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
"Why," answered he, "the Lord Cobham and Tom Wyatt be up in Kent, and my
Lord Warden of Dover, and many another, to resist the Queen's marriage,
and to remove certain councillors from her, which (as I take it) is
another way of spelling Stephen Gardiner's name: and my Lord of Suffolk,
and his two brothers [John and Thomas Grey], are fled from Shene (on
pretence of going to the Court), no man knows whither: and Rochester
Bridge is taken of one set of rebels, and Exeter of them in Devon--"
"Alack the day!" cried Isoult, her Devon blood stirring.
"And five hundred harnessed men are called to take the field against
Wyatt. We Pensioners go down to White Hall to guard the Queen."
And Mr Underhill shut the door, and they saw no more of him.
There was some trouble. On the 30th of January, the old Duke of Norfolk
and others marched against Sir Thomas Wyatt, but the same night they
came back in disorder, flying over London Bridge with only a fourth part
of their company. Mr Brent, the Lamb's next neighbour, who was one of
the little army, came home with his "coat turned, and all ruinated, and
not a string to his bow." They brought news that Wyatt was coming fast
on Southwark.
On the 1st of February came the Queen herself to Guild Hall, her sceptre
in her hand, which was a token of peace; and Bishop Gardiner attending
her, which was a token of blood. She made an oration to the people,
which she had learned without book; and when it was done,--"O how happy
are we," cried Bishop Gardiner, "to whom God hath given such a wise and
learned Queen!" Which outcry Dr Thorpe said was "as good as proof that
the Bishop himself writ the oration."
Wyatt and his company entered Southwark on the eve of Quinquagesima
Sunday, by four o'clock; and before five he had made a bulwark at the
bridge-foot, and fortified himself; but the Queen's men still held the
bridge against him. The next morning, Mr Rose, with Mrs Rose and
Thekla, came to the Lamb, read the service out of the Prayer Book, and
preached: but they were afraid to sing. At nine o'clock on Tuesday
morning Wyatt drew off his men, seeing that he could not take the
bridge, and turned towards Kingston.
In the evening came in Mr Underhill, in armour, with his pole-axe in his
hand, which he set down in a corner, and sat down and talked for an
hour.
"So Wyatt is gone?" said Dr Thorpe.
"Gone about to strengthen himself," answered Mr Underhill. "He is
coming back, take my word for it. He said unto his soldiers that he
would pay them the next time in Cheapside; and unto the men that held
the bridge quoth he,--`Twice have I knocked, and not been suffered to
enter; if I knock the third time I will come in, by God's grace!'"
"What did you at the Court?" said Dr Thorpe. "Is good watch kept?"
Mr Underhill laughed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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