t; for if it should come
unto my father's ears, it would bring his grey hairs over-soon unto his
grave.'

"And so would he have departed, like unto Sir Richard at the Lea, in the
fair old ballad--

"`Fare wel, frende, and have good daye--
It may noo better be.'

[From "A Litel Geste of Robyn Hode."]

"But Elizabeth was as good unto him as ever Robin Hood unto the Knight
of Lancashire; yea, and better, as shall be seen. `Stay,' saith she,
and away went she forth of the chamber. And afore he was well over his
surprise thereat, back cometh she, and poured out of a purse before him
on the table thirty pound in good red gold. This money she had by the
death of a kinsman of hers, but then newly come unto her. Quoth she,
`Roger, here is thus much money; I will let thee have it, and I will
keep this bill. But since I do thus much for thee, to help thee, and to
save thy honesty, thou shalt promise me to refuse all wild company, all
swearing, and unseemly talk; and if ever I know thee to play one
twelve-pence at either dice or cards, then will I show this thy bill
unto my master. And furthermore, thou shalt promise me to resort every
day to the lecture at All Hallows, and the sermon at Poules every
Sunday, and to cast away all thy books of Papistry and vain ballads, and
get thee the Testament and Book of Service, and read the Scriptures with
reverence and fear, calling unto God still for His grace to direct thee
in His truth. And pray unto God fervently, desiring Him to pardon thy
former offences, and not to remember the sins of thy youth; and ever be
afraid to break His laws, or offend His majesty. Then shall God keep
thee, and send thee thy heart's desire.'

"So Mr Holland took her money, and kept his obligations unto her. And
in the space of one half-year, so mightily wrought God's Spirit with
him, that of a great Papist he became as fervent a Gospeller; and going
into Lancashire unto his father, he took with him divers good books, and
there bestowed them, so that his father and others began to taste of the
gospel, and to leave their idolatry and superstition: and at last his
father, seeing the good reformation wrought in this his son, gave him
fifty pounds to begin the world withal, and sent him again to London,
where he now driveth a fair trade."

"And hath he met again with Mistress Lake," said Isoult, "and restored
unto her her thirty pounds?"

"That I cannot tell," returned John.

A letter came b