CASTLE CARY. 91 



hearts covetecl, or they cast their eyes on, were carried off', 

 sold, or consumed. And when they had thrown into the 

 lowest pit of destruction all that was immediately within 

 their reach, and under their hands, they quickly found their 

 way into every part of England Avhere they heard there 

 were men of wealth and substance, and either violently laid 

 hold of them, or got them into their power by fraud; then 

 bandaging their eyes and stopping their mouths, either by 

 crarnming something into them, or inserting a sharp and 

 toothed bit, they conducted their captives, thus blinded, 

 into the middle of Bristol — as we read of the robbers of 

 Elisha — and there, by starvation and torture, mulcted 

 them of their property to the last farthing. Others, pur- 

 suing a more crafty course, betook themselves to the 

 quieter parts of the country, where peace and plenty pre- 

 vailed, and the population lived in ease and security. 

 They frequented the beaten and public highways in 

 open day, disguising their names, their persons, and their 

 business. They wore no kind of armour, nor any distin- 

 guishing dress ; nor dkl they swear and use bad language, 

 as robbers usually do. On the contrary, their appearance 

 was humble, their gait gentle ; and they entered into cour- 

 teous conversation with all persons they met, wearing the 

 mask of hypocrisy, until they chanced to light upon some 

 wealthy man, or could steal upon him in a lone place; upon 

 which he was hurried off to Bristol, the dry nurse of Eng- 

 land. This kind of robbery, under colour of false pretences 

 and hypocritical appearances, so prevailed throughout the 

 greatest part of England, that there was scarcely a town or 

 village where these frauds were not practised, or where 

 traces of this abominablc felony were not left. Thus, 

 neither the King's highways were safe, nor was there the 

 accustomed confidcncc betwcea man and man; but a9 soon 



