thy left. And thine ell-wand
reacheth not. How then to measure?"

"But I would be on neither side," said I, "but right in the midst: so
should I see even."

"Right in the midst, good wife, is where God standeth; and few men win
there. There be few matters whereof man can see both to the top and to
the bottom. Mostly, if man see the one end, then he seeth not the
other. And that which man seeth not, how shall he measure? Without
thou lay out to follow the judge which said that he would clearly man
should leave to harry him with both sides of a matter. So long as he
heard but the plaintiff, he could tell full well where the right lay;
but after came the defendant, and put him all out, that he wist not on
which side to give judgment. Maybe Judge Sissot should sit on the bench
alongside of him."

"Now, Jack," said I, "thou laughest at me."

"Good discipline for thee, sweetheart," saith he, "and of lesser
severity than faulting thee. But supposing the world lay in thine hands
to set right, and even that thou hadst the power thereto, how long time
dost think thy work should abide?"

"_Ha, chetife_!" cried I. "I ne'er bethought me of that."

"The world was set right once," quoth Jack, "by means of cold water, and
well washed clean therein. But it tarried not long, as thou wist. Sin
was not washed away; and Satan was not drowned in the Flood: and very
soon thereafter were they both a-work again. Only one stream can wash
the world to last, and that floweth right from the rood on Calvary."

"Yet there is enough," said I, "to wash the whole world."

"Verily. But how, if the world will not come and wash? `He that
will'--_qui vult_--`let him take water of life freely.' But he that is
not athirst for the holy water, shall not have it forced down his throat
against his will."

"How shall man come by the thirst, Jack, if he hath it not? For if the
gift shall be given only to him that thirsteth for it, it seemeth me the
thirst must needs be born ere we shall come for the water."

"Nay, sweetheart, we all desire happiness and wealth and honour; the
mistake is that we be so ready to slake our thirst at the pools of muddy
water which abound on every hand, rather than go to the fount of living
water. We grasp at riches and honours and pleasures of this life: lo,
here the blame, in that we are all athirst for the muddy pool, and have
no desire for the holy water--for the gold of the royal mint stamped
with the