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
iudgemente as soone as anye cause is truly tryed by the lawe for if Christe did thinke that it is necessarie good to stay Iudgement then hée wil do it And though Christ shall haue many thousande thousande matters to decide and iudge at the laste daye he will decide ende and iudge them all in one day but some earthlye Iudges haue had some one matter hang before them four or fiue yeres and yet when it was ended and the Lawe hath determined it it hath bene as long perhappes longer or not at al ere he hath giuen Iudgement thereof Manie liue not a tweluemonth after they haue begunne the Lawe and can a man be sure to liue a doozen yeare to sée his matter ended the great delayes long sutes and vnreasonable expences make manye that are maruellously oppressed and haue manifest wrong either not to beginne the Lawe or throughe their importable charges which they are not able to continue are enforste to cease the law which their aduersaries that maintaine themselues with their goods know wel ynough Omen Yea but we haue a notable Law with vs for Iudges that kéep matters long before they end them or giue iudgemeÌ„t on them Siuqila I beséech you shew it me for such a lawe is very necessarie Omen If any matter whatsoeuer it be A lawe in Mauqsun that no matter shal hang in sute aboue three months be not determined iudged within thrée monthes after the Bil of complainte be once aunswered the Iudge before whom the same dependeth if it be throughe his default or negligence shall immediately vpon iuste proofe be not onlye displaced out of his saide roome or office and neuer permitted againe to be Iudge but also therefore shall be imprisoned for the space of one whole yeare besides that he shal forfit the one half of al his goods the partie whose matter was so delaide prolonged shal haue the one halfe therof and the other halfe shal be sold and the money shal be equally distributed among poore Sutors hauing then matters or causes in the same Court to help to relieue them and to prosecute matters withal Si. What a worthy couÌ„try haue you you haue a medcine for euery mischiefe I would we had the like with vs iâ— it might coÌ„ueniently be but our Iudges sit but at certaine times and many of the parties that haue maters before them dwel so far off and besides that they are troubled with so many matters that it is impossible for them to ende euery matter in so short a time Omen Yea but if you had as we haue A good easie order for tâ—yall of matters speedily then they might end them easily within that time as we doe For we haue throughout our whole countrie certaine Iudges appointed and limited for certaine townes villages and parishes and none dwelling in these townes or parishes shall sue or commence any cause in any Court but onely in that limitted and appointed vnto them And also the Iudges or some of them doe sit euery day twice that is three houres in the forenone and thrée houres in the afternoone excepte certaine dayes and the matter is so ordered that neuer a man woman or any that haue any mater or cause to commence or to complaine shall therefore goe aboue a dosen miles at the furthest whereby the Iudges maye verye easilye determine and iudge euery cause be it neuer so doubtfull within that time Siuqila Surely you make all your orders and lawes with a maruellous good consideration but it may bée that the matters are delayed through farre dwelling of the witnesses or through their purposed absence so that the Iudges are not to be blamed therein Omen That is true but who so euer are to beare witnesse for any matter with vs shal neuer néede therfore to trauel far but shall be deposed and examined before those Iudges within whose precinct they inhabite or dwell and for euery time that any such witnesse shal make default and not appeare before the saide Iudges to be deposed and examined vpon such interrogatories or articles if they be not sicke or impotent they shal forfeit therefore one Hundreth poundes or if they be not worth so much then the one half of all their goods the one moitie wherof the party shal haue for whose hindrance they refuse to beare witnesse and the other part shall be equally diuided among the Iudges before whome they shoulde haue bene deposed and examined And if the witnesses be poore and haue little goodes or none they shall be emprisoned vntill they be deposed and examined touching the same cause And likewise if any of the said witnesses haue any mater or cause to be tried by witnesses during the same time which they so refuse to bée deposed and examined no witnesse shall be suffered or permitted to be deposed nor examined in their behalfe Siuqila O famous Countrie O worthy Lawemakers but most worthy Law obseruers happy is that King that hath such Subiects that liue as though they néeded no Lawe But what if any of them that should beare witnesse take bribes mony or giftes wherby they refuse to be deposed or examined Omen You néede not aske that question there is none suche with vs haue you any such with you Siuqila Haue we any such quoth you if I néed not aske you the one you néed not aske me the other for wheras you affirm that you haue none such I am out of doubt that we haue many such Omen If you had such a Law and so executed as we haue then you would not haue so many such as you haue Siuqila What is your Lawe for suche I pray you Omen Forsooth the same Lawe is for them that is for the Iudges that receiue bribes or rewardes Their hande they receiued the Gifte or Rewarde withal shal be cutte off and their toung shal be cutte out bicause they woulde not vtter the truth therwith and shal be