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and great debts to answer, the one surmounting the other a great deal, as the inventory yet doth record. He left her in that dead time of the year an house without money, barns without corn, fields unsown, rents to pay, wages to answer, children to feed, household to keep, sore wages and small relief within present care and hope only of next year's store, and that as yet not growing on the fields. The less she was known to have, the more earnest were her creditors to be answered their own. I being then at court was sent for, what time, if you remember, you gave me of your courtesy, divers pieces of gold to carry, where by just authority you might have well commanded me not to depart from doing my duty. When I came to her, I found her so careful, her case so lamentable, her necessity so present, her help so far off, that I was moved, I doubt not by God, to do that for her, which no need could have driven me to have done for myself. I said unto her, "Good mother, be of good comfort, your case and care shall be mine, and all my good shall be yours, to do you good, and comfort you withall." And forthwith I provided seed to serve her ground; corn and malt to find her house; present money to answer all present charges, as rent, wages, debts, and necessary furniture of house-keeping for many months and months to come: and to do her all the comfort I could, became also security by mine own hand for all her former debts, that any creditors could ask, without requiring of her script or scroll, hand surety or bond, to answer me or mine again.

FINIS.

Printed by S. Hamilton, Weybridge, Surrey.

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