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
A jovial, merry, gallant gentleman was George Ferris; and a Protestant--
of some sort. But he outlived the persecution. It was not of such
stuff as _his_ that martyrs were made. The gorgeous pageants were over,
and the bitter suffering came back.
Parliament was opened on the 13th of November, with a solemn mass of the
Holy Ghost, the Queen herself being present in her robes; but as soon as
the mass began, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishops of Lincoln and
Hereford, rose and attempted to walk out of the House. Hands were laid
on the Bishop of Lincoln, and his Parliament robe taken from him; and
upon confession of his faith, (which he made boldly) he was cited before
the Council. The Archbishop and the Bishop of Hereford were suffered to
depart for that time; but rumour ran that Hereford would soon be
deprived, being a married priest. Perhaps he was not made of metal that
would bear the furnace; for God took His child home, before the day of
suffering came. The rough wind was stayed again in the day of the east
wind. But on the 14th of November came a more woeful sight. For the
prisoners in the Tower were led on foot to the Guild Hall, the axe
carried before them, there to be judged. First walked the Archbishop of
Canterbury, his face cast down, between two others. Then followed the
Lord Guilford Dudley, also between two. After him came his wife, the
Lady Jane, apparelled in black, a black velvet book hanging at her
girdle, and another open in her hand. After her followed her two
gentlewomen, and Lords Ambrose and Henry Dudley. The Archbishop was
attainted for treason, although he had utterly refused to subscribe the
King's letters patent for the disinheriting of his sisters.
Late in the evening Mr Ive looked in, to say that he hath spent all the
day at the Guild Hall, and brought the sad news that the gentle Lady
Jane and all the Lords Dudley were condemned to death. It was expected,
however, that the Queen would not suffer the sentence to be executed on
her own cousin Lady Jane. The Archbishop, Mr Ive told them, came back
to the Tower, looking as joyful as he had before been cast down. He was
entirely acquitted of treason, and remanded to be tried for heresy; for
which he blessed God in the hearing of the Court.
"One step more," said Mr Rose to Avery, whom he met in Cheapside. "The
old service-book of King Henry must now be used, and the new of King
Edward put away; and in every church in London shall the mass be next
Sunday or Monday. And Saint Katherine's Eve shall be processions, and
Saint Nicholas shall go about as aforetime."
So, slowly and darkly, closed the black year, 1553.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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