Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/350

 ^^o Hi ft or y of Dojneftic Mc anners It would not be difficult to illuftrate all the incidents of this llory by anecdotes of mediaeval life. The traveller who fought a lodging, without money to pay for it, even in private houfes, was not always well received. In the fabliau of the "Butcher of Abbeville" (Barbazan, iv. i), the butcher, returning from the market of Oifemont, is overtaken by night at the fmall town of Bailleuil. He determined to flop for the night there, and, feeing a poor woman at her door, at the entrance of the town, he inquired where he could aik for a night's lodging, and flie recommended him to the prieft, as the only perlbn in the town who had wine in his cellar. The butcher accordingly repaired to the prieft's houfe, where he found that ecclefiaftic fitting on the fill of his door, and alked him to give him a lodging for the fake of charity. The priefi:, who thought that there was nothing to be gained from him, refuted, telling him he would find plenty of people in the town who could give him a bed. As the butcher was leaving the town, irritated by his inhofpitable reception, he encountered a flock of Iheep, which he learnt were the property of the prieft ; whereupon, fele6ting the fatteft of them, he dextroufly ftole it away unperceived, and, returning with it into the town, he went to the prieft's door, found him juft clofing his houfe, for it was nightfall, and again alked him for lodging. The prieft alked him who he was, and whence he came. He replied that he had been to the market at Oifemont, and bought a fheep ; that he was overtaken by night, and fought a lodging ; and that, as it was no great confideratlon to him, he intended to kill his fiieep, and fliare it with his hoft. The temptation was too great for the greedy prieft, and he now received the butcher into his houfe, treated him with great refpeft, and had a bed made for him in his hall. Now the prieft had — as was common with the Catholic prieft- hood — a concubine and a maid-fervant, and they all regaled themfelves on the butcher's flieep. Before the gueft left next morning, he contrived to fell the flieep's Ikin and wool for certain confiderations feverally to the concubine and to the maid, and, after his departure, their rival claims led to a quarrel, and even to a battle. While the prieft, on his return from the fervice of matins, was labouring to appeafe the combatants, his fliep- herd entered, with the information that his beft fheep had been ftolen from