Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/78

 skin and square cap, and this preconisation was so formal and lengthy an affair that before square-cap had called the luckless Knight's name for the ninth time, the workmen had hauled him down, and dragged him to the door, whereat his body was presently attached by the Sergeant, and he was seated in a chair straight in front of my lord Abbot of Tintern who was the chief judge. Then came the pleadings, which I would like to rehearse to you for they are pleasant reading and admirably expressed, but I have them not, and my memory will not suffice for the recollection of all the sworn statements, deeds, depositions, warrants, petitions, bills of accusation, incriminating documents, evidences by word of mouth; together with precedents, recitations, Decretals, Extravagants, Authorities, Scriptures, Rescripts, and extracts put in by the gentry in square caps: all being set down in that delicious Latin dialect that seems made for cases of this kind. But I believe that no less than a hundred witnesses were cited before my Lord Abbot and examined in his presence, and the clerks (there was a long row of them) wrote hard all the time and enjoyed it, for it was not often they had a chance of covering their yellow skins (of parchment I mean) with such curious histories, or of moistening their yellow lips to such good purpose as they still wrote on and on. And at Evensong time the great silver lamp that hung in the middle of the Chapter House was lighted and sconces also all round the walls, and the trial still proceeded while outside the Priory was a great multitude of