A20559:415
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
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.
But it is the custom of most men now a days (so wretchedly covetous are they grown,) that they deal with their servants as one would deal with an horse when he grows old and can do nothing any longer, that may bring profit, even ⟨image 118⟩pull his skin over his ears and cast his body to the dogs; and thus brutish are unnatural men to their servants ofttimes, toil them while they can labour, consume their strength and spend them out, then age will come and the bones will grow weak, and the body wax feeble and faint; one cannot be always young and strong, and what then? Then turn them out of doors poor and helpless into the wide world, to shift for themselves as they can; and they must either beg, or steal, or starve, and thus it comes to pass that many become thieves and vagrant beggars, through the masters base niggardliness, that would not do his duty in bestowing some proportionable and competent relief upon them.
But it is the custome of most men now a dayes (so wretchedly couetous are they growne,) that they deale with their seruants as one would deale with an horse when he grows old and can doe nothing any longer, that may bring profit, euen ⟨image 118⟩pull his skinne ouer his eares and cast his bodie to the dogs; and thus brutish are vnnaturall men to their seruants ofttimes, toyle them while they can labour, consume their strength and spend them out, then age will come and the bones will growe weake, and the bodie waxe feeble and faint; one cannot be alwaies young and strong, and what then? Then turne them out of dores poore and helpelesse into the wide world, to shift for themselues as they can; and they must either beg, or steale, or sterue, and thus it comes to passe that manie become theeues and vagrant beggers, through the masters base niggardlinesse, that would not doe his dutie in bestowing some proportionable and competent releefe vpon them.
So much for their duties that be further of from equality in the family, as parents and child, Masters and servants.