A14136:130
The Obedience of a Christian Man
The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christ[n] rulers ought to govern, where in also (if thou mark diligently) thou shalt find eyes to perceive the crafty conveyance of all jugglers.The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christe[n] rulers ought to governe, where in also (if thou marke diligently) thou shalt fynde eyes to perceave the crafty conveyance of all iugglers.
At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the second day of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the seconde daye of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
¶The duty of landlords.
¶The dutie of londelordes.
Let Christen landlords be content with their rent and old customs not raising the rent or fines and bringing up new customs to oppress their tenants: nether letting .ij. or .iij. tenantries unto one man ⟨p. lj⟩Let them not take in their communes nether make parks nor pastors of hole perishes. For God gave the earth to men to inhabit / and not unto sheep and wild deer.1 Be as fathers unto your tenants: ye be unto them / as Christ was unto us / and show unto them all love / and kindness. What soever business is among them / be not partial favouring one more than another. The complaints / quarrels and strife that are among them / count diseases of sick people and as a mercy full physician heal them with wisdom and good counsel. Be pitiful and tender hearted unto them and let not one of thy tenants tear out a nothers throat / but judge their causes indifferently and compel them to make their ditches / hedges / gates & ways. For even for such causes were ye made landlords / and for such causes paid men rent at the beginning. For if such an order were not one should slay another & all should goo to wast. If thy tenant shall labour & toil all the year to pay thee thy rent & when he hath bestowed all his labour / his neighbours cattle shall devour his fruits / how tedious & bitter should his life be? See therefore that ye do your duties again and suffer no man to do them wrong / save the king only. If he do wrong / then must they abide Gods judgement.