[157] _Parvus et Magnus Catho_, printed by Caxton, n.d. 4to. Chaucer, in his _Miller's Tale_ (_Chaucer's Works_, ed. Bell, i. 194), describes the old carpenter of Oxford, who had married a young girl, as having neglected to study [_Magnus_] _Catho_, which prescribed that marriages ought to take place between persons of about the same age. "He knew not Catoun, for his wyt was rude, That bad man schulde wedde his similitude." No doubt both _Cato_ and _Parvus Cato_ circulated in MS. before the invention of printing. The former was printed by Caxton in 1483-4. See Blades (_Life and Typography of William Caxton_, ii. 53-4). + _The Uplandisshe mans answere, concerninge the steple and pulpit._ xii. + In a certayne place, on a tyme the perysshyns[158] had pulled downe theyr steple, and had buylded it vp newe agayne, and had put out theyr belles to be newe-founded: and bycause they range nat at the bysshops entrynge into the village, as they were wont and acustomed to do, he asked a good homely man, whether they had no belles in theyr steple: he answered: no! Than, sayde the bysshop, ye may sylle aweye[159] your steple. Why so, and please your lordship, sayd the man? Bycause hit stondeth vacant, said the bysshop. Than sayde the man, we may well sylle away an other thinge, that we haue in our churche. What is that, sayd the bysshop? That is a pulpit, quod he. For this vii yere ther was no sermon made therin. + _Of the beggers answere to M. Skelton the poete._ xiii. + A poure begger, that was foule, blacke and lothlye to beholde, cam vpon a tyme vnto mayster Skelton the poete, and asked him his almes. To whom mayster Skelton sayde: I praye the, gette the awaye fro me: for thou lokeste as though thou camest out of helle. The poure man, perceyuing he wolde gyue him no thynge, answerd: For soth, syr, ye say trouth, I came oute of helle. Why dyddest thou nat tary styl there, quod mayster Skelton? Mary, syr, quod the begger, there is no roume for suche poure beggers as I am: all is kepte for suche gentyl men as ye be. FOOTNOTES: [158] Parishioners. This jest is included by Johnson in his _Pleasant Conceits of Old Hobson, the Merry Londoner_, 1607 (reprinted 1843. p. 17). [159] Sell away. + _Of the chaplen, that sayde our lady matens a bed._ xiiii. + A certayne lorde's chaplen bosted on a tyme, syttynge at his lorde's table, that he sayde our lady matyns euery morninge besyde all his other seruice and orisons. The lorde, to proue whether his chaplen did as he sayde, arose yerly on a morninge, and went to his chaplen's chamber, and called hym, saying: where be ye, syr wylliam? Here, and please your lordshyp (quod he), in my bedde. Why, sayd the lorde, I thought ye had ben vp and sayenge of our lady matyns. I am nowe sayinge it, quod the chappleyn. What! lienge in your bedde, quod the lord? why, syr, sayd the chapplain, where shudde women be serued but a bedde? + _Of him that lost his purse in London._ xv.