nailed in the Courte where they shoulde haue bene examined to make all the other witnesses take héed of taking Bribes or Rewardes And lastly the mony shall bée melted and so poured into their throats and they shal be so killed as the brybed Iudges ought to bée Siuqila But what if their Gift or Bribe be no mony howe then Omen Then the same shall be solde and the mony receiued therfore shal be molten and giuen them to drinke Siuqila A small deale of such drinke wil quench their thirst If euery one in our Country that haue deserued such a draught of drinke by your Lawe had drunke it so many true matters would not be supprest as there haue bin nor so many false causes could not carie that credit they do Bicause you can tell mee of no Bribed Iudges with you whereon to execute this your late told excellent Law I wil tel you of a most wicked Iudge of whome I hearde by the way as I trauelled hither that was drest euen as he deserued who was
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
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
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
few or none for feare durst haue vsed their fathers in such order and I do not think but that he had some condigne punishment for the same Siuqila He was neither toucht nor trubled therfore nor had any punishment for it vnlesse you cal that punishmeÌ„t to enioy quietly the lands that he so falsely bought with his fathers mony Omen Was that al the harme he had now surely it was great shame that he was suffred either you haue no law for correcting such a fault else the same is not wel executed Siuqila Truly many with vs are so slenderly harde wheÌ„ they coÌ„plaine of such like iniuries and such treacherous parts are so boulstred or borne withal that they thinke it is better to reste quietly with the harme or losse than with further trouble to speÌ„d consume their mony be neuer the nearer yea and perhaps his father would not complaine of his sonne Omen Such notorious enormities shold be redressed such wicked dealers should worthily be punished though the party so misused did neuer coÌ„plain if they were coÌ„mitted in our couÌ„try Siuqila How can that be for if one complaine not howe can he haue remedie Omen Yes welynough for our King hath his most trustie priuie Espials that trauel purposely through his whole Dominions only secretely to learne and search out such notorious misdemeanors who in their own persons reueale secretely to the King all such notable mischiefes as they haue truely learned and surely searched out by their trauel and they do not only giue to the king in writing the names and places where they dwel that so offend but also their names and dwelling places that are so molested misused to which priuy Spials the King giues great liuings and also bountiful rewards Siuqila If such Spials were with vs out of doubt one or other would kill them quickly Omen Yea but how can they kil them before they do know them These Spials are charged on paine of death not to vtter or reueale the cause of their trauell for none but the King him selfe doth knowe them that are appointed for this purpose So that it can not bée knowne vnlesse they reueale it them selues And moreouer these Espials dare not certifie the King of any vntruthe for if they doe they shall die for it therfore it standeth them vppon to learne and search out the matter aduisedly and diligently and to bée of a good and sure ground before they certifie the King thereof And to make the sayde Espials to bée the more diligent in their trauell triall out of such notorious misdemeanours and wicked practises the moe matters that they haue to certifie the King the moe gifts and rewardes they shal haue of the King for the King giueth euery one of them a liberall rewarde for euery such notorious fault practise or misdemeanour that they so declare vnto him And the King him self in his owne person hath the hearing determining and iudging of euery such notorious fact or matter that is informed him by his saide Espials And by these meanes wicked deceiuers and diuelish practisers are iustly punished by the King the opressed and defrauded are reuenged restored and helped thoughe they themselues do not complaine Siuqila What a worthie order and notable policie is this wherby the wicked is punished the innocent helped and truth and equitie defended Surely your Prince is much to be commended that bestoweth himself such liberall giftes to such finders out of faultes wherby all this is accomplished I woulde to God we had such Spials with vs to trauell abroad to learne and search out such Omen By these Espials our King of Mauqsun did so spéedilie and earnestlie helpe a poore wronged Widow to hir right that therfore his fame will neuer be quenched Siuqila I beséech you to tell it for I thinke the time long till I heare it Omen As one of the Kings priuie Espials was trauelling An excellent example of the restoring of a widowe vnto hir right myssused by hir sonne in lawe he spied a poore woman sitting in hir doore spinning who asked hir the way to a towne hée was trauelling vnto and shée tolde him the right way thither which poore woman perceiuâ—ng the man by his spetting to bée drie desired him to drinke a cuppe of hir small drinke whiche he did not refuse but thanked hir for hir gentlenesse And then shée brought him into hir poore house and did sette before him bread and chéese and brought him such drinke as she hadde whereof he did both eate and drinke well And whyles hée was sitting there hée demaunded of the sayde Woman what Countrie woman she was Who tolde him that shée was not borne far from thence And then he asked