Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

292 ARCHBISHOI
of sixteen into compliance. Before encountering
this angry army of democrats, the boy-king had
sought out the ankret in Westminster Abbey, and
confessed to him.1 Richard's bodyguard of 1200
archers might have defended him in the fortress
of the Tower. They struck not a blow; and the
infuriated mob entered in and reeked their sacri-
legions pleasure on the first subject of the realm,
Archbishop Simon Sudbury, who with the king was
under protection of sanctuary. The sovereign
people resented the Archbishop's advice to the king
not to trust himself in their hands, and now they
intended to have their revenge. When Simon from
his retreat in the chapel heard their yells getting
louder and louder, he knew that his hour had come.
He had already prepared himself for death by
several days of meditation and retirement. His end
was full of dignity and courage. He w^as seized and
dragged to Tower Hill, being in the act of making
his thanksgiving after Mass. There is no more
striking image of hell than an infuriated mob. The
yells which greeted the Archbishop's appearance
were scarcely human. However, he attempted a
remonstrance ; he was a priest and an Archbishop,
he said, and his murder would entail an interdict on
the kingdom. They answered him with WyclinVs
words that "he was a sinner, therefore could be no
true priest ".2 Then he prepared for death and for-
1 Kock, Cliurcli of our Fathers, ii. 121.
2Stevenson, p. 72.