is a great part of the duty of Civil and Ecclesi∣astical Government, to be mindful of the Poor and Diseased, lest People should commit Sin, or Steal through Poverty, or by continual wandring should occasion the bringing in of Plagues & Pestilences into Cities, or should Perish for Hunger, to the shame of Mankind. Therefore there are Publick Alms-houses Erected in sundry pla∣ces at the Publick Charge, whose stipends daily increase through the Alms of well-disposed People. For Pub∣likely to beg and wander from place to place, was from the Beginning a thing prohibited by the Laws of all Nations. For in the Old Law, the Jews were com∣manded by Moses, Let there be no poor or begger among ye. And in the Roman-Law, Justinian hath very sharply Ordain'd against sturdy Beggars, that if any one stout in his Limbs should presume to Beg, he was presently to be Imprision'd, and set to Work. In the Evangelical Law, Christ commanded, that what was superfluous should be given to the poor, that so there might be no Begger among the People, but that there should be a kind of Equality, as saith St. Paul writing to the Corinthians: Let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance may also supply your want, and equality be among ye; as it is written, He that hath much has not abounded, and he that hath little hath
Page 212
not less. And Writing to the Ephesians, He that stole, saith he, let him steal no more, but rather let him labour and work with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. The same Apostle commands the Thessalonians to labour with their hands, and to endeavour to abound; confirming a severe Decree among them, That he that would not Labour should not Eat; Commanding Loyterers to be Expell'd from the Communion of the Faithful. And in his Epistle to Timothy, he condemns those who imagine Beggery to be Godliness. The Papal Decrees Ordain Alms to be given only to those who are past their Labour, accompting all others that receive Alms in the number of Robers, Thieves, and Sacrilegious persons. By which Authorities we are taught, not only to compassionate Poverty, but to detest Beggery. But those cunning Impostures daily practis'd to advance the trade of Beggery, are by all men to be Abominated, while their Contrivers rather choose to lye before the Gates of Churches, to the great shame of man-kind, and contrary to the Command of God, enduring all the hardships of the bitterest cold, the burning Sun, and Torments worse than Death, rather than to be con∣tented with the mean Allowance of an honest Alms-house; And which is far more Abominable, in the midst of all their Torments and Pains, Blaspheming, Swearing, Forswearing, Cursing, Banning, Fowl-mouth'd, Injurious and Drunk, using the Name of Christ, but neither Worshipping Christ, or regarding any thing of Sacred or Religious; filling the Ears of Passengers not with the cries of Martyrs, but with the bannings of Infernally-tormented Creatures. There is another most Impious sort of Beggers, who crusting over their Scars and Wounds with Bird-lime, Meal, and Clotted-Blood, expose themselves all full of Soars and Botches. And others that by counterfeit∣ing
Page 213
other sorts of Diseases and Sicknesses. Others there are, that under the pretence of Vows and Pilgri∣mages, wander up and down from Country to Coun∣try, designedly avoiding Labour, out of a wicked love of Poverty; begging from Dore to Dore, yet would not change their Lives for Princes, while they have liberty to Vagabond it where they please at their own pleasure; concern'd neither in War nor Peace; every where free from Taxes, publick Charges and Duties: And yet they are many times the causes of great and most pernicious Mischiefs, and by their means great Enterprises are brought to pass, while under the rags of Beggers many times Spies are sent to discover the secrets of Fortified Places; many times Beggers them∣selve are made use of to bring and carry Letters of Intelligence: By some of them Cities have been set on Fire, as we find by the late sad example of the City of Tryers; sometimes Wells have by them been poysoned, and the Plague it self brought into Kingdoms, to the Destruction of Thousands of People. Among these we must reckon that sort of Cattle which they call Cyngani or Gypsies.
They live on strangers, hate at home to 'bide;
Abhor to know their own, no Land beside.
