if you will, Come now! What an
Englishman says he means." And he gave him a great hearty grip of the
hand to confirm it,

"I will visit thee some day, my son," said Clement; "but not to weary
thy hospitality."

The Englishman then begged Clement to shrive him. "I know not what
will become of my soul," said he, "I live like a heathen since I left
England."

Clement consented gladly, and soon the islander was on his knees to him
by the roadside, confessing the last month's sins.

Finding him so pious a son of the Church, Clement let him know he was
really coming to England. He then asked him whether it was true that
country was overrun with Lollards and Wickliffites.

The other coloured up a little. "There be black sheep in every land,"
said he. Then after some reflection he said gravely, "Holy father, hear
the truth about these heretics. None are better disposed towards Holy
Church than we English. But we are ourselves, and by ourselves. We love
our own ways, and above all, our own tongue. The Norman could conquer
our bill-hooks, but not our tongues; and hard they tried it for many a
long year by law and proclamation. Our good foreign priests utter God
to plain English folk in Latin, or in some French or Italian lingo, like
the bleating of a sheep. Then come the fox Wickliff and his crew, and
read him out of his own book in plain English, that all men's hearts
warm to. Who can withstand this? God forgive me, I believe the English
would turn deaf ears to St, Peter himself, spoke he not to them in the
tongue their mothers sowed in their ears and their hearts along with
mothers' kisses." He added hastily, "I say not this for myself; I am
Cambridge bred; and good words come not amiss to me in Latin; but for
the people in general. Clavis ad corda Anglorum est lingua materna."

"My son," said Clement, "blessed be the hour I met thee; for thy words
are sober and wise. But alas! how shall I learn your English tongue? No
book have I."

"I would give you my book of hours, father. 'Tis in English and Latin,
cheek by jowl. But then, what would become of my poor soul, wanting my
'hours' in a strange land? Stay, you are a holy man, and I am an honest
one; let us make a bargain; you to pray for me every day for two months,
and I to give you my book of hours. Here it is. What say you to that?"
And his eyes sparkled, and he was all on fire with mercantility.

Clement smiled gently at this trait; and quietly detached a MS. from