conscience for aught that I have done in my kingly office, seeing that
I use therein less mine own opinion than the advice of the most wise
counsellors."

"Even therein lieth the danger, my liege," replied the prior. "The Holy
Father recognises in your Grace, in every thought, word, and action, an
obedient vassal of the Holy Church. But there are perverse counsellors,
who obey the instinct of their wicked hearts, while they abuse the good
nature and ductility of their monarch, and, under colour of serving his
temporal interests, take steps which are prejudicial to those that last
to eternity."

King Robert raised himself upright in his chair, and assumed an air of
authority, which, though it well became him, he did not usually display.

"Prior Anselm," he said, "if you have discovered anything in my conduct,
whether as a king or a private individual, which may call down such
censures as your words intimate, it is your duty to speak plainly, and I
command you to do so."

"My liege, you shall be obeyed," answered the prior, with an inclination
of the body. Then raising himself up, and assuming the dignity of his
rank in the church, he said, "Hear from me the words of our Holy Father
the Pope, the successor of St. Peter, to whom have descended the keys,
both to bind and to unloose. 'Wherefore, O Robert of Scotland, hast
thou not received into the see of St. Andrews Henry of Wardlaw, whom the
Pontiff hath recommended to fill that see? Why dost thou make profession
with thy lips of dutiful service to the Church, when thy actions
proclaim the depravity and disobedience of thy inward soul? Obedience is
better than sacrifice."

"Sir prior," said the monarch, bearing himself in a manner not
unbecoming his lofty rank, "we may well dispense with answering you upon
this subject, being a matter which concerns us and the estates of our
kingdom, but does not affect our private conscience."

"Alas," said the prior, "and whose conscience will it concern at the
last day? Which of your belted lords or wealthy burgesses will then step
between their king and the penalty which he has incurred by following of
their secular policy in matters ecclesiastical? Know, mighty king, that,
were all the chivalry of thy realm drawn up to shield thee from the red
levin bolt, they would be consumed like scorched parchment before the
blaze of a furnace."

"Good father prior," said the King, on whose timorous conscience this
kind of language seldom