Year: 1876

tor the prior to confess nm, ana told th
truth with deep sorrow and humility
'Aea culpa! mea culpa!" he cried. 81
| had not hated my brother and broker
our rule, this had not come upon me-"


Then the prior gave him full absolution
and went away exceeding sorrowful ant
doubling the wisdom and justice of lay
men, and in particular of those who were
about to hang brother Richard for wilfu
murder. This preyed upon his mind, anc
he went to Sir Thomas Erpingham to ut
ter his misgivings and pray the goot
knight to work upon the Sheriff, who
was his friend, for a respite until the mat
ter could be looked into more closely


The Knight was not at home, but my
lady saw the prior and learned his errand
g Alas, good father!'' said she, ".Sil
Thomas is not here: he is gone to Londor
this two days"


The prior went home sick at heart


Even so long ago rs this they hung
from Norwich Castle 50 the rude gal
lows was put up at seven o'clock, and at
eight Brother Richard must hang end
turn in the wind like weather-cock


But before that fatal hour Kings mes
senger galloped into the city and spurred
into the courtyard of the castle. Very
soon the Sheriff was reading a parchment
signed by the Kings own hand; the gal
lows We're taken down, and the people
dispersed by degrees. Some felt i'll l-used
They thought appointments should be
kept, or else not made.


At night Frar Richard. not reprieved,
but, to the amazement Of smaller func-
tionaries, freely pardoned by his sovereign
in handwriting Il housemaid Of this day
would blush for, but with a glorious seal
| the size of an apple-frtter, crept forth
into the night and, gliding along the
streets with his head down, slipped into
the priory, and was lost to the world for
many a long day. Indeed he was con-
| fined to his cell for month by order of
the prior, and ordered to pray thrice a
| day for the soul Of brother John


When brother Richard emerged from
his rcell he was a changed man. He had
gathered amid the thorns of tribulation
the wholesome fruit of humility and the
immortal flower Of charity Henceforth
no bitter word ever fell from his lips,
though for time he had many provoca-
tions, and "Honi soft qui NAL pense,n
was the rule Of his heart lie made HIM





| enmitics. He lived much in his CELL and
| prayed SO often for the soul of brother
John that at last he got to love him dead
whom he hated living


Time rolled on The knights hair
| turned gray and the good prior died
Then there was great commotion in
the little priory, and three or four of the
leading friars each hoped to be prior.
That appointment lay with Sir Thomas
Erpingham. He attended the funeral Of
the late prior, and then desired the sub
prior to convene the monks. Good
brothers, said he. ''your prior is brother
Richard. | pray you to invest him forth
with, and yield him due love and obedi-
emce"


The Knight retired and the monks
stared at each other awhile, and then
obeyed, since there was no help for it !;
they invested brother Richard in due form
and such is the magic Of station that in
one moment they began to look on him
with different eyes


The new prior bore his dignity so
meekly that he disarmed all hostility.
His great rule of life was still "lloni soft
9ndj NAL Penseo and there is NO course
will The Knight showed him favor and
esteem; the monks learned to respect
and by and by to revere him; but he
| never ceased to reproach himself and say
masses for the soul Of brother John


The years rolled on. The Knights
gray hair turned white, and one day he
sent for the prior and said to him, Good
Father, have grave matter to entertain
| you withal."


"Speak, worshipful sir,' said the prior.
| The Knight looked at him awhile, but
| seemed i'll at ease, and as one that hath
| resolved to speak, but is loath to begin.
| At last he said, "Sir, there be men who
waste their goods in sin. or meanly hoard
them till their last hour, yet leave them
freely to Mother Church after their death,
when they can no longer enjoy them.
Others there be whose breasts are laden
with secret crime they ought to confess,
and clear some worthy man suspected
falsely; vet they will net tell till they
come to die, Methinks this is to be Char
liable too late, and just when justice can
neither cost q man aught nor profit his
neighbor Therefore, not to be one OF
these. | will reveal to you now a deed that
sits heavy on my conscience"


You would confess to me, my son -


.As man to man, sir. but not as peni-
tent to conlessor; for that were no merit
in me; it would be no more than bury my
secret in teshy grave. Nay, what tel
to you you shall tell to all the world, il
good may come Of it,"


Here the Knight sighed and seemed
much distempered, like one who wres-
tleth with himself. Then he east about
how he should begin, and to conclude he
opened the matter thus: Sir please you
read that letter; it was writ by brother
John unto my wife"


The prior read it but said never q word


"Sr," said the Knight. edo you re-
member a sad time when you lay in Nor
wich iail accused of murder and cast fol
death "


~ do remember it well, sir, and the
uncharitable heart that brought me t(
that pass"


"Whilst you lay there sir, something
Ell from you. The King being at his pal
ace in London, a knight who had Tough
by his side in France, sought an audi
ence in private. 1t was granted him al
once. Then the knight fell on hi
knees to the King and begged that his lif'
and his lands might be spared though he
had slain a man in heat Of blood. Th'
King was grave but gentle, and then
showed him that letter and owned the
truth-that and my servant, in our fury
had strangled that hapless monk"


"Alas! sir, did you take up guilt upor
yourself to save my life, so fully forfeit
Twas | who hated hm-'twas | who
flung the stone.'


''At Il dead body. tell thee. man, VIZ
strangled him and set his body up wher
you saw it; hand in his death you ha'
none"


The prior uttered strange cry and wa
silent. The Knight continued in a low
voice:


"We set him in the yard, and when W
found him in the porch, being half MAJ
with terror and drink together, we boun'
him on the horse and launched him. AL
this | told the King, and he considerin!
the provocation and plying so much hi
old companion in arms. gave me my Lift
4