The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary

tried in the trinity of his nature. It was first in his body that he was tempted, by pain

iskers; how the patch of sunlight upon the wall darkened and passed; and how a bee came in and hummed a great while in the room; and sometimes consci

wished it, but he drank a little broth

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ught, compassionately. It was growing towards evening, for it way darker, or else his eyes were heav

a little, and then laid down again, and there was something soft at the nape of his neck over the wooden pillow an

face that looked on him, and saw that it was that of a young man, not five years older

d Master Richard presently, as

the man bes

an should say Amen to his praise of Jesu Christ,

instead how he did, and his voice was so smooth an

ord did," he answered. "He

as moved at that, for he hid h

o evilly treated, and that Master-Lieutenant should smart for it if it ever came to

s the King d

oint of death," said

chard confidently, "and a point that will not pierc

look on him very steadil

he asked him. "I have done nothing

ng man very gravely, "I entre

I speak then

ll else; he felt the tears rise to his eyes, and he gave a sob or two. It is always so with noble natures after great pain. [Sir John relates here the curious history of a girl who was nearly burned as a witch, and that when she was reprieved

an spoke very sw

with me for bringing sad tidings to you.

hem now," said

ung man p

yesterday night by my lord cardinal. He spoke with your parson, Sir J

man from London had spoken with m

asked Master Richard quietly. "D

this was a method of tempting him. And

w your little house, too, and the hazels about it; and the stream, and the path that you have made;

ved him, Master Richard could not hold back his tears, for he had thought so often upon them, and desired to

et, and asked the young man to t

the young man, mak

said Maste

oung man

ith Sir John, and talked wi

?" said Master Richa

r books. And then Sir John

Master Richard, faint with

and again, and then pressed

fellow; that you injured neither man nor

oung man s

," cried Mas

talked with the saints and our Lord, but that these appearances were no more than the creations of your own sick brain. He said that he humoured you; for that he

in sorrow, and lifted Master

It was as if a gross darkness, full of wings and eyes and mocking faces pressed upon him, and he believed that he cried out, and

moved before his eyes, manifesting themselves. At first there was a doubt as to whether the young man had spoken the truth, and whether

owledge of him. But the falsehood was so subtle an one; it was so well interwoven with truth that I count it to have been impossible for Master Richard in his sickness and confusion to have disentangled the one from the other

doubt himself, his friends, and even our Lord who had manif

could not repel it. He cried upon Jesu i

the young m

ou tell me th

e a clerk) answered

two, and then

uld say. I observed you in the hall the other day, and I have a good report of your reasonableness from the monastery. I conceived, too, a great love for you when I saw you, and wish you well; and I think I can do you a great service, and get you forth from thi

re as there," answe

what if God Almighty wi

ishly upon death. Tha

death," said

, and Master Richard saw his eyes

wn enemy. You see that those that know you best love you,

od's man, and a sin

be but delusions. And if they be delusions, w

s?" asked Ma

e tidings that you

ve me to do?" asked Master R

-such a little thing! and then you w

is that li

that you think t

ink them so," sa

-and for the matter of the paternoster I do not value it at a straw. The King is sick with agony at what he thinks will come upon him after your words. He will not listen to my lord cardinal: he sits silent and terrified, and has ta

leaned back again on his heels; and Ma

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to time to ask him to make them hermits with him, else how did he know the matters of the stag and the pig and the stream and the rest? But it does not greatly matter whether his soul were a devil's or a man's, for in any case his words were Satan's. If I had no

gether the question as to whether I had spoken as this young man had said that I had. Whether I had spoken so or not made no difference. It was this

this point two or three paragraphs, distinguishing between the observing of a temptation of tho

ned his eyes and looked stead

in this matter, and say one word to the King or to any other, by which any may understand that my message was a delusio

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eyes to commune with God. And the young

rk Night

ad te, Domine: Domi

ed to Thee, O Lord: Lord, he