The monastery; The abbot.

THE MONASTERY. 217
iloly Scriptures, or by the devices and decisions of men not less subject to
error than ourselves, and who have defaced our holy religion with vain
devices, reared up idols of stone and wood, in form of those, who, when they
lived, were but sinful creatures, to share the worship due only to the Creator
-established a toll-house betwixt heaven and hell, that profitable purgatory
of which the Pope keeps the keys, like an iniquitous judge commutes punishment for bribes, and "
"Silence, blasphemer," said the Sub-Prior, sternly, " or I will have thy
blatant obloquy stopped with a gag V'
"Ay," replied Warden, "such is the freedom of the Christian conference
to which Rome's priests so kindly invite us!-the gag-the rack-the
axe- is the ratio ultima Romce. But know thou, mine ancient friend, that
the character of thy former companion is not so changed by age, but that
he still dares to endure for the cause of truth all that thy proud hierarchy
shall dare to inflict."
"Of that," said the monk, "I nothing doubt- Thou wert ever a lion to
turn against the spear of the hunter, not a stag to be dismayed at the sound
of his bugle."- -Ie walked through the room in silence. "Wellwood," he
said at length, "we can no longer be friends. Our faith, our hope, our
anchor on futurity, is no longer the same."
"Deep is my sorrow that thou speakest truth. May God so judge me,"
said the Reformer, " as I would buy the conversion of a soul like thine with
my dearest heart's blood."
"To thee, and with better reason, do I return the wish," replied the SubPrior; "it is such an arm as thine that should defend -the bulwarks of the
Church, and it is now directing the battering-ram against them, and rendering practicable the breach through which all that is greedy, a.nd all that is
base, and all that is mutable and hot-headed in this innovating age, already
hope to advance to destruction and to spoil. But since such is our fate, that
we can no longer fight side by side as friends, let us at least act as generous
enemies. You cannot have forgotten,'O gran bonta dei cavalieri antiqui!
Erano nemici, eral' de fede diversa'Although, perhaps," he added, stopping short in his quotation, " your new
faith forbids you to reserve a place in your memory, even for what high
poets have recorded of loyal faith and generous sentiment."
" The faith of Buchanan," replied the preacher, "the faith of Buchanan
and of Beza, cannot be unfriendly to literature. But the poet you have
quoted affords strains fitter for a dissolute court than for a convent."
"I might retort on your Theodore Beza," said the Sub-Prior, smiling;
"but I hate the judgment that, like the flesh-fly, skims over whatever is
sound, to detect and settle upon some spot which is tainted. But to the
purpose. If I conduct thee or send thee a prisoner to St. Mary's, thou art
to-night a tenant of the dungeon, to-morrow a burden to the gibbet-tree. If
I were to let thee go hence at large, I were thereby wronging the Holy
Church, and breaking mine own solemn vow. Other resolutions may be
adopted in the capital, or better times may speedily ensue. Wilt thou
remain a true prisoner upon thy parole, rescue or no rescue, as is the phrase
amongst the warriors of this country? Wilt thou solemnly promise that
thou wilt do so, and at my summons thou wilt present thyself before the
Abbot and Chapter at Saint Mary's, and that thou. wilt not stir from this
house above a quarter of a mile in any direction? Wilt thou, I say, engage
me thy word for this? and such is the sure trust which I repose in thy good
faith, that thou shalt remain here unharmed and unsecured, a prisoner at
large, subject only to appear before our court when called upon."
The preacher paused — " I am unwilling," he said, "to fetter my native
liberty by'any self-adopted engagement. But I am already in your power,
T