Skelton, when he was in London went to the kynge’s courte, where there dyd come to him a Welshman saying, “Syr, it is so that many dooth come upp of my country to the kynge’s court, and some doth get of the kynge by a patent a castell, and some a parke, and some a forest, and some one fee and some another, and they doe lyve lyke honest men, and I should lyve as honestly as the best, if I might have a patent for good drynke, wherefore I dooe praye you to write a fewe woords for me in a lytle byll to geve the same to the kynge’s handes, and I will geve you well for your laboure. I am contented sayde Skelton. Syte downe, then, sayd the Welshman and write. What shall I wryte? sayde Skelton. The Welshman said wryte “_dryncke_.” Nowe sayde the Welshman wryte “_more dryncke_.” What nowe? said Skelton. Wryte now “_A great deale of dryncke_.” Nowe sayd the Welshman putte to all thys dryncke “_A littell crome of breade_, and _a great déale of dryncke to it_,” and reade once again. Skelton dyd reade “_Dryncke, more dryncke, and a great deale of dryncke and a lytle crome of breade and a great deale of dryncke to it_.” Then the Welshman sayde Put oute the litle crome of breade, and sette in _all dryncke and no breade_. And if I myght have thys sygned of the kynge, sayde the Welshman, I care for no more as long as I lyve. Well, then, sayde Skelton, when you have thys sygned of the kynge then will I labour for a patent to have bread, that you wyth your dryncke and I with the bread may fare well, and seeke our livinge with bagge and staffe. HERE BEGYNNETH CERTAYNE MERYE TALES OF SKELTON, POET LAURIAT _HOW SKELTON CAME LATE HOME TO OXFORD FROM ABINGTON_