*yer saury erse*

The Sompnour's Tale

This Friar boasteth that he knoweth hell,*

And, God it wot, that is but little wonder,*

Friars and fiends be but little asunder. *

For, pardie, ye have often time heard tell,*

How that a friar ravish'd was to hell *

In spirit ones by a visioun, *

And, as an angel led him up and down,*

To shew him all the paines that there were,*

In all the place saw he not a frere;*

Of other folk he saw enough in woe.*

Unto the angel spake the friar tho;* *then*

'Now, Sir,' quoth he, 'have friars such a grace,*

That none of them shall come into this place?'*

'Yes' quoth the angel; 'many a millioun:'*

And unto Satanas he led him down*.

'And now hath Satanas,' said he, 'a tail*

Broader than of a carrack is the sail.*

Hold up thy tail, thou Satanas,' quoth he,*

'Shew forth thine erse, and let the friar see *

Where is the nest of friars in this place.'*

And *less than half a furlong way of space* *immediately*

Right so as bees swarmen out of a hive,*

Out of the devil's erse there gan to drive*

A twenty thousand friars *on a rout.*

*in a crowd* And throughout hell they swarmed all about,*

And came again, as fast as they may gon,*

And in his erse they creeped every one:*

He clapt his tail again, and lay full still.*

.....................................Canterbury Tales