ethan days, is a nobler language than
ever Latin was; but its virtue is in colour and tone, not in what may
be called metallic or crystalline condensation. And it is impossible
to translate the last line of this inscription in as few English
words. Note in it first that the Bishop's friends and enemies are
spoken of as in word, not act; because the swelling, or mocking, or
flattering, words of men are indeed what the meek of the earth must
know how to bear and to welcome;--their deeds, it is for kings and
knights to deal with: not but that the Bishops often took deeds in
hand also; and in actual battle they were permitted to strike with the
mace, but not with sword or lance--_i.e._, not to "shed blood"! For it
was supposed that a man might always recover from a mace-blow; (which,
however, would much depend on the bishop's mind who gave it). The
battle of Bouvines, quite one of the most important in mediaeval
history, was won against the English, and against odds besides of
Germans, under their Emperor Otho, by two French bishops (Senlis and
Bayeux)--who both generalled the French King's line, and led its
charges. Our Earl of Salisbury surrendered to the Bishop of Bayeux in
person.

25. Note farther, that quite one of the deadliest and most diabolic
powers of evil words, or, rightly so called, blasphemy, has been
developed in modern days in the effect of sometimes quite innocently
meant and enjoyed 'slang.' There are two kinds of slang, in the essence
of it: one 'Thieves' Latin'--the special language of rascals, used for
concealment; the other, one might perhaps best call Louts' Latin!--the
lowering or insulting words invented by vile persons to bring good
things, in their own estimates, to their own level, or beneath it. The
really worst power of this kind of blasphemy is in its often making it
impossible to use plain words without a degrading or ludicrous attached
sense:--thus I could not end my translation of this epitaph, as the old
Latinist could, with the exactly accurate image "to the proud, a
file"--because of the abuse of the word in lower English, retaining,
however, quite shrewdly, the thirteenth-century idea. But the _exact_
force of the symbol here is in its allusion to jewellers' work, filing
down facets. A proud man is often also a precious one: and may be made
brighter in surface, and the purity of his inner self shown, by good
_filing_.

26. Take it all in all, the perfect duty of a Bishop is expressed