by whom when the Iudge saw he said I maruel Farmer why you do not suffer my father to enioy possesse the Farm you dwel in which he toke of this gentlemā let him haue possession therein quietly spéedily or else he shal haue it whether you wil or no Thē that Farmer was about to speake but the Iudges father spake sodainly said◠you niyght be sure you folish fellow that you haue a wrong match that you cānot be able to withstand me A faire bragge specially seing my son is Iudge where our matter must be determined Thē the Farmer answered again very soberly I know my matter is so true and your son so vpright a Iudge that I am right glad that he shal haue the determining of my matter though you are his father I but a stranger to him What Farmer hast that such a good opinon in me said the Iudge Yea that I haue said the Farmer none can make me beleue that either father fauor affection kinred mony or rewardes can make you iudge vniustly or deale vntruely then the Iudge said thou art not deceiued in me therfore for the affiance thou hast in me for the good wil I beare thée yéelde vp thy possessiō to my father let him haue his right with quietnesse I wil be a suter to him to be good to thée Sir said that Farmer by that time that the truth is knowne and al things stand according to equitie you wil not think that he cā pleasure me This is verie strāge said the Iudge if I may credite mine own father this honest Gētleman these thrée sober witnesses thou hast cōsēted agréed that my father should take a lease in reuersiō of this Gentlemā My Lord said the Farmer as it is méete that a man should be at his own marriage so it were requisite that I should cōsēt to mine own agréemēt and it were maruaile that I should be so obliuious as to put away my whole liuing and not to remēber when where nor to whom such a thing is not so soone to be forgotten I might then be counted to be more forgetful than Claudius who in a fury being Emperour of Rome commaunded one of his familiar friendes to be beheaded and called for the same man the next day to playe with him at Chesse forgetting that he had bid that he should be put to death Wherfore as you are a righteous Iudge know that the Iudge of al Iudges is in heauen I beséech you not only to examin the truth of this matter throughly but also to separate euerye one of these that are come against me wherby they may not confer any further togither thā they haue done that they heare not one anothers examination To whom the Iudges father said dost thou thinke that my son wil do so much at thy request no I warrant thée Father saide the Iudge be contented if your matter be true as you saye it is then your separation cannot make you disagrée in truth Therefore his request is both reasonable lawful and if I should not grant it vnto him I should not only séeme to deale vniustly but also euery one might thinke I were partial and fully bent to do him wrong to pleasure you withall so that my louing father Note this be not displeased with me for though otherwise you may commaunde me yet in this case I maye commaunde you you muste consider that I am nowe two kind of persons in respecte of my worldly birth I am your son ought to obey you but in respect of this mine office I am your Iudge and you ought to obey me wherfore I commaund euery one of you to separate your selues and to the intent my wil herein may be the better performed I commaunde fiue officers belonging to this court to waite on you and to keepe euery of you so far asunder that no one of you shal talke with an other neither any of you heare the examinations of an other Take them Officers vnto you and kéepe them separately vntill I call for them Ah son sayde the Iudges Father doest thou vse thy Father thus extreamely I woulde haue thoughte thou wouldst haue handled mine enemy thus rather thā me father said the Iudge be contente he came willinglye as soone as I sente for hym and here is none neyther hath he brought any to be examined on his behalfe as you haue done neyther doe I commit you into these Officers hands as prisoners but onelye that he maye perceiue I am willing to performe his reasonable request to whom his father aunswered I wil not be kept of any I am able to kéepe my selfe I woulde I had neuer begot thée An vnfit speech to a Iudge I am sorie that I came to thée to complain And I am as sorie father saide his sonne that it is my chaunce to be your Iudge If your matter be right as I now feare the contrarie you woulde be as wel content for my credite to graunt your aduersaries lawfull desire as that I should Iudge rightly on youre side Then saide the father to the Iudge I will trouble you no further I and this Gentleman my Landlord with my witnesses will be gone I wil haue it tryed in another Court then said the Iudge I coulde be right wel content that you should so do if the Law would permit you but our Law is that no maters may be determined but only in that Court that is appointed therefore euery matter must be tryed where they are first cōmenced and now for that you dwel within the circuit of this Court where I am Iudge and séeing you haue comenst your matter here against this Farmer you can not remoue it from hence if you would I maruel why you shoulde refuse to haue your matter tried before me your sonne for as you maye thinke that euery one should here haue