!' And inwardly
assured that he would never become a Christian, when once he should
have seen the court of Rome, but availing[44] nothing in the matter,
he desisted.

[Footnote 44: Lit. losing (_perdendo_), but this is probably some
copyist's mistake for _podendo_, the old form of _potendo_, availing.]

The Jew mounted to horse and as quickliest he might betook himself to
the court of Rome, he was honourably entertained of his brethren, and
there abiding, without telling any the reason of his coming, he began
diligently to enquire into the manners and fashions of the Pope and
Cardinals and other prelates and of all the members of his court, and
what with that which he himself noted, being a mighty quick-witted
man, and that which he gathered from others, he found all, from the
highest to the lowest, most shamefully given to the sin of lust, and
that not only in the way of nature, but after the Sodomitical fashion,
without any restraint of remorse or shamefastness, insomuch that the
interest of courtezans and catamites was of no small avail there in
obtaining any considerable thing.

Moreover, he manifestly perceived them to be universally gluttons,
wine-bibbers, drunkards and slaves to their bellies, brute-beast
fashion, more than to aught else after lust. And looking farther, he
saw them all covetous and greedy after money, insomuch that human,
nay, Christian blood, no less than things sacred, whatsoever they
might be, whether pertaining to the sacrifices of the altar or to the
benefices of the church, they sold and bought indifferently for a
price, making a greater traffic and having more brokers thereof than
folk at Paris of silks and stuffs or what not else. Manifest simony
they had christened 'procuration' and gluttony 'sustentation,' as if
God apprehended not,--let be the meaning of words but,--the intention
of depraved minds and would suffer Himself, after the fashion of men,
to be duped by the names of things. All this, together with much else
which must be left unsaid, was supremely displeasing to the Jew, who
was a sober and modest man, and himseeming he had seen enough, he
determined to return to Paris and did so.

As soon as Jehannot knew of his return, he betook himself to him,
hoping nothing less than that he should become a Christian, and they
greeted each other with the utmost joy. Then, after Abraham had rested
some days, Jehannot asked him how himseemed of the Holy Father and of
the cardinals and