CHAPTER EIGHT.
NOT A BIT AFEARD.
Alice Mount had only just spoken when the latch was lifted by MargaretThurston.
"Pray you, let me come in and get my breath!" said she; "I'm thatfrighted I can scarce stand."
"Come in, neighbour, and welcome," replied Alice; and Rose set a chairfor Margaret. "What ails you? is there a mad bull about, or what?"
"Mad bull, indeed! A mad bull's no great shakes. Not to him, any way."
"Well, I'd as soon not meet one in our lane," said Alice; "but who's_him_?"
"_Him's_ the priest, be sure! Met me up at top o' the lane, he did, andhe must needs turn him round and walk by me. I well-nigh cracked myskull trying to think of some excuse to be rid of him; but no such luckfor me! On he came till we reached hither, and then I could bear nomore, and I said I had to see you. He said he went about to see youafore long, but he wouldn't come in to-day; so on he marched, and rightthankful was I, be sure. Eh, the things he asked me! I've not been sohauled o'er the coals this year out."
"But what about, marry?"
"Gramercy! wherefore I came not to mass, and why Master didn't: and whatI believed and didn't believe, and wherefore I did this and didn't dothat, till I warrant you, afore he left off, I was that moithered Icouldn't have told what I did believe. I got so muggy I only knew onething under the sun, and that was that I'd have given my best gown forto be rid of him."
"Well, you got free without your best gown, Margaret," said Rose.
"May be I have, but I feel as if I'd left all my wits behind me in thelane, or mayhap in the priest's pocket. Whatever would the man be at?We pay our dues to the Church, and we're honest, peaceable folks: if itserve us better to read our Bible at home rather than go look at himhocus-pocussing in the church, can't he let us be? Truly, if he'd giveus something when we came, there'd be some reason for finding fault;nobody need beg me to go to church when there's sermon: but what earthlygood can it do any mortal man to stare at a yellow cross on Father Tye'sback? And what good do you ever get beyond it?"
Sermons have always been a Protestant institution, in this sense, thatthe more pure and Scriptural the Church has been, the more sermons therehave generally been, while whenever the clergy have taken up withfoolish ceremonies and have departed from the Bible, they have tried todo away with preaching. And of course, when very few people could readtheir Bibles, there was more need of preaching than there is now, whennearly everybody can read. Very, very few poor people could read a wordin 1556. It was put down as something remarkable, in the case ofCissy's father, that he could "read a little." Saint Paul says that itpleased God by preaching to save them that believe (1 Corinthians one21), but he never says "by hearing music," or "by looking at flowers, orcandles, or embroidered crosses." Those things can only amuse our eyesand ears; they will never do our souls any good. How can they? Theonly thing that will do good to our souls is to get to know God better:and flowers, candles, music, and embroidery, cannot teach us anythingabout God.
"What laugh you at, Rose?" asked Elizabeth.
"Only Margaret's notion that it could do no man good to stare at thecross on Father Tye's back," said Rose, trying to recover her gravity.
"Well, the only animal made with a cross on his back is an ass," saidMargaret; "and one would think a man should be better than an ass; butif his chief business be to make himself look like one, I don't see thathe is so much better."
This amused Rose exceedingly. Elizabeth Foulkes, though the same age asRose, was naturally of a graver turn of mind, and she only smiled.
"Well! if I haven't forgot all I was charged with, I'd better give mymessage," said Margaret; "but Father Tye's well-nigh shook all my witsout of my head. Robin Purcas came by this morrow, and he lifted thelatch, and gave me a word from Master Benold, that I was to carry on--for he's got a job of work at Saint Osyth, and won't be back whileFriday--saith he, on Friday even, Master Pulleyne and the Scots priest,that were chaplains to my Lady of Suffolk, shall be at the King's Head,and all of our doctrine that will come to hear shall be welcome. Willyou go?"
"Verily, that will I," replied Alice heartily.
"You see, if Father Tye should stir up the embers and get all alightagain, maybe we shalln't have so many more sermons afterward; so we'dbest get our good things while we can."
"Ay, there may be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord," said Alicegravely. "God avert the same, if His will is!"
"Johnson, he says he's right sure Master Simnel means to start of hisinquirations. Alice, think you you could stand firm?"
Alice Mount sighed and half shook her head. "I didn't stand over firmlast August, Margaret," said she: "and only the Lord knows how I'vesince repented it. If He'll keep me true--but I'm feared of myself."
"Well, do you know I'm not a bit feared? It's true, I wasn't tried inAugust, when you were: but if I had been, be sure I'd never have signedthat submission that you did. I wouldn't, so!"
"Maybe not, neighbour," answered Alice meekly. "I was weak."
"Now, Mother," said Rose, who could bear no longer, "you know you stoodforth best of anybody there! It was Father that won her to sign,Margaret; she never would have done it if she'd been left to herself. Iknow she wouldn't."
"Then what didst thou sign for, Rose?" was the reply.
Rose went the colour of her name. Her mother came at once to her help,as Rose had just done to hers.
"Why, she signed because we did, like a dutiful maid as she is alway:and it was our faults, Margaret. May God forgive us!"
"Well, but after all, it wasn't so very ill, was it?" asked Margaret,rather inconsistently with what she had said before: but people are notalways consistent by any means. "Did you promise anything monstrouswrong? I thought it was only to live as became good Christians andfaithful subjects."
"Nay, Meg, it was more than that. We promised right solemnly to submitus to the Church in all matters, and specially in this, that we didbelieve the Sacrament to be Christ's body, according to His words."
"Why, so do we all believe," said Margaret, "_according to His words_.Have you forgot the tale Father Tye did once tell us at the King's Head,of my Lady Elizabeth the Queen's sister, that when she was asked whatshe did believe touching the Sacrament, she made this answer?
"`Christ was the Word that spake it, He took the bread, and brake it; And what that word did make it, That I believe, and take it.'"
"That was a bit crafty, methinks," said Rose. "I love not such shifts.I would rather speak out my mind plainly."
"Ay, but if you speak too plainly, you be like to find you in the wrongplace," answered Margaret.
"That would not be the wrong place wherein truth set me," was Rose'searnest answer. "That were never the wrong place wherein God should bemy company. And if the fire were too warm for my weakness to bear, theholy angels should maybe fan me with their wings till I came to thecovert of His Tabernacle."
"Well, that's all proper pretty," said Margaret, "and like a book asever the parson could talk: but I tell thee what, Rose Allen, thou'ltsing another tune if ever thou come to Smithfield. See if thoudoesn't."
And Rose answered, "`The word that God putteth in my mouth, that will Ispeak.'"
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