The Geste of Duke Jocelyn Part 3

"Stay!" cried the Reeve. "Friar, what o'me?"

"Patience, O Bax, too soon I'll come to thee!

Who'll sing ye then blithe as a bird on bough--"

"Friar!" growled the Reeve, "the time for me is now!"

"So be it, then," the Friar did gently say, "I'll speak of thee as truly as I may: Here then behold our port-reeve, Greg'ry Bax, Who, save for reason, naught in reason lacks, Who, though he small and puny seems to shew, In speech he is Goliath-like, I trow, Chief Councillor of Tissingors is he, And of the council second but--to me.

For with the townsfolk first of all come I--"

REEVE: Since thy fat finger is in every pie-- "Saving your reverend grace," Duke Joc'lyn said, "What of this maid that turneth green and red?"

REEVE: Fool, then learn this, ere that our lord duke died, Ten guardians for his child he did provide, The Friar and I, with men of lesser fame, Co-guardians are of this right puissant dame.

JOCELYN: Beseech ye, sir, now tell us an' ye may, Why hath thy youthful d.u.c.h.ess run away?

"Fair Fool," quoth the Friar, fanning himself with a frond of bracken, "'tis a hot day, a day reminiscent of the ultimate fate of graceless sinners, and I am like the day and languish for breath, yet, to thy so pertinent question I will, straightly and in few words, p.r.o.nounce and answer thee, as followeth: Our Lady Benedicta hath run away firstly, brethren, for that being formed woman after Nature's goodly plan she hath the wherewithal to walk, to leap, to skip or eke to run, as viz.: item and to wit--legs. Secondly, inquisitorial brethren, she ran for an excellent good reason--as observe--there was none to let or stay her. And thirdly, gentle and eager hearers, she did flit or fly, leave, vacate, or depart our goodly town of Tissingors for that she had--mark me--no mind to stay, remain or abide therein. And this for the following express, rare and most curious reason as--mark now--in a word--"

"Hold--hold, Friar John!" exclaimed the Reeve; "here sit ye here a-sermonising, venting words a-many what time our vanished d.u.c.h.ess fleeth.

Knew I not the contrary I should say thou didst countenance her flight and spent thyself in wordy-wind wherewith to aid her!"

Now here, chancing to meet Duke Jocelyn's shrewd gaze, Friar John slowly and ponderously winked one round, bright eye.

Quoth he:

"Hark to our valiant port-reeve Greg'ry Bax Who, save for reason, nought of reason lacks!"

"Howbeit," fumed the Reeve, stamping in the dust, "here sit ye at thy full-bodied ease, fanning flies and animadverting--"

"Animadverting!" nodded Friar John. "A good word, Reeve, a fair, sweet word; in verity a word full-bodied as I, wherefore it liketh me well. So sit I here animadverting whiles thou kicketh up a dust in fashion foolish and un-reeve-like."

"A plague o' words!" cried the Reeve. "A pest o' wind! Enough--enough, contain thy prolixities and rodomontade and let me to the point explain--"

"Aha!" quoth the Friar. "Good sooth, here's a n.o.ble word! A word round i' the mouth, rolling upon the tongue. Ha, Reeve, I give thee joy of rodomontade!"

"Thus then," continued the Reeve, "I will, with use of no verbiage circ.u.mlocutory, explain."

"Ho-oho!" cried Friar John, rubbing plump hands ecstatic. "Good Bax, ne'er have I heard thee to so great advantage--verbiage circ.u.mlocutory--and thou--thou such small man to boot! O most excellent, puny Reeve!"

Here the little man turned his back upon the Friar and continued hastily thus:

"A lord there is, a lord of lofty pride, Who for our lady oft hath sued and sighed--"

FRIAR JOHN: Whom she as oft hath scornfully denied!

THE REEVE: A mighty lord who seeketh her to wife--

FRIAR JOHN: Though he, 'tis said, doth lead most evil life!

THE REEVE: To which fair lord our wilful maid we'd wed--

FRIAR JOHN: Since this fair lord the council holds in dread!

THE REEVE: But she, defying us, this very day Like wicked thief hath stole herself away.

Thus this poor lord such deeps of gloom is in Vows he'll not wash, nor shave again his chin Till found is she: He groaneth, sheddeth tears--

THE FRIAR: And swears her guardians ten shall lose their ears!

THE REEVE: Wherefore are we in mighty perturbation, Amazed, distraught and filled with consternation.

Thus do our bells ring out their wild alarms, Our civic bands do muster under arms; Drums shall be drummed the countryside around, Until our truant d.u.c.h.ess we have found, And we have wed this most elusive dame Unto Sir Agramore of Biename.

THE FRIAR: And yield her thus to woes and bitter shame!

THE REEVE: So speak me, fellows; as ye came this way Saw ye aught of this wilful, errant may?

Answered JOCELYN: "Neither to-day nor any other day."

"Why then," fumed the Reeve, "here have we been at great expense o' breath and time and all to no purpose. Come, Friar, beseech thee, let us haste to begone."

So Friar John got slowly to his feet Complaining loud of hurry and of heat, But paused behind the hasteful Reeve to linger, And to plump nose he slyly laid plump finger.

Now stood Sir Pertinax thoughtful, chin on fist, insomuch that Jocelyn, thrumming his lute, questioned him:

"Good Pertinax, how now What pond'rest thou With furrowed brow?

Thy care, Sir Knight, avow!"

Saith Pertinax: "I meditate the way wondrous of woman, the frowardness of creatures feminine. For mark me, sir, here is one hath guardians ten, yet despite them she is fled away and they ten!"

"Why truly, Pertinax, they are ten, so is she fled."

"Aye, but if they be ten that ward her and she one that would flee, how shall this one flee these ten?"

"For that they be ten."

"Nay, lord, here be twenty eyes to watch one young maid and twenty legs to pursue the same, yet doth she evade them one and all, and here's the wonder on't--she's but one maid."

"Nay, there's the reason on't, Pertinax--she is a maid."

"The which is great matter for wonder, lord!"

"Spoke like a very Pertinax, my Pertinax, for here's no wonder at all. For perceive, the lady is young, her wardens ten grave seniors, worthy wights --solemn, sober and sedate, Pertinax, wise and wearisome, grave yet garrulous, and therefore they suffice not."

"Aye, prithee and wherefore not?"

"For their divers worthy attributes and because they be--ten. Now had these ten been one and this one a very man--_the_ man--here had been no running away on part of the lady, I 'll warrant me?"

"Stay, my lord," said Pertinax, in deep perplexity, "how judge ye so--and wherefore--why and by what manner o' reasoning?"

"Ha, Pertinax!" laughed the Duke, "my lovely, loveless numskull!" So saying, he kicked the good Knight full joyously and so they trudged on again.

Till presently, beyond the green of trees, They saw afar the town of Ca.n.a.lise, A city fair, couched on a gentle height, With walls embattled and strong towers bedight.

Now seeing that the sun was getting low, Our travellers at quicker pace did go.

Thus as in haste near to the gate they came, Before them limped a bent and hag-like dame, With long, sharp nose that downward curved as though It beak-like wished to peck sharp chin below.

Humbly she crept in cloak all torn and rent, And o'er a staff her tottering limbs were bent.