Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century
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of anapproaching change; of the motions of grace in a soul which faintlydiscerns the happiness of suffering for conscience sake; and the fearof suffering natural to the human heart.
"Why are we to have no mass, sweet mother?" I asked, encircling herwaist in my arms; "and wherefore has good Mr. Bryan gone away?"
"We received advice late last evening," she answered, "that thequeen's pursuivants have orders to search this day the houses of themost noted recusants in this neighborhood; and 'tis likely they maybegin with us, who have never made a secret of our faith, and neverwill."
"And will they kill us if they come?" I asked, with that sametrembling eagerness I have so often known since when danger was athand.
"Not now, not to-day, Conny," she answered; "but I pray to God they donot carry us away to prison; for since this rising in the north, to bea Catholic and a traitor is one and the same in their eyes who have tojudge us. We must needs hide our books and church furniture; so giveme thy beads, sweet one, and the cross from thy neck."
I waxed red when my mother bade me unloose the string, and tightlyclasped the cross in both my hands "Let them kill me, mother," Icried; "but take not off my cross."
"Maybe," she said, "the queen's officers would trample on it, andinjure their own souls in dishonoring a holy symbol." And as she spokeshe took it from me, and hid it in a recess behind the chimney; whichno sooner was done, than we heard a sound of horses' feet in theapproach; and going to the window, I cried out, "Here is a store ofarmed men on horseback!" Ere I had uttered the words, one of them haddismounted and loudly knocked at the door with his truncheon; uponwhich my mother, taking me by the hand, went down stairs into theparlor where my father was. It seemed as if those knocks had struck onher heart, so great a trembling came over her. My father bade theservants throw open the door; and the sheriff came in, with twopursuivants and some more men with him, and produced a warrant tosearch the house; which my father having read, he bowed his head, andgave orders not to hinder them in their duty. He stood himself thewhile in the hall, his face as white as a smock, and his teeth almostrunning through his lips.
One of the men came into the library, and pulling down the books,scattered them on the floor, and cried:
"Look ye here, sirs, what Popish stuff is this, fit for the hangman'sburning!" At the which another answered:
"By my troth, Sam, I misdoubt that thou canst read. Methinks thou dosthunt Popery as dogs do game, by the scent. Prithee spell me the titleof this volume."
"I will have none of thy gibing, Master Sevenoaks," returned theother. "Whether I be a scholar or not, I'll warrant no honestgospeller wrote on those yellow musty leaves, which be two hundredyears old, if they be a day."
"And I'll warrant thee in that credence, Master Samuel, by the sametoken that the volume in thy hand is a treatise on field-sports, writin the days of Master Caxton; a code of the laws to be observed in thehunting and killing of deer, which I take to be no Popish sport, forour most gracious queen--God save her majesty!--slew a fat buck notlong ago in Windsor Forest with her own hand, and remembered his graceof Canterbury with half her prey;" and so saying, he drew his comradefrom the room; I ween with the intent to save the books from his roughhandling, for he seemed of a more gentle nature than the rest and of amore moderate disposition.
When they had ransacked all the rooms below, they went upstairs, andmy father followed. Breaking from my mother's side, who sat pale andstill as a statute, unable to move from her seat, I ran after him, andon the landing-place I heard the sheriff say somewhat touching theharboring of priests; to the which he made answer that he was ready toswear there was no priest in the house. "Nor has been?" quoth thesheriff; upon which my father said:
"Good sir, this house was built in the days of Her majesty'sgrandfather, King Henry VII.; and on one occasion his majesty waspleased to rest under my grandfather's roof, and to hear mass in thatroom," he said, pointing to what was now the chapel, "the church beingtoo distant for his majesty's convenience: so priests have been withinthese walls many times ere I was born."
The sheriff said no more at that time, but went into the room, wherethere were only a few chairs, for that in the night the altar and allthat appertained to it had been removed. He and his men were going outagain, when a loud knocking was heard against the wall on one side ofthe chamber; at the sound of which my father's face, which was whitebefore, became of an ashy paleness.
