nest kinde of thing necessary in a common
welth. For I accompt them not worthi meate & drink in a common
welth, y^t be not good for some purpose or seruice therin, but
take them rather as burdennes vnprofitable and heauye to the
yearth, men borne to fille a numbre only, and wast the frutes
whiche therthe doeth giue, willing soner to fiede the
Lacedemonians old & croked asse, whiche labored for the liuing
so long as it coulde for age, then suche an idle Englisshe
manne. If the honestye and profite of honeste labour and
exercise, conseruation of healthe, preseruation from sickenesse,
maintenaunce of lyfe, aduauncement, safety from shamefull
deathes, defence from beggerye, dyspleasures by idlenesse,
shamefulle diseases by the same, hatefulle vices, and
punishemente of the immortalle soule, canne not moue vs to
reasonable laboure and excercise, and to be profitable membres
of the commune welthe, let at the least shame moue vs, seyng
that (30) other country menne, of nought, by their owne witte,
diligence, labour and actiuitie, can picke oute of a cast bone,
a wrethen strawe, a lyghte fether, or an hard stone, an honeste
lyuinge: Nor ye shal euer heare theym say, alas master, I haue
non occupacion, I must either begge or steale. For they can finde
other meanes betwene these two. And forsomuche as in the case
that nowe is, miserable persons are to be relieued in a common
welth, I would wisshe for not fauouring the idle, the discretion
of _Marc. Cicero_ the romaine were vsed in healping them: Who
wolde compassion should be shewed vpon them, whome necessitie
compelled to do or make a faute: & no compassion vpon them, in
whome a faulte made necessitie. A faulte maketh necessitie, in
this case of begging, in them, whyche might laboure and serue, &
wil not for idlenes: and therfore not to be pitied, but rather
to be punished. Necessitie maketh a fault in them, whiche wold
labor and serue, but cannot for age, impotency, or sickenes, and
therfore to be pitied & relieued. But to auoyde punishmente & to
shew the waye to amendmente, I would again wishe, y^t forsomuch
as we be so euel disposed of our selfes to our own profites and
comodities with out help, this old law were renued, which
forbiddeth the nedy & impotent parentes, to be releued of those
their welthi chyldren, that by theym or theire meanes were not
broughte vppe, eyther in good learning and Science, or honeste
occupation. For so is a man withoute science, as a realme
wi