Sir Simon Eyer

HOW SIR SIMON EYER BEING AT FIRST A SHOOMAKER, BECAME IN THE END MAIOR OF LONDON, THROUGH THE COUNSELL OF HIS WIFE: AND HOW HE BROKE HIS FAST EVERY DAY ON A TABLE THAT HE SAID HE WOULD NOT SELL FOR A THOUSAND POUNDS: AND HOW HE BUILDED LEADON HALL

Our English chronicles do make mention that sometime there was in the honourable City of London a worthy maior, known by the name of Sir Simon Eyer, whose fame liueth in the mouths of many men to this day, who, albeit he descended from mean parentage, yet, by Gods blessing, in the end he came to be a most worthy man in the commonwealth.

This man, being brought young out of the north countrey, was bound prentise to a shoomaker, bearing then the name of the Gentle Craft (as still it doth) his master being a man of reasonable wealth, set many iourney-men and prentises to work, who followed their businesse with great delight, which quite excludeth all wearinesse; for when seruants do sit at their worke like dromedaries, then their minds are neuer lightly vpon their businesse; for it is an old prouerbe,

Such fellows had this young lad, who was not behind with many northern iigs to answer their southern songs. This youth being the youngest prentise in the house, as occasion serued, was often sent to the conduit for water, where in short time he fell acquainted with many other prentises coming thither for the same intent.

Now their custome was so, that euery Sunday morning diuers of these prentises did vse to go to a place neer the conduit to break their fast with pudding-pies, and often they would take Simon along with them; but vpon a time it so fell out, that when he should draw money to pay the shot with the rest, that he had none, whereupon he merrily said vnto them: My faithfull friends, and conduit companions, treasurers¹

We do take your word (quoth they) and so they departed.

It came to passe, that Simon hauing at length worn out his yeers of apprentiship, that he fell in loue with a maiden that was neer neighbour vnto him, vnto whom at length he was married and got him a shop, and labored hard daily, and his young wife was neuer idle, but straight when she had nothing to do, she sat in the shop and spun: and hauing liued thus alone a yeer or thereabout, and hauing gathered something together, at length he got him some printises, and a iourney-man or two, and he could not make his ware so fast as he could haue sold it, so that he stood in great need of a iourney-man or two more.

At the last, one of his seruants spying one go along the street with a fardell at his back, called to his master, saying, sir, yonder goes Saint Hughs bones, twenty pounds to a penney.

Run presently (quoth he) and bring him hither.

The boy running forth, called to the man, saying, Good fellow, come hither, here is one would speak with you.

The fellow, being a Frenchman that had not long been in England, turning about, said, Hea? what you sea? Will you speak wed me: Hea? What you haue? tell me, what you haue, Hea? And with that coming to the stall, the good-man askt him if he lackt work, We par ma foy (quoth the Frenchman).