s.

"Charges brought upon the second Thursday after the Feast of the
Assumption, in the year of our Lord thirteen hundred and sixty-six,
against brother John, formerly known as Hordle John, or John of Hordle,
but now a novice in the holy monastic order of the Cistercians. Read
upon the same day at the Abbey of Beaulieu in the presence of the most
reverend Abbot Berghersh and of the assembled order.

"The charges against the said brother John are the following, namely, to
wit:

"First, that on the above-mentioned Feast of the Assumption, small beer
having been served to the novices in the proportion of one quart to
each four, the said brother John did drain the pot at one draught to
the detriment of brother Paul, brother Porphyry and brother Ambrose,
who could scarce eat their none-meat of salted stock-fish on account of
their exceeding dryness."

At this solemn indictment the novice raised his hand and twitched his
lip, while even the placid senior brothers glanced across at each other
and coughed to cover their amusement. The Abbot alone sat gray and
immutable, with a drawn face and a brooding eye.

"Item, that having been told by the master of the novices that he should
restrict his food for two days to a single three-pound loaf of bran and
beans, for the greater honoring and glorifying of St. Monica, mother of
the holy Augustine, he was heard by brother Ambrose and others to say
that he wished twenty thousand devils would fly away with the said
Monica, mother of the holy Augustine, or any other saint who came
between a man and his meat. Item, that upon brother Ambrose reproving
him for this blasphemous wish, he did hold the said brother face
downwards over the piscatorium or fish-pond for a space during which
the said brother was able to repeat a pater and four aves for the better
fortifying of his soul against impending death."

There was a buzz and murmur among the white-frocked brethren at this
grave charge; but the Abbot held up his long quivering hand. "What
then?" said he.

"Item, that between nones and vespers on the feast of James the Less the
said brother John was observed upon the Brockenhurst road, near the spot
which is known as Hatchett's Pond in converse with a person of the other
sex, being a maiden of the name of Mary Sowley, the daughter of the
King's verderer. Item, that after sundry japes and jokes the said
brother John did lift up the said Mary Sowley and did take, carry, and
convey her a