"As for hearing Mass, it is too late to-day; but I know a church in this
town where at least, we shall not fail to see God."

"That is better than nothing," said the worthy lords. "Come, come! let
us get away, for it is very late, and to lose our shirts, and not to
hear Mass to-day would be a double misfortune; and it is time we went to
church if we want to hear Mass."

Montbleru took them to the principal church in Antwerp, where there is
a God on an ass (*).

(*) A picture or bas-relief, representing Christ's entry
into Jerusalem, is probably meant.

When they had each said a paternoster, they said to Montbleru, "Where
shall we see God?"

"I will show you," he replied. Then he showed them God mounted on an
ass, and added, "You will never fail to find Him here at whatever hour
you come."

They began to laugh in spite of the discomfort their shirts caused them.
Then they went back to dinner, and were after that I know not how many
days at Antwerp, and left without their shirts, for Montbleru had hidden
them in a safe place, and afterwards sold them for five gold crowns.

Now God so willed that in the first week of Lent, Montbleru was at
dinner with the three worthy gentlemen before named, and in the course
of his talk he reminded them of the shirts they had lost at Antwerp, and
said,

"Alas, the poor thief who robbed you will be damned for that, unless God
and you pardon him. Do you bear him any ill-will?"

"By God!" said Master Ymbert, "my dear sir, I have thought no more about
it,--I had forgotten it long since."

"At least," said Montbleru, "you pardon him, do you not?"

"By St. John!" he replied, "I would not have him damned for my sake."

"By my oath, that is well said," answered Montbleru. "And you Master
Roland,--do you also pardon him?"

After a good deal of trouble, he agreed to pardon the thief, but as the
theft rankled in his mind, he found the word hard to pronounce.

"And will you also pardon him, Master Roland?" said Montbleru. "What
will you gain by having a poor thief damned for a wretched shirt and
handkerchief?"

"Truly I pardon him," said he. "He is quit as far as I am concerned,
since there is nothing else to be done."

"By my oath, you are a good man," said Montbleru.

Then came the turn of Jehan Le Tourneur. Montbleru said to him,

"Now, Jehan, you will not be worse than the others. Everything will be
pardoned to this poor stealer of shirts unless you object."