Preceptor. The kingdom of heaven.
Scholar. I gave you that as the price of poverty!
Preceptor. True; but month after month, week after week, man wanders in his wishes. Before the present week or month expires, what will remain of it?
Scholar. I marvel at your sagacity in making a bargain. Now hear, good and faithful servant! because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will appoint thee lord over many.
“The allusion to the king’s visit to the fair,” said Herbert, “reminds me of what Wharton says of the royal booth at the fair of St. Botolph, at Boston, in Lincolnshire, from which stall or booth the king drew revenue.”
“Before roads were general and passable, and the communication between town and town was frequent, the concourse of people at the various fairs must have been very great,” said Thompson.
“As great as even now in many parts of the East, where the fairs are still regarded as the great emporia of merchandise, the universal mart of extensive districts, dependent on such meetings for their chief supplies.”
“Wharton,” said Herbert, “gives a curious account of St. Giles’ fair at Winchester, which dated back to the Conquest, was held for three days, and, by later grants, extended to sixteen; and was given by William the Conqueror to the bishops of Winchester as a source of revenue.”
“Doubtless no mean revenue was derived from it,” said Lathom.
“For those days, very great: the jurisdiction of the fair extended for seven miles round, including the port of Southampton; and every merchant who sold wares within that circuit, except at the fair, or refused to pay the bishop’s toll, had his goods forfeited to the bishop. In the middle of St. Giles’ Down stood the bishop’s pavilion, where sat his court, supreme, so long as the fair lasted, within the seven miles’ jurisdiction.”