364 CERTIFICATE TOUCHING THE PENAL LAWS. 



not only of profit to your majesty, but of piety 

 towards your people. For if it be true in any 

 proportion, that within these five years of your 

 majesty s happy reign, there hath not five hundred 

 pounds benefit come to your majesty by penal laws, 

 the fines of the Star-chamber, which are of a higher 

 kind, only excepted, and yet, nevertheless, there 

 hath been a charge of at least fifty thousand pounds, 

 which hath been laid upon your people, it were 

 more than time it received a remedy. 



This remedy hath been sought by divers statutes, 

 as principally by a statute in 18, and another of 

 31, of the late queen of happy memory. But I 

 am of opinion, that the appointing of an officer 

 proper for that purpose, will do more good than 

 twenty statutes, and will do that good effectually, 

 which these statutes aim at intentionally. 



And this I do allow of the better, because it is 

 none of those new superintendencies, which I see 

 many times offered upon pretence of reformation, as 

 if judges did not their duty, or ancient and sworn 

 officers did not their duty and the like : but it 

 is only to set a custos or watchman, neither over 

 judges nor clerks, but only over a kind of people 

 that cannot be sufficiently watched or overlooked, 

 and that is, the common promoters or informers : 

 the very awe and noise whereof will do much good, 

 and the practice much more. 



I will therefore set down first, what is the abuse 

 or inconvenience, and then what is the remedy which 

 may be expected from the industry of this officer. 