hir if the got all hir liuing with spinning Yea saide she I thanke God for it for though it bée a poore trade yet it is a true trade But sir said shée though I bee now in such a poore case I haue bene in a great deale better Howe then came you thus empouerished saide he Truly I will tell you sayde shée the whole matter if it were not for troubling of you Nay said he againe it will bée no trouble to mée nor harme to you therefore tell the truth in all pointes as nigh as you can for if I can doe you no good assure your selfe I will doe you no harme Sir I doe not tell it vnto you saide she to the intent to haue any redresse thereby but only to shewe the simple state I am nowe in and the case I was in before concerning prosperitie or worldlie felicitie It was my chaunce when I was not past nine or tenne yeares of age to be caried by a frende of my father and mother a hundreth miles hence at the leaste to be brought vppe with a Gentlewoman who loued me very well bicause I was something obedient and diligente vnto hir whose seruice I chaunged not for any but tarried still with my saide Mystresse vntil shée died I being then about thrée or foure and twentie yeares of age my Maister was made a Knighte whereby his Wyfe was a Ladie at hir death Who a little before hir death sente for hir husbande to come and speake with hir and hée as shée desired came presently vnto hir at whiche time shée toke him fast by the hande and sayde Sir I féele my selfe now so sick that I knowe I shall not long bée your Wyfe and I trust that you can not say but that euer since our mariage I haue bene a true louing and obediente Wyfe vnto you And as I neuer requested any thing of you of any greate importaunce so nowe at my death I praye you graunte mée a boone which you may easilye perfourme And I assure you sir sayde shée it wyll be no euill but good and not to your hindraunce but greately for your profite ioye and quietnesse What is it wyfe sayde he and then I will tell you whether I will or not Nay said
may do you some vnlooked for pleasure And the Kings Espiall went on his iorny sheâ—to hir spinning Siuqila She little knew good womaÌ„ that he she so curteouslie vsed and to whome shée tolde hir troublesome tale was the Kings appointed Spiall for the learning searching and trying of suche kinde of matters and that God woulde prepare a remedie for hir so soone as he did It was onelie the Lordes working that putte it into his hearte to aske hir the way and that putte it into hir minde to offer him drink God workes al things by maruellous meanes if we would consider it for the helping of the innocent and godly Nowe tell on your tale I pray you Omen This man to whom this pore Lady declared the cause of this hir pouertie made his iorny through that couÌ„trie where she told that hir wicked son in law did dwel And when he came nigh to that place he did not onlie vnderstand learn of diuers perfectly that the same Gentleman was then liuing inhabiting there but also that such a womaÌ„ was his fathers wife married hir being his maid at his wiues earnest desire on hir death bed and al things besides as she had before tolde but whether she went or what became of hir after the Knight hir husbaÌ„ds death they knewe not thinking verily that 〈◊〉 was dead for saide they if she were aliue eyther she woulde haue come or sente ere this for a greate liuing shoulde belong to hir if she were aliue Which being bolted out by them a far off without any suspition he made hast to the Court being very glad that he had such a matter wherof to certifie the King And as soone as he came to the Court watching his time when he might most conueniently talke with the King he went vnto him as he and the rest of his fellows might do most boldely and then with diuers enormities and wicked practises he reuealed the whole storie howe this pore Lady was missused by hir wicked son in lawe and to what pouerty hée brought hir And then presently the kyng sent for this poore Lady whoÌ„ the King vsed curteously after she had tolde him al hir matter and appointed hir to be kepte secretly in the court and gaue hir meate drinke and lodging and bade hir in anye wise that she shoulde tell no bodye wherefore she was there nor declare hir case to any nor yet to vtter what she was And also the King sent for that said GentlemaÌ„ by a Purseuant and for al the Iustices of Peace that dwelled neare him and also for the Iudge that was appointed for that soile Siuqila I am sure the saide Gentleman did not maruell a little what should be the cause that the King did so hastily send for him and also the Iustices of Peace and the Iudge coulde not tel the cause why the King sent for them Omen No they knewe no more thereof than the newe borne babe doth know of his mothers labour When euery one of these were come to the court when the king was certified therof he sent not for theÌ„ all at once but for one of theÌ„ after an other And first the King sent for the said GentlemaÌ„ that had so vsed his mother in law to come before him whoÌ„ the king asked what was his name what was the place where he dwelled TheÌ„ he told both his name also where he dwelled And theÌ„ the king asked him whether his father died before his mother or not he told the king that his mother died before his father did your father marry again said the king after the death of your mother Yea if it like your Grace said he What mind of woman was she said the king a maide or a widowe a Gentlewoman or a base borne forsooth saide the Gentleman she was as I iudge of no highe degrée for she was but my fathers seruaunt and as for hir kinred wée knewe not it séemed by hir attyre at hir firste