[202] Hovered. This form of the word is used by Gower and Spenser. See
Nares (ed. 1859), voce _Hove_.
[203] Rustic.
+ _Of the courtier that bad the boy holde his horse._ xlii.
+ A courtier on a tyme that alyghted of his horse at an Inde[204] gate
sayde to a boye that stode therby: Ho, syr boye, holde my horse. The
boye, as he had ben aferde, answered: O maister, this a fierce horse; is
one able to holde him? Yes, quod the courtier, one may holde hym well
inough. Well, quod the boye, if one be able inough, than I pray you
holde hym your owne selfe.[205]
+ _Of the deceytfull scriuener._ xliii.
+ A certayne scriuener, whiche hadde but a bare lyuynge by his crafte,
imagyned howe he myght gette money. So he came to a yonge man, and asked
hym if he were payde x li. whiche a certayne man, that was deade,
borowed and ought to paye his father in tyme paste. The yonge manne
sayde there was no such duetye[206] owynge in his father's name, that
he knewe of. It is of trouthe, quod the scriuener: for here is the
oblygacyon therof, whiche I made my selfe. He prouoked the yonge manne
so moche, that he gaue hym money for the oblygation, and before the
mayre he required the duetie. His sonne, that was named to be dettour,
sayde playnely, that his father neuer borowed money: for if he had, it
wolde appere by his bokes, after the marchantes' maner. And forth with
he went to the scriuener and sayde to him, that he was a false man to
write a thing that neuer was done. Sonne, sayde the scriuener, thou
wotteste nat what was done that tyme: whan thy father borowed that somme
of money, thou were nat borne: but he payde it agayne within thre
monthes after, I made the quittance therof my selfe: wherby thy father
is discharged. So the yonge man was faine to gyue hym money for the
quittaunce. And whan he had shewed the quittaunce he was discharged of
that greuance. Thus by his faire fraude he scraped money from them
bothe.
By this tale ye may se, that the children in this our tyme be very
prudent to get money.