take place; and if it did not succeed, the worst would be, to
execute the sentence on the condemned persons at last.  And
I do not see,' added he, 'why it would be either unjust, incon-
venient, or at all dangerous, to admit of such a delay: in my
opinion, the vagabonds ought to be treated in the same man-
ner; against whom, though we have made many laws, yet we
have not been able to gain our end.'  When the cardinal had
done, they all commended the motion, though they had de-
spised it when it came from me; but more particularly com-
mended what related to the vagabonds, because it was his own
observation.

   "I do not know whether it be worth while to tell what fol-
lowed, for it was very ridiculous; but I shall venture at it, for
as it is not foreign to this matter, so some good use may be
made of it.  There was a jester standing by, that counterfeited
the fool so naturally that he seemed to be really one.  The
jests which he offered were so cold and dull that we laughed
more at him than at them; yet sometimes he said, as it were by
chance, things that were not unpleasant; so as to justify the
old proverb, 'That he who throws the dice often, will some-
times have a lucky hit.'  When one of the company had said
that I had taken care of the thieves, and the cardinal had taken
care of the vagabonds, so that there remained nothing but that
some public provision might be made for the poor, whom sick-
ness or old age had disabled from labor, 'Leave that to me,'
said the fool, 'and I shall take care of them; for there is no sort
of people whose sight I abhor more, having been so often
vexed with them, and with their sad complaints; but as dole-
fully soever as they have told their tale, they could never pre-
vail so far as to draw one penny from me: for either I had no
mind to give them anything, or when I had a mind to do it I
had nothing to give them: and they now know me so well that
they will not lose their labor, but let me pass without giving
me any trouble, because they hope for nothing, no more in faith
than if I were a priest: but I would have a law made, for send-
ing all these beggars to monasteries, the men to the Bene-
dictines to be made lay-brothers, and the women to be nuns.'

   "The cardinal smiled, and approved of it in jest; but the
rest liked it in earnest.  There was a divine present, who
though he was a grave, morose man, yet he was so pleased with
this reflection that was made on the priests and the monks, that
he began to play with the fool, and said to him, 'This will not
deliver you from all beggars, except you take care of us friars.'

   "'That is done already,' answered the fool, 'for the cardinal
has provided for you, by what he proposed for restraining vag-
abonds, and setting them to work, for I know no vagabonds like
you.'

   "This was well entertained by the whole company, who,
looking at the cardinal, perceived that he was not ill-pleased
at it; only the friar himself was vexed, as may be easily imag-
ined, and fell into such a passion that he could not forbear rail-
ing at the fool, and calling him knave, slanderer, backbiter, and
son of perdition, and then cited some dreadful threatenings out
of the Scriptures against him.  Now the jester thought he was
in his element, and laid about him freely.

   "'Good friar,' said he, 'be not angry, for it is written, "In
patience possess your soul."'

   "The friar answered (for I shall give you his own words),
'I am not angry, you hangman; at least I do not sin in it, for
the Psalmist says, "Be ye angry, and sin not."'

   "Upon this the cardinal admonished him gently, and wished
him to govern his passions.

   "'No, my lord,' said he, 'I speak not but from a good zeal,
which I ought to have; for holy men have had a good zeal, as it
is said, "The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up;" and we sing
in our church, that those, who mocked Elisha as he went up to
the house of God, felt the effects of his zeal; which that mocker,
that rogue, that scoundrel, will perhaps feel.'

   "'You do this perhaps with a good intention,' said the cardi-
nal; 'but in my opinion it were wiser in you, and perhaps better
for you, not to engage in so ridiculous a contest with a fool.'

   "'No, my lord,' answered he, 'that were not wisely done;
for Solomon, the wisest of men, said, "Answer a fool accord-
ing to his folly;" which I now do, and show him the ditch into
which he will fall, if he is not aware of it; for if the many
mockers of Elisha, who was but one bald man, felt the effect
of his zeal, what will become of one mocker of so many friars,
among whom there are so many bald men?  We have likewise
a bull, by which all that jeer us are excommunicated.'

   "When the cardinal saw that there was no end of this mat-
ter, he made a sign to the fool to withdraw, turned the discourse 
another way, and soon after rose from the table, and, dismiss-
ing us, went to hear causes.

   "Thus, Mr. More, I have run out into a tedious story, of
the length of which I had been ashamed, if, as you earnestly
begged it of me, I had not observed you to hearken to it, as if
you had no mind to lose any part of it.  I might have con-
tracted it, but I resolved to give it to you at large, that you