Then Gerard told them he had been admitted to see the competitors' works, all laid out in an enormous hall before the judges pronounced.
"Oh, mother! oh, Kate! when I saw the goldsmiths' work, I had liked to have fallen on the floor.

I thought not all the goldsmiths on earth had so much gold, silver, jewels, and craft of design and facture.

But, in sooth, all the arts are divine." Then, to please the females, he described to them the reliquaries, feretories, calices, crosiers, crosses, pyxes, monstrances, and other wonders ecclesiastical, and the goblets, hanaps, watches, Clocks, chains, brooches, &c., so that their mouths watered.
"But, Kate, when I came to the illuminated work from Ghent and Bruges, my heart sank.

Mine was dirt by the side of it.

For the first minute I could almost have cried; but I prayed for a better spirit, and presently I was able to enjoy them, and thank God for those lovely works, and for those skilful, patient craftsmen, whom I own my masters.