comming that hir parents were but pore Howe chaunced it that youre father said the King being a Knight and a man of so greate a liuing and good worship would marry his seruant or one of so base a calling Truely saide the Gentleman my mother on hir death bed for the great loue affectioÌ„ she bare to hir desired my father to grant hirone request before she died who thinking she woulde desire no such thing graunted hir that he woulde do whatsoeuer she desired if it lay in his power to performe and then when he had graunted hir she required him to marry hir maide after hir death and so he did performe the promise he made to my mother Then saide the King your father was very good to hir for in one houre he made hir of a pore seruaÌ„t a worshipfull Lady and of a pore maide a rich Mistresse He did so saide the Gentleman Then saide the King Is she dead or aliue I thinke she be dead saide the Gentleman Doe you not knowe perfectly saide the King no I knowe not perfectly but that I surmize for if shée were aliue she woulde come or sende to receiue hir Rentes for hir liuing shoulde be great if she were aliue for my father loued hir so wel that he made hir a Ioynter of more than halfe his liuing besides that he left hir worth in goodes aboue two or thrée thousande pounds but she neuer had nor enioyde any of it for soone after my fathers death she went away but howe I knowe not and I neuer hearde of hir since I like you well saide the King that you tell me the truth it séemeth that she had better lucke during your fathers life than she had after his death How long was she married to your father saide the King forsooth saide hée aboue twentie yeares Did your mother leaue anye moe children than you yea saide he she lefte two that were but yong And was she a good mother to you said the King and vsed you and them well Yea very well said he our own mother coulde not haue loued nor vsed vs better It is very strange saide the King that no body could tel neither of hir death nor yet howe she shoulde be conueyed awaye truely saide the Gentlemanne I made as greate search and enquirie for hir as I coulde possibly but I coulde neuer learne what became of hir The most wisest men haue surmised that some did by some wile steale and conuey hir away against hir wil for hir great wealth and liuing and for that she woulde not consent haue killed hir fearing leaste she shoulde bewraye them if they shoulde haue let hir go away from them It may be so saide the King it is verye likely Wel saide the King this is the cause I haue sent for you by my Purseuaunt The King speaketh politikly it was credibly told belike by some that beare you no good will and perhappes doe it rather of malice than of anye good
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
therby be more wearie at length perceiuing also though his matter wer neuer so true that the Lawyer with his power purse at length would make it false determined with himselfe not to tarrie the tryal of his matter in that CouÌ„trey but to go to him that was the chiefe of al the Lawyers in the Lande where he shoulde haue his matter quickely ended truly iudged and with smal cost prosecuted Omen I pray you before whom was that Siuqila Forsooth euen before the King himselfe who I am sure was the chiefe and heade of all the Lawyers of the land Omen Whosoeuer gaue hym that counsell dyd not counsel him muche amisse but did he go to the King indeede Siuqila Yea that he did and I beléeue you wil say that he had more law of the King for twelue pence than he shold haue had at home for a Royal. Omen It may be so and it is a very like thing but how got he out of his house for feare of arresting Siuqila Wel ynough for he called his wife vp early in the morning before day willing hir to shut the dore after him for sayd he I must go to aske counsel of one that I hope wil helpe me out of my trouble therfore loke not for me again in haste for I cannot tel how long it wil be ere I come again but I wil make all the hast home that I can And so he toke his leaue of hys wife went straight to the Court where theÌ„ the King did lye he being a homely maÌ„ of the country hauing a Bil on his shoulder the Porters asked him who he was what he would haue he said to theÌ„ that he wold speak with the King to whoÌ„ one of the porters said may no worse maÌ„ serue you to speake withal but the King no said he my erraÌ„d is to him with him wil I speak er I go theÌ„ I perceiue said the Porter there is no remedie but you wyll néeds speak with the King yea that I wil said he to whoÌ„ he sayd again what if the king wil not speak with you tut said the plaine Farmer I know he wil speak with me if he knew I were here therfore I pray thée Porter said the Farmer tel the King that I would speak with him And if thou wilte do so much for me whensoeuer thou coÌ„mest into our Country I wil help thée to the spéech of such a GentlemaÌ„ if thou stand in néed theÌ„ thou maist say I haue quit one good turn for another At whose words the Porter began to smyle saying doe you thinke Father that the King is as easie to be spoken withall as one of your GentlemeÌ„ is yea why not saide the Farmer he is but a man as another man is that is true saide thée Porter yet thoughe he be but as another man is he is able to doe more than any other can doe I know that wel ynough saide the Farmer or else I wold not haue come so far to speake with him as I haue done Wel father said the Porter I wold I could help you to the spéech of him but I caÌ„not for I am appointed to be one of his highnesse Porters so that I must waite here vpoÌ„ my charge but I am content you shal goe into the Court where I warrant you