Never, under such circumstances, did a noble undergo a severer trial than did Lord De Freston on that memorable night. The parties had separated upon the wave, the monks had returned to their cells, one holy brother alone keeping watch in the belfry tower to denote the hour of matin worship. The Lord of Freston Tower knelt by that lone altar, beneath which the hermit St. Ivan now rested, and he was performing the last form of devotion, which, according to his vow, he could then pay to departed worth. The tomb could not be closed up until that vow had been strictly observed. Superstitious and uncalled for, as according to our far wiser notions of acceptable duty this would be considered, it was deemed a high mark of personal devotion in that day. He had vowed that nothing on earth should entice him from the chapel. The proof of sanctity attending upon this vow was to be the strictness with which it should be kept. He was to answer no voice whatever--to admit no one into the chapel when once he had locked himself in--to be terrified at nothing internal or external--that come whatever might, no word should escape his lips: but in silent meditation he should kneel at the altar and watch until the morning. In a word, he should remain there and keep his vow in spite of every temptation to make him break it. If men would only keep watch within themselves to guard against the entrance of evil thoughts into their souls, and prevent the devil from urging them thereby to wicked words and actions, they would not want to shut themselves up in gloomy chapels, to appear before men in sanctimonious garb. There would be no need of costly sacrifices to the fancied glory of the true God, which alas! do but tend to blow out the swollen pride of man because of false notions of doing him honor. Keep the heart sound, encourage there every virtue, and let the grace of God cleanse it from apostacy and superstition, for otherwise man will soon be unfit to dwell with holiness, and make his heart unfit for spiritual consolation or comfort. De Freston's self-devotion was the theme of praise among the deluded though learned monks of Alneshborne Priory, as well as amongst the priests of St. Peter, or the mayor and burgesses of the town of Ipswich--and perchance the cold-blooded Alice De Clinton, in the private chapel of Bishop Goldwell, might have deemed this act worthy of her praise. But she knew it not, or else she would not have supposed him to be a heretic. It is impossible for a good heart to be always silent in its devotions. It will, it must speak to the glory of God. It has so done in every age, and will so do to the last day; but its internal struggles to conquer its external and internal foes will be observed alone by God, and be known only to him.