priest vnto whom God hath giuen so much goods the one got with smoth hand the other gained with his loose toung and yet they famished mee continually there was good reason why I shoulde hate such people so is the cause why this mans case shoulde be lamented God knoweth that when I met with any of his estate being of like grauitie pace and countenance howe I pitied them thinking that they did endure that which I did sée him daily suffer whome I hadd rather serâ—â— for all his pouertie than any of the other for the causes aboue named I did like him well but only the me thought he was to presumptuous where I often wished that seeing hee so plainely perceiued his owne pouertie hée wold something haue hid his faÌ„tastical pride But as I thinke it is a roÌ„mon vsual rule amongst such as hée which though they haue not a crosse in the worlde nor a Denier the cappe must needes stande in his olde place but if GOD of his mercie doe not order the matter all suche are like to dye of that vile disease As I continued in suche estate sustaining the life that I haue told you my euill fortune which neuer ceased to pursue mee woulde not yet suffer me to continue in that troublesome and shamefull kinde of life For the matter happened thus the Lords of the counsell made proclamation with sound of trumpet because that that yeare there was searcitie of corne all poore people being strangers should forsake the Citie vpon paine that hee which from thencefoorthe should be taken should be punished with sâ—â—pes and so exeruting the law within thâ—â— dayes after the prâ—â— amatioÌ„ I sawe a whole procession of poore folke whipped theough the foure principall streetes which sight did so feare mee that neuer after I durst venture to beg TheÌ„ might you haue séene a strange diet we kepâ— at home and the great silence that was there so that wée were constrained to faste two or three dayes together without eating any morsell or speaking a woorde and as for mee the best shifte I made was amongst â—ertaine poore worden which were spinners and cap knitters 〈◊〉 my life by reason of the aquaintance I had with them being our 〈◊〉 neighbours For of that meat they had I should haue a litle wherwith I did not so lament mine owne case as I did my poore maisters which in eighto dayes did not caâ—e one morsell at the least wee were so long at home without meate but in deede I know not whether he went nor what hée did eate abrâ—â—â—â— yet notwithstanding for all this you should see him come some times vp the streete with a bodie as large as any grehounds of good race and for to maintain his poore honor hée was wonte to take a straw in his hand wherof also there was wante in our house Small neede to picke his teeth for any meate he had eâ—ten and standing without the dore would therewith picke those which had little neede of picking for any thing that had stucke in them with eating Lamenting still the vuluckinesse of that house he would say it greueth me to see how all our sorrowe commeth of this house thou seest howe vnconfortable and darke it is and as long as we dwell here wee are like to bee thus tormented theréfore I woulde to God the moneth were ended that wee might depart out of it And as wee continued in this afflicted famishing persecution one day a rial entered into the power of my master Sixe pence English I know not by what good lucke and adueÌ„ture wherewith hee came home so blowing Belike some gâ—â—â—â—ers had â—â—uen it him and it was full time as if he had brought with him the whole treasure of Venice and so with a mery and liuely countenance hee giueth it to mee saying take here Iazaro nowe God beginneth to open his hande and to smile vpon vs goe quickly to the market place and buy bread wine and flesh that wee may breake the diuels enuious eye and furthermore bicause thou shalt haue good cause to reioyce thou shalt vnderstand that I haue hired an other house therfore the moneth once ended we will no longer abide in this miserable vnlucky house cursed be it and he that layde the first tile on it for in euill time did I come in By our lorde all the time that I haue bene here I neuer dranke drop of wine nor a morsell of fleshe entred into my belly nor yet haue I had any rest in it suche is the sorrowe and miserie that belongeth to it goe thy wayes and make speede and let vs dine this daye like Earles Then I tooke my riall and my pot and with all haste I began to goe vp the streete towardes the market place with ioy and mirth But what profiteth all this nowe that I am borne vnder suche a planet that I can neuer enioye any pleasure long without hyndraunce it appeareth so nowe for as I went on my way making my accounte howe I should bestowe my money vpon that which should be most profitable and best geuing infinite thanks to God that he had giuen my master that money vpon a suddaine I