The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-06-21
The Knights Secret.
BIZ CHARLES READF.

VI me carter, aiterward fouoh; bv :
side Of Henry the Fifth in his Fren
wars, and was made warden of the Cine
of!s, bnt retired 10 Norwich, his mai
plac1. lie married Il beautiful MO
lady, and after a turbulent career =,
the horrors Of war, desired to end /
days II charity. Being wealthy. and
ono mind, he and Lady Erpingham bu
a go3dly church in the city, and III
erected and endowed religious hon
Tor twelve monks and prior close to Il
knights house, and parted only by HE
wall
But though the retired soldier wisbe
to be at peace with all men, two Of h
trlars were Of another mind Friar Joh
and Friar Richard hated each other. an
could by no means be reconciled neitbe
had ever good word for t'other; and E
last Friar John gave Friar Richard fai
| excuse for his iuvectives. Lady Erpine
nam came over to mathis in the convent
and Frar John would always await he
| coming, and attend her through tn
cloister, with ducks and cringes an.
| open adulation whereat she smiled. be
| Ing in truth, a most innocent lady, affa
bic to ali, and slow to thiuk i'll of an,
man.
But Richard denounced JOHN as
iicantious monk and some watched ant
viii pe-ed others rehuked Richard foI
it was against the monastic rule to put an
i'll construction where the matter NIGH
be innocent.
But Richard stood his ground and
unfortunately, Richard was right. Mis-
understanding the lady's courtesy and
charity, Brother John thought his fawn
ing advances were encouraged, and this
bred in him such impudence that one
day he sent her a fulsome love-Ietter,
and had the hardihood to beg for private
interview.
The lady, when she opened this letter,
coul1 hardly believe her senses and at
last, as gentle women will be both
unsuSpicious and suspicious in the wrong
place, she made up her mind that the
poor, good, ridiculous friar could never
have been so wicked as to write this; nay,
but it was her husbands doings, and a
trial OF her virtue he was older than
herself, and great love is oft tainted with
jealousy.
This brought tears into her eyes, to
think she should be doubted but soon
anger dried them, and she took occasion
to put the letter suddenly into Sir Thomas
hand, and fixed her eyes on him so keen
Y that if there had been flaw in his
conjugal armor, 10 doubt those eyes had
pierced it.
The knight read the letter, and turned
black and white with rage; his eyes
sparkled with fury, and he looked so
fearful that the lady was very sorry she
had shown him the letter, and begged
him not to take a madman's folly to
heart.
e'Nottake it to heart!" said he ''What!
these beggarly shavelings that [ have
housed and fed, and so lessened my es-
tate and thine-they would corrupt thee,
and rob me of my one earthly treasure
Sit rhou down and write.
"Write-Thomas- what?-to whom?"
900 as | bid thee, dame" said he,
.ttrniy, "and no more words"
Friar John, at the appointed time,
look care to be in town, for he knew the
Law brother who kept the gate of the
Driorv would not let him out so late. He
came to the side door, and was admitted
Dy a servant Of the knight, reckless old
soldier. who erred for neither man nor
devil, as the saying is, bat only for his
master. This man took him into a room
and left him, then went for the knight;
he was not far off. Now, the unlucky
monk, being come to the conquest Of a
beautiful lady, as he vainly thought, had
fine linen on, and perfumed like civet.
The knight smelled these perfumes, and
rushed in upon him with his man, like
dogs upon the odoriferous fox, and, in a
fury, without giving him time to call for
help or say one prayer, strangled him,
and left him dead.
But death breeds calm; the knights
-aoe abated that moment, and he saw he
had done foul and remorseless deed.
He would have given half his estate to
brino the offender back to life. half
his estate? His whole estate, aye, and his
life. were now gone from him. they were
forfeited to the law. The rough soldier,
SEEING him so stricken, made light of all,
axcept the danger of discovery. Come,
NV noble sir" said he, ''let us bestir
ourselves aud take him back to the prio-
ry, and there bestow him; so shall we
ne'er be known IN II.
Thus urged, the knight reused himself,
and he and his man brought the body
,ut and cot it as far as the wall that hid
mart the house from the monastery. Here
thew were puzzled a while, but the man
short ladder In the back
Yard. that was high enough for this job
50 tbev sek the ladder, and, with much
ado. GOT the body up it, and then drew
The ladder up and set it again on the
,tber side. and so, with infinite trouble,
he soldier got him into the prIory
The next thing was TO make it appear
Friar John ha.! died a natural death.
Accordingly, he set him upon a rickety
chair he found in the yard, balanced hlm,
,n1 left him mounted the wall again, let
himself down, and then dropped INTO the
knights premises.
He found the knight walking in great
and they went into the
Now. good MASTER" SAID this stout
soldier, go you to bed, and think no
more ont"
.sTa bed groaned the knight in ago
nv WHY should go there? [ cannot
sjeep Methinks l shall never sleep
again" od
sir m d-aw stoup of Canary"
CAV, wine" said the knight; 1or
nv blood runs cold in my veins" the ser
ant Iighted rousing fire in the dinirg-
hall, aud uarmed and spiced some gen
erous wine, after the fashion of the day,
and there sat these two over the hre
awaiting daylight and its revelations:
Bnt meantime, the night was fruitful
in events. The prior, informed OF trlar
Richards uncharitable interpretations,
had condemned him to vigil and prayer on
the bare pebbles of the yari, from mlG-