"Sweet Mistress, whereas I love you; nothing at all Regarding your riches and substance; chief of all For your personage, beauty, demeanour and wit, I commend me unto you; never a whit Sorry to hear report of your good welfare; For (as I hear say) such your conditions are, That ye be worthy favour; of no living man To be abhorred; of every honest man To be taken for a woman inclined to vice Nothing at all; to virtue giving her due price. Wherefore, concerning marriage, ye are thought Such a fine paragon as ne'er honest man bought. And now, by these presents, I do you advertise That I am minded to marry you; in no wise For your goods and substance; I can be content To take you as ye are. If ye will be my wife, Ye shall be assured for the time of my life I will keep ye right well: from good raiment and fare Ye shall not be kept: but in sorrow and care Ye shall in no wise live; at your own liberty Do and say what ye lust; ye shall never please me, But when ye are merry; I will be all sad, When ye are sorry; I will be very glad, When ye seek your heart's ease; I will be unkind At no time; in me shall ye much gentleness find. But all things contrary to your will and mind Shall be done otherwise. I will not be behind To speak; and as for all they that would do you wrong (I will so help and maintain ye) shall not live long, Nor any foolish dolt shall cumber you; but I-- I whoe'er say nay, will stick by you till I die. Thus, good Mistress Custance, the Lord you save and keep! From me, Roister Doister, whether I wake or sleep, Who favoureth you no less (ye may be bold) Than this letter purporteth, which ye have unfold." Now, sir, what default can ye find in this letter? R. ROISTER. Of truth, in my mind, there cannot be a better. SCRIVENER. Then was the fault in reading, and not in writing, No, nor, I dare say, in the form of inditing. But who read this letter, that it sounded so nought? M. MERRY. I read it indeed. SCRIVENER. Ye read it not as ye ought. R. ROISTER. Why, thou wretched villain, was all this same fault in thee? M. MERRY. I knock your costard,[136] if ye offer to strike me. R ROISTER. Strikest thou indeed, and I offer but in jest? M. MERRY. Yea, and rap ye again, except ye can sit in rest. And I will no longer tarry here, me believe. R. ROISTER. What, wilt thou be angry, and I do thee forgive? Fare thou well, scribbler; I cry thee mercy indeed. SCRIVENER. Fare ye well, bibbler, and worthily may ye speed. R. ROISTER. If it were another than thou, it were a knave.