d he suffered himself to be endowed with worldly wealth.
Even such moneys as he received from Sir Oliver for the instruction
given to his sons were never kept by himself. All were given either
to the poor by his hands direct, or placed at the disposal of the
Prior of Chadwater, where he had been an inmate for a short time
previous to his installation as chaplain at Chad. He had not sought
this office; he would rather have remained beneath the priory
walls. He thought that it was something contrary to the will of the
founders for monks to become parochial priests, or to hold offices
and benefices which took them from the shelter of their monastery
walls. But such things were of daily occurrence now, and were
causing bitter jealousy to arise betwixt the parochial clergy and
the monks, sowing seeds of strife which played a considerable part
in the struggle this same century was to see. But it was useless to
try to stem the current single-handed, and the rule of obedience
was as strong within him as that of poverty and chastity.

When sent forth by his prior (who secretly thought that this young
monk was too strict and ascetic and too keen-witted to be a safe
inmate of a house which had long fallen from its high estate, and
was becoming luxurious and wealthy and lax), he had gone
unmurmuringly to Chad, and since then had become so much interested
in his pupils and in his round of daily duties there that he had
not greatly missed the life of the cloister.

He had leisure for thought and for study. He had access to a
library which, although not large, held many treasures of book
making, and was sufficient for the requirements of the young monk.
He could keep the hours of the Church in the little chantry
attached to the house, and he was taken out of the atmosphere of
jealousy and bickering which, to his own great astonishment and
dismay, he had found to be the prevailing one at Chadwater.

On the whole, he had benefited by the change, and was very happy in
his daily duties. He rejoiced to watch the unfolding minds of his
three pupils, and especially to train Edred for the life of the
cloister, to which already he had been partially dedicated, and
towards which he seemed to incline.

And now, eagerly questioned by the boys upon that vexed point of
the translated Scriptures and their possession by the common
people, he looked thoughtfully out before him, and gave his answer
in his own poetic fashion.

"The Word of God, m