And so I can in good faith go now no ferther neither, after so many wyse men, whom ye take for no saumple, but if I should say like M. Harry: why shold you refuse to swere, father? for I haue sworn my self[1]. At this he laughed and sayde. That word was like Eue too, for she offered Adam no worse fruit than she had eaten her self. But yet, father, quoth I, by my trouth, I fere me very sore, that this matter will brynge you in merueilous heauy trouble. You know well that as I shewed you, M. Secretary sent you word as your very frend, to remember that the parlement lasteth yet. Margaret, quod my father, I thanke hym right hertely. But as I shewed you than agayn, I left not this geare vnthought on. And albeit 1 knowe well that if they would make a lawe to doo me any harme, that lawe coulde neuer be lawfull, but that God shall I trust kepe me in that grace that concernyng my duetie to my prynce, no man shall doe me hurte, but if he doo me wronge, (and than as I tolde you, thys is lyke a ryddle, a case in whiche a man may lese his head and haue no harme); and not withstandyng, also, that I haue good hope, that God shal neuer suffer so good and wyse a prince, in such wyse to requyte the long seruice of his true faythfull seruaunte, yet sith there is nothynge vnpossible to falle, I forgat not in thys matter the counsell of Chryst in the Gospell, that ere I shold begynne to buylde thys castell for the sauegarde of myne owne soule, I shold sytte and rekon what the charge would be. I coumpted, Marget, full surely many a restles night, whyle my wyfe slept, and wente I had slept too, what peryll were possible for to falle to me, so farre furth that I am sure ther can come none aboue. And in deuisyng, daughter, thereupon, I had a full heavy heart. But yet I thanke oure Lorde for all that, I neuer thought to change, though the very vttermoste shoulde happe me that my feare ranne vpon. No, father, (quod I), it is not lyke to thinke vpon a thynge that may be, and to see a thynge that shal be, as ye shoulde (our Lorde saue you), if the chance shoulde so fortune. And than shoulde you pereduenture thynke, that you thinke not nowe, yet then pereduentuie it woulde be to late. To late, daughter (quod
- ↑ She toke the othe with this excepcion, as farre as would stande with the law of God.
