Robin Tremayne Part 41

"Gospeller! no, not he!" cried Mr Underhill. "Verily, I know not what religion he professeth; but this know I, that he beareth about in his heart and conversation never a spark of any. He and I were well acquaint once, in my blind days, ere I fell to reading the Scriptures, and following the preachers. I have sat many a night at the dice with him and Miles Partridge, and Busking Palmer--"

"Mr Underhill!" exclaimed Isoult, "knew you Sir Thomas Palmer?"

"Knew him?" said he; "yea, on my word, did I, and have lost many a broad shilling to him, and many a gold n.o.ble to boot. Ay," he pursued, for him very sadly, "there were a parcel of losels [profligates] of us, that swallowed down iniquity like water, in that old time. And now-- Partridge is dead, and Palmer is dead, and Bagenall is yet as he was then. And wherefore G.o.d should have touched the heart of one of the worst of those sinners, named Edward Underhill"--(and he rose, and lifted his cap from his head, as he looked on high)--"Lord, Thou hast mercy on whom Thou wilt have mercy!"

Isoult thought she had never heard Mr Underhill speak so solemnly before.

When Dr Thorpe came from the barber's, on the 4th of February, he looked very thoughtful and pensive.

"What news abroad, Doctor?" inquired Isoult.

"The first drop of the thunder-shower, child," he answered. "This morrow Mr Prebendary Rogers was burned in Smithfield."

"Gramercy!" cried John. "I saw flame shoot up beyond the gate, and I thought there was some fire near Newgate. I never thought of _that_ fire."

In the evening came Austin, who had been last with the martyr. Isoult asked him if he suffered much.

"I would say, no," replied he. "He died very quietly, washing his hands in the flame as it rose. His wife and his eleven childre (one born sithence he was put in prison) met him in his last journey."

"G.o.d help them, poor souls!" cried Isoult.

"When Sheriff Woodroofe said he was an heretic," pursued he, "he said, 'That shall be known at the Day of Judgment.' Then said he, 'I will never pray for thee.' 'But I will pray for you,' he answered. He sang _Miserere_ by the way, and refused the pardon which was offered him."

"Is it _very_ fearful, Austin," said Isoult, "to see any burn?"

"Only not so," he answered, his face changing, "when you think of the Home whereto they are going, and of the glorious welcome which Christ the King shall give them."

"And what think you?" said John. "Shall there be yet more burnings, or is this merely to strike terror, and shall stand alone?"

"I think," replied he, "nor am I alone in my thought,--that it is the first drop of the thunder-storm."

Isoult was struck by his use of the very words of Dr Thorpe.

"Ill times these," remarked Mr Underhill, entering the Lamb, ten days later.

"Ill, in very sooth," said Dr Thorpe. "It shall take us the rest of this month to get over the burning of Mr Rogers."

"Marry, is that all you know!" said Mr Underhill, standing and looking round. "You live a marvellous quiet life; thank G.o.d for it."

"What mean you?" cried Mrs Rose, springing to her feet.

"Sit down, Mrs Rose, sit down," said he, gently. "I am sorry I frighted you--there was no need. But is it possible you know not, all, that Mr Lawrence Saunders of All Hallows hath been burned at Coventry, and Bishop Hooper at Gloucester?"

"Bishop Hooper!" cried all the voices together.

"Ay," replied he, "or so was to be, five days gone; and this day is Bishop Ferrar departed toward Saint David's, where he also shall die."

They sat silent from very horror.

At last John said, "Methinks there shall be some stir among the angels at such a time."

"Among the devils, I should think," answered Mr Underhill. "There be no particular tidings yet; but when Austin cometh to London we shall hear all. They say, moreover, Mr Bradford shall die ere long; and, for all his turning, Mr Cardmaker."

"The fiends!" cried Dr Thorpe. "If they will rob a man of Heaven, they might leave him earth!"

"Friend," said John, softly, "they can rob the most of us of earth, but they _must_ leave us Heaven."

When the ladies retired, Isoult asked Mrs Rose why she was so pale and heavy-eyed. The tears sprang to her eyes.

"O Isoult!" cried she, "since the burning of Mr Rogers I have scarcely slept at all. And when I do sleep--" she shuddered, and turned away her head.

"_Hermana mia_ [my sister], I see _him_--and the fire."

She did not mean Mr Rogers.

The party gathered on Ash Wednesday at Mr Underhill's house in Wood Street, where Austin Bernher was come with news; and Mr Underhill desiring to know all, had asked his friends from the Lamb to come and hear also; yet he dared not ask more than those from one house, lest the bloodhounds should get scent of it, and mischief should ensue.

So Austin told all the horrible story; for a horrible story it was. He was not at Mr Saunders' burning, but he had seen some one who told him particulars of it. To the Bishop of London, who degraded him, Saunders said, "I thank G.o.d I am none of your Church." And when he came to the stake, he embraced and kissed it, saying, "Welcome the cross of Christ!

