and for the
chastity that is in your body. The beast, that was kindly and gentle
and sweet, signifieth Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the twelve dogs that
yelped within her signify the people of the Old Law that God created
and made in His own likeness, and after that He had made and created
them He desired to prove how much they loved Him. He sent them forty
years into the wilderness, where their garments never wasted, and sent
them manna from heaven that served them whatsoever they would to eat
and to drink, and they were without evil and without trouble and
without sickness, and such joy and pleasance had they as they would.
And they held one day their council, and the master of them said that
and God should wax wroth with them and withhold this manna, they would
have nought to eat, and that it might not last always albeit that God
sent it in so passing great plenty. Wherefore they purposed to set
aside great part thereof in store, so that if the Lord God should wax
wroth they might take of that which was stored and so save themselves
for a long space. They agreed among themselves and did thereafter as
they had purposed and determined amongst them.

XVI.

"God, that seeth and knoweth all things, knew well their thought. He
withdrew from them the manna from heaven that had come to them in such
abundance, and which they had bestowed in caverns underground, thinking
to find there the manna they had set aside, but it was changed by the
will of God into efts and adders and worms and vermin, and when they
saw that they had done evil, they scattered themselves over strange
lands. Fair, sweet nephew," saith the Hermit, "These twelve hounds
that bayed in the beast are the Jews that God had fed, and that were
born in the Law that He established, nor never would they believe on
Him, nor love Him, but rather crucified Him and tore His Body after the
shamefullest sort they might, but in no wise might they destroy His
flesh. The knight and damsel that set the pieces of flesh in vessels
of gold signify the divinity of the Father, which would not that His
flesh should be minished. The hounds fled to the forest and became
savage what time they had torn the beast to pieces, so in like manner
are the Jews that were and ever shall be savage, subject to them of the
New Law henceforth for ever."

XVII.

"Fair uncle," saith Perceval, "Good right and reason is it that they
should have shame and tribulation and evil reward sith t