"From your father and mother, Matthew?" "Certes. Where's the good of fathers and mothers, save to crimp and cramp young folks that would fain stretch their wings and be off into the sunlight? Mine never do nought else." "Think you not the fathers and mothers might reasonably ask, Where's the good of sons and daughters? How much have you cost yours, Matthew, since you were born?" Matthew Foljambe turned round with a light laugh, and gazed half contemptuously at the speaker. "Gentlemen never reckon," said he. "'Tis a mean business, only fit for tradesfolk." "You might reckon that sum, Matthew, without damage to your gentle blood. The King himself reckoneth up the troops he shall lack, and the convention-subsidy due from each man to furnish them. You shall scantly go above him, I count." "I would I were but a king! Wouldn't I lead a brave life!" "That would not I be for all the riches in Christendom." "The which speech showeth thine unwisdom. Why, a king can have his purveyor to pick of the finest in the market ere any other be serven; he can lay tax on his people whenas it shall please him [this was true at that time]; he can have a whole pig or goose to his table every morrow; and as for the gifts that be brought him, they be without number. Marry, but if I were a king, wouldn't I have a long gown of blue velvet, all o'er broidered of seed-pearl, and a cap of cramoisie [crimson velvet], with golden broidery! And a summer jack [the garment of which jacket is the diminutive] of samitelle would I have--let me see--green, I reckon, bound with gold ribbon; and fair winter hoods of miniver and ermine, and buttons of gold by the score. Who so bravely apparelled as I, trow?" "Be your garments not warm enough, Matthew?" "Warm enough? certes! But they be only camoca and lamb's far, with never a silver button, let be gold." "What advantage should gold buttons be to you? Those pearl do attach your gown full evenly as well." "Hylton, thou hast no ambitiousness in thee! Seest not that folks should pay me a deal more respect, thus donned [dressed] in my bravery?" "That is, they should pay much respect to the blue velvet and the gold buttons? You should be no different that I can see." "I should be a vast sight comelier, man alive!" "You!" returned Hylton. "Where's the good of talking to thee? As well essay to learn a sparrow to sing, `_J'ay tout perdu mon temps_.'" "I think you should have lost your time in very deed, and your labour belike, if you spent them on broidering gowns and stitching on buttons, when you had enow aforetime." "Thou sely loon! [Simple creature!] Dost reckon I mean to work mine own broidery, trow? I'd have a fair score of maidens alway a-broidering for me, so that I might ever have a fresh device when I lacked a new gown." "The which should come in a year to--how much?" "Dost look for me to know?"