An Irish Bull of 1630.
—Nowe that Ireland doth give birthe to strange sortes of men, whose too greate quicknesse of thoughte doth impeede theyre judgmente, this storye whiche I have heard, will shewe. A wealthie lord of the countie of Corke there had a goodlie faire house new-built, but the broken brickes, tiles, sande, lime, stones, and such rubbish, as are commonlie the remnantes of such buildinges, lay confusedlie in heapes, ande scattered here ande there; the lord therefore demanded of his surveyor, wherefore the rubbish was not conveyed awaie; the surveyor said, that hee proposed to hyre an hundred carts for the purpose. The lord replied, that the charge of carts might be saved, for a pit might be digged in the grounde, and soe burie it. “Then, my lord,” said the surveyor, “I pray you what will wee doe with the earth which wee digge out of the said pitt?” “Why, you coxcombe,” said the lord, “canst thou not digge the pitt deepe enough to hold rubbish and all together?”—From the works of Taylor, the Water Poet.