Help me to speak with my lord and your. Be sure, quoth he, no tongue can tell, What time thou couldst have come so well: For as on[513] this day Lucifer fell, Which is our festival in hell. Nothing unreasonable craved this day, That shall in hell have any nay. But yet beware thou come not in, Till time thou may[514] thy passport win. Wherefore stand still, and I will wit,[515] If I can get thy safe-conduit. He tarried not, but shortly got it Under seal, and the Devil's hand at it, In ample wise, as ye shall hear; Thus it began: Lucifer, By the power of God, chief devil of hell, To all the devils that there do dwell And every of them, we send greeting, Under strait charge and commanding, That they aiding and assistant be To such a Pardoner, and named me, So that he may at liberty Pass safe without any[516] jeopardy, Till that he be from us extinct, And clearly out of hell's precinct. And his pardon to keep in safeguard, We will they lie in the porter's ward. Given in the furnace of our palace, In our high court of matters of malice, Such a day and year of our reign. God save the devil, quoth I, amain.[517] I trust this writing to be sure: Then put thy trust, quod he, in ure[518], Since thou art sure to take no harm. This devil and I walked arm in arm So far, till he had brought me thither, Where all the devils of hell together Stood in array in such apparel, As for that day there meetly fell. Their horns well-gilt, their claws full clean, Their tails well-kempt, and, as I ween, With sothery[519] butter their bodies annointed; I never saw devils so well appointed.[520] The master-devil sat in his jacket, And all the souls were playing at racket. None other rackets they had in hand, Save every soul a good firebrand: Wherewith they played so prettily, That Lucifer laughed merrily; And all the residue of the fiends[521] Did laugh thereat full well like friends.[522] But of my friend I saw no whit, Nor durst not ask for her as yet. Anon all this rout was brought in silence, And I by an usher brought in presence Of Lucifer; then low, as well I could,[523] I kneeled, which he so well allowed, That thus he becked, and, by St Anthony, He smiled on me well-favouredly, Bending his brows as broad as barn-doors, Shaking his ears as rugged as burrs; Rolling his eyes as round as two bushels; Flashing the fire out of his nosthrils; Gnashing his teeth so vaingloriously, That me-thought time to fall to flattery, Wherewith I told, as I shall tell: O pleasant picture! O prince of hell! Feutred[524] in fashion abhominable, And since that is inestimable For me to praise thee worthily. I leave of praise, as unworthy To give thee praise, beseeching thee To hear my suit, and then to be So good to grant the thing I crave; And, to be short, this would I have: The soul of one which hither is flitted, Delivered[525] hence, and to me remitted. And in this doing, though all be not quit, Yet in some part I shall[526] deserve it, As thus: I am a pardoner,