A Freshe Water Mariner or Whipiacke. Cap 10.
THese Freshwater Mariners, their ships were drowned in the playne of Salisbury: These kinde of Caterpillers, coū∣terfet great losses, on the sea, these bee some Westerne men, and most bee Irishe men. These will runne about the countrey with a counterfet licence, fayning either ship wrac••e, or spoyled by Pirates, neare the coaste of Cornwall or Deuonshyre and set a land at some hauen towne there, hauing a large & formall wryting as is abouesaide, with the names and seales, of suche men of worshippe at the least foure or fiue as dwelleth neare or nexte to the place where they fayne there landinge. And neare to those shieres will they not begge, vntill they come into Wil∣shyre Hamshyre, Barkeshyre, Oxfordshyre, Harfordshyre▪ Mid∣delsex, and so to London, and downe by the ryuer to seeke for their ship and goods that they neuer had, thē passe they through Surrey, Sussex, by the sea costes and so into Kent, demanding almes to bringe them home to their countrey.
¶ Some time they counterfet the seale of the Admiralti••, I haue diuers times takē away from them their lycences, of both sortes, with such money as they haue gathered, and haue con∣fiscated the same to the pouertie nigh adioyning to me. And they will not be long without another. For at any good towne they will renewe the same. Once with much threatninge and faire promises, I required to know of one companye who made their licence, & they sweare that they bought the same at Ports∣mouth of a Mariner there, and it cost them two shillings, with such warrantes to bee so good and effectuall, that if any of the best men of law, or learned about London shoulde peruse the same, they were able to finde no fault therewith, but would assuredly alow the same.