ped mawmetis," [see note 5] and to come home as soon as he
could--which, however, must not be just now.

Friar Andrew then folded his elaborate and arduous piece of composition,
and directed it in remarkable characters and singular spelling, as
follows:--

"_To ye hondes of ye veraye gode Knyghte, Syr Rechurt Pynsone of
Pinnsonrue, beyng yn ye Halie Londe at Dommosscsc_ (this word gave him
immense trouble), _or elsewhar, dilyuher thes_."

"There!" said the friar, with a deep sigh of relief in conclusion, as he
exhibited the fruit of his prowess in triumph to Dame Lovell.
"Methinketh that Richard himself could not better those letters!"

Dame Lovell looked with unfeigned admiration at the cabalistic
characters, for such they were in her eyes, and declared them "right
brave," opining moreover that "learning was soothly a passing rare
thing!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. Knighthood is now conferred only by the Sovereign, who is "the
fountain of honour," or by a viceroy, as representing the Sovereign. In
ancient times, however, "a knight could make a knight." When the Duke
of Suffolk was taken prisoner in battle by a simple squire, he asked,
before surrendering his sword, "Are you a knight?" "No," was the
answer. "Kneel, then," replied Suffolk, "that I may make you one; for I
will never give up my sword to a squire." The squire knelt, and Suffolk
knighted his captor, and then delivered his sword to one who, by the
laws of chivalry, had now become his equal.

Note 2. The reader does not need to search through the Acts of the
Apostles for any mention of Saint Paul's having been a doctor for it is
one of the endless legends of the Middle Ages, of which Maundeville's
Travels are full.

Note 3. A very pleasant companion. "Fellow" and "companion" have now
exchanged meanings, though we still speak of a bed_fellow_ and the
_fellow_ to a glove.

Note 4. This "Americanism" is really an old English phrase, as many
more so-called Americanisms also are.

Note 5. Idols. Our forefathers had a rooted idea that Jews and
Mohammedans were idolaters. Their very word for idols, "Mawmetis," was
a corruption of the name of Mahomet.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE DAY AFTER AGINCOURT.

"Urbs Coelestis! Urbs Beata!
Super petram collocata,
Urbs in portu satis tuto,
De lonquinquo te saluto;
Te saluto, te suspiro,
Te affecto, te requiro."

Fourteen years