fire of logs:--alas, it has Human Life in it; and is not that
the grand miracle, in what hangings or costume soever?--

The _Dominus Rex,_ benignantly receiving our Thirteen with their
obeisance, and graciously declaring that he will strive to act
for God's honour, and the Church's good, commands, 'by the Bishop
of Winchester and Geoffrey the Chancellor,'--_Galfrides
Cancellarius,_ Henry's and the Fair Rosamond's authentic Sons
present here!--commands, "That they, the said Thirteen, do now
withdraw, and fix upon Three from their own Monastery." A work
soon done; the Three hanging ready round Samson's neck, in that
leather pouch of his. Breaking the seal, we find the names,--
what think _ye_ of it, ye higher dignitaries, thou indolent
Prior, thou Willelmus _Sacrista_ with the red bottle-nose?--the
names, in this order: of Samson _Subsacrista,_ of Roger the
distressed Cellarer, of Hugo _Tertius-Prior._

The higher dignitaries, all omitted here, 'flush suddenly red in
the face;' but have nothing to say. One curious fact and
question certainly is, How Hugo Third-Prior, who was of the
electoral committee, came to nominate _himself_ as one of the
Three? A curious fact, which Hugo Third-Prior has never yet
entirely explained; that I know of!--However, we return, and
report to the King our Three names; merely altering the order;
putting Samson last, as lowest of all. The King, at recitation
of our Three, asks us: "Who are they? Were they born in my
domain? Totally unknown to me! You must nominate three others."
Whereupon Willelmus Sacrista says, "Our Prior must be named,
_quia caput nostrum est,_ being already our head." And the Prior
responds, "Willelmus Sacrista is a fit man, _bonus vir est,"_--