Chapter XLIX.
HOW YWAIN WAS EXCOMMUNICATE AFTER THE CUSTOM OF PALADORE.

LITTLE enough thought Ywain of the anger of those great ones, for he held himself to have outreasoned them, and he perceived not how by his cunning the Archbishop had entrapped him before witnesses of repute. But Aithne perceived it, and more, for Ywain told her some deal, and other deal she divined of herself. And when she had considered a little she bade him make haste and do those things for which he came, and look not to be long unharassed of his enemies: for that they had fastened an ill quarrel upon him by no chance but by intent, and they were such as would follow their craft. So he went about the town busily, seeking out all those which were friends to Hubert and all those which were haters of evil custom: and he found some and persuaded other, and thought to have made good way. And this time also he perceived how he was favoured of the commons of Paladore; for he discoursed to them hotly, and they were ever assotted on discourse and on a burning tongue.

And on a day he came down to the door of his house, to go forth into the city: and there came to his ears a sound of a bell tolling and of a multitude of people going all one way. And he hastened and came to the end of the street and found them passing by; for they were going toward the market-place. And he perceived that in the middle was a train of some sort, walking by two and by two, and there went a great bell before them, and beside them the multitude ran and jostled under the walls of the street. And Ywain joined himself to them, for he was willing to know of their dealing: and for the thickness of the crowd he could not see what was to the forward, but only he perceived that in the train were many great ones of the company of the Tower.

Then he spoke to a man that was beside him in the crowd, and he asked of him what might be the meaning of the concourse and of the tolling: for the bell was of a right dolorous sound, but among the people was no sadness at all. And the man answered him: Well may you ask, as I also have asked but a moment since, for the like of this hath not happed within my memory. And the concourse is all to see and to hear the Archbishop a-cursing, and the bell also is part of the cursing, for it betokens that he which is cursed should be as it were buried out of sight and fellowship. Then Ywain remembered Hubert, and his heart rose and he asked again: Whom then will they curse and for what cause? And the man answered: He is one Ywain, and I know him well: and the cause is a true cause, for he is a blasphemer of the faith, a dealer in dreamage and all manner of sorceries.

And at that saying Ywain was astonished and said no more: for he had thought to hear speak of Hubert and not of himself. And he went forward strongly through the press, and came out into the market-place and stood upon a step under an archway and looked forth over the heads of the multitude. And he saw the train there before him: and in the forefront were an hundred of the company of the Tower, wearing their livery of black with a golden tower thereon. And after them came an hundred of clergy, apparelled in black clothes and white, and an hundred doctors of the schools with gowns of divers colours; and the Archbishop was robed in a silken robe of crimson with a great hat of the same, and before him went two with candles in hand, and one with a bell.

So they came upon the place in seemly order, and they halted there and departed into two lines the one over against the other: and the Archbishop passed through and stood upon the steps of the Great Hall. And he held up his hand, and immediately the bell ceased from tolling, and they of the multitude were hushed from their babble. Then came seven clergy before the Archbishop, having seven great candles in their hands, and they stood and set light to them and held them aloft: and when all the people had perceived their dealing, then they threw down the candles upon the ground and trod out the flame of them. And as they trod them they cried against them: Out, out, accursed; until all were quenched.

Then the Archbishop stood forth with staff in hand, and he bade all men to know, and to make known, how that Ywain was thenceforth cut off from the company of all men living, and from the company of all the faithful dead. And under pain of the like sentence he ordained that none should give him neither shelter nor speech, nor food nor fellowship, nor any means of life nor burial after death. And when he had so said he went solemnly out from the place: and all his train followed after him, and last of all went he that had the bell, a-tolling dolorously.