Cordelier was informed by his wife of this new
tithe, he went to his Lord and told him all about the tax and how it
concerned him. You may imagine that he was much astonished, and said;

"Ah, cursed wretches that they are! Cursed be the hour that ever my
father--whom may God pardon--received them! And now they take our spoils
and dishonour us, and ere long they may do worse. What is to be done?"

"By my faith, Monseigneur" said the other, "if it please you and seem
good to you, you should assemble all your subjects in this town, for
the matter touches them as much as you. Inform them of this affair, and
consult with them what remedy can be devised before it is too late."

Monseigneur approved, and ordered all his married subjects to come to
him, and in the great hall of his castle, he showed them at full length
why he had called them together.

If my lord had been astonished and surprised when he heard the news,
so also were all the good people who were there assembled. Some of them
said, "We ought to kill them," others "They should be hanged!" others
"Drown them!" Others said they could not believe it was true--the monks
were so devout and led such holy lives. One said one thing, another said
another.

"I will tell you," said the Seigneur, "what we will do. We will bring
our wives hither, and Master John, or some other, shall preach a little
sermon in which he will take care to make allusion to tithes, and ask
the women, in the name of all of us, whether they discharge their debts,
as we are anxious they should be paid, and we shall hear their reply."

After some discussion they all agreed to the Seigneur's proposal. So
orders were issued to all the married women of the town, and they all
came to the great hall, where their husbands were assembled. My lord
even brought my lady, who was quite astonished to see so many persons.
An usher of my lord's commanded silence, and Master John, who was
slightly raised above the other people, began the address which follows;

"Mesdames and mesdemoiselles, I am charged by my lord and those of his
council to explain briefly the reason why you are called together. It
is true that my lord, his council, and all his people who are here met
together, desire to make a public examination of their conscience,--the
cause being that that they wish (God willing) to make ere long a holy
procession in praise of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Glorious Mother,
and from the present moment to b