knowe it saide he by a very good token for within a quarter of an houre after my maister was gone a friend of my maisters came purposely to speake with him whom I aunswered that my master was newly gone forth requiring him then to stay a little for that I thought he woulde not long be absente who tarried there a long houre at the least and then he went away without speaking with him howe long was thy maister forth saide the Iudge Truly my Lord saide he two houres at the leaste then saide the Iudge is here all thou canst say yea my Lord sayde he what sayst thou saide the Iudge to his other seruaunt which was a woman was thy maister at home such a day all the whole day or not truely saide she I am certayne he was not at home al the whole day How knowst thou that said the Iudge forsooth my Lorde said she he came into the Kitchin that euening something late and brought some drie stickes in his hande bad me rost meate therwith to whoÌ„ I said here is good dry wood where got you it marry said he I had it froÌ„ one that gathered it in my groue but she had bin as good to haue gotten wood a mile off and here is all that I can tell your Lordeship of my maisters being from home that daye therefore it is a false lye my Lorde that my maister did beate any at his dore for asking of almes especially at that time for I am most sure that he was theÌ„ froÌ„ home And as it appeareth by his own saying he was theÌ„ or about that time in a groue of wood of his own wel said the Iudge you haue done like true and good seruants your witnessing of that truth wil make your maister anoyde much troble but wil you take your othes saide the Iudge that thys is true yea saide they with all our heartes And then the Iudge deposed them and caused theyr examinations to bée written Siuqila Then the Iudge verye politickely vsed the matter to make them willing and to drawe them on to tell the truth Omen He did so And then the two seruants and witnesses were commaunded aside and not to come vntil they were sent for At which time the Iudge commaunded the Rich man to be brought before him and then caused him to stand among other people that were there and not in the open face of the Courte and then he sent for the Wench that the Rich man had so wickedly handled to whom he said maide where were you such a day and at such an houre forsooth my Lorde said she I was in such a grone gathering of stickes for to make a fire for my mother and me Art thou sure thou wast there theÌ„ said the Iudge yea my Lord saide she I haue both a token to knowe it and 〈◊〉 cause to remember it yea and that suche a one as I shall neuer forget as long as I liue belike saide the Iudge the token was either very good or very ill Wel séeing thou art sure that then thou wast there I am satisfied thinking verily that thou telst me no lye Then the Iudge called for the man that loosed the Wench froÌ„ the trée led hir home to hir mother saying I pray you my friend where were you suche a morning about such an houre my Lord said he about that time as me as I can gesse I was going towards such a place and as I was going I heard one groning making pittiful mone whervnto I gaue such eare that by the sound at the last I came to the place where a yong mayde ws hard and fast tyed to a trée which doleful sight did so much gréeue me that it was not loÌ„g before I vnbound hir who was so frozen with the cold that then she could neither go nor stand and then as charitie did wil me I helped hir home to hir poore mothers house as wel as I could and so through Gods good prouidence I was made an instrumeÌ„t to saue the Girles life TheÌ„ said the Iudge this is a very good token that then you were there a certain signe that she was not farre thence you did not so good a déede in loosing hir from the trée but he did as wicked a déede that tyed hir to the trée Siuqila The rich man that bound hir to the Trée hadde an euill quakyng heart of hys owne all this while when he heard the good man tell this tale but what sayde the Iudge then further Omen Mary he asked the maÌ„ that vnbouÌ„d hir whether he knew the same maide if he saw hir or not yes my lord said he that I do for this same is she that staÌ„deth here I beléeue said he she hath not forgotteÌ„ me no sir said the maide I haue a good cause to remeÌ„ber you you are the man throughe Gods goodnesse that saued my life Then saide the Iudge to the maide I perceiue thou knowest him that vnloosed thée froÌ„ the trée but I thinke that knowst not him that bound thée to the trée yes sir said the maide that I do if I might sée him I know him wel ynough TheÌ„ said the Iudge to hir loke among all that throng if thou can espy him bring him to me then the Wâ—Ì„ch looked among the people espyed hym on whoÌ„ she toke hold saying my Lord I haue him here this is he whoÌ„ the Officers brought then before the Iudge how say you sirra said the Iudge were you at home all the daye as you tolde me or were you at youre Groue this yong Mayden me thinks tels a perfect token that you were from home but he saide nothing why dost thou not speake said the Iudge if thou art not able to speake for thy selfe it wil be harde to finde â—â—ye other that can do it your silence showeth you are not altogither faultlesse this maide hath complayned to me that suche a daye about such an houre one did binde hir fast belike for falling to a trée in such a groue which groue I thinke you wil not denie to be yours and for the better tryall that the Girle doth say true here is an honest maÌ„ hath witnessed that such a morning it was his chaunce to heare hir and find hir wherby he vnbouÌ„d hir and so carried hir home to hir mother for she was not able to go of hir selfe and to say truth both by hir own sayings and by this honest mans reporte she was therby more like to dye than to liue And for that she flatlye affirmeth that you are the man that bound hir to the trée I can not choose but beléeue it the rather for that the groue is yours Then said the rich man my Lord thoughe the groue be mine that proueth not that I bounde hir to the trée neither hir binding doeth argue that I did it that is true saide the Iudge but hir knowing and accusing of you is rather a proofe than a
side and 〈◊〉 with the wrong And to make him more 〈…〉 pleasure me and my friende I will present him 〈◊〉 with such 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 after he maye be the 〈◊〉 willing to take my parte Wel 〈◊〉 the Gentleman if you can bring al this to passe as you say I wil here graunt you my Farme and wil make a lease thereof and to enter on it immediatly after my Tenants lease is expyred and therevpon I take this for a fine so that it be al gold Yes sir said the Farmer it is all golde and that good golde I warrant you And then the said gréedie Gentleman tolde the golde and so tooke it and carryed it away with him Siuqila What followed then Omen Forsooth al this was wroughte as politikely as mighte bée but you shall heare howe the matter fell out within two or thrée moneths before the saide Gentlemans Tenantes lease was expyred according to the custome of our countrey the saide Tenant went to the saide Gentleman his Landlord with a couple of Capons for a good-wil present not a customed gift and saide Sir of good will I haue brought you a couple of Capons to whom the Gentleman saide I thinke you are come rather of necessitie thaÌ„ for good wil or frendship but go to say on what is your wil with me Sir said the Farmer it is not vnknown to you that my lease of my farme is almost out wherfore I come to you according vnto the custome to desire you to make me a newe lease and loe here is besides the Capons that of good wil I giue you one whole yeres rent of my farme as a fine for the same A good custoâ—â— for Farmers Indéede said the Gentleman by the custome of our countrey I ought to make you a newe lease of your Farme paying to me one yeres rent for a fine therfore but you know euery Landlord may let his Farme or ground to whom he list so that the Farmer that dwelleth in it doth agrée thereto that is true saide the Farmer but what meane you by that you knowe wel ynough said the Gentleman what I meane thereby for I am sure you are not ignorant that I haue made a lease of the Farme you now dwel in to an other man and that with your consent sir saide the Farmer I thinke you do but ieste to proue my patience withall I had néede to knowe of it before I consent to it and it were more méete I should know the party to whome I should consent than to consent before I know the partie You knowe him I am sure saide the Gentleman you néede not make the matter so strange he dwelleth not farre from you he is a neyghboure of yours If anye suche saide the Farmer hathe hyred my house ouer my heade wythoute my consent hée maye bée my neighboure but he is no godlye neighboure The trueth is so sir if anye hathe hyred my Farme of you as yet I neyther knowe who it is neither haue I consented to anie suche thing Then saide the Farmers Landlorde I am sure that I haue lette youre Farme and I am certaine that you haue coÌ„sented to the letting of your Farme whether you were druncke or no when you consented to it I knowe not but he was sober inoughe to whome you consented I am sure Wel saide the Farmer all this youre talke is Hebrewe to me for I knowe not what it meaneth Yea but said the Gentleman you shal finde it your owne Countrey spéeche when you féele what it is goe your way you get no Lease of me when your Lease is expyred then you shall knowe who it is that hired it you knowe full well who hathe hired it but that you liste to dallie and worke wiles with me I praye God saide the Farmer that you worke not wiles with me for I vse nothing but plainenesse with you Marke well Oh sir said he wil you degenerate from youre good auncestors will you goe aboute to break the laudable customes of this oure famous Countrie that oure godly fore elders by great wisedome established of their successors continued and now throughout our whole Countrey practized When I came nowe to you I made a full accompte that you woulde not deny me for who is it through al this our countrie of Mauqsun that lâ—ueth our King obeyeth our lawes estéemeth our orders fauoureth our fame regardeth their owne credite and wisheth a generall commoditie to oure Countrie that once will presume to violate