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.

¶ A reason why Coppyholdes, Customes and Corporations, were first ordained, and how that Pride and Flattery are the cheef causes that many a yong Gentleman commeth to sell his Lands. Chap. 1••.

ANd surely in mine oppinion this mooued the wise & honorable fathers & Maiestrates of old time to incorporat so great liuings & possessi∣ons, & also to erect & establish in Lo••dships so many coppy holds and custummar•• tenures as the moste soueraigne remedy against pride and surcuydrie, which commonly accompanieth th•• priuate, singuler & sole proprietie in land, possession, office or any other thing whatsoeuer, & also a way and meane to furni••h the com¦mon welth with many both able to deserue well and to doo good also glad and willing therto, vnto the which p••ide is ei∣ther the only let and impediment: or els of all othe•• the grea∣test as he vpon whom flattery attendeth, yea and in such sorte that he leadeth him by the nose vp and down the house, ma∣king

him to beléeue of himself any thing, causing him also to delight no while in any one thing, whether it be apparell or the fashion therof, place, person, dyet, fréend, seruant, Te∣naunt or other thing what soeuer, and this as dayly experi∣ence teacheth, is the high and ready way to y^e Vsurers house and from thence to the Extorcioner, who dwelleth hard by, of which twaine by that time he hath taken foorth his lesson kindely: I dare be his suretie hée wil not be hasty to doo good to any good body, neither if he would shall he haue wherwith all, for either shall he haue no lands left him at all: or if he haue any, he shall be glad to let them déerer then that any ho∣nest man shall doo good thereon, so that in conclusion, both th•• Landlord and the tenaunt shalbe miserable.

The cause héerof is Pride moste and chéeftly, as I haue said, and oftentimes youth, good nature, or peraduenture excesse of Pleasure and Sensuall delights, where through yong Gentlemen are often snared through euill company, béeing ouertaken sometime by giuing their woord, sometime through a bribe of a little present mony, sometime by one de∣ceit, sometime by an other, wherin men are soone pampred, namely such as are of small experience and iudgement, and knowe not the false lures of the wicked and vngodly, aga∣inst all which these Corporations and customes are of great force and a great defence, for in both these cases: hardly can they be assaulted, much lesse inuaded by any of the enemies aforesaid.

First for that a corporation is neuer vnder age, as for example, Maior and Comminaltie, Deane, and Chapter, Wardens and Fellowes and such like, whose succession is by election, their proprietie is ioynt and in common, neither can one doo any thing without the rest, and therfore to flat∣ter any one of them vaine, and to flatter them all very hard namely mens Natures, Wit, Iudgements and Affections béeing diuers, and euery man willing to maintaine and pre∣fer his owne opinion or his fréends. Pride atteinteth them not, for who is proud, or at the least so proud of any thing, wherin a number hath to commaund as much as he, and

without whom he can doo nothing, then béeing armed against Pride the Father of necessitie and néed: they are ••etter frée∣ly to afforde their good woord or déed, and therfore in vaine were it to bribe them.

But admit that any of them would be bribed, it were also in vaine and would procure the euill will of all the rest with out bribing them all which were heauy and hard to doo.

So that in any competicion made vnto such persons against any olde Fréend, Tenaunt, Officer or seruant: it is very hard to preuaile except it be through his owne great misbe∣hauiour. And where it is betwéen méere Sraung••rs one of them against an other, there the best and moste woorthy is sure to spéed, for certainly and infallible there is ••othing in all this world so amiable, so beloued and fauoured as hones∣tie, vertue and godlines are. Where priuate flatterie or briberie stand not in their light, as in the case of priuate Ow∣ners and proprietaries: I haue alleadged that it both may and often dooth. And thus much of the Corporations & of their effects. Now to speake of the customes of Manours the very same or like in effect may be said, for the Inheritour of custo∣mary Land although hée be seased therof to him and to his heires yet can hée not sel it without licence of the Lord and that solemnly graunted by his Steward in open Court and there entred, nay hée cannot set or let the same or ••therwise impaire the wood or other commodities therof without licēce aforesaid.

