_How that in all this mightie kingdome there is no poore folks
walking in the streets nor in the temples a begging, and the order
that the king hath giuen for the maintayning of them that cannot
worke._
[Sidenote: A good order to avoid idle people.]
[Sidenote: I would the like were with vs.]
[Sidenote: A very good order.]
[Sidenote: A mirror for vs to look vpon.]
Manie things of great gouernment hath beene and shall be declared in
this historie worthy to be considered: and in my opinion, this is not
the least that is contained in this chapter, which is such order as the
king and his counsell hath giuen, that the poore may not go a begging in
the streetes, nor in the temples whereas they make orations vnto their
idols: for the auoiding therof the king hath set downe an order, vpon
great and greeuous penaltie to be executed vpon the saide poore, if they
do begge or craue in the streetes, and a greater penaltie vpon the
citizens or townes men, if they do giue vnto any such that beggeth; but
must incontinent go and complaine on them to the justice, who is one
that is called the justice of the poore, ordayned to punish such as doo
breake the lawe, and is one of the principallest of the citie or towne,
and hath no other charge but only this. And for that the townes be great
and many, and so full of people, and an infinite nomber of villages,
whereas it cannot be chosen but there is many borne lame, and other
misfortunes, so that he is not idle, but alwaies occupied in giuing
order to remedie the necessities of the poore without breaking of the
lawe. This iudge, the first day that hee doth enter into his office, hee
commandeth that whatsoeuer children be borne a creeple in any part of
his members, or by sicknes be taken lame, or by any other misfortune,
that incontinent their fathers or mothers doo giue the iudge to
vnderstande thereof, that he may prouide for all things necessarie,
according vnto the ordinance and will of the king and his counsell; the
which is, the man child or woman child, being brought before him, and
seene the default or lacke that it hath, if it be so that with the same
it may exercise any occupation, they giue and limit a time vnto the
parents, for to teach the child that occupation ordayned by the iudge,
and it is such as with their lamenes they may vse without any
impediment, the which is accomplished without faile; but if it so be,
that his lameness is such that it is impossible to learne or exercise
any occupation, this iudge of the poore doth command the father to
sustaine and maintaine him in his owne house all the dayes of his life,
if that hee hath wherewithall; if not, or that hee is fatherlesse, then
the next rich kinsman must maintaine it; if he hath none such, then doth
all his parents and kinsfolkes contribute and pay their partes, or giue
of such thinges as they haue in their houses. But if it hath no
parentes, or they be so poore that they cannot contribute nor supply any
part therof; then doth the king maintaine them in verie ample manner of
his owne costes in hospitalles, verie sumptuous, that he hath in euerie
citie throughout his kingdome for the same effect and purpose: in the
same hospitalles are likewise maintayned all such needie and olde men as
haue spent all their youth in the wars, and are not able to maintaine
themselues: so that to the one and the other is ministered all that is
needefull and necessarie, and that with great diligence and care: and
for the better accomplishing of the same, the iudge doth put verie good
order, and dooth appoint one of the principallest of the citie or towne,
to be the administrator, without whose licence, there is not one within
that hospitall that can goe foorth of the limittes: for that license is
not granted vnto anie, neyther doo they demand it, for that there they
are prouided of all thinges necessarie so long as they doo liue, as well
for apparell as for victualles. Besides all this, the olde folkes and
poore men within the hospitall, doo bring vpp hennes, chickens, and
hogges for their owne recreation and profit, wherein they doo delight
themselves. The iudge doth visite often times the administrator by him
appointed. Likewise the iudge is visited by an other that commeth from
the court, by the appointment of the king and the counsell to the same
effect: and to visite all such hospitalles as bee in the prouinces
limited in his commission, and if they doo finde any that hath not
executed his office in right and iustice, then they doo displace them,
and punish them verie rigorouslie: by reason whereof all such officers
haue great care of their charges and liue vprightly, hauing before their
eyes the straight account which they must giue, and the cruell rewarde
if to the contrarie.
The blinde folkes in this countrie are not accounted in the number of
those that of necessitie are to bee maintayned by their kinsfolkes, or
by the king; for they are constrayned to worke; as to grind with a
querne[75] wheate or rice, or to blowe smythes bellowes, or such like
occupations, that they haue no neede of their sight. And if it be a
blind woman, when she commeth vnto age, she doth vse the office of women
of loue, of which sorte there are a great number in publike places, as
shall be declared in the chapter for that purpose. These haue women that
doo tende vpon them, and doo paint and trim them vp, and they are such
that with pure age did leaue that office. So by this order in all this
kingdome, although it be great, and the people infinite, yet there is no
poore that doo perish nor begge in the streetes, as was apparent vnto
the Austen and Barefoote fryers, and the rest that went with them into
that countrie.
THE THIRD BOOKE
AND
HISTORIE
OF THE
GREAT AND MIGHTIE KINGDOME OF CHINA,
IN THE WHICH IS CONTAYNED MANY NOTABLE THINGS WOORTHIE
TO BE CONSIDERED OF, TOUCHING MORALL
AND POLLITIKE MATTERS.