since he had come
to the place had blood fallen on the ground except his own when he
scourged himself. The hunting-weasel never came here, though the conies
were abundant; the stags never fought here though there was a fair
ground for a battlefield. It was a peace that passed understanding, and
what that peace is the apostle tells us.

Here I came then on Corpus Christi evening, thirty years ago, as the sun
was near its setting behind the gate through which I came, and my shadow
lay half-across the meadow before me.

* * * * *

It appeared to me that somewhat was amiss, but I knew not what it was: I
was a little afraid. Master Richard was not to be seen, but his door was
wide, so I thought he would not be praying. As I came up the path I saw
something that astonished me. There was a circle of beasts about the
hut, little conies that sat in the sunlight and shadow, without feeding,
though it was the time for it; and as I came nearer I saw other beasts.
There was a wild cat crouched in the shadow of the hazels moving his
tail from side to side; a stag with his two does stood beneath a
beech-tree, and a boar looked over the bank against which stood the hut.

They did not move as I came up and looked in at the door.

This is what I saw within.

The holy youth was seated on his stool with his hands gripping the sides
and his eyes open, and he was looking towards the image of our Saviour
on the right-hand side.

You have seen his holy and uncorrupt body, but in life he was different
to that. He was not above twenty years old at this time, and of a beauty
that drew men's eyes to him. [This is the exact phrase used of Richard
Rolle, hermit of Hampole.] His hair was as you know it; a straight,
tawny, nut-brown head of hair that fell to his shoulders; and he had the
cleanest line of face that ever I have seen.

His hair came low upon his straight forehead; his nose was straight,
with fine nostrils; he had a little upper lip on which grew no hair, a
full lip beneath very short, and a round cleft chin; his eyebrows were
dark and arched; his whole face smooth and thin, and of an extraordinary
clean paleness; he had a curved throat turned to a pale brown by the
sun, though the colour of his body, I have heard it said, was as white
as milk. He was dressed always in a white kirtle beneath, and a brown
sleeveless frock over it of the colour of his hair, that came to his
ankles, and was girt with