for the tonsure is as Pagan as the Muses.""Take care what thou sayest," said Jerome sternly."We know the very year in which the Church did first ordain it.""But not invent it, Jerome.The Brahmins wore it a few thousands years ere that.From them it came through the Assyrians to the priests of Isis in Egypt, and afterwards of Serapis at Athens.The late Pope (the saints be good to him) once told me the tonsure was forbidden by God to the Levites in the Pentateuch.If so, this was because of the Egyptian priests wearing it.I trust to his holiness.I am no biblical scholar.The Latin of thy namesake Jerome is a barrier I cannot overleap.'Dixit ad me Dominus Dens.
Dixi ad Dominum Deum.' No, thank you, holy Jerome; I can stand a good deal, but I cannot stand thy Latin.Nay; give me the New Testament! 'Tis not the Greek of Xenophon; but 'tis Greek.And there be heathen sayings in it too.For St.Paul was not so spiteful against them as thou.When the heathen said a good thing that suited his matter, by Jupiter he just took it, and mixed it to all eternity with the inspired text.""Come forth, Clement, come forth!" said Jerome, rising; "and thou, profane monk, know that but for the powerful house that upholds thee, thy accursed heresy should go no farther, for I would have thee burned at the stake." And he strode out white with indignation.
Colonna's reception of this threat did credit to him as an enthusiast.He ran and hallooed joyfully after Jerome."And that is Pagan.Burning of men's bodies for the opinions of their souls is a purely Pagan custom - as Pagan as incense, holy water, a hundred altars in one church, the tonsure, the cardinal's, or flamen's hat, the word Pope, the-Here Jerome slammed the door.
But ere they could get clear of the house a jalosy was flung open, and the Paynim monk came out head and shoulders, and overhung the street shouting"Affecti suppliciis Chrisitiani, genus hominum Novas superstitionis ac maleficae,'"And having delivered this parting blow, he felt a great triumphant joy, and strode exultant to and fro; and not attending with his usual care to the fair way (for his room could only be threaded by little paths wriggling among the antiquities), tripped over the beak of an Egyptian stork, and rolled upon a regiment of Armenian gods, which he found tough in argument though small in stature.
"You will go no more to that heretical monk," said Jerome to Clement.
Clement sighed."Shall we leave him and not try to correct him?
Make allowance for heat of discourse! he was nettled, His words are worse than his acts.Oh 'tis a pure and charitable soul.""So are all arch-heretics.Satan does not tempt them like other men.Rather he makes them more moral, to give their teaching weight.Fra Colonna cannot be corrected; his family is all-powerful in Rome, Pray we the saints he blasphemes to enlighten him, 'Twill not be the first time they have returned good for evil, Meantime thou art forbidden to consort with him, From this day go alone through the city! Confess and absolve sinners! exorcise demons! comfort the sick! terrify the impenitent! preach wherever men are gathered and occasion serves!
and hold no converse with the Fra Colonna!"Clement bowed his head,Then the prior, at Jerome's request, had the young friar watched.
And one day the spy returned with the news that Brother Clement had passed by the Fra Colonna's lodging, and had stopped a little while in the street, and then gone on, but with his hand to his eyes and slowly.
This report Jerome took to the prior.The prior asked his opinion, and also Anselm's, who was then taking leave of him on his return to Juliers.
Jerome."Humph! He obeyed, but with regret, ay, with childish repining."Anselm, "He shed a natural tear at turning his back on a friend and a benefactor, But he obeyed."Now Anselm was one of your gentle irresistibles, He had at times a mild ascendant even over Jerome.
"Worthy Brother Anselm," said Jerome, "Clement is weak to the very bone, He will disappoint thee, He will do nothing, great, either for the Church or for our holy order.Yet he is an orator, and hath drunken of the spirit of St.Dominic.Fly him, then, with a string."That same day it was announced to Clement that he was to go to England immediately with Brother Jerome.
Clement folded his hands on his breast, and bowed his head in calm submission.