It is a mistake, again, to suppose that the lessons of persecution were
taught at Smithfield alone. They were industriously taught from many
centres. There were burnings at Stratford-le-Bow: at Stepney: at
Westminster: beyond St. George's, Southwark, at Newington; while the
vast crowds which attended a burning and imbibed these lessons of fear
and hatred are shown by two entries alone in Machyn's Diary, 1556. 'The
xxvij day of June rod from Newgate unto Stratford-a-bow, in iii cares
xiij, xj men and ij women, and there bornyd (burned) to iiij postes, and
there where a xx M pepull.'
[Illustration: TOMB OF BISHOP ANDREWS, ST. MARY OVERIES]
And again, 1556. 'The xxij day of January whent in to Smythfield to
berne between vii and viij in the morning v men and ij women: on of the
men was a gentyllman of the endor tempull, ys nam Master Grén; and they
were all bornyd by ix at iij postes. And ther wher a commonment
throughe London over nyght that no young folke shuld come ther, for
ther the grettest number was as has byne sene at swyche a tyme.'
Therefore it is evident, first, that enormous crowds gathered together
to witness the sufferings of the victims, and to note their constancy in
the hour of agony; secondly, that the authorities were becoming alarmed
at the effect which these examples might have upon the young. No young
people were permitted to be present. We may be sure that the prohibition
was openly defied.
As for Gardiner, he died soon after the martyr fires began, stricken,
said his enemies, by the hand of God in punishment for his cruelties.
His physicians, I believe, called it gout in the stomach, a reading
which one prefers, because Gardiner was no worse than the rest of them,
and after his death there was no abatement, but rather an increase, in
the burnings. He had, however, a very fine funeral, which began at the
church of St. Mary Overies, and was continued all the way to Winchester,
where the place of his burial and his Chantry Chapel may still be seen.
Of this function, Machyn gives a short account, but it shall suffice. It
must be remembered that Gardiner was not only a very great person, but
that he was also believed to be the natural son of Bishop Woodville,
and, if the belief was well founded, he was therefore a cousin of the
Queen. But this may be scandal. Machyn, the chronicler of funerals, thus
describes Gardiner's funeral.
[Illustration: A CORNER IN ST. SAVIOUR'S, SOUTHWARK]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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