An oversight, and deliberation upon the holy prophet JonahAn ouersight, and deliberacion vpon the holy prophete Ionas

If these men that hath Enough will not move the ship of your highness commune wealth, let them leave their ravening, and give god thanks for that they have, and to their ability help, & not rob the pore. The other sort of noble or gentlemen ⟨p. xl⟩that make more expense then their revenues and condition is able to bear and liveth by dice, Cards, whoredom, fraud, guile, deceit, theft and such like: Indifferent examination not only by gods laws, but also by mans laws will prove them not only to be disobedient Jonah, but also stark thieves. The lawyers if they be examined diligently, there will be so many found among them to unquiet the ship of this commune wealth, that few or none will be found clear. And among the lawyers I put Judges, and Justices the one for gain, careth not to defend the falsest cause and most unjust matter that can be brought unto him, & promiseth (like a thief) ⟨image 50⟩the cause to be good, till he have emptied his poor Clients purse. Then washeth he his hands, with as much foul honesty, as he can, and referreth the doubtful cause above his learning, to the ignorant men of yt shire, to be judged at home like a fool, where as his purse can no longer cause his prattler and ignorant lawyer to keep his cause aloof and out of the shire. And in deed such a subject as can not find in his heart after gods laws to end his contention without strife by the arbitrement of those that be his neighbours, is worthy to find such a Jonah as will never leave blowing at his purse, till he have unladed it even to the bottom, and have ⟨p. xli⟩caused him to spend as much in recovery of twenty shillings by lease, as he might have purchased twenty shillings in feel simple. I damn not the law that is good, but these thieves that abuse the law: for their doings is nothing but guile & deceit, & a noble kind of thievery. Against the which speaketh zachary in his v. Chapi. And God. Exod. xx. Deut. v. Thou shalt commit no theft. Thou shall give no false testimony against thy neighbour. These Jonasses doth not only give false testimony, but also for lucre defendeth y• same. And not for a day but for a year, and years. The more shame it is to be suffered. The justices be also Jonah, for they receive rewards and Bribes,