Satyrical essayes characters and others. Or Accurate and quick descriptions, fitted to the life of their subiects. Iohn Stephens

CHARAC. XIII. A crafty Scriuener

IS the curse of mans crafty dea∣ling, a curious workeman, and may be free of the Locke-smithes, for full of Instruments hee is, and Engines: and makes Ma∣nacles for any mans wearing a∣boue Twenty One. His first am∣bition commonly is to ioyne forces, and make vp his defects of policy, and custome by par∣taking in anothers proiects: then doth hee readily aspire to frequented places, a conueni∣ent shop, the notice of his neighbours, and to engrosse credit, or some text Widdow, by the nouerint of his Grogren Gowne: A common strumpet neuer fawned so much on yong

heire, as hee with flattery ob∣serues the Vsurer, and with nice dutifull care to preserue him, makes his rotten hide, the chiefe Indentures that containe his Title. Obligations be his best prayers; for hee cannot tie God to performe conditions, or put in fuertyship: his friend∣ship hath a Counter mand of be∣ing too honest; which hee will obey, rather then not saue by the bargaine. Hee is the safest man from danger in the pedi∣gree of rapines; for first, the gal∣lant liues by sale and Country Tenants; the Cittizen by the Gallant; the Scriuener and the deuill vpon both, or all: So nei∣ther liues by losse with the Gal∣lant, nor vpon trust, with the Citizen: his condemnation is a knot of Seales and their Impres∣sion: the first discouer to him a

conformed vnity; yet none hath more hand in the procuring of variance. The last discouers a tractable nature, which giues and takes impression. Of the first (that is to giue) he knowes no meaning but when he giues the print of his fist, that it may sticke by elder brothers a whole age: Of the last (that is to take impression) hee knowes none but a wrong meaning: for the best seale that imprints loue in him, is onely the Kings picture; and that loue continues no lon∣ger then he beholds it. His quils and instruments betoken peace: you cannot therefore expect more valour in him, then to win ground by the aduantage of weake Prodigals, and such as runne away from thriftinesse: they be most importunate with him: with them hee preuailes

most: to them he sels his extor∣tious nature at the highest value, because they be most willing to make it their peny-worth. His memory is his owne; another cannot safely trust it in recko∣ning the day of payment: for he reckons what he can saue, by renewing the hazard of a se∣cond forfeit, not your losse by the first: and so he ouer-reaches you, by ouer-reaching the time, when you trust his memory: which (like an old ridden Iade) lookes not to the Iourneies end but to the baiting place, though he goes further then the iour∣nies end: If you trust him there∣fore you may feele the forfeite, and pay largely for an acquit∣tance. His learning iumps iust with, or fals sometimes short of an Atturnies; being onely able to repeate the afore-said forme

to thousand purposes: So all his mistery is indeed nothing to en∣crease his Art, but his Policy, or plaine knauery: And that, be∣ing serued in, to the worlds ban∣quet, represents a large foxes head, and a little Sheepe-skinne in diuers dishes. It is the totall of his Creed, that nothing should bee iustified, or called lawful, which hath not hand and Seale: that makes him exercise Hand and Seale, as the warrant for deuises of his head and Soule. He neuer rayses the spirit of a Prodigall by charmes, but he to∣gether rayses the spirit of mam∣mon a Citizen, and then this potent coniurer binds them both fast in a Quadrangle. Hee will seeme to know the Statute and common Law; but the con∣struction failes commonly (for he looks to his owne aduantage)

except the Law hath practised vpon his hearing, to teach the comment when he mistakes the Law. Hauing at length beene a long Auditor to the sweete le∣cture of Vsury, hee loues the matter so well, that he becomes proficient, graduate, and pro∣fessour in the Science: but after generall profession hee approa∣ches quickely to his center (from whence hee sprung) No∣thing.