before, at a disputation heldin the Tower of London, between Mr. Sherwin and some other priests onthe one part, Charles Fulk, Whittakers, and some other Protestantministers on the other; and, by what he heard and saw there, he hadperceived, he thought, on which side the truth and true religion was,though at the time he neither did intend to embrace or follow it. But,he added, what had moved him of late most powerfully thereunto was asermon of Father Campion's, which he had heard at Noel House, whitherCharles Arundel had carried him, some days before his last visit tome. 'The whole of those days,' he said, 'my mind was so oppressed withremorse and doubt, that I knew no peace, until one evening, by aspecial grace of God, when I was walking alone in the gallery, Ifirmly resolved--albeit I knew not how or when to accomplish thispurpose--to become a member of his Church, and to frame my lifeaccording to it; but I would not acquaint thee, or any other personliving, with this intention, until I had conferred thereof with mybrother William. Thou knowest, Nan, the very special love I bear him,and which he hath ever shown to me. Well, a few days after I returnedto London, I met him accidentally in the street, he having come fromCumberland touching some matter of Bess's lands; and taking him homewith me, I discovered to him my determination, somewhat covertly atfirst; and after I lent him a book to read, which was written not longago by Dr. Allen, and have dealt with him so efficaciously that he hasalso resolved to become Catholic. He is to meet me again next week,for further conference touching the means of putting this intent intoexecution, which verily I see not how to effect, being so watched byservants and so-called friends, which besiege my doors and haunt minehouse in London on all occasions.'
"This difficulty, dear Constance, I sought to remedy by acquainting mylord that his secretary, Mr. Mumford, was Catholic, and he could,therefore, disclose his thought with safety to him. And I also advisedhim to seek occasion to know Mr. Wells and some other zealous persons,which would confirm him in his present resolution and aid him in theexecution thereof. It may be, therefore, you will soon see him, andfervently do I commend him to thy prayers and whatever service in theone thing needful should be in thy power to procure for him. My heartis so transported with joy that I never remember the like emotions tohave filled it. My most hope for this present time at least had beenhe should show no dislike to my being Catholic; and lo, I find him tobe one in heart, and soon to be so in effect; and the great gapbetween us, which so long hath been a yawing chasm of despair, nowfilled up with a renewed love, and yet more by a parity of thinkingtouching what it most behoveth us to be united in. _Deo gratias!_"
Here this portion of my lady's manuscript ended, but these few hastylines were written below, visibly by a trembling hand, and the wholeclosed, I ween, abruptly. Methinks it was left for me at Mr. Wells's,where I found it, by Mr. Mumford, or some other Catholic in the earl'shousehold:
"The inhabitants of Arundel have presented me for a recusant, and Mr.Bayley has been committed and accused before the Bishop of Chichesteras a seminary priest. He hath, of course, easily cleared himself ofthis; but because he will not take the oath of supremacy, he is forcedto quit the country. He hath passed into Flanders."
And then for many weeks I had no tidings of the dear writer, until oneday it was told us that when the queen had notice of her reconcilementshe disliked of it to such a degree that presently she ordered her,being then with child, to be taken from her own house and carried toWiston, Sir Thomas Shirley's dwelling-place, there to be kept prisonertill further orders. Alas! all the time she remained there I receivednot so much as one line from her ladyship, nor did her husband either,as I afterward found. So straitly was she confined and watched thatnone could serve or have access to her but the knight and his lady,and such as were approved by them. Truly, as she since told me, theycourteously used her; but special care was taken that none that wassuspected for a priest should come within sight of the house, whichwas no small addition to her sufferings. Lady Margaret Sackville wasat that time also thrown into prison.
CHAPTER XXIV.
