Robin Tremayne: A Story of the Marian PersecutionHolt, Emily Sarah
History
Robin Tremayne: A Story of the Marian Persecution
Holt, Emily Sarah
Great Britain -- Church history -- 16th century -- Fiction; Historical fiction
As the party reached Saint Katherine's on their way to the christening,
the Lords of the Council were just riding out of the western gate of the
Tower. These were the Earls of Pembroke, Shrewsbury, and Arundel, the
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Lord Mayor, and sundry knights.
The Duke of Suffolk was left behind. The truth was, that he would have
been in the way. The Council said that it was going to give audience to
the French Ambassador; but it was really bound on a very different
errand. Lady Throgmorton was the Queen's deputy at the christening, and
named the child Guilford.
"Named for a Dudley!" whispered the irrepressible Dr Thorpe to Isoult.
"He will not thrive, take my word for it--unless he turn out a rascal."
Before the ceremony was ended, a great noise was heard in the City:
shouting, singing, and roaring all together. The baptism over, Lady
Throgmorton returned into the Tower; and the rest of the party went on
to the Lamb, where they were all going to pass the afternoon. Mistress
Helen Ive [a fictitious person], the High Constable's daughter, carried
the baby, and accompanied Isoult; but Mr Ive said he would go up to
Aldgate, and see what all the tumult had been; so away he went, while
the others rested and talked, and ate ale-brew [ale and bread, sometimes
called aleberry] and spiced cake; and Kate was wonderfully pleased with
the baby. All at once, as they sat thus, Mr Ive returned, his face
showing that he brought strange tidings.
"They have proclaimed Queen Mary!" he cried breathlessly.
"Who have?" asked Mr Underhill, turning round.
"The Lords of the Council," answered he.
"Robin Hood's tales!" cried Mr Underhill.
"'Tis truth," responded Mr Ive.
"The Council of Queen Jane to proclaim Queen Mary!" said Mr Underhill,
scornfully. "Ive, you are mad as a March hare."
"`Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton,'" said Dr Thorpe, shrugging his
shoulders.
"Bate your aces, and catch your March hares," answered Mr Ive, who took
all this banter very pleasantly; "but this is truth that I do tell you.
An hour gone, we being in the church, when we heard that mighty bruit
from the City, was Queen Mary proclaimed in Cheapside by the Council.
Their audience to the French King's Ambassador was but a feint, to get
well and all together out of the Tower. And when they came to the
Chepe, they called an halt; and my Lord of Arundel, stepping forwards,
did there, in the hearing of all the people, proclaim--`Mary, by the
grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen'--and so forth.
And no sooner said than every man in the street flung up his cap, and
the people cheered as they had gone mad for joy. The Earl of Pembroke
threw down in the street his cap full of angelets."
"My word on't, but I would Walter had been there, to run about and
gather them up!" said Dr Thorpe. "We might have gleaned that comfort
thence, at least."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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