had been there should have seene good buffets given on both parties. And when Frier Rush saw that they were fighting together, anon he blew out all the candles and lamps that were burning in the church, and left no manner of light therein whereby the one might see the other and when he had so done, he tooke his truncheon 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 deske betweene both his hands, and threw it over the portall into the Quier among all the Friers, and hurt many sore, 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 every man had one, there scaped none free away, who had been there, should have 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 seased, 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 selves? I see well now you regard not your honour, nor the good

name of your place. All the people shall say ye be not 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 evill 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 every man complained to him of their great hurt, and he made semblance as he had been sorie therefore and then they that could goe, went up to their sels, and they that could not goe, did creepe up as well as they could, and laid them downe in their beds, and there they lay till they were whole againe, and in the space of three weekes and more, God was evill served, for in all that space they sung neither Mattins nor Evensong, nor never entred into the church for it was suspended, and for shame they durst never let it be knowne. And when they were all whole, and every man upon his feete againe, and might goe about the house, they brought againe their staves to Frier Rush, and thanked him much, and then Frier Rush said unto them: Sirs when ye have neede of them againe, ye shall finde them here ready at your commandement, for which they gave him thankes, and departed. When Frier Rush saw that that they were gone, and that he had all his staves againe, he laughed unto himself and said: I am right joyfull that mine enterprises be come so well to passe, for I have done many mischievous deeds since I came first, and yet I will doe more before I depart

hence, for I shall cause them to be damned, and I shall bring their bodies and soules into the burning fire of hell, there to remaine world without end, and of me shall be spoken a thousand yeeres hereafter.

How Frier Rush grymed the Waggon with Tarre, and what cheare he made in the country.

ANOTHER time it fortuned that the Priour had a journey to ride into the country about a little businesse that hee had there to doe, and anon he called Rush his servant unto him and said, Rush goe thy way into the court, and take with thee a dish full of greace, and greace well the wheeles and axeltrees of the waggon, and make all things ready against to morrow in the morning, for I must ride forth to-morrow betimes, then Rush departed from his maister, and went about his businesse, and insteed of greace, hee tooke a great vessell full of tarre, and anointed the waggon all over with it, both within and without, and especially in the place where the Priour should sit and when he had done, he returned to his maister's chamber, then the Priour demanded of Rush, if he had done as he commanded him yea sir said Rush, ye may ride when please you, and so they went to their beds. Then on the morrow after, the Priour and Rush his servant with his other company, rose up very early in the morning for to accomplish their journey, and forth they went unto their waggon, and when the Priour was entred therein, hee perceived himselfe all to betrayed and smeyred, and all his clothes were filed therewith: and

then he said to Rush, thou lewd fellow, what hast thou done to this waggon that I am thus arayed therein ? Rush answered and said: sir, I have done nothing but as you commanded me. That is not, said the Priour, for I commaunded thee to take greace and grease but the wheeles and the axeltrées, and thou hast taken tarre and annointed it all over, both within and without. Why hast thou done so? Sir said Rush, I understoode you bad me doe so. And when the Priour sawe there was no other remedie, he commanded his servants to make ready another waggon, and in the meane season, the Priour went into his chamber, and put on another habite, and came againe and mounted into the waggon and went their way, and so long they rode, that they came to their journeyes end. And when they were alighted at their lodging, the Priour called for his supper, and anon every thing was made ready, and the good man of the house and the Priour sate downe to supper together, and made good cheere and then the Priour called for wine of the best, and anon he had his commandement. And when the good man of the house and the Priour had supped, Rush and his fellowes sate downe to the reversions that their maisters had left, but they had no wine : wherefore Rush was very sad, and ever he mused by what policie he might get some wine. And anon he called the wife of the house and said: Mistresse, I pray you fill a pottle of wine for me and my fellowes, and so shee did and when that was gone, they called for another : and then they called for the third, and so ended their

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supper. Then on the morrow when the Priour had done all his businesse, and was ready to returne home againe : he called for a reckoning. And anon, the good wife came in and gave him a reckoning of all things, both horse meate and man's meate; and at last, she reckoned three pottels of wine that Rush and his fellowes had. And when the Priour heard that his servants had drunke so much wine: Anon he began to waxe very angry, and asked her, who commanded her to fill in so much wine? the wife answered and said: Sir, Rush your servant commaunded me to fill it in, and he said that you should pay therefore. Then anon the Priour called for Rush' and said unto him: Thou lewd knave, why hast thou drunke so much wine? Might no lesse then pottels serve thee and thy fellowes? Sir, said Rush, we have not drunke so much, for your horses hath had two of the potels. My horses, said the Priour: what should they do with wine? Yes sir, said Rush, your horses laboured sorer than we did, and were very weary, and they had nothing but hay and oates: wherefore, me thought it needefull to give them some good drinke to their course meate to comfort their hearts withall, and to cause them to be the lustier, and to have the better courage to bring you homeward. And when the Priour had heard that answere of Rush, and saw there was no remedy but patience, he paid for the wine, and all things that he had taken there, and so rode home in his waggon, and Frier Rush never went forth againe with his master.