When they were nearly arrived at the city, they met a young clerk, roaming by himself, who greeted them in Latin, saying, to their great wonder, “I know the cause that brings you here,” and, ere they went a step farther, he told them all that was in their minds! This clerk was, you see, a magician, and having saved them the trouble of explaining their business, he brought them to his house, where he feasted them in splendid style, and showed them many wonderful visions. He schewed hem, er they went to soupere, supper Forestes, parkes, full of wilde dere; There[171] saw he hartes with hir hornes hie, The gretest that were ever seen with eie! He saw of hem an hundred slain with houndes, And som with arwes blede of bitter woundes. He saw, when voided were the wilde dere, departed Thise faukoneres upon a faire rivere, That with hir haukes han the heron slein. hawks Tho saw he knyhtes justen in a pleyn; joust And after this he dide him such plesaunce, That he him schewed his lady in a daunce, On which himself he dauncéd, as him thouht. And when this mayster that this magique wrouht, Sawh it was tyme, he clapped his hondes tuo, two And, fare wel! al the revel is y-do! done And yet remued they never out of the hous While they saw alle this sightes mervelous; But in his studie, ther his bookes be, They saten stille, and no wighte but they thre. He made appear, before they went to meat, Forests and parks, with wild deer fair and fleet; There saw he harts that tossed their antlers high, The greatest that were ever seen with eye! He saw a hundred of them slain by hounds, While some with arrows bled of bitter wounds, And when the wild deer were no longer there, Came falconers upon a river fair, Who, with their falcons, have the heron slain; Then saw he knights all jousting in a plain; And after this he gave him such pleasance, That he could see his lady in a dance, In which himself was dancing, as he thought. And when this master, who the magic wrought, Saw it was time, he clapped his hands, and eh! Farewell! for all the revel fades away! And yet they never moved from out the house, While they did see these visions marvellous; But in his study, where his volumes lay, They sat alone, and no man else but they. Therefore, after all these wondrous sights, inside the magician’s study, there was no doubt that he could make the rocks disappear on the coast of Brittany! Aurelius asked him how much money he should give him to perform that feat, and the magician said he must have no less than a thousand pounds;[172] but Aurelius said he would give him the whole world if he could; and it was agreed that for this sum he should make the rocks vanish, and that without delay!