their right so you may be most sure that I being Iudge and your most louing Sonne woulde not suffer you here to take any wrong Me thinkes this Farmer whom you sue here that is neither kith nor kin to me shoulde rather refuse to haue his matter tryed here than you But this I wil doe father for the loue I beare you and for the greate care I haue of you I will giue this Farmer an hundred mark out of mine owne purse to let you enioy his Farme quietlye whereby neither you shall néede to trouble me nor the Lawe anie further Then the Iudges father saide churlishlie I haue no néede of thy money I am able to paie for it my selfe but for that I haue agréed with him once as my witnesses cā testifie I will not giue him one pennie more than I haue done then saide the Farmer if you shoulde giue me but one peny more than you haue giuen me then you shoulde giue me but one penie for my good will of my Farme for I neuer had anie of you
yet and a pennie were to little of conscience for such a Farme as it is whiche is sufficient to finde me and my wife and thirtie persons besides the dailie refreshing of my poore neighbours and diuerse straungers and if you woulde giue me fiue thousand pounde for my good wil of it yet you should not haue it for that I and my auncestours haue dwelled in it time out of minde And if I shoulde put such a good liuing away which my auncestours haue liued on so long from my children euery one might wel say that I am not worthie to haue such a liuing left vnto me by my Parentes and whereas they mighte think that as long as I kepte it I hadde some witte so nowe they mighte well affirme that I were a foole or beganne to dote And therefore I haue neither putte it awaie neither will consente to putte it awaie And thoughe my Landlorde be willing to haue a new Tenant yet I am contente to kéepe stil mine olde Landelord Therefore séeing I haue not offended him anie waie nor yet hys newe Tenaunte pleasured him by anie meanes that I knowe I feare it will fall out if the matter be well ripte that either he hathe hadde some greater Fine than I haue offered him or some greater Rente than I do paie him or rather both Wel father saide the Iudge I perceiue this man wil not depart with his Farme vnlesse he loose it by the Law And for that I would haue you friends without Law if it might be I beséech you father let me entreate you at this time to be ruled with reason what would you haue me to do said he to his son Marke me and I wil tel you you haue liuing ynough A vertuous Iudge though you haue not this mās Farme from him which if you had I feare you woulde not kéepe the like house on it that he doth therefore I woulde wishe you should release your title you haue in it from this Gentlemā And if you paid anye Fine for it whiche you may doe with the consente of the Farmer so that it be but one yeares Rente I wil request this Gentleman to giue it you againe and this his olde Farmer shall giue him the same Fine againe Howe saye you Farmer saide the Iudge are you content therewith yea sir said the Farmer at your request with al my heart Then saide the Gentleman but you were best know whether I wil take it againe of him or not And then saide the Iudges father thoughe you woulde so take it yet perhappes I woulde not receiue my Fine againe I praye you father saide the Iudge sticke not herein So that you haue your money you layde out for the Fine you néede not care Yea marry saide he so that I hadde my monie that I laide out Then the Iudge saide hadde he anye more monie of you than one yeares Rente I saye not so saide his father and if I hadde paide him anie more yet I sette more by the Farme than by the Fine yea but father saide the Iudge I truste you paide him no more than one yeares Rente the Gentlemanne saide no indéede didde he not then the Iudge saide to the Gentlemanne I praye you giue my father his Fine agayne that he gaue you my Lorde saide the Gentleman I haue it not I haue spent it thē the Iudge saide againe are you so contente that the Farmer shall giue him the Fine that he shoulde giue you I am pleased saide the Gentleman so that your father will make me a generall quittaunce no saide the Iudges father I will make no quittaunce I haue hyred my Farme and my Farme I looke to haue then father said the Iudge you are giuen more to will than to wisedome and to gaine more than to godlynesse Wel séeing the Farmer wil take no mony to forgo his Farme lette me entreate you to release vppe your Leafe And bycause I woulde haue all ended quietlye I will gyue you fortie pounde out of mine owne purse so that you wyll doe it Whereby you maye perceyue that I woulde haue the Farmer to kéepe hys Farme and you to be no looser which Iudges vse not commonly to do I wil haue none of you sayde the Iudges father No common vse of Iudges but if the Farmer wil giue me a hundreth pounde to release my state and title I am content Then sayde the Farmer I wil not giue one penny for it more than my ordinarie Fine I wil breake no good custome of this our famous Country And now my Lord for that you haue offred too much and all for quietnesse whiche I sée is for the tender zeale you beare to your father though he cannot sée it let the matter be tryed before you and he that winnes it by the Law lette him weare it Are you so stoute said the Gentleman for my parte let it be tryed by