them vpon the gallowes. _Ogy._ Yet of such both the
shores swarme full. Here tell me, I pray the. What ||
wyll great me do, whe theues take vpo them to
enterpryse soch masterys. Therfore, herafter I had
leuer go fourty myllys aboute, the to go that way,
thoffe it be moche shorter. Morouer euyn as ye goynge
downe to hell, is easy and leyght, but ye comynge frome
thens of greate dyffyculty, so to take shyppynge of
this syde the see, is not very easy, and the landynge
very hard & dangeroufe. Ther was at London dyuerse
maryners of Antwerpe, with them I purposed to take the
see. _Me._ Hathe that cutre so holy maryners? _Ogy._
As an ape is euer an ape, I graute, so is a maryner
euer a maryner: yet if thou compare them vnto these,
ye lyfe by robbynge, and pyllynge and pollynge, they
be angelles. _Me._ I will remembre thy saynge, if at
any tyme I be dysposed to go and se Englade. But come
agayne in to ye waye, frome whens I broght the
|| E vi.|| owt. _Ogy._ Then as we whent toward London not
farre from Canterbury, we came in to a great hollow and
strayt way, morouer bowyng so downe, with hyllys of
eyther syde, that a man can not escape, nor it cannot
be auoyed, but he must nedes ryde that way. Upo the
lefte hand of the way, ther is an almes howse for olde
people, frome them runnyth on owt, as sone as they here
a horseman commynge, he casteth holy water vpon hym,
and anone he offereth hym the ouerlether of a shoo
bownde abowte with an yerne whope, wherin is a glasse
lyke a precyouse stone, they that kysse it gyf a pece
of monay. _Me._ In soche a way I had leuer haue an almes
howse of olde folkes, then a company of stronge theues.
_Ogy._ Gratian rode vpon my lefte hande nerer the almes
howse, he caste holy water vpon hym, he toke it in
worthe so so, || when the shoo was proferred hym, he
asked what he ment by it, saythe he, it is saynt Thomas
shoo. There at he turned and was very angry, & turned
toward me: what (saythe he) meane these bestes, that
wold haue vs kysse ye shoes of euery good man? Why doo
they not lyke wyse gyue vs to kysse the spottel, &
other fylthe & dyrt of the body? I was sory for the old
ma, & gaue hym a pece of money to coforthe hym with
all. _Me._ In myn opynyo Gratian was not all together
angry with owt a good cause. If shoes and slyppers were
kept for a toke of sobre lyuynge, I wold not be moch
dyscontent ther with, but me thynks it is a shame full
fashyon for shoes, slyppers, and breches to be of