ious and noble of God's gifts.
See this cross; it has as much efficacy as the cross of Christ. Come,
and I will give you letters, all properly sealed, by which even the sins
which you intend to commit may be pardoned. I would not change my
privileges for those of Saint Peter in heaven, for I have saved more
souls by my indulgences than the apostle by his sermons. There is no
sin so great that an indulgence cannot remit; only pay, pay well, and
all will be forgiven. Only think, for a florin you may introduce into
Paradise, not a vile coin, but an immortal soul, without its running any
risk. But, more than this, indulgences avail not only for the living,
but for the dead. For that repentance is not even necessary. Priest!
noble! merchant! wife! youth! maiden! do you not hear your parents and
your other friends who are dead, and who cry from the bottom of the
abyss, `We are suffering horrible torments! A trifling alms would
deliver us; you can give it, and you will not.'" Then Tetzel had told
them how Saint Peter and Saint Paul's bodies were rotting at Rome
because the Pope, pious as he was, could not afford to build a proper
edifice to shelter them from the weather without their help. "Bring--
bring--bring!" he shouted, in conclusion.

Dame Margaret and her daughters were greatly moved by these appeals,
though little Ava thought the monk need not have shouted so loudly. The
dame, who had just before persuaded her lord to give her a good sum of
money, bought a large supply of indulgences, not only for herself and
daughters, but for the Knight, who, she secretly believed, required them
far more than they did, because he never performed penances, made quick
work at confession, and regularly grumbled on fast-days; besides, she
could not tell of what sins he might have been guilty in his youth. She
did not tell him what she had done, but she felt much more happy than
before to think that they would now all go to heaven together. She
would even, in her zeal, have made further purchases, had not Father
Nicholas expostulated with her, observing that it would be much better
if she paid the money to enable him to say masses, which would prove
quite as efficacious; and, besides, be spent in Germany instead of going
to Rome. She was greatly horrified, some time after this, to hear the
Knight inveigh furiously against Tetzel and his indulgences, and call
him an arch rogue and impostor. Of course, on this, she did not tel