[Wife . Look, George! did not I tell thee as much? the knight of the Bell is in earnest. Ralph shall not be beholding to him: give him his money, George, and let him go snick up.

Cit . Cap Ralph! no. —Hold your hand, Sir Knight of the Bell; there’s your money [gives money]: have you anything to say to Ralph now? Cap Ralph!

Wife . I would you should know it, Ralph has friends that will not suffer him to be capt for ten times so much, and ten times to the end of that. —Now take thy course, Ralph.]

Mist . Mer . Come, Michael; thou and I will go home to thy father; he hath enough left to keep us a day or two, and we’ll set fellows abroad to cry our purse and our casket: shall we, Michael? Mich . Ay, I pray, mother; in truth my feet are full of chilblains with travelling.

[Wife . Faith, and those chilblains are a foul trouble. Mistress Merrythought, when your youth comes home, let him rub all the soles of his feet, and his heels, and his ankles with a mouse-skin; or, if none of your people can catch a mouse, when he goes to bed, let him roll his feet in the warm embers, and, I warrant you, he shall be well; and you may make him put his fingers between his toes, and smell to them; it’s very sovereign for his head, if he be costive.]

Mist . Mer . Master Knight of the Burning Pestle, my son Michael and I bid you farewell: I thank your worship heartily for your kindness.

Ralph . Farewell, fair lady, and your tender squire.
If pricking through these deserts, I do hear
Of any traitorous Knight, who through his guile
Hath light upon your casket and your purse,
I will despoil him of them, and restore them.

Mist . Mer . I thank your worship.

[Exit with Michael .

Ralph . Dwarf, bear my shield; squire, elevate my lance:—
And now farewell, you Knight of holy Bell.

[Cit . Ay, ay, Ralph, all is paid.]

Ralph . But yet, before I go, speak, worthy knight,
Of aught you do of sad adventures know,
Where errant knight may through his prowess win
Eternal fame, and free some gentle souls
From endless bonds of steel and lingering pain.

Host . Sirrah, go to Nick the barber, and bid him prepare himself, as I told you before, quickly.

Tap . I am gone, sir.

[Exit .

Host . Sir Knight, this wilderness affordeth none
But the great venture, where full many a knight
Hath tried his prowess, and come off with shame;
And where I would not have you lose your life
Against no man, but furious fiend of hell.

Ralph . Speak on, Sir Knight; tell what he is and where:
For here I vow, upon my blazing badge,
Never to blaze a day in quietness,
But bread and water will I only eat,
And the green herb and rock shall be my couch,
Till I have quelled that man, or beast, or fiend,
That works such damage to all errant knights.

Host . Not far from hence, near to a craggy cliff,
At the north end of this distressèd town,
There doth stand a lowly house,
Ruggedly builded, and in it a cave
In which an ugly giant now doth won,
Ycleped Barbarossa: in his hand
He shakes a naked lance of purest steel,
With sleeves turned up; and him before he wears
A motley garment, to preserve his clothes
From blood of those knights which he massacres
And ladies