Sunday of
Quadragesima,' which Dryasdust declares to mean the 22d day of
February, year 1182, Thirteen St. Edmundsbury Monks are, at last, seen
processioning towards the Winchester Manorhouse; and, in some high
Presence-chamber and Hall of State, get access to Henry II. in all his
glory. What a Hall,--not imaginary in the least, but entirely real and
indisputable, though so extremely dim to us; sunk in the deep
distances of Night! The Winchester Manorhouse has fled bodily, like a
Dream of the old Night; not Dryasdust himself can show a wreck of it.
House and people, royal and episcopal, lords and varlets, where are
they? Why _there_, I say, Seven Centuries off; sunk _so_ far in the
Night, there they _are_; peep through the blankets of the old Night,
and thou wilt see! King Henry himself is visibly there; a vivid,
noble-looking man, with grizzled beard, in glittering uncertain
costume; with earls round him, and bishops, and dignitaries, in the
like. The Hall is large, and has for one thing an altar near
it,--chapel and altar adjoining it; but what gilt seats, carved
tables, carpeting of rush-cloth, what arras-hangings, and huge fire of
logs:--alas, it has Human Life in it; and is not that the grand
miracle, in what hangings or costume soever?--

The _Dominus Rex_, benignantly receiving our Thirteen with their
obeisance, and graciously declaring that he will strive to act for
God's honour and the Church's good, commands, 'by the Bishop of
Winchester and Geoffrey the Chancellor,'--_Galfridus Cancellarius_,
Henry's and the Fair Rosamond's authentic Son present here!--commands,
"That they, the said Thirteen, do now withdraw, and fix upon Three
from their own Monastery." A work soon done; the Three hanging ready
round Samson's neck, in that leather pouch of his. Breaking the
seal, we find the names,--what think _ye_ of it, ye higher
dignitaries, thou indolent Prior, thou Willelmus _Sacrista_ with the red
bottle-nose?--the names, in this order: of Samson _Subsacrista_, of
Roger the distressed Cellarer, of Hugo _Tertius-Prior_.

The higher dignitaries, all omitted here, 'flush suddenly red in the
face;' but have nothing to say. One curious fact and question
certainly is, How Hugo Third-Prior, who was of the electoral
committee, came to nominate _himself_ as one of the Three? A curious
fact, which Hugo Third-Prior has never yet entirely explained, that I
know of!--However, we return, and report to the King our Three names;
m