MUCHELNEY ABBEY. 105 



specting your own character, for that you are fonder of the 

 piain than you are of the cloister ; publicly asserting that 

 there are worse things four times over than perhaps you have 

 heard. Do you not believe, dearest brother, this by the 

 evidence of fact clearly proved, that up to this time we 

 have delayed our ordinary Visitation of your house with 

 kindly favour, having particular confidence in respect of the 

 niore perfect observance of your rule, and of the good con- 

 versation of your brethren, and also truly supposing, as if 

 there had not been in a place so excellent a need of any 

 correction ? But, behold, where first it was thought that 

 the seeds of more honest conversation were abundantly 

 shooting forth, there now remains a greater unexpected 

 necessity of more severely correcting the too-grievous ex- 

 cesses of delinquents ! Nor is it doubtful but that with 

 your wandering flock your own absence and negligent de- 

 lay of rightful correction is entirely the cause of the wrong; 

 nor can you believe it to be destitute of the most dreadful 

 peril in your own regard. For Eli the priest, because for 

 a long while he had neglected to correct bis transgressing 

 sons, feil and brake his neck, Struck, as it were, with an 

 avenging lash of terrible sudden death. Wherefore, dearly 

 beloved, lest perchance the negligence of the absent shep- 

 herd should be an occasion of ruin both to yourself and 

 your wandering flock, and also that the honour of religion 

 may from this hour, as before, be more honourably observed; 

 also that the reproachful suspicion in reference to your own 

 character may on all sides be removed, we strictly enjoin 

 and command you, by virtue of your religious obedience, and 

 on pain of your State, that you do return, with as little 

 delay as possible after the sight of these presents, from 

 those outlying places, laden with the disgraceful fetor 

 of injurious suspicion, to your own monastery, redolent 