or breake our commendable customes and wil you being a worthie Gentleman and of an auncient house of this our countrie contrarie to our good orders and custome putte out me your louing and obedient Tenant without any iuste cause who with my fore-elders haue thus manie thousand yeares dwelled quietlie in the same Let neither glistering gold entice you neither anie Fines allure you nor yet racked Rents procure you to do that in an houre that shall bring your infamie all your life You sée that all your elders that neuer put oute their pore Tenaunts didde liue with worshippe and die with fame and will you by putting out your pore Tenaunte liue with disworship and die with shame You knowe sir that no countrie in all the world hathe wiser Rulers iuster Iudges better lawes nor yet better executed than we haue you heare of sewe that offend the lawe but none vnpunished that offende the lawe therefore foresée the daunger leaste when you woulde you cannot auoide the danger They that procure you to fall I feare can not helpe you vppe Then the Gentleman said shewing himselfe to be angrie away thou prating knaue dost thou tell me my dutie Diuines are daintie Note this when peasaunts do preache Sir said the Tenaunt though I am too simple to preach yet I may be able to giue good counsel Euery welthie head hath not wisdom at wil nor euerie poore fellowe is not fraught with follie wisedome is not alwayes tied to wealth nor foolishenesse is not alwaies knit to pouerty therefore the wiseman wil consider the talke not the talker but fooles regard the talker not the talke wherfore sir the wiser you are the willinglier you wil weigh my wordes Good counsell may do good if it be taken in time but if it come too late it profiteth not And nowe for that perhaps you haue denied mée my Lease only to proue me I wil not shew my selfe obstinate nor be stubborne to you at whose handes I haue my chiefe liuing Therefore as your moste louing and obedient Tenaunt I humbly beséeche you to lette mée haue a newe lease from you of my Farme and here againe I offer vnto you for a fine one whole yeares rent of my Farme To whome the Gentleman saide get thée hence thou shalte haue none other lease of me than thou haste neither will I take thy fine nor accepte thée long for my Tenante and therewith the sorrowfull tenaunte went away Siuqila But I pray you sir did the tenant
whiche was priuily vttered by the Commissioner who was appointed not onely to sée the marriage celebrated betwéene them accordingly but also the other secreate thing performed in all pointes as the Counsel hadde decréede Whiche Iudgement was carried downe thither where the Gentlewoman dwelled by the saide Commissioner And when the day of the mariage approched the Cōmissioner came into the prison to the same wicked Iudge said that the Ruler and the Counsel had giuen iudgement forasmuch as he had taken a Gentlewomans good name from hir by lying with hir Better than he looked for that he should prepare himselfe in the beste manner he coulde to marrye hir thereby to make hir amendes whiche when the treacherous Iudge heard he was the gladdest mā in the world for that was the onelye thing he desired and the cause why hée executed hir husbande And so he prepared himselfe againste the day appointed to marry hir And then the sayd Commissioner went to the saide Gentlewoman whome when she sawe she was maruelous gladde saying sir you are moste hartily welcome I praye you what iudgement haue my Lords of the Counsel giuen on my behalf against the wicked Iudge mine enimie Forsooth saide he as they thinke a verye good and necessarie iudgement thoughe it be not altogither as you desire but in my opinion it is as wise and righteous a iudgement as can be Well sir said shée though it be not according to my contentation yet I must be obedient knowing being wel assured that they are so wise righteous and godly that they will giue none other iudgement but according to equitie iustice and reason and therefore as I haue promised their Honors whatsoeuer iudgement they haue giuen I muste be content and will It is very well saide of you saide he there is no resisting of them and therefore the more willinglier you take it the better they will like of you I praye you sir saide she what is it thoughe I am loath saide he to vtter it vnto you bicause it will not well like you yet I am enforced to tell you of it bycause the Counsell haue commaunded me Spare not I beséeche you saide she to declare it vnto me for if it be any thing that may moue my mind I am determined to arme my selfe with patience I pray you do so saide he for you shall sée that God at the length will turne all things to the best now thus it is the chiefe Ruler and the reste of the Honorable Lordes of the Counsell haue giuen their iudgement and fully decréed that against suche a day you shall prepare your selfe in most sober and comely wise to be married vnto him for they thinke that the infamie you haue receiued by hym Worse than she looked for can be salued by no meanes so wel as by being his wife and to be married vnto him therfore prepare you for it accordingly for there is no remedy but you muste performe this their decrée and iudgement whiche when she hadde hearde she waxed as pale as was possible whereby it appeared that inwardly she was not a little vexed and troubled And wythin a while after she saide shall I nowe marry hym that hathe cruelly killed my louing husbande whom he promised mée to saue and spoiled me of my faith and honestie whiche I can neuer recouer againe to haue the life of my husbande made me to goe to his bed loathfully and can the death of my husbande make me to lye with him willingly Oh I woulde to God that the Counsell hadde not respected so muche mine honestie as to make me doe that I deteste more than death I had rather a thousande times liue in shame than to marry him that is cause of my shame Then said he to hir againe Did not you tell me that you would arme your selfe with patience thoughe I shoulde tell you that did trouble your minde I saide so indéede but when I saide so thoughe all things were not so wel as I would yet I did not thinke that it was so euill as it is to marry him is the thing he moste desireth but to be marryed to him is the thing that I moste abhorre whereby he shall haue a ioyful life that hathe deserued a cruell death but thereby I shall haue a sorrowfull death that oughte rather haue a ioyfull lyfe I hoped that the daye appoynted for his marying with me shoulde rather haue béene the daye of hys death for so shamefully abusing me Well I will obey theyr commaundementes trusting thereby that my sorrowe shall ende and whereas that nighte he thinketh that I shall bée bedded wyth hym I hope that then I shall be buried by my selfe There was neuer a sorrowfuller Bride than I shall be but looke what you haue willed me I will doe it and what the Counsel haue iudged I wyll performe it And then he toke his leaue of hir and departed Omen This was not suche a iudgement as shée looked for nor yet as the wicked Iudge didde hope to haue But didde she come at the daye appoynted to be marryed vnto him Siuqila Yea that she did thoughe it was full sore against hir will for in the same morning he was ready at the churche a good while before she came for if he had béene so vnwilling as she he woulde not haue come so soone as he did And at the laste she came in hir mourning apparell thinking the would weare the same at hir owne dolefull marriage that she did weare at hir husbandes death And so to conclude they were both married togither wherof he was as glad as she was sorrowfull And when they were marryed and as he was aboute to go home with his newe wofull wife the saide Commissioner saide sir you muste stay a little this Gentlewoman youre wife hathe performed all the iudgements that on hir parte are to be done but thoughe you haue done some yet you haue not done al there is one péece yet behinde for you to performe What is that said the Iudge for I wil do it willingly then said the Commissioner not so willingly I beléeue as you were marryed vnlesse you are willing to goe to youre death whereat the Iudge was astonied and then the Commissioner saide to him A wise and worthy iudgement nay there is no remedy the Counsels iudgemente is that immediately after you are married you muste bée executed therefore prepare youre selfe for I muste sée it done presently And as for you Gentlewoman saide he you were beste goe to dinner and not tarry for youre husbande for he hath an other parte to play O saide the Gentlewoman blessed be God that hathe giuen vs suche wise and godlye Counsellours that haue gyuen suche a worthy iudgement the death of my firste husband did not make mée so wofull a Widowe but the death of my seconde husbande dothe make me as ioyful a Widow Here was a sodaine change for whereas before the Bridegroome was mery and the Bride sad
