Of the Oath that Spes made before the Bishop.

Now that day past, and time wore on to the day when Spes should make oath, and she bade thereto all her friends and kin, and arrayed herself in the best attire she had, and many noble ladies went with her.

Wet was the weather about that time, and the ways were miry, and a certain slough there was to go over or ever they might come to the church; and whenas Spes and her company came forth anigh this slough, a great crowd was there before them, and a multitude of poor folk who prayed them of alms, for this was in the common highway, and all who knew her deemed it was their part to welcome her, and prayed for good things for her as for one who had oft holpen them well.

A certain staff-propped carle there was amidst those poor folk, great of growth and long-bearded.  Now the women made stay at the slough, because that the great people deemed the passage across over miry, and therewith when that staff-carle saw the goodwife, that she was better arrayed than the other women, he spake to her on this wise,

“Good mistress,” said he, “be so lowly as to suffer me to bear thee over this slough, for it is the bounden duty of us staff-carles to serve thee all we may.”

“What then,” says she, “wilt thou bear me well, when thou mayst not bear thyself?”

“Yet would it show forth thy lowliness,” says he, “nor may I offer better than I have withal; and in all things wilt thou fare the better, if thou hast no pride against poor folk.”

“Wot thou well, then,” says she, “that if thou bearest me not well it shall be for a beating to thee, or some other shame greater yet.”

“Well, I would fain risk it,” said he; and therewithal he got on to his feet and stood in the slough.  She made as if she were sore afeard of his carrying her, yet nathless she went on, borne on his back; and he staggered along exceeding slowly, going on two crutches, and when he got midmost of the slough he began to reel from side to side.  She bade him gather up his strength.

“Never shalt thou have made a worse journey than this if thou easiest me down here.”

Then the poor wretch staggers on, and gathers up all his courage and strength, and gets close to the dry land, but stumbles withal, and falls head-foremost in such wise, that he cast her on to the bank, but fell into the ditch up to his armpits, and therewithal as he lay there caught at the goodwife, and gat no firm hold of her clothes, but set his miry hand on her knee right up to the bare thigh.

She sprang up and cursed him, and said that ever would evil come from wretched gangrel churles:  “and thy full due it were to be beaten, if I thought it not a shame, because of thy misery.”

Then said he, “Meted in unlike ways is man’s bliss; me-thought I had done well to thee, and I looked for an alms at thy hands, and lo, in place thereof, I get but threats and ill-usage and no good again withal;” and he made as if he were exceeding angry.