wontyd to be, for if any doo come thay salute him alonly, but they offre lytle or nothinge, and say that theyr monaye may bettre be disposyd amongste pore people.

Me. O a wykyd comunicacyon.

Ogy. Ye & so great an Apostle whiche was wõtyd to stand all in precyous stones & gold, now stãdythe all of wodde hauynge before hym skaresly a wax candle.

Me. If it be trew that I here, it is great ioperdy lest that same chance to all the rest of the sayntes.

Ogy. I thynk it wel, for ther is an epistle abrode whiche our lady dyd wryte apon the same matter.

Me. What lady?

Ogy. Our ladi of stone in Raurachia whiche is a certayne cuntre.She y^t hathe her name of a stone.

Me. I trawe it is in Raurachia.

Ogy. That same is it.

Me. yow tell me of a stony lady, But to whome dyd she wryte?

Ogy. The epistle dothe playnely shew his name.

Me. By whome was it sent?

Ogy. No dowbt but by an angell, whiche dyd lay the wrytynges apõ the aultre, wherof he prechythe to whome it was sent. And lest there shuld be any suspectyõ of crafty cõuayance in you, you shall se the epistle wryten w^t his owne hande.

Me. Do you know so well the hand of thangell whiche is secretary to our lady?

Ogy. Yee why nat?

Me. By what argumêt?

Ogy. I haue redde y^t Is a scripture wryten on a graue. Epithaphe of Bede which was grauyd of the angell: and the letteres agre in all thynges. I haue redde also y^e obligacyõ whiche was sent to saynt Gyles as dothe aper. Dothe not thes argumentes proue that mater to be good enoghe.

Me. May a man loke apon them?

Ogy. ye and if you wyll swere to kepe it preuy.

Me. Oh you shall speake to a stone.

Ogy. Ther be stones now a dayes of that name very slawnderous, that wyll hyde nothynge.

Me. you shall speake to a domme man, & yow trust nat a stone.

Ogy. Apon y^e condycyon I wyll tell it, loke that you here with bothe youre eyares.

Me. So I doo.

Ogy. The epistle of our Lady.

Glaucoplut⁹ desirus of ryches. Mary the mother of Iesu to Glaucoplutus sêdythe gretynge. Insomoche as you folowe Luther, you nobly perswade, that it is but in vayne to call apõ sayntes, do y^e well know for that to be grettly in my fauore. For vntyll thys day I haue almost be slayne w^t the importunate prayers of men. Of me alone they askyd althynges, as who shuld say my sone were alway a babe, because he is so faynyd and payntyd apõ my breste, that yet he wold be at my commaundemêt and durst nat denye my petycyon, dredynge that if he denye my petycyon, that I shuld denye hym my teate whan he is a thurst: and very oft thay requyre that of me, whiche a shamfast yongman dare scantly aske of a Bawde, yee they be suche thynges as I am ashamyd to put in wrytynge. Now comythe y^e marchauntman and he redy to sayle into Spayne for a vantage, dothe cõmytte hys wyues honesty to me. Than commythe thet lytle preaty Nunne and she castythe away her vayle redy to runne away, she leuythe with me the good name of her vyrgynytye, whiche shortly she entendythe to take monay for. Than cryeth the wykyd soudyer purposyd to robbe & saythe, blessyd lady send me a good praye. Now cõmythe the vnthryfty dyasser and cryethe, send me good chance Lady & thow shalt haue parte of my wynnynges: and if the dyasse runne ayenst hym, he blasphemes, and cursythe me, bycause I wyll nat fauor his noghtynes. Now cryeth she that sellythe her selffe for fylthye lukre & saythe, swete lady send me some costomers, & if I denye it, they exclame ayenst me & say, thou arte not the mother of marcy. Moreouer the vowes of some women be no lesse wykyd thã folishe. The mayd cryeth & saythe, O swet Mary send me a fayre and riche husbond. The maryed womã saythe send me goodly chylderen. Now laborythe the woman with chyld, and cryeth dere lady dylyuer me of my bondes. Than cõmythe y^e olde wyffe, and saythe flowre of all women send me to lyue longe withowt coghe and drynes. Now crepythe the the dotynge old man & saythe, lady send me for to wax yonge ayê. Thã cõmythe forth the phylosopher and cryethe send me some argumêtis that be îsoluble. The great prest cryeth send me a fat benefyce. Thã saythe the bysshope kepe well my churche. Thã cryethe y^ehye Iustyce shew me thy sone or I passe out of this worlde. Thã saythe y^e Cowrtyer send me trwe confession at the howre of my deathe. The husbondman saythe send vs temperate wether. The mylke wyffe cryethe owt blessyd lady saue our catell. Now if I denye anythynge by & by I am crwell. If I cõmytte it to my sone, I here them say, he wyll what so euer you wyll. Shall I than alone bothe a woman and a mayd helpe maryneres, sawdyeres, marchantmen, dyasseres, maryed mê, women with chyld, iudges, kynges, and husbondmen? ye and this that I haue sayd is the least parte of my payne. But I am nat now so moche trobled with soche busynes, for that I wold hartely thanke you, but that this commodytye dothe brynge a greater discõmodytye with hym. I haue now more ease, but lesse honor & profett. Before this tyme I was callyd quene of heuen, lady of the world, but now any man wyll skarsly say aue Maria or hayle Mary. Before I was clothyd with precyous stones and gold, and had my chaunges, and dayly ther was offeryd gold and precyous stones, now I am skarsly coueryd with halffe a gowne and that is all beeyten with mysse. My yerly rentes be now so smalle y^t I am skarsly able to fynde my pore quere kepar to light a wax cãdle before me. Yet all this myght be sufferyd, but you be abowt to pluke away greater thynges, you be abowt (as they say) that what so euer any saynte hathe in any place, to take hyt frome the churches, but take hede what you doo. For ther is no saynte without a way to reuêge his wronge. If you cast saynt Petre forthe of the churche, he may serue you of the same sauce, and shite vp heuyngates ayenst you. y^e saynt Paule hathe his sworde. Barthylmew is nat w^towt his great knyffe. Saynt Wyllyam is harnysyd vnder his monkes cloke, nat withowt a greate speare. What canst thou doo ayenst saynt George whiche is bothe a knyght & all armyd with hys longe spere and his fearfull sword? Nor saynt Antony is nat withowt hys weapenes for he hathe holy fyre w^t hym. Ye the rest of the sayntes haue theyr weapones or myschefues, whiche they send apon whome they liste. But as for me thou canst not cast owt, except thou cast owt my sone, whiche I hold in