“A chamber had he in that hostelry, Alone withouten any company, Full fetisly-y-dight with herbs swoot, And he himself was sweet as is the root Of liquorice or any setewale. His almagest, and books great and small, His astrolobe belonging to his art, His augrim stones layed fair apart, On shelves couched at his beddes head. His press-y-covered with a falding red, And above all them lay a gay psaltry, On which he made at nightes melody So sweetely that all the chamber rang, And Angelus a virginem he sang; And after that he sung the Knight’s note; Full often blessed was his merry throat. And thus this sweete clerk his time spent, After his friendes finding, and his rent.” One can easily imagine from this sketch the astrologer sitting arrayed in his laboratory, the room filled with the perfume of fragrant herbs, with a manner that vied with the sweetness of liquorice or valerian root. Prominent among the many books with which he is surrounded is the _Almagest_, the book of Ptolomy, which formed the canon of astrological science in the middle ages. In one corner his bed, and above on a shelf his astrolobe, with which he told the stars, and the augrim stones, probably pieces of slate marked with figures used by astrologers in their art. Then there was the press or chest covered with a red cloth, and hanging above it his psaltery gaily decked with ribbons, on which he accompanied himself when he sang, at which he was evidently an adept. Later in the story the astrologer and man of science becomes smitten by Cupid, and one fine morning goes forth at an early hour to serenade a comely maid (unfortunately for him, married) of whom he is enamoured, and we are told— “When that the first cock hath crowed, anon Up rose this jolly lover Absolon, And him arrayed gay at point devise, But first he chewed grains and liquorice, To smelle sweet ere he combed his hair. Under his tongue a true love he bear, For thereby thought he to be gracious.” Like unto other votaries at the shrine of Venus, our astrologer took pains to make himself look to the best advantage, and evidently bestowed the greatest care on his dress. To perfume his breath and make himself acceptable to his lady love, he chewed grains of paradise and liquorice. The former was a favourite spice in early times, but now rarely used. It has a strong aromatic taste, which is imparted by an essential oil it contains. The “true love” is thought to mean some charm or sweetmeat in the form of a “true lover’s knot,” which he placed under his tongue for the same purpose, and thus this ancient gallant went forth to woo. That belladonna was used in Chaucer’s time as a narcotic may be gathered from a passage in the Reeve’s tale, which runs:— “To bedde went the daughter right anon, To bedde went Alein and also John. There was no more, needed them no dwale.”