These having their Original from a certain Country between Aegypt and Ethiopia, of the Race of Chus, the Son of Cham, the Son of Noah, still suffer under the Curse of their Progenitor: These are they who Erecting Boothes in the High-way, or else taking up the next Barn for their Habitation, give themselves to nothing but Thievery and Whoredome, and by Thest and Fortune-telling maintain their idle Lives. Volaterran believes, that the first that set up this Trade, from whence it deriv'd it self into these Parts, were
Page 214
the Vxii, a People of Persis; following Scilates, who wrote the Constantinopolitan History. For he reports, that Michael Traul•• obtain'd the Empire by the Fortune-telling of the Vxii; which sort of People being dis∣pers'd through Europe and Moesia, maintain'd them∣selves by telling people their Fortunes. Polydore affirms 'um to be Assyrians and Cilicians. But this Itch of damnable Lying doth not only possess the most pro∣phane and lowest sort of People and wandring Vaga∣bonds, but has also advanc'd it self among the Religi∣ous, and into the Orders of the Monks and Priests. Hence those Sects of Fryars, Monks, and other Religi∣ous Traders in Palmestry had their Original, who under a cursed pretence of Religion carrying about the Re∣liqu•s of the Saints, and making shew of great Holi∣ness, by the help of many feigned Miracles; threatning some with the Anger of the Saints, promising to others Indulgencies and Dispensations; instead of Alms, they get great Riches. For in this posture wandring from Country to Country, from silly Wenches and trimo∣rous Women here they get a Sheep, there a Goat, here a Kid, there a Pig, or a young Calf: sometimes Wine, Oyl, Butter, Pulse, Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Hens, Wool, Linnen and Money; as it were Plunder and prey upon the whole Country where they go, return∣ing home Laden with the rich spoils of their Villany, where they are receiv'd by their Companions with all expressions of joy and applause for the Triumphs of their most damnable Impositions: while on the other side, they who by their Fallacies and lying Devices have thus robb'd the Country, think they do God and the Saints good Service, to fat and cram the Guts of their idle Associates, with the fruits of their Cousening and Quacksalving devices, altogether neglecting and con∣temning to expend these Gifts upon Objects of Chari∣ty, to which intent they were both begg'd and given.
Page 215
Apuleius in his Ass is not forgetful to make them part of his Story, under the Title of the Priests of the Assy∣rian Gods. Among these we may number the whole Tribe of Mendicant Fryars, who laying aside the Sancti∣mony of their Profession, follow Gain in lieu of Godli∣ness; as if they made a profession of Religion for no other reason, but that under the pretence of Poverty they may have liberty to profess a wandring Beggery, and with an impudent and bold Hypocrisie to rake Money together; asham'd of nothing in all places: from which neither Courts of Justice, Temples, Schools, Courts, Private or Publick Societies, Consessions, Ser∣mons, Pulpits are free, where they are wont to sell their Indulgencies, extol the benefits of their Ceremo∣nies, extorting in that manner from Usurers and rich Thieves no small share of their ill-got Gains, and from the thick-scull'd Shop-keepers, and illiterate Rabble, squeezing good store of Money; beginning like the Serpent with the Women first, that by their Assistance they may the more easily Delude the Men. Who making a shew of Poverty with their affected Raggs, and every where Preaching the Contempt of Money, and the shunning of Ambition; yet themselves in the mean while make nothing more their utmost study and business than to rake money with their Profession; to which purpose they compass Sea and Land, in∣trude themselves into the houses of all sorts of peo∣ple, performing nothing of their Holy Function but for Hire, exacting Alms more Tyrannically than Tri∣bute; thrusting themselves into all peoples business, making up doubtful Matches, ordering Wills, com∣posing Suits in Law, informing and reforming the Holy Nuns; but nothing of all this, unless they find something coming. These are the Tricks and Deceits of the Friers, by means whereof they have arriv'd to so high a pitch of Authority, to the Terror even of
Page 216
Popes and Monarchs, rich beyond the Estates of great Merchants, or the Treasures of Princes, which has en∣abled 'um with great Sums, not only to purchase Mi∣tres and Hatts, but even the Papacy it self. So Pow∣erful is Religious Beggery; to which, how opulent soever, they will pretend, while they touch not the money with their bare Fingers, but have their Judas to keep the Keys of their Treasury, and to make up their Accompts; daring then, most bold Equivocators, to say with St. Peter and St. John; Gold or Silver have I none. Against these Apes of Christ and S. Francis, are Richard Bishop of Armachanus, Malleolus Governour of Tigurines, and John Bishop of Camot, whose Wri∣tings would have been more acceptable, had they not only condemned the Abuse, but also the very allowance of this Religious way of Begging it self.
Of Beggerie.
