io8 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 42. wood and there keepeth him close till morning; and when it is daylight then will they go to the poor vil- lages, not sparing to destroy young infants and aged people ; and if a woman be ever so great with child, her will they kill, burning the houses and corn, and ran- sacking the poor cots. Then will they drive all the kine and plough horses, with all other cattle, and drive them away. Then must they have a bagpipe blowing before them, and if any of the cattle fortune to wax weary or faint they will kill them rather than it should do the owner good. And if they go by any house of friars or religious house, they will give them two or three beeves ; and they will take them and pray for them yea, and praise their doings, and say 'his father was accustomed so to do ; ' wherein he will rejoice.
- And when he is in a safe place they will fall to a
division of the spoil according to the discretion of the captain. Now comes the rhymer that made the rhyme with his ' Rakery.' The ' Raker ' is he that shall utter the rhyme, and the rhymer himself sits by with the cap- tain very proudly. He brings with him also his harper, who plays all the while that the raker sings the rhyme. Also he hath his bard, which is a foolish fellow who must nave a horse given him. The harper must have a new saffron shirt and a mantle ; and the raker must have two or three kine ; and the rhymer himself a horse and har- ness, with a nag to ride on, a silver goblet, and a pair of bedes of coral with buttons of silver. And this with more they look for to have for the reducing of the people, to the disruption of the commonwealth and blasphemy