when his lease was expyred go willingly oute of his Farme or didde hys Landlord thruste him out by force Omen Forsooth neither for he tarryed in it stil would not go out but kept possession thereof so that he that hyred the saide Farme ouer his heade complained of him to the Iudge who was his owne sonne thinking that he woulde weigh with him altogither being his father Siuqila It was very like so therefore it was maruaile that he durste stande so againste his Landlord and against him that had hyred his Farme considering the Iudge was his sonne Omen Yea you and they of your Countrey may maruaile at it wel ynoughe for perhappes some Iudges with you woulde haue fauoured their fathers cause thoughe it had not bene altogither right Siuqila That is verye like for there haue bene Iudges with vs ere nowe that haue wincked at the right and haue fauored such as had neither right nor good title in the thing they sued for and yet was neither theyr father mother sister nor brother nor any kinne at all to them Omen Then perhappes they greased them in the hands with the golden ointment whiche hathe as greate vertue to allure wicked Iudges as consanguinitie or kinred But this Farmer whose house was hyred from him did assure himselfe that the Iudges of Mauqsun are so righteous godly and fear God so much that neither loue of theyr kinred fauor of theyr friendes nor yet bribes of strangers coulde make them once tread awry besides that he knew ful wel that if the Iudge shoulde weigh with the wrong and doe contrary to equitie and iustice that then we haue suche a louing affable diligent and righteous King that if anye pore man complaine to him of wrong done to him by any whatsoeuer he were he woulde heare the matter himselfe and whether he were Lorde Ruler or Iudge that did the party wrong he should be sure to pay ful dearly for it according to the law without any hope of remission or pardon And therfore this Farmer did not feare his righteous matter at al though the Iudge was son to his enimy so that wheÌ„ the Iudges father had coÌ„playned to his son as is before said making to his son a very plain smooth matter of it as hée told the tale the Iudge then said father I much muse that the said Farmer would first consent be willing The wise saying of the Iudge that you should haue his Farme after his yeres were expyred nowe after his lease is ended to withstaÌ„d you not suffer you to enter into the same so much that rather for that he knoweth you are my deare father that I loue estéem you aboue all erthly creatures who may very well think that if I will aide help the widow fatherlesse straÌ„gers that I know not to their right that then I wil not suffer you to take any wrong Therfore it séemeth that either he is a noughtie obstinate or foolish fellow or that he was druÌ„ke when he conseÌ„ted agréed to your taking of his Farme or else it séemeth that you go about to do him wrong presuming that rather to prosecute your preteÌ„ded matter against him in hope to obtaine your desire for that I am your son that muste be Iudge of the cause but father I haue such a good opinion in you that you wil neither go about to do any man wrong neither bring any false matter before me And therfore I am perswaded that the foolish Farmer of some set purpose doth withstand resist you to whom his father then said do you think son that I would séeke mine owne shame your reproch be bolde I wil not that you may credite my matter the better loe here are thrée witnesses that were by when he conseÌ„ted agréed that I should take a lease of his Farme here is the Gentleman his landlord that will affirm the same And then the Gentleman said to the Iudge my Lord you know we haue a law that they that haue any laÌ„ds houses or grouÌ„d here in the country of Mauqsun may neither put out their tenants but for certain great vrgeÌ„t causes which I am not able to lay proue agaiÌ„st my late farmer neither may take anie fines other than the accustomed fine which is one yeres rent nor yet may enhance their rents Therfore séeing I cannot take anie in-come of anie A sâ—ttle saying neither raise or enhaÌ„ce my rents to what end should I put out my Tenant that hath paid my rent truly vsed himself honestly vnlesse he were willing consenting thereto you say very true said the Iudge that matter séemeth to be very apparaÌ„t but I maruell that he shoulde be so willing before so vnwilling now Belike said the GeÌ„tleman he was either not wel aduised wheÌ„ he did consent to it or else it may he that he thoght himself sure of some other house or Farm to be in at the time of his coÌ„sent and now caÌ„not haue the same wherby he repeÌ„ts that he so fondly agreed so thinketh by force to kéep it and to desude your good nature by one meane or other Then the Iudge said it wer a follie for him so to think for he may be sure that I am not such a foole but that I can finde out the truth that I wil not take his part in wrong to be against my father in right If he hadde bin disappointed of an other house contrarie to his expectation it had bin his best way to come to me to desire me to intreate my father to be good vnto him to suffer him to enioy his Farme still which I assure you I would haue done I thinke my father would haue done so much at my request Yea son said he I would haue done more for you than that Then saide the Iudge I wil send for the Farmer hither and sée what he can saie for himself It shal not néed said his father here is euidence inough therfore I pray you procéed according to the law â—ay father said the Iudge you shal hold me excused therin that better euidence witnes you haue the lesse hath he our lawe wil not suffer that any maÌ„ be prosecuted or condeÌ„ned but that he must haue knowlege therof to speake for himself or some other for him You shal be sure that he caÌ„ do you no wrong as long as I am Iudge And therfore I wil send for him your thrée witnesses here besides your own credite this gentlemans wil soone make an end of this matter And also I wil persuade him to yéeld possession to you by gentle meanes otherwise I wil tel him that law wil enforce him thereto with further losse whether he wil or no. Then he said to his son I pray you doe let it be as quickly dispatched as maye be And then the Iudge immediately sent an officer for him at whose coÌ„mandemeÌ„t he came by
consented to the making of my fathers Lease by you though he wil not fully affirme it But will you tell me truely of one thing that I shall aske you sayde the Iudge to whome the Gentleman aunswered Yea sir that I will if I can But do not fable with mée sayde the Iudge for if you should make a lie to me in this case therby you should incurre no smal danger by the Lawe if it bée knowne therfore before you speake aduise your self wel Were you presente or did you heare this Farmer when he consented agréed that you shuld make my father a Lease of his Farme Wher at the Gentleman mused and stayde and sayde nothing Then the Iudge saide I perceiue you followe my counsell for you take good aduisement before you speak Though I bad you be aduised what you saye yet my meaning was not that you should say nothing and not to speake at all Why doe you not answere to my demaunde If you be sure that you hearde him speake it what néed you feare to say so If you did not then tel me accordingly But all this whyle the Gentleman would say neuer a word It seemeth sayd the Iudge that this my question doth driue him to a narowe strait for he thinks if he should say that he heard him not speak it and my father and the other witnesses should before affirme the contrarie then he should bring a great suspition to his matter If he shoulde affirme that hée heard him speake it and they before denied it then he should be punished by the lawe for a Liar Gentleman Gentleman said the Iudge your being mute shewes you are driuen to a mischiefe and this your silence bringeth a maruellous suspition This is very strange that you are thus tong tied so sodainely Where some marre their matter with speaking too much you meane to amende it by holding your peace and saying too little Wel seeing you wil not aunswere me I wil no further trouble you therein I perceiue you did not heare him speake it whiche you are as loth to vtter least you should proue them liers which hath confest it as to tel a lie for feare of your owne punishment They needed not to haue called you for a witnesse herein for they were foure besides you and fewer are sufficieÌ„t for the trial of truth be the Lawe yet it had bene most requisite that this Farmer shoulde haue consented to your selfe for the making of a Lease to my father considering you coulde not do it without his good wil and agréement wherein I must néedes say there was a great ouersight in you But their witnessing of the matter is sufficient whereby your Lease must néedes be good that you made to my father but though before you woulde not aunswere by demaunde yet I beséech you to graunte this my request what is that saide the Gentleman being wel coÌ„forted with the Iudges pollitike words forsooth said the Iudge this Farmer I perceiue doth mourn for that he feareth he shal lose his Farme and the more for that he hath neuer a house to dwel in A good policy to try him whose case I do pittie And for that I haue gotten my fathers good wil that he shall haue it againe I beseech you doe so much at my request as to make him a lease of the same he shall pay you your due Fine therefore and so you maye repaie my father his fine againe Wherat he séeâ—â—d more sad than hée was and paused a good while and at length saide I am verye loth to doe it he deserueth but small fauour at my hande neyther haue you anie suche cause to speake for him considering he knewe that youre fathers lease was made with his consent and yet refused your bountiful offer saying that he woulde not yéelde his good will therein whiche as appeareth was as good as nothing for fiue thousand pounde though now he is like to lose it for a great deale lesse wherefore I beséech you perswade me no further therin for he shal neuer haue it Wel seeing you wil not do so much for my sake saide the Iudge I must néedes thinke my self the lesse beholden to you the thing is your own you may do what you wil I cannot compell you but hereof I am sure if you coulde be as wel contente to take him for your Tenant as he is to accepte you for his Landlorde you would not put him from it and to say trueth in my hearing he hath curteously vsed himself towards you and before as I am credibly informed wherby you haue no cause to be so ernest against him You know that none can giue you a greater Fine nor more Rente than he doeth and therefore there is no reason why you should be so desirous to put forth your olde auntiente and honest Tenaunt No reason indeede for a new Tenant without any commoditie whose conditions and honestie you haue not so wel tryed Marke the sentence of Christ which is Whatsoeuer you would that other doe to you doe euen the same to them coÌ„sider if you were his Tenaunte in this case and he were your Landlord would you be content that he shoulde turne you out of his house and let it to another I thinke you would not therfore as you would not haue Christ to turne you out of his house in Heauen Good counsel so turne not this your poore Tenaunt out of youre house on earth Though I woulde graunte it him saide the Gentleman I thinke your father woulde not release his right therein I tolde you before saide the Iudge that I had gotten my fathers good will therein therefore if you will graunt him your good will I shoulde thinke my self much bound vnto you sir said the Gentleman for that he hath yeelded vp his interest I wil be aduised thâ—â—in it maye be that hereafter vppon some better consideration I may be allured but as yet I will not Now sayde the Iudge that you haue giuen me a full answere I know wheretoo to trust but séeing you thinke you haue done with me I muste procéede further for I haue not done with you Bicause you are so straight laced against your honest Farmer and that you are so desirous to haue my father your Tenaunt and to put him out it is impossible but something doeth driue you to do it for as I said before if you haue no gret Fine nor more Rent for it than you had of this man there is no reson to lead you to change your honest known Tenant in whoÌ„ you can finde no fault as you confessed before for a straunger whose conditions you know not therefore I am fully perswaded that you haue or shal haue a greater Fine or more Rente or rather both than you should haue of this Farmer as before he wisely surmised wherefore tel me truely lie not as you will auoide the danger therof how much did my father giue you for a Fine then the
