Histoire des larrons, or The history of theeves. Written in French, and translated out of the originall, by Paul Godwin

The Preface to the Reader.

ALthough that Li∣curgus the Law∣maker of the Lacedemoniās was a great States-man, and obtained an immortall glorie by the Lawes and Statutes which he left unto the Spartans. Yet I finde that he was very faulty in pemitting his Citizens to live in continuall robberie; for what was this, but to nourish the fire of dissention, by which hee might have set on fire his new erected Common∣wealth; and indeed there needed the courage of Theseus, and

the strength of Hercules to purge a kingdome infected with the swarme of such people, for it is a poison which (as saith the Poet)

Latius & latius vires acqui∣rit eundo.

It is like unto rivers, which (the farther they runne from their fountaine) the more they swell and inlarge themselves.

But before I represent unto you the divers stratagems which these Rake hells usually put in practise to gain their living; I wil first shew you their originall, it being no new thing since men be∣gan to be wicked: and surely this vice must be very old, since the heathen gods sometimes exerci∣sed the same trade: For Lucian (in his Dialogue of Apollo)

and Vulcan) relates that Mer∣curie was one of the subtillest theeves that ever lived, for hee was scarce out of his shell, when hee stole away the tooles of Vul∣can, he made what ever he found in his way his owne: and one day having overcome Cupid at the Lute, as Venus came to imbrace him, and congratulate his victo∣rie, he slilie stole from her that admirable girdle whereof Ho∣mer maketh such esteeme: ano∣ther time, he by the sweetnesse of his musick so charmed Apollo, whiles hee kept the Kine of Ad∣metus, that he fell asleep, and in the mean time stole away his herd, (wherein you may note how blinde the ancients were in their belief, to worship a cow-herd and a theef for gods) nay ever Jupiter could not keep himself from the flights of this theef, for he stole from

him his Scepter, and would no doubt, have carried away his Thunderbolt had it not been too hot: Wherefore Homer in the Hymne which hee made in his praise, calls him (Arcon Phily∣teon) the Prince of Theeves; and indeed it is a thing very remark∣able, that there is no vice which hath not been authorised by gods, to the end that the Ancients might not be scrupelous in imi∣tating their actions, which was the devils policie to draw men to be his followers, by introducing (by the means of false Gods) vice in stead of vertue, and most com∣monly making use of things ac∣counted sacred, to make his poison to bee swallowed the more easilie; for who would not have stole his neighbours goods, since god Mer∣curie himself was of the trade, or who was there among them, who

esteemed it not an honour to fol∣low the steps of so brave a Cham∣pion?

—cui fas per limen utrum{que} Solus habet geminoque facit commercia mundo?

as saith Claudian, like Master, like servant; such a Prince, such a subject; If the Gods in times past were Theeves, it must needs bee that their worshippers must follow their example: and wee have seene the effects thereof; for during the space of foure or five thousand yeeres, since that Nim∣rod by an insupportable arro∣gancie placed the first stone in the tower of Babel, the world hath been full of nothing but confusion, murder, and theft. The Assyri∣ans spoiled and ransacked all their neighbour countreys, to lay the foundation of their Monar∣chie; but it proved no other then

the preparation of a Trophee for the Medes, who invading them, spoiled them of all that which they had ransaked from others: The Medes injoyed for a time their spoiles, but they were soone stript by the Persians, thus one nation robbed another, untill that the Romans became Masters of the whole. And what happened at lèngth, even after revolutions of ages, this great Collossus (whose shadow strook a feare into the in∣habitants of the remotest Regi∣ons) was dismembred by peece∣meale and at length remained as naked as Esops bird, and it was according to reason, that the end should bee correspondent to the beginning; for seeing this famous Republique had not its originall and increase, but by theeveries, rapes▪ and massacres under Ro∣mulus and others; there was no

other likelihood but that it would return to its first originall.

But yet I finde some mention of theeves before all these, for the Egyptians were the first af∣ter the deluge that began to rob, a custome which hath been so long continued by this Nation, that they are yet seen to run by troopes from kingdome to kingdom▪ to tell fooles their fortunes, & were it not that men looke more unto their hands then their feet, they would make a horrible havock in villages and solitary houses.

The barbarous Scythes, by the report of Herodottus, were also very subject to this wicked vice. for they thought all goods to bee common, both to men, and other living creatures, but especially food, for they made it no scruple to intrude themselves into any mans house, where they might find

meat wherewith to satisfie their hungry appetites.

But the Lydians were yet much more rude, for they held it for an infallible Maxime, that it was not fit that a man should de∣part from any place without fur∣nishing, himself with something; and it may well be said, that there there are two many Collonies of this race planted among us, for it is too apparent, that the one half of the world robs the other; the greater theeves robbing the lesse: For this is so miserable an age, that the great ones rejoice at the tottering of the lesse; and many are seene standing under the Gallowes to be as spectatours of the execution of others, who have more often deserved death then they have committed thefts: and though I might here take occasion to speake much of

the great theeves in the Com∣monwealth, yet considering, that Quae supra nos nihil ad nos, I will forbeare, and come unto the lesse, with sorrow that I must leave one of the Principall parts of this Historie untouched: or, know therefore, courteous Rea∣der, that for thy good I have set forth this various, and pleasant Historie, which will shew thee, how thou mayest avoid many dangers, and how others more wickedly inclined, may (by the punishments which these reap as just rewards for their evill cour∣ses) be led from the precipice of perdition, into the safe way of vertue and honestie.