the Law though you thinke my Lorde Iudge doth fauour you yet assure your selfe our thrée witnesses and we two are sufficient to ouerthrow you I trust he will not go against a manifest truth no said the Iudge but I would gladlie if it might be haue the matter taken vp yea said the Iudges father if the Farmers matter wer as true as my son knoweth it is false he woulde not be so readie to haue the matter ended without Law Spiteful wordes at which words the Iudge beganne to blush saying wel father this something toucheth me the Farmer said true when he affirmed that you can not sée the zeale I beare you and now séeing you haue vrged me let it fall out as it wil for the Law shall try it and nowe you shall sée whether I will beare with falshod or not saying further bring my father hither to the Barre and the Farmer also but carrie the rest aside vntil I call for them and then the Iudge saide father it appeareth by your Bil of declaration that such a day such a month and in such a place this Farmer receiued fortie pounde of you wherefore he did consente and agrée that his Landlord shoulde let you a Lease of the Farme he now dwelleth in and that you shoulde suffer him after the ende of your Lease quietly to possesse and inioy the same How say you father sayde the Iudge is it not so yes truely saide his father then feare not father saide the Iudge though you haue something missused me if this be true you shall haue the Farme and all your desire Thē saide the Farmer if that be true then I will yéelde and he shall haue it but my Lord if I proue it false then I trust I shal haue my Farme still Yea that you shal sayd the Iudge fear it not Sir if it will please you saide the Farmer to send for thrée such of my neighbors they will come with spéede and something satisfie you in thys matter Then the Iudge commanded an officer to goe for them who came presently to the
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
Iudge and then the Iudge examined euery of them by themselues and they all agréed that the same day the said Farmer and they were al the day aboue halfe a dosen miles out of the towne And then the Iudge saide to the Farmer how say you sirra where were you the same day that is mentioned in this Bill of Declaration Forsooth saide he I was with the saide thrée men my neibours al the same day half a dosen miles out of the towne and if they haue tolde you truly they haue saide no lesse In déede Farmer you and they agrée al in one Then said the Iudge to his father how like you this father Then his father saide it was then the next day after I am most sure therof Then said the Iudge if you are no surer of the truth of your matter than you are certaine of the day when this bergaine was made I feare it will fall out but madly on your side I pray you confesse all where he was the next day after mentioned in this Bill And then the Farmer and his thrée neighbours saide al at once that foure or fiue daies then together they were all at the same place in the Countrie making merrie at one of their friendes marriages Then the Iudge said Father if your mater end no better than it doth beginne it will not goe very well with you Then his father saide all this can not daunt me Trulie saide the Iudge you like your cause a great deale better than I do You know said his father he hath but thrée witnesses beside him selfe and I haue other thrée witnesses beside my selfe and the Gentleman my newe Landlorde is the fifte who is able therin to say something And then the Iudge commaunded the witnesses to be brought before him whom he asked if they would be sworne to vtter the truth in a matter that he would demaunde of them And they with one voice saide they would then they toke their othes before the Iudge at which time the Iudges father wold haue sworne but the Iudge would not suffer him And when the saide thrée witnesses had sworne they plainly confessed before the Iudge and all the companie that they neuer heard the saide Farmer consent and agrée to any such thing Howe chanceth it then saide the Iudge that my father doth bring you as witnesses on his side Forsooth sayde they he offered eche of vs a good summe of monie to beare witnesse against this Farmer in this matter when he should will vs but we would take no monie of him saying we would receiue it of him when we had done him pleasure purposing by this meanes to saue this innocent Farmer if néed should require from losing of his Farme as I hope now we do abhorring in our consciences his wicked practise to betray the innocent Then the faultles Farmer held vp his eyes to Heauen and sayd O Lord I thanke thée when I came hither I looked to haue had none other witnesses on my side but onely myselfe but nowe throughe thy goodnesse thou haste raysed sixe witnesses to helpe me besides a most true and vertuous Iudge whose father hoped to ouerthrow me through the helpe of his sonne and thrée witnesses that he procured him selfe but thou haste broughte his owne witnesses againste him and they haue made him to fall by whome he thought to stande Then the Iudges father hanged downe his heade for shame and the Iudge his sonne did wéepe euen for sorrowe saying O father what a dolefull daye is this What meante you to committe suche wickednesse Why didde you come before your louing sonne with such an euill and shamefull cause