right quickly you shall méete with one or other that wyll helpe you to the spéeche of hys Grace I thanke you good Porter said the Farmer And then hée wente further into the Courte who within a while after saw a Gentleman gorgâ—ously apparelled to whoÌ„ straighte waye he went saying may I be so bolde to speake a word with you maister king but the Gentleman aunsweared him by and by father you mistake me my name is not King I thinke so saide the Farmer but are you not our comely king and chiefe of all our Land no father said the Gentleman that is to high a dignitie for me I am but one of his poore seruants say you so saide the Farmer you are a goodly man he goes not trimmer than you I trow yes saide the Gentleman that hée doth and thou neuer sawest a goodlyer man in al thy life than he is Would you speake with the king sayde the Gentleman yea that I would sayd he and if you wil bid him come speak with me I wil giue you a good groate for your labour the Gentleman smyling therat said I had rather bring you to the king for nothing than to bring the King to you for a groate But father saide the Gentleman séeing you are desirous to speake with tâ—e King if you wil folow me I wil bring you to him I thanke you saide the plaine Farmer And then he followed the Gentleman with the Bil on his back Omen I thinke he came sooner to the spéeche of the King by hys playnnesse than some that were a greate deale more curious Siuqila Yea that I am sure he did and then when the GeÌ„tleman came nie to the Tennis Courte where the King was a playing he bad the Farmer stay a little vntil he came backe again from the King And then the saide Gentleman wente to the King and tolde him that there was a verye homely Farmer of the Countrey was come to speake with his Grace for whom if his Grace would send and that he would speake with him he would haue very great delight in him to whom the king saide bring him hither to me and I wil stay my play to talke with him And then the Gentleman weÌ„t to the plain Farmer and willed him to goe with him and he shoulde speake wyth the King that I wil sayd the Farmer with a good will and I thanke you too And so the Gentlemanne broughte him into the Tennis Court where the King was which is our comely King saide the Farmer that same is he saide the Gentleman and pointed him to the King who then was in his shirte you mocke me saide the Farmer that man goeth in hys shirte and the King I am sure néede not goe in his shirt for lacke of clothes He doth it for his pleasure sayde the Gentleman he hath better clothes if it please him to weare them but if thou wilte speake with hym lo there he is go to him And then this plaine and homely Farmer approched nigh vnto the King with his Bil on his shoulder and saide are you our comely King to whome the King aunswered howe comely I am I know not but that I am the King of this realme I knowe arte thou come to speake with me If you be our King said he I am come to speake with your Maship therefore I pray you mocke me not for I will not conclare my cause to none but to the King hys owne selfe Whose talke when the King heard he smiled and saide be bolde to say vnto me what thou wilte for I am the King indéede none but my selfe I thinke will bée so bolde
deliuer me the poore mans Bil or Supplication that I gaue you to kepe such a daye forsooth said he to the King I haue lost it yea saide the King you are good to be a poore mans Soliciter why didde you not tel me thereof before I did aske you then sayde he I was afraide to tel your Maiestie of it meaning to haue the poore maÌ„ to make another before your Grace shoulde haue knowen it Then said the King why got you not the poore man to doe so then he saide to the King I did neuer sée him since Then saide the King the absence of the poore man and your loosing of his Supplication comming both so iump togither is not very wel to be liked Then saide the Kings Remembrancer it is lyke that he is agréede with the partie that he complayned of or else I should haue he arde of him ere this Then the King saide Politike words to make the RemembraÌ„cer not to suspect it may be so it is verie like but if the felow come to you bring him to me that I may know the cause of his coÌ„plainte And soone after the King changed his apparell making himselfe like a seruingman and went out at a priuie Postornegate and so enquired in the prisons what prisoners were there and so by talking with many of them did vnderstand of this poore man that was kepte in close prison and therevppon the King being like a seruingman desired the kéeper of the prison that he mighte speake wyth him naye sayde the Iayler you shall pardon me what apparell hathe he sayde the King and then the kéeper tolde hym whiche apparell the King remembred well whereby he perceyued it was the same manne he looked for Then sayde the King séeing you wyll not lette me speake with him tell me I praye you at whose sute or commaundemente doeth he lye here that I maye be suter to them for him marrie saide the kéeper as farre as I knowe one of the Kings Remembrancers sente him hither God a mercie saide the King and now séeing I cannot speake with him I pray thée be good vnto him and I will goe aboute to release him and the King then departed from the prison And as soone as the King hadde conueyed himselfe priuilye into the Courte hée sente for the sayde poore manne that was then thus kepte so in close prison vnknowne to the Kings Remembrancer And when he came before the Kyng he tolde the King howe he was committed to prison by the Kings Remembrancer and tolde him the occasion therof yea sayde the King if we shoulde committe poore mens causes