dishes, potted beef, raised pies, and blanc-mangers, were absolutely eminent.

"A good wife of Bath made one of our company. She was unfortunately rather deaf, and had lost some of her teeth. She carried on a trade in cloth-making, which excelled the manufactures of Ypres and Ghent. No wife in all the parish could take precedence of her at mass; and if one ever so presumed, she was wrath out of all charity. The kerchiefs which adorned her head on Sundays were of the finest web, and I dare swear weighed a pound. Her hose were of a brilliant scarlet, gartered up without a wrinkle; and her shoes tight and new. She had been ever esteemed a worthy woman, and had accompanied to church five husbands in her time. Having thrice travelled to Jerusalem, crossing many a strange river, and having visited Rome, Saint James's, Cologne with its three Kings, and passed through Galicia, she had a world of intelligence to communicate by the way. Her dress consisted of a spruce neckerchief, a hat as broad as a target, a mantle wrapping her fair hips, and on her feet were a pair of sharp spurs. She rode upon an ambling pony. In company she took her share in the laugh, and would display her remedies for all complaints in love: she could play a good hand at that game.

"There was also a religious man, who was a poor VILLAGE PARSON: yet was he rich in holy thoughts and works as well as in learning; a faithful preacher of the Gospel of Christ; full of gentleness and diligence, patient in adversity and forbearing. So far was he

from distressing for his tythes, that he disbursed his offerings and almost his whole substance among his parishioners: a pittance sufficed him. The houses in his parish were situate far asunder, yet neither wind and rain, nor storm and tempest, could keep him from his duty; but, with staff in hand, would he visit the remotest, great and small, rich and poor. This noble example he kept before his flock, that first he himself performed what he afterwards preached, joining this figure with his admonition, 'If gold will rust, what will not iron do?' For, if a priest in whom we confide become tarnished, a wonder if the frail layman keep himself unpolluted. The priest should set an example of purity to his flock; for how shameful a sight is a foul shepherd and cleanly sheep. He did not let out his benefice to hire, or desert his flock to run up to London for the purpose of seeking promotion; but steadily kept house and guarded well the fold. He was the true shepherd, and no hireling. Moreover, holy and virtuous as he was, he turned an eye of pity upon the sinful man, mingling his lectures with discretion and benignity. It was the business of his life by good example to lead his fellow creatures gently to Heaven. The obstinate and stiff-necked, however, whether in high or low estate, were sure to receive from him a severe rebuke. A better priest I know not far or near; he craved neither pomp nor reverence, or betrayed any affected scrupulousness of conscience, but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles he taught with simplicity, first following it himself. He had a brother with him, a PLOUGHMAN, who had in his time scattered many a load of dung, a thorough

hard labourer, living in peace and perfect charity with all men above all things and at all times he best loved his God and Creator, and then his neighbour as himself. When it lay in his power he would finish a job of thrashing for a poor man without hire. He paid his tythes fairly and punctually, both of his produce and live stock. He was dressed in a tabard, and rode upon a mare.

"There were also a REEVE, and a MILLER, a SUMMONER, a PARDONER, a MANCIPLE, and myself.

"The MILLER was a hardy churl, brawny, and large of bone; he always bore away the prize ram in wrestling matches; he was short-shouldered, broad, and stubby.

"There was a gentle MANCIPLE (an officer who purchased food for inns of court), who was a pattern to all caterers and purchasers of provision; for whether he paid in ready money or went upon credit, he always so managed his accounts to have a surplus of cash in hand.

*

"The REEVE (a bailiff or land steward) was a slender choleric man; his beard was close-shaven, like stubble, and hair cropped round his ears with a forelock like a priest. * * He was alive to all the tricks and contrivances of labourers and other bailiffs, so that they stood in awe of him as they would of death himself. He had a handsome house upon a heath, 'bosomed high in green trees,' and in short was better provided than his master, for he had secretly amassed considerable property, which he

would upon occasion artfully lend to his lord in his necessities, and thus confer an easy obligation out of his own superfluity.

"There was a SUMMONER (of culprits to ecclesiastical courts) with us, whose face was like one of the fiery cherubim ; for it was studded with red-hot carbuncles. He had small puckered eyes, scurfy brows, and a black scanty beard. The children were frightened at the sight of him. His favourite food and beverage were garlic, leeks, and onions, and the strongest bodied red wine. Then would he shout and rave like a madman, speaking nothing but Latin: he had caught up a few terms out of some law decree, and no wonder, for he heard nothing else all day, and every one knows that a jay can speak what he has been taught as well as the pope himself; but, let any one try him a little further, he would find his philosophy quite spentQuestio quid juris? would then be the answer. was, however, a kind fellow in his way, and would for a quart of wine or so, wink at his neighbour's delinquences; but if he found one with a good warm purse, he would tell him he need not care for the archdeacon's malediction ; just as if a man's soul were in his purse, for in purse he should be punished. The purse, would he say, is the archdeacon's hell; in all which I pronounce him to be an arch deceiver, since the guilty man should ever stand in awe of a curse.

He

"A gentle PARDONER rode also with this wight, his friend and compeer. He was originally from Ronceveaux, and had now newly arrived from the court of Rome. The burden of the song, 'Come hither, love, to me,' was constantly running in his head, which he

shouted at full stretch of his lungs, the summoner all the while accompanying him with his stiff bass, as if it had been a double clarion. This pardoner had smooth yellow hair, which hung by ounces about him, like a strike of flax overspreading his shoulders. In the gaiety of his heart he wore no hood, but kept it packed up in his wallet, so he rode with his head bare, save and except a cap, in which was fastened a vernicle (a picture of Jesus Christ in miniature). He prided himself upon his sitting on horseback, as being after the newest fashion. Before him lay his wallet stuffed with pardons all hot from Rome. He had a full glaring eye like a hare's, a sneaking voice like a goat's, and a chin which never owned the inheritance of a beard.

"And now to speak of his profession. If you were to search from Ware to Berwick-upon-Tweed, you would not meet with such another pardoner. Among his relics he could produce a pillow covering, which he would pronounce to be the Virgin Mary's veil; a small piece of the seal which St. Peter had with him when he walked upon the sea; a brazen cross set with brilliants; and some pig's bones in a glass. With these relics he would make in one day more money among the poor country people, than the parson would in two months. Thus with his flattery and his falsities he made fools of both priest and people.

"Notwithstanding all this, however, I must acknowledge that he was a famous churchman: he read the service with dignity and emphasis, though he shone to greater advantage at the Offertory; for he knew that the sermon would then succeed, in which it be