ine to
its new place. A fast of three days was held by all the people, the
cause and meaning thereof being publicly set forth to them. The Abbot
announces to the Convent that all must prepare themselves for
transferring of the Shrine, and appoints time and way for the work.
Coming therefore that night to matins, we found the great Shrine
(_feretrum magnum_) raised upon the Altar, but empty; covered all over
with white doeskin leather, fixed to the wood with silver nails; but
one pannel of the Shrine was left down below, and resting thereon,
beside its old column of the Church, the Loculus with the Sacred Body
yet lay where it was wont. Praises being sung, we all proceeded to
commence our disciplines (_ad disciplinas suscipiendas_). These
finished, the Abbot and certain with him are clothed in their albs;
and, approaching reverently, set about uncovering the Loculus. There
was an outer cloth of linen, enwrapping the Loculus and all; this we
found tied on the upper side with strings of its own: within this was
a cloth of silk, and then another linen cloth, and then a third; and
so at last the Loculus was uncovered, and seen resting on a little
tray of wood, that the bottom of it might not be injured by the stone.
Over the breast of the Martyr, there lay, fixed to the surface of the
Loculus, a Golden Angel about the length of a human foot; holding in
one hand a golden sword, and in the other a banner: under this there
was a hole in the lid of the Loculus, on which the ancient servants of
the Martyr had been wont to lay their hands for touching the Sacred
Body. And over the figure of the Angel was this verse inscribed:

_Martiris ecce zoma servat Michaelis agalma._[25]

At the head and foot of the Loculus were iron rings whereby it could
be lifted.

'Lifting the Loculus and Body, therefore, they carried it to the
Altar; and I put-to my sinful hand to help in carrying, though the
Abbot had commanded that none should approach except called. And the
Loculus was placed in the Shrine; and the pannel it had stood on was
put in its place, and the Shrine for the present closed. We all
thought that the Abbot would show the Loculus to the people; and bring
out the Sacred Body again, at a certain period of the Festival. But in
this we were wofully mistaken, as the sequel shows.

'For in the fourth holiday of the Festival, while the Convent were all
singing _Completorium_, our Lord Abbot spoke privily with the
Sacristan and Wa