wanting._

Ye, quod the frere. Than wente the man to the boye and sayd: syr, thy
mayster byddeth the gyue me xl pens. I wyll nat, quod the boye. Than
called the man with an hye voyce to the frere and sayd: syr, he sayeth
he wyll not. Than quod the frere: bete him; and whan the boye harde his
mayster say so, he gaue the man xl pens.

By this ye may se, it is foly for a man to say ye or nay to a matter,
excepte he knewe surely what the matter is.

FOOTNOTES:

[83] Swoon.

[84] Orig. reads _besought him of_.

+ _Of Phylyp Spencer the bochers man._ l.

+ A certayne bocher dwellynge in Saynt Nicolas[85] Flesshambles in
London, called Poule, had a seruaunte called Peter. Thys Peter on a
Sonday was at the churche herynge masse; and one of his felowes, whose
name was Phylyppe Spencer, was sente to call him at the commaundement of
his maister. So it happened at the tyme that the curat _preched_, and in
his sermonde touched many auctoryties of the holy scriptures, amonge
all, the wordes of the pystles of saynt Poule ad[86] phylypenses: howe
[we] be nat onely bounde to beleue in Chryste but also to suffre for
Chrystes sake; and [he] sayd these wordes in the pulpet: what sayeth
Poule ad Phylyppenses to this? Thys yonge man, that was called Philyppe
Spenser, hadde went he had spoken of him [and] answered shortely and
sayd: mary, syr, he bad Peter come home and take his parte of a podynge,
for he shulde go for a Calfe anone. The curate herynge this, was
abasshed, and all the audyence made great laughter.

By thys ye may se, that it is no token of a wyse man to gyue a soden
answere to a questyon, before he knowe surely what the matter is.

FOOTNOTES:

[85] Orig, reads _Nocolas_. The Church of St. Nicholas Shambles, which
formerly stood in the neigbourhood of Newgate Market, was pulled down at
the Reformation. See Cunningham, _Handbook of London_, in voce.

[86] Orig. reads _and_.

+ _Of the courtear and the carter._ li.

+ There came a courtyer by a carter, the whiche in derysyon preysed the
carters backe, legges, and other membres of his body meruaylously, whose
gestynge the carter perceyued and sayde, he had another properte than
the courtyer espyed in hym; and whan the courtyer had demanded what it
shulde be, he lokyd asyde ouer hys shulder vpon the courtyer and sayde
thus: lo! syr, this is my propertie. I haue a walle eye in my hede: for
I neuer loke ouer my shulder thys wyse but lyghtlye[87] I spy