The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Farewell
My farewell to Plimouth.
MOST noble Plimouth, the great louelove which I found in thee amongſt both rich and poore, now drawes me backe againe to giuegive thee a now drawes me backe againe to giuegive thee a kind and heartie farewell, and yet at this time I yeeld but onlie thanks as my pay- Miſtreſſe, but yet I deſire not to die indebted, without making ſome better recompence to ſome of my chiefeſt well-willers and friends, if my abilitie prooue anſwerable to my mind: for a Chriſtmaſſe banquet may be requited at Eaſter, and ſo when I am better able I will make amends; but yet me thinks I ſhould not leaue ſo famous a towne with ſuch a threed-bare fare-well, but here may a queſtion ariſe of thoſe which know it not, why it ſhould be more famous then any other towne ? which I will tell thee, ſet her wealth and riches aſide, yet for that onlie not the like towne in this land of her bigneſſe, I meane ſo long as the wars continued, ſhe is alſo famous for her ſtrong fortification, but more famous for her entertainment; for twentie thouſand ſtrangers hauehave had vponupon a ſuddaine good and ſufficient lodging, and other neceſſaries; yea, whether they hauehave had mony, or not, but moſt famous of all for her gallant harbours, for a thouſand ſhippes may ſafely ride, and all within halfe a league of the Towne; it is the chiefe arriuing place for all the South and Weaſt Countries: and in a word, the onelyonly Key of England. In the time of warres Plimmouth flowed, as it were, with milke and hony, and then it flouriſhed with Gallants great ſtore, tracing the ſtreetes ſo thicke in ſwarmes like as at weſtminſter in a Terme time, and although many of them went away without bidding thee farewell; yet I will, as it were, bite thee by the finger, becauſe thou ſhalt remember me, for if it bee not poſſible for the mother to forget her childe, then (without all peraduenture) I ſhall neuer forget thee: Once thou wert a golden place, but now an yron or a leaden towne, I meane, in a manner turned vpſide downe, which makes me ſory, and many more; but yet be of good cheare, for after a ſtorme cometh a calme: plucke vp thy heart, and let it not grieue thee to ſee a King content with his kingdome; for if it were not ſo, it ſhould be ſo.
Although of late thy purſe hath had a ſtrong purgation, which maketh ſome of you to ſhrinke vp the ſhoulders like a Spaniard, and hang downe the head like a bull-ruſh, and repenting your ſelues, that you had not kept the goods better which you got in time of warres; and this mee thinketh I heare ſome of you ſay your ſelues: Oh what a foole was I that tooke not Time by the fore-locke before he did paſſe away, but muſt now catch at her balde pate, where is nothing to holde by: let it not grieue thee, for if thou hadſt thoſe goods againe, they would conſume like butter againſt the Sunne: for as it is not poſſible to keepe the Indian beefe ſweete two dayes, with all the ſalt in the world, no more is the goods got by the warres to be of any continuance, no although a man had them that were as wiſe as wit could make them, but it ſeldome commeth into ſuch mens hands, but rather vntounto ſuch as reſemble Rufus the Ruffian which had God pictured on the in ſide of his Target, and the diuel on the out-ſide, with this poeſie on the in-ſide, If thou wilt not hauehave mee, the other ſhall: as not caring whether he went to God or the diuell: many ſuch fellows attend vponupon the fortune of the wars, making hauocke and ſpoile, and many times murthering thoſe that neuer meant hurt vntounto them nor their king for whom they fight: for yet ſuch, as I ſay, make no conſcience, but as the Prouerb goeth, Robbe Peter and pay Paul, accounting all fiſh which commeth to the net, getting it by hooke or by crooke, ſome out of Iudas bag, and ſome out of the diuels budget: for I hauehave ſeene a man of warre, as hungry vponupon a poore Fiſherman, as they would be on a Carioke, as thoſe that hauehave ſeene men of warre, hauehave ſeene how vnconſcionably Rufus the ruffian and his fellows hauehave dealt with thoſe poor Fiſhermen whoſe whole eſtate, for maintenance both for their wifes, and children, did relie vponupon the gains, which the poore men by great paines did get with their bote, yet ſo hard-hearted hauehave theſe men of war beene vntounto thoſe poore Fiſhers, that neither for the teares of the olde men, which for griefe would beate their heads againſt the ſhippe ſide, yet neither this nor the pittifull complaint of the yong men, for all their yeelding and kneeling, yet would they take away their fiſh, their meat and drinke, and their cloths from their backes, their ſailes from their yards, yet not ſo contented, but in the end ſet them aſhore, and either finke their boate or burne him aboord the man of warre, to the vtter vndoing of many a poore man; now iudge whether it be poſſible, that theſe goods ſo gotten can proſper, for they are gotten with no better a conſcience then a ſtrumpet getteth her money; and therefore it will proſper no better: for looke what a ſtrumpet getteth of twenty, ſhee ſpendeth it vponupon one which ſhee doth louelove and affect aboue all the reſt: euen ſo, many ſouldiers and men of warre, what ſpoyles they get, they are not long in ſpending of it: but as the Prouerbe goeth, Light come, and light goe: ill got, and wickedly ſpent: for they put it into a bottomleſſe bagge, which neuer holdes thriſt long.
Loe, thus my opinion you hauehave heard, and I yeeld vp my verdict thus, That the goods which is gotten by the warres, is ill gotten: and hee which hath but one peny worth of ill gotten goods in his houſe, God will ſend a curſe vponupon all the reſt: then let vsus pray for peace, rather then warres, and eueryevery man learne to labor with his hands, to maintaine ſpending: wherefore, ſet thy wittes and thy hands to labour, and turne ouer the leafe; I meane, learne a new leſſon, for looke what is gotten with labour, will bee ſpent with diſcretion, or elſe kept with warineſſe; and ſo I greete not onelyonly Plimmouth alone, but all Deuonſhire and Cornewall, with as many kinde commendations, as it is poſſible for my Penne to expreſſe, and all I proteſt with true louelove from my heart, and ſo I leaue you, with a thouſand Farewells to you all.
Your euer-louing friend, IOSEPH SVVETNAM,.