mighte see right before me a dead coarse come down the streete accompanied with many priestes and other people I leaned to the wall to giue them place and the coarse went by I might see a woman whiche belike was the dead mans wife folowing the beere all in mourning weede accoÌ„panied with other women and she weeping and lamenting said O my husband my lord alas whether doe they â—arie you to the vnconfortable and sad house to the darke and sorrowfull house to the house where they neuer eate nor drinke When I had heard her speake these woordes mée thought heauen and earth had met and I said O vnfortunate wretch that I am they carie this dead coarse to our house wherefore I forsooke my way and brake in betweene the people and running downe the streete as fast as euer I could I got into the house and when I had entred therein I locked the doore with all haste calling out to my maister for straunger long before by reasou that hée had so little acquaintance with those of the Citie Finally my wish was accomplished and I vnderstoode that which I coueted to knowe for vpon a day after that hee had dyned reasonably well hee being at that time indifferently well satiâ—â—â—ed declared vnto mee his affaires in so much that hee certified mée that he was borne in Castilia the old and howe that hee had forsaken his countrye for nothing in the worlde but because hee would not abase him self so much as put off his cappe to a Genleman his neighbour and hauing heard all his discourse I said vnto him sir if he were such a one as you say and besides that if he were richer than you it hadde beene but your duetie to put off your cappe first to him for I beleeue he would
a ready tong I had was right glad said neither gold nor siluer can I giue thée howbeit I doe meane to teach thée the way to liue and so certainly he did for next after God he made me a man and although he was blinde it was he that gaue me light and that taught mée howe to knowe the worldâ— I reioyce to declare vnto your worship these Childish toyes that you may see how commeÌ„dable it is for a man of low estate to bee brought to authoritie and exalted and contrariwyse what a shame it is a man for dignitie and estimation to bée pulled downe to wretched miserie But to retourne to my blynde master and to shew his nature I assure you that sith the beginning of the worlde God neuer made man more deceitfull and craftie for in his art and trade of liuing he far passed all other he could recite by hart a hundred long prayers and moe yea the life of all the holy saincts at his deuotion time he vsed such a loude tunable voyâ—â— that it might be heard thoroughout the Churche where hée praied and besides all that he could counferset a good deuoute countenance in praying without any strange gesture either with mouth or eye as other blinde are accustomed to vse I am not ablâ— to recite a thousand other manner of wayes which hée had to get money hée would make many beleeue that he had praiers fo Biuers good purpoâ—es as for to make women bring foorth children yea and to make men to loue their wiues although they had hated theÌ„ before neuer so much He would prognosticate to women that were with childe whether they should bring foorth a Sonne or a daughter in matters of Physicke hee woulde affirme that Galen neuer knew halfe so much as hee also for any griefe the tooth ach or anye other disease there was neuer one coÌ„plained but that immediatly he would say do this doe that seeth such an herbe take such a roote So that by this his continuall pâ—actise he had daily great resorte made vnto him especially of women which did faithfully beleeue all that euer he said by them hee had great gaine for he wan more in a moneth â—â—en tweÌ„ty of his occupation did in a whole yeere Yet for all his daily gaines you must vnderstand that there was neuer man so wretched a inggarde For hee caused mée not onely to die for hunger but also to wante what so euer I neeâ—â—d And therefore to confesse the troth if I had not founde out meanes to helpe my selfe I had bene buried long sithence Wherfore oftentimes I would so preuent him of all his crafte that my portion shoulde proue as good as his and to bring my matter so to passe I vsed wonderfull deceits wherof I will recite vnto you some although somtimes my practising of them did cost mee bitter paines This blâ—nd man caried alwayes his bread and his vittell in a little bag of cloth which was shutte at the mouthe with an Iron buckle vnder a miserable locke and keye at the time of putting his meate in and taking it out he would kéepe such straight account that all the world was not able to deceiue him of one crun me and therefore there was no helpe but that I must néedes bee content with that small allowance that hée gaue mee which â—â—wares I was sure to dispatch at two morsels and as sone as euer he