In those days the country round Liege was in a disturbed and dangerous
state by reason of the heresy hunts, and Lamme Goedzak came again
to live in Damme. He was married now, and his wife followed him
willingly because the people of Liege, who had a mocking nature,
used to make fun of her husband's meekness.
Lamme often visited Claes, who, since coming into his fortune,
was always to be found at the tavern of the Blauwe Torre, and
had even appropriated one of the tables for himself and his boon
companions. This table was next to the one where sat the Dean of the
Fishmongers, Josse Grypstuiver by name, drinking sparingly from his
half-pint tankard. For he was a miser, a stingy fellow who thought the
world of himself, and lived for the most part on smoked herrings, and
thought more of money than of the safety of his own soul. Now Claes
carried in his pocket that piece of parchment whereon was inscribed
the tale of his ten-thousand-year indulgence.
One evening Claes was drinking at the Blauwe Torre in the company
of Lamme Goedzak, Jan van Roosebeke, and Matthys van Assche, Josse
Grypstuiver also being present. Claes had been imbibing freely, and
Jan Roosebeke was remonstrating with him, saying that it was sin to
drink so much. But Claes replied that a pint too much meant nothing
more serious than an extra half-day in purgatory.
"Besides," said he, "I have a ten-thousand-year indulgence in my
pocket! Is there any one here that would like a hundred years of
them, I wonder, so that he may indulge his stomach without fear of
the consequences?"
Every one shouted at once:
"How much are you selling them at?"
"For a pint of beer," Claes answered, "I will give you one hundred
days, but for a muske conyn you shall have a hundred and fifty!"
Some of the revellers gave Claes a pint of beer, others a piece of ham,
and for each and all Claes cut off a little strip of his parchment. It
was not Claes, forsooth, who consumed the price of his indulgences,
but Lamme Goedzak; and he gorged himself so that he began to swell
visibly; and all the time Claes went on distributing his merchandise
up and down the tavern.
The man Grypstuiver turned a sour face towards him, and asked if he
had an indulgence for ten days.
"No," said Claes, "that's too small a piece to cut."
Every one laughed, and Grypstuiver ate his anger as best he could. Then
Claes went home, followed by Lamme, walking as if his legs were made
of wool.