The twelfe Chapter.
The censure of G. Chaucer, upon the knaverie of Incubus.
NOW will I (after all this long discourse of abhominable cloked knaveries) here conclude with certeine of G. Chaucers verses, who as he smelt out the absurdities of poperie, so found he the priests knaverie in this matter of Incubus, and (as the time would suffer him) he derided their follie and falshood in this wise:
*For Geffr. Chau. in the beginning of the wife of Baths tale. [* Ital.] now the great charitie and praiers
Of limitors and other holie friers,
That searchen everie land and everie streame
As thicke as motes in the sunne beame,/68.
Blissing halles, kitchens, chambers & bowers,
Cities, borroghes, castels and hie towers,
Thropes, barnes, shepens, and dairies,
This maketh that there beene now no fairies;
For there as woont to walken was an elfe,
There walketh now the limitor himselfe,
In undermeales, and in mornings,
And saith his mattens and his holie things
As he goeth in his limitatiowne,
Women may go safelie up and downe,
In everie bush, and under everie tree,
There nis none other †Incubus[† Text J.] but hee, &c.//