t. And so, under universal Dilettantism much having been
stript bare, not the souls of men only, but their very bodies and
bread-cupboards having been stript bare, and life now no longer
possible,--all is reduced to desperation, to the iron law of Necessity
and very Fact again; and to temper Dilettantism, and astonish it, and
burn it up with infernal fire, arises Chartism, _Bare-back-ism_,
Sansculottism so-called! May the gods, and what of unworshipped heroes
still remain among us, avert the omen!--

* * * * *

But however this may be, St. Edmund's Loculus, we find, has the veils
of silk and linen reverently replaced, the lid fastened down again
with its sixteen ancient nails; is wrapt in a new costly covering of
silk, the gift of Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury: and through the
sky-window John of Dice sees it lifted to its place in the Shrine, the
pannels of this latter duly refixed, fit parchment documents being
introduced withal;--and now John and his vestrymen can slide down from
the roof, for all is over, and the Convent wholly awakens to matins.
'When we assembled to sing matins,' says Jocelin, 'and understood
what had been done, grief took hold of all that had not seen these
things, each saying to himself, "Alas, I was deceived." Matins over,
the Abbot called the Convent to the great Altar; and briefly
recounting the matter, alleged that it had not been in his power, nor
was it permissible or fit, to invite us all to the sight of such
things. At hearing of which, we all wept, and with tears sang _Te Deum
laudamus_; and hastened to toll the bells in the Choir.'

Stupid blockheads, to reverence their St. Edmund's dead Body in this
manner? Yes, brother;--and yet, on the whole, who knows how to
reverence the Body of a Man? It is the most reverend phenomenon under
this Sun. For the Highest God dwells visible in that mystic
unfathomable Visibility, which calls itself "I" on the Earth. 'Bending
before men,' says Novalis, 'is a reverence done to this Revelation in
the Flesh. We touch Heaven when we lay our hand on a human Body.' And
the Body of one Dead;--a temple where the Hero-soul once was and now
is not: Oh, all mystery, all pity, all mute _awe_ and wonder;
_Super_-naturalism brought home to the very dullest; Eternity laid
open, and the nether Darkness and the upper Light-Kingdoms, do conjoin
there, or exist nowhere! Sauerteig used to say to me, in his peculiar
way: "A Chancery Lawsu