Thereupon in a grumbling fashion the goodman rejoined—­

“’Tis a rude way of returning what one has borrowed, for I thought the house was coming down.”

In this way did the parson save himself at the expense of the goodman, who discovered nothing to find fault with except the rudeness with which the fan had been returned.

“The master, ladies, whom the parson served, saved him that time so that he might afterwards possess and torment him the longer.”

“Do not imagine,” said Geburon, “that simple folk are more devoid of craft than we are; (3) nay, they have a still larger share.  Consider the thieves and murderers and sorcerers and coiners, and all the people of that sort, whose brains are never at rest; they are all poor and of the class of artisans.”

“I do not think it strange,” said Parlamente, “that they should have more craft than others, but rather that love should torment them amid their many toils, and that so gentle a passion should lodge in hearts so base.”

“Madam,” replied Saffredent, “you know what Master Jehan de Mehun has said—­

     “Those clad in drugget love no less
     Than those that wear a silken dress.” (4)

     3 In MS. No. 1520 this passage runs—­“that simple and
     humble people are,” &c.—­L.

     4 This is a free rendering of lines 4925-6 of Meon’s
     edition of the Roman de la Rose:—­

     “Aussy bien sont amourettes
     Soubz bureau que soubz brunettes.”

Bureau, the same as dure, is a kind of drugget; brunette was a silken stuff very fashionable among the French lords and ladies at the time of St. Louis.  It was doubtless of a brown hue.—­B, J. and M.

Moreover, the love of which the tale speaks is not such as makes one carry harness; for, while poor folk lack our possessions and honours, on the other hand they have their natural advantages more at their convenience than we.  Their fare is not so dainty as ours, but their appetites are keener, and they live better on coarse bread than we do on delicacies.  Their beds are not so handsome or so well appointed as ours, but their sleep is sounder and their rest less broken.  They have no ladies pranked out and painted like those whom we idolise, but they take their pleasure oftener than we, without fear of telltale tongues, save those of the beasts and birds that see them.  What we have they lack, and what we lack they possess in abundance.”

“I pray you,” said Nomerfide, “let us now have done with this peasant and his wife, and let us finish the day’s entertainment before vespers.  ’Tis Hircan shall bring it to an end.”

“Truly,” said he, “I have kept in reserve as strange and pitiful a tale as ever you heard.  And although it grieves me greatly to relate anything to the discredit of a lady, knowing, as I do, that men are malicious enough to blame the whole sex for the fault of one, yet the strangeness of the story prompts me to lay aside my fear.  Perhaps, also, the discovery of one woman’s ignorance will make others wiser.  And so I will fearlessly tell you the following tale.”