The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-03-20

reformation of England than all the
poor priests of your Master Wycliffe?
Such men as he are my poor priests.
Ralph stared at him in mute aston
ishment.
"Listen to what I say to him." said
the merchant, giving a signal to the
wagoners to stop.
Ralph listened, but what he heard
considerably increased his bewilder-
ment.
The following was the conversation
that passed, after the merchant had
tossed small coin to the be gg ar in re-
Spouse to his salutation.
Simon -" care you ready for the
pageant?"
Beggar-"Why do you ask, master?"
Simon" because / mean to be there.
Do you find many willing to play?'
Beggar-"Have no fear. The pa
geant will poceed.'
Simon-"GOd be with you. Here,
return me that coin, and L will give
you better. John Trueman and his
fellows will all be there
The beggar went on his way. "You
heard what passed." said the merchant
to Ralph.
Eyes" answered Ralph, coldly, "but
do not understand. What is the pa
geant?"
"Our pageant" said the merchant,
sis the deliverance of Israel from
Egypt. 1t will be played by the Ham,
mermen. Will you take part in it?"
Ralph supposed him to refer to one
of those rude dramatizations of Scrip
ture known as mysteries, which all
over England at that time were per-
formed on holidays by various guilds of
craftsmen. Ralph was astonished at
his companions question, and bewild-
cred by his mysterious manner. He
answered, coldly.
81 have no taste for such profane
mummeries.
They rode on for some distance in
constrained silence, each busy with his
own thoughts. The elder traveller had
the air of man who weighed some inn
portant matter in his mind, and found
it hard to come to conclusion. Every
now and then a shade of vexation
crossed his face, and he twitched his
reins impatiently.
Soon after they joined the Roman
road at Wixoe there appeared a castle
some half mile to the right, situated
on a mound in the middle of a marsh.
The merchant observed his companion
start when it came in sight; and re-
Numbering the tale of the previous
evening, at once drew his own conclu-
sions.
"That is Sir Richard Rainham's cas-
tie of Sturmere, is it not?" he asked.
"You seem to know the country
we'll" Ralph answered.
81 have heard of this knight" re-
turned the merchant. "What hope
has your master Wycliffe OF bringing
such as he to sense of their duty?
How can he be persuaded to protect
where he has been used to plumber?
AS soon might you hope to tame an old
wolf or tiger.
''He must be controlled by the
stronger"
'But who at court dares control him
in these distracted times? There is
but one power that can control him,
and such as he. Our pageant is de-
signed to make that power manifest. "
''You speak in riddles" said Ralph,
coldly.
"Then | will speak more plainly.
The power mean is the power of the
poor commons. Singly they are moth
ing; united they would be irresistible.
| and my friends aim at uniting them.
The hour is at hand when they will APP
pear in union. That is the pageant to
which you are hidden. You may not
come, but know you will not betray
me-"
81 know nothing to betray. But if
your pageant is a repetition of the
bloody rebellion of the Jacquerie, let
me implore you to pause. What can
an unarmed rabbe do against trained
and mail-clad men-at-arms?"
"What can your preaching do against
the stupendous power of the church?
You preach singly; we propose to act
in union"
"In civil warl'' cried Ralph. "You
cannot be so desperate!"
"There need be no war. The poor
commons will only demand their
rights; they will ask only to be re-
lieved from unjust extortion, high
handed robbery, cruel and wanton i'm
prisonment, stripes, manning and MUIR
der. They will not want leaders among
the good mobiles: it is only the worth
less and goddess that are their enemies
from them there is but one deliverence
possible-Deleantu ex libro viventium.
Expunge them from the book of the
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