d glad shall
I be if he be overborne: for what should a knight do, to set him up
against great and noble men, and wage all kinds of rascaile on behoof
of a set of villeins and handicraftsmen!" And he looked on his guest
as if he deemed he should please him by that word; but the other shook
his head and said: "So should I not be glad; for Sir Godrick is both
fearless and wise, and of good heart to such as need help. Yet I doubt
me that he will be overthrown at last, such might as is arrayed
against him. Forsooth could he get to him two or three like to
himself, yea, or were it only one, then might he endure; but where
shall he find such an one?"

Quoth the chapman: "If ye bear the man such love and honour, mightest
not thyself give thyself to him and be such an one to him as thou
tellest of?" The Knight laughed: "Chapman," said he, "of such mere
skull-splitters as I be hath he enough amongst his men-at-arms, who, I
must tell thee, be nowise rascaile, but valiant and well-ordered
warriors. What he needeth is one fulfilled of the wisdom of war; yea,
and of peace also, so as to know when to hold fast and when to let go,
when to press hard on the foe and when to cast the golden bridge
before them. Of such wisdom have I nought, and know little but of hard
hitting and how to keep the face to the foe in the stour. Moreover,
though in a way I wish him goodhap, yet is is such goodhap as one
wishes a man who needs be a foe. For I must tell thee that I am of the
Barons' company and against Sir Godrick. Yet this I know, that if he
fall at the last it shall not be till after he hath put us to the
worse more than once or twice."

Herewith their talk turned else-whither; but all this the Carline
heard, and stored it up in her breast, and thought that she might
hereafter get more tidings of Sir Godrick, and belike piece one thing
to another till she had got somewhat which should be to her purpose.

So when they had done dinner the chapman opened some of his packs
before the Knight (who is here called the Blue Knight), and the Knight
cheapened here an ouch and there a finger-ring or a gold chain, and a
piece of Saracen silk, and so forth; and all these he paid for down on
the nail in pennies good and true, for he had with him a big pouch of
money. Said he: "Thou seest I am rich in spending-silver, for I have
been paid the ransom of three knights whom I took in sharp stour last
autumn."

But now as he was sitting turning over his fai