"Ah!" cried one of the pursuivants, "the lying Papist! The egregiousRoman! an oath is in his mouth that he has no priest in his house, andhere is one hidden in his cupboard."
"Mr. Sherwood!" the sheriff shouted, greatly moved, "lead the way tothe hiding-place wherein a traitor is concealed, or I order the houseto be pulled down about your ears."
My father was standing like one stunned by a sudden blow, and I heardhim murmur, "'Tis the devil's own doing, or else I am stark, staringmad."
The men ran to the wall, and knocked against it with their sticks,crying out in an outrageous manner to the priest to come out of hishole. "We'll unearth the Jesuit fox," cried one; "we'll give him abetter lodging in Lichfield gaol," shouted another; and the sheriffkept threatening to set fire to the house. Still the knocking fromwithin went on, as if answering that outside, and then a voicecried out, "I cannot open: I am shut in."
"'Tis Edmund!" I exclaimed; "'tis Edmund is in the hiding-place." Andthen the words were distinctly heard, "'Tis I; 'tis Edmund Genings.For God's sake, open; I am shut in." Upon which my father drew a deepbreath, and hastening forward, pressed his finger on a place in thewall, the panel slipped, and Edmund came out of the recess, lookingscared and confused. The pursuivants seized him; but the sheriff criedout, surprised, "God's death, sirs! but 'tis the son of the worshipfulMr. Genings, whose lady is a mother in Israel, and M. Jean de Luc'sfirst cousin! And how came ye, Mr. Edmund, to be concealed in thisPopish den? Have these recusants imprisoned you with some foul intent,or perverted you by their vile cunning?" Edmund was addressing myfather in an agitated voice.
"I fear me, sir," he cried, clasping his hands, "I befear me much Ihave affrighted you, and I have been myself sorely affrighted. I waspassing through this room, which I have never before seen, and thedoor of which was open this morn. By chance I drew my hand along thewall, where there was no apparent mark, when the panel slipped anddisclosed this recess, into which I stepped, and straightway theopening closed and I remained in darkness. I was afraid no one mighthear me, and I should die of hunger."
My father tried to smile, but could not. "Thank God," he said, "'tisno worse;" and sinking down on a chair he remained silent, whilst thesheriff and the pursuivants examined the recess, which was deep andnarrow, and in which they brandished their swords in all directions.Then they went round the room, feeling the walls; but though there wasanother recess with a similar mode of aperture, they hit not on it,doubtless through God's mercy; for in it were concealed the altarfurniture and our books, with many other things besides, which theywould have seized on.
Before going away, the sheriff questioned Edmund concerning his faith,and for what reason he abode in a Popish house and consorted withrecusants. Edmund answered he was no Papist, but a kinsman of Mrs.Sherwood, unto whose house his father had oftentimes sent him. Uponwhich he was counselled to take heed unto himself and to eschew evilcompany, which leads to horrible defections, and into the straightroad to perdition. Whereupon they departed; and the officer who hadenticed his companion from the library smiled as he passed me, andsaid:
"And wherefore not at prayers, little mistress, on the Lord's day, asall Christian folks should be?"
I ween he was curious to see how I should answer, albeit not movedthereunto by any malicious intent. But at the time I did not bethinkmyself that he spoke of Protestant service; and being angered at whatpassed, I said:
"Because we be kept from prayers by the least welcome visit ever madeto Christian folks on a Lord's morning." He laughed and cried:
"Thou hast a ready tongue, young mistress; and when tried
forrecusancy I warrant thou'lt give the judge a piece of thy mind."
"And if I ever be in such a presence, and for such a cause," Ianswered, "I pray to God I may say to my lord on the bench what theblessed apostle St. Peter spoke to his judges: 'If it be just in thesight of God to hear you rather than God, judge ye.'" At which hecried:
"Why, here is a marvel indeed--a Papist to quote Scripture!" Andlaughing again, he went his way; and the house was for that time ridof these troublesome guests.
Then Edmund again sued for pardon to my