The monastery; The abbot.

THE MONASTERY. 125
estate, by engaging in the desperate plots and conspiracies which wiser heads
have devised. To use one of his own conceited similitudes, such courageous
fools resemble hawks, which the wiser conspirator keeps hooded and blinded
on his wrist until the quarry is on the wing, and who are then flown at
them."
"Saint Mary," said the Abbot, "he were an evil guest to introduce into
our quiet household. Our young monks make bustle, enough, and more
than is beseeming God's servants, about their outward attire already-this
knight were enough to turn their brains, from the Vesiarius down to the
very scullion boy."
"A worse evil might follow," said the Sub-Prior: "in these bad days,
the patrimony of the church is bought and sold, forfeited and distrained,
as if it were the unhallowed soil appertaning to a secular baron. Think
what penalty awaits us, were we convicted of harbouring a rebel to her
whom they call the Queen of England! There would neither be wanting
Scottish parasites to beg the lands of the foundation, nor an army from England to burn and harry the Halidome. The men of Scotland were once Scotsmen, firm and united in the love of their country, and throwing every other
consideration aside when the frontier was menaced - now they are - what
shall I call them-the one part French, the other part English, considering
their dear native country merely as a prize-fighting stage, upon which
foreigners are welcome to decide their quarrels."
"Benedictine 1" replied the Abbot, "they are indeed slippery and evil
times."
"And therefore," said Father Eustace, "we must walk warily-we must
not, for example, bring this man-this Sir Piercie Shafton, to our house of
Saint Mary's."
"But how then shall we dispose of him?" replied the Abbot; "bethink
thee that he is a sufferer for holy Church's sake-that his patron, the Earl
of Northumberland, hath been our friend, and that, lying so near us, he
may work us weal or wo according as we deal with his kinsman."
"And, accordingly," said the Sub-Prior, "for these reasons, as well as
for discharge of the great duty of Christian charity, I would protect and
relieve this man. Let him not go back to Julian Avenel-that unconscientious baron would not stick to plunder the exiled stranger-Let him remain
here-the spot is secluded, and if the accommodation be beneath his quality,
discovery will become the less likely. We will make such means for his
convenience as we can devise."
"Will he be persuaded, thinkest thou?" said the Abbot; "I will leave
my own travelling bed for his repose, and send up a suitable easychair."
"With such easements," said the Sub-Prior, "he must not complain; and
then, if threatened by any sudden danger, he can soon come down to the
sanctuary, where we will harbour him in secret until means can be devised
of dismissing him in safety."
"Were we not better," said the Abbot, "send him on to the court, and
get rid of him at once?"
"Ay, but at the expense of our friends - this butterfly may fold his wings,
and lie under cover in the cold air of Glendearg; but were he at Holyrood,
he would, did his life depend on it, expand his spangled drapery in the eyes
of the queen and court - Rather than fail of distinction, he would sue for
love to our gracious sovereign -the eyes of all men would be upon him in
the course of three short days, and the international peace of the two ends
of the island endangered for a creature, who, like a silly moth, cannot
abstain from fluttering round a light."
"Thou hast prevailed with me, Father Eustace," said the Abbot, "and it
will go hard but I improve on thy plan - I will send up in secret, not only
household stuff, but wine and wassell-bread. There is a young swankie here
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