Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

CHAPTEK X.
"CampUn I desired to imlttte, whom only love for his country and zfl for
*llo house of God consulted before his time. You shall not want priests. We
were three hundred in England; yen hare put a hundred to death; the other t-w >
hun-lred are left. When they am gone, two hundred mo e are ready to come in
their places; and for ray part, I hope my death will do more good than ever my
life could have done." WILLIAM HABUIN GTON. Priest.
On a certain sultry day in July, the court at King's Bench
was crowded, for it -was understood the trial of Walter de Lisle
would come on that day, and the strong interest always felt at
the trial of recusants was heightened in this case.
The gallery was occupied chiefly by ladies, and among them
were two who sat forward so as to command a good view of the
court, and those who knew the great ones of the time might
have recognized them as being the French ambassadress and
the Duchess of Bertram.
A cause was going on as they entered. A tall, fine-looking
man was standing at the bar, and clinging to his arm was a
lady, pale as death, whose suffering in the position she found
herself was evidently extreme.
"Verily, Master Lydar," said the judge, "the charges
have been proved against thee, both of obstinately refusing to
go to church, and also of harboring a priest, one Master Pat-
erson, now awaiting his trial in the prison of Bridewell ; thou
art certainly guilty, Master Lydar, and if I give sentence, thou
must pay fines which will swallow up, if I mistake not, the
w hole of thy estate. But the queen is merciful ; repent of
thy recusiincy, go to church, and all is forgiven."
A red flush burnt on Master Lydar's face ;
he looked at his
wife, whose glance of anguish met his ; he thought
TYBORNE.
of his
children, brought to beggary, and the lie trembled on his lips.
"
Very w 11, my lord, I submit I will go to church."
There was a moment's pause, and then, ere the judge
could answer, the silence was broken by a clear thrilling voice,
both powerful and sweet
" John Lydar, what hast thou done ?"
A sudden rustle ran through the court ; every head was
turned in one direction. Inside the bar, attended by two
jailers, was a tall, graceful figure, of one fearfully emaciated,
but who walked without sign of fear, while the fire that
flashed from his sunken eyes spoke of undaunted resolution,
and the peace written on every feature told of a strength which
neither judge nor monarch could subdue.
The effect on John Lydar was electrical, while his wife
started from his side, and the color came to her cheeks. The
court was so taken by surprise, that no one spoke, and Walter
continued
" ' What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world,
and lose his soul ?' "
" My lord," said Lydar, turning to the judge, " I pray you
let me have my word back again. I do confess before all men,
it was through fear of punishment I yielded."
" Look well what thou dost, Master Lydar, and be not de-
the penalty is hard ta bear. "
ceived ;
' '
I know it ; nevertheless, I will bear it my
lord. Give me
back my word."
"
\\ell," said the judge, "if thou be so earnest, thou shalt
have thy word again, say what thou wilt."
While the j;dge was speaking, the Lord Mayor, the Be-
cordt r of the city, and the Bishop af London, were taking
their places on the bench, in readiness for Walter's trial ;
and when Lydar had thus re-affirmed his faith, Walter stepped
forward and laid his hand on Lydar's head.
"
Hold, hold !" cried the Bishop of London "look ; ye, my
lord judge, he is reconciling a recusant in the open court."
"Separate the prisoners, " said the judge and his order was
obeyed ; but the deed was done the words were spoken and
how ciilaily now did Lydar and his wife listen to their sentence,
\- ; fter uhich thty were removed Irom court, and
i w:.s placed at the bar.*
The names of the jury w.re then called over, in compliance
tic *
'
1
Life of John ust, Priart.
with the form of giving the accused the right to object to any
of them ;
but every one knew that it was only a form, and t .at
such a jury as would obey the judge would alone be chosen.
When, however, Walter was called upon to make the usual
answer, he said and the court was again thrilled by the sound
of that clear sweet voi e
"
My lord I object to be tried by any but my peers; I claim
the right of my rank as Baron de Lisle, and altogether plead
against being tried in this court, or by such a jury."
"
No," said the judge, "a bill of attainder hath been long
since passed against you, and you can be tried by no other tribunal
than this. Let the jury be sworn, and then let the bill
of indictment be read."
In a few minutes the clerk commenced
" The jury present, on the part of our sovereign lady the
queen, that Walter de Lisle, born within the kingdom of England,
and made and ordained priest by authority derived and
pretended from the see of Kome, not holding the fear of God
before his eyes, and slighting the laws and statutes of this
realm of England, without any regard to the penalty therein
contained, on the twenty-fourth day of May, in the thirtyfourth
year of the reign of our lady the queen, at Paddington,
in the county of Middlesex, traitorously, and as a false traitor
to our said lady the queen, was and remained, contrary to the
form of the statute in such case set forth and provided, and
contrary to the peace of our said lady the queen, her crown and
dignities."
"
Answer, prisoner at the bar, whether guilty or not guilty,
and hold up thy hand."
Walter attempted to obey, and to raise his right hand as he
proclaimed his innocence but his arms ;
were so benumbed by
the constant racking, that the effort was unavailing, and his
hand would have fallen back had not Arthur Leslie, who was
standing close beside the bar, leant over, and, taking the hand
"
"so abused for the confession of Christ, reverently kissed it,
and then raised his arm as high as possibl .* " Not gu Ity,"
said Walter. "I protest before God and His holy angels, before
heaven and earth, before the world and this bar whereat I
stand, which is but a small resemblance of the terrible ment of the next life, that I am not guilty of
juJg-
any act of any
treason whatsoever."
" What !" said the Bishop of London, " wilt thou deny thou
art a priest ?"
"Oh, my lord," said Walter, looking at him, "surely
it becomes not one, bound us you are to forward religion only,
to interfere in a cause of life and death. "
To this the bishop made no answer ; but, turning to the
judge, exclaimed, " A bag was found among the prisoner's effects
in it were a Boman ; breviary and a paper 01 faculti B to
hear confessions, and also to say Mass either above or below
ground. "
"
Pray you, my lord," said Walter, "was my n me mentioned
in that paper you speak of for ; if not, it surely is no
argument against me?"
" That is nothing to the point," answered the bishop, hotly,
"
Say out at once, art thou ii "
priest or no ?
"Suffer me, my lord," answered Walter, " to demand first
one question of you : are you a priest ?"
" No," said the bishop.
" No priest, no bishop," replied Father de Lisle.
" I am a priest," replied the bishop; "but not a massing
priest."
"But," returned Walter, "if you are a priest, you area
sacrificing prie t, for sacrificing is essential to priesthood ;
and if you are a sacrificing priest, you are a massing priest,
for what other sacrifice have the priests of the new law, as
distinct from mere laics, to offer to God, but that of the Eucharist,
which we call the Mass? If, then, you are no mass-
ing priest, yo i are no sacrificing priest; if no sacrificing
priest, no priest at all, and consequently uo bishop."!
The bishop moved uneasily in his seat during this address,
'
See Life of Edmund Campian."
TSee "Life of William Davit , I'ritst."