We entered the church through the south porch under a round-arched door carved very richly,and with a sculpture over the doorway and under the arch,which,as far as I could see by the moonlight,figured St.Michael and the Dragon.As I came into the rich gloom of the nave I noticed for the first time that Ihad one of those white poppies in my hand;I must have taken it out of the pot by the window as I passed out of Will Green's house.
The nave was not very large,but it looked spacious too;it was somewhat old,but well-built and handsome;the roof of curved wooden rafters with great tie-beams going from wall to wall.
There was no light in it but that of the moon streaming through the windows,which were by no means large,and were glazed with white fretwork,with here and there a little figure in very deep rich colours.Two larger windows near the east end of each aisle had just been made so that the church grew lighter toward the east,and I could see all the work on the great screen between the nave and chancel which glittered bright in new paint and gilding:a candle glimmered in the loft above it,before the huge rood that filled up the whole space between the loft and the chancel arch.There was an altar at the east end of each aisle,the one on the south side standing against the outside wall,the one on the north against a traceried gaily-painted screen,for that aisle ran on along the chancel.There were a few oak benches near this second altar,seemingly just made,and well carved and moulded;otherwise the floor of the nave,which was paved with a quaint pavement of glazed tiles like the crocks I had seen outside as to ware,was quite clear,and the shafts of the arches rose out of it white and beautiful under the moon as though out of a sea,dark but with gleams struck over it.
The priest let me linger and look round,when he had crossed himself and given me the holy water;and then I saw that the walls were figured all over with stories,a huge St.Christopher with his black beard looking like Will Green,being close to the porch by which we entered,and above the chancel arch the Doom of the last Day,in which the painter had not spared either kings or bishops,and in which a lawyer with his blue coif was one of the chief figures in the group which the Devil was hauling off to hell.
"Yea,"said John Ball,"'tis a goodly church and fair as you may see 'twixt Canterbury and London as for its kind;and yet do Imisdoubt me where those who are dead are housed,and where those shall house them after they are dead,who built this house for God to dwell in.God grant they be cleansed at last;forsooth one of them who is now alive is a foul swine and a cruel wolf.Art thou all so sure,scholar,that all such have souls?
and if it be so,was it well done of God to make them?I speak to thee thus,for I think thou art no delator;and if thou be,why should I heed it,since I think not to come back from this journey."I looked at him and,as it were,had some ado to answer him;but I said at last,"Friend,I never saw a soul,save in the body;Icannot tell."
He crossed himself and said,"Yet do I intend that ere many days are gone by my soul shall be in bliss among the fellowship of the saints,and merry shall it be,even before my body rises from the dead;for wisely I have wrought in the world,and I wot well of friends that are long ago gone from the world,as St.Martin,and St.Francis,and St.Thomas of Canterbury,who shall speak well of me to the heavenly Fellowship,and I shall in no wise lose my reward."I looked shyly at him as he spoke;his face looked sweet and calm and happy,and I would have said no word to grieve him;and yet belike my eyes looked wonder on him:he seemed to note it and his face grew puzzled."How deemest thou of these things?"said he:
"why do men die else,if it be otherwise than this?"I smiled:"Why then do they live?"said I.
Even in the white moonlight I saw his face flush,and he cried out in a great voice,"To do great deeds or to repent them that they ever were born.""Yea,"said I,"they live to live because the world liveth."He stretched out his hand to me and grasped mine,but said no more;and went on till we came to the door in the rood-screen;then he turned to me with his hand on the ring-latch,and said,"Hast thou seen many dead men?""Nay,but few,"said I.