Didde you thinke that I though I be yong am a Foole Or did you beléeue that by affection I woulde be woonne and enticed to doe wrong Or thoughte you that bicause you are my father you therefore should allure me to falshode You know that a Iudge ought to bée a father to the fatherlesse a defender of the innocente a succourer of the sorrowefull a protector of the poore and a helper of those that bée oppressed Iusticia is portrayed with a vaile before hir eyes whereby is signified that true Iustice ought to bée blinde and not to respect the person with the eyes but the matter with the minde And also she hath a paire of Ballances in hir hande signifying that as a true Ballance doth weigh equally so true Iustice shoulde not weigh nor wring on eyther side vppe nor downe but equally according to truthe Oh what a griefe is it to my heart You knewe full well that the matter was wrong and I partely smelled that it was not right I mysseliked it when you would haue it procéede against him in his absence You might be sure that when I offred to giue him monie out of mine owne purse to let you haue his Farme and also monie vnto you to release your interest thereof to him which I thought was but small that then I perceiued your matter would not fal out very wel Oh infortunate father that doth hurste the hearte of your wofull sonne With that his father fell downe on his knées and with wéeping teares sayde O sonne would to God I had followed your counsel then this shame had neuer come to me saying to the Farmer Oh Farmer forgiue me and desire my sonne to be good vnto me The Lorde forgiue you sayde the Farmer I woulde it lay in my power to release you Then he sayde to his sonne O my deare sonne bée fauourable vnto mée Then the Iudge his sonne sayde Ryse vppe father and knéele not to mée it is rather my parte to knéele to you O father when I offered and coulde haue pleasured you then you woulde not and nowe that you are desirous and would haue me to do you good I cannot You know we haue a seuere King and our Lawes are extreame and may not be broken so that if I should moderate Iudgement contrarie to the Law I should not pleasure you but vtterly vndo my self For though I wold spare and fauour you the King by his espials would heare of it who therefore would execute mée with al extremitie and wold punish you with al seueritie and so I should bring you to greater vexation and my self to destruction Therfore father be content for there is no remedie but that I muste néedes giue suche Iudgement on you as your offence requireth by the Law Separate my father a little aside sayde the Iudge and bring the Gentleman hither Siuqila But by the way I pray you tell me did the Gentleman vnderstande howe the matter went Omen No forsooth which you shall perceiue by the sequele When the Gentlemā was broght to the bar before the Iudge the Iudge loked on him as pleasantely as he coulde and sayde sir I am sorie that this foolishe Farmer hath both troubled this Court you and my father with such a vaine matter for I perceiue by the witnesses my father and you that he
shoulde rather haue counselled him to goodnesse than consented to him in wickednesse O sir saide the Gentleman it was long ere I would yéeld vnto him and I tolde him all the daunger of it Then sayd the Iudge you haue bewrayed your own follie héerby it appereth that you were in more fault than he Marke this that knew the dangers and did fall into those dangers a foule shame it were for one to giue another warning of a pit and to fall into the same pit himself He committed that euil to which he enticed you but you committed that myschief which you aduised him to shunne Then the Iudge called for his father to be brought before him and when his father came the Iudge sayde O what an infortunate sonne am I that must be enforst to giue iudgement against mine owne father natural affection willeth me to pleasure my father but the obedience to my Prince doth persuade me to punish my father I am so wrapt in the net of necessitie that there is no way to auoid the mischief If I giue iudgement on this Gentleman as he doth deserue and saue my father from that he deserueth then I shal not onely be a partiall Iudge and so a false Iudge but also I shall therby procure mine own confusion If I giue true iudgement as a iust Iudge ought to do then many wil detract mée speak euil of me yea and when they sée me goe in the stréet wil point at me saying Behold the wicked and hard-harted sonne that gaue cruell iudgement against his owne father Well of two euils the least is to be chosen I were better to please God and obey my Prince in iudging truly than to auoid slanderous reportes of the witlesse by iudging vniustly O how loth I am to do that I am enforst to do And with that this yong notable Iudge began to wax very pale and so swounded and fell out of his chaire whome euery one then present thought to be dead Siuqila But he died not I hope for it had bin great pittie he should for that he was both wise learned a righteous Iudge Omen No they recouered him at that time but they were enforst to carie him home presently as one liker to die thaÌ„ liue Siuqila What became then of the Gentleman his father Omen They were both committed to prison vntill the next day when another Iudge gaue iudgement against them They had the law extréemly executed