priors, and other legal and
ecclesiastical dignitaries, made up the remainder of the council.

For eight weary hours, with very short intervals for refreshment, they
kept that fragile prisoner before them, and all the time she never
quailed, nor evaded any of their questions. Twice Master Simon
interfered, and begged that wine might be given her, or he would not
answer for her further recovery; and once she herself asked for a glass
of water, and for a few minutes seemed about to faint.

Abbot Bilson came out in his true colours at this examination. He was
no longer the mild, persuasive teacher; he now showed himself the
unforgiving revenger. The Archbishop pressed the prisoner hard with
questions, many of them irrevelant to the indictment; and most of the
other members of the Council put queries to her.

They inquired, amongst other things, if she believed that in the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the bread and wine became the very body
and blood of Christ.

"Nay, certes," was Margery's answer. "For if Christ, being in life,
could hold His own body, and give the same unto His disciples, then were
it no true human body, for a natural and true body cannot be in two
several places at the self-same moment of time. Moreover, if the bread
of the host be verily the body of Christ, then did He eat His own body,
and that is contrary to very reason."

"The mysteries of the faith be above reason," said Arundel.

"Of a truth, and farther above it, maybe, than we wit; but in no wise
contrary thereunto."

"Believe you in Purgatory?"

"The Church teacheth the same, and I say not that it may not be true;
but I find it not in the book."

"Pray you unto the blessed Virgin Saint Mary, the holy angels, and the
saints?"

"Soothly, no: it is not in the book. `_Whateuer thing ye axen the Fadir
in my name, I schal do that thing_,' saith Christ: but I hear not a word
of `whatever thing ye shall ask Saint Michael, or Saint Anne.'"

"Account you confession unto priests to be right or evil?"

"It may be right--I wis not; but I saw it not in the book. I pray you,
reverend fathers, if any other part of God His book do name these
things, and give leave for the same, that you show it unto me, and
thereupon I will believe them, but no else."

The above is, of course, a mere sample of the innumerable questions
which were put to the prisoner. Towards the close of the day, the
Archbishop and abbots consulted together for a few m