The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-23

and the jeweled mitre had become secu- lar spells. No obedient vassals came, man after man. to offer homage and tribute. no bishop assisted at the so lemnity. With nasty and diminished rites the installment was completed and a mass hurriedly said, the oficiat- ing priest often looking around as if he expected to be interrupted in his of fee. And he scarcely had finished when he was interrupted. A wild and disorderly mob broke into the church with blowing of horns and beating of drums, squirting of bagpipes and jang | ling of bells. It was a rout of mas quers led by the Abbot of Unreason" as master of the revels. It was one of those forms of bucolic festivities which, strangely enough, were. pre- yious to the Reformation, counten- anced, or at least not discouraged, by the digniteries, of the Church of Eng land and Scotland, though churchmen and church affairs were often the sub ject of caricature. Though the majority of the people of the border had now forsaken the old religion they still clung to the old revels, and the foolery which the church fathers had treated with good nature and tolerance when the church was all powerful, was now turned to their insult and mortif1ca- ton.
 The man who took the part of the Abbot of Unreason was disguised with an immense nose and great paunch and dressed in the full costume of a mitred abbot. At the incursion of the motley rabble the monks lowered like frightened covey behind their leader, who stood firm and infiexible, com manding the tumult to cease and the rioters to be gone But the Abbot of Unreason argued the matter and the hilarty of his followers was redoubled
 Magdalen Graeme, raising her hand and giving way to her indignation, shouted out: "Scoffers, men of Belial. blasphemous heretics and truculent scoffers-7" Holy dame, pilgrim or abbess-what ever thou art,' intsrrup- ted the Abbot of Unreason, I've will have no temporal nor spiritual scolds in our diocese of unreason. So be mute or beware ducking in the mill dam" AS he spoke he reached out his hand toward Magdalen, and, quick as light ming, the poniard of Roland leaped from it's scabbard and was buried in the paunch of the buffoon with such violence that he fell to the floor. The padding of his paunch. however, saved him from suffering any wound, though the anger of his followers was aroused to such a pitch at this attempt upon the life of their leader that 1t is like ly there would have been bloodshed in earnest had not armed men sudden ly appeared at the door of the church, and stern voice, which none ven- tured to disobey, that of Halbert Glen dinning, commanded quiet and told the Abbot of Unreason (who proved to be his own faiconer( to take his follow CTS to the village ale house, giving him at the same time money with which to make merry.
 Catching sight of Roland. who still wore the livery of Glendinning and had been seized and disarmed by several of the followers of the Abbot of Unreaso on, the knight asked how they dared to hold as prisoner one wearing his cog nizance--the holly sbranch which still waved in the pages cap. The matter was explained and Sir Halbert also heard from Roland the story of his dis missal from the castle. Adam Wood cock, who was at least good fel- How, protested that the fault was en- tirely his and that mischief making women had exaggerated the pages ac- tions. The matter, ended by Halbert talk ing Roland into his own servie. T per-