's
Complaint"--[See Note 4.]

"Christ hath twelve apostles here;
Now, say they, there may be but one,
That may not erre in no manere--
Who 'leveth [believeth] not this ben lost echone. [each one]
Peter erred--so did not Jhon;
Why is he cleped the principal? [See note 5.]
Christ cleped him Peter, but Himself the Stone--
All false faitours [doers] foule hem fall!" [Evil befall them.]

Late that evening a mounted messenger crossed the drawbridge, and stayed
his weary horse in the snows-prinkled base court. He was quickly
recognised by the household as a royal letter-bearer from London.

"And what news abroad, Master Matthew?"

"Why, the King's Highness keepeth his Christmas at Eltham; and certain
of the Council would fain have the Queen's Bohemians sent forth, but I
misdoubt if it shall be done. And Sir Nicholas Brembre is the new
mayor. There is no news else. Oh, ay! The parson of Lutterworth, Sir
John de Wycliffe--"

"The lither heretic!" muttered Warine, for he was the questioner. "What
misturnment [perversion] would he now?"

"He will never turn ne misturn more," said the messenger. "The morrow
after Holy Innocents a second fit of the palsy took him as he stood at
the altar at mass, and they bare him home to die. And the eve of the
Circumcision [December 31st, 1384], two days thereafter, the good man
was commanded to God."

"Good man, forsooth!" growled Warine.

"Master Warine," said Hugh Calverley's voice behind him, "the day may
come when thou and I would be full fain to creep into Heaven at the
heels of the Lutterworth parson."

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

Note 1. The anointing at baptism, when a white cloth was always placed
on the head.

Note 2. Bertram, Ursula, Parnel, Warine, and Maude and her family, are
all fictitious persons.

Note 3. The herbs were to be boiled and the liquid drunk, for a sprain,
bruise, or broken bone.

Note 4. Wright's _Political Poems_, one 304, _et seq_. The date of the
poem given by Wright is anticipated by about nine years.

Note 5. Why is Peter called the "Prince of the Apostles?"

CHAPTER TWO.

SOMEBODY'S CHILD.

"`Now God, that is of mightes most,
Grant him grace of the Holy Ghost
His heritage to win:
And Mary moder of mercy fre
Save our King and his meynie
Fro' sorrow and shame and sin.'"

The song was trilled in a pleasant voice by an old lady who sat spinnin