"A seemly man our hoste was withall
For to have been a Marshal in a Hall;
A large man he was, with eyen steep,
A fairer burgess is there none in Chepe:
Bold of his speech and wise and well ytaught,
And of manhood, him lacked righte naught;
Eke thereto was he right a merry man
And spake of mirth amonges ot'thing
When than we hadden made our reckonings."
It was in the merry spring time of the year 1383, as the inscription on the sign informs us —