him that a servant from the Baron waited to conduct him to the Castle.
He took leave of Wyatt's wife, telling her he would see her again before
he left the country. The daughter fetched his horse, which he mounted,
and set forward with the servant, of whom he asked many questions
concerning his master's family.

"How long have you lived with the Baron?"

"Ten years."

"Is he a good master?"

"Yes, Sir, and also a good husband and father."

"What family has he?"

"Three sons and a daughter."

"What age are they of?"

"The eldest son is in his seventeenth year, the second in his sixteenth,
the others several years younger; but beside these my Lord has several
young gentlemen brought up with his own sons, two of which are his
nephews; he keeps in his house a learned clerk to teach them languages;
and as for all bodily exercises, none come near them; there is a
fletcher to teach them the use of the cross-bow; a master to teach them
to ride; another the use of the sword; another learns them to dance; and
then they wrestle and run, and have such activity in all their motions,
that it does one good to see them; and my Lord thinks nothing too much
to bestow on their education."

"Truly," says Sir Philip, "he does the part of a good parent, and I
honour him greatly for it; but are the young gentlemen of a promising
disposition?"

"Yes indeed, Sir," answered the servant; "the young gentlemen, my Lord's
sons, are hopeful youths; but yet there is one who is thought to exceed
them all, though he is the son of a poor labourer."

"And who is he?" said the knight.

"One Edmund Twyford, the son of a cottager in our village; he is to
be sure as fine a youth as ever the sun shone upon, and of so sweet a
disposition that nobody envies his good fortune."

"What good fortune does he enjoy?"

"Why, Sir, about two years ago, my lord, at his sons request, took
him into his own family, and gives him the same education as his own
children; the young lords doat upon him, especially Master William, who
is about his own age: It is supposed that he will attend the young Lords
when they go to the wars, which my Lord intends they shall by and by."

"What you tell me," said Sir Philip, "increases every minute my respect
for your Lord; he is an excellent father and master, he seeks out merit
in obscurity; he distinguishes and rewards it,--I honour him with all my
heart."

In this manner they conversed together till they came within