words as he had there drunk in, and which were indeed spirit and
life to him.

Tibble took them down to the St. Paul's stairs on the river, where
at his whistle a wherry was instantly brought to transport them to
York stairs, only one of the smiths going any further in charge of
the corslets. Very lovely was their voyage in the brilliant summer
morning, as the glittering water reflected in broken ripples church
spire, convent garden, and stately house. Here rows of elm-trees
made a cool walk by the river side, there strawberry beds sloped
down the Strand, and now and then the hooded figures of nuns might
be seen gathering the fruit. There, rose the round church of the
Temple, and the beautiful gardens surrounding the buildings, half
monastic, half military, and already inhabited by lawyers. From a
barge at the Temple stairs a legal personage descended, with a
square beard, and open, benevolent, shrewd face, before whom Tibble
removed his cap with eagerness, saying to Ambrose, "Yonder is Master
More, a close friend of the dean's, a good and wise man, and forward
in every good work."

Thus did they arrive at York House. Workmen were busy on some
portions of it, but it was inhabited by the great Archbishop, the
king's chief adviser. The approach of the boat seemed to be
instantly notified, as it drew near the stone steps giving entrance
to the gardens, with an avenue of trees leading up to the principal
entrance.

Four or five yeomen ran down the steps, calling out to Tibble that
their corslets had tarried a long time, and that Sir Thomas Drury
had been storming for him to get his tilting armour into order.