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.

An other tale of the Hoste of a woorshipfull Lawyer that made leases to all his tenaunts of the Farmes they held for Li. yeers after a strange sorte and also very wisely. Chap. 17. (Book 17)

I Was (quoth hée) in Buckingham Shire not very long sithence, at the house of a rich Offi∣cer toward the Law whome I could name if néed required, who during the time of my bée∣ing there, made vnto all his Tenants leases of their farmes, wherof I my self am wit∣nes, present at their Sealing and deliuerye, The leases are for li. yéeres from the day of the date therof, the rent reser∣ued as followeth. Yéelding and paying vnto the said Leassor and his heires yéerly during so many of the said li. yéeres as th'inheritaunce shall remaine in him or them, not solde, ex∣chaunged, morgaged, forfaited, leased in reuertion or other∣wise

estraunged v.l. currant money of England, and yéel∣ding and paying from and immediatly after any such act doon by him or them or any of them v. s̄. yéerly of like cu••rant mo∣nie, and so after the rate of other rents were they greater or smaller. Prouided alwaies, that the tenaunt shall not sell, set nor let their said Farme or any percel therof, w••thout the assent and licence of the said Leassor or his heires, of which reseruation I asked him a reason, wherunto hi•• answere was this. Sée (quoth hée) how hard a matter it i•• for yong Gentlemē vnto whom it falleth by the grace and gift of God to be Landlorde and owners, wisely to order & gou••rn either their possessions, lands and reuenues or themselues. I know also (quoth hée) that in the wisdome, prudency an•• good go∣uernment of such, standeth the happy and prospere us estate of a common welth; and her misery in the contrary, and ther∣fore in my iudgement ought all men generally to wish, yea and to endeuour that the greatest lands and posses••ions may be in their hands who both can and will order and dispose the same to the honor and glory of God and to the p••ofit of the common welth, wherin me thinketh sauing reformation, the to often and to common translation of possession is not the least matter nor last to be considered, as well for the causes therof which are euill •• as also for the effects therof which are wurse. The causes that make men to sell their patrimo∣nyes and to spoyle their inheritance, who knoweth not to be these, riot, gaine, whordome, delight in all vngodly pleasures and pastime of sensualitie, shortly the not fearing of God, nor seruing him, and the not caring to knowe his wil•• and com∣mandements, nor to liue therafter, these are the causes. The effects are these, first the spoyle of the land and th•• making it barren and bare of all the commodities therof, secondly the dislodging and disapointing of the honest Farmers and good house kéepers, for their sakes that will doo more then they, without any other respect, and those are commonly the wic∣ked and vngodly, and from thence ariseth infini•• sutes and controuersies, maintenaunces, champerties and such like.

This causeth lands often to chaunge their tenaunts and

inhabitants, and by that means breacheth and dissolueth one of the greatest and surest bonds of looue and fréendship that is or euer was, namely, coeducation, conuersation and acquain∣taunce, which hatcheth, nourisheth and confirmeth looue and fréendship, not only betwéen men: but euen betwéen the brute and vnreasonable beasts, who hauing béene fostered long together in one place, will not only looue and defend one an other: but also euen the very place wherin they were bred and nourished, and they will very hardly be sundred or dri∣uen there from. And this is the very law of kinde, which can not effectually woork among neighbours, of whome some are dayly or yéerly flitting and giuing place vnto new, namely such as will bid more the which commonly are the wurser sorte as hath béen already alleaged. These are two effects.

The third is the sinceritie of Iustice and also of dicipline both which it greatly hazardeth, namely for y^e buyers and sellers are Corelatiues, and that the one cannot be without the o∣ther, and for that also the causes of selling & spoyling of pa∣trimonies are such as I haue already declared. These things are right perillous in a common welth, and yet doo almoste necessarily followe the too often and common translation of possession and inheritaunce, namely where it is by peny pur∣chase, against the which neuerthelesse it is meruelous hard to foresée and to prouide, I meane for heires and inheritours of Lordships, Lands and possessions to continue in the same, béeing things that so many desire to haue, yea oftentimes such as haue in their hands the bridle of libertie, or restraint of good and euill, and of the liues and manners of men, for what is there in all this earth so much desired as houses, lan∣des, Lordships and possessions, and to commaund ouer peo∣ple? What els is the end of all so many and great trauels, watch, studie so many and so great hazards by Sea and land, so many shifts, sleights, deceits and oppressions, of all which this world hath béen, is & euer wil be full, against all which who so will holde a thing of so great value: he must be well prouided and of great defence, and hath néed to haue in him self the strength, wisdome, councell and iudgement of many,

and so much the rather by how much his possessio•• is y^e grea∣ter, and that for two causes. First for that in his e••rour of life fall and misgouernment: lyeth the fall, ruin and decay of a number, what of his owne blood, what of his tenaunts, faith∣full freends and seruants. Secondly for that his estate is sub∣iect vnto many enimies, of whom the greatest and moste dan∣gerous is the flatterer the olde enemie of all mankinde, as the story of our Father Adam and mother Eue and the Ser∣pent dooth well declare. This mooued Iuno as O••id fableth to commit Io her Cow vnto Argus to kéep, which Argus had an hundred eyes in his head, and therfore much adooe had Mercury to deceiue him withall his swéet songs and Musick, for when he had brought on of his eyes a sleep, ••ea diuers of them, yet waked diuers other and stood vpon t••eir ward, and whether his face or his back were towards Io yet he al∣way beheld her.