her.

The large hall was lit with tapers at dusk and hung with ivy and with
holly; dried woodruff, watermint and other sweet herbs were scattered
about the floors to give an agreeable odour; the antlers of deer from
the bishop's chase in Winchester were like a forest of dead boughs,
branching from the walls, some gilded, some silvered, some supporting
shields emblazoned with the arms of the See, of the bishop, of the
King or of Cleves; an army of wood-pigeons and stock-doves with silver
collars about their necks was at one time let fly into the hall, and
the swish of their wings and afterwards their cooing among the golden
rafters of the high ceiling made pleasing sound and mingled with the
voices of sweet singing from the galleries at each end of the hall,
near the roof. The players spoke their parts bravely, and, because
this play was beloved among all others at the Court, there was a great
and general contentment.

For the after scene they had a display of theology. There were three
battles of men. In black with red hats, horns branching above them and
in the centre a great devil with a triple tiara, who danced holding up
an enormous key. These stood on the right. On the left were priests in
fustian, holding enormous flagons of Rhenish wine and dancing in a
drunken measure with their arms round more drunken doxies dressed like
German women. In the centre stood grave and reverend men wearing
horsehair beards and the long gowns of English bishops and priests.
Before these there knelt an angel in flame-coloured robes with wings
like the rainbow. The angel supported a great volume on the back of
which might be read in letters of gold, '_Regis Nostri Sapientia._'

The great devil, dancing forward, brandishing his key, roared that
these reverend men should kneel to him; he held out a cloven foot and
bade them kiss it. But a venerable bishop cried out, 'You be
Antichrist. I know you. You be the Arch Devil. But from this book I
will confound you. Thank God that we have one that leads us aright.'
Coming forward he read in Latin from the book of the King's Wisdom and
the great devil fell back fainting into the arms of the men in red
hats.

The King called out, 'By God, goodman Bishop, you have spoken well!'
and the Court roared.

Then one from the other side danced out, holding his flagon and
grasping his fat wife round the waist. He sang in a gross and German
way, smacking his lips, that these reverend Englishmen should