had shut his little lock he wold thinke then that all were sure imagining that I had other matters in hand then would I boldely vnrip and sowe vp againe the syde of his couetous sacke vsing daily to launce one of the sides there to take out not onely bread at mine owne pleasure but also sitces of flesh and sweete caâ—banades So that by such meanes I found conuenient time to ease the raging hunger which he was cause of Morcouer all the maney that ruer I could conuey steale from him I changed alwayes into halfe blanks and when any man demanded any praier he had always of ordinarie a blanke giuen him for his hire bicause he could not see it should be deliuered mee but he could neuer so soone put foorth his hand to receiue it but I was as readie to throwe it into my mouth and by quicke erchaunge to giue him the iust value of halfe of it whercat hee woulde much murmure knowing by the onely feeling of it what it was and would say How in the diuels name chaâ—â—eth it that sithence thy coÌ„ming to me I receiue but halfe blankes and before I had alwayes a whole blanke and sometimes two I thinke surely that thy vnluckinesse be cause thereof From that time forwards her thought good to shorten his prayers cutting them off in the middest wherefore he coÌ„manded me that as soone as the almes giuer had turned his back I shold plucke him by the cloake Blind men stand there in Churche porcheâ—ryady to be hired for money to recite any prayer Then streight wayes changing tune he would begin to crie with loude voice as blindmen vse to do who will heare such a deuout prayer or else the life of some holie Sainct At dinner or supper time hee had alwayes before him a little potfull of wine which oftentimes I woulde laye hande on and after two or three kisses sende it him secretely home againe But that happie time continued but a while for I was wont to leaue so little behinde mée that he might soone espie the faulte as in deeds immedially hee did mistrust the whole matter wherefore hee began a newe order not to leaue his wine anie more at randon but to auoyde daunger had alwayes his little pot fast by the eare so to be sure of his drinke Yet notwithstanding for all this the Adamant stone had neuer such vertue to drawe Iron to it as I had to sucke vp his wine with a long réede which I had prepared for the purpose for at soone as the ende of my reede had bene once in I might well defire hun to fill the pot againe Yet at the laste the craftie blinde man chaunced to feele mee and being angrie determined to take an other way to place his pot betwâ—ne his legges couering it still with his hande so to auoy call former daungers when hee had so done I being accustomed to drinke wyne did long to taste of it and perceiuing that my reede coulde then no more preuaile at all I deuised an other kinde of fetche howe to make a hole in the bottome of his wine poâ— and to stoppe the same with a little sâ—fte ware so that at dynner time making a shewe as I were readie to dye for colde I would créepe betweene thâ— blynd mans legges to warme my selfe at his small fire by the heate whereof the wax being little in quantitie woulde so melte away that the wyne woulde issue down into my meuth freshely and trime I being sure to gape vpward so iust that one droppe should nâ—uer
beeing in my strawe my head full of plaisters oyles and oyntments and being thereat amazed I said what meneth this The priest then answered the meaning of this is that I had chased away the Ratte and the Snake that haue done me such hurt then calling to minde my affaires I susspected my hurte and the cause thereof then came there in an olde woman with certaine of the neighbours to vndo the cloutes about my head and to dresse my woundes and being glad to see mee recouered saide there is no danger now in him seeing that he hath his senses they began then to recite my afflictions they laughing and I weeping After all this they gaue me meate I being almost dead for hunger Much a do they had to recouer mee but by little and little I wared strong at .xv. dayes ende I rose vp and was out of daunger yet not without huÌ„ger howebeit halfe healed The next day after that I rose my master tooke me by the hande and brought me out at the dore and leauing me in the streate saide vnto me Lazaro from this day foorth thou shalt be at thine owne libertie and not vnder my subiection the Lorde bée with thee go séek thée a master I haue no néed of such a diligent sernaunt it is not possible but that thou hast bene seruaunt to some blinde man And therewith blessing him selfe from me as though I had beene possessed with some euill spirite hee geâ—teth him in and locketh fast his doore How Lazaro placeth him selfe to serue a Squire and what happened to him in his seruice BY this meanes I was forced to helpe my selfe beeing weake shortly after I came by helpe