The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary

  How Sir John went again to the cell: and of what he saw there

  _Ecce audivimus eam in Ephrata: invenimus eam in campis silvae._

  Behold we have heard of it in Euphrata: we have found it in the fieldsof the wood.--_Ps. cxxxi. 6._

  XII

  It is strange to think that other men went about their business in thepalace, and knew nothing of what was passing. It is more strange thatthat morning I said mass in the country and did not faint for fear orsorrow. But it is always so, by God's loving-kindness, for no man couldbear to live if he knew all that was happening in the world at one time.[Sir John adds some trite reflections of an obvious character.]....

  There was a little heaviness upon me that morning, but I think no morethan there had been every day since Master Richard had left us. It wasnot until noon that a strange event happened to me. This day wasWednesday after Corpus Christi, the sixth day since he was gone.

  There was only one man that knew aught of what was passing in theinterior world, and that was the ankret in the cell against the abbey,but of that you shall hear in the proper place.

  Of what fell on that day I heard from an old priest whom I sawafterwards, and who was in the palace at that time. He was chaplain tomy lord cardinal and his name was....

  He told me that very early in the morning my lord sent for him and toldhim that he would hold an examination of Master Richard that day afterdinner, to see if he should be put on his trial for bewitching the King.There were none who doubted that he had bewitched the King, for hisgrace had sat in a stupor for two days, ever since he had heard thetidings from the holy youth. He heard his masses each morning with afallen countenance, and took a little food in private, and slept in hisclothes sitting in his chair; and spoke to none, and, it seemed, heardnone. Though he had been always of a serious and quiet mind, loving topray and to hear preaching more than to talk, yet this was the first ofthose strange visitations of God that fell upon him so frequently in hislater years. Those then (and especially my lord cardinal) who now sawhim in such a state, did not doubt that there was sorcery in the matter,and that Master Richard was the sorcerer; for the tale of the QuinteEssence--of which at that time men knew nothing--and how that he couldnot say _paternoster_ when it was put to him;--all this was run aboutthe court like fire.

  But the tale of the clerk who went to him and sought to shake him, Iheard nothing of, save from Master Richard's own lips. None knew ofwhat had happened, and some afterwards thought that it was the fiend whowent to Master Richard, but some others that it was indeed one of theclerks of the court who had perhaps stolen the keys, and gone in to getcredit to himself by persuading Master Richard to confess that all was adelusion. For myself, I do not know what to think. [I suspect that SirJohn was inclined to think it was the devil, for at this point hediscusses at some length various cases in which Satan so acted. He seemsto imply that it was a peculiar and cynical pleasure to the Lord of Evilto disguise himself as an ecclesiastic.]....

  Now, old Master ... said mass before my lord cardinal at seven o'clock,and then went to his own chamber, but he was immediately sent for againto my lord, who appeared to be in a great agitation. My lord told himthat one had come from the ankret to bid him let Master Richard go, forthat it was not the young man who was afflicting the King, but GodAlmighty.

  "But he shall not play Pilate's wife with me," said my lord in a greatfury, "I shall go through with this matter. See that you be with me,Master Priest, at noon, and we will see justice done. I doubt not thatthe young man must go for his trial."

  He told the clerk, too, that Master Blytchett was greatly concernedabout his grace, and that the court would be in an uproar if somewhatwere not done at once. He had sat three hours last night with ... and... and ... and ..., [It would be interesting to know who were thesepersons.] and they had all declared the same thing. But he said nothingof the whipping of Master Richard, and I truly believe that he knewnothing of it.

  So the hour for the questioning was fixed at noon, and the place to bein my lord cardinal's privy parlour.

  * * * * *

  Now that morning, as I told you, I was no more than usually heavy. Iremembered Master Richard's name before God upon the altar, and at teno'clock I went to dinner in the parsonage. It was a very bright hotday, and I had the windows wide, and listened to the bees that were verybusy in the garden. I remember that I wondered whether they knew aughtof my dear lad, for I hold that they are very near to God, more so thanperhaps any of His senseless creatures, and that is why Holy Church onEaster Eve says such wonderful things about them, and the work that theydo. [This refers to the _Exultet_ sung by the deacon in the Roman riteon Holy Saturday.]