Surely it is pittie it should be so suffred there riseth a great inconuenience therby They that should help to ease the poore are an occasion of empouerishing the poore and they that haue their Farmes cheapest do sel their commodities dearest Siuqila It is so they that kéep their corne butter and chéese vnto the laste ende doe saye that were it not for the kéeping of their corne in store with their other profits the markets would be vnserued so that it is for a Common wealth and that therfore they are to be commended Omen Their wordes shewe fairer than their déedes do declare I would say that they meant wel and that they did it for a Common wealth if they did sell then their corne and coÌ„modities by the same price or cheaper as the other sold theirs that first serued the markets or that were driuen to sel soon to serue their necessitie But bicause they sel them dearer it is manifest that they kéep their corne and coÌ„modities so long vnsold rather for their own gaine than for the commoditie of their Countrie Such an enormitie would not be suffred with vs. Siuqila That and many moe are daily permitted with vs. Well thoughe your Countrie excéeds all the Countries in the Worlde for good Landlordes yet we haue diuers as I said before that are so godlie and zealous that they will neyther raise their Rentes neither put out any of their Tenantes vnlesse it be for some great and woorthie cause And amongest all others I will tell you of one whose example I would to God that manie would followe Omen You haue told me of diuers abuses in your Countrie tell me nowe of one good example Siuqila With all my heart I heard it credibly tolde that a noble man with vs of great fame of good report and generally welbeloued had a certaine Tenant who though he hadde his Farme without Fine and by the olde Rent yet prospered but meanely therâ—â— nigh whom or not very farre off diwelled one more gréedie than godlie An excellent example of a good Landlord and more couetous than charitable that went to the owner of thesame Farme who when he came to him saide It may please your Honour to vnderstande that you haue a Farme in such a place and such a man dwelleth in it if you will be so good as to let mée be your Tenante I will giue you thus much for a Fine I can not lette it vnto you sayd the owner of the Farm for there is a Tenant in it alredy whoÌ„ I would be loth to put out Sir said the fellow he is a very yll husband and he doth not thriue on it surely I thinke he either doth not pay you his Rente or else shortly I feare he wil not be able to pay it Trowest thou so said the Lord of the Farme belike he is an il husband for he hath his Farme cheape ynough Wel said the Nobleman come to me such a day and I wil theÌ„ talk further with thée And so the same Caterpiller that desired his neighbours Farme departed After which the said Nobleman sent for his Tenant to whome he said when he was come to him sirra I vnderstand that you are a very ill husbande and can not thryue on the Farme that you haue of me And moreouer that you do not pay me my Rent and that within a while you will not be able to pay it you runne so farre behinde hand I beséech your Honour said the Tenant to credit no further of me than I deserue the truth is I must confesse that I haue not much prospered on it but the same is neither through negligence nor ill husbandry for my stock is much decresed through the death of my Cattell besides many other great losses hindrances that I haue had but as for your Rent what shift so euer I made I thank God I haue alwayes paide it from time to time and neuer haue bene behinde withal nor I trust neuer to be which if you wil not credit your Bailie I am sure will not deny but that he hath at euery Rent day receiued it Then saide the Nobleman if it be so as you say I am the more glad I am sure you payde no Fine for it neither haue I raised your Rente therefore it would gréeue me if you should not thriue on it especially through euil husbandrie As for losses otherways as the death of your Cattel and other casualties you must be coÌ„tent and giue God thanks therfore God can will prosper you better when it pleaseth him wherefore take paciently thankfully what he doth send for pouertie and riches come both from him And if you decay or be empouerished so it be not by your own follie you shal not want aide of mée therfore play the good husband The Lord saue your life said his Tenant Then sayd the Nobleman thou maist sée I haue dealt well with thée for I haue bin offred roundly to displace thée which some would not haue refused And bicause thou shalt be sure this is true come such a day to me and thou shalt heare more but be of good chéer for neither monie nor frendship shall allure me sée thou faile not to be with me as I haue apointed thée Wherwith his pore Tenant was faine and went merily away Omen What followed then procéed on in your tale Siuqila At the day apointed they both came as he willed theÌ„ but before the gréedie Fine-offrer came the poore Tenant was placed priuily behinde a cloth where he might heare what was said And then the Nobleman said welcom my frend hast thou brought me the monie that thou offredst me for a Fine for my Farme to whome he gladly answered Yea sir that I haue to whom the Nobleman saide I perceyue thou knewest I lacked monie so I do in déed it could not come in a better time than now But I pray thée tel me one thing is my Tenante an vnthrist or an yll husband that now hath it Yea truly sir said he he is a very pore man and far behind hand and it is thought he wil not in a whyle be able to pay the Rente I tell you for good wil as you shall finde it If it be so said he I am beholding to thée wel it is méet to haue witnesses at our bergaine and therwith his pore Tenant came from behinde the cloth who heard all that was spoken whom when the other saw he was something amased thinking then that al was not well And then the Nobleman sayde to his Tenante you may sée sirra that I may haue a good fine for my Farme of this man wheras I had none of thée who though he giue me a Fine for it yet hopeth to prosper on it though thou without a Fine canst not prosper theron Besides that this man telleth me that thou arte not able to pay me my Rent nay it should séem that it is vnpayde already Sir saide
medicine whome when he sawe he drew forth his Sword and without any further debating of the matter he fought with him and so at the length killed him Omen His wiues wise talk was manifested by this he had bene better to haue performed his promise that hée made to hir What a mischief therby wroght he to himself and what sorow brought he to his wise and louing wife It was maruell that it killed hir not as soone as she heard it Siuqila Truly when she heard that hir husbande was in prison and what was the cause she swouned presentely and they that were about hir had much a do to get any life in hir Was not here a goodlie gaine that he got by his fighting As she said neither pacience nor reason was with him when he gaue the other his Deathes wounde Here we may sée that all wisedom lies not in men and al folly and mischief is not in women But after like a wise woman she brydled hir sorrowe as wel as she could and went about to mend the mischief aswel as she might according to the lesson she gaue hir husbande before whiche is this Wisedome willeth vs to heare things aduisedly to take them paciently to mende mischiefs politikely A saying to be noted or if they be past helpe to aâ—oide the like wisely And so with as much conuenient spéed as she might she got hir to the saide yong Iudge before mentioned in whome for his wisedome godlinesse and pietie she had suche a good opinion that she thought through hir humble sute and pittiful mone he would finde some one meane or other to saue hir husbandes life And when she came before him she knéeled vnto him and with wéeping teares saide O worthie Iudge as you are counted a moste wise and mercifull Iudge now shew that in effect which is bruted of you in talke and saue an Innocents life that lieth in your hands to destroy To whom the Iudge said stand vp GentlewomaÌ„ it wil gréeue me to sée you stand much more to knéele therfore without any more bidding sit downe by me and I will not onely heare you but also helpe you if I be able so that equitie do allowe and iustice do bid hoping that your matter is such that both these wil agrée vnto it for that mée thought your request was to haue me to saue an Innocents life and to saue an Innocents life a smal sute shal serue And therewith he toke hir gently by the hande and caused hir to sit downe by him who said to the Iudge then In déed sir I saide so for I am that Innocent touching any law of Death that lieth in your handes to saue or to kill not that any matter is laid against me worthie of Death but my life being an Innocent in this case hangeth on another mannes life that is not innocent whose life to saue lieth only in your hands I pray you sayde the Iudge tell me your matter and cause as briefly and plainely as you can and what I may do lawfully I will perfourme it willingly The truth is so saide the Gentlewoman I am the wife of suche a Gentleman that killed a man of late whose cause I come not to defend but for whom I come to craue mercy I nowe knowe your matter sayd the Iudge I lament his missehap and I