and emitting an odour
enough to make a friar's mouth water.

The good Bishop attacked the partridges, and began to cut and eat with
such haste, that he did not give his squire, who came to carve for him,
sufficient time to lay his bread, and sharpen his knife.

When the steward saw his master eating the birds, he was so amazed that
he could no longer keep silent, and said to him;

"Oh, my lord, what are you doing? Are you a Jew or a Saracen, that you
do not keep Friday? By my faith, I am astonished at such doings."

"Hold your tongue! Hold your tongue!" said the good prelate, who had
his hands and his beard covered with fat and gravy. "You are a fool,
and know not what you are saying. I am doing no harm. You know well and
believe, that by the words spoken by me and other priests, we make of
the host, which is nothing but flour and water, the precious body of
Jesus Christ. Can I not by the same means?--I who have seen so many
things at the court of Rome and many other places--know by what words
I may transform these partridges, which are flesh, into fish, although
they still retain the form of partridges? So indeed I have done. I have
long known how to do this. They were no sooner put to the fire than by
certain words I know, I so charmed them that I converted them into the
substance of fish, and you might--all of you who are here--eat, as I do,
without sin. But as you would still believe them to be flesh, they would
do you harm, so I alone will commit the sin."

The steward and the other attendants began to laugh, and pretended to
believe the highly-coloured story that their master had told them, and
ever after that were up to the trick, and related it joyously in many
places.

*****

[Illustration: 100.jpg The chaste Lover.]

STORY THE HUNDREDTH AND LAST -- THE CHASTE LOVER.

By Philippe De Laon.

_Of a rich merchant of the city of Genoa, who married a fair damsel,
who owing to the absence of her husband, sent for a wise clerk--a young,
fit, and proper man--to help her to that of which she had need; and
of the fast that he caused her to make--as you will find more plainly
below._

In the powerful and well-populated city of Genoa, there, lived some
time ago, a merchant who was very rich, and whose business consisted
in sending much merchandise by sea to foreign lands, and especially to
Alexandria. So occupied was he with the management of his ships, and in
heaping up riches, that during all his