your valiante captaine Lamathus, whose life I more regarded than all the
treasure which you have brought: and therfore the memory of him shall
bee renowned for ever amongst the most noble kings and valiant captains:
but you accustome when you goe abroad, like men with ganders hearts to
creepe through every corner and hole for every trifle. Then one of them
that came last answered, Why are you only ignorant, that the greater the
number is, the sooner they may rob and spoyle the house? And although
the family be dispersed in divers lodgings, yet every man had rather
to defend his own life, than to save the riches of his master: but
when there be but a few theeves, then will they not only rather regard
themselves, but also their substance, how little or great soever it be.
And to the intent you may beleeve me I will shew you an example: wee
were come nothing nigh to Thebes, where is the fountain of our art and
science, but we learned where a rich Chuffe called Chriseros did dwell,
who for fear of offices in the publique wel dissembled his estate,
and lived sole and solitary in a small coat, howbeit replenished with
aboundance of treasure, and went daily in ragged and torn apparel.
Wherefore wee devised with our selves to go to his house and spoyl him
of all his riches. And when night came we drew towards the dore, which
was so strongly closed, that we could neither move it, nor lift it out
of the hooks, and we thought it best not to break it open lest by the
noyse we should raise up to our harm the neighbours by. Then our strong
and valiant captaine Lamathus trusting in his own strength and force,
thrust in his had through a hole in the dore, and thought to pull back
the bolt: but the covetous caitif Chriseros being awake, and making no
noise came softly to the dore and caught his hand and with a great naile
nailed it fast to the post: which when he had done, he ran up to the
high chamber and called every one of his neighbours by name, desiring
them to succour him with all possible speed, for his own house was on
fire. Then every one for fear of his owne danger came running out to aid