s life in the convent or
out, by his superiors. Or again he would fix his mind resolutely on his
approaching priesthood; while the Prior sat gnawing his lips, playing
with his cross and rapping his foot, before bursting out again and
bidding them all be silent, for they knew not what they were meddling
with.

The misery rose to its climax when the Injunctions arrived; and the
chapter sat far into the morning, meeting again after dinner to consider
them.

These were directions, issued to the clergy throughout the country, by
the authority of the King alone; and this very fact was significant of
what the Royal Supremacy meant. Some of them did not touch the
Religious, and were intended only for parish-priests; but others were
bitterly hard to receive.

The community was informed that in future, once in every quarter, a
sermon was to be preached against the Bishop of Rome's usurped power;
the Ten Articles, previously issued, were to be brought before the
notice of the congregation; and careful instructions were to be given as
regards superstition in the matter of praying to the saints. It was the
first of these that caused the most strife.

Dom Anthony, who was becoming more and more the leader of the
conservative party, pointed out that the See of Peter was to every
Catholic the root of authority and unity, and that Christianity itself
was imperilled if this rock were touched.

The Prior angrily retorted that it was not the Holy See that was to be
assaulted, but the erection falsely raised upon it; it was the abuse of
power, not the use of it that had to be denounced.

Dom Anthony requested the Prior to inform him where the line of
distinction lay; and the Prior in answer burst into angry explanations,
instancing the pecuniary demands of the Pope, the appointment of
foreigners to English benefices, and all the rest of the accusations
that were playing such a part now in the religious controversy of the
country.

Dom Anthony replied that those were not the matters principally aimed at
by the Injunction; it concerned rather the whole constitution of
Christ's Church, and was a question of the Pope's or the King's
supremacy over that part of it that lay in England.

Finally the debate was ended by the Prior's declaration that he could
trust no one to preach the enjoined sermon but himself, and that he
would see to it on his own responsibility.

It was scarcely an inspiring atmosphere for one who was preparing to