"A plague o' words!" cried the Reeve. "A pest o' wind! Enough--enough,
contain thy prolixities and rodomontade and let me to the point explain--"

"Aha!" quoth the Friar. "Good sooth, here's a noble word! A word round
i' the mouth, rolling upon the tongue. Ha, Reeve, I give thee joy of
rodomontade!"

"Thus then," continued the Reeve, "I will, with use of no verbiage
circumlocutory, explain."

"Ho-oho!" cried Friar John, rubbing plump hands ecstatic. "Good Bax, ne'er
have I heard thee to so great advantage--verbiage circumlocutory--and
thou--thou such small man to boot! O most excellent, puny Reeve!"

Here the little man turned his back upon the Friar and continued hastily
thus:

"A lord there is, a lord of lofty pride,
Who for our lady oft hath sued and sighed--"

FRIAR JOHN: Whom she as oft hath scornfully denied!

THE REEVE: A mighty lord who seeketh her to wife--

FRIAR JOHN: Though he, 'tis said, doth lead most evil life!
THE REEVE: To which fair lord our wilful maid we'd wed--

FRIAR JOHN: Since this fair lord the council holds in dread!