8 A SPEECH TOUCHING PURVEYORS. 



esteem, for their use and delight, above ten times 

 the value ; that are a loss which men cannot repair 

 or recover. These do they take, to the defacing 

 and spoiling of your subjects mansions and dwell 

 ings, except they may be compounded with to their 

 own appetites. And if a gentleman be too hard for 

 them while he is at home, they will watch their 

 time when there is but a bailiff or a servant re 

 maining, and put the ax to the root of the tree, ere 

 ever the master can stop it. Again, they use a 

 strange and most unjust exaction, in causing the 

 subjects to pay poundage of their own debts, due 

 from your majesty unto them; so as a poor man, 

 when he hath had his hay, or his wood, or his 

 poultry, which perchance he was full loth to part 

 with, and had for the provision of his own family, 

 and not to put to sale, taken from him, and that not 

 at a just price, but under the value, and cometh to 

 receive his money, he shall have after the rate of 

 twelve pence in the pound abated for poundage 

 of his due payment, upon so hard conditions. Nay 

 farther, they are grown to that extremity, as is 

 affirmed, though it be scarce credible, save that in 

 such persons all things are credible, that they will 

 take double poundage, once when the debenture 

 is made, and again the second time when the money 

 is paid. 



For the second point, most gracious sovereign, 

 touching the quantity which they take, far above 

 that which is answered to your majesty s use : they 

 are the only multipliers in the world ; they have the 



