‘Yes’ quoth the angel; ‘many a millioún:’ And unto Satanas he led him down. ‘And now hath Satanas,’ said he, ‘a tail Broader than of a carrack 2255 is the sail. Hold up thy tail, thou Satanas,’ quoth he, ‘Shew forth thine erse, and let the friar see Where is the nest of friars in this place.’ And less than half a furlong way of space, 2256 Right so as bees swarmen out of a hive, Out of the devil’s erse there gan to drive A twenty thousand friars on a rout. 2257 And throughout hell they swarmed all about, And came again, as fast as they may gon, And in his erse they creeped every one: He clapt his tail again, and lay full still. This friar, when he looked had his fill Upon the torments of that sorry place, His spirit God restored of his grace Into his body again, and he awoke; But natheless for fearë yet he quoke,