Cardinal Pole; Or, The Days of Philip and Mary: An Historical RomanceAinsworth, William Harrison
History
Cardinal Pole; Or, The Days of Philip and Mary: An Historical Romance
Ainsworth, William Harrison
Great Britain -- History -- Mary I, 1553-1558 -- Fiction; Pole, Reginald, 1500-1558 -- Fiction
After a brief delay, Bonner ascended the pulpit, and taking for his text
Saint Paul’s words to the Galatians, “_I would they were cut off that
trouble you_,” he preached a violent sermon on the necessity of
punishing heretics and false brethren with death, citing many
authorities in favour of his views, and asserting that to maintain that
heresy ought to go unpunished would be to maintain that the worst crimes
should be unchastised. “Heresy,” he said, “being treason against Heaven,
deserves the punishment of treason. As such a traitor,” he added,
turning to Rogers, “thou wilt be consigned to a fire, which will be to
thee a foretaste of the flames in which thou shalt burn everlastingly.
Thy fate will be a terrible lesson to all who think with thee.”
“It will be a lesson to them how to testify to their faith,” rejoined
the prebend.
Bonner having descended from the pulpit, a votive mass for taking away
schism was performed by Gardiner, who solemnly pronounced the
oration:—_Deus qui errata corrigis, et dispersa congregas, et congregata
conservas; quæsumus, super populum Christianum tuæ unionis gratiam
clementer infunde: ut divisione rejecta, vero Pastori Ecclesiæ tuæ se
venies, tibi dignè valeat famulari_.
Mass ended, the _Dies Iræ_ was sung by the choir of the Black Canons,
and, while this was proceeding, the _cortége_ began to move, passing
slowly before the altar, preparatory to quitting the church.
As before, a long array of priests with banners walked with noiseless
tread, bowing reverently as they passed the altar. Then came the
recusants, carrying their lighted tapers, but not a knee was bent
amongst them, not a head inclined.
Last amongst these walked Constance, alone. She had to pass close by
Philip, who was seated on the faldstool, with Gardiner and Father
Alfonso beside him, and as she approached him, her strength began to
fail, and her knees tottered. She tried to summon all her energies, but
in vain. In another moment she felt she must sink. Philip’s gaze was
fixed steadily upon her. A desperate effort to pass deprived her of the
little strength left, and with a cry she let fall the taper, and would
have sunk upon the pavement if the King himself had not caught her.
“Oh that I could die!” she gasped.
“No, you must live for me, Constance,” whispered Philip, passionately.
She looked at him for a moment with mingled fear and aversion, and then
closed her eyes.
“She has swooned,” said the King, consigning her to Rodomont, who had
been marching behind her. “Take her where she can be tended.”
In obedience to the injunction, Rodomont bore her to the sacristy, where
restoratives were applied by a monk, who acted as physician to the
brotherhood of the Black Canons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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