The white devilThe white deuil

To define this manner of thieves: A private thief is he, that without danger of law robs his neighbour; that sets a good face on the matter, and hath some profession to ⟨p. 37⟩countenance it: a justifiable cloak hides a damnable fraud; a trade, a profession, a mystery, like a Rome-hearted Protestant, hides this Devilish Seminary under his roof without suspicion. To say truth, most of our professions (thanks to ill professors) are so confounded with sins, as if there went but a pair of sheers between them: nay they can scarce be distinguished: you shall not easily discern between a hot, furious professor and an hypocrite; between a covetous man and a thief; between a Courtier and an aspirer: between a gallant and a swearer; between an officer and a bribe taker: between a servitor and a parasite: between Farmers and poor-grinders: between gentlemen and pleasure-lovers: between great men and mad men: between a tradesman and a fraudsman: between a monied man and an usurer; between an usurer and the Devil. In many arts, the more skilful, the more ill-full: for now-adays: armis pollentior astus: fraud goes beyond force: this makes Lawyers richer than soldiers, usurers than Lawyers, the Devil than all. The old Lion (saith the Fable) when his nimble days were over, and he could no longer pray by violence, kept his den with a feigned sickness: the suspectless beasts drawn thither to a dutiful visitation, thus became his pray: cunning served his turn, when canning did no good. The world, whiles it was young, was simple, honest, plain-dealing: gentlemen then delved in the ground, now the soles of their feet must not touch it: then thy drunk water, now wine will not serve, except to drunkenness: then they kept sheep, now they scorn to wear the wool; then ^aJacob returned the money in the sacks mouth, now we are ready to steal it and put it in. Plain-dealing is dead, and what we most lament, died without issue. Virtue had but a short reign, and was soon deposed: all the examples of sin in the Bible are newly acted over again, and the interest exceeds the principal, the counterpane the original. The Apostasy, now, holds us in our manners: we leave God for man, for Mammon. Once, Orbis ingemuit, ⟨p. 38⟩factum see videns Arrianum; the world groaned, seeing it self made an Arian: