A Dream of John Ball; and, A King's Lesson

h, which, as far as I could see by the moonlight, figured St. Michael and the Dragon. As I came into the rich gloom of the nave I noticed for the f

ade so that the church grew lighter toward the east, and I could see all the work on the great screen between the nave and chancel which glittered bright in new paint and gilding: a candle glimmered in the loft above it, before the huge rood that filled up the whole space between the loft and the chancel arch. There was an altar at the east end of each aisle, the one on the south side standing against the outside wall, the one on the north against a tracer

t. Christopher with his black beard looking like Will Green, being close to the porch by which we entered, and above the chancel arch the Doom of the last Day, in which the

ter they are dead, who built this house for God to dwell in. God grant they be cleansed at last; forsooth one of them who is now alive is a foul swine and a cruel wolf. Art thou all so sure, scholar, that all suc

o answer him; but I said at last, "Friend, I ne

it be, even before my body rises from the dead; for wisely I have wrought in the world, and I wot well of friends that are long ago gone from the world,

rd to grieve him; and yet belike my eyes looked wonder on him: he seemed to note it and his face grew pu

then do they

orn." "Yea," said I, "they live to live because the world liveth." He stretched out his hand to me and grasped mine, but said no more; and went

ut few,

t and then our foes, so that ye may not look to see them while we sit and

eautifully than any of the woodwork I had yet seen, and everywhere was rich and fair colour and delicate and dainty form. Our dead lay just before the high altar on low biers, their faces all covered with linen cloths, for some of them had been sore smitten and hacked in the fray. We went up to them and John Ball took the cloth from the face of

ou, scholar? feelest thou sorrow of heart when thou lookest on this, either

t as a waxen image of a man; nay, not even that, for if it were an image, it would be an image of the man as he was when he was alive. But here is no

t sorrowest thou not for thine ow

that while I am alive I cannot think that I shall die, or believe in death at all, alt

eath, and even that I look for; and that hereafter I shall see all the deeds that I have done in the body, and what they really

ght, since no man that is can conceive of not being; and I mind me that in those storie

deemes

head and sa

"for there seemeth something betwixt us

reas, as thou thyself saidst at the cross, with a few words spoken and a little huddling-up of the truth, with a few pennies paid, and a few masses sung, thou mightest have had a good place on this earth and in that heaven. And as thou doest, so now doth many a poor man unnamed and unknown, and shall do while the world lasteth: and

e, kindly, but sadly and sh

images of those who were our friends, come and

ir clothes, and their faces mostly, but not all, covered. At the east end of the aisle was another altar, covered with a rich cloth beautifully figured, and on the wall over it was a deal of tabernacle work, in

know, could I see their

y evil me

their story if he will. As for the rest they were hapless fools, or else men who must earn their bread somehow,

richer and deeper coloured than those in the nave; till at last John Ball turned to me and laid his hand on my shou

n things which I have not seen, and could not have seen." With that word he led me back into the chancel, and we sat down side by side in the stalls at the west end of it, facing the high altar and the great east window. By this time the chancel was getting dimmer as the moon wound round the heavens; b

myself was trying to think what I should ask of him; for I thought of