About this time, William Marsh, a knight, of whom mention has been made, while he was still in the above-mentioned island, plundering and planning ambushes, was himself captured by a stratagem, carried out by the king’s loyal servants, loaded with chains, brought to London and thrown into the Tower. His capture was brought about by the treachery of some of his band. His stronghold was situated on a very high rock, surrounded on all sides by the sea, absolutely impregnable, for none could get access to it otherwise than by a ladder, and that in but one place. William sitting down to table, during foggy weather, had imprudently left the watch of this post to a man who, being detained by William by force, was therefore ready to betray him.
SIR WILLIAM DE MARISCO (WILLIAM MARSH) DRAWN TO THE GALLOWS IN 1242.
On the eve of St. James [July 25], by virtue of the king’s mandate, the said William and sixteen of his band, taken with him, were judicially condemned, and put to death ignominiously, for so the king willed.
First, therefore, he was drawn from Westminster to the Tower of London, and thence to that instrument of punishment, commonly called a gibbet: when he had there breathed out his wretched soul, he was hanged on one of the hooks, and when the body was stiff it was let down and disembowelled, and the bowels were at once burnt on the spot. Then the miserable body was divided into four parts, which were sent to four of the chief cities, so that this lamentable spectacle might inspire fear in all beholders. All his sixteen companions were drawn at the tails of horses through the City of London, and hanged on the gallows. But the said William, after sentence was passed on him, and when he was about to face death, protested to his last breath, invoking the divine judgment, that he was innocent, pure, and wholly without blame, as well in respect of the criminal attempt on the king, as of the death of the above-mentioned messenger, that is to say, Clement. Nor did he take refuge in the said island except to avoid by his flight the king’s anger, which he had above all things desired to appease, either by ordeal of any kind, or otherwise by submission. But after he had fled to the said island, and had got together his band, he had no choice but to plunder in order to maintain a wretched existence. He poured out his soul to God, in confession to John of St. Giles, a friar of the order of preachers: with contrition and tears he admitted his sins, not seeking to extenuate them, but even accusing himself. Therefore the friar preacher, a discreet man, who received his confession, gave him gentle consolation, and dismissed him in peace, exhorting him to suffer his punishment with patience, as a means of penance. And, therefore, as has been said, he suffered—dreadful to tell—not one death only, but several horrible deaths.[117]
1255. The story of Little St. Hugh, the Martyr of Lincoln, comes into the Annals of Tyburn through the execution of eighteen Jews supposed to have been guilty. It is interesting to see what Chaucer has made out of this squalid tragedy in the Prioress’s Tale, one of the most beautiful of the Canterbury Tales. The reader will not need to be reminded that Norwich had its boy-martyr, St. William, supposed to be done to death in the same way in 1144. Bury St. Edmund’s had also its boy-martyr.[118]
Matthew Paris tells the story:—
About the time of the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Jews of Lincoln stole a boy named Hugh, about eight years of age. They kept him shut up in a very secret room, where they gave him milk, and other food such as is given to children, and sent word to most of the cities of England in which Jews dwelt, summoning from each some Jews to be present at the sacrifice which was to take place in Lincoln, in contempt and derision of Jesus Christ. For, as they said, they had a child hidden in preparation for the sacrifice. And many assembled at Lincoln; and when they were gathered together, they appointed a Jew as judge, as it were Pilate, by whose sentence, approved by all, the boy suffered various tortures. He was beaten till blood was drawn and his body was black and blue: crowned with thorns: spat upon and overwhelmed with jibes: then each one pricked him with knives of the kind called anelaces: he was made to drink gall, and, jeering at him, and grinding their teeth, they called him false prophet. And when they had thus mocked him in many ways, they crucified him, and thrust a lance into his heart. And when the boy was dead, they took the body down from the cross and took the bowels out of the little body, for what purpose is not known, but it is said that it was for some practice of magic.
Now the mother of the child diligently sought for her son during many days. In the end the neighbours told her that they had last seen the boy playing with some Jewish boys of his own age, and that he went into the house of a certain Jew. At once, therefore, the woman went into that house, where she saw the body of her son, which had been thrown into a well. The bailiffs of the city, having been cautiously got together, the body was found and taken out of the well, and exhibited to the people. But the mother of the boy, crying aloud and lamenting, excited to tears and sighs, all, yes, all the citizens who had flocked together. Now there was present Sir John of Lexinton, a man circumspect, discreet and of elegant literary acquirements, who said: “We had already heard that the Jews have not feared to do such things in contempt of our crucified Lord, Jesus Christ.” And one Jew being arrested, into whose house the boy had gone, in playing about, on whom therefore suspicion fell rather than upon others, he said to him: “Wretch, thou knowest that all thou hast to expect is swift destruction. All the gold of England cannot suffice to free or redeem thee. Nevertheless, I tell thee, however unworthy thou art, how thou canst save thy life, and thy limbs from torture. Both things I promise to thee if thou dost not fear to tell me without falsehood all that has taken place.” Then the Jew, whose name was Copin, thinking he had found a way of escape, said: “Sir John, if your deeds are as good as your words I will tell you strange things.” And Sir John carefully heartened him and pressed him. Then said the Jew: “What the Christians say is true. The Jews nearly every year crucify a boy in derision and contempt of Jesus Christ. But this is not found out every year, because it is done secretly and in remote and hidden places. But our Jews have most pitilessly crucified this boy, named Hugh, and when he was dead and they wished to conceal his death they knew not how either to bury or to hide him. For they had no further need of the body of the innocent for augury: for that purpose they had taken out the bowels. But in the morning, when they thought it was hidden, the earth rejected it and threw it up, and the body appeared for a while on the earth, unburied, which frightened the Jews. Then they threw the body into a well, but even so it could not be hidden. The mother, making enquiry, found the body and gave notice to the bailiffs.” Sir John had the Jew put in chains.
And when the canons of the cathedral church of Lincoln learnt of these things, they begged that the little body might be given to them, and this was done. And when it had been seen by a great number of people, the body was buried in the church of Lincoln, as that of a precious martyr. It is to be noted that the Jews had kept the boy alive ten days, and had fed him upon milk, so that he might live to bear all kinds of torture.