t certain scandalous
matter, and, whilst discoursing upon it somewhat bluntly and quoting
sundry examples, he said in apparent amazement--

"Truly, ladies and gentlemen of Saint-Martin, I am greatly astonished
that you should be scandalised so unreasonably at what is less than
nothing, and should tell tales of me wherever you go, saying: 'It is a
big business; who could have thought that the father would have got
his landlady's daughter with child?' A monk get a girl with child!" he
continued; "forsooth, what a wonder! But hark you, fair ladies, would
you not rather have had cause for wonderment, had the girl acted thus by
the monk?"

"Such, ladies, was the wholesome food on which this worshipful shepherd
fed the Lord's flock. And so brazen was he, that after committing the
sin, he spake openly of it in the pulpit, where nought should be said
that tends to aught but the edification of one's neighbour, and above
all to the glory of God."

"Truly," said Saffredent, "he was a master monk--I should have liked
him nearly as well as Brother Anjibaut, who gets credit for all the
jests that are spoken in merry company."

"For my part, I can see nothing laughable in such mockery," said
Oisille, "especially in such a place."

"You forget, madam," said Nomerfide, "that at that time, though it
was not so very long ago, the good villagers, and indeed most of the
dwellers in the large towns, who think themselves cleverer than other
people, had greater regard for such preachers as he than for those who
purely and simply preached the holy Gospel to them."

"However that may be," said Hircan, "he was not wrong in asking for hams
in exchange for chitterlings, for in hams there is far more eating. And
even if some devout creature had understood him amphibologically, as I
believe he wished to be understood, neither he nor his brethren would
have fared badly any more than the wench that had her bag full."

"But how impudent of him," said Oisille, "to pervert the meaning of
the text to suit his fancy, thinking that he had to do with beasts like
himself, and shamelessly trying to entice the poor little women so that
he might teach them how to eat raw flesh at night."

"True," said Simontault; "but you forget that he saw before him those
young tripe-sellers of Amboise in whose tub he would fain have washed
his ------ shall I name it? No, but you understand me--and have treated
them to a taste of it, not roasted, but stirring and frisk