A Abraham man. Cap. 9.
THese Abraham men, be those that fame themselues to haue beene mad, and haue beene kept either in Bethlehem, or in some other prison a good time, and not one amongst twenty that euer came in prison for any such cause: yet will they say how piteously and most extreamely they haue beene beaten and dealt withall. Some of these bee merry and very pleasant, they will daunce and sing, some others bee as colde and reasonable to talke withall. These begge money, or when they come at a Farmers house they will demaunde either Bacon, cheese, or wooll, or any thing that is worth money▪ and if they espie small company within, they will with fierce countenance demaunde somewhat, where for feare the maides will giue them largely to be rid of them.
¶ If they may conueniently come by any cheate, they will picke and steale, as the vpright man or Rogue, poultry, or lin∣nen, and all women that wander, be at their commandement. Of all that euer I saw of this kind, one naming himself Strad∣ling, is the craftiest and most dissemblingest knaue. He is able with his tongue and vsage, to deceiue and abuse the wisest man that is: And surely for the proportion of his body, with euery member there vnto appertaining, it cannot be amended. But as the prouerbe is (God hath done his part.) This Stradling saith, he was the Lord Sturtons man, and when hee was exe∣cuted, for very pensiuenes of minde he fell out of his wit, and so continued a yeare after and more and that with the very griefe and feare▪ hee was taken with a maruellous palsie, that both head and hands will shake, when he talketh with any, and that apace or fast, whereby hee is much pittied, and getteth greatly. And if I had not demaunded of others both men and women, that commonly walketh as hee doth, and knowne by them, his