lf?" [Itself.]

Ah, what good to write such words, or to speak them? When man hath no
fear of God before his eyes, what shall he regard the reasonings of men?
But the day of doom cometh, and that sure.

The morrow of that awesome day, to wit, Saint Katherine, departed we
from Hereford, and came to Gloucester and Cirencester, going back on the
road we had come. By Woodstock (where Dame Margery de Verdon joined us
from Dover) we came to Wallingford: where was the Lord John of Eltham,
that had come from London, and awaited the Queen his mother. So, by
Reading and Chertsey, came we to Westminster Palace, on the fourth day
of January [1327]. And here was Dame Alice de Lethegreve, mine honoured
mother, whom I was full fain to see after all the long and somewhat
weariful time that I had been away from England.

My mother would have me tell her all I had seen and heard, in the which
she oft stayed me by tears and lamentations. And saith she--

"I bid thee well to note, Cicely, how much ill can come of the deeds of
one woman. Deeds, said I? Nay, but of the thoughts and feelings; for
all deeds are but the flowers whereto man's thoughts be the seed. And
forget not, daughter, that there must ever be one first thought that is
the beginning of it all. O Cis, take thou heed of the first evil
thought in thine heart, and pray God it lead not to a second. They that
fear not God be prone to ask, What matter for thoughts? Deeds be the
things that signify. My thoughts are mine own; who shall govern me
therein? Ah, verily, who shall, without God doth, and thou dost? He
that makes conscience of his thoughts, men reckon a great saint. I
would say rather, he that maketh not conscience of his thoughts cannot
serve God at all. Pray God rule thee in thine innermost heart; then
shall thy deeds please Him, and thy life shall be a blessing to thy
fellows."

"Dame," said I, "would you signify that the Queen is not ruled of God?"

"He governeth better than so, Cis," saith she.

"Yet is she Christian woman," quoth I.

"A Christian woman," made answer my mother, "is a woman that followeth
Christ. And thou followest not Jack, Cis, when thou goest along one
road, and Jack goeth another. Man may follow near or far; but his face
must be set the same way. Christ's face was ever set to do the will of
God. If thou do thy will, and I do mine, our faces be set contrary."

"Then must we turn us around," said I.

"Ay, and flat round,