, by such unlawful
dealings. But how far have I waded in this point, or how far may I
sail in such a large sea? I will therefore now stay to speak any more
of those kind of men. In returning therefore to my matter, this
furthermore among other things I have to say of our husbandmen and
artificers, that they were never so excellent in their trades as at
this present. But as the workmanship of the latter sort was newer,
more fine, and curious to the eye, so was it never less strong and
substantial for continuance and benefit of the buyers. Neither is
there anything that hurteth the common sort of our artificers more
than haste, and a barbarous or slavish desire to turn the penny, and,
by ridding their work, to make speedy utterance of their wares: which
enforceth them to bungle up and despatch many things they care not
how so they be out of their hands, whereby the buyer is often sore
defrauded, and findeth to his cost that haste maketh waste, according
to the proverb.
[12] The Ceylonese. The Greek name for the island of Ceylon was
Taprobane, which Harrison used merely as a classical scholar.
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