on them for their making hurtfull lies before the Iudge A good iudgement for those that hyre Houses from their neighbours according as in our former talk I declared to you besides that the Gentleman for taking that Fine and the Iudges father for giuing the Fine gaue the fourth part of all their goods wherof the King had the one half the other half was solde and equally distributed among their poorest neibors And the Iudges father for hiring his neibors Farm with out his coâ—sente and the Gentleman for letting it without his Tenants consente had their Houses and Groundes belonging to them taken from them and were let to their next porest neibor for the space of .vij. yeares And bicause the Gentleman did dwell in his owne fréelande the Farmer therof paide his Rent to the Gentlemans wife for the mainteining of hir and hir children And there was a proclamation made that whosoeuer did let or set either House or Ground to either of them for the space of .vij. yéeres should forfet their House they dwelled in and the Ground belonging to the same to the King And moreouer the Iudges father did weare on his backe and bosome for the saide terme of .vij. yeares these words folowing This man practised to put his neighbour out of his House Siuqila Truly he had bene better to haue bene content with his olde than in that sort to haue hyred a new House Surely I like the law wel but I like the executing of it better I beséech you tell me had the Gentleman no moe Houses to dwell in Omen Yes he had one other of his owne else he shuld hardly haue hired one for few would haue bene his Landlord therby to make themselues no Landlordes Siuqila But what iudgemente was giuen on them for enhancing of the Rent Omen Truly the Gentleman for the same was adiudged to receiue for .vij. yeares but one halfe of the Rents of all his Landes and the other halfe was yearely so long employed on pore mennes children to traine them vppe in learning And the sayde two Hundreth poundes that the Iudges father gaue vnto the Gentleman for a Fine was equally giuen and distributed among the thrée witnesses that vttred the truth on the Farmers side Siuqila Out of doubt this matter was well and wisely handled the yong Iudge was worthie to be commended the offenders had that they deserued and the thrée honest witnesses wer condignely rewarded Our countrie is not altogither barren of good Landlords and Gentlemen besides our famous and worthie Prince which do take very easie Fines neuer enhaunce any Rentes Omen Then I perceiue your Prince and such Landlordes can lack no Tenants no more than your great Benefices can lack Parsons or Uicars I would iudge that such as pay smal Fines and haue their Farmes by the olde Rent that they are a great help to the pore Artificers that dwell nigh them Siuqila Wherin do you thinke that they should be such help to them Omen Forsothe in the selling of their corne cattell milke butter and chéese with their other profites that doe rise of their olde rented Farmes Siuqila Howe so I pray you Omen Bicause they doe sell the same a greate deale better cheap as good reason is than they do that pay such great Fines and rackt Rentes Siuqila In déede it were great reason they should so doe but they that haue their Farmes by the olde Rente doe rather sell their corne and cattell more deare than the other sor they hauing no such néede Against reason do keep their corne and cattel and other profits vntil they be more scarce and dearer and so do sel the fame to the most aduauntage Yea beside that they are so gréedie that if they may haue but one halfpennie in a Bushel ten or twelue miles off they wil carie it thither rather than their neighbors shall haue it that dwell within a mile of them though somtime they haue lesse there than they might haue had at home And the poore Tenantes that pay great and excessiue Fines and rackt Rentes are of necessitie constrained to sell their corne aforehande yea perhappes halfe a yeare before it be ripe whereby for readie monie they haue not the halfe it is worth And furthermore they are constrained daily to carie their commodities to the market as soone as they are readie so that theirs are all solde and perhaps they are readie to buie before the other that haue their Farmes by the olde Rent begin to sell. Omen
as yong as the Iudge you tolde of that boulted out the truth against his owne father but nothing so good as he was Omen Tell it and I will giue you the hearing I knowe you will not reporte it vnlesse it were true nor yet stand about to tell it vnlesse it were strange Siuqila There was a very yong man not very far from the Countrie where I was borne A notorious example of a detestable Iudge who for his great learning rare wisedom commendable conditions and modest maners was by the Magistrates and Rulers of that Countrie chosen to be a Iudge who vsed him selfe for a while in his Office so vprightly and so godlie to the iudgement of euery one that none but were glad that they had suche a Iudge In whose time there happened two Gentlemen to be very conuersant together and to loue one another déerly euen as though they had bene sworn brethren and whiles they were in this frendshippe the one of them began to cast his loue an a certaine Gentlewoman who being a great suter vnto hir and yet could not obtaine hir loue as he wisht began to