Although cagy about his identity, the Cleric only dons a disguise when he can no longer rely on the anonymity of the forest to protect him. But, like Locksley and the rest of the bandits, his disguise suggests a larger truth about Norman abuses of Saxon subjects. The Black Knight’s surprise at the reappropriation of Torquilstone suggests that he’s been away (perhaps on the Third Crusade, like Ivanhoe and Richard) for some time—yet another clue pointing toward his identity. And it also indicates the Norman malice that Prince John embodies.