Friar Rush
THE HISTORIE
of Frier Rysh: how he came to a
houſe of Religion to feeke ſeruice, and being
entertained by the Priour, was firſt made
vnder Cooke.
Being full of pleaſant mirth and delight
for young people.

HELHI
Imprinted at London by Edw. All-de, dwelling
neere Chriſt-Church.
1 6 2 o.


4
A pleaſant Hiſtorie
home againe in the morning ſo ſecretly, that no man
ſhall ſpye it. And alſo I ſhall keepe your counſaile ſo
ſecretly, that it ſhall neuer be knowne. And when the
Priour heard Ruſh ſpeake ſo, he was right glad of him,
and ſaid : Ruſh, if thou canſt doe as thou haſt ſaid ? I
ſhall reward thee well for thy labour, and thou ſhalt
be
my
moſt welbeloued feruant: wherefore make an end
of thy buſineſſe, for ſoone thou ſhalt goe a little way on
a meſſage for me, and ſo he departed and went to ſup-
per. And when euery man had ſupped, and Ruſs had
done all his buſineſſe in the Kitchin, hee came vnto his
maiſter the Priour, and ſaid, Sir, what is your will with
me ? the Priour anſwered and ſaid : here a little beſide
dwelleth a faire Gentlewoman, the which I loue very
well, but I dare not diſcouer my minde vnto her my
ſelfe: and if thou canſt finde thé meanes to bring her
ſecretly vnto me, I ſhall reward thee right well for thy
labour and paine. And when Ruſs had heard the
words of his Maifter, and knew all his minde, he an-
ſwered and ſaid: Sir, be of good cheere, and let mee
alone with that matter : for I ſhall goe vnto the Gentle-
womans houſe, and I ſhall ſay your meſſage ſo well,
that this night ſhe ſhall come to you: and ſo departed
Ruſh from his Maiſter, and went ſtraight vnto this Gen-
tlewomans houſe. And when he was thither come,
hee found the Gentlewoman ſitting all alone. And
when Ruſh was eſpied of her, he made vnto her great
courteſie, and with many reuerences theſe words he
ſaid.
How


8
A pleaſant Hiſtorie
1
in the Lent, and in the Aduent, both Fridayes and alſo
other dayes, he put Bacon into their pottage pot, the
which made the pottage to ſavour well, and he dreſſed
their meate ſo deliciouſly, that the Priour and all the
Friers had great meruaile that he did it ſo well : in ſo
much that they ſaid he did much better then their other
Maiſter Cookę did, & that he was a more cunninger
man in his occupation, and could doe much better in.
his office. Thus Ruſh continued in that office the
ſpace of feauen yeares, and did right well, and euery
man had him in loue and fauour. Then it fortuned
vpon a day the Priour and his brethren were af-
ſembled together in a generall counſaile, and as they
ſtood talking together, the Priour remembred Ruſh,
and anon he ſaid vnto his brethren : Friends we haue
here Ruſh which is our Maiſter Cooke in our Kitchin,
and he is an olde ſeruant, and much diligent and true
ſeruice he hath done to vs, and he hath continued
among vs longer then 'any ſeruant that euer wee had :
wherefore me thinke it reaſon, that hee were promoted
into ſome other office, and made a brother among vs.
Then all the whole Couent with one voice ſaid they
were content it ſhould ſo be. So the Priour ſent for
Ruſh, and when he was come before him and all his
brethren, the Priour ſaid, Ruſh it is ſo, thou haſt beene
here a long ſeaſon, and we haue found thee hitherto a
true and diligent ſeruant, wherefore wee will that thou
be promoted, and take vpon thee an habite as we haue,
and to become a brother among vs. Ruſh anſwered
and ſaid: my Maiſters I thanke you all, and then the
Priour gaue Ruſh an habite, and put it on his backe,
and ſo Ruß became a brother in the place, neuerthe-
leſſe he kept his office ſtill.
How
1
1


of Frier Ruſh.
II
manner of light therein whereby the one might ſee the
other; and when he had ſo done, he tooke his Trun-
cheon in his hand, and went into the Quier among the
thickest of the Friers the which were fighting freſhly
without light, and there he laid ſo luſtily about, that
many of them he felled to the ground, and left them
there for dead, and when he had ſo done, he ſtole his
way from them, and as hee went, he found ſtanding in
the portall of the Quier, a great olde Deſke, and anon
hee tooke the Delke betweene both his hands, and threw
it ouer the portall into the Quier among all the Friers,
and hurt many fore, in ſo much that ſome had an arme
broken, and ſome a legge, and other ſome had their
noſes cleane pared from their faces, that the bloud ranne
in their mouthes, and as for broken heads to the hard
ſcalpe were no dainty, for euery man had one, there
ſcaped none free away, who had been there, frould
haue had a goodly paſtime to ſee the Friers creepe
about
the Quier, and in ſteede of (Domine labia) they cried out
alas and well away. Then when the fray was done, and
all the noyſe feaſed, Ruſh came in among them with a
Candell light in his hand, and made as he had knowne
nothing thereof, and ſaid to them: Fie for ſhame Sirs,
how fortuned this diſcord to fall among your ſelues ? I
ſee well now you regard not your honour, nor the good
name of
your place. All the people ſhall ſay ye
honest, nor good religious men, the which words I
would be loath to heare, and I may not ſuffer our place
ſo to fall in an euill name: wherefore good Maſters, I
require you to ſet your hearts at reſt, and put the matter
into my hands, and I ſhall doe ſo much that all ſhall be
well, and you ſhal be good friends againe, and no words
ſhall be ſpoken thereof, then euery man complained to
him of their great hurt, and he made ſemblance as he
C 2
had
be not