A caution to keepe money: shewing the miserie of the want thereof. I. In a state or kingdome, to supply vvarre. II. In younger brothers pawning their lands, to redeeme them. III. In shopkeepers wanting stock to supply. IIII. In handicraft-trades by negligence. V. In handsome and honest maidens, wanting portions. Declaring their slight neglect and scorne in these hard and dangerous times.

The Miserie of a Stase or Kingdome wanting Money.

I Remember when Phillip the second King of Spaine, had his West-Indies and silver fleetes so plundered by the English and Hollander, he was driven to that necessity, that he was faine to breake, and to pay his Souldiers with brasse money, where∣upon grew such mutinies and revolts among his Souldiers, that his enemies gained more of him at that time then in many yeares before.

The Suizzers serving a great Prince in the field when they should fight, began to call for their pay, and would not strike a stroke till they had it, but there was no monie to be had, and and notwithstanding their Captaines and Generalls satisfied

them as well as they could with good words, their wrings off from their owne fingers, their gold chaines, jewells, and such as they had, but all would not serve turne, they would not fall on, hereupon Guicciardine saith truely. Impossibile a marmeg¦iarli Suitzari Senza infiniti denari: It is an impossible thing to mannage or rule the Suisse without infinite store of Money where a State or Kingdome wanteth money as it often doth through many occasions, as expence in warres, transporta∣tions of moneys into forraigne Countries, as into the East-Indies and other places for feathers, china dishes, silks, carpets, and the like, extreame taxes and impositions upon a Coun∣trie, upon colourable and necessary seeming pretences, the al∣lowance of base Monopolies, the too too lavish bounty of Princes in their guifts to servants and strangers the multitude of outlandish and forraigne inhabitants underhand transpor∣ting our money, and enhauncing the s••me in their own coun∣tries, with manie other the like occasions, there are discon∣tents, murmurings, oppositions, seditions, talking & preach∣ing libells, backwardnes in yeelding to any necessarie course to rectifie what is amisse, and in a word a generall torpor or cold numbednesse to any good for the Countrie.

Pecunia nervus b••lli, Money is the Sinnew of warre, which goeth lamely on without it, wherefore the wisest Common wealthes as Genoa, Venice, &c. will alwaies keepe full coffers, able not onely to holpe themselves but their neighbour Prin∣ces and friends, as Genoa the Spanyard, Venice the French, and so all others, for in Cities where monie is wanting, there tra∣ding ceaseth, Citizens breaking, trafique by sea decaies, and in a word they easily become a pray to Tyrants and forraine enemies.

Leaving this generall inconveniene of want of Money, let us take a view of the particular miserie of every private man that wants it, as well in regard of his livelihood as scorne and contempt in the world. Solomon saith, it is better to die then to

be poore, for poverty taketh away or eateth even the heart of a man, with hourely griefe and care, as neither knowing what nor where he shall eate, neither what he shall put on, for wanting cloathes he is subiect to all iniuries of the weather, and by consequent to con∣tinuall sicknesse, he is counted a disgrace to other companies, he is iear'd and laughed at, forced to goe alone by himselfe, take long and teadious journeies on foot, and if he goes farre to visite friends they will hardly bid him welcome.

Nay, though he goe in good cloathes and hath beene knowne to be necessitous he shall be slighted, if he be invited to a Rich mans Table, he must be contented to take his place at the nether end, to be carved to the last, and of the worst, and if sometime the Mistris of the feast shall offer him the first cut as of Brawne, Venison or the like it was that that lay at the bottome of the souce tub, if ve∣nison his peece was either tainted, or bruised in the carriage, if his bread be given him of the first cut of the loafe let him be assured it was either mouldie or Mouseaten, when others discourse he must be silent, or at the most whisper in his eare who sits next him, or to the waiter, if hee want drinke or any thing else, ar∣rise and leave his stoole at the comming in of the Bason and Ewer, with a thousand more inconveniences and miseries which ever a∣mate and accompanie the want of Money.