beinge of themselves poore and barren and hardly able to susteine their
inhabitaunts, by their discoveries have founde suche occasion of
employmente, that these many yeres we have not herde scarcely of any
pirate of those twoo nations; whereas wee and the Frenche are moste
infamous for our outeragious, common, and daily piracies. Againe, when
hearde wee almoste of one theefe amongest them? The reason is, that by
these, their new discoveries, they have so many honest wayes to set them
on worke, as they rather wante men than meanes to ymploy them. But wee,
for all the statutes that hitherto can be devised, and the sharpe
execution of the same in poonishinge idle lazye persons, for wante of
sufficient occasion of honest employmente cannot deliver our commonwealthe
from the multitudes of loyterers and idle vagabondes. (M233) Truthe it is,
that throughe our longe peace and seldome sicknes (twoo singuler
blessinges of Almightie God) wee are growen more populous than ever
heretofore; so that nowe there are of every arte and science so many, that
they can hardly lyve one by another, nay rather they are readie to eate
upp one another; yea many thousandths of idle persons are within this
realme, which, havinge no way to be sett on worke, be either mutinous and
seeke alteration in the state, or at leaste very burdensome to the
commonwealthe, and often fall to pilferinge and thevinge and other
lewdnes, whereby all the prisons of the lande are daily pestred and
stuffed full of them, where either they pitifully pyne awaye, or els at
lengthe are miserably hanged, even xx'ti. at a clappe oute of some one
jayle. Whereas yf this voyadge were put in execution, these pety theves
mighte be condempned for certen yeres in the westerne partes, especially
in Newfounde lande, in sawinge and fellinge of tymber for mastes shippes,
and deale boordes; in burninge of the firres and pine trees to make
pitche, tarr, rosen, and sope ashes; in beatinge and workinge of hempe for
cordage; and, in the more southerne partes, in settinge them to worke in
mynes of golde, silver, copper, leade, and yron; in dragginge for perles
and currall; in plantinge of suger canes, as the Portingales have done in
Madera; in mayneteynaunce and increasinge of silke wormes for silke, and
in dressinge the same; in gatheringe of cotten whereof there is plentie;
in tillinge of the soile there for graine; in dressinge of vines whereof
there is greate aboundaunce for wyne; olyves, wh