The Isle of Man, Title page – Dedication
THE ISLE OF MAN: OR, The Legall Proceeding in Man-ſhire againſt SINNE.
Wherein, by way of a continued Allegorie, the chiefe Malefactors diſturbing both Church and Common-Wealth, are detected and attached; with their Arraignment, and Iudiciall triall, according to the Lawes of England.
The ſpirituall vſe thereof, with an Apologie for the manner of handling, moſt neceſſary to be firſt read, for direction in the right vſe of the Allegory thorowout, is added in the end.
By R. B. Rector of Batcomb. Somerſ.
The fourth Edition much enlarged.
LONDON, Printed for Edw. Blackmore, at the great South doore of Pauls. 1627.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull, Sr. THOMAS THYNNE, Knight, and to his religiouſly-affected Ladie, the Lady KATHERINE THYNNE: All ſauing graces in the bleſſed way vntounto eternall Comforts are vnfainedly wiſhed.
Right Worſhipfull,
SInce your departure, and now returne to Longleate, (where the poore feele your mercies in ſet times of releefe and daily almes, and your tenants and common neighbouring Inhabitants good entertainment at the generall time of great houſe keeping) it was my hap to trauell into, and thorowout the whole Iſle of man: now its vſuall with Trauellers to diſcourſe of their iourneying, and to relate their Obſeruations. And therefore let none obiect & ſay vntounto mee that of Perſius, Scire tuum nihil eſt, niſi te ſcire hoc ſciat alter: For I found good in my paines taking: and bonum is communicativum & ſui diffuſivum, and ſo quo communius, eo melius. In my very entrance, and afterwards eueryevery where I found written that old ancient precept, Noſce teipſum. This foreign: The ſcope of this booke for one to ſee and know himſelfe.leſſon I began to take out with diligent obſeruation. And it brought to my mind the Apoſtles charge, Quiſque explorat ſeipſum, which I laboured to put in practice, and ſo ſought my ſelfe in my ſelfe; for I remembred that ſaying long ſince learned, Orbis quiſque ſibi, nec te quaeſiueris extra. Thus my trauell became very profitable to mee; and the variety of ſights withall procured delight, and turned my paines into pleaſure.
In my trauelling, I came to the County Towne, or chiefeſt Seat there, called Soule: Where I reſted for ſome time, becauſe it fell out to be the Aſſiſe weeke for all that Iland. Where I ſpecially marked how in all things they proceeded againſt Malefactors, according to the Lawes of England: in this onelyonly lyeth the difference: there is neuer but one Iudge, whereas wee hauehave euer two appointed in eueryevery Circuit, as wee hauehave now in this Weſterne, very honorable and religious Iudges, quos honoris cauſa, non poſſum non nominare, Sir Iohn Walter, Lord Chiefe Baron, and Sir Iohn Denham, another worthy Baron of the Exchequer, louers of vertue and Iuſtice.
And indeed, ſuch ought Iudges to be, as was and is this Iudge in Man. He is a Iudge of Iethroes choice, Exod. 18.& verax, & Dei timens, & oſor turpis lucri. Hee is diuinely giuen, prudent, impartiall, and very quicke (vponupon good information) in diſpatch of Cauſes. Hee was worthily attended, as he ought euer to bee, with a worthy Sheriffe, with Iuſtices of Peace, Knights and Eſquires, Gentlemen of ſingular note and fame in that Countrie. This I heard of them, and it appeared by their practice, that they all ſtand for the maintenance of the lawes, they ſee their Soueraigne well ſerued, Iuſtice duly obſerued, and iudgement executed accordingly.
They neuer ſide with any, for they hate faction: Pride and Enuy, two reſtleſſe Make-bates, who for notorious miſdemeanour, I ſaw bound to the good behauiour. So as now there a Caeſar-like ſpirit, patitur ſuperiorem, & a Pompey ſuum parem. They runne all one courſe, and as true Iſraelites, quaſi vir vnus, for publike good. Therefore doe the people liue in peace, the land proſpereth, Iuſtice flouriſheth, vertue is exalted, vice ſuppreſſed, and the enemies at home and abroad made to feare.
The whole diſcourſe of this excellent order, and carefull proceedings there by me obſerued, from my firſt entrance vntounto the end, I am bold here to preſent vntounto your Worſhips, whom I hauehave now found diligent Readers of holy Scripture, addicted to priuate prayer, beſides ſet forme for the whole family, to be entertainers of the Preachers of Gods Word, giuing freely to ſuch, Benefices as they hap to be void, not being ſeduced by mens offering large ſummes to procure Aduouſons afore hand, as too many Patrons bee in theſe daies. Now the Lord God Almighty hearten you in, and to theſe things more & more, and to eueryevery other good grace, that may liuely demonſtrate to the world the power of ſauing knowledge, in the vſe of Gods abundant earthly bleſſings ſo largely beſtowed vponupon you, with which earneſt prayer vntounto God for you, and for a bleſſing vponupon theſe my endeuours to further the ſame, I humbly take leaue.
Your Worſhips in all Chriſtian ſeruices, at command, RICHARD BERNARD. Batcombe, May 21.