Welcome everlasting life!" And so "being fastened to the stake, and fire put to him, full sweetly he slept in the Lord." [Foxe, Acts and Monuments, Pratt's Townshend's edition, six, 428.]

But Austin himself was at Gloucester, where Bishop Hooper suffered his pa.s.sion. "A pa.s.sion indeed," said he, "for I think never man was burned that had more pains of death. Afore he went into the fire, the gentle Bishop lift up his hands, and said, 'Lord, I am h.e.l.l, but Thou art Heaven!' And 'Strengthen me, of Thy goodness, that in the fire I break not the rules of patience; or else a.s.suage the terror of the pains, as shall seem most to Thy glory.' And G.o.d did strengthen him, for he was patience herself, though the wood laid to him was all green, and the wind blew the fire away from him, so that he was long dying, and had an hard death. It was a lowering, cold morning, and the fire first kindled went out, having only touched his lower half. You have seen him, and know how high of stature he was. But he said only, in a mild voice, 'O Jesus, Son of David! have mercy upon me, and receive my soul.' Then they fetched fresh f.a.ggots, but that fire was spent also. He did but say softly, 'For G.o.d's love, good people, let me have more fire.' This was the worst his agony could wring from him. The third fire kindled was more extreme, and reached at last the barrels of gunpowder. Then, when he saw the flame shoot up toward them, he cried, 'Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' And so, bowing forward his head, he died at last as quietly as a child in his bed." [Note 1.]

"O Austin, how frightful!" cried Isoult: and though she said no more, she wondered secretly if that would ever be the case with her.

"On his way to the stake," resumed Austin, "they essayed to make him turn. Saith Sir Anthony Kingston unto him, 'Life is sweet, and death bitter.' 'Truth, friend,' quoth the Bishop; 'yet is the death to come more bitter, and the life to come more sweet.'"

"He hath found it so ere now," said John, softly.

"But have you," pursued Austin, "heard of Dr Taylor's burning?"

"Not of the inwards thereof," answered Mr Underhill, "only of the act."

"Well," said Austin, "when Bishop Bonner came to degrade him, quoth the Bishop, 'I wish you would remember yourself, and turn to your mother, holy Church.' Then said Dr Taylor, 'I wish you and your fellows would turn to Christ. As for me, I will not turn to Antichrist.' And at the first, when he come afore my Lord Keeper [Bishop Gardiner], quoth he--'Art thou come, thou villain? How darest thou look me in the face for shame? Knowest thou not who I am?' with a great and big voice.

Then said Dr Taylor, 'Yes, I know who you are. Ye are Dr Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor; and yet but a mortal man, I trow. But if I should be afraid of your lordly looks, why fear you not G.o.d, the Lord of us all? How dare ye for shame look any Christian man in the face, seeing ye have forsaken the truth, denied our Saviour Christ and His Word, and done contrary to your own oath and writing?' with more to the same end."

"My word on't," saith Dr Thorpe, "but yonder is a jolly hearing. I am right glad my Lord Chancellor got so well swinged!"

"Suffered Dr Taylor much, Austin?" asked Isoult.

"I trow not," answered he. "When he came nigh Hadleigh, the Sheriff asked him how he did. Quoth he, 'Well, G.o.d be praised, good Master Sheriff, never better; for now I know I am almost at home. I lack not past two stiles to go over, and I am even at my Father's house.' He was a very tall and great man, with long snow-white beard and head; and he stood in the fire with his hands folded, and never moved nor spake, till one struck him on the head with a halberd (I know not whether it were in malice or in compa.s.sion) and he fell down dead into the midst of the fire."

"Well!" said Dr Thorpe, "I will tell you a thing: I would my gossips had named me any thing but Stephen."

"There was a Stephen the first martyr," suggested Austin; "comfort you with that remembrance."

"Verily," answered he; "yet I love not to be called the name which Satan hath chose for himself on his incarnation."

One thing strange to human, reason is worthy of note, as showing the good hand of our G.o.d upon those who suffered for Him. In the case of the majority of these martyrs, those who had the fear of physical suffering had _not_ the suffering. Ridley and Hooper bore themselves bravely, and knew no terror; and they endured awful anguish at the last.

But Archbishop Cranmer, who at first held back for fear, uttered no cry in the fire; Latimer, who did not hold back, yet trembled at what he had to pa.s.s through, died to all appearance without pain. Most marvellous of all was the case of Lawrence Saunders, the gentle Rector of All Hallows, a man of delicate feeling, who shrank from the bitter cup, yet drank it off bravely for Christ's sake. And Christ failed him not, but carried him in His own arms over the dark river; for no sooner was he chained to the stake than a deep sleep from G.o.d fell upon him, and he never woke to feel the fire at all, but slept sweetly as a child while his body was consuming. "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?"