Note 3. The Minories was then to all intents in the country. A single street, Whitechapel Bars, lay between it and the Spital Field on the north; in front (west) was the city wall, with its gardens; on the east lay Goodman's Fields, and an open space to the south, bounded by the Tower enclosure and the Thames. It must have been a very pleasant suburb. Note 4. Most historians say that the removal was against Edward's will. The account given by himself shows no trace of any such feeling. Note 5. At this era, peers did not use their titles only in signature, but added at least the initial of the Christian name. CHAPTER FOUR. BENEATH BLUE SKY. "Ere suns and moons could wax and wane Ere stars were thundergirt, or piled The heavens, God thought on me His child, Ordained a life for me, arrayed Its circumstances every one To the minutest; ay, God said This head this hand should rest upon Thus, ere He fashioned star or sun." Robert Browning. The 24th of October brought the expected letter from Simon Pendexter to the master of Bradmond, and another from Marian to the mistress. Simon's epistle was read first; but it proved to require both an English dictionary and a Latin lexicon. Simon wrote of "circumstances," [then a new and affected word], of the "culpable dexterity" of the rebels who had visited Bradmond, of their "inflammatory promulgation," of the "celerity" of his own actions in reply, and of his "debarring from dilation the aforesaid _ignis_." He left them in a cloud of words, of which Dr Thorpe understood about half, and Isoult much less. John, being a little wiser, was called upon for a translation. "Hang me if I know what the fellow is a-writing about!" testily cried Dr Thorpe. "Jack, do thou put this foolery into decent English!" "The enclosure men burnt your house, old friend," said John. "Have there the English." "Plain enough at last, by my troth!" cried he. A little more progress was made with Mr Pendexter's missive, when Isoult interrupted it by exclaiming-- "Do tell me what he meaneth, Jack!" "They set our house afire, dear heart, but he soon put it out," translated John. "It was likely afeard of his big ruffling words!" said Dr Thorpe. The letter concluded thus:--"With the which considerations, I do commit your Honour to the tuition of God. Inscribed at Bodmin, _die Veneris_, the fourth in the month of October. By the hand of your Honour's most undemeritous and obeisant _paedagogus_, Simon Pendexter." "This companion is clean out of his wits!" exclaimed Dr Thorpe. "Isoult, read thy little letter," said John. "Metrusteth it shall be more clear than Simon's, and, at all charges, 'tis shorter." "Unto Mistress Avery, At the Minories in London."