Yes: those were happy Days! All the fairer they seem now, for the dark ones that were coming. The only Sorrow among us that I remember was when the Pestilence brake out, in the fifth Year of our young King, which at first only prevailed in the North, but at length reached London, where it raged with prodigious Fury, carrying off eight Hundred Souls the first Week, and mostly after a Sickness of only twelve or twenty-four Hours. We had it not on the Bridge, which was attributed to the free Access of fresh Air to our Dwellings; howbeit, Mistress Anne (like a ministering Angel as she was,—such a Child, too! only in her twelfth Year!) must needs go about, relieving poor Wretches in their Dwellings; whereby she caught a low Fever that brought her to Death's Door, and filled the House with Tears. If my Master, a Man in Years, forbare not to weep, Reason was, a Lad such as I should weep too. Howbeit, through the Grace of God, she recovered: but for a long Time she was too enfeebled to walk, wherefore Master Hewet took her much on the Water during the long Summer Evenings, after we had been nigh stifled by the Day's sultry Heat. For the eastern Side of the House was close; and the western, though open, yet was much exposed to the Glare of the Sun on the River. We shut it out with Blinds and Lattices all we could; but still, the Crown of the Day was after Sundown on the Water. Master Hewet liked his 'Prentices to pull; and sometimes we fell into the Wake of some Court Barge with Horns and Sackbuts, and lay on our Oars; Mistress Anne full silent, resting her Head, for Weakness, against my Master's Shoulder, and with the Tears sometimes stealing down from her large, bright Eyes. My Master carried her down to the Boat, but 'twas my Portion, for I will not say Burthen, to carry her up. How light she was! She did not much like it, and managed presently to ascend slowly, with the help of my Master's Arm; but I remember the Goodness and Sweetness with which, with a sweet Blush on her Face, she sayth, "Do you remember the first Time? But for thee, I had not been here now."
As she strengthened, we kept out longer, and went up to Chelsea and Fulham, and rambled about the pleasant Fields; eating Curds and Cream at Milkhouses, and returning by Moonlight; Miles and I singing, "Row the Boat, Norman."
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"Eating Curds & Cream"
Then Master Hewet carried her down into the Country, to the Hall of his Brother the Squire; and there she abode till she was quite well. When she returned, the Leaves were falling, and Master Hewet would walk with her of an Evening to Finsbury Fields, and stand with her at a Distance to see us young Men shoot the long Bow, leap, wrestle, cast the Stone, and practise our Shields; in all which, Miles came in for his full Share of Praise; and I was always well content to be thought equal to him. Sometimes I overshot him, sometimes he overshot me; sometimes I outleaped him, sometimes he outleaped me; but we loved the Game beyond the Competition; there was never any ill Blood between us.
'Twas on All Saints' Day, this Year, that the new Service Book, called of Common Prayer, was first used in Paul's Church, and the like throughout the whole City. Dr. Ridley, Bishop of London, performed the same in Paul's, in his Rochet only; and in the Afternoon preached at Paul's Cross before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery Companies, which Sermon, being on the Subject of the new Service, lasted till five o' the Clock, so that, the Days being short, we returned by Torch-light.
Then had the Church great Rest. The Enemy, knowing his Time was at Hand, lay mighty quiet: and, for the Multitude of notable Foreigners that resorted to us for Safeguard, England might have been called Christi Asylum. Howbeit, the Canker was already i' the Bud!
The King, earlier in the Year, had ta'en the Measles; and during the Summer, had ridden a Progress with greater Magnificence than ever he had done before. In the January following, whether procured by sinister Practice or natural Infirmity, he fell into an Indisposition of Body which soon grew to a Cough of the Lungs. Perhaps it had been happy if Lord Robert Dudley (now my Lord of Leicester,) had not recently been sworn one of the six Gentlemen of the King's Chamber ... we must not speak ill, Hew, of them that are set high in Authority, save upon great Conviction and Certitude: howbeit, you and I know what the private Report of that Gentleman is—When I'm sick, don't give me a Leicester Cordial, that's all!
The common Talk was, that a poisoned Nosegay had been given the pretty Boy at New-year's-tide, which brought him into this slow but deadly Languishment. To think, what Poison may lie 'neath Flowers! At all Events, the Duke of Northumberland, now the powerfullest Man in the Realm since he had swallowed up his unhappy Rival Somerset, beginneth to aim at nothing short of Crown matrimonial for his young Son Lord Guilford Dudley, lately espoused to the Lady Jane Grey; therefore inculcateth on the kingly Boy now a-dying, how much it concerned him to have a Care for Religion, not only during Life, but after his Death; which could not be preserved in its Purity to the Realm should the Lady Mary succeed; and, if he set aside one Sister, he might as well put away the other also, and devise his Crown to her who after them was his next Kinswoman, the good and godly Lady Jane.