But the wide alarm spread through the whole Church of Rome by the
progress of the reformed doctrines, sorely disturbed the repose of
Abbot Boniface, and opened to him a wide field of duties and cares
which he had never so much as dreamed of. There were opinions to be
combated and refuted--practices to be inquired into--heretics to be
detected and punished--the fallen off to be reclaimed--the wavering to
be confirmed--scandal to be removed from the clergy, and the vigour of
discipline to be re-established. Post upon post arrived at the
Monastery of Saint Mary's--horses reeking, and riders exhausted--this
from the Privy Council, that from the Primate of Scotland, and this
other again from the Queen Mother, exhorting, approving, condemning,
requesting advice upon this subject, and requiring information upon
that.
These missives Abbot Boniface received with an important air of
helplessness, or a helpless air of importance,--whichever the reader
may please to term it, evincing at once gratified vanity, and profound
trouble of mind. The sharp-witted Primate of Saint Andrews had
foreseen the deficiencies of the Abbot of St. Mary's, and endeavoured
to provide for them by getting admitted into his Monastery as
Sub-Prior a brother Cistercian, a man of parts and knowledge, devoted
to the service of the Catholic Church, and very capable not only to
advise the Abbot on occasions of difficulty, but to make him sensible
of his duty in case he should, from good-nature or timidity, be
disposed to shrink from it.
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