IT is a great part of the duty of Civil and Ecclesi∣astical Government, to be mindful of the Poor and Diseased, lest People should commit Sin, or Steal through Poverty, or by continual wandring should occasion the bringing in of Plagues & Pestilences into Cities, or should Perish for Hunger, to the shame of Mankind. Therefore there are Publick Alms-houses Erected in sundry pla∣ces at the Publick Charge, whose stipends daily increase through the Alms of well-disposed People. For Pub∣likely to beg and wander from place to place, was from the Beginning a thing prohibited by the Laws of all Nations. For in the Old Law, the Jews were com∣manded by Moses, Let there be no poor or begger among ye. And in the Roman-Law, Justinian hath very sharply Ordain'd against sturdy Beggars, that if any one stout in his Limbs should presume to Beg, he was presently to be Imprision'd, and set to Work. In the Evangelical Law, Christ commanded, that what was superfluous should be given to the poor, that so there might be no Begger among the People, but that there should be a kind of Equality, as saith St. Paul writing to the Corinthians: Let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance may also supply your want, and equality be among ye; as it is written, He that hath much has not abounded, and he that hath little hath
Page 212
not less. And Writing to the Ephesians, He that stole, saith he, let him steal no more, but rather let him labour and work with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. The same Apostle commands the Thessalonians to labour with their hands, and to endeavour to abound; confirming a severe Decree among them, That he that would not Labour should not Eat; Commanding Loyterers to be Expell'd from the Communion of the Faithful. And in his Epistle to Timothy, he condemns those who imagine Beggery to be Godliness. The Papal Decrees Ordain Alms to be given only to those who are past their Labour, accompting all others that receive Alms in the number of Robers, Thieves, and Sacrilegious persons. By which Authorities we are taught, not only to compassionate Poverty, but to detest Beggery. But those cunning Impostures daily practis'd to advance the trade of Beggery, are by all men to be Abominated, while their Contrivers rather choose to lye before the Gates of Churches, to the great shame of man-kind, and contrary to the Command of God, enduring all the hardships of the bitterest cold, the burning Sun, and Torments worse than Death, rather than to be con∣tented with the mean Allowance of an honest Alms-house; And which is far more Abominable, in the midst of all their Torments and Pains, Blaspheming, Swearing, Forswearing, Cursing, Banning, Fowl-mouth'd, Injurious and Drunk, using the Name of Christ, but neither Worshipping Christ, or regarding any thing of Sacred or Religious; filling the Ears of Passengers not with the cries of Martyrs, but with the bannings of Infernally-tormented Creatures. There is another most Impious sort of Beggers, who crusting over their Scars and Wounds with Bird-lime, Meal, and Clotted-Blood, expose themselves all full of Soars and Botches. And others that by counterfeit∣ing
Page 213
other sorts of Diseases and Sicknesses. Others there are, that under the pretence of Vows and Pilgri∣mages, wander up and down from Country to Coun∣try, designedly avoiding Labour, out of a wicked love of Poverty; begging from Dore to Dore, yet would not change their Lives for Princes, while they have liberty to Vagabond it where they please at their own pleasure; concern'd neither in War nor Peace; every where free from Taxes, publick Charges and Duties: And yet they are many times the causes of great and most pernicious Mischiefs, and by their means great Enterprises are brought to pass, while under the rags of Beggers many times Spies are sent to discover the secrets of Fortified Places; many times Beggers them∣selve are made use of to bring and carry Letters of Intelligence: By some of them Cities have been set on Fire, as we find by the late sad example of the City of Tryers; sometimes Wells have by them been poysoned, and the Plague it self brought into Kingdoms, to the Destruction of Thousands of People. Among these we must reckon that sort of Cattle which they call Cyngani or Gypsies.
They live on strangers, hate at home to 'bide;
Abhor to know their own, no Land beside.