pittie your case You know Gentlewoman it hardly lies in me to saue whom the law doth condemne especially him whose facte is so manifest and which by no meanes can be denied O sir saide she it were very straite that you being a Iudge so well thought of and of such great authoritie that you can not shewe iustice with mercie and lawe with fauour You knowe sayde hée againe I am sworne to doe equitie and iustice according And you are not ignorante that both Gods law and our law willeth without any redemtion to kill him that killeth and to shead his bloude that shead it And should I doe iustice if I should saue your husband who willingly killed a Gentleman of late that was not determined to fight with him who vnwares set vpon him and so hée was slaine whom the law would haue fauoured in defending himselfe Therefore Gentlewoman cease your sute for it lieth not in my handes to helpe you but if I coulde I would not For if I shoulde saue your husbande in this case I shoulde gette more shame and slaunder by this one thing than I haue gotten good reporte by all the iustice and equitie that I haue done since I came in Office I blame not you for suing for your husbande in so euill a cause whiche you doe for loue but euery one would blame mée for graunting your request in so euill a cause A lamentable suter which they would say I did for monie O sir said the Gentlewoman and began againe to knéele but he woulde not suffer hir the Gentleman is deade and the death of my husbande will not make him liue againe which if it might doe so I woulde not be so importunate herein therefore I beseech you as euer you came of a woman or as you will haue Christ to be mercifull to you that was borne of a woman kill not two moe for one that is deade alreadie For I assure you I loue my husband so déerly that if he die I am most sure that I shall not long liue Oh I woulde to God that one frende might die for another as one man doth pay monie or is imprisoned for another then I that am most woefull would quickly be ioyfull For then he should not die but I would die for him But seing that can not bée O most worthy Iudge stretch out your power and finde out some way or meane to saue my husbands life What so euer you ask me you shall haue and what so euer you will haue mée to doe I will doe it Let my vehement wordes penetrate your mercifull hearte if there bée any sparke of pittie or any droppe of mercie in you shewe it nowe vpon mée your most humble seruaunte which am readie if herein you pleasure mée to runne at your horsse héeles or to doe the vilest drudgerie that you can set me too Surely Gentlewoman saide hée you are the most importunate suter that euer I knewe I perceiue where you may haue yea you will haue no nay If your husbande should escape hée is bounde to make muche of you I thinke if you were in his case hée neither woulde nor coulde sue so earnestly for you O yes saide the Gentlewoman it is his great loue hée doth beare mée that causeth me to sue for him so vehementlye You knowe sir what I haue saide from which I will not swarue therefore I beséeche you sende me not away without some comforte for if you doe I am most assured that vnlesse you make good haste I shal be deade before my husbande Then the Iudge took the Gentlewoman by the hand and said I will aduise my selfe this
and saide neighbour there is no remedie I must be so bold to enter and dwel in this house that I boughte of you for that my interest therein is alreadie begunne but chiefely that my Landlord is come home to whome I muste néedes giue place in hys owne house Well neighbour saide he I can not denie but that I haue solde it vnto you but if I had knowne so muche as I doe nowe I woulde not haue putte it awaye for the trueth is so I am disappointed of my house which I told you is aboue twentie myles hence therefore if you woulde stay but one Seuenight I shoulde thinke my selfe much beholden vnto you and in the meane space I wil laye out for another and if I cannot get one by that time yet I wil make such shifte that then I wil remoue from hence and suffer you quietly to enter on your own wel saide his sickly neighbour I doe not doubte to get my Landlords good wil to tarrie in his house so long and therefore tarrie you here this seuenight for I dare presume so much of him And then at the seuenights ende his neyghbour came to him at whiche time he was remouing his goods and stuffe from thence to whom he saide then nowe neyghboure I perceiue you are true of your word And so this sickly Farmer entred quietly on his neighbours Farme that he bought And at the last when the other hadde almoste remoued all his goods from thence this sickly Farmer said to him now neyghbor tel me are you driuen to lye within another man for the time or haue you got a Farme of your owne no I thanke God said he I haue gotten at the laste one of mine owne whiche I haue gotten within this seuenighte for when you gaue me leaue to tarrie vntil this time in your house I promise you I knew not then that it woulde be solde but as good hap was a very friend of mine séeing me in suche a distresse for wante of a house tolde me that this Farme that I haue now got would be sold wherevppon I made haste to the partie that oughte it and so I made short worke considering my greate necessitie and haue now made it sure though I payde for my pleasure I pray you neyghboure saide the other lyeth it in a good soyle and is it farre hence no saide he it is within this foure or fiue miles and it is verye good grounde and lyeth in a good soyle Whereaboute saide he doth it lye and of whom did you buy it wot you of whome saide the other no surely saide he how shoulde I know vnlesse you tel me truely saide the other I had verye good lucke to hit of it it is the Farme that you did sende me to buy for you which then by no meanes he would sel but nowe of late whatsoeuer the cause was he was enforst to sel it Wel said the other I would it had bin my chaunce to haue knowne that for then I would not haue bought yours And said the other I would not haue sold you my Farme if I had not thought my selfe sure of the Farme twentie miles hence that was promised me But I thanke God now as it chaunst saide he I hapned as wel Then sayd his neighbour that bought his but now there is no remedie said he God sende you to do wel of yours and God graunte I maye prosper on myne and so they departed Siuqila That felow was a craftie Harlot that sold his Farme for I smel the circumstaunces of the matter that he defrauded his neighbor of that at the first when he put him in trust to buy it for him Omen He didde so in déede but hys good meaning neyghbour coulde not perceiue it neither didde mistrust him but as crafte and disceite haue neuer good ende so trueth bewrayeth falshod by one mean or other for not long after one that dwelled in the same Towne where this craftie fellowe had bought the Farme chaunst to be in the companye of this sickely Farmer who when he knewe that he dwelled there saide one of our neighbours hath gotten a good Farme with you as I vnderstande I praye you what paide he for it forsooth saide the other as I hearde it reported he hadde it cheape ynough for he paide vnder twentie poundes for it yea saide the beguiled Farmer I woulde haue giuen thirtie poundes a quarter of a yeare since for it and I sente him worde by the same man that nowe hath boughte it but he woulde not then forgo it thoughe before he was determined to sel it Then said the other he hath sold it now for a good deale lesse And so there was no more talk of it at that time but as soone as this fellowe came home hée went to him that hadde solde the saide Farme for he bare hym good will and saide you haue solde youre Farme verye cheape as I vnderstand I would said he that I had solde it cheaper so that it had bin to such a one as would haue kept touche with me paide me my mony at my day Then said the other did you not receiue al your mony therfore presētly no nor scāt half said he Then saide the fellowe I was in companie of a verie honest man of late that woulde haue giuen you thirtie pounde for it or more rather than he woulde haue gone without it then saide he he shoulde haue had it if I had knowne so much he told me himselfe saide the fellow that about a quarter of a yeare since he would haue bought it hearing then that you were determined to sell it and thervpon he sent you word thereof that is not so saide the other or else if he sente vnto me to buy it the message was not done vnto me can you tel saide he by whom hée sent that message marrie saide the felowe he sente the message by him that nowe hath boughte it of you is it euen so saide he then I smell a Ratte who is it I pray you that tolde you thus and that sent me word aboute the buying of my Farme then he tolde him who it was and where he dwelled and so he gaue him thankes and then the one departed from the other Siuqila I beléeue he that solde the Farme thought long vntil he spake with the same man that sent him such word that woulde so faine haue bought it Omen That is verie true for the next daye after he wente vnto him and saide I vnderstand that you sent a neighbour of yours aboute a quarter of a yeare since for the buying of a Farme for you that is in such a place Then the beguiled Farmer saide I did so indéede I praye you saide the other what woulde you haue giuen for it with a good wil forsooth said hée I bad him offer in my behalfe thirtie pounde for it and more rather than faile And what aunswere brought he you againe saide the other he tolde me said the
