"O Mayster Lydgate! the most dulcet sprynge Of famous rethoryke, with balade ryall The chefe orygynal." _"The Pastyme of Plasure," by Stephen Hawes, 1509._ In "London Lackpenny" we have a most interesting and graphic picture of the hero coming to Westminster, in term time, to obtain legal redress for the wrong he had sustained, and explain to a man of law his case--"_How my goods were defrauded me by falsehood_," but being without the means to pay even the preliminary fee, he was sent--"from pillar to post," that is from one Law-court to another, but although he "_crouched, kneeled, prayed for God's sake, and Mary's love_, he could not get from one the--_mum of his mouth_." So leaving the City of Westminster--minus his hood, he walked on to the City of London, which he tells us was crowded with peripatetic traders, but tempting as all their goods and offers were, his _lack-of-money_ prevented him from indulging in any of them--But, however, let _Lackpenny_, through the ballad, speak for himself:-- [Illustration: London Lackpenny.] To London once my steps I bent, Where truth in no wise should be faint, To Westminster-ward I forthwith went, To a man of law to make complaint, I said, "for Mary's love, that Holy saint! Pity the poor that would proceed," But, for lack of money, I could not speed. And as I thrust the _prese_ among, [crowd] By froward chance my hood was gone, Yet for all that I stayed not long, Till to the King's Bench I was come, Before the Judge I kneeled anon, And prayed him for God's sake to take heed; But, for lack of money, I might not speed. Beneath them sat Clerks a great rout, Which fast did write by one assent, There stood up one and cryed about, Richard, Robert, and John of Kent. I wist not well what this man meant, He cried so thick there indeed, But he that lacked money, might not speed. Unto the Common-place _I yode thoo_, [I went then] Where sat one with a silken hood; I did him reverence, for I ought to do so, And told him my case as well as I could, How my goods were defrauded me by falsehood. I gat not a mum of his mouth for my meed, And, for lack of money, I might not speed. Unto the Rolls I gat me from thence, Before the clerks of the Chancery, Where many I found earning of pence, But none at all once regarded me, I gave them my plaint upon my knee; They liked it well, when they had it read: But, lacking money, I could not speed. In Westminster Hall I found out one, Which went in a long gown of _ray_; [velvet] I crouched and kneeled before him anon, For Mary's love, of help I him pray. "I wot not what thou meanest" gan he say: To get me thence he did me bede, For lack of money, I could not speed.