He
sends us sorrow. This is a great honour, greater than the crown that
you bear, to bear the crown of thorns. That bitter passion of Christ
that He bore for our salvation is wrought out in the Body which is His
Church, and especially in those members, which, like His sacred hands
and feet, receive the nails into themselves. Happy are those members
that receive the nails; they are the more honourable; it was on His feet
that He went about to do good; and with His hands that He healed and
blessed and gave His precious body; and with His burning heart that He
loves us.

"My lord King; men will name you fool and madman and crowned calf; it is
to their shame that they do so, and to your honour. For so they named
our Saviour. All who set not their minds on this world are accounted
fools; but who will be the merrier in the world that is to come?

"And, last, our Lord has bestowed on your highness an honour that He
bestows upon few, but which Himself suffered; and that, the knowledge of
what is to be. In this manner the passion is borne a thousand times a
day, by foreknowledge; and for every such pain there is a joy awarded.
It is for this reason that you may bear yourself rightly, and that He
may crown you more richly that our Lord has sent me to you, and bidden
me tell you this."

* * * * *

All this while Master Richard was looking upon the King's face, but
there was no alteration in his aspect. It was as the colour of ashes,
and his eyes like stone; and yet Master Richard knew very well that his
grace heard what was said, but could not answer it. (It was so with him
often afterwards: he would sit thus without speaking or answering what
was said to him: he would go thus to mass and dinner and to bed, as pale
as a spirit: he would even ride thus among his army, with his crown on
his head, and his sword in his hand, dumb but not deaf; and looking upon
what others could not see: and all, as those about him knew very well,
began from the hearing of the message that Master Richard Raynal
brought to him from God's Majesty).

While Master Richard was speaking the rest kept silence: for I think
that somewhat held them for pity of those two young men--for the one
that sat in such stiff agony, and for the other near as pale, and red
with his own blood, that spoke so eloquently. But when he had done and
had kissed the white hand again, my lord cardinal came forward, pushed
him aside, and himself b