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
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
of an vnthankeful sonne that woulde not knowe his own father that the King worthily handled according to his deserts Nowe I pray you tel me how do mens sons commonly vse their decayed Parents with you Omen If Parents be decayed with vs theyr children are so religious to God and so louing to their Parents that with all their power they wil help and ayde them and their children wil striue among themselues who shal help them first And for conformation thereof I wil tel you one rare example Siuqila I beseech you doe so for I muche delighte to heare them they are so strange Omen There was an auncient man with vs that was very wealthie An excellent example of a louing sonne to his father whose whole substance was in his house for that he had a riche Shop very ful of wares who hadde little owing him and he ought as little himselfe This man hadde but one Sonne whome he broughte vppe very wel in learning wherby he came to be very wealthie and might dispend at the leaste an hundreth poundes a yeare He hadde an Office besides that was as much worth or more to him who was so godly and vertuous that God did maruellously blesse him and he dwelt from his father aboue an hundred miles at the least It chaunced thorough negligence of a seruāt that his house was burned and al that was in it whych was all the goodes he had so that he had scant a coate lefte to put on his backe Whych great mischance and losse his neighbors bewailed but presently his godly and charitable neighbours did not onely comforte hym but also brought him mony clothes housholde stuffe and such other necessaries in great abundance whych he vtterly refused in no wise would haue them saying I thank you most hartily good christian and charitable neighbors I will not burthē you with any thing for though God to trye me withall hathe sodainly impouerished me as he didde Iob yet I truste he will prepare for me thoughe not so muche as he didde for Iob. I haue a Sonne that GOD of hys goodnesse hathe blessed wyth sufficient wealth whom I haue broughte vp as a Father shold bring vp his childe which I hope will vse me as a child should vse his father And as you haue bene readie to helpe me in thys great extremitie so if any of you shoulde néede I to my power wil be readie to relieue your necessitie and then he toke hys leaue of his neighbours with simple clothes sufficient to kepe hym from the colde and so he wente forwarde towardes hys Sonne Siuqla I hope he vsed not his father when he came to him as he that was of the Kings counsayle that woulde not know his Father Omen No he vsed him a little better than so as you shall perceiue by the Sequele This auntiente man thoughe it were painefull vnto him at last came to his Sonnes house where he founde the doores shutte bycause it was something darke and within the Euening and through his knocking one of his Sons seruauntes came to the doore which when he hadde opened he asked the olde man what he woulde haue and with whom he woulde speake who aunswered againe I woulde very gladlye speak with your master my master said he is now at Supper therefore he is not at leasure to speake with you I praye you tell him saide the olde man that here is a poore man come to speake with him from hys father and then I thinke he wil eyther come or sende for me And then he went to his maister and sayde sir there is a poore olde man at the doore that wold faine speake with you he saith he is come from your father bid hym come in saide his maister that he may Suppe with me and after Supper I will talke with hym Then the olde man hys father came into the Parlour where his sonne was at Supper whom as soone as his sonne sawe he knewe him wherewith he rose out of his chaire and knéeled downe and asked his Father blessing wherat his father coulde not refraine from wéeping then saide he father I beseche you wéepe not but reioyce with me your only sonne the sighte of you reioyceth me more than any treasure on the Earth I thoughte sonne saide he you would not haue knowne me in this coate we ought saide hys sonne to knowe the garment by the person not the person by the garment therfore though your cote be chaunged your coūtenaunce is not chaunged Oh sonne saide his father not long since I was welthy and able to helpe my friends but nowe I am so poore that I am not able to helpe my selfe and then he tolde him what mischaunce he had Wel father saide his sonne be patient Few sons wil aske such boonds of their fathers and thanke God for al but where you say that you are so poore that you are not able to helpe your selfe that I truste will proue shortly not to be so With that his Son fell vppon his knées and desired his father to graunte him one thing that he woulde require at his hande Alas sonne saide his father I am not able to graunt you any thing father sayde hys sonne that that I woulde aske of you you are easilye able to graunte therefore I will not leaue knéeling vnto you vntill you haue graunted me my petition Then saide his father rise vp sonne and knéele no more for I will graunte it you séeing you saye I maye easilye doe it Then saide his sonne from thys time forwarde I giue you fréelye all my goodes and Landes that I haue in the Worlde and that you shal possesse and enioy them for your own and that it shall be at your choice to giue and to bestowe them where you liste Which when his father heard he was astonied Sonne saide he that is too much for me a small portion thereof shall serue my turne father said his sonne I trust you will not go from your grant thus it must be it shal be none other Well son séeing there is no remedie I will take it vpon me but if I had thoughte that this woulde haue bin your request I woulde not haue graunted to perform it Then his sonne made freshe and fine clothes to be putte on hym and a faire Gowne vpon his backe and did place him in his chayre at the vpper ende of the Table saying oh father howe doe I reioyce to sée you maister of this house you said euē nowe that you were so poore that you were not able to helpe your selfe but nowe that is not so for I am sure that you haue ynough for youre selfe and your friende And hys sonne desired the Gentlemenne that were with him at Supper to make much of his father and so they did Siuqila Howe did the Gentlemans wife like of this liberal gifte that hir husband gaue to hys father did she not frowne at it I pray you Omen As she was very glad of hir