port of the bishop of
Lexovia), in the geniture of King Edward the Sixth, how Henry the Eighth,
executing his laws very severely against such idle persons, I mean great
thieves, petty thieves, and rogues, did hang up threescore and twelve
thousand of them in his time. He seemed for a while greatly to have
terrified the rest; but since his death the number of them is so
increased, yea, although we have had no wars, which are a great occasion
of their breed (for it is the custom of the more idle sort, having once
served, or but seen the other side of the sea under colour of service, to
shake hand with labour for ever, thinking it a disgrace for himself to
return unto his former trade), that, except some better order be taken,
or the laws already made be better executed, such as dwell in uplandish
towns and little villages shall live but in small safety and rest. For the
better apprehension also of thieves and man-killers, there is an old law
in England very well provided whereby it is ordered that, if he that is
robbed (or any man) complain and give warning of slaughter or murder
committed, the constable of the village whereunto he cometh and crieth for
succour is to raise the parish about him, and to search woods, groves, and
all suspected houses and places, where the trespasser may be, or is
supposed to lurk; and not finding him there, he is to give warning unto
the next constable, and so one constable, after search made, to advertise
another from parish to parish, till they come to the same where the
offender is harboured and found. It is also provided that, if any parish
in this business do not her duty, but suffereth the thief (for the
avoiding of trouble sake) in carrying him to the gaol, if he should be
apprehended, or other letting of their work to escape, the same parish is
not only to make fine to the king, but also the same, with the whole
hundred wherein it standeth, to repay the party robbed his damages, and
leave his estate harmless. Certainly this is a good law; howbeit I have
known by my own experience felons being taken to have escaped out of the
stocks, being rescued by other for want of watch and guard, that thieves
have been let pass, because the covetous and greedy parishioners would
neither take the pains nor be at the charge, to carry them to prison, if
it were far off; that when hue and cry have been made even to the faces of
some constables, they have said: "God restore your loss! I have other
busin