saith she. "I except not even _Mother_, for I count not her an old
woman."

Aunt _Joyce_ laughed, and paid _Edith_ back her hug with usury.

Then, when _Edith_ was set down again to her work, Aunt _Joyce_ saith--

"_Anstace_ was wont to say--my _Anstace_, not yours, my maids--that she
which did commonly put herself in the lowest place should the seldomest
find her out of her reckoning."

SELWICK HALL, FEBRUARY THE IX.
Come Dr _Bell_ this morrow to let us blood, as is alway done of the
spring-time. I do never love these blood-letting days, sith for a
se'nnight after I do feel weak as water. But I reckon it must needs be,
to keep away fever and plague and such like, the which should be worser
than blood-letting a deal. All we were blooded, down to _Adam_; and Dr
_Bell_ rode away, by sixteen shillings the richer man, which is a deal
for a chirurgeon to earn but of one morrow. Aunt _Joyce_ saith she
marvelleth if in time to come physicians cannot discover some herb or
the like that shall purify folks' blood without having it run out of
them like water from a tap. I would, if so be, that they might make
haste and find the same.

_Father_ hath writ to his cousin my Lord of _Oxenford_, praying him to
give leave for _Wat_ to visit us at home. 'Tis four years sithence he
were here; and _Father_ hath been wont to say that shall be a rare
well-writ letter which shall (in common cases) do half the good of a
talk face to face. I can see he is somewhat diseaseful touching _Wat_,
lest he should slide into ill ways.

We do hear of old _Nanny_, that cometh by nows and thens for waste
victuals, that daft _Madge_ is something sick. Her grandmother reckons
she caught an ill rheum that even of _Christmas_ Day when she were here:
but _Madge_ herself will strongly deny the same, saying (poor maid!)
that she never could take nought ill at _Selwick_ Hall, for never nought
but good (saith she) came to her there. _Mother_ would go to visit her,
but she hath an evil rheum herself, and _Father_ saith she must tarry at
home this sharp frost: so Aunt _Joyce_ and I be to go this afternoon,
and carry her a basket of comfortable things.

SELWICK HALL, FEBRUARY YE X.
A rare basket that was _Mother_ packed yester-morrow for daft _Madge_.
First went in a piece of beef, and then a goodly string of salt ling
(for _Lent_ is nigh at hand [Note 1]), a little