I

HISPANIC     NOTES

APPENDIX

543

So  a  man

dreams  in

the

thirteenth

century

VII

THURKILL'S  VISION

(Condensed)

IN  the  Bishopric  of  London,  in  the  village

called  Stidstede,  there  was  a  simple  rustic

named    Thurkill,    industrious    at    his    work

and  given  to  hospitality  so  far  as  his  means

allowed  him.     It  happened  that  after  the

hour  of  Vespers  on  the  vigil  of  S.  Simon  and

October  27

S.  Jude,  which  was  then  a  Friday,  he  was

trenching  his  little  field  which  he  had  sown

on  the  same  day,  in  order  to  drain  off  the

waters  of  a  flood  of  rain.    Suddenly,  raising

his  eyes,  he  sees  a  man  a  long  way  off  coming

up  to  him.    And  he  had  even  then  just  begun

to  repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  he  wondered

to  see  the  man  instantly  stand  before  him

and  the  stranger  bade  him  finish  his  prayer:

and  then  they  began  to  talk  together.     The

stranger  asked  where  he  could  pass  the  night;

and  Thurkill  began  to  name  this  or  that

neighbour,  but  ended  by  proffering  his  own

AND     MONO  GRAPHS

I

544


WAY    OF    S.     JAMES


S.  Julian


hospitality.  Then  the  stranger  answered,
"Thy  wife  has  already  received  two  poor
women:  and  I  do  not  yet  seek  to  be  housed,
for  I  am  bound  for  the  province  of  Danesei.
And  I  shall  return  thence  tonight: — and  then
will  I  visit  thee  and  lead  thee  to  thy  Lord  S.
