Monastery of Fulda, Saxony, 830 AD
Monastery of Fulda, Saxony, 830 ADOn the day we tramped into the monastery, I noticed the large number of beehives set apart from the monastic buildings. A passing glance cannot reveal the industrious work of the bees and the beekeeper in the apiary. When assigned to the chandlery, for no evident reason except that I could not read or write proficiently, I had no knowledge or interest in the candle-making trade. Soon, I came to change my attitude. The candle-maker has a glorious but difficult occupation. Although my book is about John, it would be remiss of me not to detail how our divergent courses came to run together. The Fulda chandlery is as good a place as any to start that narrative.
My lot was to sweat over vats of molten wax, which was uncomfor
