kicketh up a dust in fashion foolish and un-reeve-like.”      

       “A plague o' words!” cried the Reeve. “A pest o' wind! Enough—enough, contain thy prolixities and rodomontade and let me to the point explain—”      

       “Aha!” quoth the Friar. “Good sooth, here's a noble word! A word round i'       the mouth, rolling upon the tongue. Ha, Reeve, I give thee joy of rodomontade!”      

       “Thus then,” continued the Reeve, “I will, with use of no verbiage circumlocutory, explain.”      

       “Ho-oho!” cried Friar John, rubbing plump hands ecstatic. “Good Bax, ne'er have I heard thee to so great advantage—verbiage circumlocutory—and thou—thou such small man to boot! O most excellent, puny Reeve!”      

       Here the little man turned his back upon the Friar and continued hastily thus:     

   “A lord there is, a lord of lofty pride, Who for our lady oft hath sued and sighed—”    FRIAR JOHN: Whom she as oft hath scornfully denied! THE REEVE: A mighty lord who seeketh her to wife—    FRIAR JOHN: Though he, 'tis said, doth lead most evil life! THE REEVE: To which fair lord our wilful maid we'd wed—    FRIAR JOHN: Since this fair lord the council holds in dread! THE REEVE: But she, defying us, this very day Like wicked thief hath stole herself away. Thus this poor lord such deeps of gloom is in Vows he'll not wash, nor shave again his chin Till found is she: He groaneth, sheddeth tears—    THE FRIAR: And swears her guardians ten shall lose their ears! THE REEVE: Wherefore are we in mighty perturbation, Amazed, distraught and filled with consternation. Thus do our bells ring out their wild alarms, Our civic bands do muster under arms; Drums shall be drummed the countryside around, Until our truant Duchess we have found,   And we have wed this most elusive dame Unto Sir Agramore of Biename. THE FRIAR: And yield her thus to woes and bitter shame! THE REEVE: So speak me, fellows; as ye came this way Saw ye aught of this wilful, errant may? Answered JOCELYN: “Neither to-day nor any other day.”  

       “Why then,” fumed the Reeve, “here have we been at great expense o' breath and time and all to no purpose. Come, Friar, beseech thee, let us haste to begone.”      

   So Friar John got slowly to his feet Complaining loud of hurry and of heat, But paused behind the hasteful Reeve to linger,  

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