ere is no wonder in that, for it is from a psalm of
the passion, and it was what befell him afterwards, as you shall hear.

Soon after that he bathed himself in a pool, for he was hot with
walking, and desired to be at his ease when he saw folk again; and he
dipped his sandals, too, to cool them.

Then he went in his white kirtle a little, until his hair was dried, and
when the heat of the day began to turn he was aware that he was coming
near to a village, for there was a herd of pigs that looked on him
without fear.

The village was a very little one, but it stood upon a road, and here
he had his first sight of the town-folks, for as he rested by a gate a
company of fellows went by from the wars. I suppose that they were
lately come from France (maybe from Arfleet [that is, Harfleur]), for
he told me that there were pavissors among them--the men with the great
shields called pavices which are used only in sieges from the wooden
castles that they push against the walls of the town. They were stained
with travel, too, and were very silent and peevish. There were all
sorts there besides the pavissors--the men-at-arms in their plate
and mail-shirts, the archers in their body-armour and aprons, and
the glaivemen [Glaives were a kind of pike, but with long carved
cutting-blades. Bills had straight blades.] with the rest. He said that
one company that rode in front had the sign of the Ragged Staff upon
their breasts, by which he learned afterwards that they were my lord
Warwick's men. [The Ragged Staff was the emblem of Lord Warwick.]

One cried out to him to know how far was it to London, but he shook his
head and said that he was a stranger. The fellow jeered and named him
bumpkin, but the rest said nothing, and looked on him as they passed,
and two at the end doffed their caps. They were about two hundred, and
one rode in front with a banner borne before him; but it was a still hot
day, and Master Richard could not see the device, for the folds hung
about the staff.

He saw other folks after that here and there, although he avoided the
villages where he could; but he got no supper, and an hour before sunset
he came to the ferry over against Westminster. The wherries were drawn
up on the beach, and he came down to these past Lambeth House, wondering
how he was to get over.

He besought one man for the love of Jesu to take him over, but he would
not; and another for the love of Mary, and a third for the sake of the
R