or if put in execution, [342]they be some silly ones that are punished.
As, put case it be fornication, the father will disinherit or abdicate
his child, quite cashier him (out, villain, be gone, come no more in my
sight); a poor man is miserably tormented with loss of his estate
perhaps, goods, fortunes, good name, for ever disgraced, forsaken, and
must do penance to the utmost; a mortal sin, and yet make the worst of
it, nunquid aliud fecit, saith Tranio in the [343]poet, nisi quod
faciunt summis nati generibus? he hath done no more than what gentlemen
usually do. [344]Neque novum, neque mirum, neque secus quam alii
solent. For in a great person, right worshipful Sir, a right honourable
grandee, 'tis not a venial sin, no, not a peccadillo, 'tis no offence
at all, a common and ordinary thing, no man takes notice of it; he
justifies it in public, and peradventure brags of it,
[345]Nam quod turpe bonis, Titio, Seioque, decebat
Crispinum———
For what would be base in good men, Titius, and Seius, became
Crispinus.
[346]Many poor men, younger brothers, &c. by reason of bad policy and
idle education (for they are likely brought up in no calling), are
compelled to beg or steal, and then hanged for theft; than which, what
can be more ignominious, non minus enim turpe principi multa supplicia,
quam medico multa funera, 'tis the governor's fault. Libentius
verberant quam docent, as schoolmasters do rather correct their pupils,
than teach them when they do amiss. [347]They had more need provide
there should be no more thieves and beggars, as they ought with good
policy, and take away the occasions, than let them run on, as they do
to their own destruction: root out likewise those causes of wrangling,
a multitude of lawyers, and compose controversies, lites lustrales et
seculares, by some more compendious means. Whereas now for every toy
and trifle they go to law, [348]Mugit litibus insanum forum, et saevit
invicem discordantium rabies, they are ready to pull out one another's
throats; and for commodity [349]to squeeze blood, saith Hierom, out of
their brother's heart, defame, lie, disgrace, backbite, rail, bear
false witness, swear, forswear, fight and wrangle, spend their goods,
lives, fortunes, friends, undo one another, to enrich an harpy
advocate, that preys upon them both, and cries Eia Socrates, Eia
Xantippe; or some corrupt judge, that like the [350]kite in Aesop,
while the mouse and frog fought, carried both away. Generally they prey
one upon another as so many ravenous birds, brute beasts, devouring
fishes, no medium, [351]omnes hic aut captantur aut captant; aut
cadavera quae lacerantur, aut corvi qui lacerant, either deceive or be
deceived; tear others or be torn in pieces themselves; like so many
buckets in a well, as one riseth another falleth, one's empty,
another's full; his ruin is a ladder to the third; such are our
ordinary proceedings. What's the market? A place, according to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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