to suche Remembrancers A thing to be marked and not looke to them our selues the oppressors shoulde be remembred and the oppressed shoulde be forgotten and the defrauders shoulde be defended and the defrauded vtterlye impouerished If we shoulde winke at suche wrongs suffer such officers the poore wythin a while would rather loose theyr right than sue for their owne Then the King bad the poore man kéepe himself close in the next Chamber vntil he were called for Siuqila If Kings Princes and Rulers should searche thus narrowly as your King doth they should finde some that they put in trust in such cases most deceiteful whome they take to bée faithful and troublers and hinderers of poore suters that are appointed to ayde and helpe them But did the King remember his Remembrancer Omen Yea the King remembred him so that the Remembrancer did neuer forgette it as long as he liued As soone as the King had conueyed the poore man away he sent for his saide Remembrancer saide to him was the poore manne with you yet whose Supplication you shoulde haue deliuered me I neuer saw him since saide the Remembrancer do you not know saide the King him agaâ—nst whom he complayned in his Supplication no truely saide the Remembrancer Then sayde the King it séemeth hereby that you neuer reade the poore mannes Supplication are not you a fit man to be in this office and to be a Rememberer for meÌ„s sutes a Solliciter in their causes Then saide the Remembrancer if it like your Grace I reade it but I haue forgot it it liketh me wel said the King that you did reade it but it misliketh me that you haue forgotte it you shall from henceforth be called the Kings forgetter not the Kings Remembrancer Then said the King I feare leaste he against whom he came to complaine hathe hurte him killed him or caste him in prison I thinke it is not so saide the Remembrauncer for none I beléeue dare be so bolde to vse anye in such sorte specially that come to sue to your Maiestie Then saide the King if it shoulde beâ—knowne as it would hardely be hid it would be more painful than profitable to them But if any shoulde presume to doe so saide the King what were they worthie to haue truly said the Remembrancer they are worthy in my iudgement to be whipped I pray you said the King tel me one thing that I shall aske you but lye not Do you not knowe where the pore man is whose Supplication I deliuered vnto you No verily saide he I maruel why your Grace shoulde aske me the question Bicause saide the King it may be is very like that he did come to you to knowe an answere from me therof if he had done so as he did not said he again to the King that maketh not that I knowe where he is or what is become of him Yet if he came to you saide the King he might then tell you that his aduersarie or oppressor hadde satisfied him or agréed with him which if you should tel me I shoulde be then satisfied and thinke that the man is safe and gone home Then the Remembrauncer saide if I should now tell you any suche thing then I shoulde be contrary to my former tale for I tolde your Grace that I neuer sawe him since as I haue not indéede Then I perceiue saide the King you knowe not where he is No indeede doe I not saide he Now indéede Marke the Kings wordes saide the King I beléeue you for he is not in prison where you thinke but he is out of prison where you know not Then the King called for the pore fellowe and bade him come before him And when he was come before the King then the King saide to his Remembrauncer Doe you knowe this fellowe at whiche time he saide nothing If you be so forgetfull saide the King you are not méete to be a Remembrancer especially to a King this fellowe is more méete to be a Remembrauncer than you for though you haue forgotten him he I thinke doth remember you Yea if it please your Grace said the fellow I remeÌ„ber him indéed and know him too wel It doth please me saide the King that thou doest remember him but it doth displease me that thou haste such a cause to remember hym How say you said the King
to the Remembrancer can you not call this fellowe yet to your remembrance well bycause you are so obliuious here I discharge you and you shall be my Remēbrauncer no more Though you remember not that this fellow required his Supplication of you yet I trust you haue not forgotten that you haue sent him to prison where he should haue lien stil if I had not béene a better Remembrancer than you I muse who gaue you aucthoritie to caste pore Suters in prison that come vnto vs to complaine of their wrongs and iniuries thoughe you for youre pleasure commaunded him into prison I hope you wil not be angry that I for my pleasure haue commanded him out of prison Then the Remembrancer fel down vpon his knées before the King To whom the King saide Worthy words of a King Ah varlet what heart hadst thou to imprison this poore man that before had great wrong and to séeke his vtter vndoing that was almoste vndone Howe durste thou presume to shop hym vppe in prison to kéepe him from me whose libertie was necessary to complaine vnto me As long as Kings are serued wyth suche the wicked shall bée boldened to oppresse the pore and the poore will be afraide to sue for their owne If thou haste done thus to a poore man being a Subiecte what wouldest thou doe if thou were a Soueraigne You sayde to this poore man you woulde teache hym to controll his Superiors nowe I saye to you that I will teach you to imprison your Inferiors Haste not thou obserued the wordes of Christ well whiche we with all our indeuour haue commaunded to be kept that is Whatsoeuer yee woulde that men shoulde do to you euen the same doe you to them Wouldest