Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century
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he said must be brief, for he had to ride to Bermondseywith a message for my Lord Sussex, and had been long delayed in thecity. I seized a pen, and hastily wrote:
"Oh, my dear and honored lady, what grief, what pain, your letter hath caused me! Forgive me if, having but brief time in which to write a few lines by your messenger, I dwell not on the sorrow which doth oppress you, nor on the many excellences apparent in those farewell letters, which give token of so great virtue and wisdom in the writer, that one should be prompted to exclaim he did lack but one thing to be perfect, that being a true faith,--but rather direct my answer to that passage in yours which doth work in me such regret, yea such anguish of heart, as my poor words can ill express. For verily there can be no greater danger to a soul than to be lured from the profession of a true Catholic faith, once firmly received and yet inwardly held, by deceptive arguments, whereby it doth conceal its own weakness under the garb of respect for the dead and duty to the living. For, I pray you, mine own dear lady, what respect and what duty is owing to men which be not rather due to him who reads the heart, and will ask a strict account of such as, having known his will, yet have not done it? Believe me, 'tis a perilous thing to do evil that good may come. Is it possible you should resolve never to profess that religion which, in your conscience, you do believe to be true, nor to move your lord thereunto, for any human respect, however dear and sacred? I hope other feelings may return, and God's hand will support, uphold, and never fail you in your need. I beseech him to guard and keep you in the right way.
"Your humble servant and truly loving poor friend,
"CONSTANCE SHERWOOD."
CHAPTER XI.
During the two years which followed the Duke of Norfolk's death I didonly see my Lady Surrey once, which was when she came to ArundelHouse, on a visit to her lord's grandfather; and her letters for awhile were both scanty and brief. She made no mention of religion, andbut little of her husband; and chiefly touched on such themes as LadyMargaret's nuptials with Mr. Sackville (Lord Dorset's heir) andMistress Milicent's with Sir Hammond l'Estrange. She had greatcontentment, she wrote, to see them both so well married according totheir degree; but that for herself she did very much miss her goodsister's company and her gentlewoman's affectionate services, whowould now reside all the year at her husband's seat in Norfolk; butshe looked when my lord and herself should be at Kenninghall, when heleft the university, that they might yet, being neighbors, spend somehappy days together, if it so pleased God. Once she wrote in exceedinggreat joy, so that she said she hardly knew how to contain herself,for that my lord was coming in a few days to spend the long vacationat Lord Sussex's house at Bermondsey. But when she wrote again,methought--albeit her letter was cheerful, and she did jest in itsomewhat more than was her wont--that there was a silence touching herhusband, and her own contentment in his society, which betokened areserve such as I had not noticed in her before. About that time itwas bruited in London that my Lord Surrey had received no smalldetriment by the bad example he had at Cambridge, and the libertypermitted him.
And now, forsaking for a while the theme of that noble pair, whosemishaps and felicities have ever saddened and rejoiced mine heartalmost equally with mine own good or evil fortune, I here purpose toset down such occurrences as should be worthy of note in the moreobscure sphere in which my lot was cast.
When I was about sixteen, my cousin Kate was married to Mr. Lacy;first in a secret manner, in the night, by Mr. Plasden, a priest, inher father's library, and the next day at the parish church atHolborn. Methinks a fairer bride never rode to church than our Kate.Her mother went with her, which was the first time she had been out ofdoors for a long space of time, for she feared to catch cold if thewind did blow from the north or the east; and if from the south shefeared it should bring noxious vapors from the river; and the west,infection from the city, and so stayed at home for greater safety. Buton Kate's wedding day we did all protest the wind blew not at all, sothat from no quarter of the sky should mischief arise; and in a closedlitter, which she reckoned to be safer than a coach, she consented togo to church.
"Marry, good wife," cried Mr. Congleton, when she had been magnifyingall the dangers she mostly feared, "thou dost forget the greatest ofall in these days, which doth hold us all by the neck, as it were. Forhearing mass, as we did in this room last night, we do all run therisk of being hanged, which should be a greater peril methinks than abreath of foul air."
