must say as he thoughte for hys, as they must for theyrs. Whan they herd thys, they wer half angry with him. What good felow (quod one of the northern men) whare wonnes thou? Be not we aleuen here, and thou ne but ene la alene, and all we agreed? whereto shouldest thou sticke? what is thy name, gude felow? Masters, (quod he) my name is called Cumpany. Cumpany, quoth they, now by thy trouth gude felowe playe than the gude companion, come there on furth with vs, and passe euen for gude company. Would God, good maisters, quoth the man agayne, that ther lay no more weight theron. But now when we shall hence and come before God, and that he shal send you to heauen for doing according to your conscience, and me to the deuill for dooyng againste myne, in passing at your request here for good company now, by God, Maister Dykonson, (that was one of the northern men's names) if I shall than say to all you agayne, maisters, I went once for good company with you, which is the cause I gooe nowe to hell, play you the good felowes now agayn with me, as I went than for good companye with you, so some of you goe now for good company with me. Wold ye goe, Maister Dikenson? nay, naye, by our lady, nor neuer one of you all. And therfore must ye pardon me, from passing as you passe, but if I thought in that matter as you doe, I dare not in such a matter passe for good company. For the passage of my poore soule passeth al good company. And when my father had told me thys tale, than sayde he ferther thus: I praye thee nowe, good Margaret, tell me this, wouldest thou wishe thy poore father, being at the lest wise somewhat lerned lesse to regard the peril of his soule than did there that honest vnlearned man? I medle not (you wot wel) with the conscience of any man, that hath sworne: nor I take not vpon me to be theyr judge. But now if they doe well, and that theyr conscience grudge them not, if I with my conscience to the contrary, shoulde for good company passe on with them, and sweare as they doe, when all our soules hereafter shall passe out of this world, and stand in judgement at the barre before the High Judge, if he judge them to heaven and me to the deuil, because I did as they did, not thinking as they thought, if I shold than say (as the good man Cumpany sayd): myne olde good lordes and frendes, naming such a lord and such,