languish for hir loue and was so sad and sorrowful therby that the other Gentleman his déere frend did not onely much muse and meruaile thereat but on a time enforced through very sorrowe to speake vnto him he sayd thus or the like Sir I thought you had estéemd me aboue al other but nowe I perceiue that you loue some other better than mée What occasion saide the other haue you to saye so vnto mée Haue I depraued you to anye man you knowe my secreates more than anye and you haue my companie more than anye and these are not tokens that I loue any better than you Wel sayde the other thoughe these doe argue yet do they not proue Your bodie is sicke as it is lyke for you eate little or nothing your sléepe is taken from you and your mirth is cleane gone which if they bée not argumentes that your body is sicke then they are manifest prouffes that your minde is not well And if your bodie be sicke and you hyde your disease from me or if you be sick in minde and conceale the cause from me especially frō him that you knowe will not spare the best bloud in his body to heale your body nor his goodes counsel nor trauel to ease your minde then I must néedes thinke say you what you wil that you loue me not as you professe nor estéeme mée as I deserue Then saide his frende againe I knowe you loue me and therfore I loue you againe and that is as wel as my self If you do so saide the other then you ought to let me knowe what so euer you know your selfe vnlesse you thinke that your self will bewray your self except you doubt your self wil deceiue your self and vnlesse you thinke that your self wil betray your self Nay that followeth not sayd the sorowful Gentleman for though I loue you as my self that maketh not that you loue mée as your self be not angrie I beséech you I speake this rather to answer your argument than that I doubt your loue In déede there are very thoughtful matters in my minde I would I had changed them for diseases of my body And for that I haue kepte them close to my great griefe I wil nowe reueale them to you as to my chiefest frend I hope to my comfort not doubting but that as I tel you where my pain is so I hope you wil procure some plaister to ease it Then his frende saide both vehemently and as it séemed faithfully I protest here before God and you if my paines may pleasure you or if my pursse may profit you assure your self of it and loe here is my hand if I may know the roote of the thing that worketh you this sorrowe I wil plucke it vp and that with spéede if al my strength be able to do it Wel saide the other seing you say so I will no longer hide from you the woe that doth wound me You know that I said not long since that I loued you as wel as my self but now I must confesse vnto you that I loue another better than my self yea and suche a one that I feare when she knoweth it shée will rather frowne than fauour me hate than help me and cut me vp than comfort me If I may know hir name and where she dwelleth sayde his friende I hope I wyl find a salue that wil heale thys sore oh if you coulde saide the other againe I woulde neuer forget your friendship And then he vttered hir name where he shoulde haue hir Séeing said he you are in such a perplexitie for hir I wil not tarrie the writing of a letter but let me haue your Ring for a token but I pray you first tel me are you well acquainted with hir very wel said the sorrowful Gentleman and she loueth me verie wel but I feare not so wel as to marrie me I am glad you haue told me thus much said his friend I wil not therfore tell hir that you are sicke for hir loue but of some other maladie and desire hir to come and speak with you who not knowing the matter I doubt not but I shal perswade hir at first Thē said the sorrowful Gentleman if I doubted no more of hir loue thā I doubt of hir comming I know I shold be hole of my disease within this houre what saide the other doe you thinke she wil come so soone yea I am sure of that said he if you deliuer hir my Ring but in any wise tell hir not that I am loue-sicke no I warrante you saide the other And so hée went to the Gentlewoman with spéede Omen I praye you what good newes didde hée bryng againe Siuqila For wante of good newes he broughte the Gentlewomanne hir selfe who wepte for sorrowe that he was so sicke Omen It séemed by hir spéedie comming and by hir sodain wéeping that she loued him wel Siuqila Yea and better than he thoughte and after as wel as he wished but at that time though she fauoured hym inwardly she shewed it not outwardly but as one friend wold do to another At which time the sicke Gentleman saide surely Gentlewoman I muste néedes thinke my selfe much beholden to you for this your spéedie cōming to me but a great deale more for so quickly easing me Many Phisitiōs cānot help their patients though they take their medicines but you haue half cured me without any medcine therfore I must say thogh your cunning be not great yet your luck is very good Sir said she I haue halfe cured you without knowing your disease without giuing you any medicine then it is verie like I shoulde throughly cure you if I knew your grief and did minister vnto you That is very like saide he and séeing your phisick doth so much ease me at the beginning of my diseases I meane you shal be my Doctour
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