CHAPTER XI
_The Blood of the Martyrs, y? Seed of y? Church_
I may as well tell thee now, _Hew_, by way of Relief to heavier Matters,the ludicrous Form that _Miles's_ Protestantism took. He was never oneof the most serious; and when Master _Hewet_, at the preceding Easter,had, on Compulsion as Alderman of the Ward, given formal Notice to everyHouseholder, with their Families, to prepare to confess and receive theSacrament, _Miles_ sayth with a knavish Look at me, "I must do Somewhatfirst, to confess about."
Presently after that I heard him coaxing Mistress _Fraunces's_ white Catwith, "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy! come to Preferment, Pussy!" But Puss, as ifshe smelt Mischief in the Wind, flew up the Chimney. Then quod he,"Thou'rt too good for the Purpose, after all. I must go pay my Duty tothe Sub-prioress that lives all alone with her Cats." Quod I, "WhatMischief are you about now?" Saith he, "If you ask no unpleasantQuestions, you'll hear no unpleasant Answers. What if I want to get up alittle Masque of Puss in Boots?"
Next Day, at dawning, there was seen in _Chepe_, on the Gallows that hadbeen set up for the _Kentish_ Rioters, a Cat suspended, apparelled likea Priest ready to say Mass, with a shaven Crown, and her two forefeettied over her Head, with a round Paper like a Wafer-cake put betweenthem, as though in the Act of raising the Host. Fits of boisterousLaughter rang through _Chepe_: howbeit, the Queen and Bishops were ingreat Dudgeon; and a Proclamation was made, that same Afternoon, thatwhosoever should bring forth the guilty Party should have twenty Nobles,which was afterwards increased to twenty Marks: but I need not say thatnobody ever claimed it. I think I might have put the Money in my Pocketif I would.
Howbeit, neither _Miles_ nor I felt ourselves called upon to confess tothe Priest; in special as Master _Hewet_ never enforced it on any, afterthe first formal Notice: and I wot, he went not himself. Indeed, it wasmarvellous, he said in after Years, that considering how open he laidhimself to Animadversion on these Matters, no Enemy took Advantage ofhim; howbeit, I doubt if he had one; there were many to make commonCause with him, and he was much loved throughout the Ward.
But I have not done with _Miles_ yet. The next Offence his Protestantismtook was at an Idol of _Thomas à Becket_, which the _Lord Chancellor_caused to be set up over the Mercers' Chapel Door, in _Chepe_: which,within two Days, had its Head lopped off in the Night. Upon this rosegreat Disturbance, and one Mr. _Barnes_, a Mercer, who livedover-against the Chapel, was vehemently accused by my Lord _Wriothesley_of being Principal or Accessary to the Deed. He defended himself withevery Semblance of Innocence; nevertheless, he and three 'Prentices wereimprisoned for a Day or two; and, though Nothing was proven against him,he was, on his Delivery, bound in a great Sum of Money to repair theImage so often as it should be broken down, and also to watch and defendthe same. I should never have suspected _Miles_ of having had Aught todo with this Matter, save for his gloomy and guilty Looks while _Barnes_lay in Ward, and for his great Access of Gaiety when he was let forth.Howbeit, there are some People whose absolute Genius and Destiny seemsto be Mischief; and, a Day or two after the Image's Restoration, I heard_Miles_, after pacing up and down the Chamber awhile like a chafed Lionin a Cage, exclaim in a Sort of Desperation, "I must do it again!" Andnext Day, the _second_ Head was missing. This Time, a hundred Crowns ofGold were offered for Discovery of the Culprit. But they never wereclaimed. Then quod _Miles_, embracing me with an unwonted Ardour ofAffection, "Ned! thou'rt a capital Fellow!"
Howbeit, _Miles_ presently became absorbed in his Love-affair, whichbrought his protestant Zeal to a very ignoble Termination. He now lodgedat some Distance from us, and kept his private Concerns very much tohimself. Having one Day Occasion to speak to him at his Lodging, I therefound not only his Mother, but an exceeding pretty young Woman. "_Ned!_"quod he, "this is my Wife; I forgot to tell you before, that I wasmarried!" "I've a great Mind to forget it too!" sayth she, pouting, as Iwent up to salute her, "the Saints be my Witness!" at which, I lookedattentively at her and then at him.
He followed me to the Door when mine Errand was sped. "_Ned_," whisperedhe, and coloured all over, "there'll be no more hanging of Cats!...She's a staunch _Roman_, is _Nell_! and I'm obliged to conform, I cantell thee! Rely on't, there's much to be said upon both Sides!" And thiswas he, had said he was as firm as _London Stone_.
