[122] The words in Italics are supplied from conjecture. They are not in
orig. or in Singer.
[123] Sacrament.
[124] Prepared, _i.e._ had made themselves ready.
[125] Orig. reads _spyed_.
+ _Of the parson that sayde masse of requiem for Crystes soul._ lxxxi.
+ A certayn prest there was that dwellyd in the cuntry which was not
very well lernyd. Therfore on Ester-Euyn he sent his boy to the prest of
the next town, that was ii. myle from thens, to know what masse he
sholde synge on the morowe. This boy came to the sayd prest, and dyd his
maysters errande to hym. Then quod the prest: tel thy mayster that he
must * *
_Several lines wanting._
masse he shuld synge on the morowe. By my trothe, _quod the boy_, I have
forgotten it; but he bad me tell you it began * * * * _Then quod the
prest_: I trowe thou sayest trewth: for now I remem_ber me it is the
masse of requiem_: for God Almyghty dyed upon Good Fry_day_, and it _is
meet we shulde say masse_ for hys soule.
_By thys tale ye may se, that_ when one fole sendyth another fole on hys
er_rand, hys_ besynes folyshly sped.
+ _Of the herdeman that sayde: ryde apace, ye shall haue rayn._ lxxxii.
+ _A certayne skoler of Oxenford_ which had studied the iudicials of
astronomy, _upon a tyme as he_ was rydyng by the way, came[126] by a
herdman; and _he asked thys herdm_an how far it was to the next town.
Syr, quod the herd_man, it is rather_ past a mile and an half; but, sir,
quod he, ye nede to ryde _apace: for ye shal h_aue a shower of rayn, or
ye com thider. What, quod the skoler, _maketh ye say so_? There ys no
token of rayn: for the cloudes be both fayr and clere. _By my troth_,
quod the herdman, but ye shall fynd it so. The skoler then rode forth,
_and it chanced_ or he had ryden half a myle forther, there fell a good
showre of rayn _and[127] thys_ skoler was well washyd and wett to the
skyn. The skoler then tornyd _hym backe, and_ rode to the herdman, and
desyryd hym to tech him that connyng. _Nay_, quod the herdman, I wyll
not tech you my connynge for nought. Then _the skoler_ profferyde hym xl
shyllyngs to teche hym that connynge. The herd_man, after_ he had
reseyuyd hys money, sayd thus: syr, se you not yonder _blacke_ ewe with
the whyte face? Yes, quod the skoler. Suerly, quod the herdman, when she
daunsith and holdeth up her tayle, ye shall haue a showre of rayn within
half an howre after.[128]
By this ye may se, that the connyng of herdmen and shepardes, as
touchinge alteracyons of weders, is more sure than the iudicials of
astronomy.