Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/129



HUMPHREY DE BOHUN, the High Constable, of whom we have heard somewhat before, once upon a time kept Eastertide with great pomp and ceremony, assembling in his hall as many ladies and knights as he could gather together and doing his best to entertain them merrily. Dim and dark personages, whom you and I know very well (for the genus doth remain immortal) shortly say that my lord and all his guests did eat, drink, laugh, dance, sing, and make love to a most scandalous extent; they say to be sure that each and every of the company at Caldicot enjoyed a great deal too much of all these pleasures. But we know well enough what this means, we understand, I believe, what kind of a world these sour fellows would make if they had the chance. First they would paint the blue sky black and the green trees white, all flowers should be dark brown, all meats loathsome, all sounds hideous, and all girls ugly. 'Tis a good thing, is it not, that these godly men are not yet quite strong enough for this; truly they do as much as they are able by making themselves as loathsome and hideous as is possible; but our precious world still laughs, whirls round, and keeps up the dance with the circling stars. And at Caldicot everybody from the Earl to the scullions did his best