'A certain monk of good repute, and still better life, who belonged to the abbey of St. Peter at Gloucester, related that he had a dream in the visions of the night to this effect: - " I saw," he saidy "the Lord Jesus seated on a lofty throne, and the glorious host of heaven, with the company of the saints, standing round. But while, in my ecstasy, I was lost in wonder, and my attention deeply fixed on such an extraordinary spectacle, I beheld a virgin resplendent with light cast herself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and humbly address to him this petition - 'O Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, for whom Thou didst shed Thy precious blood when hanging on the cross, look now in compassion on Thy people which now groans under the yoke of William. Thou avenger of wickedness, and most just of all men, take vengeance, I beseech Thee, on my behalf, of this William, and deliver me out of his hands; for, as far as lies in his power, he has polluted me, and grievously afflicted me' The Lord replied, 'Be patient and wait awhile, and soon you will be amply revenged of him.'I trembled at hearing this, and doubt not that the Divine anger presently threatens the king; for I understood that the cries of the holy virgin, our mother, the Church, have reached the ears of the Almighty, by reason of the robberies, the foul adulteries, and the heinous crimes of all sorts, which the king and his courtiers cease not daily of committing against the Divine law."*

* 'A foreign monk related to Robert Fitzhamon a still more frightful dream, in which he saw William Rufus come into a church, with his usual menacing and insolent gestures looking contemptuously on the standers-by, and gnaw the legs and arms of Jesus Christ on the crufcifix. The image bore this for some time,

'On being informed of this the venerable Abbot Serlo wrote letters, which he despatched in a friendly spirit from Gloucester, informing the king very distinctly of all that the monk had seen in his vision.

'Fulchered, a zealous monk, and an eloquent expositor of the Holy Scriptures, about this time; in the kalends of August, spoke prophetically of this matter. "England," he said, "is allowed to become a heritage trodden under foot by the profane, because the land is full of iniquity. Its whole body is spotted by the leprosy of an universal iniquity, and infected by the disease of sin from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet. . . . Dissolute lust pollutes not only vessels of clay, but vessels of gold; and insatiable avarice devours all that it can lay its hand on. But, lo! a sudden change of affairs is threatened. The libertines shall not always bear rule; the Lord God will come to judgment of the open enemies of His spouse. . . . The anger of the Lord shall no longer spare the transbut at length struck the king with its foot in such a manner that he fell backwards. Then such volumes of flame burst from his mouth that the smoke darkened the sky. Robert Fitzhamon thought it right to tell this dream to the King, who heard it with shouts of laughter. "He is a monk," he exclaimed, "and dreams for money - give him a hundred pence." Still he hesitated a long time before he decided on hunting, and did not go till after dinner, having taken a more than usual quantity of wine.' - William of Malmesbury. gressors, and the wrath of Heaven Bhall rage against the unbelieving children. The bow of Divine vengeance is bent on the reprobate, and the swift arrow taken from the quiver is ready to wound. The blow will soon be struck, but the man who is wise enough to correct his sins will avoid the infliction."

'Other discourses of a similar tendency were delivered on "Wednesday, and suddenly the scourge began to be exhibited with full effect. The morning of the day following, the king, having dined with his minions, prepared after the meal was ended to go forth and hunt in the New Forest. Being in great spirits, he was joking with his attendants while his boots were being laced, when an armourer came and presented to him six arrows. The king immediately took them with great satisfaction, praising the work; and, unconscious of what was to happen, kept four of them himself, and held out the other two to Walter Tirel. "It is but right," he said, "that the sharpest arrows should be given to him who knows best how to inflict mortal wounds with them, . . . The king's words, on receiving the Abbot Serlo's letter, concluded with "Does he think I follow the example of the English, who will defer their journey or their business on account of the dreams of a parcel of wheezing old women?"' - Ecclesiastical History.