Chap. II. St. Edmundsbury
St. Edmund's Bury, a prosperous brisk Town: Extensive ruins of the Abbey still visible. Assiduous Pedantry, and its rubbish- heaps called 'History.' Another world it was, when those black ruins first saw the sun as walls. At lowest, O dilettante friend, let us know always that it was a world. No easy matter to get across the chasm of Seven Centuries: Of all helps; a Boswell, even a small Boswell, the welcomest.
Chap. III. Landlord Edmund
'Battle of Fornham,' a fact, though a forgotten one. Edmund, Landlord of the Eastern Counties: A very singular kind of 'landlord.' How he came to be 'sainted.' Seen and felt to have done verily a man's part in this life pilgrimage of his. How they took up the slain body of their Edmund, and reverently embalmed it. Pious munificence, ever growing by new pious gifts. Certain Times do crystallise themselves in a magnificent manner; others in a rather shabby one.
Chap. IV. Abbot Hugo
All things have two faces, a light one and dark: The Ideal has to grow in the Real, and to seek its bed and board there, often in a very sorry manner. Abbot Hugo, grown old and feeble. Jew debts and Jew creditors. How approximate justice strives to accomplish itself. In the old monastic Books almost no Mention whatever of 'personal religion.' A poor Lord Abbot, all stuck- over with horse-leeches: A 'royal commission of inquiry,' to no purpose. A monk's first duty, obedience. Magister Samson, Teacher of the Novices. The Abbot's providential death.
Chap. V. Twelfth Century
Inspectors of Custodiars; the King not in any breathless haste to appoint a new Abbot. Dim and very strange looks that monk- life to us. Our venerable ancient spinning grandmothers, shrieking, and rushing out with their distaffs. Lakenheath eels too slippery to be caught. How much is alive in England, in that Twelfth Century; how much, not yet come into life. Feudal Aristocracy; Willelmus conquaestor: Not a steeple-chimney yet got on end from sea to sea.
Chap. VI. Monk Samson
Monk-Life and Monk-Religion: A great heaven-high Unquestionability, encompassing, interpenetrating all human Duties. Our modern Arkwright Joe-Manton ages: All human dues and reciprocities, changed into one great due of 'cash-payment' The old monks but a limited class of creatures, with a somewhat dull life of it. One Monk of a taciturn nature distinguishes himself among those babling ones. A Son of poor Norfolk parents. Little Samson's awful dream: His poor Mother dedicates him to St. Edmund. He grows to be a learned man, of devout grave nature. Sent to Rome on business; and returns too successful: Method of traveling thither in those days. His tribulations at home: Strange conditions under which Wisdom has sometimes to struggle with folly.