Page:The Famous History of the Learned Friar Bacon.djvu/12

 Miles was basely jeered and sported by both scholars and town's-people: but after four hours penance his master released him; and he ever kept the fast, not so much out of religion as fear, lest a worse trick should be put upon him.

While Friar Bacon flourished at Oxford, a young gentleman, by his prodigality, had run out his estate, and was much in debt; he grew exceeding pensive and melancholy, proposing to make an end of his miseries, and the scorns that were put on him by former companions; so walking in the grove full of sorrow, he met an old man in good cloathing who saluted him, demanding the cause of his melancholy. At first he refused to, tell him; but he urging it, and promising to assist him, if he wanted any thing; he said, I am in want; I want money to buy food, pay debts, and many things more; can you help me to enough to do it? I can, said the old man, on one condition. What is that? said the gentleman: if it be any thing tolerable I shall not refuse it; for I cannot be well worse than I am.—Why, said the other, the matter is not much; you shall only oblige yourself, when I have furnished you with money to do all you named, and when you have paid your creditors, to become obedient to me. Now the young man taking him for a usurer, and