Crowley on Almshouses and Beggars

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Artifact type
Creator/author	Crowley
Date	1550
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[Select Works of Robert Crowley, ed. J. M. Cowper (E.E.T.S., 1872), pp. 11-12, 14-16.] Of Almes Houses.

A Marchaunte, that longe tyme hadde bene in straunge landis, Returned to his contrey, whiche in Europe standes. And in his returne, hys waye laye to passe By a Spittlehouse, not farre from where his dwelling was. He loked for this hospitall, but none coulde he se ;

For a lordely house was builte where the hospitall should be. Good Lorde (sayd this marchaunt) is my contrey so wealthy, That the verye beggers houses be builte so gorgiouslye ? Than, by the waye syde, hym chaunced to se Apore manne that craued of hym for charitie.

Whye (quod thys Marchaunt) what meaneth thys thynge ? Do ye begge by the waye, and haue a house for a kyng ? Alas! syr (quod the pore man) we are all turned oute, And lye and dye in corners, here and there aboute.

Men of greate riches haue bought our dwellinge place, And whan we craue of them, they turne awaye their face.

Lorde God! (quod this marchaunt) in Turkye haue I bene, Yet emonge those heathen none such crueltie haue I sene.

The vengeaunce of God muste fall, no remedye , Vpon these wicked men, and that verye shortelye . Of Beggers. The beggers, whome nede compelleth to craue, Ought at our handis some reliefe to haue ;

But such as do counterfayt, haueynge theyr strength To labour if they luste, beyng knowne at the length, Ought to be constrayned to worcke what they can, And lyue on theyr laboures, as besemeth a Christyan ; And if they refuse to worcke for theyr meate, Then ought they to faste, as not worthy to eate. And such as be sore, and wyll not be healed, Oughte not in any case to be charished. Iheard of two beggars that vnder an hedge sate, Who dyd wyth longe talke theyr matters debate. They had boeth sore legges, most lothsome to se ; Al rawe from the fote welmost to the knee.

'My legge,' quod the one, 'I thank God, is fayre.' 'So is myne,' (quod the other) 'in a colde ayre; For then it loketh rawe, and as redde as any bloud, Iwoulde not haue it healed, for any worldis good ; For were it once whole, my lyuinge were gone, And for a sturdye begger I shoulde be take anone.

No manne woulde pittye me, but for my sore legge ; Wherfore, if it were whole, I might in vaine begge. I shoulde be constrained to laboure and sweate, And perhaps sometime wyth schourges be beate.' ' Well' (sayde the tother) 'lette vs take hede therefore, That we let them not heale, but kepe them styll sore.' An other thynge I hearde of a begger that was lame, Muche like one of these, if it were not the same ;

Who, syttinge by the fire, wyth the cuppe in his hande, Began to wonder whan he shoulde be a good husbande. 'I shall neuer thriue' (quod this begar) 'Iwene ; For I gate but xvi. d. to daye, and haue spente eyghtene.

Well, let the worlde wagge, we muste neades haue drynke ; Go fyll me thys quarte pot, full to the brynke. The tonge muste haue bastynge, it wyll the better wagge, To pull a Goddes penye out of a churles bagge.' Yet cesse not to gyue to all, wythoute anye regarde ;

Thoughe the beggers be wicked, thou shalte haue thy rewarde.

POVERTY AND VAGABONDS