e as yet small redress; but where the cause
thereof doth rest, in sooth for my part, I wot not. I might here speak of
the excessive staves which divers that travel by the way do carry upon
their shoulders, whereof some are twelve or thirteen foot long, beside the
pike of twelve inches; but, as they are commonly suspected of honest men
to be thieves and robbers, or at the leastwise scarce true men which bear
them, so by reason of this and the like suspicious weapons the honest
traveller is now forced to ride with a case of dags at his saddlebow, or
with some pretty short snapper, whereby he may deal with them further off
in his own self-defence before he come within the danger of these weapons.
Finally, no man travelleth by the way without his sword, or some such
weapon, with us, except the minister, who commonly weareth none at all,
unless it be a dagger or hanger at his side. Seldom also are they or any
other wayfaring men robbed, without the consent of the chamberlain,
tapster, or ostler where they bait and lie, who feeling at their alighting
whether their capcases or budgets be of any weight or not, by taking them
down from their saddles, or otherwise see their store in drawing of their
purses, do by-and-by give intimation to some one or other attendant daily
in the yard or house, or dwelling hard by, upon such matches, whether the
prey be worth the following or no. If it be for their turn, then the
gentleman peradventure is asked which way he travelleth, and whether it
please him to have another guest to bear him company at supper, who rideth
the same way in the morning that he doth, or not. And thus if he admit
him, or be glad of his acquaintance, the cheat is half wrought. And often
it is seen that the new guest shall be robbed with the old, only to colour
out the matter and keep him from suspicion. Sometimes, when they know
which way the passenger travelleth, they will either go before and lie in
wait for him, or else come galloping apace after, whereby they will be
sure, if he ride not the stronger, to be fingering with his purse. And
these are some of the policies of such shrews or close-booted gentlemen as
lie in wait for fat booties by the highways, and which are most commonly
practised in the winter season, about the feast of Christmas, when
serving-men and unthrifty gentlemen want money to play at the dice and
cards, lewdly spending in such wise whatsoever they have wickedly gotten,
till some of them sharply s