The spider and the fly Author:John Heywood Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: OF GENTLENESS AND NOBILITY A Dialogue between the Merchant, the Knight, and the Ploughman, disputing who is a very Gentleman, and who is a Nobleman, and how m... more »en should come to authority. Compiled in manner of an Interlude, with divers toys and jests added thereto to make merry pastime and disport. [This Dialogue has been attributed to John Heywood, and as it is not otherwise accessible it is given in this collected edition of John Heywood's writings, without prejudice.] OF GENTLENESS AND NOBIL1TY A Dialogue between the Merchant, the Knight, and the Ploughman, disputing who is a very Gentleman, and who is a 'Nobleman, and how men should come to authority. Compiled in manner of an Interlude, with divers toys and jests added thereto to make merry pastime and disport. The Merchant. O what a great wealth and prosperity It is to any realm where merchants be, Having free liberty and intercourse also All merchandise to convey to and fro; Which thing I have used, and the very feat found, And thereby gotten many a thousand pound. Wherefore now, because of my great riches, Throughout this land in every place doubtless I am magnified and greatly regarded, And for a wise and noble man esteemed. The Knight. Master Merchant, 1 hear you right well; But now in presumption methink ye excel, To call yourself noble in presence here. I wis men know what your ancestors were, And of what great stock descended ye be; HEY. 1H. F F Your father was but a blacksmith, pardy. Mer. Why, sir, what then? What be you, I pray you? Knight. Marry, I am a gentleman, I would ye know, And may dispend yearly five hundred mark land, And I am sure all that ye have in hand Of yearly rent is not worth five marks. Mer. But I would thou knewest, for all thy cracks...« less