Sir Henry now marshalled his prisoners for transport to Worcester. He
described them to the authorities as "Humphrey Phillips alias Henry
Garnet; John Vincent alias Hall; Thomas Abington, Esquire; William
Androwes alias Nicholas Owen, either a priest or servant to Garnet;
George Chambers, servant of Hall; Edward Jarrett, servant of Mrs
Dorathie Abington; William Glandishe, servant of Mr Abington." [Note
5.] Mr Abington and the priests were taken to Worcester in Sir Henry's
coach. The mind of that gentleman was somewhat exercised as to what he
was to do with them when he got them there. Before leaving Hendlip he
had promised to place them in the house of some bailiff or citizen; but
as they were driving into Worcester, he said uneasily--
"My masters, I cannot do for you as I would; I must needs send you to
the gaol."
"In God's name!" [Note 6] responded Garnet. "But I hope you will
provide we have not irons, for we are lame already, and shall not be
able to ride after, to London."
Sir Henry's tender heart was touched at once.
"Well," said he, "I will think of it."
He thought of it to such purpose, that when they reached the inn, he
placed Garnet in a private room, with a guard--his Reverence says, "to
avoid the people's gazing;" Sir Henry would probably have added that it
was also in order to prevent the prisoner's disappearance. After
despatching his business he ordered his coach, and took his prisoners
home with him to Holt Castle. Here, on their own testimony, they were
"exceeding well used, and dined and supped with him and his every
day,"--not without some apprehension on the part of their kindly gaoler
that they might reward him by perverting his young daughters from the
Protestant faith.
When Candlemas Day came, Sir Henry "made a great dinner to end
Christmas," and sent for wine to drink the King's health. It was then
customary for gentlemen always to dine with their hats on, and to
uncover when a royal toast was proposed. The hats were doffed
accordingly. The wine came in, and with it a wax candle, lighted--a
blessed candle taken at Hendlip, among the "Popish trash," and destined
for use on the services of that very day, having "Jesus" painted on one
side of it, and "Maria" on the other. Garnet's heart leaped at the
familiar sight, and he begged leave to take the candle in his hand.
Passing it to Mr Hall, he said, half joyfully, half sadly--
"I am glad yet, that I have carried a holy candle on Candlemas Day."
Restoring the holy wax to the unholy candlestick, the priests drank the
King's health in what Mr Garnet is kind enough to tell us was "a
reasonable glass"--a piece of information the more valuable, since this
adjective was not always applicable to his Reverence's glasses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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