neighbour to buye or conclude for the same Farme for you forsooth saide he my Lorde I am sure it was about the same time Then said the Iudge I haue another witnesse here that wil I trow agree with you both and then he looked on the quittance A good witnes and he founde that it was dated and sealed the same daye that the man saide he receiued his money loe said the Iudge how iumpe and iustly is truth tryed by tryall if falshod be not suborned with friendship money or giftes she could neuer preuaile as in many places she doeth These craftie and wicked wretches do tie one mischiefe to another linke diuelish practises togither for when this craftie fellowe had defrauded hys neighbour that putte him in truste of the Farme he lefte not there but practised to deceiue this other man of the one halfe of hys money and whereas he solde him hys Farme whyche woulde bring hym to wealth he practised to beguile hym of his money to bring him to pouertie therefore stande neare sayde the Iudge thou false and craftie fellowe I muste néeds procéede againe againste thée in iudgement and the seconde iudgemente will be worse than the first And now for that thou didst make a lye to thy neighbour whiche put thée in truste telling hym that this manne woulde not sell the Lease of his Farme whereby thou deceiuedst him and boughte it from him which lye was to his great hindrance and the cause he had it not my iudgement is that for the space of two monthes more for thys only without any paying any thing to him for that as the matter falleth out he shal be otherwaies recōpēst thou shalt not speak to any body vnlesse before a Iudge or Ruler as is before said And shal also al the while weare on thy sléeue and an H. an L for a Hurtful Lyer bicause thou hast deceiued thy neighbor of the Farme which he put thée in trust to buy for him therefore my iudgemēt is that he shal haue the Lease of the same enioy it as wel as though he had bought it paying to thée againe the xx l. which thou hast must pay for it bycause thou didst giue lesse than thy neighbour did offer for it by .x. l. therefore he shal occupie enioy thy Farme which thou sold vnto thy neighbour for the space of ten yeres And sée that thou performe this iudgement as thou wilt auoyde a greter danger And as thou likest this saide the Iudge deceiue thy neighbour againe that doeth put thée in trust Siuqila Out of al doubt he was rightly serued your law in this case is a very good law if we had such a law with vs so wel executed so many would not be defrauded by them they trust Omen Are not they thus handled with you that beguile thē that put them in trust Siuqila No no we haue no such law for thē I feare if there were their doings wold not be so narrowly sifted nor their offēces so duely corrected Nay rather with vs one that is put in trust may buy enioy any thing frō his neighbor with his own mony the thing wil be rather laughed at than lamēted he that is defrauded shal be rather mocked than moned I can tell you as pretie a tricke as this that was done with vs but the defrauder was not therfore so handled as with you Omen I pray you tel it and I wil giue you the hearing Si. I wil not stick for yt. There was a Gētlemā vnderstood that certain lād other cōmodities wold be sold that very resonably which lay so necessary for his purpose that he could not haue wisht it better And for that he was aged not wel able to ride trauel also hauing a son both of good wit dexteritie knowledge being very wel acquainted able to make good friends called his son vnto him said son I vnderstand that such a house Land with other cōmodities will be solde and for that the same lyeth so necessarie for me as is possible I woulde haue thee to trauel therin for me whiche thou mayest easlier doe and bring to passe than I for that thou art better able to trauell hast more knowledge therein father saide his sonne I am at your commaundement and wil trauel therein as much as I am able I doubting neuer a whit to bring this your desire to passe Then saide his father if thou dost wel for me thou canst not do ill for thy selfe wherefore I would haue thée to goe about it with all spéede and thou shalt carrie so much money with thée as wyll purchase the same and in any wise purchase it in my name to me my heires for euer Thē said his sō father in whose name else should I purchace it the mony is yours that shall buy it then must the lands be yours that owes the mony therfore doubt not I wil do al things herein for you in such order that you shal haue a good cause to think better of me if it be possible you may Wel said his father I do not doubt but thou wilt And then his son toke his leaue of his father carried the mony with him for the purchasing of the same who within a while after what throgh his trauel what through friendship what through rewards he purchased the same and had it vnder seale and so made him readie to go homeward to his father Omen But I praye you tel me did he purchase it in his fathers name or not Siuqila Belike he had forgottē his fathers name therfore he put in his owne name which he remembred better Omen A good son if he had bin hanged a while a sunning to drye it must néedes grieue his father when he hearde of it Siuqila That is not to be doubted Wel to procéed with this fraudulent sonne to his faithful father he made as much spéede homewarde as he coulde rather glad of his Lands that he had got falsely than ashamed of the defrauding of his father And assoone as he came home his father reioysing at his comming said sonne thou arte welcome home howe haste thou spedde forsooth father saide he I haue spedde verye wel I thanke God I haue gone through with the purchase then sayde his father then I may take possession of it when I will No father sayde he you muste not take possession it is I that muste take possession for to put you out of doubt I pray you be not angrye I haue purchased it in mine owne name notwithstanding it shal be at your commaundement which when his father heard he toke it so grieuously especially for that his owne sonne serued him so that he liued not long after but dyed euen for very sorow Omen Such a son is better to hang than to holde oh that hée had dwelled in our country he should haue ben so handled and hāpred that
whitte Tel me sayd the Iudge what occasion had you to come to mée whome she answered saying It may please your Lordship to vnderstand that yesternight as I was walking in the streate a good man mette with mée who did not only giue me mony to relieue me and my daughter but also told me that he would speake to you concerning my cause and sute Then he sayd In déed one spake to mée and sayde that such a Rich man hath missused thy daughter and to complaine on him therfore was the onely cause of your comming hither at this time In déede sayde shée that is true therefore if it will please you to heare all the whole matter and howe he hath abused my daughter I will declare it as briefly as I can Tell it saide the Iudge and I will heare thée willingly for I am appointed to sit heare euerye bodies complaint that commeth hither Therefore be bolde to declar◠thy whole cause and I will both heare thée willingly and take thy parte in right most spéedily Then shée sayde The Lorde saue your life O worthie Iudge but sayde the Iudge doth not thy complainte tende altogither to the myssusing of thy daughter Yes my Lorde sayde shée Then it were more requisite saide the Iudge that thy daughter shoulde tell hir owne tale for none knoweth it better than shée That is true sayde the pore Woman And then the Iudge commaunded hir daughter to speake and to reueale all the truthe of the matter vnto him And then hir daughter sayde to the Iudge as followeth My Lorde this noughtie Riche and vnmerciful man which is my moothers neighboure walked of late through a Groue of his in whiche through my mothers commaundement I was gathering a fewe olde and rotten sticks to make my moother and me a fire at home for it was verye colde weather who when hée sawe mée hée was in suche a rage and furie with mée that my humble knéeling on my knées coulde not once moue him to forgiue me nor haue compassion on me So that he tooke and tyed mée faste vnto a trée in the same Woodde and suffered mée to bée there faste and woulde not vnbynde mée but lefte me there crying wayling and lamenting most pittifully and there did I so remaine all the whole night A tyrannous parte faste bound vnto the foresayd trée where I thinke I shoulde haue dyed through colde and for wante of foode if throughe the goodnesse of almightie GOD one had not come the nexte morning and loosed mée that hearde my pitifull lamentation mourning and crying At which time when I was vnbounde I was neither able to goe nor stande and then the man that vnloosed mée séeing mée in that pittyfull case being bothe a godlie and a mercyfull manne hée didde leade me home to my mothers house A godly man by little and little as wel as he could And for that hée perceyued my moother to be a very poore Woman he did then giue my moother mony to relieue hir self and mée withall Doest thou knowe the man saide the Iudge that thus did loose thée and leade thée home vnto thy mother Yea that I doe sayde shée and also where he doth dwell Then the Iudge saide vnto the poore woman I will fence for the man that thus hath myssused thy daughter and also for him that did vnbinde thy daughter and brought hir home whereby they shal apere before me at my next sitting in the open Court and in the meane space both you shall haue meate drinke and lodging in my house And then the pore woman and hir daughter humbly gaue him thankes Siuqila This was a godly Iudge in déede he respected and regarded that there was and is a generall Iudge in Heauen that will bée mercifull to all godlie and righteous Iudges on Earth and that wil so iudge the cruel vnrighteous affectionate and corrupte Iudges that they shall goe to the euerlasting prison of Hell where they shall remaine in endelesse tormentes without any fauour or mercie vnlesse they repent in time but what followed I pray you did the Iudge sende for them Omen You néede not doubte that whiche men when they came before the Iudge neither of them knewe wherefore hée sente for them at whiche time the sayde poore woman and hir daughter were priuily placed not farre off And then the Iudge sayde to the Riche man that had myssused the poore womans daughter I pray you tell mée where you were such a day and about such an houre of the same day Whereat the Riche man being something amased saide nothing You do well sayde the Iudge to take good aduisement for you know it is better especially in this place to speake the truth leysurely than to tel a lie rashly why doe you not speake sayde the Iudge Forsooth my Lorde sayde the Rich man I can not well tell I haue almost forgotten Then sayde the Iudge if I had asked you where you were a tweluemoneth or halfe a yeare since then you might rather forgette than remember it but séeing this is so lately not past thrée or foure dayes since it séemeth that eyther your memorie is verie euill or