“But thank God he is not a priest!” she said; and the tears rose to her eyes.
Meanwhile, John and Mr Rose were engaged in their private discourse. It was settled between them that the same day, two years later—August 20th, 1555—should be the date fixed, before which, if Robin should not have been ordained, he should give up the expectation of it, and marry Thekla. Mr Holland, being taken into confidence, not only expressed his sense of the wisdom of this arrangement, but at once offered, if Robin wished it, to receive him without premium. This part of the subject, however, was left for future decision.
Helen Ive brought word from Mrs Underhill, that Mr Throgmorton had readily promised to intercede for his cousin, as soon as he found a satisfactory opportunity; which meant, when certain members of the Council, adverse to Underhill, should be absent.
The persecution had begun in good earnest now. The imprisonment of Bishop Ridley and Mr Underhill, and the deprivation of Mr Rose, were only the beginning of sorrows. On the 16th of August, Mr John Bradford of Manchester was sent to the Tower; and Mr Prebendary Rogers confined to his own house, nor allowed to speak with any person out of it. And on Friday and Saturday, the 18th and 19th, were condemned to death in the high court at Westminster, the great Duke of Northumberland, who so many years had been all but a king in England; and the Marquis of Northampton, and the Earl of Warwick (son of the Duke), and Sir Andrew Dudley, the Duke’s brother, and Sir Thomas Palmer. The judges were the Lord Treasurer, and the old Duke of Norfolk, the last only just released from the Tower, where he had been a prisoner seven years.
“God’s mill grindeth slowly, but it grindeth small.” He sitteth at the disposing of the lots—there is no blind chance, for Him: and it was the Lord who had these sinners in derision, who sat above the water-floods, and stilled the raging of the people.
And if God’s earthly judgments, that come now and then, be so terrific, what shall be that last judgment of His Great White Throne, when every man shall receive the things done in the body?
The great traitors—Northumberland and Palmer—the lesser traitor, Northampton,—and the innocent Warwick, were tried and sentenced to death. On the following morning, mass was sung in the Tower; and the Duke, the Marquis of Northampton, Sir Andrew Dudley, Sir Harry Gates, and Sir Thomas Palmer, received the sacrament in one kind only. Then the Duke, turning to those present (who were many) said “he had been seduced these sixteen years by the false and erroneous doctrine of the new preachers (namely, the Gospel), but he was now assured and did believe that the Sacrament there present was our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” Then he knelt down and asked of all men forgiveness, and said he forgave all men. The Duke of Somerset’s sons were standing by (who had something to forgive that miserable sinner), and the Lady Jane saw the Duke pass by to the chapel from her window.
“Lo’ you now!” said John, “this was the chosen head of the Lutheran party!”
“He was never mine,” replied Dr Thorpe.
“How long is it sithence you were a Lutheran?” answered he.