evale_." See also _post_, Tale XLVI. (B),
note 2.--M. and Ed.

To complete his wickedness, he repaired to the house of a lady who
preferred the Grey Friars to all other folk, and, after preaching a
sermon or two before her, he cast his eyes upon her daughter, who was
very beautiful. And as the maiden did not rise in the morning to hear
his sermon, he often scolded her in presence of her mother, whereupon
the latter would say to him--"Would to God, father, that she had some
taste of the discipline which you monks receive from one another."

The good father vowed that if she continued to be so slothful, he would
indeed give her some of it, and her mother earnestly begged him to do
so.

A day or two afterwards, he entered the lady's apartment, and, not
seeing her daughter there, asked her where she was.

"She fears you so little," replied the lady, "that she is still in bed."

"There can be no doubt," said the Grey Friar, "that it is a very evil
habit in young girls to be slothful. Few people think much of the sin
of sloth, but for my part, I deem it one of the most dangerous there is,
for the body as for the soul. You should therefore chastise her for it,
and if you will give me the matter in charge, I will take good care that
she does not lie abed at an hour when she ought to be praying to God."

The poor lady, believing him to be a virtuous man, begged him to be
kind enough to correct her daughter, which he at once agreed to do, and,
going up a narrow wooden staircase, he found the girl all alone in bed.
She was sleeping very soundly, and while she slept he lay with her by
force. The poor girl, waking up, knew not whether he were man or devil,
but began to cry out as loudly as she could, and to call for help to her
mother. But the latter, standing at the foot of the staircase, cried
out to the Friar--"Have no pity on her, sir. Give it to her again, and
chastise the naughty jade."

When the Friar had worked his wicked will, he came down to the lady and
said to her with a face all afire--"I think, madam, that your daughter
will remember my discipline."

The mother thanked him warmly and then went upstairs, where she found
her daughter making such lamentation as is to be expected from a
virtuous woman who has suffered from so foul a crime. On learning the
truth, the mother had search made everywhere for the Friar, but he was
already far away, nor was he ever afterwards seen in the kingdom of
France.

"You s