thou be content to bée cast into prison for suing for thy right as thou haste done to this man for complayning for hys due the doing of that to him that thou wouldest not haue him do to thée sheweth that thou arte no true Christian but a Sathanist How subtilly wentest thou aboute to cause me to credite thée when thou saidst that none durste be so bolde to vse hym so when thou knewest that thy selfe haddest so vsed him But whereas thou saidst that none durste be so bolde as to doe it nowe it appeareth that thou haste done that that none durst be so bold to do which argueth that thou arte the boldest of all other to imprison pore men wrongfully But séeing you haue béene so bolde as to punish this poore man without a cause then I trust I may be so bolde as to punish you with a cause And firste for that you sayd they were worthy to be whipped that should vse him so according to your owne iudgement my iudgement is that you shall be whipped naked And bicause thou haste lyed thrée seueral times to me therefore thou shalte not speake anye worde of nine moneths that is for euerye lye thrée moneths A wise iudgement of the King of Mauqsun shalte all that while weare on thy sléeue an H. and an L. for a Hurtefull Lyar. And for that this pore man hath bene in close prison seauen dayes at thy commaundement nowe thou shalt be kepte likewise in close prison seauen yeares that is for euery daye a yeare at my commaundement And afterwardes during thy life thou shalte weare on thy backe bosome these words This was the Kings Remembrauncer that imprisoned a poore man wrongfully that complained of his wrong to the King And further I iudge decrée that this pore man shal quietly enioye halfe of al thy whole liuing during his life for his wrongful imprisonment And also I charge commaunde thée vpon paine of death that thou shalt not come at any time within seuen miles of our Courte And then the King rose vp departed al his iudgements were executed performed And euer after the King had euery suters name writtē in a litle note Booke that he kepte for his own remembrance that if the Remēembrancers did not bring him mens Billes or Supplications he might call for them and remember them himselfe Siuqila This worthy and famous fact of the King made not only al other the Kings Remembrauncers after take héede to remember to deliuer pore mens Billes and Supplications to the King but also feared them to commit any of them to prison Omen Yea surely this the Kings seuere iudgement handling of the wicked Remembrancer wrought suche effecte that neuer since any durst delaye pore mens causes and sutes neyther durst trouble them for iustly complayning of any Siuqila What order haue you for suche riche men as cruelly arrest and imprison their pore decayed debters and are not able to pay them that they owe them Omen We néede haue no lawe nor order for suche for there are none with vs that vse their pore debters so Haue you any suche cruell and vncharitable men with you Siuqila Yea that we haue and that no small number and if you wil not beléeue me if you were in our Countrie you could not go at any time into any of our prisons that are for indebted persons but that you should finde such pore decayed prisoners there Omen What vncharitable men are their Creditors that wil suffer them to lye there being not able to pay them by being abroad they might in time be able to pay them either part or al but by lying in prison they bring them to pouertie their wiues to penurie and their children to miserie Suche cruell hearted caitiffes belike meane not to haue Christe merciful vnto them at the laste daye but make an accompte to be pinned vppe or imprisoned in the dungeon of Hel for euer For surely they that will not forgiue their pore brethren their smal debts whiche they maye be able to paye Christe will not forgyue them their greate and wonderfull debtes that they are neuer able to pay Siuqila There are some so cruell and so vengeable wyth vs that they had rather without any thing lette their pore debtors die in prison than to haue halfe their due and to delyuer them out of prison It was my chance to be in a prison one daye and I hearde a pore decayed prisoner that once was very wealthie saye with wéeping teares that he offered his creditors all that he had in the worlde wheresoeuer they coulde finde it or haue it to release him out of prison desiring to haue no more lefte him but the very shirt on his backe Most cruel Creditors to couer his body withal when he shoulde be turned out of prison but they woulde not take this offer but kepte hym in prison stil. Omen Those meant not to be the children of God but were fully determined to be the darlings of the Diuel If that pore man had bin with vs he shold haue bin deliuered whether they woulde or not It is maruel that you haue no order for suche cruell Cut throates especiallye séeing the worde of God is so
