ough
the Abbot had commanded that none should approach except called.
And the Loculus was placed in the Shrine; and the panel it had
stood on was put in its place, and the Shrine for the present
closed. We all thought that the Abbot would shew the Loculus to
the people; and bring out the Sacred Body again, at a certain
period of the Festival. But in this we were woefully mistaken,
as the sequel shews.

'For in the fourth holiday of the Festival, while the Convent
were all singing _Completorium,_ our Lord Abbot spoke privily
with the Sacristan and Walter the Medicus; and order was taken
that twelve of the Brethren should be appointed against midnight,
who were strong for carrying the panel-planks of the Shrine, and
skillful in unfixing them, and putting them together again. The
Abbot then said that it was among his prayers to look once upon
the Body of his Patron; and that he wished the Sacristan and
Walter the Medicus to be with him. The Twelve appointed Brethren
were these: The Abbot's two Chaplains, the two Keepers of the
Shrine, the two Masters of the Vestry; and six more, namely, the
Sacristan Hugo, Walter the Medicus, Augustin, William of Dice,
Robert, and Richard. I, alas, was not of the number.

'The Convent therefore being all asleep, these Twelve, clothed in
their albs, with the Abbot, assembled at the Altar; and opening
a panel of the Shrine, they took out the Loculus; laid it on a
table, near where the Shrine used to be; and made ready for
unfastening the lid, which was joined and fixed to the Loculus
with sixteen very long nails. Which when, with difficulty, they
had done, all except the two forenamed associates are ordered to
draw back. The Abbot and they two were alone privileged to look
in. The Loculus was so filled with the Sacred Body that you
could scarcely put a needle between the head and the wood, or
between the feet and the wood: the head lay united to the body,
a little raised with a small pillow. But the Abbot, looking
close, found now a silk cloth veiling the whole Body, and then a
linen cloth of wondrous whiteness; and upon the head was spread
a small linen cloth, and then another small and most fine silk
cloth, as if it were the veil of a nun. These coverings being
lifted off, they found now the Sacred Body all wrapt in linen;
and so at length the lineaments of the same appeared. But here
the Abbot stopped; saying he durst not proceed farther, or look
at the sacred