one of those Three the Thirteen shall fix on, if permitted. If
not permitted, that is to say, if the _Dominus Rex_ force us to
demur,--the Paper shall be brought back unopened, and publicly
burned, that no man's secret bring him into trouble.

So Samson advises, so we act; wisely, in this and in other
crises of the business. Our electoral committee, its eye on the
Sacrosancta,_ is soon named, soon sworn; and we striking up the
Fifth Psalm, _'Verba mea,_

`Give ear unto my words, O Lord,
My meditation weigh,'

march out chanting, and leave the Six to their work in the
Chapter here. Their work, before long, they announce as
finished: they, with their eye on the Sacrosancta, imprecating
the Lord to weigh and witness their meditation, have fixed on
Three Names, and written them in this Sealed Paper. Let Samson
Subsacrista, general servant of the party, take charge of it. On
the morrow morning, our Prior and his Twelve will be ready to get
under way.

This then is the ballot-box and electoral winnowing-machine they
have at St. Edmundsbury: a mind fixed on the Thrice Holy, an
appeal to God on high to witness their meditation: by far the
best, and indeed the only good electoral winnowing-machine,--If
men have souls in them. Totally worthless, it is true, and even
hideous and poisonous, if men have no souls. But without soul,
alas what winnowing-machine in human elections, can be of
avail? We cannot get along without soul; we stick fast, the