Englijhe Dogges. 27 



stealing, and what legerdemaine lacke they : not fearing the shamefull and 

 horrible death of hanging. The cause of which inconnenience doth not 

 onely issue from nipping neede & wringing want, for all y^ steale, are 

 not pinched with pouerty, but som steale to maintaine their excessive and 

 prodigall expences in apparell, their lewdnes of lyfe, their hautines of 

 hart, theyr wantonnes of manors, theyr wilfull ydlenes, their ambitious 

 brauery, and the pryde of the sawcy Salacones' fic.iya.y.oppourav vaine 

 glorious and arrogant in behauiour, whose delight dependeth wholly to 

 mount nimbly on horsebacke, to make them leape lustely, spryng and 

 praunce, galloppe and amble, to runne a race, to wynde in compasse, and 

 so forthe, lining all together vpon the fatnesse of the spoyle. Other som 

 ther be which steale, being thereto prouoked by penury & neede, like 

 masterlesse me applying themselues to no honest trade, but raunging vp 

 and downe impudently begging, and complayning of bodily weakenesse 

 where is no want of abilitie. But valiaunt Valentine th'emperour, by 

 holsome lawes prouided that suche as hauing no corporall sicknesse, solde 

 themselues to begging, pleded pouerty wyth pretended infirmitie, & 

 cloaked their ydle and slouthfuU Hfe with colourable shifts and cloudy 

 cossening, should be a perpetuall slaue and drudge to him, by whom 

 their impudent ydlenes was bewrayed, and layed against them in pub- 

 lique place, least the insufferable slouthfullnes of such vagabondes 

 should be burthenous to the people, or being so hatefuU and odious, 

 should growe into an example. Alfredus likewise in the gouemment of 

 his commonwealth, procured such increase of credite to iustice and upright 

 dealing by his prudent actes and statutes, that if a ma trauailing by the 

 hygh way of the countrey vnder his dominion, chaunced to lose a 

 budget full of gold, or his capease farsed with things of great 

 value, late in the euening, he shoulde find it where he lost it, 

 safe, sound, and vntouched the next morning, yea (which is a wonder) at 

 any time for a whole monethes space if he sought for it, as Ingul'phus 