I shook my Head at him, but was not, just then, going to attempt hisConversion. By way of confirming myself in the Faith, I passed on to_Newgate_, where I saw _Tomkins_, young _Hunter_, and theirFellow-prisoner in the LORD, Master _Rogers_, who was to suffer the nextMorning. To hear him talk, one would have thought he saw Heaven opened,and the bright Vision that St. _Stephen_ had, revealed to his inwardEye; and he mightily strengthened his Brethren. His Wife being deniedAccess to him, he prayed me give her a Kerchief, the only poor Token hehad to send; and to bid her, if she had Strength for 't, to be by theWayside with the Children, next Morn, on the Way to _Smithfield_. I tookher there myself; the poor Soul was wondrously supported; and when thegood Man came by, I held one of his little Children towards him,prompting him to say, "The LORD will strengthen thee, Father!" Which,indeed, he did.
Well, after the Euthanasy of this blessed Proto-martyr, who, as thoughto confirm the Courage of those that came after, did literally wash hisHands in the Flame as if he felt no Smart, _Tomkins'_ Courage, strangeto say, greatly departed from him, and he doubted much if he should holdfirm unto the End. Thereon, great Prayer was made for him by hisBrethren in Bonds, and, I am bold to say, at one or two solitaryBed-sides: and it came to pass, at all Events, that he was strengthenedto go through his next Examination, with young _Hunter_ and the Rest, in_Paul's_ Consistory, five Days after _Rogers_ was burned. The Lad_Hunter_, who stood by his Brother to the Last, heard all five Prisonerscondemned to die by _Bonner_.
Thereon Mistress _Fraunces_ and I went, under Shadow of Evening, to_Tomkins'_ Wife. She was in strong Fits, with sundry poor Women abouther; and, leaving Mistress _Fraunces_ to add to their tenderMinistrations, I went on to _Newgate_, if haply Master _Hewet's_ Namemight still serve me to have Access to my poor Friend. Directly I sawhim I knew, by the mild steady Light in his Eye, that his Courage wassafe! "_Ned_," quod he, "I was given over a little While unto Darkness,just to let me feel that the Strength within me was none of mine; butnow, my Friend hath come back to me, and I rejoice in his Light! Soon weshall be eternally together; and oh! how much we shall have to tell andto hear. Little will it matter, then, whether my Ashes were scattered tothe four Winds, or collected in a stone Jug like a _Roman's_. Directpoor _Dinah_ to the seventy-seventh Psalm; I know it will comfort her.Dear Master _Hewet_ will keep her from Want; and she will presentlyretire to her Friends in the Country. So, thou seest, I have no Fear forTemporalities! Look! she hath made me this long white Shirt to wearto-morrow; my Wedding-garment, I call it. Tell her every Stitch she setin it evidenced her Faith, as every Blow wherewith _Abraham_ clave theFagots whereon to offer his Son, proved his. And a lighter Sacrifice isexacted of her, for she hath not to slay me, only to resign me. And now,good speed, good _Ned_.... Don't be at _Smithfield_ to-morrow, onlystand by the Way as I go along ... thou hast risked too much for mealready."
In Sooth I ne'er thought twice of the Risk; but I doubted whether whathe could bear to _feel_, I could bear to _see_. I stood over-against theDoor as he came forth; our Eyes met; and in a Tone that had Somewhat ofMusicalness in it that searched and sank into the very Heart, he sayth,"The Night is far spent, Lad! the Day is at Hand!"
Those Token-words drew me irresistibly after him. I felt no Fear, noHorror just then; only that our two Souls clave together, and that minemust keep near his till 'twas caught up. So I kept a little in advance,and eyed him now and then, that he might just see I stood by him; and Ithink it gave him Pleasure, for I once heard him say, "The Presence of aFriend, that cleaveth to us unto Death, how good is it!"
But Martyrs were forbidden to make long Speeches on Pain of having theirTongues cut out; and indeed, their Constancy preached enow. Whereforethis was the last Wor
d I heard from his Lips, for he seemed entirelyaddressing himself to another Friend whom we could neither hear nor see.And, when he got to the Place, I saw him put his Arms affectionatelyabout the Stake and kiss it, (they all did that,) and then lay aside hispoor Weaver's Garments, prison-worn and tattered, and put on what seemedindeed the white Robe of Immortality, and then stand firm while they putthe Chain about his Waist. Just then a Man pushed rudely past me with aFagot; and there was a Rush and a Press of New-comers that jostled mefrom my Place and wanted to feed their greedy Appetites with a goodMan's Pain as if 'twere a mere Show. I pushed at them again, andstruggled forward, amid Blows and reviling, and gat Sight of a Puff ofSmoke, and a bright Flame leaping up. Just then, the Sun, breaking forthfrom a stormy Cloud, shone full upon his Face, which, looking upwardwith a joyous Smile, seemed transfigured by it. I could see no more ...mine Eyes were blinded, my Throat choked. I pushed my Way through theCrowd and went Home to pray for—myself, not for him!