cher, but the
people loved to hear his homely remarks, and there was a murmur of
sympathy as he pointed with a clumsy gesture to the lighted Crib that
had been erected at the foot of one of the great pillars in the nave.

"Our Lady wore no cloth of gold," he said, "nor Saint Joseph a precious
mitre; and the blessed Redeemer Himself who made all things had but
straw to His bed. And if our new cope is gone, we can make our
processions in the old one, and please God no less. Nay, we may please
Him more perhaps, for He knows that it is by no will of ours that we do
so."

But there had been a dismal scene at the chapter next morning. The Prior
had made them a speech, with a passionate white face and hands that
shook, and declared that the sermon would be their ruin yet if the
King's Grace heard of it.

"There was a fellow that went out half-way through," he cried in panic,
"how do we know whether he is not talking with his Grace even now? I
will not have such sermons; and you shall be my witnesses that I said
so."

The monks eyed one another miserably. How could they prosper under such
a prior as this?

But worse was to follow, though it did not directly affect this house.
The bill, so long threatened, dissolving the smaller houses, was passed
in February by a Parliament carefully packed to carry out the King's
wishes, and from which the spiritual peers were excluded by his
"permission to them to absent themselves." Lewes Priory, of course,
exceeded the limit of revenue under which other houses were suppressed,
and even received one monk who had obtained permission to go there when
his community fell; but in spite of the apparent encouragement from the
preamble of the bill which stated that "in the great solemn monasteries
... religion was right well kept," it was felt that this act was but the
herald of another which should make an end of Religious Houses
altogether.

But there was a breath of better news later on, when tidings came in the
early summer that Anne was in disgrace. It was well known that it was
her influence that egged the King on, and that there was none so fierce
against the old ways. Was it not possible that Henry might even yet
repent himself, if she were out of the way?

Then the tidings were confirmed, and for a while there was hope.

* * * * *

Sir Nicholas Maxwell rode over to see Chris, and was admitted into one
of the parlours to talk with him.

He seemed