Page:Famous history of the learned Friar Bacon (1).pdf/14

(14) they parted; and the gentlemen delayed no coming, without asking advice, and was punctually met; but when he saw the writing in blood, he was startled a little; but the old man told him, it was only a whim  his own to have it so written to distinguish it from other men’s, and put his debtors more in mind to repay the money he lent them. Upon this speech, and the gentleman’s seeing store of gold and silver brought by three or four of whom he supposed to be servants, he believed it. But how, said he, shall I write with the same? O, said he, let me see, I'll prick your right vein; which he did, whilst the gentleman found an unusual trembling, and an inward remorse in his mind: however, taking the bloody pen in his hand, he desperately subscribed and sealed the writing. Then telling the money into a cloak bag, he laid it on his horse, and they, with much ceremony, took leave of each other. The gentleman laughed in his sleeve to think how he would find him out, seeing he had not asked, nor himself told him, where he lived.

Soon after he summoned all his creditors, paid them to a farthing, redeemed his land, went gallant, and recover’d his esteem in the world: but one evening as he was looking over his writings in his closet, he heard somebody rap at the door; when opening it, he saw the party he had borrowed the money