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
The same day, in the general meeting of the Bishops assembled at
Lambeth, Cardinal Pole reproved some for too much harshness, these
doubtless being London and Winchester. Of Cardinal Pole himself people
spoke diversely; some saying that he was the gentlest of all the Popish
Bishops, and had been known to visit Bishop Bonner's burnings ere the
fire was lighted, and to free all of his own diocese: while others
maintained that under the appearance of softness he masked great
severity. Old Bishop Tunstal was perhaps the best to deal with; for he
"barked the more that he might bite the less." If a Protestant were
brought before him, he would bluster and threaten, and end after all in
fining the man a few nobles, or locking him up for three days, and
similar slight penalties. Worst of all was Bonner: who scourged men,
ay, and little children, with his own hands, and seemed to revel in the
blood of the martyrs. Yet there came a time when even this monster
cried out that he was weary of his work. As Bishop of London, said he,
he was close under the eyes of the Court, and two there gave him no
rest. For those two--King Philip and Dr Gardiner--were never weary.
Drunk with the blood of the saints, they yet cried ceaselessly for more;
they filled London and the whole land, as Manasseh did Jerusalem, with
innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.
In the same month, by command of Bishop Bonner, Mr Prebendary Rogers was
removed from the Marshalsea to Newgate, and there set among the common
felons. At this time, the worst of all the prisons was Newgate
(excepting the Bishop of London's coal-hole, where Archdeacon Philpot
and others were placed); somewhat better was the Marshalsea; still
better the Fleet; and easiest of all the Counter, where untried
prisoners were commonly kept to await their trial. Alexander, the
keeper of Newgate, was wont to go to Bishop Bonner, crying, "Ease my
prison! I am too much pestered with these heretics." And then an
easement of the prison was made, by the burning of the prisoners.
Men grow not into monsters all at once. It is a gradual proceeding,
though they generally run the faster as they near the end. But the
seeds of the very same sin lie in all human hearts, and the very same
thing, by the withdrawal of God's Spirit, would take place in all.
God's restraining grace is no less marvellous than His renewing grace.
This world would be a den of wild beasts but for it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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