of good people to this noble citie of Toledo where I thanke God my wound closed vp As long as I was sicke euery man gaue me his charitie but after that I was once whole euery man would say thou vacabond and leiterer why dost thou not séek a master Then I murmuring with my selfe wold say where the deuill shall I finde him vnlesse God as hee made the world make me one But now Idemanding almes from dore to dore for Gods sake I found little remedy for charitie had then ascended vp to heauen At the last God caused me to méet with a squire which walked thorow the streate in very sumptuous apparel cleanly his pace in going wel measured after good order He behelde me and I him and he saide vnto me boy doest thou want a matter I answered I woulde faine haue a good master sir Then followe mee said he God hath sent thee good fortune to meete with me thou hast prayed well this daye I thanke God for that which I had heard him say and for that he seemed by his behauiour and countenances to bee euen hee that I had so much longed for I met with this thirde maister betime in the morning and hee led mee after him thorough the most parte of the citie we passed through the market place where ther was sold bread and other prouision Gentlemen vse to buy their meate in the market them selues I looked when he would haue lodeÌ„ me there with meate for it was then that euery man prouided and bought things necessarie for their dinner But with comely and large pace hee went by and lefte that place behind him then I said to my selfe There is not such prouision of meate in Spaine as there is in England peraduenture hes doeth not see here that which doeth contente him hee will buy in an other place we walked so long that the clocke strok eleuen then went hee to the chiefe Churche and I after him where I sawe him most deuoutly heare seruice when all was ended the people departed he came ouâ— of the Churche and marched loysurely doâ—â—ne a streate He weÌ„t so lâ—t to the Church to came that his dinner might be made ready and as for me I went ioyfully the best content in the worlde perceiuing howe that we did not stay to seeke our dinner imagining that this my newe maister had bene some great personage and that hee had his house prâ—uided before hande that we should finde dinner ready yea such as I desired and as I had neede of At that tune the clocke stroke one after noone when wee arriued at a house before the which my master had stayd I with him then hee throwing his cloake ouer his leafâ—e shoulder very ciuilly drewe out a key out of his sleue to open his doore we then entred in the entrance wherof was so darke and vnhandsome that it might feare any man liuing to enter in how be it there was within it a prety litle count and reasonable chambers and when we were within hee putteth off his cloake demaunding mée whether my handes were cleane we shooke it and then doubled it handsomely and after he had blowen cleanly the dust away from an olde benche that was there he layde it vp that beeing done he sat him downe demanding of mee at large what countrey man I was howe I came to the citie I gaue him a larger account than I was willing for I thought it a more conuenient time to commaunde mee to lay the cloath and to take out pottage than to make such inquiraunce yet for all that bringing foorth the beste lyes I coulde frame for my selfe I made him account what I was reckening all the goodnesse that was in my personage leauing apart all that which I thought was not to be rehearsed in that place when I had declared all he staied a while and by that time I did see an euill slgne for it was almoste two a clocke and yet he was no readier to dine thaÌ„ he that had bene dead I maruelled moreouer wheÌ„ I perceiued that hee had locked his dore with his key that I could not heare any liuing creature stur neither aboue nor beneath all that euer I did see was the naked walls As the Priest had not so muche as a chayre or â—â—oole nor a table nor yet a coffer as the other man had finally you would haue saide it had bene a house not inhabited A whyle after he demanded mee whether I had dyned I answered saying no sir for it was not eight a clocke when I met with your mastership this morning then saide he as early as it was I had broken my fast and whensoeuer I breake my fast in the morning I neuer eate againe vntill it bée night therefore passe thou ouer the time as well as thou canst and wee will make amendes at supper your worship may well thinke that when I heard these wordes I was ready to fall downe dead not so muche for hunger as for playnely perceiuing that then fortune was altogether mine ennemie Then began my sorrowes to appeare vnto me againe and I to lament my misfortune then came there to my minde the consideration that I made when I was aboute to departe from the Priest Poore Lazero did beare