  For they fashion first wax and then honey. It is the wax that in thechurch gives light and honour to God, and it is to the honey-comb thatGod's Word is compared by David. [Sir John continues in this strain fora page or two.]....

  It is not strange then that I thought about the bees, and the knowledgethat they have.

  After I had done dinner, I slept a little as my custom is, and the lastsound that I heard, and the first upon awaking, was the drone of thebees. When I awakened I thought that I would walk down to MasterRichard's house and see how all fared. So I took my staff and set out.

  It was very cool and dark in the wood, through which I had come up sixdays before walking in the summer night with the young man, and all wasvery quiet. I could hear only the hum of the flies, and, as I drewnearer, the running of the water over the stones of the road, where itcrosses it beside the little bridge.

  Then I came out beside the gate into the meadow, and my eyes weredazzled by the hot light of the sun after the darkness of the wood.

  I stood by the gate a good while, leaning my arms upon it (for I feltvery heavy and weary), and looking across the meadow yellow with flowersto the green hazels beyond, and between me and the wood the air shook asif in terror or joy, I knew not which. I could see, too, the open doorof the hut, and its domed roof of straw, and the wicket leaning againstthe wall as he had left it, and on either side the may-trees liftedtheir bright heads.

  My children, I am not ashamed to tell you that I could not see all thisvery clearly, for my eyes were dim at the thought that the master of itwas not here, and that I knew not where he was nor how he fared. Iprayed saint Giles with all my might that I might see him here again,and walk with him as I had walked so often. And then at the end, alittle after I had heard the _Angelus_ ring from over the wood, and hadsaluted our Lady and entreated her for Master Richard, I thought that Iwould go up and see the hut.

  As I went I perceived that here, too, the bees were busy in the noon ofthe day, going to and fro intently, but I was to see yet more of them,for I heard a great droning about me. At first I could not perceivewhence it came, but presently I saw a great ball of them gathering onthe doorway of the hut, as their custom is in summer-time. I wasastonished at that, I do not know why, but it seemed to me that beeswere all about me, _semitam meam et funiculum meum investigantes; omnesvias meas praevidentes._ ["searching out my path and my line; foreseeingall my ways" (from Ps. cxxxviii. 3,4.)] Well, I looked on them awhile,but they seemed as if they would do me no harm, yet I did not wish to gointo the house while they hung there, so I was content with looking infrom where I stood. I could not see very much, my eyes were too wearywith the sunshine that beat on my head, and it was, perhaps, God'spurpose that I should not go in to see what I was not worthy to see.

  I had, too, something of fear in my heart; it was like the fear that Ihad had when I looked on Master Richard six days before as he prayed. SoI stood a little distance from the door and observed it and the bees. Ofthe inside of the but I could see no more than the beaten mud floor fora little space within, and through the veil of bees that swung this wayand that working their mysteries, the green light of the window lookingupon the hazel wood, above which was the image of the Mother of God.

  Then on a sudden my fear came on me strongly, and I cried out what It
hink was Master Richard's name for I thought that he was near me, butthere was no answer, and after I had looked a little more, I turned backby the way I had come.

  Now, here, my children, happened a marvellous thing.

  When I reached the gate and had gone through it, I turned round againtowards the hut, ashamed of the terror that had lain on me as I walkeddown, for I had walked like one in a nightmare, not daring to turn myhead.

  And as I turned, for one instant I saw Master Richard himself, in hisbrown kirtle and white sleeves standing at the door of his hut, with hisarms out as if to stretch himself, or else as our Saviour stretched themon the rood. I could not observe his face, for in an instant he wasgone, before I had time to see him clearly, but I am sure that his facewas merry, for it was at this hour that he found his release before mylord cardinal, and cried out, as you shall hear in the proper place.

  I stood there a long while, stretching out my own hands and crying onhim by name, but there was no more to be seen but the hut and its opendoor, and the may-trees on either side, and the wood behind, and theyellow-flowered meadow before me, and no sound but the drone of the beesand the running of the water. And I dared not go up again, or set footin the meadow.

  * * * * *

  So I went home again, and told no man, for I thought that the vision wasfor myself alone, and as night fell the messenger came to bid me come totown, and to deliver to me the letter from the old priest of whom I havespoken.