Evil-Tongue
Quoth he: “Say sirs, whence hail ye then,
And what news stir the world of men,12820
And by what happy circumstance
Ye hither come, as ’twere by chance.”
Constrainèd-Abstinence
Entertainment sought
Constrainèd-Abstinence replied:
Fair sir, we seek this countryside
As pilgrims, loyal of heart and true,
Who fain their penitence would do:
Afoot we’ve gone the livelong day
Along the weary dust-strewn way.
Hither are we together sent
By God, to folk impenitent,12830
And hope our exhortations may
Restore some sinners gone astray;
No other fish we strive to catch,
And in God’s name, by whose dispatch
We sallied forth, we beg to be
Here harboured, and most willingly,
An’t please you, will make good our score
By fitting tale of ghostly lore,
If you such coin are fain to take.
The Author.
Then Evil-Tongue in answer spake:12840
Evil-Tongue
My house, quoth he, e’en such as ’tis,
Is yours, no further seek than this,
And preach whatso ye will, cast fear
Aside, I give a ready ear.
