anger; cross
the Lion in his path, and take him by the whiskers! Abbot Samson too;
he is that man, with justice on his side. The case was this. Adam de
Cokefield, one of the chief feudatories of St. Edmund, and a principal
man in the Eastern Counties, died, leaving large possessions, and for
heiress a daughter of three months; who by clear law, as all men know,
became thus Abbot Samson's ward; whom accordingly he proceeded to
dispose of to such person as seemed fittest. But now King Richard has
another person in view, to whom the little ward and her great
possessions were a suitable thing. He, by letter, requests that Abbot
Samson will have the goodness to give her to this person. Abbot
Samson, with deep humility, replies that she is already given. New
letters from Richard, of severer tenor; answered with new deep
humilities, with gifts and entreaties, with no promise of obedience.
King Richard's ire is kindled; messengers arrive at St. Edmundsbury,
with emphatic message to obey or tremble! Abbot Samson, wisely silent
as to the King's threats, makes answer: "The King can send if he will,
and seize the ward: force and power he has to do his pleasure, and
abolish the whole Abbey. But I, for my part, never can be bent to wish
this that he seeks, nor shall it by me be ever done. For there is
danger lest such things be made a precedent of, to the prejudice of my
successors. _Videat Altissimus_, Let the Most High look on it.
Whatsoever thing shall befall I will patiently endure."

Such was Abbot Samson's deliberate decision. Why not? Coeur-de-Lion
is very dreadful, but not the dreadfulest. _Videat Altissimus._ I
reverence Coeur-de-Lion to the marrow of my bones, and will in all
right things be _homo suus_; but it is not, properly speaking, with
terror, with any fear at all. On the whole, have I not looked on the
face of 'Satan with outspread wings;' steadily into Hell-fire these
seven-and-forty years;--and was not melted into terror even at that,
such the Lord's goodness to me? Coeur-de-Lion!

Richard swore tornado oaths, worse than our armies in Flanders, To be
revenged on that proud Priest. But in the end he discovered that the
Priest was right; and forgave him, and even loved him. 'King Richard
wrote, soon after, to Abbot Samson, That he wanted one or two of the
St. Edmundsbury dogs, which he heard were good.' Abbot Samson sent
him dogs of the best; Richard replied by the present of a ring, which
Pope Innocent the Third