"Now, Our Lady forbid!" said the prior, who, if desirous of power,
had nothing meanly covetous in his temper, but was even magnificent
in his generous kindness; "certainly the Dominican convent can
afford to her sovereign the hospitality which the house offers to
every wanderer of whatever condition who will receive it at the
hands of the poor servants of our patron. No, my royal liege; come
with ten times your present train, they shall neither want a grain
of oats, a pile of straw, a morsel of bread, nor an ounce of food
which our convent can supply them. It is one thing to employ the
revenues of the church, which are so much larger than monks ought
to need or wish for, in the suitable and dutiful reception of your
royal Majesty, and another to have it wrenched from us by the hands
of rude and violent men, whose love of rapine is only limited by
the extent of their power."

"It is well, good prior," said the King; "and now to turn our
thoughts for an instant from state affairs, can thy reverence inform
us how the good citizens of Perth have begun their Valentine's Day?
Gallantly, and merrily, and peacefully; I hope."

"For gallantly, my liege, I know little of such qualities. For
peacefully, there were three or four men, two cruelly wounded,
came this morning before daylight to ask the privilege of girth and
sanctuary, pursued by a hue and cry of citizens in their shirts,
with clubs, bills, Lochaber axes, and two handed swords, crying 'Kill
and slay,' each louder than another. Nay, they were not satisfied
when our porter and watch told them that those they pursued had
taken refuge in the galilee of the church, but continued for some
minutes clamouring and striking upon the postern door, demanding