nd Daniel, one afternoon in March, was waiting for
his dinner in the public room, when a ruffling cavalier named Ned
Horsey came in, humming a catch of "Good man priest, now beware your
pallet," "and bringing out a rhyme thereto of 'Fire and faggot,' and
'helm and sallet.'"

"I desire to live no longer than Whitsuntide next," Horsey said to
Daniel; "for if I live so long, I mistrust not but my deeds shall be
chronicled."

"Tush, my boy," he went on, "be of good cheer; for when thou shalt
hear what the matter is, thou wilt take up thy hand {p.263} and
bless thee, and marvel that such young heads could ever bring such a
matter as this to pass. I tell thee, the matter hath been a-brewing
this quarter of a year at least, when thou wast in the country like a
lout. Well, well, man, we shall either be men shortly, or no men; yea,
and that very shortly, too."

"Tell me what you mean," said Daniel.

"Alas! good lout," quoth Horsey, "and do you not know, I pray you?
hath not Harry Dudley told you of it?"

"No, by the faith of a Christian man," said Daniel, "Harry Dudley told
me nothing except that he was going into France. But I pray thee, good
Ned Horsey, tell me."

"By God's blood!" said Horsey, "then I will not tell you; for we have
all taken an oath on the Testament, that no man should break it to any
man, except as told first by Harry Dudley."

Horsey went on to talk of preparations, in which Daniel had been
concerned, for an expedition to Southampton. Daniel, being a man of
property, had undertaken to provide the horses, and had deposited a
sum of money for the purpose; but, from Horsey's words, he perceived
that schemes were on foot, which, having something to lose, he had
better keep clear of. "His heart," he said, "rys in his body as big as
a loaf;" he left the table, went down into the garden, and walked up
and down an alley to collect himself; at last he ran into an arbour,
where he knelt and said his prayers.

"What, man!" said Sir John Harrington, looking in, "you are well
occupied on your knees so soon after dinner."

Daniel made up his mind that his friends were bringing him into a
fool's paradise; "as they did brew, so they should bake for him," he
thought, "and those heads that had studied it before he came to town
should work the end of it." He stole away, therefore, and crossed the
river to Southwark, where he took into his confidence a surgeon named
Blacklock. Daniel pretended a broken leg, which B