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A bill drawn in England about the year 1500 bears less resemblance to the form now used, and instead of commencing and ending with the devout expressions of the Italian bill, it has the formal words, "Be it known to all M'e y't I," etc., and "hereto I bynde me myn executours and all my Goodis, wheresoever they may be founde, in Wytnesse whereof I have written and sealyed this Byll, the X Day of," etc.
The "false chanoun" persuaded the priest, who was his dupe, to send his servant for quicksilver, which he promised to make into "as good silver and as fyn, As ther is any in youre purse or myn"; he then gave the priest a "crosselet," and bid him put it on the fire, and blow the coals. While the priest was busy with the fire, This false chanoun the foulè feend hym fecche!
'Were I to print it, said he, 'I should be ruined; the terrible descriptions of vice and torment would frighten the genteel part of the English public out of its wits, and I should to a certainty be prosecuted by Sir James Scarlett . . . Myn Diawl! It cannot be determined with exactness when Borrow relinquished the unequal struggle against adverse circumstances in London.
'A Mogenite Ship coming from a far Country, the Custom House Officers found some Goods on Board, which were Controband, and for which they pretended the Ship and Goods were all Confiscated; the Skipper, or Captain in a great Fright, comes up to the Custom-House, and being told he must Swear to something relating to his taking in those Goods, reply'd in his Country Jargon, Ya, dat sall Ick doen Myn Heer; or in English, Ay, Ay, I'll Swear. But finding they did not assure him that it would clear his Ship he scruples the Oath again, at which they told him it would clear his Ship immediately.
"Where is he? why, there," said he, pointing to the man in grey "the greatest prydydd in tir Fon or the whole world." "Tut, tut, hold your tongue," said the man in grey. "Hold my tongue, myn Diawl, not I I speak the truth," then filling his glass he emptied it exclaiming, "I'll not hold, my tongue. The greatest prydydd in the whole world."
This becomes clear as we go on, but it may be gathered from the first lines on the second page which begins thus: "I, Margery Schopper, was borne in the yere of our Lord M/CCCC/IV on a Twesday after 'Palmarum' Sonday, at foure houris after mydnyght. Myn uncle Kristan Pfinzing was god sib to me in my chrystening. My fader, God assoyle his soul, was Franz Schopper, iclyped the Singer.
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