of St. Bruno's habit, he had never entered. Week after week he had taken a walk with his brethren, but his steps had invariably been directed towards the country; for a Carthusian is out of place in the busy streets. The office of Sacristan had not brought him into contact with the outside world; for even the Church, with the exception of the visitors' gallery, was quite private. Now obedience. obliged him to appear in public, for he was appointed Procurator of the monastery.

Dom John accepted this office with a heavy heart, partly on account of the peaceful solitude he was leaving, but especially because of the dangers to which the performance of his new duties would expose him. But his virtues were more solid than his humility allowed him to suppose; and as Procurator he became more useful to his neighbour, without detriment to his personal holiness or to the spirit of prayer. In the noisy streets of London, as well as in the silent cloister, he knew how to remain interiorly recollected. He had, indeed, chosen Mary's part, but obedience had imposed Martha's upon him; and so well did he combine the contemplative with the active, that he performed the duties of his office without ever neglecting the one thing

necessary.

Father John Houghton had been Procurator just three years when a new honour was conferred upon him, and with it, as usual, a fresh responsibility and

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an additional sacrifice. He was appointed to the priorate of the Charterhouse of Beauvale. So he bade farewell to his brethren and to the house of his profession, and went where obedience called him. Little did he think, when he left the London Charterhouse, how soon he would return, or what honours, what trials, what sufferings, and what glory that return would bring.

In

Probably nothing very remarkable occurred during John Houghton's brief priorate at Beauvale. It only lasted six months; for in November of the same year, 1531, Father Batmanson died, and he was elected Prior of the London Charterhouse. the following spring, by order of the General Chapter, he succeeded Father John Jonbourne in the office of Provincial Visitor. Thus, in spite of all his efforts to live hidden and unknown in the cloister, John Houghton found himself Prior of the London Charterhouse, and, in the capacity of Provincial Visitor, at the head of the English Carthusians.

It was in the prominent position which he now held that Father Houghton's virtues were seen in all their beauty; and the virtue that was noticed above all was his sweet humility. Should any one happen to call him Lord Prior, or to give him any other marks of respect not customary in the Order, he would urge that it was not proper for an humble Carthusian monk to imitate the proud Pharisees, who

made broad their phylacteries, and loved to be called by men, "Rabbi." Even in the bows and other marks of respect and submission prescribed by the Rule or by tradition he always found an occasion of confusion. He used, as he told the community, to pray God to receive these honours to the glory of His holy Name.

It is customary for the Prior of a Charterhouse to visit the monks in their cells. On these occasions John Houghton left, so he said, the priorate in the Prior's cell; and laying aside the air of authority which elsewhere he was obliged to assume, he would converse with the familiarity of a brother. It was during one of these friendly visits to the occupant of his former cell that he made the following suggestive remark :-" Brother," said he, "there are places within the precincts of your cell which, could they speak, might tell you something." Whether the Prior alluded to consolation received, to temptation conquered, or to both the one and the other, we are not informed. He took such care to conceal all that was extraordinary in his gifts and virtues.

There was, however, one grace which he was unable to hide from the community-the gift of tears. Frequently during the celebration of Mass, an action which he performed with well-nigh angelic devotion, the sweet tears of love and compunction would be seen trickling down his cheeks. Sometimes, even in the Refectory, his heart was so full of

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the sentiments of Divine love that he was unable to refrain from weeping. He would rise from the table and hasten to his cell, where, unseen by mortal eye, he could pour out his heart like water before the Lord, washing, like St. Mary Magdalen, the feet of the Saviour with his tears of loving compassion.

From these features of his character it might be doubted whether John Houghton was able to show, when occasion required it, the firmness and decision so necessary for the Superior of a large community. Indeed he was able. He knew how, when he thought proper, to be firm and even severe. And this was especially remarkable with regard to the Divine Office and the ceremonies prescribed by the Statutes of the Order. Moreover, he often made these duties the subject of his sermons in the Chapter House. Taking one day his text from the sixty-second chapter of Isaias-" Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen all the day and all the night, they shall never hold their peace" he said that, having become monks for the express purpose of serving God, they should be very careful and devout in the performance of all their duties, but above all of their chief duty, the Divine Office. Placed by God like watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem, it was, he urged, the business of Carthusians to sing by day and by night to the honour and glory of His Name. And for com

panions they had the angels, who began their songs of praise before the monks, joined with them while they were singing, and, when human voices ceased, still continued their untiring melody. The Prior then recommended the monks to sing gravely and slowly, and never to grudge the time spent in the "work of God"; for where else could they be so profitably employed as in the holy choir?

Father John Houghton insisted upon very slow singing, and even objected to the custom, now at least received throughout the Order and prescribed by the Statutes, of chanting on a lower tone, and more briskly on ferial days than on Festivals. Sometimes he would leave his stall during the Office, and, approaching the Cantors, beg them to sing less rapidly. It appears that his admonitions on this point were attended to even to excess; for we read that the night Office sometimes lasted until halfpast three o'clock. Thus, unless the pause between Matins and Lauds was protracted,' the London Carthusians under Blessed John Houghton devoted an extra hour to the Office, although the words and the notes were exactly the same as to-day.

The following incident is also illustrative of his severity with regard to the Divine Office-a praiseworthy severity, for it arose from zeal for the honour of God.

The nocturnal service being somewhat trying