AT a lone house neer Wetherby in York-shire, there dwelt a rich Gull (by name Tailour) whose wealth was so abundant, that he is knowne all about those Coasts by the name of Rich Tailour, but it seemes by the story, that he was as it were wedded to his riches, and thought it more Reli­gion to adore his Gold than his God, insomuch that his parsimony was such, that he had even choaked his chests, with his store; but God will not thus be cheated of his honour, but he will shew himselfe to be a God, and a jealous God, not failing to punish the offenders, to some purpose: it thus therefore hapned, Our most gracious Soveraigne which now is (I beseech the Heavens to blesse him, and send him long to reigne) stood in great need of money to pay his Souldiers which he had levied against the Scots, and was fain to borrow money of some good meaning men, amongst the rest, an hundred pounds were required from this fatned Bore, which took such delight to wallow in his silver dirt, but he would part with his eyes as soon as with his mony, as soon the one as the other, and at last gave a flat deniall, saying, that he neither could nor would spare it, and so dismissed the messenger. O Cur! that any man should adore dirt and drosse so much, that he would not spare a doit to so good a purpose; surely, like a [Page 2]greedy rascall as he is, he doth thinke he shall never have enough, just like to the Rich man in the Go­spell, he was forced to pull down his old Barnes and build new, because the old was too little to contain his store, and yet never contented: or like the Horse­leech, he still cries, Give, give, and yet his gutts are ready to break. I hope the devill loves him so well, that ere it be long he will give him his guts full of no goodnesse: but my pious rogue hath caused me to di­gresse, for he was not long without a match.

The Souldiers hearing what a masse of money this scraping wretch had gleaned up together, and how il-natured he was, that he was unwilling to spare an hundred pounds, which was (as it were) but a mite, in comparison of his store, thus plotted it, that they might be revenged of this griping, beastlike man.

A company of Troopers about eight or nine a­greed together to go to this Tailour, and to search and see what money he had so wickedly gathered toge­ther; well, they all agreed, and each man taking his Horse, to the house of this rich Tailour they ride, and all things were very fit and convenient for them, for it was about twelve of the clock at night when they came thither; when they came thither, they found onely a man and a maid besides rich Tailour himselfe, these three they took and bound, each man drawing his sword and putting it to his breast, vow­ing to kill him, if he told them not where his Gold was, he straightwayes desired them that they would spare his life, and then he began to bid them look in [Page 3]the till of such a chest, and there they might satisfie themselves: the chest by relation was at the least three yards long, and when they had opened it, they sound it as full cramb'd with silver as one piece could lie to another, which made them almost ama­zed, then they opened the till of the chest, where they found two thousand pounds in Gold, that they took in the first place, and so much of the Silver that it amounted in all to the value of sourteen thousand pounds. Now you must here understand, that the ring-leader in this act was one Knowles, who was heretofore a dancer on the ropes, and also a jester to Master John Punteus the French Mountebanke, which travelled throughout this Kingdom; who (when they had gotten the money) began to shew his feats of activity, upon the table, relling Master Tai­lour, that he would not take his money for nothing, he should have some sport for it, and after that done, they each man to his Horse again, got as fast as they could, and away they went to shift for themselves. They had not been long gone, but Tailour got him­self loose, and unbound his man and his maid, and with all speed sent his man to make hue and cry after these Troopers which had robbed him, but they were not so foolish as to be taken, for every man sought to shift for himselfe, and they did it most compleat­ly; but this by the way.

It seemes by the sequell, that their eyes were more than their bellies, and that they had taken more than they could well tell what to do with, therefore they [Page 4]cast a bag with two hundred pounds in it into a bush, and so hied away. Now it chanced that two men were at plough together, and he that held the plough going that way where the bush stood, and espied the bag with the two hundred pounds in it, he had no sooner cast his eyes upon the money, but he called to his man to shoot off, for he would worke no more that day, his man began to grumble and grutch [...], saying, I se not shoot off, nor Ise not leefe my dayes worke not I: his master answered, I say, thou shalt not, for I will pay thee thy wages, as also to give thee thy supper; Marry, Gods blessing on your heart master, said the man, and so they ganged along toge­ther to the next Alehouse, which was not far from them, and there they began to call for their liquour about them, and in a while they bespoke meat for their suppers; which incontinently they had, and to it they fell and fed heartily, but the old proverbe saith, That sweet meat must have sower sauce, and so it had indeed, too sower for the poor harmelesse men who were as innocent in the knowledge of the rob­bers, as the childe which was but even then borne. And thus it came to passe.

Old Tailour having sent Hue and Cry after the Troopers which had taken his fourteen thousand pounds from him, had this accident by the way,

The Hue and Cry chanced to come into the same house where these two poor plough men were which had found the two hundred pounds, where they poor innocent men were taken for suspected persons, to [Page 5]he of the Robbers, and also the money which they had, old Tailour knew very well to be his, for there were nothing but halfe Crownes in the bag, and they had diminished but twelve shillings of it in beer, and their supper, the rest was all told, and found to be right; well, these men were suspected fellows, old Tail thought, and he swore he would hang them if it cost him halfe his estate. Accursed rogue, that will spend more to cast away an innocent man, than he will lend to his King; well, to the Goal they were conveyed, whilst the offenders revelled abroad in security, for some slipt over into France, some into Ireland, some to this place, and some to that place, where they all knew themselves to be in security; but God will never suffer the poor and innocent to perish, for after they had been a while away, they with unanimity wrote to the King for a pardon, shewing the cause that they did this deed, because they had not their Pay, and that iron-bound rogue would not give a Souldier a cup of drinke, if he should come and crave it at his gate: when our King had understood how the cause stood, and that it was (as it were) but equity to do as they had done, desi­red the Parliaments consent, and so pardoned them all; now they came powdring back again, when they heard how graciously our King had dealt with them, and this Knowles with old Tailours money hath bought a place at Court, and lives most gentilely; but those two poor plough-men they were enforced to stay in Prison till Goal-delivery, and indeed I thinke that they had done well to have alloted the two hun­dred [Page 6]pounds to those two poor men which found them, whereby they have suffered all this wrong.

Thus have you heard the true relation of old Tailour, of his riches, how he was robbed by Knowles and his company, how they fled, and how they were pardoned, how two poor plough men were taken and apprehended for finding what they had cast a­way, and (the more is pity) they lie in durance for it at this time, and shall till a Goal-delivery, and in my foolish conceit, old Tailour was served well e­nough, I pray God it may be a warning to all such griping villanies. The Troopers they sped well, but I would not wish men to attempt the like, least they fall short of their fortunes.