CHEATING.

O what falsehood is used in England, yea, in the whole world! It were no marvel if the fire from heaven fell upon us, like as it did upon the Sodomites, only for our falsehood's sake. I will tell you of some which are practised in my country where I dwell. But I will not tell it you to teach you to do the same, but rather to abhor it: for those which use such deceitfulness, shall be damned world without end, except they repent. I have known some that had a barren cow, and they would fain have had a great deal of money for her; therefore they go and take a calf of another cow, and put it to this barren the market, pretending that this cow hath brought this calf; and so they sell their barren cow six or eight shillings dearer than they should have done else. The man which bought the cow cometh home, peradventure he hath a many children, and hath no more cattle but this cow, and thinketh he shall have some milk for his children; but when all things cometh to pass, this is a barren cow, and so this poor man is deceived. The other fellow which sold the cow thinketh himself a jolly fellow, and a wise merchant, and he is called one that can

cow, and so come to

make shift for himself. But I tell thee, whosoever thou art, do so if thou lust, thou shalt do it of this price, thou shalt go to the devil, and there be hanged on the fiery gallows world without end; and thou art as very a thief as when thou takest a man's purse from him going by the way, and thou sinnest as well against this commandment, "Non facies furtum," Thou shalt do no theft. But these fellows commonly, which use such deceitfulness and guiles, can speak so finely, that a man would think butter should scant melt in their mouths.

I'll tell you another falsehood. I know that some husbandmen go to the market with a quarter of corn. Now they would fain sell dear the worst as well as the best, therefore they use this policy; they go and put a strike of fine malt or corn in the bottom of the sack, then they put two strikes of the worst that they had, then a good strike aloft in the sack's mouth, and so they come to the market. Now there cometh a buyer, asking, Sir, is this good malt? I warrant you, saith he, there is no better in this town; and so he selleth all the malt or corn for the best, when there be but two strikes of the best in his sack. The man that buyeth it, thinketh he hath good malt, he cometh home; when he putteth the malt out of the sack, the strike which was in the bottom covereth the ill malt which was in the midst, and

so the good man shall never perceive the fraud, till he cometh to the occupying of the corn. The other man that sold it, taketh this for a policy, but it is theft afore God, and he is bound to make restitution of so much as those two strikes which were naught, were sold too dear; so much he ought to restore, or else he shall never come to heaven, if God be true in his word. I could tell you of one other falsehood, how they make wool to weigh much, but I will not tell it you. If you learn to do those falsehoods whereof I have told you now, then take the sauce with it; namely, that you shall never see the bliss of heaven, but be damned world without end, with the devil and all his angels. Now go when it please you, use falsehood. But I pray you, wherefore will you deceive your neighbour, whom you ought to love as well as your own self? Consider the matter, good people, what a dangerous thing it is to fall in the hands of the ever-living God. Leave falsehood, abhor it, be true and faithful in your calling.

A MARVELLOUS STORY.

I have read once a story of a good bishop, which rode by the way, and was weary, being yet far off from any town. Therefore seeing a fair

A MARVELLOUS STORY.

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house, a great man's house, he went thither, and was very well and honorably received. There was great preparations made for him, and a great banquet; all things were in plenty. Then the man of the house set out his pros-. perity, and told the bishop what riches he had, in what honors and dignities he was, how many fair children he had, what a virtuous wife God had provided for him; so that he had no lack of any manner of thing; he had no trouble or vexations, neither inward nor outward. Now this holy man hearing the good estate of that man, called one of his servants, and commanded him to make ready the horses; for the bishop thought that God was not in that house, because there was no temptation there; he took his leave, and went his ways. Now when he

came a two or three mile off, he remembered his book which he had left behind him. He sent his man back again to fetch that book; and when the servant came again, the house was sunken and all that was in it.

Here it appeareth, that it is a good thing to have temptation. This man thought himself a jolly fellow, because all things went with him. But he knew not St. James's lesson, "Beatus qui suffert tentationem," Blessed is he that endureth temptation.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS.

When I was in Cambridge, Master George Stafford read a lecture, there I heard him; and in expounding the Epistle to the Romans, coming to that place where St. Paul saith, that we shall overcome our enemy with well-doing, and so heap up hot coals upon his head; now in expounding of that place, he brought in an ensample, saying that he knew in London a great rich merchant, which merchant had a very poor neighbour, yet for all his poverty, he loved him very well, and lent him money at his need, and let him to come to his table whensoever he would. It was even at that time when Dr. Colet* was in trouble, and should have been burnt, if God had not turned the king's heart to the contrary. Now the rich man began to be a Scripture man, he began to smell the gospel; the poor man was a papist still. It chanced on a time, when the rich man talked of the gospel, sitting at his table, where he reproved

*Dr. John Colet, dean of St. Paul's, and founder of the school adjoining the cathedral. He was persecuted by Dr. Fitzjames, bishop of London, but escaped by the favor of archbishop Warham, and died in peace, in 1519.