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 the want of Money in this Age.

SIr Thomas Moore of famous Memorie when he was to be carried prisoner to the Tower, fil'd his pockets with Gold, saying that whetherfoever hee went hee lov'd to have his friends about him: If hee could say so then, I be∣leeve verily were hee now living in our miserable and remisse times, hee would turne all hee had, yea his verie Librarie so deare unto him into money that hee might finde friends in these dayes; true friendship being now like unto Homers Mo∣ly, an Hearbe so extreamly rare, that it is hardly or never to be found, wherefore next unto the Divine Providence, ac∣count of your money as of another Mother to breede you and feede you, another Mistris to make your heart merrie with hir lookes, another Maide to keepe cleane your House & linnen, to buy your meate in the Market, to attend you in you sick∣nesse, and performe all other duties befitting you: For without her you shall finde nothing in the World (as the world goeth now) but scorne and contempt, not onely of Strangers, but of your nearest kindred; I know want of Money to be an E∣pidemicall Disease raging like the sweating sicknesse of late yeares) over the whole land, all from the highest to the lowest feeling the misse of it, which causeth other Monied Nations and our Enemies to smile at us. For m••st true it is, that In se nil infoelicus paupertas habet, quam quod homines ridiculos facit, the worst property poverty hath in it selfe is, that it maketh men laughing stockes. It maketh men moreover vicious and dissolute, prone to commit all enormities, abusing and

making the gentlest and verie best natures to be bad, and to take all manner of ill courses: Oh mala paup••rtas vitii solerisque ministra, saith honest and plaine Nantuan, which were they put and maintained in an honest course of Trade or Study their wants being by friends supplyed, they would die a thou∣sand times rather, then yeelding to necessitie which is durum telum, runne into those lamentable errors as often times they doe, I have knowne many young Gentlemen of prime and hopefull witts, who being cast off young by base Parents or miserable friends, for saving a charge hath beene driven to seeke their fortunes in the world with some small some of mo∣ney in their purses, and the first place they come into is the Citie, where for want of experience, they are either cheated of their money, fall into ill company, and so drawne to all manner of vice, or are constrained to beg up and downe the streets, then are pressed either for Souldiers, or to serve in Newgate and Bridewell, and the number of them is not a few, who at this day are utterly brought to ruine through ths base penutiousnesse of hard and miserable Parents and friends who rather part with so many children never to see nor heare of them againe, then with as many groates out of their Purse.

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.

Many reasons to shew and proove that they who live in this our Age, are farre more miserable, and in worse condition then they who lived formerly, and in the time of our Fathers, and first of the estate of Scholers.

In the beginning of the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie, learning was advanced and admired, no poore Scholler (though but meanely learned) but could get preferment, yea many times were sought unto and entreated to take voide livin••s, the Ministers of the word were then had every where in great reve∣rence, and welcomed of Noblemen, Knights, and gentlemen to their houses, there being then no rent or Schisme in the Church, except now and then such brainesick fellowes as Penrie, Browne,

Coppinger, and some few other, who by night sowed their cockle in holes & corners, when Pluralities were hardly knowne or heard of, then wittie booke and Poems were published and high estee∣med of and admired, rewarded In these dayes we find the contrarie of all. A poore Scholler now in want shall now never come to any preferment whiles he live, hee shall finde neither countenance nor entertainement among our great ones, without the helpe of moni∣ed friends, Noblemen and our Gentry then tooke the dedication of books as honour unto them now no better then a begging, then was there, amongst us, Cor unum via una, but now our hearts and waies are divided, as manie severall opinions, as severall faces, a Broome maker or Cobler shall have as much respect as a Scholler, and a base Ironmonger shall dare to affront the most learned Bishop and that impune.

Most miserable is the estate of such in these daies who by their unthriftie courses have made away or sold their lands and faire e∣states, the time was when such have afterwards beene relieved and kept from want and begging by the purchaser of their said estates, but now woe be unto them if they have neither land nor mony left in these daies, they must doe as the Heires of Holland in Lincolne shire, when they have made a way to catch Pickerells in Dike, keepe a blinde Alehouse, or turne foulecatchers in the fennes, or hang upon their friends for reliefe as long as they live; and of all sorts of poore these deserve the least to be pittied, yet some times they shall be gathered for in Churches, and at other publike meetings, where God knowes they got in these times of so much imploy∣ment for money, but a small pitrance, for except in great Cities there is left little charity elsewhere.

