"Surely," says he, "all chancellors, doctors, secretaries, proctors or advocates, commissaries, notaries, traders and merchants, and numberless others besides, which commonly, if they do but fish diligently in it, become rich lords thereby." Then said I, "In this wise the peasants and other hard-working folk have no wit, in that they eat their bread in the sweat of their brow, and do not also learn this art." So he answered, "Some know not the worth of an art, and therefore have no desire to learn it: some would fain learn it, but lack that arm in their head, or some other necessary thing; some learn the wit and have the arm, but know not the knack which the art requireth if a man will be rich thereby: and others know all and can do all that appertains thereto, yet they dwell on the unlucky side and have no opportunity, like me, to exercise this art properly." Now as we reasoned in this fashion of the ink-holder (which of a truth reminded me of Fortunatus his purse) it happened that the book of dignities came into my hand and therein, as it seemed to me then, I found more follies than had ever yet come before mine eyes. "And these," said I to the secretary, "be all Adam's children and of one stuff, and that dust and ashes? Whence cometh, then, so great a difference;--his Holiness, his Excellency, his Serenity! Be these not properties of God alone? Here is one called 'Gracious' and another 'Worshipful.' And why must this word 'born' noble or 'well born' be ever added? We know well that no men fall from heaven and none rise out of the water and none grow out of the earth like cabbages." The secretary must needs laugh at me, and took the trouble to explain to me this and that title and all the words separately. Yet did I insist that the titles did not do men right: for sure 'twas more credit to a man to be called merciful than worshipful: so, too, if the word "noble" signify in itself all incalculable virtues, why should it when placed in the midst of the word "high-born," which applieth only to princes, impair the dignity of the title. And as to the word "well-born," why 'twas a flat untruth: and that could any baron's mother testify; for if one should ask her if he was well born she could say whether 'twas "well" with her when she brought him into the world. And so we talked long: yet could he not convince me. But this favour of the secretary towards me lasted not long, for by reason of my boorish and filthy habits I presently, after his foregoing discourse, behaved myself so foully (yet without evil intent) in his presence that he must bid me betake myself to the pigs as to my best comrades. Yet his disgust would have been the easier to bear had I not fallen into yet greater disgrace; for it fared so with me as with every honest man that cometh to court where the wicked and envious do make common cause against him.