else that the matter which you then did goe about was not very good nor in any respecte commendable But I am of this opinion that if you had bin robbed of youre goods or your body wel beaten a quarter or half a yeare since you woulde haue remembred the day and the verye time of the day of the doing therof therfore plucke vp your wittes and remember your selfe well but take héede you lye not my Lorde said he I wil not lye as nie as I can And after that he had aduised himselfe a little he said my Lord I do not remember but that I was at home all that day then the Iudge saide I muste haue a flat aunswere whether it be so or no therfore if you saye it certainely I am aunswered And when the Riche man perceiued that there was no remedie but that he must certify the Iudge where he was at that time he said thinking that none could or would witnesse the contrary my Lord I am sure that I was at home al that day and neither road nor went frō home Wel said the Iudge I am aunswered and then he was carried out of the Courte vntil the Iudge called for him Then the Iudge commaunded one to go for the rich mans seruants whiche were but two in all and to bring them before him whyche was quickly done And thē the Iudge asked one of them whether his maister was at home all that day or not for it is tolde me that thy maister did beate a poore man at his doore suche a day and suche an houre for asking almes forsooth my Lorde saide his seruant he was at home all that day vntil a little before night but at that time he was not at home therefore they that say so do belie my maister how knowest thou that said the Iudge I
to take it vppon him You may be the King said the Farmer but this same manne that brought me to you is more like a King than you But nowe sir séeing you are our Maister King indéed I am come to aske your counsell For I tell you truely the Lawyers are so deare especially in our Countrey that they wil haue a Noble almost for nothing and yet a man shall be no wiser when he is gone from them than when he came to them And bicause you are a King I beléeue you are as well skild in the lawe as the beste of them al And bycause I muste néedes paye money for Counsell I hadde rather your Maship had my money than an other Wherfore I pray you good Maister King let me knowe your vise Wel Father said the King I am but a sorie Lawyer Yea sir saide the Farmer you doe wel to mispraise your selfe but I like you neuer the worse for that for with vs it is séene that the greatest crackers are the slendrest Clearkes but I will saye this vnto you take it as you list if you be not wel learned the fault is in your self for my maister your father was as able to pay for your schooling as the best maÌ„ in all our parish Thinkest thou so sayd the King I thinke thou doest but gesse nay it passeth gessing sayed the Farmer or else sauing your reuerence some haue told me more thaÌ„ truth then said the King tel me thy mind I wil not only giue thée the best councell I can but also do for thée what I am able Then said the Farmer God saue your life good M. King I sée well now that one were better go to the head than to the féele there are some with vs that haue not so much liuing as you by report that are so full of curmosity that they make such poore plaine meÌ„ as I abasht to go and speake to them therfore I cunne you thanke M. King that you will so gently heare a poore man your selfe I pray thée good fellow said the King tel me wherin thou wouldest haue my councell then sayd the Farmer mary sir thus it is there is a Lawyer with vs that was not worth a gray grote when he came first into our countrie he had such a thréede bare gowne that a lowse I may say to you could scant take hold on it but now he is so full of money through his craftie counselling that he is able to buy poore meÌ„s Farmes ouer their heads to make their leases end before they be halfe done Hath he done so by thée sayd the King yea and please your maship sayed the Farmer bicause I would not sel him the lease of my Farme he hath taken it in subuersion I tell you it lieth so néere his nose that he troubleth me with woortes that I dare not tarie at home for feare of resting so that he maketh him selfe sure to heaue me out of it either by hooke or crooke Then said the King though he hath got it in reuersion which thou callest subuersion yet thou must enioy thy yeres you haue conclared it very truly said the Farmer for euen so I should if he were an honest man then said the King doth he say thy lease is not good or that thou hast forfeted thy lease In déede he sayth that I haue forfeated my lease bicause I haue caused two trées to be cut downe which I did only for mine owne necessaties for my barne and my cart Therfore here is my lease if you can read it tell me whether I haue forfeted it or no by cutting downe of the same two trées nay it is a good fiste I tell you for one of my yongest boyes wrote it Omen The King had good sport to heare the homely Farmer talke I dare say but did the King stand al that while in his shirte and did he also reade his lease Siuqila Yea that he did when the King had redde pervsed his lease then the Farmer said how likes your maship my leasse to whom the king answered feare not thy lease is very good if thou had cut downe half a score trées for thy necessaries about thy Farme thy lease were not forfeted therby say you so said the Farmer bicause you haue clarified the meaning of my lease so wel you shal be my lawier an other time though it be but smal yet take this as a fée for your paine therewith he tooke xij pence out of his purse would néedes giue it to the King when the King saw that so importunatly he threaped it on him he tooke it put it betwéene his shirt his bare skin which when the King felt he said merily I beshrewe thy knaues hart thy monie is cold Then said the Farmer seing your maship saith that my lease is good vpon your worde I dare venture to go to the law but the Courtes are costly and the sutes there so long that I am loth to haue my matter tried in any of them yet tel me said the King in what Court wouldst thou haue thy cause to be discust I like theÌ„ also well said the Farmer that I care not if I come in none of theÌ„ all Therfore I pray you good master King help that my matter may be in suche a Courte where I may â—oone be dispatcht spend litle monie Bicause thou art a good plaine fellow said the King thou shalt haue thy matter tried in such a Court as thou desirest but canst thou be coÌ„tent said the King that I shal be Iudge of thy cause content said the Farmer yea with al my hart if thou wilt follow my counsell said the King thy matter shall cost thée no monie and it shal be ended within this houre or two at the furthest marrie that is euen it that I looke for but haue you any Lawiers in this spéedie and easie Courte that you speake of no sayde the King if there were but thrée or foure suche Lawiers sayde the Farmer as the Lawyer that trobleth me my matter wold not be ended thys two or thrée yeares Wel said the King for this matter at this time I will be thy Iudge I will that as soone as thou commest home that the Lawyer that thus doth trouble thée shall not onely suffer thée quietly to enioye thy Lease during the terme thereof but also shall pay thée towards thy costs and charges an hundred pouÌ„ds I like this wel saide the Farmer but howe shall I come by the money I wil sende a Letter or a Bill to him saide the King that he shal performe this my commaundement and also paye thée the same money Tut said the Farmer he cares for no Billes I haue séene Gentlemen send Bils vnto him and he hathe regarded them no more than I regarde a Rushe Then saide the King he wil regarde my letter more I warrant thée Then said the Farmer what if he doe not regarde your
husbandes fathers comming thoughe he were poore and beggarlye so she was moste ioyfull when she saw that hir husbande had giuen his father that that he did Siuqila Manye Gentlewomen with vs would haue frouned on their husbandes halfe a yeare after perhaps as long as they Marke this hadde liued if they shoulde haue entertayned their poore father in this order and giuen theyr father in lawe such a liberal gifte I will not say but that there be manye with vs that vse theyr fathers reuerentlye and doe relieue them well in theyr necessitie but I neuer heard of any and I feare I neuer shal but of this one that dwelt in your Countrey of Mauqsun that thus vsed their father either in pouertie or prosperitie I perceiue the children with you doe maruellouslye obey loue and helpe their parents Do the seruauntes also reuerently behaue themselues to their maisters that brought them vp and succor them if they come to pouertie Omen You may be most sure they do Few seruants do so If a man shoulde fall in decay with vs that hath brought vp Prentises or Seruants if anye of those seruants be then wealthy or able to helpe them as soone as they heare that their saide maister is decayed well is he that firste may helpe and relieue him yea they are so earnest in helping their decayed maisters that one hathe bene at great contention with another therfore and haue gone to the lawe about it Siuqila I haue liued a good while yet I neuer hearde that anye with vs went to the law about any such matter Can you shew me any example therof Omen Yea that I can a hundreth but one shall sufâ—â—â—e whyche I meane to tell you There was a very rich occupâ—er or rather a Merchant with vs that hadde brought vp diuerse Prentises whereof especially two of them were not only diligent and obedient whilest they dwelt with him but waxed very riche after they began to trade for themselues It chaunced after that their saide maister through great losses on the Sea and through euill creditors was maruellously decayed and brought to greate pouertie who escaping the Sea very hardly came home and thinking then to giue ouer and to meddle no more with suche Worldlye affaires not shewing outwardly the bare case he was in sodainely solde all that he had and paide all his debts therewith which being paide there was nothing remayned for him to liue on he solde his house also to pay his debts withal wherin he had not past a moneths respite to dwel whose bare case these two seruaunts that were so riche vnderstoode wel ynough whereof one of them went in a morning vnto