WITHIN THE CHURCH 9
quently came on holy-days as well. He understood little, but yet
there was something about it all that was dear to him. He knew
that in some mysterious way Christ's body was made anew at
this service: the bell would ring while the priest prayed, and
then, after a pause, Sir William would turn and hold up before
them all the blessed bread and wine now made God. But that
great moment had not yet come, and his thoughts wandered as
he looked about him in the high-roofed church. For a moment
his eyes fell on the painting of the Last Judgment which had
recently been renewed on the wall over the chancel arch. It
fascinated him to contemplate the calm and severe majesty of
Christ, as He sat enthroned in glory and meting out doom. The
ecstasy of the saved as they were caught up in the arms of the
angels, or the three naked souls cosily nestling in Abraham's
bosom, were so vividly portrayed that his eyes lingered on them,
and only with reluctance turned to gaze on those damned souls,
who stood on the left hand of the throne of grace, and in varying
attitudes of pleading, fear and bewilderment expressed their
horrible condition. Others, even more fearful to behold, were
already enduring the tortures destined for them, as the devils
savagely seized them with flesh-hooks and pitched them into the
cauldron and the everlasting fire. m
Other pictures painted on the walls also told their story, and
recalled to him fragments of sermons and tales, especially some
of those told in the vivid and understandable language of a
passing friar. Their own priest had no such gift. Indeed, how
should he have such powers ? The marvel was that now, at this
very minute, the Latin phrases were flowing from his lips and he
was God's minister to them all. Yet he had been born in this self-
*
same village, and was the youngest brother of John's own wife
Agnes. He had always been about the church as a boy, and was
taught how to read and to sing the service by their old priest
Sir John Walters. Then, he had become the holy-water carrier,
and, little by little, had learnt all Sir John could teach him, and
had been sent away to school. And now, here he was, back in the