CHAPTER V. HOW A STRANGE COMPANY GATHERED AT THE “PIED MERLIN.”

g?” “Whyindeed?”askedthegleeman,takingalongdrainathistankard. “Itistobeplacedonthesoreorswelling.Fortherat,markyou,beingafoul-livingcreature,hathanaturaldrawingoraffinityforallfoulthings,sothatthenoxioushumorspassfromthemanintotheuncleanbeast.” “Wouldthatcuretheblackdeath,master?”askedJenkin. “Aye,trulywouldit,myfairson.” “ThenIamrightgladthattherewerenonewhoknewofit.TheblackdeathisthebestfriendthateverthecommonfolkhadinEngland.” “Howthatthen?”askedHordleJohn. “Why,friend,itiseasytoseethatyouhavenotworkedwithyourhandsoryouwouldnotneedtoask.Whenhalfthefolkinthecountryweredeaditwasthenthattheotherhalfcouldpickandchoosewhotheywouldworkfor,andforwhatwage.ThatiswhyIsaythatthemurrainwasthebestfriendthattheborelfolkeverhad.” “True,Jenkin,”saidanotherworkman“butitisnotallgoodthatisbroughtbyiteither.Wewellknowthatthroughitcorn-landhasbeenturnedintopasture,sothatflocksofsheepwithperchanceasingleshepherdwandernowwhereonceahundredmenhadworkandwage.” “Thereisnogreatharminthat,”remarkedthetooth-drawer,“forthesheepgivemanyfolktheirliving.Thereisnotonlytheherd,buttheshearerandbrander,andthenthedresser,thecurer,thedyer,thefuller,thewebster,themerchant,andascoreofothers.” “Ifitcometothat,”saidoneoftheforesters,“thetoughmeatofthemwillwearfolksteethout,andthereisatradeforthemanwhocandrawthem.” Agenerallaughfollowedthissallyatthedentist'sexpense,inthemidstofwhichthegleemanplacedhisbatteredharpuponhisknee,andbegantopickoutamelodyuponthefrayedstrings. “ElbowroomforFloytingWill!”criedthewoodmen.“Twangusamerrylilt.” “Aye,aye,the'LassesofLancaster,'”onesuggested. “Or'St.SimeonandtheDevil.'” “Orthe'JestofHendyTobias.'” Toallthesesuggestionsthejongleurmadenoresponse,butsatwithhiseyefixedabstractedlyupontheceiling,asonewhocallswordstohismind.Then,withasuddensweepacrossthestrings,hebrokeoutintoasongsogrossandsofoulthaterehehadfinishedaversethepure-mindedladsprangtohisfeetwiththebloodtinglinginhisface. “Howcanyousingsuchthings?”hecried.“You,too,anoldmanwhoshouldbeanexampletoothers.” Thewayfarersallgazedintheutmostastonishmentattheinterruption. “BytheholyDiconofHampole!oursilentclerkhasfoundhistongue,”saidoneofthewoodmen.“Whatisamisswiththesongthen?Howhasitoffendedyourbabyship?” “Amilderandbettermanneredsonghathneverbeenheardwithinthesewalls,”criedanother.“Whatsortoftalkisthisforapublicinn?” “Shallitbealitany,mygoodclerk?”shoutedathird“orwouldahymnbegoodenoughtoserve?” Thejongleurhadputdownhisharpinhighdudgeon.“AmItobepreachedtobyachild?”hecried,staringacrossatAlleynewithaninflamedandangrycountenance.“Isahairlessinfanttoraisehistongueagainstme,whenIhavesungineveryfairfromTweedtoTrent,andhavetwicebeennamedaloudbytheHighCourtoftheMinstrelsatBeverley?Ishallsingnomoreto-night.” “Nay,butyouwillso,”saidoneofthelaborers.“Hi,DameEliza,bringastoupofyourbesttoWilltoclearhisthroat.Goforwardwiththysong,andifourgirl-facedclerkdoesnotloveithecantaketotheroadandgowhencehecame.” “Nay,butnottoofast,”brokeinHordleJohn.“Therearetwowordsinthismatter.Itmaybethatmylittlecomradehasbeenoverquickinreproof,hehavinggoneearlyintothecloistersandseenlittleoftheroughwaysandwordsoftheworld.Yetthereistruthinwhathesays,for,asyouknowwell,thesongwasnotofthecleanest.Ishallstandbyhim,therefore,andheshallneitherbeputoutontheroad,norshallhisearsbeoffendedindoors.” “Indeed,yourhighandmightygrace,”sneeredoneoftheyeomen,“haveyouinsoothsoordained?” “BytheVirgin!”saidasecond,“Ithinkthatyoumaybothchancetofindyourselvesupontheroadbeforelong.” “Andsobelaboredastobescarceabletocrawlalongit,”criedathird. “Nay,Ishallgo!Ishallgo!”saidAlleynehurriedly,asHordleJohnbegantoslowlyrolluphissleeve,andbareanarmlikealegofmutton.“Iwouldnothaveyoubrawlaboutme.” “Hush!lad,”hewhispered,“Icountthemnotafly.Theymayfindtheyhavemoretowontheirdistaffthantheyknowhowtospin.Standthouclearandgivemespace.” Boththeforestersandthelaborershadrisenfromtheirbench,andDameElizaandthetravellingdoctorhadflungthemselvesbetweenthetwopartieswithsoftwordsandsoothinggestures,whenthedoorofthe“PiedMerlin”wasflungviolentlyopen,andtheattentionofthecompanywasdrawnfromtheirownquarreltothenew-comerwhohadburstsounceremoniouslyuponthem.