Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/73

 and was struck silly for the remnant of his days, and these were few. But the Monk John de Ferula who lived at that time in Abergavenny, and left behind him a curious book of Annals, insinuates that besides practicing baratry with his ale, Phil did also meddle with his wife's maid, and that she was in the cellar with him when Sir Jenkin burst open the door.

And from that time there was no more peace at all in Abergavenny, nor for gentle nor simple, clergy nor lay folk, but all in turn were continually pestered by this fearsome and horrible statue, who seemed to know all that was being done from the lardarium of the convent to the bower of the castle, and interfered as readily as can be imagined with the privity of the whole town, sparing none but molesting all. Hence all the pleasantry of the place decayed, the young squires and frolicsome ladies, the jolly old monks and the hearty men-at-arms, with all the fat inn-keepers, buxom widows, merry jokers and witty wags were tormented out of their lives by this fellow with his nasty battle-axe, who made no scruple of turning up at a confidential colloquy when he ought to have been standing in his tabernacle on the tower and hammering away at his bells; for it was no use to make little arrangements to transact business at Evensong nor Compline nor Matins neither, since Sir Jenkin always made a third at these small parties. But what puzzled the good people so terribly was that the hours were rung out just the same, as also the hymns without a note missing; and this indeed