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Show -----------~~~~----~~~~~----- A Speech to King Jame$, dt pi1 prefenting the I' etition - from him; And that not at a jufi: Price, but under the value:, And commeth to receive his Mony, he fbaJl have, after the rate, ofi 2. pence in the Pound, abated> for Ponndnge,ofhis due Payment, upon fo hard C~nditions. Nay fu:ther, they are g~own to that extremity, (as ts affirme?, though tt ?e fcarce credtbl~ ~ (ave that in fuch Perfons, all. thmgs are CredJble) that they wJl, take double Poundage; Once when the Debc1tt1tr is made ; And main the fecond time, when the Money is paid. ~for the fecond Point, (moil Gracious Sovcraign) touching tht ~antity which they take, far above that ~h_ich ~s anfwered to your Majeflies ufe, they are the onely Mult1pftcrs 10 the world ; fhey have the Art of Multiplication : For it is affirmed unto me~ bv divers Gentlemen, of good report, and ExpGrience, in thefe Caufe~, as a Matter~ which I may fafely avouch, before-your 1/dajcflJ', (To whom we ow: all Tru~h, a£ well of !nformation, as Subjection;) Th~t th~rc IS no Pound ~rofit, whtch redoundeth to yonr Majefly, tn thts Courfe; Eut tnduceth, and begett~ th ) three Pound d3mage upon your Subjects ; bdides the Difcontcntment- And to the end, they may mJke their Spo1J, n1ore fe · · · curely, v;hat do they? whereas divers Statutes, do frricHy provide, that whatfoever they take, fhall be regiftred, and attefted :, To the end, that by making a Colbtion, 0 f that which· is taken from the Countrey,and that which is anfwered above, their Deceits might appear; They, to the end, to obfcure their Deceiu-, utterly omit theO~fervation ofth.is, which the Law rrefGibeth. And t?erefvre to defcen~, i~ it may ple3fe your Majefty, to the Thud fort of AbuJe; whteh IS of the un1awfull Manner of their Taking, whereof this Q!Iefiion i~·a Branch; It is fo manifold a~ it rather askfth an Enumer?tion, of fome 'of the Parti~ulars~then a rrofecution of all. For their Price : By Law they ought to take, as they can agree wid~ tlu; Subject; By Abufe they take, at an impofed, and enforced, Price: By Law, they. ought to make, but one Aprizcment, by Neighbours, in the Countrey; By Abufe they make a fecond Aprix,ement at the c~urt Gate; And when th; SubjeCts Cattell, come up, many Miles:~ lean, :md ot!lt of Plight, by reafon of their Travell, tlien they prize them anew at an a: bated price: By Law, they ought to take, between Sun'and Sun· By Abufe, they take by Twilight, and in the Night time A Tim~ well c~ofen for Malef::Ctours: ByLaw, they bught not to tak~ 10 the H1~h wayes, (A place, by your Majefties high prero .. gattve, protetl:ed;A~1d by .. Statute~by fpeciall words, excepted;) By abufe? they take In the wayes) 1n Gun tern pt of your JViajefties p~erogattve, and Laws: By Law, the·y ought to !hew their Cern· mJfiion; And the Form of Commiffion, is, bv Law fet down; TheCommiffions, theybringdown, are~gaiO'ftthe Law; And becaufe, they know fo much, they will not fhew them. Anum· her of other particulars there are, whereof, (as I nave given your Mojcfi1' ~--.-----~~th1e~H~ou~qe~c-o-nc~e-rn· ~~~ng-P~ur-,v-ry--or-J-.---------,---9--~' 1Wajefly a ~afi:~). ~o the chief of them~ upon delibGrate Advif~,a;e ------ · fet ~iown. tn ~nt_w~) by the L~bour of c_er~~in .c~mmitteer.., .and approbatiOn of die whole Houfe 3 more parbcular]y ,. and lively, than I can exprefs them; My felf havmg them at the . fecond hand, ?Y reafon .of my Aboad above. But this writi~g is a Collecbon of rheu--s, '_Yho dwell amongfi the Abufes of thefe of- . fenders, and Comp1atn~s of the People: And therefore nmfi needs have!) :t more perfect briderfianding, of all the circumfiances of lhem. It remainet_h o~J y, ~hat I ufe a few words, the rather, to mfc ove yFo ur llda· Jhe flJ, In this caufe. A few words, (Ira ) · .t• y, a very e~, or nett er need fo great Enormities any aggravating· · Neither ?,~~de~h _fo great Grace, as ufeth of it felf, to flow fro~ yourltfa)e;,zes n_nceJyGoodnefs, any Artificiall perfwading. There b~ two Thmgs onely, which I think good, to fet before yo~rMaJe~y. The?ne, theE~ample, ofyourmofiNobleProgemtours, ~zng_s of thts Realm: who from the Firfi King, that endo~ ed this Kmgdom, wit~ the Great Charters of their Liberties, un~Ill the bit, have ordained'· mdft of them; in their feverail Ra1g'!es. fome Laws, or Law agamfi this kind of Offenders: And I pcctal ly the ~xample of one of them; That King, who for his Greatnefs, Wtfdom, Glory, and Union of feverall Kingdoms te~ernbleth your Majefty molt, both in Vertue and fortune' Kmg Edward.t~e Thi_rd;. w~o, in his time onely, :nade ten feve' rail La w.s, ~gat~fl: thts Mtfcht~f. The fecond, is the Example .. of God htmf~lf, who hath fatd and pronounced; That he will not ho~d them g1tdtle[s, that tafte his Name in vain. For all thefe great Mtfdemcanours, are committed, in, and tlnder your Majeftie_J. Na!lle. ~nd therefore we hope your Majefly, will hold th<:m twice gutlty, that commit thefe offences: Once for the Opprtffing, of the People: And one~ ~ore, for doing jt, under the Colour,and abufe, o~your ltfa;ejhes mofi dreaded and beloved Nai?e. So then, I will conclude, with the faying of Pindarm; opt1m~ Ru Aqua: Not for the Excellency, but for the Common ufe oft~=. And {o contrary-wife, the Matter of Abufe of.fturveyance, (If It be not the mofr hainous Abufe,) yet certainly, it is the moft common, and genera1J, Abufe, of all others in this King-dom. ' . It refieth, that according to. the ~~)lnrnand laid upon nie, I do~ mall Hu~blenefs,prefent thts ~ntmg, .to yout MajeflicJ Royall Hand:; wtth mofr humbl~ Pettnon, on the Be halt~ oftheCona~ mons, T ~at, as yo~r Afa]efly, hath been plea fed, to vouchfafe, your Gr~cwus Aud1eoce, ·to ~ear me fpeak : So you ~would be ple~fe~, to enlarge your Pattence, to hear this writing read, which Is more Materiall. c A |