* There are two rare portraits of Archee prefixed to different editions of his Jests: one by Cecil, 1657; and one by Gay-wood, 1660. Under that by Cecil are inscribed the following lines:-- “Archee, by kings and princes graced of late, Jested himself into a fayer estate; And in this booke doth to his friends commend His jeeres, taunts, tales, which no man can offend.” And under that by Gaywood, the following:-- “This is no Muckle John, nor Summers Will, But here is Mirth drawn from the Muse's quill; Doubt not (kinde reader), be but pleased to view These witty jests: they are not ould, but new.” “Archee coming to a nobleman to give him good-morrow upon New-Year's day, he received a very gracious reward from him, twenty good pieces of gold in his hand. But the covetous foole, expecting (it seemes) a greater, shooke them in his fist, and said they were too light. The nobleman took it ill from him, but, dissembling his anger, said, 'I prithee, Archee, let mee see them again, for amongst them is one piece that I would be loath to part with.' Archee, supposing he would have added more unto them, delivered them back to my lord, who, putting'em up in his pocket, said, 'Well, I once gave money into a foole's hand, who had not the wit to keep it.'” Archee was “unfrocked” for cracking an irreverend jest on Archbishop Laud, whose jealous power and tyrannical mode of exercising it, could not bear the laughing reproof of even an “allowed fool.” The briefe reason of Archee's banishment was this:--A nobleman asking what he would doe with his handsome daughters, he (Archee) replyed, he knew very well what to doe with them, but hee had sonnes, which he knew not well what to doe with; he would gladly make schollars of them, but that hee feared the archbishop would cut off their eares! * * “Archys Dream, sometime jester to his majestie; but exiled the court by Canterburies malice,” 4to. 1641. These were the three merry men of the olden time, who, by virtue of their office, spoke truth, in jest, to the royal ear, and gave home-thrusts that would have cost a whole cabinet their heads. If their calling had no other redeeming quality but this, posterity would be bound to honour it. THE END. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Merrie England In The Olden Time, Vol. 2 (of 2), by George Daniel