{"product_id":"2940013379060","title":"THE MONK","description":"CHAPTER I\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ----Lord Angelo is precise;\u003cbr\u003e  Stands at a guard with envy; Scarce confesses\u003cbr\u003e  That his blood flows, or that his appetite\u003cbr\u003e  Is more to bread than stone.\u003cbr\u003e                               Measure for Measure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScarcely had the Abbey Bell tolled for five minutes, and already was\u003cbr\u003ethe Church of the Capuchins thronged with Auditors.  Do not encourage\u003cbr\u003ethe idea that the Crowd was assembled either from motives of piety or\u003cbr\u003ethirst of information.  But very few were influenced by those reasons;\u003cbr\u003eand in a city where superstition reigns with such despotic sway as in\u003cbr\u003eMadrid, to seek for true devotion would be a fruitless attempt.  The\u003cbr\u003eAudience now assembled in the Capuchin Church was collected by various\u003cbr\u003ecauses, but all of them were foreign to the ostensible motive.  The\u003cbr\u003eWomen came to show themselves, the Men to see the Women:  Some were\u003cbr\u003eattracted by curiosity to hear an Orator so celebrated; Some came\u003cbr\u003ebecause they had no better means of employing their time till the play\u003cbr\u003ebegan; Some, from being assured that it would be impossible to find\u003cbr\u003eplaces in the Church; and one half of Madrid was brought thither by\u003cbr\u003eexpecting to meet the other half.  The only persons truly anxious to\u003cbr\u003ehear the Preacher were a few antiquated devotees, and half a dozen\u003cbr\u003erival Orators, determined to find fault with and ridicule the\u003cbr\u003ediscourse.  As to the remainder of the Audience, the Sermon might have\u003cbr\u003ebeen omitted altogether, certainly without their being disappointed,\u003cbr\u003eand very probably without their perceiving the omission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhatever was the occasion, it is at least certain that the Capuchin\u003cbr\u003eChurch had never witnessed a more numerous assembly. Every corner was\u003cbr\u003efilled, every seat was occupied.  The very Statues which ornamented the\u003cbr\u003elong aisles were pressed into the service.  Boys suspended themselves\u003cbr\u003eupon the wings of Cherubims; St. Francis and St. Mark bore each a\u003cbr\u003espectator on his shoulders; and St. Agatha found herself under the\u003cbr\u003enecessity of carrying double.  The consequence was, that in spite of\u003cbr\u003eall their hurry and expedition, our two newcomers, on entering the\u003cbr\u003eChurch, looked round in vain for places.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, the old Woman continued to move forwards.  In vain were\u003cbr\u003eexclamations of displeasure vented against her from all sides: In vain\u003cbr\u003ewas She addressed with--'I assure you, Segnora, there are no places\u003cbr\u003ehere.'--'I beg, Segnora, that you will not crowd me so\u003cbr\u003eintolerably!'--'Segnora, you cannot pass this way.  Bless me! How can\u003cbr\u003epeople be so troublesome!'--The old Woman was obstinate, and on She\u003cbr\u003ewent.  By dint of perseverance and two brawny arms She made a passage\u003cbr\u003ethrough the Crowd, and managed to bustle herself into the very body of\u003cbr\u003ethe Church, at no great distance from the Pulpit.  Her companion had\u003cbr\u003efollowed her with timidity and in silence, profiting by the exertions\u003cbr\u003eof her conductress.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Holy Virgin!' exclaimed the old Woman in a tone of disappointment,\u003cbr\u003ewhile She threw a glance of enquiry round her; 'Holy Virgin!  What\u003cbr\u003eheat!  What a Crowd! I wonder what can be the meaning of all this.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47152578822384,"sku":"2940013379060","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013379060_p0.jpg?v=1763580468","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013379060","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}