Accordingly they all walk forth into the city, where the knight, who with his son had put on fresh gowns, took the latter to the town walls to explain to him their strength, and the character of the defences; and as many of the rest as had changes of apparel with them imitated their example, and they separated in parties, according to their different tastes. The monk, the parson, and the friar, went to visit some clerical acquaintance, and indulged in spiced wine. The ladies remained at home:-- _The wyfe of Bath was so wery, she had no wyl to walk;_ _She toke the priores by the honde, “Madam, wol ye stalk_ _Pryvely into the garden to se the herbis growe?_ _And after with our hostis wife in her parlour rowe_ (talk)? _I wol gyve yowe the wyne, and ye shul me also;_ _For tyl we go to soper we have naught ellis to do._” The prioress assents to this proposal-- ----_and forth gon they wend,_ _Passing forth sofftly into the herbery;_ _For many a herb grew for sewe_ (pottage) _and surgery;_ _And all the aleys fair and parid, and raylid, and ymakid;_ _The sauge and the isope yfrethid and istakid;_ _And othir beddis by and by fresh ydight,_ _For comers to the hooste right a sportful sight_. When the guests reassembled, they agreed that the knight should be their “marshall” of the table, and he ordered them all to wash, and then appointed them to their seats, that they might be properly seated together, for this was part of his duty. They thus sat two and two, each couple, no doubt, at one dish-- _They wissh_ (washed), _and sett right as he bad, eche man wyth his fere,_ _And begonne to talk of sportis and of chere_ _That they had the aftir-mete whiles they wer out;_ _For othir occupacioune, tyll they wer servid about,_ _They had not at that tyme, but eny man kitt_ (cut) _a loff_.