“The Sheriff was good to me,” she whispered. “Mr Underhill said, ‘Would it please you of your gentleness, to stay your prisoner five minutes? Here is his daughter that would speak with him.’ And he stayed, and gave us leave to speak—more than five minutes.”
She dried her eyes, and smoothed back her hair.
“Now,” she said, “I can go to her.”
“God go with you, my poor child!” answered Isoult Thekla paused a moment before she set her foot on the stairs. “I feel,” she said, “as if I wanted Him very near to-night.”
On Thursday, the 30th of May, Cardmaker and Warne were burned in Smithfield. And on the 10th of June, in the same place, died John Bradford, saying he should have a merry supper with the Lord that night.
Four days afterwards came Austin Bernher.
“How do you all?” asked he.
“Marry, I shall do better when I know whence you come,” said poor Mrs Rose, lifting her heavy eyes.
“Then I come from Norwich,” saith he, “and, I hope, with good news. Mr Rose hath been examined twice afore the Bishop, the last day of this last month, and the seventh of this, but is not yet sentenced. He is kept in the Green Yard, next the Cathedral; and the charge against him is that he hath held and defended in public that in the Eucharist, or Sacrament of the Altar, the true, natural, and real body of Christ, and the true, natural, and real blood of Christ, under the espèce of bread and wine, be not in verity; but that after consecration, the substance of bread and wine remaineth; and that whoso shall adore that substance shall commit idolatry, and shall give Divine honour unto a creature of God. And then he was asked but one question, ‘Whether you will be obedient to the laws of the Catholic Church, whereof the Church of England is a member?’ This was in the indictment; but the Bishop talked with him no little, and saith unto him, ‘You have preached (quoth he) that the presence of Christ is not in the sacrament. What say you to that?’ ‘Verily, I say,’ Mr Rose answered, ‘that you are a bloody man, and seek to quench your thirst in the blood of an innocent. I have so preached,’ saith he, ‘yea, and I will so preach again.’”
“Gramercy!” cried Isoult.