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.

The Hoste maintaineth the contrary, and for disproofe therof, and for the proofe of his assertion: alleadgeth the purchase of a certain welthie Officer towards the Law. Chap. 15. (Book 15)

ABout two yeeres agon it was m•• fortune to be beyond London in Kent, at the house of a worshipfull Officer towards the Law, who not p••st a Moneth before my comming thi∣ther: had purchased a Lordship, wherin were diuers good forme••, and their leases too expire at Miche••••as th••n to come twelue Moneths▪ It came to passe one day of my béeing there▪ thither came a rich man dwelling not farre thence, whose sute was to this Gentleman to take one of his said Farmes in ••euertion, and comming to him thus he began. Sir quoth he, I vnderstand ye haue bought su••h a Lordship, God ••••ne ye joy thereof. Ve∣ry

true it is (quoth hée) Sir {quod} this rich man, I p••ay you let me be your tenaunt of such a Farm, geuing more then any o¦ther man wil giue for a fine. The rent of the Farm was v. l.

What will ye giue me for a lease for xxj. yéeres quoth this Gentleman? Sir quoth he I wil giue ye an C.l. and vnto our Mistresse a Veluet gown, and xx. Angels to buy h••r pines be sides. You haue bidden like a Chapman said the Gentleman, giue me leaue to be aduised vnto Munday next said he, and then I shall giue you an answere héerin, so causing him to ta∣ry dinner he let him departe, and this was vpon a Thursday

The next day béeing Friday: this Gentleman sent for the Farmer of the same péece of land, who came thither, and with him thrée hansome yong men his sonnes. So when he was by the Landlords commaundement brought befor•• him: hée asked him of what age he was. He answered lxxv. yéeres. He asked him how long he had dwelled in that Farm He answe¦red that he had dwelt there all his life for he was ••orne in it and his father before him. You know quoth the Gentleman that I am now become your Landlord. I knowe i•• very wel quoth he, and I beséech you of your fauour. What will you giue for a new lease of xxi. yéeres quoth the Gentleman? for you knowe your olde lease is néer an end. Sir quoth the poore man, let me giue you reason, only that I may be ••ble to doo my Prince and your woorship seruice, & to reléeue my poore neighbours as hetherto I haue doone, and haue be••n well a∣ble. Very wel quoth the Gentleman, be héer again vpon Munday next and then ye shall vnderstand more. The poore man (his duty doon) departed. The next Munday beeing mun∣day next before Bartholmew day: the poore man was come again, and brought with him a couple of fat Capons, & about an houre or twaine after came this Churle very wel moun∣ted his Gelding not déere of x.l. and behinde him was trus∣sed a fat Buck, which he presented vnto the Gentlemen by one of his seruants. To be short: he was willed ••o come in to the M. into a close little Parlor, whether were called also this olde farmer and I my self, whom it pleased hi•• to vouch safe all curtesie and humanitie both in this and also in o∣ther

matters, so that only we foure were there, sauing a yong man attendant vpon his person. This doon: the Gen∣tleman began fréend quoth he, what accusation doo you bring against this poore man pointing him to the Farmer. Sir {quod}. he none, I doo not know the man. No quoth the Gentleman? except ye can accuse him of euel: ye haue already condemned your self therof, and would doo me. Why so sir quoth he? Ma∣ry Sir quoth the Gentleman, for he cannot be guiltlesse of e∣uil: that séeketh the destruction and death of a guiltlesse man.

Sir quoth the fellowe, ye charge me wrongfully, I neuer sought any mans death. Sir quoth the Gentleman, he that séeketh to take away the sustenaunce of a mans life, that man say I, séeketh his death, & that by so much a more cruel mean as it is a more cruell and fearfull death, to starue of hunger or colde: then it is to be quickly and readily dispatched and murthered, and so soon rid out of pain. Ye haue quoth hée, desired to take this poore mans farme from him, béeing his only stay, and haue so bidden for it: that I know he may not liue but in extreme misery if he take it at your hands. Sir {quod}. he, yée are the first great purchaser y^t euer I heard of this opinion. I haue six Farmes quoth he, taken all after this ma∣ner at their hands that doo think them-selues both wise and woorshipfull, yet was there neuer put vnto me such a pro∣blem as this by any of them, yet drink In C.••. a yéer by them aboue all charges. Fréend quoth the Gentleman, other mens dooing are no president vnto me, further then they stand with my dutie vnto God, and with the discharging of my calling, for he hath bidden vs by his prophet to stand vp and enquire after the olde waies, and if they be good: then to goe in them or els not, which béeing spoken generally vnto all estates: how much more vnto them of my calling, and therfore ad∣mitting that such hard & extreme dealing might stand w^t the dutie of euery priuat person, either vnto God or vnto their Cuntry and common welth, or els with their owne assurāce-which I vtterly deny, yet could it not stand with my du∣tie, nor of any man of my calling. First for the priuat person, & to reproue y^t such extreme dealing stādeth not with his du∣tie

towards God, of his ••••mandements d•• manif••••ly proo•••• wherin he so straightly comma••••••eth vnto vs ••h••re is, loue & benigniti•• one towards an other, w^tout the which mā dare not ••ay ••ha•• hée looueth God whom he neuer saw, neither th•••• he hath any faith, now what loue or ••har••tie in there in him that letteth vnto his Neighbour a lease of hunger, ••••nt & ••ll misery & calametie, & so ••hole ••••th y^t ••••n, which God forbad to doo vnto the Oxe? The next to wit•• it standeth no•• with his dutie to the common welth, the very woord co•••••• welthe doth sufficiently showe, for if a man liue in the cōmon-welth he must haue some of the ioyes and fruits therof, or els it is to him no common welth, namely traueling and labo••ring sore therin, neither wil he that a man bear•• any good w••l toward that common welth wherin the ioyes and sorowes welth & wee are so vnequally deuided and this standeth no•• with the assurance of the common welth, which increaseth by the vni∣••ie, looue & concord, & falleth •• decayeth by their ••on ••arye••.

These the two first béeing prooue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 resteth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to p••ooue that such extreme taking & exacting standeth all with th•• assurance of the very partie himself euery priuate mans c••se, & this séemeth stranger and harder to prooue: then the res••due hath béen, but it is not so, namely vnto him that goeth with the Prophet Dauid into the house of God & ther•• ••nqui••eth ther∣of, for there hee shall plainly vnderstand that all is ••ot cleerly gotten that is put into the pursse, for I my selfe ha••e known a number quoth he, that haue raised iiij. times double y^e reue∣nues that their ancesters liued welthily & woorshipful vpon, yea and before their death would fain haue solde land if they had had any.

The cause wherof is for that God who is not p••esent nor called to councell in such extreme taking: wil neuer be pre∣sent nor giue counsel or aduise in the bestowing, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spending of the same, either to his honor & glory: or els to their owne benefit, but giueth them ouer to delight in vile and vaine pleasures, and to be gainfull and ben••ficiall vnto the Minis∣ters of voluptuousnes and sensualitie and flatter••rs, whose fréendship endeth when the tap lea••••th running, and when

strange and ••••••uelous vnto you▪ I will tell you another matter which is an true as this and of mine own experience also. I pray you let mée heare Neighbour ••uoth Pierce.