"Ho!" quod the knight, "good sir, na-more of this. That ye han seyd is right y-nough, y-wis, And mochel more; for litel hevinesse Is right y-nough to mochel folk, I gesse. I seye for me it is a greet disese Wher-as men han ben in greet welthe and ese To heren of hir sodyn fal, allas!" But it is significant that it is the Knight and not the Host who breaks in, and that it is not until the Knight has spoken that Harry Bailly informs the narrator of the obvious fact that his tale "anoyeth al this companye," and courteously begs him to "sey somwhat of hunting." The Monk refuses, and the turn passes to the Nun's Priest, but never again does the Host venture to take a liberty with "dan Piers." The Host's character is drawn with extraordinary skill, and without the aid of any such introductory description as the _Prologue_ gives us of the other pilgrims. The knowledge of human nature is part of his trade, and the success with which he manages the diverse company which chance has thrown in his way is proof enough that he is passed-master of his profession. Shrewd, worldly, and unimaginative, we should imagine that the coarser tales best please his taste, but it is his business to cater for people of all kinds, and he well understands how to ensure sufficient variety to suit all listeners. His rough good-humoured air of authority is sufficient to keep the Friar and the Somnour within bounds. He prevents the drunken Cook from becoming an intolerable nuisance to the company. He keeps an eye on every individual pilgrim, and sees that no one is overlooked. His ready jests smooth over many little roughnesses and disagreeables, and the one thing that really takes him aback is when the poor parson rebukes him for the constant oaths which slip off his tongue so readily. He can only conclude that a person so extraordinary must be a Lollard. And all the time that he is keeping the pilgrims in a good temper and preventing them from feeling the journey irksome, he has by no means lost sight of the fact that the reward of the best story is to be "a soper at our aller cost," given at the Tabard Inn. The money he expended on the pilgrimage was probably a good investment--not to mention the chance that his expenses might very possibly be reduced to nothing, since at the very beginning he had established it as a law that:-- ... who-so wol my judgement withseye Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye A very practical person, Harry Bailly!