Corentinus In The Fishtail

It is good when a text responds to the reader and engages in dialogue. See here. Here is another example. I said here that a remark by Corentinus struck me as sanctimonious. However, in a Fishtail alehouse, Adminius introduces Corentinus as:

"'Oly man, but not sanctimonious...'" (Gallicenae, p. 200)

Corentinus comes to socialize and pledges not to evangelize but this is easier said than done. He is bound to say what he thinks. He questions the life-style first of an alehouse whore, then of one of her patrons, Maeloch, thus causing a fight with the latter. However, he gains the woman's attention, skilfully resolves the scuffle and even apologizes for provoking it. Thus, a tense situation instead becomes a pleasant drinking session as on an earlier occasion when Maeloch and one of the Romans had clashed about the woman.

There are three kinds of seafarers present:

fishers;
merchants;
wherry oarsmen.