"
Willie Shakspeare, in the mean time, lifted up his hands above his
ears half a cubit, and taking breath again, said, audibly, although
he willed it to be said unto himself alone, -
"O that knights could deign to be our teachers! Methinks I should
briefly spring up into heaven, through the very chink out of which
the peacock took his neck."
Master Silas, who like myself and the worshipful knight, did
overhear him, said angrily, -
"To spring up into heaven, my lad, it would be as well to have at
least one foot upon the ground to make the spring withal. I doubt
whether we shall leave thee this vantage."
"Nay, nay! thou art hard upon him, Silas," said the knight.
I was turning over the other papers taken from the pocket of the
culprit on his apprehension, and had fixed my eyes on one, when Sir
Thomas caught them thus occupied, and exclaimed, -
" Mercy upon us! have we more?"
"Your patience, worshipful sir!" said I; "must I forward?"
"Yea, yea," quoth he, resignedly, "we must go through; we are
pilgrims in this life."
Then did I read, in a clear voice, the contents of paper the second,
being as followeth:-
"THE MAID'S LAMENT.
"I loved him not; and yet, now he is gone,
I feel I am alone.
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