is shoulders,
'Wow but the brethren laid on. And what means yon piece of monk's cant,
I wonder?' So I told him the words meant 'the monastery is in want of a
miracle,' but the application thereof was dark to me. 'Dark,' cried
he, 'dark as noon. Why, it means they are going to work the miracle,
my miracle, and gather all the grain I sowed. Therefore these blows on
their benefactor's shoulders; therefore is he that wrought their scurry
miracle driven forth with stripes and threats. Oh, cozening knaves!'
Said I, 'Becomes you to complain of guile.' 'Alas, Bon Bec,' said he, 'I
but outwit the simple, but these monks would pluck Lucifer of his
wing feathers.' And went a league bemoaning himself that he was not
convent-bred like his servant 'He would put it to more profit;' and
railing on quiens. 'And as for those monks, there was one Above.'
'Certes,' said I, 'there is one Above. What then?' 'Who will call those
shavelings to compt, one day,' quoth he. 'And all deceitful men' said
I. At one that afternoon I got armories to paint: so my master took the
yellow jaundice and went begging through the town, and with his oily
tongue, and saffron-water face, did fill his hat. Now in all the towns
are certain licensed beggars, and one of these was an old favourite
with the townsfolk: had his station at St. Martin's porch, the greatest
church: a blind man: they called him blind Hans. He saw my master
drawing coppers on the other side the street, and knew him by his tricks
for an impostor, so sent and warned the constables, and I met my master
in the constables' hands, and going to his trial in the town hall. I
followed and many more; and he was none abashed, neither by the pomp
of justice, nor memory of his misdeeds, but demanded his accuser like a
trumpet. And blind Hans's boy came forward, but was sifted narrowly by
my master, and stammered and faltered, and owned he had seen nothing,
but only carried blind Hans's tale to the chief constable. 'This is but
hearsay,' said my master. 'Lo ye now, here standeth Misfortune backbit
by Envy. But stand thou forth, blind Envy, and vent thine own lie.' And
blind Hans behoved to stand forth, sore against his will. Him did my
master so press with questions, and so pinch and torture, asking him
again and again, how, being blind, he could see all that befell, and
some that befell not, across a way; and why, an he could not see, he
came there holding up his perjured hand, and maligning the misfortunat