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"Not to be eaten," cried the physician, in high disdain. "Why
should any man eat such a thing?"
"Why indeed?" asked the gleeman, taking a long drain at his
tankard.
"It is to be placed on the sore or swelling. For the rat, mark
you, being a foul-living creature, hath a natural drawing or
affinity for all foul things, so that the noxious humors pass
from the man into the unclean beast."
"Would that cure the black death, master?" asked Jenkin.
"Aye, truly would it, my fair son."
"Then I am right glad that there were none who knew of it. The
black death is the best friend that ever the common folk had in
England."
"How that then?" asked Hordle John.
"Why, friend, it is easy to see that you have not worked with
your hands or you would not need to ask. When half the folk in
the country were dead it was then that the other half could pick
and choose who they would work for, and for what wage. That is
why I say that the murrain was the best friend that the borel
folk ever had."
"True, Jenkin," said another workman; "but it is not all good
that is brought by it either.


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