CERTIFICATE TOUCHING THE PENAL LAWS, 367 



perience is otherwise : for and the king s learned 

 one informer will bear counsel, that by the Star- 

 with the friend of another, chamber, or otherwise, 

 looking for the like mea- such taxers of the king s 

 sure. subjects may be punished. 



And besides, they 

 have devices to get prio 

 rity of information, and 

 to put in an information 

 &quot; de bene esse,&quot; to pre 

 vent others, and to pro 

 tect their pensioners. 



And if it be said this 

 is a pillory matter to the 

 informer, and therefore 

 he will not attempt it ; 

 although therein the sta 

 tute is a little doubtful : 

 yet if hanging will not 

 keep thieves from steal 

 ing, it is not pillory will 

 keep informers from poll 

 ing. 



And herein Sir Ste 

 phen addeth a notable 

 circumstance : that they 

 will peruse a trade, as of 

 brewers or victuallers, and 

 if any stand out, and will 

 not be in fee, they will 

 find means to have a dozen 



