[58] _Lymytour_: a friar licensed to beg within a certain district or limit. This friar, no very pleasing character, is described as making such a good thing out of his begging, that he bribed his fellow friars not to come within his particular haunt, and interfere with his doings: an unprincipled dandy who is another instance of Chaucer’s sarcasm against the Church. [59] There were four orders of mendicant friars--Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustins. [60] _Frankeleyns_: a franklin was a rich landholder, free of feudal service, holding possessions immediately from the king. See p. 28. [61] Confession, absolution, and penance: sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church. [62] The rotta was an ancient instrument of the guitar tribe. [63] _Clerk_: a scholar probably preparing for the priesthood. In many Roman Catholic countries it was the custom till very lately for poor scholars to ask and receive contributions from the people for the expenses of their education. They were often extremely indigent, coming from the labouring classes. The parson, for instance, spoken of later, is said to be brother of the ploughman travelling with him. The poor scholar and the good parson are ‘birds of a feather.’ [64] Or, _abounded_: the O. E. _snewe_, like the Prov. Eng. _snee_, _snie_, _snive_, _snew_, signifies _to swarm_. [65] The table dormant was a permanent table, not a board on trestles such as the ordinary one, mentioned on p. 2. It was only used by very rich people, for it was a new fashion, and expensive. See drawing of table dormant in 14th century, on page 28. [66] Well-to-do. [67] Chaucer speaks, you see, in very different terms of the poor and conscientious parish priest (who was supported only by his benefice and tithes of the people--a small income) from what he does of the monastic orders, corrupted by the wealth they had accumulated. Bell says--“It was quite natural that Chaucer, the friend of John of Gaunt, should praise the parochial clergy, who were poor, and therefore not formidable, at the expense of the rich monastic orders who formed the only barriers which then existed against the despotic power of the aristocracy.” But, however that may be, there is no doubt that these parish parsons actually were a much better and more honest class of men than the monks, and the begging friars, and all the rest, were at this time. They were drawn, like the Roman Catholic secular clergy of the present day, from the labouring classes. [68] No one of good position rode on a mare in the middle ages.