These having their Original from a certain Country between Aegypt and Ethiopia, of the Race of Chus, the Son of Cham, the Son of Noah, still suffer under the Curse of their Progenitor: These are they who Erecting Boothes in the High-way, or else taking up the next Barn for their Habitation, give themselves to nothing but Thievery and Whoredome, and by Thest and Fortune-telling maintain their idle Lives. Volaterran believes, that the first that set up this Trade, from whence it deriv'd it self into these Parts, were
Page 214
the Vxii, a People of Persis; following Scilates, who wrote the Constantinopolitan History. For he reports, that Michael Traul•• obtain'd the Empire by the Fortune-telling of the Vxii; which sort of People being dis∣pers'd through Europe and Moesia, maintain'd them∣selves by telling people their Fortunes. Polydore affirms 'um to be Assyrians and Cilicians. But this Itch of damnable Lying doth not only possess the most pro∣phane and lowest sort of People and wandring Vaga∣bonds, but has also advanc'd it self among the Religi∣ous, and into the Orders of the Monks and Priests. Hence those Sects of Fryars, Monks, and other Religi∣ous Traders in Palmestry had their Original, who under a cursed pretence of Religion carrying about the Re∣liqu•s of the Saints, and making shew of great Holi∣ness, by the help of many feigned Miracles; threatning some with the Anger of the Saints, promising to others Indulgencies and Dispensations; instead of Alms, they get great Riches. For in this posture wandring from Country to Country, from silly Wenches and trimo∣rous Women here they get a Sheep, there a Goat, here a Kid, there a Pig, or a young Calf: sometimes Wine, Oyl, Butter, Pulse, Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Hens, Wool, Linnen and Money; as it were Plunder and prey upon the whole Country where they go, return∣ing home Laden with the rich spoils of their Villany, where they are receiv'd by their Companions with all expressions of joy and applause for the Triumphs of their most damnable Impositions: while on the other side, they who by their Fallacies and lying Devices have thus robb'd the Country, think they do God and the Saints good Service, to fat and cram the Guts of their idle Associates, with the fruits of their Cousening and Quacksalving devices, altogether neglecting and con∣temning to expend these Gifts upon Objects of Chari∣ty, to which intent they were both begg'd and given.
Page 215
Apuleius in his Ass is not forgetful to make them part of his Story, under the Title of the Priests of the Assy∣rian Gods. Among these we may number the whole Tribe of Mendicant Fryars, who laying aside the Sancti∣mony of their Profession, follow Gain in lieu of Godli∣ness; as if they made a profession of Religion for no other reason, but that under the pretence of Poverty they may have liberty to profess a wandring Beggery, and with an impudent and bold Hypocrisie to rake Money together; asham'd of nothing in all places: from which neither Courts of Justice, Temples, Schools, Courts, Private or Publick Societies, Consessions, Ser∣mons, Pulpits are free, where they are wont to sell their Indulgencies, extol the benefits of their Ceremo∣nies, extorting in that manner from Usurers and rich Thieves no small share of their ill-got Gains, and from the thick-scull'd Shop-keepers, and illiterate Rabble, squeezing good store of Money; beginning like the Serpent with the Women first, that by their Assistance they may the more easily Delude the Men. Who making a shew of Poverty with their affected Raggs, and every where Preaching the Contempt of Money, and the shunning of Ambition; yet themselves in the mean while make nothing more their utmost study and business than to rake money with their Profession; to which purpose they compass Sea and Land, in∣trude themselves into the houses of all sorts of peo∣ple, performing nothing of their Holy Function but for Hire, exacting Alms more Tyrannically than Tri∣bute; thrusting themselves into all peoples business, making up doubtful Matches, ordering Wills, com∣posing Suits in Law, informing and reforming the Holy Nuns; but nothing of all this, unless they find something coming. These are the Tricks and Deceits of the Friers, by means whereof they have arriv'd to so high a pitch of Authority, to the Terror even of
Page 216
Popes and Monarchs, rich beyond the Estates of great Merchants, or the Treasures of Princes, which has en∣abled 'um with great Sums, not only to purchase Mi∣tres and Hatts, but even the Papacy it self. So Pow∣erful is Religious Beggery; to which, how opulent soever, they will pretend, while they touch not the money with their bare Fingers, but have their Judas to keep the Keys of their Treasury, and to make up their Accompts; daring then, most bold Equivocators, to say with St. Peter and St. John; Gold or Silver have I none. Against these Apes of Christ and S. Francis, are Richard Bishop of Armachanus, Malleolus Governour of Tigurines, and John Bishop of Camot, whose Wri∣tings would have been more acceptable, had they not only condemned the Abuse, but also the very allowance of this Religious way of Begging it self.