TWO PRIESTS.

Now, then, I will finish all these fables with this tale that followeth, which a worshipful priest and a parson told me late.

He said that there were dwelling at Oxenford two priests, both Masters of Arts, of whom one was quick and could put himself forth, and the other was a good simple priest. And so it happened that the Master that was pert and quick, was anon promoted to a benefice or twain, and after to prebends, and for to be a dean of a great prince's chapel, supposing and weening that his fellow, the simple priest, should never be promoted, but be always an annual, or, at the most, a parish priest.

So after a long time that this worshipful man, this dean, came running into a good parish with five or seven horses like a prelate, and came into the church of the said parish, and found there this good simple man, sometime his fellow, which came and welcomed him lowly. And that other bade him "Good morrow, Master John,” and took him slightly by the hand, and axed him where he dwelt. And the good man said, "In this parish." "How," said he, 66 are ye here a sole priest, or a parish priest?" "Nay, Sir," said he, "for lack of a better, though I be not able or worthy, I am parson and curate of this parish." And then that other vailed his bonnet, and said, "Master Parson, I pray you not to be displeased; I supposed you had not been beneficed. But, Master, I pray you, what is this benefice worth to you a year?" "Forsooth," said the simple man, "I wot never; for I make never account thereof, how well I have had it in four or five years.” "And know ye not," said he, "what it is worth? It should seem a good benefice." "No, forsooth," said he, "but I wot well what it shall be worth to me." 66 "Why," said he, "what shall it be worth?" "Forsooth," said he, "if I do my true dealing in the cure of my parish in preaching and teaching, and do my part belonging to my cure, I shall have heaven

therefore. And if any of their souls be lost by my default, I shall be punished therefore; and hereof I am

sure.

And with this word the rich dean was abashed; and thought he should be the better, and take more heed to his cures and benefices than he had done. This was a good answer of a good priest and an honest. And herewith I finish this book, translated and imprinted by me, William Caxton.

SIR THOMAS MORE.

SIR THOMAS MORE, Keeper of the Great Seal, was born A.D. 1480, and beheaded in 1535 on the charge of denying the supremacy of Henry VIII. as head of the Church. Besides numerous smaller pieces, both in prose and poetry, in English and Latin, he wrote a history of Edward IV. and his brother, Richard III., and the History of Utopia.

RICHARD III.

RICHARD the Third, son of Richard Duke of York, was in wit and courage equal with his two brothers, in body and prowess far under them both; little of stature, illfeatured of limbs, crook-backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard-favoured of visage, and such as is in states called warlike, in other men otherwise, he was malicious, wrathful, envious, and from afore his birth ever froward. No evil captain was he in the war, as to which his disposition was more meetlike than for peace. Sundry victories had he and sometimes overthrows, but in default of his own person, either of hardiness or of politic order. Free he was of expense, and somewhat above his power liberal; with large gifts he got him unstedfast friendship, for which he was fain to pillage and spoil in other places, and get him stedfast hatred.

} He was close and secret, a deep dissembler, lowly

of countenance, arrogant of heart, outwardly companionable where he inwardly hated, not letting to kiss him whom he thought to kill; pitiless and cruel, not for evil will always, but after for ambition, and for the surety or increase of his estate. Friend and foe was much what indifferent where his advantage grew; he spared no man's death where life withstood his purpose. He slew with his own hands king Henry the Sixth, being prisoner in the tower, as men commonly say, and that without commandment or knowledge of the king, which would undoubtedly if he had intended that thing, have appointed that butcherly office to some other than his own born brother.

LORD BERNERS.

LORD BERNERS, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Henry VIII., is the author of several works translated from the French and Spanish, the principal of which is his translation of the French chronicler, Froissart, issued in A.D. 1523.

ELECTION OF A POPE.

SOON after the death of the Pope Gregory, the cardinals drew them into the conclave in the palace of Saint Peter. Anon after, as they were entered to choose a Pope, according to their usage, such one as should be good and profitable for holy church, the Romans assembled together in a great number, and came into the bowerage of Saint Peter; they were to the number of thirty thousand, what with one and another, in the intent to do evil, if the matter went not according to their appetite. And they came oftentimes before the conclave and said, "Heark you, Sir cardinals, deliver you at once, and make a Pope; you tarry too long; if you make a Roman, we will not change him; but if you make any other, the Roman people and council will not take him for Pope, and you put yourself all in adventure to be slain."

The cardinals, who were then in the danger of the Romans, and heard well these words, they were not at their ease, nor assured of their lives, and so appeased them of their ire so far as they might with fair words; but so much rose the felony of the Romans, that such as were next to the conclave, to the intent to make the cardinals afraid, and to cause them to condescend the rather to their opinions, brake up the door of the conclave whereas the cardinals were.

Then the cardinals went surely to have been slain, and so fled away to save their lives, some one way and some another; but the Romans were not so content, but took them and put them together again, whether they would or not. The cardinals then, seeing themselves in the dangers of the Romans, and in great peril of their lives, agreed among themselves more for to please the people, than for any devotion; howbeit by good election, they chose an holy man, a cardinal of the Roman nation, whom Pope Urban the Fifth had made cardinal, and he was called before the cardinal of Saint Peter. His elec

tion pleased greatly the Romans, and so this good man had all the rights that belonged to the Papalty; howbeit he lived not but three days after, and I shall show you why.

The Romans, who desired a Pope of their own nation, were so joyful of this new Pope, that they took him, and set him on a white mule, and so led him up and down through the city of Rome, exalting him, and showing how they had vanquished the cardinals, seeing they had a Pope Roman to their own intents; in so much that the good old holy man was so sore travelled that he fell sick, and so died the third day, and was buried in the church of Saint Peter, and there he lieth.

HUGH LATIMER.

HUGH LATIMER was born A.D. 1474, appointed by Henry VIII. Bishop of Worcester in 1535, and suffered at the stake in the reign of Mary, 1555. Several volumes of his sermons have been published at different times.

CORRUPTION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

Now-a-days the judges are afraid to hear a poor man against the rich; they will either pronounce against him or drive off the suit, that he shall not be able to go through with it. But the greatest man in the realm cannot so hurt a judge as a poor widow; such a shrewd turn she can do him; the cries of the poor ascend to heaven, and call down vengeance from God.

Cambyses was a great emperor, such another as our master is; he had many lord-presidents, lord-deputies, and lieutenants under him. It chanced he had under him in one of his dominions a judge, who was a bribee, a gift-taker, a gratifier of rich men. The cry of a poor widow came to the emperor's ear; upon which he flayed the judge quick, and laid his skin in the chair of judgment, that all judges that should give judgment afterwards, should sit on the same skin. Surely it was a goodly sign, the sign of the judge's skin; I pray God we may once see the sign of the skin in England.

If a judge should ask me the way to hell, I would show him this way; first, let him be a covetous man; then let him go a little further and take bribes; and, lastly, let him pervert judgment. Lo, here is the mother, and the daughter, and the daughter's daughter: Avarice is the mother; she brings forth bribe-taking, and bribe-taking brings forth perverting of judgment. There lacks a fourth thing to make up the mess which, so God help me, if I were prince, should be a Tyburn tippit. Were it the Lord Chief Judge of the King's Bench, or the Lord Chancellor himself, to Tyburn with him.

But one will say, "Peradventure, you speak unseemly