him and saide thus sir I vnderstande that you are in more want than you make shew of I haue learned that you haue like a good man paide al your debtes notwithstanding the great losses you haue had of late whereby you haue left youre selfe little or nothing to liue on Besides that you haue solde your house you dwell in And séeing it is so I am readie to bestowe halfe the goods I haue on you which I hope is so much as will make you occupie freshly againe You were my good maister and brought me vp in this rich trade that I nowe doe vse wheras if you hadde not shewed me learned me and otherwayes helped me I coulde not haue gayned this I haue gotteÌ„ Besids that you of your goodnesse gaue me an hundreth pouÌ„ds to beginne withall whiche in the meane season to helpe you in your néede loe I haue brought you To whom his mayster saide I thanke you for your good will but I will neyther take halfe your goods whiche moste curteously you haue offered me neither the hundreth pounde that you now proffer me For the truth is so I am fully bente and determined from whiche I will not be perswaded to giue my selfe to prayer and a quiet liuing so that I wil not from henceforthe trouble my self with anye Worldly trade Then sir saide he bycause you are thus bent I wil perswade you no more to the contrarie but séeing you haue refused my firste offer I moste hartilye desire you to take my seconde proffer whiche is as long as you liue to take your bourding lodging finding in my house and of this one thing I assure you you shall fare no worse than my selfe nor lye no worse than my selfe Then saide the decayed Merchauntman God wil blesse and prosper such as you that haue such care of your maisters that brought you vp I thanke you for your gentle offer it may be that I wil take it but as yet I wil not certenly promise you Seing you wil not sayd his seruant at this time graunt mée I beséeche you yet promise mée nowe that before I speake with you againe none other herein preuent mée That I will sayde the decayed Merchant And so they departed Siuqila It will be a good while ere a decayed Mayster wyth vs haue suche an offer at anye of hys seruaunts handes It was maruell if his other enriched seruaunt did not come to him and offer him the like Omen In déede the next day after his other seruaunte came to him as you iudged and offered to him as muche or more whome he thanked heartilye for hys gentlenesse but at that time he would not promise him to take his finding and lodging of him sir sayde he if it please you to promise me now to take your borde your lodging and apparell of me during your life I will giue you besides euery wéeke halfe a Crowne in youre purse to spende or doe therewith what you liste whiche you shall haue also as long as you liue I am muche beholden to you sayde the decayed Merchaunte man for this youre greate curtesie I haue not a little cause to reioyce that I haue brought vppe suche a seruaunt but I pray you to pardon me for as yet I cannot promise you séeing you wil not doe that saide he I pray you theÌ„ grant me that none other shall allure you froÌ„ me before you tell me of it whereat the decayed marchaunt stayed a litle remembring his promise to the other you néede not stay at this sayd the seruaunt therefore I beséech you let me craue so much at your handes I am contente sayth he I will not promise to be with any before I haue tolde you therof And when he had that aunsweare of him he toke then his leaue of him Siuqila A man would haue thought if he had not known the matter that they had sued for some great commoditie to themselues they were so importunate but I wold faine know who got him at the last Omen If you wil giue eare a little you shal know Within two or thrée days after he that was first with him came to him again was very earnest in hand with him to graunt him hys request To whoÌ„ the decayed MerchaÌ„t man said I would fain promise you but I am bounde that
can sée I will haue it and kéepe it for I haue wooune it by the lawe of running Then one of the other Gentlewomen sayde you shall not haue it for though you are swifter then I whereby you did out runne me yet I was the firste that ranne towarde it therefore I ought to haue it by right Then spake the third Gentlewoman though the one of you by swifte running haue gotte it and the other by running first would haue it yet I sawe it before any of you and haue taken as great paynes in running as eyther of you therefore neyther of you shall haue it for I will haue it Well sayd the Gentlewoman that had it pleade you your title and I will pleade my possession for I assure you you shall winne it by the Lawe before you shall haue It. Well sayde one of the Gentlewomen I will not take it from you by force but I tell you truely I will haue it or else the Lâ—we shall fayle me Then saide the thirde I assure you I will haue it if the Lawe will gyue it mée Then the Gentlewoman that had it saide wée maye goe to the Lawe in a good cause and offende not But as it would grieue mée to kéepe it and after by Lawe to loose it so it woulde not muche please you to spende your time in the Lawe aboute that you shall neuer obtaine but if you will néedes prosecute the Lawe agaynst me I muste defende my cause aswell as I can one thing I comforte my selfe withall before we begin the Iudge will not be partiall but Iudge vprightly Then saide one of the other Gentlewomen I trust you will not be angrie with me for going to the lawe with you in this case neyther with me I hope sayd the other Gentlewoman no saide she I will owe you neuer the more euill will for if one may be angrie and sinne not then we may go to the lawe and hate not Siuqila Such a matter by the Lawe I beléeue was neuer tried in our countrie but did the other Gentlewoman sue hir for this poore childe I pray you tell me Omen I in déede did they Siuqila It had bene reason that first they should haue askt their husbandes leaue therein Omen They that haue no husbandes néede aske no leaue of their husbandes they were all thrée widowes Siuqila Perhaps they had no children of their owne that made theÌ„ the more desirous to bring vp this poore foundling Omen Perhaps that would haue bene a meane to make your Gentlewomen to haue done so But I assure you fiue children were the fewest that any of them had The next day bicause they woulde not prolong time the other two seuerally by processe summoned this GeÌ„tlewoman that had the childe to appeare before the Iudge the next day after who appeared accordingly against whome they had put in their billes of complaint wherein eche declared for themselues aswell as they could Whose billes when the Iudge had well perused he said surely this our CouÌ„trie of Mauqsun hath such sutes in the Lawe as I thinke no Countrie hath besides I pray you Gentlewomen saide he do you sue this Gentlewoman of spite and disdaine that she kéepeth the childe from you or of a Christian and charitable loue that you haue to do such a godly déede Truely saide the one of them I do it onely of Christian charitie and the other said I do it of pure loue that I owe to the poore member of my maister Christ. We do it not for want of children for we both haue good store of children of our owne And so haue I also said she that had the childe wherfore my desire is only to kéepe it for the loue that I owe to God and for the zeale I owe vnto the poore friendlesse childe Well saide the Iudge I perceyue you claime â—he pore childe by your first comming to it and by taking it into your possession which is a good point for you to pleade by séeing neither of them before had any title in the childe My Lorde saide shée Such cases are not common I hope it will rather helpe than hinder me for the trueth is I was so earnestly affectioned to haue the child that I did run with all the indeuor I coulce whereby it was my good happe first to take holde of it and so I tooke it and since I haue kepte it It appeareth saide the Iudge that you were desirous of it or else you woulde not haue runne with such a good will Marke the wordes of the Iudge and then the Iudge saide to one of the other Gentlewomen you claime to haue title in the childe for that you were the firste of the thrée that beganne to runne towardes the childe it séemeth that you were desirous to haue the childe or else you woulde not haue preassed to haue runne firste of al towards it But for that this Gentlewoman was behinde you and then did out runne you being muche grosser than either of you whereby she was the more vnable to runne whiche in euery mans iudgement shoulde rather haue made hir come behinde thoughe she had béene before than to come before being behinde therefore I must néedes gather though you were very desirous to haue the childe yet she was most earnest to haue it for that she toke the moste paine therein in that she did out tunne you both whereas there was greate oddes that both you should haue outâ— runne hir And whereas you saide the Iudge to the thirde Gentlewoman doe claime the childe by firste seing of it that maketh more againste you than with you for you had such aduantage by firste séeing of it that thereby you mighte haue bene a good waye before either of them and for that you are moste slender of the thrée and therefore more apte to runne you muste néedes haue bene firste of all at the childe if your desire to haue it had bene as carnest as your pretence is great for you running before they knew must néedes be at the childe before they coulde And moreouer your comming lagge or behind them both your séeing it first and sleÌ„der making coÌ„sidered sheweth manifestly that you ranne rather for companie than for the child or to get you good credit by ruÌ„ning which you might haue lost by tarying These are reasunable coniectures yet there may be priuy impediments that I know not of Wherefore Gentlewomen as I feare I can not please you all so I woulde be loth to displease any of you I trust none of you would haue me to deuide the child among you as the harlot that was not the right mother would haue had King Salomon to do for your desire is to haue it to preserue aliue but the wicked harlot for spite wold haue had it killed Yea my Lord said they we desire to haue it nourished not spoiled fostered not famished Then sayd the Iudge coulde you find no body nye it I muse howe it