he weaver, and the wheelwright, and the
blacksmith,--but, hey presto! Master Warner set his imps a-churning, and
turned ye out mail and tunic, worsted and wagon, kettle and pot, spick
and span new, from his brewage of vapour and sea-coal. Oh, have I not
heard enough of the sorcerer from my brother, who works in the Chepe
for Master Stokton, the mercer!--and Master Stokton was one of the
worshipful deputies to whom the old nigromancer had the front to boast
his devices."

"It is true," said the friar, suddenly.

"Yes, reverend father, it is true," said the mechanic, doffing his
cap, and inclining his swarthy face to this unexpected witness of his
veracity. A murmur of wrath and hatred was heard amongst the bystanders.
The soldiers indifferently turned to their female companions. There
was a brief silence; and, involuntarily, the gossips stretched over the
table to catch sight of the house of so demoniac an oppressor of the
poor.

"See," said the baker, "the smoke still curls from the rooftop! I heard
he had come back. Old Madge, his handmaid, has bought cimnel-cakes of me
the last week or so; nothing less than the finest wheat serves him now,
I trow. However, right's right, and--"

"Come back!" cried the fierce mechanic; "the owl hath kept close in his
roost! An' it were not for the king's favour, I would soon see how the
wizard liked to have fire and water brought to bear against himself!"

"Sit down, sweetheart," whispered one of the young tymbesteres to the
last speaker--

"Come, kiss me, my darling,
Warm kisses I trade for."

"Avaunt!" quoth the mechanic, gruffly, and shaking off the seductive arm
of the tymbestere--"avaunt! I have neither liefe nor halfpence for thee
and thine. Out on thee!--a child of thy years! a rope's end to thy back
were a friend's best kindness!"

The girl's eyes sparkled, she instinctively put her hand to her knife;
then turning to a soldier by her side, she said, "Hear you that, and sit
still?"

"Thunder and wounds!" growled the soldier thus appealed to, "more
respect to the sex, knave; if I don't break thy fool's costard with
my sword-hilt, it is only because Red Grisell can take care of herself
against twenty such lozels as thou. These honest girls have been to the
wars with us; King Edward grudges no man his jolly fere. Speak up for
thyself, Grisell! How many tall fellows didst thou put out of their pain
after the battle of Losecote?"

"Only five, Hal," replied th