Ford Madox Ford

Privy Seal Ford Madox Ford

The Magister Udal sat in the room of his inn in Paris, where customarily the King ofFrance lodged such envoys as came at his expense. He had been sent there toLatinise the letters that passed between Sir Thomas Wyatt and the King's Ministersof France, for he was esteemed the most learned man in these islands. He hadgroaned much at being sent there, for he must leave in England so many loves-thegreat, blonde Margot Poins, that was maid to Katharine Howard; the tall, swayingKatharine Howard herself; Judge Cantre's wife that had fed him well; and two otherwomen, with all of whom he had succeeded easily or succeeded in no wise at all. But the mission was so well paid-with as many crowns the day as he had hadgroats for teaching the Lady Mary of England-that fain he had been to go. Moreover, it was by way of being a favour of Privy Seal's. The magister had writtenfor him a play in English; the rich post was the reward-and it was an ill thing, athing the magister dreaded, to refuse the favours of Privy Seal. He consoled himselfwith the thought that the writing of letters in Latin might wash from his mouth thesavour of the play he had written in the vulgar tongue.