What shall I call thee--what is thy name?"
_S._ "Occlive[353] (Father mine), men callen me."
_F._ "Occlive? Son!"--_S._ "Yes, Father, the same."
_F._ "Thou wert acquainted with Chaucer "pardie?" (p. 402)
_S._ "G.o.d save his soul! best of any wight."
_F._ "Syn thou mayst not be paid in the Exchequer, Unto my Lord the Prince make instance That thy patent unto the Hanaper May changed be."--_S._ "Father, by your sufferance, It may not so: because of the ordinance, Long after this shall no grant chargeable Over pa.s.s. Father mine, this is no fable."
_F._ "An equal charge, my Son, in sooth Is no charge, I wot it well indeed.
What! Son mine! Good heart take unto thee.
Men sayen, "Whoso of every gra.s.s hath dread, Let him beware to walk in any mead."
a.s.say! a.s.say! thou simple-hearted ghost; What grace is shapen thee, thou not wost.
----Now, syn me thou toldest My Lord the Prince is good Lord thee to; No maistery is to thee, if thou woldest To be relieved, wost thee what to do.
_Write to him a goodly tale or two_, _On which he may disport him by night_, And his free grace shall on thee light.
Sharp thy pen, and write on l.u.s.tily; Let see, my Son, make it fresh and gay, Utter thine art if thou canst craftily; _His high prudence hath insight very_ _To judge if it be well made or nay._ Wherefore, Son, it is unto thee need Unto thy work take thee greater heed.
But of one thing be well ware in all wise, On flattery that thou thee not found, For thereof (Son) Solomon the Wise, As that I have in his Proverbs found, Saith thus: "They that in feigned speech abound, And glossingly unto their friends talk, Spreaden a net before them, where they walk."
This false treason common is and rife; Better were it thou wert at Jerusalem (p. 403) Now, than thou wert therein defective.
Syn my Lord the Prince is (_G.o.d hold his life!_) To thee good Lord, good servant thou thee quit To him and true, and it shall thee profit.
Write him _nothing that sowneth to vice_, Kyth[354] thy love in matter of sadness.
Look if thou find canst any treatise Grounded on his estate"s wholesomeness; Which thing translate, and unto his highness, As humbly as thou canst, it thou present.
Do thus, my Son."--_S._ "Father! I a.s.sent, With heart as trembling as the leaf of asp."[355]
[Footnote 352: The Author has not formed any satisfactory opinion as to the meaning of the phrase "his ghost maistried with danger." Perhaps it implies that the spirit of the Prince was not under the _control_ of such pa.s.sions as would render it a service of _danger_ to prefer a suit to him.]
[Footnote 353: In some MSS. it is "Hoccleve."]
[Footnote 354: "Kyth thy love," means "make thy love known." Our word "kith," in the proverb "kith and kin," means persons of our acquaintance.]
[Footnote 355: Bib. Reg. 17. D. 6. p. 34.]
END OF VOLUME I.