he "bared face of the inner Man."

These stories seem to dissociate Hugh from the grosser forms of
Eucharistic teaching, and open the way for an explanation of his
behaviour at Fechamp, which is otherwise almost inexplicable. We may
take it that he held a belief in a living Presence, which teeth could
not bruise nor change decay. The language he uses is not consistent with
later English teaching which shrinks from talking about a repeated
sacrifice. It is also inconsistent with later Roman devotion, because he
seems to dislike the notion of a conditioned or corporal Presence, and
anyhow to shrink from the definite statements to which the Roman Church
has since committed herself. He certainly did not fix the Coming of the
Bridegroom at the Consecration Prayer, _a fortiori_ to any one
particular word of it.

Far less conjectural is the splendid stand which he made for chastity
of life, at a time when the standard in such matters was lax both in the
world and also in the church. It came as a surprise to his
contemporaries that he should disapprove of the romantic ties between
King Henry and fair Rosamond. That lady was buried at Godstowe by her
royal lover, who draped her tomb, near the high altar, with silk, lamps,
and lighted candles, making her the new founder, and for her sake
raising the house from poverty and meanness to wealth and nobleness of
building. While Hugh was earnestly praying at the altar (in 1191) he
espied this splendid sepulchre. He asked whose it was, and when he
learned said sternly, "Take her hence, for she was a whore. The love
between the king and her was unlawful and adulterous. Bury her with the
other dead outside the church, lest the Christian religion grow
contemptible. Thus other women by her example may be warned and keep
themselves from lawless and adulterous beds." So far from being harsh,
this decision to allow of no royal exceptions to the ten commandments
was probably the kindest, strongest, and most wide-reaching protest that
could be made against an unhappy and probably growing evil. This is of a
piece with many other passages in his life, but hardly worth dwelling
upon because the lawless loves, which in that day were too lightly
regarded, in this day have usurped the sole title of immorality to
themselves, as if there were not six other deadly sins besides. The best
justification of the sentence is just this surprise with which it was
received.

FOOTNOTES:

{15} lxviii. 35. A