Nevves from Malta written by a gentleman of that iland, to a friend of his in Fraunce. Shewing the desperate assault and surprising of two castles of the Turkes, by the Italians forces, vpon the eight day of September last past. Translated according to the Italian copie.

Pierce prooueth that the sufferaunce of wickednes and vngod∣lynes increaseth their gaine who are and should be therebu∣kers and punishers therof, and that to be the cause of great

in iustice and vnrighteousnes. Cap. 14.

NEighbour Pierce (quoth our Hoste) I pray you let me further vnderstand w••at yée doo meane by this history, for it should séem that ye haue alleadged it against mee not with standing that it maketh for me by ••he wun∣derfull effect which you your self ••re forced to confesse, that it hath wrought vpon you. I kn••we what I haue confessed Neighbour (quoth Pierce) and also in what maner I haue confessed it, far enough from your ••urpose or any confirmation therof. And where in maintenan••e of these great fées and reuenues you haue alleaged that the•• are pub∣lique, and also how many and how good & godly are the'ffects and fruits therof: without proof made of them or o•• any one of them, either by your owne experience or by oth••r necessa∣ry demonstration. There in proof of the contrary t•• wit, that they are proper and priuate, and therfore excessiu•• and vn∣reasonable which is my assertion, I haue brought you this proffe of mine owne experience, wherby I haue s••fficiently shewed that the first causes of all these great gaine•• and pro∣fits are prosecuted as I haue affirmed and not per••ecuted as you pretend. For I haue partely shewed you héer what leaue and libertie the common people namely youth haue to follow their own lust and desire, in all wantonnes and d••ssolution of life. For further proof wherof: I call to witnesse ••he The∣aters, Curtines, Heauing houses, Rifling boothes, Bow∣ling alleyes and such places where the time is so s••amefully mispent, namely the Sabaoth daies vnto the great ••ishonor of God, and the corruption and vtter distruction of youth. All which (I say) are either the causes or the effec••s of these great gaines and reuenues, or els both causes a••d effects interchaungeably. For I dare vndertake that if eit••er these gains and profits were publique as you pretend, or els if there were as great gain and proffit to the Maiest••ates and Officers, in the godly liues and honest conuersation of the common people as there is in the contrary: these ha••bours of vngodlines & misnurture, would haue lesse fauour and main∣tenaunce

then they haue, and godlines, Sobrietie and modes∣tie of liues & maners: would be in greater estimation then they are, and the honor and glory of God more aduaunced therby. But alas that the honor and glory of God and the vaine glory, pompe and maiestie of man cannot stand toge∣ther, and that one of thē must néeds fall in the others exalta∣tion, for certainly the more libertie vnto wickednes & sinne and the more falling from God through the same: and the more humbly complainings vnto your good Lordships, and vnto your good Woorships. The more Recognances for the peace and good a bearing, aswel by the Godly as by the vn∣godly, the one inuading and the other defending: the more praying, paying, waiting, attending, dowking, crowding, & courtesing, procuring of fréendship by meanes, bribing of his flatterer, & bribing of her flatterer, this driueth the great welth and abundance into few mens hands. For where, the vngodly through misgouerment is fallen into daunger of the Law, what wil he not giue to redéem his life or his infa∣mye? yea euen vnto them who were the first causes and oc∣casions of his fall into such folly and mischaunce through li∣bertie and not restraint of the contempt of God, his Lawes, and seruice, which he will not fayle to measure and fully to reward vnto all libertines, contemners and despisers of his maiestie and will, giuen them ouer into a reprobate minde, from vice to vice, vntil he hath fully brought him to naught.

So dangerous and fearfull a thing is libertie and not restraint of the beginning of euil, which although they appéer not such at the first: yet when they are come to their ripenes and haue brought foorth their increase, to wit, Fellonyes, Thefts, Man slaughter, Murder and such like: there is not so ignorant a person that will not say, the man or woman was neuer like to come to better end, namely for his euil and dissolute life in the beginning.

This libertie is in the hands of Maiestrates and Officers to bid or to forbid, euen after as they will prefer the honor and glory of God, or els their owne welth, pomp and vaine∣glory. And therfore how hartely were it to be desired at the hands of GOD, that such as are Maiestrates and Officers:

should not be couetuo{us}, or els such as are coueto{us} should not be Magistrates, for héerof Iethro did warne Moyses in y^e xviij. of Exodus, talking with him concerning the election and choise of Maiestra••s and Officers, and bad him chuse such as hated couatise, and spake of no other vice. The cause whe••of is ap∣parant, to wit least the wickednes and vngodlines of the peo∣ple came to be valuable let and set, rented and far••ed, bou∣ght and solde, for what other thing is valluing, le••ting and setting, renting, buying and selling of offices whose value is more or lesse according to the state of the people and their dis∣honouring of God therby. And where you maint••ine these great gains by their godly and woorthy effects, the f••rst wher∣of you alleadge to be their great purchase of lordships, lands and possessions and the effect therof you alleadge to be a pro∣uision and patrimony for the good and godly, the ef••ect wher∣of yée say is the increase of them, and the decrease of the con∣trary, the effect wherof you say is godlines, vnanimitie, loue, charetie and benignitie one towards an other. And last of all the effect therof be the manifold graces and blessings of God promised by God in the Psalmes to the house, town Cittie or Cuntry where these things are. From the first cause to his ef∣fect I graunt your argument, that these great gains are cause of great purchase, but from y^e purchase to his effects yée shew not how it is: but how it ought to be, for instéed of the effects wherof you haue spoken, I sée many gay houses ••ul of gay ch••••••is, costly banqueting houses, Galleries, bowling Al∣l••is, strange toies of point deuise and woorkmanship, but with in I finde no man dwelling saue pride, who hath ch••sed thēce hospitalitie and charitie, and as for other preferment that the godly haue at their hands in any of their purchases: I sée not but euen who wil giue moste, and can make might••est frēds, an•• who those are in our daies: the vngodly, vnfai••hfull and vncharitable dealing so vniuersally doo plainly decl••re.

The people so euel giuen both yong and olde, so vngodly in li¦uing so vnciuil, yea so rude & barbarous in manners, wherin me thinketh they haue preuailed & increased more & more all after as these offices haue waxen more gainfull and y^e desire

to haue them greater. And therfore your distinction betwéen their purchase and the merchant, chapman, and ••ther tō•••••• persons what soeuer (sauing his probabilitie) vain and redi∣culous to the purpose. Therfore Neighbour Simon (quoth Pierce) your reasons are weak & to maintain the greatnes of their fées vnable. Abide Neighbour Pierce quoth our Hoaste, giue me leaue to answere vnto these matters, & first because that in very déed probable reason giueth place to necessary proof & demonstration, wherin ••e suppose that ye haue you be¦yond me, because y^e against my b••••e & naked reasons as you terme them, ye haue alleadged authoritie, and that of your owne experience. I wil answere you with the like, and that of mine owne experience also, and more direct vnto my mat∣ter then any of yours, which are indéed indirect and stand in different, and I wil pro•••• that the Magistrate and Officer in the beginning was and yet is such a•• I haue aleadged and also the first assessing of the said fées and reuenues, and their great vtillitie and necessitie, namely for the vses, intents and purposes aforesaid. For proof wherof I wil rehearse vnto you a matter which I my self did bothe heare and sée.