liver," answered the sisters, "her soul, O LORD !" Requiescat," chanted the Priests, "in pace. Amen." "Incline," they proceeded, "O LORD, Thine ears to our petitions, wherein we beseech Thy loving-kindness, that Thou wouldst be pleased to give unto the soul of Thy servant Margaret, whom Thou hast removed from this world, a habitation of light and rest; and wouldst grant unto it the company of Thy Saints in Paradise. Amen."

Then the coffin was borne to its long restingplace; at the head of the grave was a banner wrought with the instruments of Crucifixion, imaging the victory that Holy Church hath over the power of death; there was also the silver Cross. And the sorrowing company stood round; and there was Christian hope in every face; and in the citadel of death were scattered on all sides memorials of Him Who by His death hath overcome death; and there were none of the Pagan trappings and hired mourners of modern funerals. Yet were there tears, as the Priest, looking on the lifeless form, and casting earth on the coffin, said "I commend thy soul to GOD the FATHER Almighty, and thy body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life."

The coffin was then lowered into its home: and all kneeling, the Priest continued, "We commend, O LORD, into Thy Hands, the soul of this Thy servant; beseeching Thee, O Saviour of the world,

that to her, for whom Thou didst descend into this world, Thou wouldst give a place in the bosom of Abraham. Acknowledge, O God, a sheep of Thine Own flock, a lamb of Thine Own fold, a sinner of Thine Own redeeming. So that, by the intercession of Thy Blessed Saints and Martyrs, she, being freed from the chains of the flesh, may attain to the glory of Thine eternal kingdom, through the merits of JESUS CHRIST, our LORD. Amen."

After this followed the supplication for the souls of all the departed faithful; and then the terrible Dies Ira burst forth from the Choir; softening in its close to the pathetic petition,

"LORD of Mercy, JESU blest!

Grant her Thine eternal rest!"

This was the first funeral that Agnes de Tracy had ever attended; and no marvel if it led her, as she paced slowly up and down the narrow cloisters, to muse deeply on the holy retirement and peace of a life so spent as had been hers whom she had just seen committed to the hallowed earth; and by contrast to look forward to her own, turbulent as it was like to be with wars and civil contention. For Ranulph de Broc had already distinguished himself, though so young, both in the court and in the field; and in those times, when, from the warlike genius of the Plantagenet kings, so different from the mild rule of the descendants of S. Louis, the English Knights and Barons were continually engaged in one strife or another, it was impossible that the wife

of one whose lot among them would be conspicuous, could have other than a lot of many cares and of much worldliness. She looked onwards nevertheless, 'bating not a jot of heart or hope,' expecting the time when Ranulph, full of glory acquired from the Infidel possessors of the Sepulchre, would return to her, and lead such a life as his father had led before him; a life, if not without its trials, not without its joys and comforts; and, above all, not without its means of advancing the glory of God, and the good of His Church.

CHAPTER X.

ARCHBISHOP BECKET on his arrival at S. Omer, where Hubert the Deacon was awaiting him, betook himself to the Abbey of S. Bertin; and there, in a lonely hermitage, by the advice of the Fathers, lay hid till the English ambassadors had left the town. In a few days they departed to the French Court at Compeigne; where they met with notoriously bad success. Louis, who held correspondence by letter with the Archbishop, on reading the letter addressed to him by Henry, came to the words, Thomas, late Archbishop. "Late Archbishop?" he said; "who hath deposed him? I am, as your Master is, a king; yet have I not authority to depose, of myself, the meanest clerk in my dominions." On the contrary, Warel and Hubert, who also presented themselves at Compeigne, were received by King Louis in the kindest manner, and received promise of his favour and protection.

It was a fine afternoon towards the end of November, and the tall spires of Sens, where the Pope then resided, were just visible on the horizon, that the English ambassadors journeyed onwards, in the hope that they should obtain a more favourable answer from him than they had received from the French king. The Ecclesiastics on their ambling palfreys, and the Knights on their fiery steeds, maintained such conversation as the somewhat uneasy motion and rugged road would admit.

"Of a truth," said Gilbert Foliot, "an we speed not better here than we have done hitherto, both at S. Omer and at Compeigne, little thanks will his Highness owe us, for the part we have taken herein."

"And little chance, holy Father," answered De Tracy, "would thine be of the pall thou now seekest to wrest from Becket."

"How meanest thou by that?" asked the Bishop angrily. "GOD be my witness, I never raised thought so high: for so great a burden would be far above my strength. Here is our brother, Hilary of Chichester, who of his marvellous learning and eloquence is well meet to be raised to that dignity and preeminence."

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Nay brother," said Hilary, some small parts we have been thought to possess, and it hath been said that we have improved them by continual study: and whatever they be, we shall not be slack to use them when we do appear before his Holiness. But