Thousands of Spaniards, Dutchmen, Venetians, and Jews were here, and also
a great many aged people. "Prithee, sir," said I, "what manner of men
might these be?" "They are pinchfists one and all. In the lower end
thou shalt see the Pope once more together with conquerors of kingdoms
and their soldiery, oppressors, foresters, obstructors of public paths,
justices and their bribers, and all their progeny from the barrister to
the constable; on the other side, physicians, apothecaries, leeches,
misers, merchants, extortioners, money lenders, withholders of tithes,
wages, rents or doles left to schools, almhouses and the like; drovers,
dealers who regulate the market for their own benefit; shopmen (or
rather, sharpers) who profit on the need or ignorance of their customers;
stewards of all grades; clippers {14a} and innkeepers who despoil the
idlers' family of their goods and the country of its barley, which would
otherwise be made into bread for the poor. All these are arrant robbers,
the others in the upper end of the street are mostly small fry, such as
highwaymen, tailors, weavers, millers, grocers and so on.
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