neratum_ [wounded head ...
wounded heart.] of the true lover of Jesus Christ.

* * * * *

He desired, after his simplicity, on the following morning, to speak
with my lord abbot, but that could not be, and he only saw my lord at
terce before mass, afar off sitting in his stall, a great prelate with
his chain, and with one who bore a silver wand to go before him and do
him service.

He prayed long in the church and at the shrine, and heard four or
five masses, and saw the new grave of the Queen in the midst of the
lady-chapel [This may have been Queen Katharine, whose body was
afterwards moved.], and did his devotions, hoping that our Lord would
show him what to speak to the King, and then went to dinner, and
after dinner set out to Westminster Hall, where he was told that the
King could be seen that day.

He passed through the little streets that lay very nastily, no better
than great gutters with all the filth of the houses poured out there,
but he said that the folks there were yet more surprising, for these
were they who had taken sanctuary here, and were dwelling round the
monastery with their wives and children. There were all sorts there,
slayers of men and deer, thieves, strikers of the clergy _suadente
diabolo_ ["at the devil's persuasion"--a technical phrase],
false-coiners, harlots, and rioters; all under the defence of Religion,
and not suffered to go out but on peril of being taken. He had a little
company following him by the time that he came to the gate, some mocking
and some silent, and all looking on him as he went.

When he came to the door of the hall the men that stood there would not
let him in until he entreated them. They told him that the King was now
going to dinner, and that the time was past, so he knew that it was not
yet his hour to give the message that he knew not. But they let him in
at last, and he stood in the crowd to see the King go by.

There was a great company there, and a vast deal of noise, for the
audiences were done, and the bill-men were pushing the folks with their
weapons to make room for the great men to go by, and the heralds were
crying out. Master Richard stood as well as he could, but he was pushed
and trampled about, and he could not see very well. They went by in
great numbers; he saw their hats and caps and their furred shoulders
between the crooked glaives that were gilded to do honour to the King,
but there was such a crying ou