_Hic faciat tanquam legeret litteras tacite. Interim superveniat cantando COUNTERFET COUNTENAUNCE suspenso gradu, qui, viso MAGNYFYCENCE, sensim retrocedat; at[786] tempus post pusillum rursum accedat COUNTERFET COUNTENAUNCE prospectando et vocitando a longe; et FANSY animat[787] silentium cum manu._ _C. Count._ What, Fansy, Fansy! _Magn._ Who is that that thus dyd cry? Me thought he called Fansy. 330 _Fan._ It was a Flemynge hyght Hansy. _Magn._ Me thought he called Fansy me behynde. _Fan._ Nay, syr, it was nothynge but your mynde: But nowe, syr, as touchynge this letter— _Magn._ I shall loke in it at leasure better: And surely ye are to hym beholde; And for his sake ryght gladly I wolde Do what I coude to do you good. _Fan._ I pray, God kepe you in that mood! _Magn._ This letter was wryten ferre hence. 340 _Fan._ By lakyn, syr, it hathe cost me pence And grotes many one, or I came to your presence. _Magn._ Where was it delyuered you, shewe vnto me. _Fan._ By God, syr, beyonde the se. _Magn._ At what place nowe, as you gesse? _Fan._ By my trouthe, syr, at Pountesse; This wrytynge was taken me there, But neuer was I in gretter fere. _Magn._ Howe so? _Fan._ By God, at the see syde, 350 Had I not opened my purse wyde, I trowe, by our lady, I had ben slayne, Or elles I had lost myne eres twayne. _Magn._[788] By your soth? _Fan._ Ye, and there is suche a wache, That no man can scape but they hym cache. They bare me in hande that I was a spye; And another bade put out myne eye, Another wolde myne eye were blerde, Another bade shaue halfe my berde; 360 And boyes to the pylery gan me plucke, And wolde haue made me Freer Tucke, To preche out of the pylery hole, Without an antetyme or a stole; And some bade sere hym with a marke: To gete me fro them I had moche warke. _Magn._ Mary, syr, ye were afrayde. _Fan._ By my trouthe, had I not payde and prayde, And made largesse as I hyght, I had not ben here with you this nyght; 370 But surely largesse saued my lyfe, For largesse stynteth all maner of stryfe. _Magn._ It dothe so sure nowe and than, But largesse is not mete for euery man. _Fan._ No, but for you grete estates: Largesse stynteth grete debates; And he that I came fro to this place Sayd I was mete for your grace; And in dede, syr, I here men talke, By the way as I ryde and walke, 380 Say howe you excede in noblenesse, If you had with you largesse. _Magn._ And say they so in very dede? _Fan._ With ye, syr, so God me spede. _Magn._ Yet mesure is a mery mene.