ites. Such, in
their way, are the two halves of this story, rightly looked at; on
the Italian side rugged adventure, strong passion, blasphemy, vice,
penitence, pure ice, holy snow, soaring direct at heaven. On the Dutch
side, all on a humble scale and womanish, but ever green. And as a
pathway parts the ice towers of Grindelwald, aspiring to the sky, from
its little sunny braes, so here is but a page between

"the Cloister and the Hearth."

CHAPTER LXXIV

THE CLOISTER

THE new pope favoured the Dominican order. The convent received a
message from the Vatican, requiring a capable friar to teach at the
University of Basle. Now Clement was the very monk for this: well versed
in languages, and in his worldly days had attended the lectures of
Guarini the younger. His visit to England was therefore postponed though
not resigned; and meantime he was sent to Basle; but not being wanted
there for three months, he was to preach on the road.

He passed out of the northern gate with his eyes lowered, and the whole
man wrapped in pious contemplation.

Oh, if we could paint a mind and its story, what a walking fresco was
this barefooted friar!

Hopeful, happy love, bereavement, despair, impiety, vice, suicide,
remorse, religious despondency, penitence, death to the world,
resignation.

And all in twelve short months.

And now the traveller was on foot again. But all was changed: no
perilous adventures now. The very thieves and robbers bowed to the
ground before him, and instead of robbing him, forced stolen money on
him, and begged his prayers.

This journey therefore furnished few picturesque incidents. I have,
however, some readers to think of, who care little for melodrama, and
expect a quiet peep at what passes inside a man, To such students things
undramatic are often vocal, denoting the progress of a mind.

The first Sunday of Clement's journey was marked by this. He prayed for
the soul of Margaret. He had never done so before. Not that her eternal
welfare was not dearer to him than anything on earth. It was his
humility. The terrible impieties that burst from him on the news of her
death horrified my well-disposed readers; but not as on reflection they
horrified him who had uttered them. For a long time during his novitiate
he was oppressed with religious despair. He thought he must have
committed that sin against the Holy Spirit which dooms the soul for
ever, By degrees that dark cloud cleared away, Anselm