"My Lad," quod he, "a Mind sequestering itself to the Exercises of Piety, lies very open to the farther Discoveries of divine Light and Love, and invites CHRIST to come and dwell in it." I louted low, to thank him for his Grace, albeit it seemed to me he took me for a better and wiser Lad than I was. But good Praise takes root and spreads; and there was no great Damage in his giving me a little more Credit than I deserved; inasmuch as we are not born good, but made good. Thereafter, Master _Hewet_ taketh me to the very topmost Floor of our House, next the 'Prentices' Loft, and openeth a creaking Door; whereon we enter a low, longish Attick, containing two Looms, at one of which sate a Man weaving. There was a Lattice almost the entire Length of the Attick, looking down upon the bright shining _Thames_, then sparkling in the Morning Sun, and all in a Tremble beneath a smart Breeze, while heavy Barges and light Boats full of Garden Stuff for the Markets were passing to and fro. The Chamber, though abject to look at, was delightsome to look from; and the Air was so clear that I could see a Housewife in a Stamel Petticoat cheapening Neats' Feet on the _Bankside_, and the _Easterlings_ unloading their Cargoes at the _Steelyard_. But the Man at the Loom had no Eye for these Things; he seemed not much under fifty Years of Age, and had a pale, pain-worn Face, and patient, gentle, though not happy Aspect. A Blackbird in a Wicker Cage hung at the open Window; there were some two or three old Books on a Shelf, and a dozen Flowerpots or so on a little Ledge outside the Attick, between the Roofs, which was railed in and made into a Sort of little Garden. "Here's a Man, now," quod my Master to me in a low Voice, "hath so little Care for aught beyond these four Walls, as never e'en to have spared Time to look on _Fisher's_ Head at the Bridge End all the While the Strete was so thronged with the gazing Rabble as that scarcely a Horse nor Cart could pass. Nor do I believe he would have cast a Look up at poor Sir _Thomas More_, save on his Way to the Burreller's. A fair Morning, _Tomkins_!" "A fair Morning, as you say, Master," returned _Tomkins_, "I wish you Joy of it." "Here's your new Scholar," quod my Master; "you will set him going, and are scarce likely to find him more awkward than _Miles_." "I hope I shall find him a good Deal less so, and less froward, too, or I sha'n't count him good for much," quod _Tomkins_, turning about, and looking hard at me. "I like his Face, Master," quod he. "Here, give him the Shuttle, and let us see how he will handle it," quod Master _Hewet_. "Not mine, he may have _Miles's_," interposed _Tomkins_, rising with some Difficulty and going to the other Loom; and I then observed he was very Lame. "Here, Lad, see, this is the Way," quod he. So I tried, awkwardly enough, and made them both laugh; and laughed too. But I went to it with a Will, and anon they said I was mending.