Other isolated houses along the roads, by the fords or the bridges, on sacred spots, on the cliffs by the sea, had also much to do with travellers, those of the hermits. Such holy men would tell the way, help to cross a river, sometimes give shelter, sometimes absolution.[156] One shrives passers-by in that gem of mediæval French stories, “Le chevalier au barisel”; another, in the “Roman de Renard,” being favoured with a visit from no less a person than the hero of the romance. Led by a peasant through the pathless wood, Master Reynard reaches the secluded spot; the mallet was hanging before the door, and the peasant having given with it a loud knock the hermit hastened to draw the bolt: {141} Tant ont erré par le bocage Qu’ils sont venu à l’ermitage. Le maillet trovèrent pendant A la porte par de devant. Li vileins hurte durement Et l’ermite vint erraument (promptly), Li fermai oste de la roille (bolt).[157] [Illustration 29. THE HERMITAGE CHAPEL OF ST. ROBERT. (_Hewn out of the rock, Knaresborough; the knight of a much later date._)] Most holy in early times, living examples of renouncement, teaching virtue and piety by their words and deeds, hermits became, some of them, canonized saints, like St. Robert of Knaresborough,[158] or devotional writers of fame like Richard Rolle, the hermit of Hampole; pilgrims flocked to their cells in order to be sanctified by their advice and presence. An “officium de Sancto Ricardo eremita” was composed after Richard Rolle’s death, in the thought that he would surely be canonized some day: Letetur felix Anglorum patria . . . Pange lingua graciosi Ricardi preconium, Pii, puri, preciosi, Fugientis vitium.[159] These men fasted, had ecstasies, were tempted by the devil, who in the case of Richard, instead of clumsily taking some hideous shape (see further, p. 290) took the much more enticing one of “a faire yonge womane, the whilke,” wrote the hermit, “I had sene be-fore and the whilke luffed (loved) me noght a little in gude lufe.”[160] The cave or hermitage in which Saint Robert spent {142} most of his life still exists at Knaresborough, entirely hollowed out of the rock, with a later-date perpendicular window.[161] Persuaded, rightly or wrongly, that they had much to atone for, the kings included among the redeeming good works to be performed by them aid to holy hermits. One of the pilgrims who visited St. Robert was King John, who came unheralded and who, according to the metrical life of the saint, had some trouble in making him notice his presence: Roberd he fand knelan prayand, Hys orysons contynuand, That for nai noyse that thai couth maike Nay mare he mowed than dose ane ake (oak).[162]