Some having beene undone by craftie knaves whom they have employed as their Stewards or Bailies (who like young cuckowes grow many times to that greatnesse that they are ready to devoure their feeder) have beene faine to stand to their courtesie for a poore maintenance all their lives after, and I have knowne some of these.

Others make themselves contemptible and meere beggers by

marrying beneath their ranks and degrees, which in time they be∣ing sensible of, they care not what they spend or give away to knaves and parasites that hang about them, as one gets a lease of too or three hundred by them, another house and land for nothing perhaps for an hawke, a hound, or an horse upon Mounsieur Acola∣stus, and if he or such a one comes to miserie, especially in a strange Countrey there is none more miserable then hee, by reason of his estate and riches he would never give himselfe to learne or follow any as is the manner for the most part of our English breediug, that turne but himselfe and a common fidler in their doublets and hose to seeke their fortunes in anothey Countrey: the Fidler in a very short time would starue the Gentleman, as having no art to earne his bread, whereas in other Countries the Gentrie are able to live without their hereditarie meanes by some profession of the minde, or manuell trade or other. Rodolphe not long since Empe∣rour of Germany, could set stones in Iewells, and was an excellent watchmaker. Soliman the great Turke, practised the trade of ma∣king Arrowes heads. Mauris late Lantgrave of Hessen was an ex∣cellent composer in Musick have made neere forty severall Sets of Meeters or Church Songs, which upon festivall daies he himselfe would play upon the Organs, others have beene rare Painters, o∣ther excellent Chyrurgians and so of others in other Aarts and Sciences, so that in dispite of hard fortune & miserie they can never be brought to extreme want, as knowing the greatest Princes to have fallen from their Royall dignities, even to the meanest slave∣rie, as Se Sostris, Bagazet, and divers others.

Some so surfet of their fortunes, especially if unexpectedly they fall unto them, that they have not the grace to use them as they ought, but consumed them upon drinke, drabs, or playes, and af∣ter to have fallen into that miserie (even in our times) that they have ended their dies in ditches, countrey barnes, the Counters and such like places.

The time hath beene when to have had a place in Court was e∣steemed the Achme or highest pitch of preferment in the land, he was the prime man in the Parish where he liv'd, he was welcome in

a vacation to all the gentlemen and his neighbours hee had power in every office in the Court to bid his friend welcome, as the Pantrie Beere and wine∣sellers he could though but of the Guard, have commanded a peece of boyld Beefe for a breakefast, but Tempora mutantur et ie junamus in illis, he might formerly have obtained some suite of his prince, it is well if he can but get his owne due in money, which while he wanteth his case is hard and to be pittied, keeping as manie doe greate charges in the countrey.

The Tradesman now hath not halfe that employment, nor is so readily and well paid for his commodities as in former times, there being little store of mo∣nie by reason of so many and so huge summes disposed of this and that way, that the land it selfe is welnigh drawne dry, the pipes must needes bee stop't that should derive it to the Citie, so Tradesmen are compel'd to trust, whereby they loose nor a little.

Tenants in the Countrey have their rents so raised through scarcitie of mo∣ney, and so many levies to the King and Countrey, that they can hardlie sub∣sist to helpe themselves or relieve the poore in their parish, hence beggerie is become an Epidemicall disease raigning over the whole land.

Servingmen in timns past have lived as well as their Masters, gotten good leases and farmes under them, they could have go••e to ehe Kitchen of Butterie and bidden their kindred or friends welcome, but the pride and co∣vetuousnesse of our age hath turned both them and their Masters good house∣keeping out of doores, so that they are constrained to verifie the old proverbe, a young Servingman, and an old Begger. What multitudes of beautifull and honest maides in this Land which the world cannot match againe for good qu••li••••es and handsomenesse, are undone for want of portions to preferre them, for now genus & formam regina pecunia donat, they are constrained to turne druges and slaves so long as they live, except God in his Providence taketh not care of them.

If a stranger commeth to the Citie or any other publicke and pop••lus place, if his money faileth short, hee were better to bee a Galley-slave and ••ive with bread and water, water he may get at the Cundit, but not a bit of bread ex∣cept he paieth for it, such is the tharity of our miserable Age.

So for a conclusion, let no man cast himselfe upon friends, or the wide world, but endeavoring by all honest meanes to live, and to bee chargeable to as few as he can, let him referre the rest to Gods Providence, who never failed those who sincerely served and put their trust in him.