So great an entresse and commaundement hath the Lord therin and yet not to the hinderaunce or preiudice of y^e Inhe∣ritaunce but e contra, namely that the selling, setting or o∣ther gouernment of such a royall possession as land ••s: should stand in y^e Iudgement & discretiō of diuers, & those of y^e ripest & best aduised, and not to be solde, wasted or spoyled ••hrough y^e intemperaunce of one foolish or vngodly man or woman ei∣ther formed or necessitie or otherwise for flatery or other fōd or foolish affection whatsoeuer, wherin the Lord and his ler∣ned Stuard and the homagers of the Court are Iudges.

In all which case it may euidently appéer how great a care

those honourable and reuerend Forefathers had to enact and establish the great possessions in the hands of such as were not like to misregarde so great and high a blessing of GOD, the effects and fruites wherof haue béen many and great as from time to time proof hath verified and yet dooth, for it hath alwaies béen accoūted & yet is a right happy thing to be tenāt or Farmer to a Corporation or enioy any commoditie vnder them. For woorshipful & honorable haue alwaies béen their dealing in ordering and gouernment of their Lands, liuings, and possessions. and of their Tenaunts and Farmers of the same. But chéefly and abooue all others to be Tenaunt vn∣to the Prince, who indéed is a Corporation, for from the Prince, there can passe nothing but by writing vnder seale, neither dooth or can w^tout the consent of diuers of the moste honorable and best aduised. These (quoth hée) are the cau∣ses and the reasons that haue mooued mée to make these lea∣ses, and therin these reseruations which vnto you doo séeme so very strange. For I suppose this to be a strong meane to vnite the Landlord and his tenaunt togither, and to coun∣terballaunce the one of them against the other in fourme of a corporation, or els as néer vnto the Nature therof as I could deuise. For by this meanes, if my heires or any of them chaunce at any time héerafter to proue vnthrifty: his vnthrif∣tines shall not be so gainfull vnto any man y^t in hope to pur∣chase his lands would therfore strengthen his hands therin and by these means I haue left them moe Frends and fewer Flatterers. For hée that shal buy his lands without the con∣sent of the Farmer: hée shall for the time make as good a pur∣chase as dooth hée that purchaseth of a Woman her Husbāds lands while hée is yet aliue, or he that goeth to the Poul∣trie and buying there a Capon for two shillings putteth him into his bag, and when he commeth home he findeth there nothing but a Capons leg, for in this case of mine: the buyer buyeth lesse then the Seller selleth by xix. partes, which me think should kéep them from argument vpon the price whi∣lest either of them would fain make the best bargain for him self, as the maner of all chapmen is. And for which reason

Iesus Sirach saith of them, that sinne sticketh betwéen the bi∣er and the seller as fast as dooth a nail stick betwéen two stōes in a wall.

This way haue I brought to be stronger and better assu∣red then any entaile generall or speciall both whi••h priuate couetise hath found a way to destroy to the disheris••n of ma∣ny a good kinred and to the great decay of vertue and godly∣nes, and héerin (quoth hée) I haue doon my heirs n•• wrong, for vpon this rent I haue liued contēt and doo, & if they prooue honest and vertuous: so may they doo, and then I haue left them inough. and if they prooue otherwise: then hau•• I left to much and yet to little to serue them also.

Moreouer (quoth hée) I haue héerby prouided against the malice of such tenaunts as abuse the liberalitie of good Land lords fetting and letting ouer vnto the third and fourth hand racking and enhaunsing the things vnto excessiue and vnrea∣sonable rents, and such as the Landlord him self would ne∣uer haue doon for pure shame and pittie, which neuerthe∣lesse béeing raised to his hand by others: is a perillous pre∣sident vnto him at his return vnto the possession therof.

Thus you haue heard (quoth our Hoste) what a godly and Fatherly care this good and vertuous Maiestra••e had to preferre the honour and glory of God and also the ••ommon welth of his Cuntry and People, whereby it may appéere how hartely to be desired is the purchase of such P••rsonnes whose riches is the Treasury and Storehouse of the com∣mon welth, aswell for the sustenaunce of the sam•• concer∣ning worldly and bodily prouision of transitorie things: as also for the furtherance and increase of Vertue, godlines and Pietie, Looue and Concord.

Ho (quoth Pierce) lay a straw there for Gods sak••, marry Sir héer is stuffe indéed (quoth he) heer hath béen a ••ong dis∣course indéed, and euen as true as all the rest, with t••at I en∣terrupted their talke and spake vnto him.