THE NEW PILGRIMS 211 



bloody flesh of the martyr chnging to it, he drew 

 back in disgust. The priest then shut up, locked, 

 and double-locked his treasures, and showed them 

 the sumptuous articles, the great w^ealth of gold and 

 silver ornaments, kept under the altar. Erasmus 

 thought that in the presence of this vast assemblage 

 of precious things even Midas and Croesus would 

 be only beggars, and he sighed that he had nothing 

 like them at home, devoutly praying the Saint for 

 pardon of his impious thought before he moved a 

 step from the Cathedral. However, they had not 

 yet seen all. They w^re led into the Sacristy, and 

 " Good God ! " exclaims Erasmus, " what a display 

 was there of silken ^ estments, what an array of 

 golden candlesticks ! " Saint Thomas's pastoral staff 

 was there, a quite plain stick of pear-wood, with 

 a crook of black horn, covered with silver plate, 

 and no longer than a walking-stick. Here, too, was 

 a coarse silken pall, quite unadorned, and a sudary, 

 dirty from wear, and retaining manifest stains of 

 blood. These things, relics of a more simple age, 

 they ^villingly kissed, and were then conducted to 

 the Corona, where they saw an effigy of Saint Thomas, 

 " that excellent man," gilt and adorned with many 

 jewels. But here Colet's anger broke forth, and he 

 addressed the priest in this wise. " Good father, 

 is it true what I hear, that Saint Thomas while alive 

 was exceedingly kind to the poor ? " " Most true," 

 said he, and he then began to relate many of his 

 acts of benevolence towards the destitute. "I do 

 not imagine," said Colet, " that such disposition of 

 his is changed, but perhaps increased." The priest 

 assented. " Then," rejoined the Dean, " since that 

 holy man was so liberal towards the poor when he 

 was poor himself and required the aid of all his money 

 for his bodily necessities, do you not think that now, 

 when he is very wealthy, nor lacks anything, he would 

 take it very contentedly if any poor woman having 

 starving children at home should (first praying for 



