No. VII.
Syster Roper, with all my heart, I recomend me unto you, thanking you for all kyndnesse. The cause of my wrytynge at thys time is, to shew you that at my coming home, within ii howres after, my Lord Chauncellor did come to take a course at a bucke in our parke, the which was to my husband a great comfort, that it would please him so to dooe. Then when he had taken hys pleasure and kilde his dere, he went to Syr Thomas Barnestons to bed: where I was the next day with him at his desyre, ye which I could not say nay to, for me thought he dyd byd me heartelye: and most especially, because I would speake to him for my father. And when I sawe my tyme, I dyd desire hym as humbly as I coulde that he would (as I have heard say that he hath been) be still good lord unto my father. Fyrst he answered me, that he would be as gladde to doe for hym as for hys father, and that (he sayd) did appeare very well, when the matter of the nonne was layde to his charge. And as for thys other matter, he mervayled that my father is so obstinate in his owne conceite, in that every body went furth withall, save onelye the blynde bysshoppe and he. And in good faythe (sayde my Lorde) I am very gladde that I have no learning, but in a fewe of Isopes fables, of the whiche I shall tell you one. There was a countrey in the which ther were almoste none but fooles, savyng a few which were wise, and they by theyr wisdom knew that ther shold fall a great rayne, the whiche shoulde make all theym fooles, that shoulde be fowled or wet therewith. They seying that, made them caves under the ground, till all the rayne was paste. Than they came furth, thinking to make the fooles dooe what they lyste,