She, being in a merry mood, replied: "Twittle twattle, Mr. Congleton;the one may be avoided, the other not. 'Tis no reason I should get acold to-day because I be like to be hanged to-morrow."
"I' faith," cried Polly, "my mother hath well parried your thrust,sir; and methinks the holy Bishop of Rochester was of the same mindwith her."
"How so, Polly?" quoth her father; and she, "There happened a falserumor to rise suddenly among the people when he was in the prison, soI have heard Mr. Roper relate, that he should be brought to executionon a certain day; wherefore his cook, that was wont to dress hisdinner and carry it daily unto him, hearing of his execution, dressedhim no dinner at all that day. Wherefore, at the cook's next repairunto him, he demanded the cause why he brought him not his dinner.'Sir,' said the cook, 'it was commonly talked all over the town thatyou should have died to-day, and therefore I thought it but vain todress anything for you.' 'Well,' quoth the bishop merrily, 'for allthat report, thou seest me yet alive; and therefore, whatsoever newsthou shalt hear of me hereafter, prithee let me no more lack mydinner, but make it ready; and if thou see me dead when thou comest,then eat it thyself. But I promise thee, if I be alive, by God'sgrace, to eat never a bit the less.'"
"And on the day he was verily executed," said Mistress Ward, "when thelieutenant came to fetch him, he said to his man, 'Reach me my furredtippet, to put about my neck.' 'O my lord!' said the lieutenant, 'whatneed you be so careful of your health for this little time, being notmuch above in hour?' 'I think no otherwise,' said this blessed father;'but yet, in he mean time, I will keep myself as well as I can; for Itell you truth, though I have, I thank our Lord, a very good desireand a willing mind to die at this present, and so I trust of hisinfinite mercy and goodness he will continue it, yet I will notwillingly hinder my health one minute of an hour, but still prolongthe same as long as I can by such reasonable ways as Almighty God hathprovided for me.'" Upon which my good aunt fastened her veil about herhead, and said the holy bishop was the most wise saint andreasonablest martyr she had yet heard of.
Kate was dressed in a kirtle of white silk, her head attired with anhabiliment of gold, and her hair, brighter itself than gold, wovenabout her face in cunningly wrought tresses. She was led to churchbetween two gentlemen--Mr. Tresham and Mr. Hogdson--friends of thebridegroom, who had bride-laces and rosemary tied about their silkensleeves. There was a fair cup of silver gilt carried before her,wherein was a goodly branch of rosemary, gilded very fair, and hungabout with silken ribbons of all colors. Musicians came next; then agroup of maidens bearing garlands finely gilded; and thus we passed onto the church. The common people at the door cheered the bride, whosefair face was a passport to their favor; but as Muriel crept along,leaning on my arm, I caught sound of murmured blessings.
"Sweet saint," quoth an aged man, leaning on his staff, near theporch, "I ween thine espousals be not of earth." A woman, with a childin her arms, whispered to her as she past, "He thou knowest of isdead, and died praying for thee." A man, whose eyes had watched herpainfully ascending the steps, called her an angel; whereupon a beggarwith a crutch cried out, "Marry, a lame angel!" A sweet smile was onher face as she turned toward him; and drawing a piece of silver fromher pocket, she bestowed it on him, with some such words asthese--that she prayed they might both be so happy, albeit lame, as tohobble to heaven, and get there in good time, if it should please God.Then he fell to blessing her so loud, that she hurried me into thechurch, not content to be thanked in so public a manner.
After the ceremony, we returned in the same order
to Ely Place. Thebanquet which followed, and the sports succeeding it, were conductedin a private and somewhat quiet fashion, and not many guests invited,by reason of the times, and Mr. Congleton misliking to draw notice tohis house, which had hitherto been but little molested, partly forthat Sir Francis Walsingham had a friendship for him, and also for hissister, Lady Egerton of Ridley, which procured for them greater favor,in the way of toleration, than is extended to others; and likewise thePortuguese ambassador was his very good friend, and his chapel open tous at all times; so that priests did not need to come to his house forthe performance of any religious actions, except that one of themarriage, which had taken place the night before in his