During the whole year of Lady Arundel's imprisonment, neither herhusband, nor her sister, nor her most close friends, such as my poorunworthy self, had tidings from her, in the shape of any letter oreven message, so sharply was she watched and hindered fromcommunicating with any one. Only Sir Thomas Shirley wrote to the earlher husband to inform him of his lady's safe delivery, and the birthof a daughter, which, much against her will, was baptized according tothe Protestant manner. My Lord Arundel, mindful of her words in thelast interview he had with her before her arrest, began to haunt Mr.Wells's house in a private way, and there I did often meet with him,who being resolved, I ween, to follow his lady's example in allthings, began to honor me with so much of his confidence that I hadoccasion to discern how true had been Sir Henry Jerningham'sforecasting, that this young nobleman, when once turned to the ways ofvirtue and piety, should prove himself by so much the more eminent ingoodness as he had heretofore been distinguished for his recklessconduct. One day that he came to Holborn, none others being presentbut Mr. and Mrs. Wells and myself, he told us that he and his brotherLord William, having determined to become Catholics, and apprehendinggreat danger in declaring themselves as such within the kingdom, hadresolved secretly to leave the land, to pass into Flanders, and thereto remain till more quiet times.
"What steps," Mr. Wells asked, "hath your lordship disposed for toeffect this departure?"
"In all my present doings," quoth the earl, "the mind of my dear wifedoth seem to guide me. The last time I was with her she informed methat my secretary, John Mumford, is a Catholic, and I have sincegreatly benefited by this knowledge. He is gone to Hull, in Yorkshire,for to take order for our passage to Flanders, and I do waittidings from him before I leave London."
Then, turning to me, he inquired in a very earnest manner if mythinking agreed with his, that his sweet lady should be contented heshould forsake the realm, for the sake of the religious interestswhich moved him thereunto, joined with the hope that when he should beabroad and his lands confiscated, which he doubted not would follow,she would be presently set at liberty, and with her little wench joinhim in Flanders. I assented thereunto, and made a promise to him thatas soon as her ladyship should be released I would hasten to her, andfeast her ears with the many assurances of tender affection he haduttered in her regard, and aid her departure; which did also Mr.Wells. Then, drawing me aside, he spoke for some time, with tears inhis eyes, of his own good wife, as he called her.
"Mistress Sherwood," he said, "I do trust in God that she shall findme henceforward as good a husband, to my poor ability, by his grace,as she has found me bad heretofore. No sin grieves me anything so muchas my offences against her. What is past is a nail in my conscience.My will is to make satisfaction; but though I should live never solong, I can never do so further than by a good desire to do it, which,while I have any spark of breath, shall never be wanting."
And many words like these, which he uttered in so heartfelt a mannerthat I could scarce refrain from weeping at the hearing of them. Andso we parted that day; he with a confident hope soon to leave therealm; I with some misgivings thereon, which were soon justified bythe event. For a few days afterward Mr. Lacy brought us tidings he hadmet Mr. Mumford in the street, who had told him--when he expressedsurprise at his return--that before he could reach Hull he had beenapprehended and carried before the Earl of Huntingdon, president ofYork, and examined by him, without any evil result at that time,having no papers or auspicious things about him; but being nowwatched, he ventured not to proceed to the coast, but straightway cameto London, greatly fearing Lord Arundel should have left it.
"He hath not done so?" I anxiously inquired.
"Nay," answered Mr. Lacy, "so far from it, that I pray you to guesshow the noble earl--much against his will, I ween--is presentlyemployed."
"He is not in prison?" I cried.
"God defend it!" he replied. "No; he is preparing for to receive thequeen at Arundel House; upon notice given him that her majesty dothintend on Thursday
next to come hither for her recreation."
"Alack!" I cried, "her visits to such as be of his way of thinkingbode no good to them. She visited him and his wife at the Charterhouseat the time when his father was doomed to death, and now when she is aprisoner her highness doth come to Arundel House. When she set herfoot in Euston, the whole fabric of my happiness fell to the ground.Heaven shield the like doth not happen in this instance; but I dogreatly apprehend the issue of this sudden honor conferred on him."
On the day fixed for the great and sumptuous banquet which wasprepared for the queen at Arundel House, I went thither, having beeninvited by Mrs. Fawcett to spend the day with her on this occasion,which minded me of the time when I went with my cousins and mine owngood Mistress Ward for to see her majesty's
Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century Page 86
