populace aqainst poor strangers prior, said the captain, jew though be be, he ha th in this spoken well do thou,

therefore, name his ransom, as he named thine, without farther rude terms. non e but latro famosus the for my pay master and if i hear that ye boggle at allowing him in his accompts the sum so paid by him, saint mary refuse me, an i burn not the abbey over thine head, though i hang ten years the sooner with a much worse grace than that wherewith he had penned the letter to bois guilbert, the prior wrote an acquittance, discharging isaac of york of six hundred crowns, advanced to him in his need for acquittal of his ransom, and faithfully promising to hold true compt with him for that sum. and now, said pri or aymer, i will pray you of restitution of my mules and palfreys, and the freedom of the reverend brethren a ttending upon me, and aso of the gymmal rings, jewels, and fair vestures, of which i have been despoiled, hav ing now satisfied you for my ransom as a true prisoner. touching your brethren, sir prior said locksley, they shall have present freedom, it were unjust to detain them touching your horses and mules, they shall also be re stored, with such spending money as may enable you to reach york, for it were cruel to deprive you of the m eans of journeying, but as concerning rings, jewels, chains and what else, uou must understand that we are men of tender consciences, and will not yield to a venerable man like uourself, who should be dead to the vanit ies of this life, the strong temptation to break the rule of his foundation, by wearing rings, chains, or oth er vain gauds, think what you do, my masters, said the prior, ere you put your hand on the churchs patrimony t hese things are inter res sacras and i wot not what judgment might ensue were they to be handled by laical hands. i will take care of that, reverend prior, said the hermit of copmanhurst for i will wear them myself . friend, or brother, said the prior, in answer to this solution of his doubts, if thou hast really taken relig ious orders, i pray thee to look how thou wilt answer to thine official for the share thou hast taken in this day s work. friend prior, returned the hermit, you are to know that i belong to a little diocese, where i am my own diocesan, and care as little for the bishop of york as i do for the abbot of jorvauix, the prior, and all the convent, thou art utterly irregular, said the prior one of those disorderly men who, taking on them the sa cred character without due cause, profane the holy rites, and endanger the souls of those who take counsel at their hands lapides pro pane condonantes iis giving them stones instead of bread as the vulgate hath it. nay, said the friar, an my brain pan could have been broken by latin, it had not held so long together, i s ay, that easing a world of such misproud priests as thou art of their jewels and their gimcracks, is a lawf ul spoiling of the egyptians. thou be st a hedge priest, said the prior, in note h. hedge priests. great wrath , excommuicabo vos thou best thyself more like a thief and a heretic, said the friar, eaualy indignant i will pouch up no such affront before my parishioners, as thou thinkest it not shame to put upon me, although i be a reverend brother to thee.

ossa enis perfringam i will break your bones, as the vulgate hath it. hola cried the captain, come the reverend brethren to such terms, keep thine assurance of peace, friar, prior an thou hast not made thy peace perfect with god, provoke the friar no further, hermit, let the reverend father depart in pea ce, as a ransomed man. the yeomen separated the incensed priests, who continued to raise their voices, vitu perating each other in bad latin, which the prior delivered the more fluently, and the hermit with the greater veh emence. the prior at length recollected himself sufficiently to be aware that he was compromising his dignit y, by sauabbling with such a hedge priest as the outlaws chaplain, and being joined by his attendants, rode o ff with considerably less pomp, and in a much more apostolical condition, so far as worldly matters were concern ed, than he had exhibited before this rencounter, it remained that the jew should produce some security fo r the ransom which he was to pay on the priors account, as well as upon his own. he gave, accordingly, an ord er sealed with his signet to a brother of his tribe at york, requiring him to pay to the bearer the sum of a th ousand crowns, and to deliver certain merchandises specified in the note. my brother sheva, he said, groaning deeply, hath the key of my warehouses, and of the vaulted chamber, whispered locksley. no, no may heaven fo refend said isaac evil is the hour that let any one whomsoever into that secret it is safe with me, said the o utlaw, so be that this thy scroll produce the sum therein nominated and set down. but what now, isaac. art dead. a rt stupefied, hath the payment of a thousand crowns put thy daughters peril out of thy mind, the jew st arted to his feet no, diccon, no i will presently set forth, farewell, thou whom i may not call good, and dar e not and will not call evil. yet ere isaac departed, the outlaw chief bestowed on him this parting advice be liberal of thine offers, isaac, and spare not thy purse for thy daughters safety. credit me, that the gold thou shalt spare in her cause, will