Volume I Part 70 (1/2)

He hath played the devil at Coventry.

By his acquaintance and my behaviour, He showed to me right friendly favour, And to make my return the shorter, I said to this devil: Good master porter, For all old love, if it lie in your power, Help me to speak with my lord and your.

Be sure, quoth he, no tongue can tell, What time thou couldst have come so well: For as on[513] this day Lucifer fell, Which is our festival in h.e.l.l.

Nothing unreasonable craved this day, That shall in h.e.l.l have any nay.

But yet beware thou come not in, Till time thou may[514] thy pa.s.sport win.

Wherefore stand still, and I will wit,[515]

If I can get thy safe-conduit.

He tarried not, but shortly got it Under seal, and the Devil's hand at it, In ample wise, as ye shall hear; Thus it began: Lucifer, By the power of G.o.d, chief devil of h.e.l.l, To all the devils that there do dwell And every of them, we send greeting, Under strait charge and commanding, That they aiding and a.s.sistant be To such a Pardoner, and named me, So that he may at liberty Pa.s.s safe without any[516] jeopardy, Till that he be from us extinct, And clearly out of h.e.l.l's precinct.

And his pardon to keep in safeguard, We will they lie in the porter's ward.

Given in the furnace of our palace, In our high court of matters of malice, Such a day and year of our reign.

G.o.d save the devil, quoth I, amain.[517]

I trust this writing to be sure: Then put thy trust, quod he, in ure[518], Since thou art sure to take no harm.

This devil and I walked arm in arm So far, till he had brought me thither, Where all the devils of h.e.l.l together Stood in array in such apparel, As for that day there meetly fell.

Their horns well-gilt, their claws full clean, Their tails well-kempt, and, as I ween, With sothery[519] b.u.t.ter their bodies annointed; I never saw devils so well appointed.[520]

The master-devil sat in his jacket, And all the souls were playing at racket.

None other rackets they had in hand, Save every soul a good firebrand: Wherewith they played so prettily, That Lucifer laughed merrily; And all the residue of the fiends[521]

Did laugh thereat full well like friends.[522]

But of my friend I saw no whit, Nor durst not ask for her as yet.

Anon all this rout was brought in silence, And I by an usher brought in presence Of Lucifer; then low, as well I could,[523]

I kneeled, which he so well allowed, That thus he becked, and, by St Anthony, He smiled on me well-favouredly, Bending his brows as broad as barn-doors, Shaking his ears as rugged as burrs; Rolling his eyes as round as two bushels; Flas.h.i.+ng the fire out of his nosthrils; Gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth so vaingloriously, That me-thought time to fall to flattery, Wherewith I told, as I shall tell: O pleasant picture! O prince of h.e.l.l!

Feutred[524] in fas.h.i.+on abhominable, And since that is inestimable For me to praise thee worthily.

I leave of praise, as unworthy To give thee praise, beseeching thee To hear my suit, and then to be So good to grant the thing I crave; And, to be short, this would I have: The soul of one which hither is flitted, Delivered[525] hence, and to me remitted.

And in this doing, though all be not quit, Yet in some part I shall[526] deserve it, As thus: I am a pardoner, And over souls as controller, Thorough out the earth my power doth stand, Where many a soul lieth on my hand, That speed in matters as I use them, As I receive them or refuse them.

Whereby what time thy pleasure is, I[527] shall requite any part of this, The least devil here that can come thither, Shall choose a soul and bring him hither.

Ho,[528] ho! quoth the devil, we are well pleased; What is his name thou wouldst have eased?

Nay, quoth I, be it good or evil, My coming is for a she devil.

What callst her, quoth he, thou wh.o.r.eson?[529]

Forsooth, quoth I, Margery Corson.

Now, by our honour, said Lucifer, No devil in h.e.l.l shall withhold her; And if thou wouldest have twenty mo, Wert not for justice, they should go.

For all we[530] devils within this den Have more to do with two women, Than with all the charge we have beside; Wherefore, if thou our friend will be tried, Apply thy pardons to women so, That unto us there come no mo.

To do my best I promised by oath; Which I have kept, for, as the faith goeth, At this day[531] to heaven I do procure Ten women to one man, be sure.

Then of Lucifer my leave I took, And straight unto the master-cook I was had into the kitchen, For Margery's office was therein.

All things handled there discreetly, For every soul beareth office meetly: Which might be seen to see her sit So busily turning of the spit.

For many a spit here hath she turned, And many a good spit hath she burned: And many a spitful hot hath roasted, Before the meat could be half roasted, And ere the meat were half-roasted indeed, I took her then fro the spit with speed.

But when she saw this brought to pa.s.s, To tell the joy wherein she was!

And of all the devils, for joy how they Did roar at her delivery!

And how the chains in h.e.l.l did ring.

And how all the souls therein did sing; And how we were brought to the gate, And how we took our leave thereat, Be sure lack of time suffereth not To rehea.r.s.e the twentieth part of that, Wherefore, this tale to conclude briefly, This woman thanked me chiefly, That she was rid of this endless death, And so we departed on Newmarket-heath.

And if that any man do mind her, Who lists to seek her, there shall he find her.

PEDLAR. Sir, ye have sought her wonders[532] well, And where ye found her as ye tell, To hear the chance ye had[533] in h.e.l.l, I find ye were in great peril.[534]

PALMER. His tale is all much perilous;[535]

But part is much more marvellous: As where he said the devils complain, That women put them to such pain.

Be their conditions so crooked and crabbed, Frowardly fas.h.i.+oned, so wayward and wrabbed. [536]