Yea forsothe, verie moche: As example, if you haue any For saucy louts, sausie loughte, or loitryng lubber within your house, that is either to busy of his hand or tongue: and can do nothing but plaie one of the partes of the .24. orders of knaues. the best cure is Boxing. There is no pretier medicen for this, nor soner prepared, then boxyng is: iii. or .iiii. tymes well set on, a span long on bothe the chekes. And although perhaps this will not alter his lubberly condicions, yet I assure you, it wil for a time chaunge his knauishe complexion, and helpe him of the grene sicknes: and euery man maie practise this, as occasion shall serue hym in his familie, to reforme them. Bulleins Bulwarke of Defence, 1562.
[ (From The booke of Simples, fol. xxvii. back.)]
Marcellus.
There is an herbe whiche light fellowes merily will call Gallowgrasse, Neckeweede, or the Tristrams knot, or Saynt Audres lace, or a bastarde brothers badge, with a difference on the left side, &c. you know my meaning.
Hillarius.
What, you speake of Hempe? mary, you terme it with manie pretie names. I neuer heard the like
termes giuen to any simple, as you giue to this; you cal it neckwede. Neckweed (a halter) A, well, I pray you, woulde you know the propertie of this Neckeweede in this kinde? beinge chaunged into such a lace, this is his vertue. Syr, if there be any yonkers troubled with idelnesse and loytryng, hauyng neither learnyng, nor willyng handes to labour: or that haue studied Phisicke so longe that he or they is good for thievish apprentices, can giue his Masters purse a Purgacion, or his Chist, shoppe, and Countinghouse, a strong vomit; yea, if he bee a very cunning practicioner in false accomptes, he may so suddenly and rashely minister, that he may smite his Father, his Maister, or his friende &c. into a sudden incurable consumption, that he or they shall neuer recouer it againe, but be vtterly vndone, and cast either into miserable pouertie, prisonment, bankeroute &c. If this come to passe, then the [* Fol. xxviii.] *best rewarde for this practicioner, is this Neckeweede: for swashbucklers past grace, if there be any swashbuckler, common theefe, ruffen, or murtherer past grace, ye nexte remedie is this Lace or Corde. For them which neuer loued concored, peace nor honestie, this wil ende all the mischief; this is a purger, not of Melancholy, but a finall banisher of and all scamps. all them that be not fit to liue in a common wealth, no more then Foxes amonge sheepe, or Thistles amonge good Corne, hurters of trew people. This Hempe, I say, passeth the new Diat, bothe in force and antiquitee. Also for young spendthrifts If yonge wantons, whose parentes haue left them fayre houses, goods and landes, whiche be visciously, idle, vnlearnedly, yea or rather beastly brought vp: who after their parents’ death after the death of their saied parentes, their fruites wil spryng foorth which they haue learned in their wicked youthe: then bankets and brothels will approche, waste their all with harlots the Harlots will be at hande, with dilightes and intisementes, the Baude will doe hir diligence, robbyng not onlie the pursses, but also the hartes of suche yongemen, whiche when they be trapped, can neuer skape, one amonge
an hundredth, vntill Hempe breaketh the bande amonge these loytring louers. and in gambling [The Dice] whiche be bothe smalle and light, in respecte vnto the Coluering, or double Cannon shotte or Bollet, yet with small force and noyse can mine, break downe, and destroy, and caste away their one Maisters houses, faire feldes, pleasaunt Woddes, and al their money, yea frendes and al together, this can the Dice do. And moreouer, which makes men beggars, or thieves. can make of worshipfull borne Gentilmen, miserable beggars, or theefes, yet for the time “a-loft syrs, hoyghe childe and tourne thee, what should youth do els: A life of reckless debauchery I-wisse, not liue like slaues or pesantes, but all golden, glorious, may with dame Venus, my hartes delight” say they. “What a sweete heauen is this: Haue at all, kockes woundes, bloud and nayles, caste the house out at the window, and let the Diuell pay the Malte man: a Dogge hath but a day, a good mariage will recouer all together:” and robbery or els with a Barnards blowe, lurkyng in some lane, wodde, or hill top, to get that with falshead in an hower, whiche with trueth, labour, & paine, hath bene gathered for perhappes .xx. yeares, to the vtter vndoyng of some honest familie. Here thou seest, gentle Marcellus, a miserable Tragedie of a wicked shamelesse life. I nede not bring forth the example of the Prodigall childe. Luke .xvi. Chapter, whiche at length came to grace: It is, I feare me, in vaine to talke of him, whose ende was good; ends with but a greate nomber of these flee from grace, and come to endes moste vngracious, finished only life by Hemp. this Hempe. Although sometime the innocente man dieth that way, through periurie for their one propper gooddes, as Naboth died for his owne Vineyarde, miserable in the eies of the worlde, but precious in the sight of God. This is one seruice whiche Hempe doeth.
Also this worthy noble herbe Hempe, called Cannabis in Latten, can not bee wanted in a common wealth,