he can bear nothing ruinous. He has gathered 'heaps of lime and
sand;' has masons, slaters working, he and _Warinus monachus
noster,_ who are joint keepers of the Shrine; paying out the
money duly,--furnished by charitable burghers of St. Edmundsbury,
they say. Charitable burghers of St. Edmundsbury? To me Jocelin
it seems rather, Samson and Warinus, whom he leads, have privily
hoarded the oblations at the Shrine itself, in these late
years of indolent dilapidation, while Abbot Hugo sat wrapt
inaccessible; and are struggling, in this prudent way, to have
the rain kept out!--Under what conditions, sometimes, has Wisdom
to struggle with Folly; get Folly persuaded to so much as thatch
out the rain from itself! For, indeed, if the Infant govern
the Nurse, what dexterous practice on the Nurse's part will
not be necessary!

It is regret to us that, in these circumstances, our Lord the
King's Custodiars, interfering, prohibited all building or
thatching from whatever source; and no Choir shall be completed,
and Rain and Time, for the present, shall have their way.
Willelmus Sacrista, he of 'the frequent bibations and some things
not to be spoken of;' he, with his red nose, I am of opinion,
had made complaint to the Custodiars; wishing to do Samson an
ill turn:--Samson his _Sub_-sacristan, with those clear eyes,
could not be a prime favourite of his! Samson again obeys
in silence.




Chapter VII