or sir), either he did cost me so
much, or else, by Jesus, I stole him!" Which talk was plain enough;
and yet such was his estimation that each believed the first part of
his tale, and made no account of the latter, which was truer indeed.

Our third annoyers of the commonwealth are rogues, which do very great
mischief in all places where they become. For, whereas the rich only
suffer injury by the first two, these spare neither rich nor poor;
but, whether it be great gain or small, all is fish that cometh to net
with them. And yet, I say, both they and the rest are trussed up
apace. For there is not one year commonly wherein three hundred or
four hundred of them are not devoured and eaten up by the gallows in
one place and other. It appeareth by Cardan (who writeth it upon the
report 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 mankillers, 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 avoidi