The Geste of Duke Jocelyn | Page 6

learn
and therefore learned teacher,
One who can laugh betimes, betimes
can pray,
Who'll colic cure or on the bagpipe play.
Who'll sing--"
"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 Duchess 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, pronounce 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 Duchess
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 noble 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
circumlocutory, explain."
"Ho-oho!" cried Friar John, rubbing plump hands ecstatic. "Good Bax,
ne'er have I heard thee to so great advantage--verbiage
circumlocutory--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 Duchess
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