THE SCENE: Religious men do not always act religiously, as is witnessed in this scene where a pardoner (a person who sells papal indulgences) gambles, curses, and fights with a cop in a scummy small-town inn.
THE TEXT: That night the pardoner and the constable, after supper, sat down to play at cards, and they began to quarrel over the game, and make use of bad language. The pardoner called the constable a thief, and the constable called him a liar. On this the pardoner took up a lance which was in the doorway. The constable put his hand on his sword. At the row they were making the guests and neighbours came and got between them. In great fury the combatants struggled to free themselves and got at each other. But as the place was full of people, they saw that they would be prevented from fighting, so they again resorted to abusive language. Among other things the constable said to the pardoner that he was a liar, and that the Indulgences about which he preached were false. At last the people, as they could not pacify the disputants, determined to take the constable away. Thus the pardoner was left in a great rage. Later on the guests and neighbours entreated him to moderate his anger and go to bed, which in the end we all did.
– The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes, 16th Century AD