matter that you haue kylled hir or caused hir to be killed but if you be sure you haue not as I beléeue you would not for that you tolde me how well she loued and vsed you assure youre selfe to bée without al daunger But leaste I be suspected said the King of parcialitie you must be content to be as a prisoner a while vntill I sée that it cannot be proued whiche I will quickly trie doubt you not therefore content your selfe sayde the King for they that haue thus slandred you shall dearly pay for it if they cannot be able to proue it Then said the Gentleman to the King God saue your lyfe O worthy Prince for I neuer killed hir nor conseÌ„ted euer thereto therfore I am certaine and sure that it can neuer be proued wherfore I nowe reioice thoughe I was sorie before I knewe the matter And then the King sent him away to prison Siuqila This was a very good policie of the King to pretende hir death against him which he knew was false whereby to haue a good occasion to send him to prison and thereby to kéepe him safe and to make him the lesse suspect the trueth or that she was aliue whereby he might be the merâ—ier Omen You saye true And after that the King examined the Iudge Iustices of Peace seuerally by theÌ„selues and they al affirmed that the Knight the said GentlemaÌ„s father didde marry his maide at his wiues requeste on hir death bed but what became of hir after the death of hir husbande they knew not And he commaunded after that the said Gentleman with the Iudge and Iustices of peace should be brought before him and when they were al come he saide to the saide Gentleman Howe say you saide the King it is credibly told me that you haue killed your mother in lawe whiche is very like for thoughe she vsed you and your brethren as hir owne déere and louing children yet I vnderstande that you did not onelye in your fathers time maruellously misuse hir but also your owne louing father whome you were moste bounde to loue and obey aboue all other Nowe séeing you didde hate and despise hir whome your father entirely loued in your fathers life by displeasing of whome you mighte haue bene displaced out of al your inheritaunce and liuing then it is like after his death when hée coulde not disinherite you howe cruelly soeuer you handled hir that either you haue killed hir your selfe or appointed some other to doe it Then said the Gentleman if it can be proued O worthy King that eyther I killed hir my selfe or got any other to kil hir or was euer consenting to hir death either doe know of hir death then let me suffer the moste vilest death that can be inuented And I truste your Maiestie saide he woulde not haue me molested or troubled for hir death vnlesse it be proued that either I killed hir or procured hir death or consented to it No saide the King as God is a righteous king in Heauen so I hope I haue bene and will be a iuste Prince in my kingdome on earth Well saide the King if I can not bring a witnesse that she was killed yet I beléeue I can shortely haue one to testifie that she escaped with great feare so that if shée bée aliue it is manifest then that you are not culpable of hir death I am sure saide the Gentleman there is none that can witnesse any such thing against me in any suche thing neither that I euer gaue hir anye suche occasion I wil not say it was you saide the King the witnesses if there be any can tell their owne tale But I pray you saide the King tell me one thing and lye not Then saide the Gentleman if your Maiestie aske me that I am able to resolue I will then saye vnto mée saide the Kyng whether had you rather your mother in lawe were aliue or dead whereat he paused a little Youre pausing saide the King portendeth something for if you were frée from killing hir then hir death could not hurt you and if you haue not otherwayes misused hir then hir life can not harme you Your Grace said the GentlemaÌ„ doth construe it one way but I meant an other way for if she were dead then by surmises and other presumptions I mighte incur great trouble and danger wherof hir life would rid me and if she were aliue I shoulde lose a greate parte of my lyuing whyche I nowe enioy and possesse Then said the King herein you haue shewed rather a readye witte than a good excuse for you that are loathe to haue hir aliue that so muche loued and tendred you leaste shée shoulde enioye halfe youre liuing it is to bée thoughte that you coulde bée contente to procure hir death whom you vtter lye hated to haue all hir liuing And for as muche as the question séemeth so doubtfull to you that you knowe not whether it were better for you to haue hir dead or aliue it is like that you are guiltie of hir death or abused hir in hir life Wel saide the King bring me hither the pore woman we wil sée what she can say And theÌ„ the pore Lady his mother in law in hir pore attire was broght before the King And then the King asked the Gentleman if he knewe hir and he saide he knewe hir not Doe you knowe thys Gentleman sayde the Kyng to hir If it lyke your Grace saide shée I knowe him wel Yea sayde the King it liketh mée well that you knowe him But perhappes it lyketh hym euyll that you knowe him tel me truth saide the King when and where did you sée him laste Forsooth said she in a Groue not farre from his house where he dwelleth What certaine token saide the King can you shewe me that then you sawe him then saide she I haue suche a sure token that he cannot forgettâ— it Tell it I pray you saide the King Then the pore Lady saide it was my chaunce on a certaine euening to be in the same Groue gathering a fewe stickes and sodainely I sawe this Gentleman thoughe he sawe not me for I did couer my selfe close in a bramble bushe and his mother in lawe was there with him whom he then stripped of al hir apparel and put on hir backe pore beggarly attyre I maruel where he had it where gote the Diuel the Friar said the King and did then threaten to kill hir with his Dagger in his hande if she woulde not then faithfully promise and sweare to him that she shoulde not onely gette hir selfe from thence in all haste and neuer come againe within an hundreth miles of the same place but also that shée shoulde neuer vtter the same to anye Iudge neyther euer claime any part of hir liuing there And when she beganne moste humbly to knéele and speake to him he saide if shée prated to him he woulde thruste his Dagger in hir Then the pore Ladye was commaunded to