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block by this tyrant, the nobility in general, as a class or estate," began to lose their ancient legitimate prestige; the local poor their natural protectors; and thus regal tyranny,* fostered by a few needy adventurers without either conscience or principle, became practically unchecked and rampant in their revolutionary changes, arbitrary deeds, and cruel punishments.

Two boys of the town of Wisbeach, born of poor parents, likewise suffered, Thomas and George Fisher by name. They had been admitted to the Castle to attend upon the prisoners as servitors. Naturally clever and observant, by degrees they each became greatly influenced by what they heard and saw. The Old Religion, as so many persons quietly and privately maintained, was a

* As Canon Barry remarked in his recent "Lectures on the Reformation":- "From 1485 onwards the Royal power in England gradually became despotic under form of law. The Tudor despotism was a despotism exercised as it were with the consent of the people. They began to look at the King as having a sacred character; they accepted him as a centre of national unity, and came to reverence him as 'the Lord's anointed.' The Royal power became a very formidable thing. The same thing occurred in other parts of Europe, especially in France, Germany, and Spain. Monarchical power was on the increase, and rallied round it a strong national spirit everywhere. As yet it was England in alliance with the Papal power, or observing an armed neutrality. But a conflict was at any moment likely." (A.D. 1879.)

strong and remarkable contrast to the New, and though these youths had been brought up under the latter, in no long time they became sincerely attached to the former; and, at their own request, were carefully instructed in its tenets and duties. This being reported to the Governor, offended him greatly, who, on a certain day when a sermon was to be preached in the parish church " by a painful and weighty minister," commanded them both, as a test, to be present at its delivery. But, in respectful language, they asked to be excused. They would rather not go. They had recently learned what the religion of their fathers was, and, if they might be allowed to make choice, they preferred it to that now set up. The Governor became furious. Was ever such insolence and heresy known, and from two boyish knaves ? As a punishment they were stripped to the waist, and publicly flogged in the market-place in the presence of a large concourse of people, and then put into irons. Being subsequently set free, the eldest escaped abroad, and became a student at the College at Douay. But the younger, on a certain occasion, was found serving one of the old priests at Mass, and was imprisoned in company with some of the worst and most depraved criminals. At length he was brought to trial, accused of being an ignorant recusant, and upbraided by the magistrates for being so foolish and for

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bringing so much misery upon himself and his parents.

"It is true that I am very ignorant about many things," he replied, "but of this one thing I am quite certain, notwithstanding my ignorance, that the Catholic Faith is the only Faith for salvation, and that it is a deal older, by many centuries, than your new religion."

"How can you, an ignorant boy, know which is the oldest religion, or anything about it?" asked the magistrate.

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Why, in this way, sir," the youth replied; your own chroniclers, your own ministers, admit as much. Holinshead, who must have known, says so."

The magistrate denied that the writer in question had admitted anything of the sort. "You lie, sirrah!"

Upon this the youth triumphantly drew out from his breast pocket a single leaf of the "Chronicles of Holinshead, and presented it to the official.

It contained a description of the coming hither of St. Augustine, with litanies, Catholic prayers, silver cross, and pictured banner, and had been given to him by one of the prisoners at Wisbeach, as evidence of the antiquity of the Old Religion, a leaf which might be judiciously produced when it was required. The youth himself, being

poor and unable to pay fines, appears to have been dismissed with a warning.

In the year 1576 the Commons had petitioned the Queen "to amend the discipline of the Church," which had fallen into a state of great uncertainty and laxness. In fact nothing could well have been worse than it was. The disorganization in every diocese was complete and perfect. Everybody wished to govern, and declined to obey. Presbyters looked upon themselves as rulers, called synods, appointed fast-days, and ordained other presbyters.* In fact every

one did as he liked. The ecclesiastical courts were sinks of jobbery and iniquity, farmed by persons who paid for their offices,-handing over a yearly sum to the authorities who had let them out to the highest bidder,-and then worked them to their own profit and advantage.

The Queen, in reply to the Petition, informed those who had signed it that the bishops had

* Independent synods had been set up to which only the "elect" were summoned; in various counties classes and gatherings for the exposition of Scripture and prayer had been formed; "Ordination," so-called, by presbyters had been given to persons who were supposed to own special gifts of speech; and unauthorized fast-days were appointed, wholly independent of the Queen's bishops.-See Strype's "Life of Whitgift," vol. iii. pp. 244–256, and the "Articles" exhibited against Thomas Cartwright.

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been directed to examine the matter, and that if they failed to do their duty in a reasonable period she would speedily supply the want and rectify the evil by her own spiritual supremacy. But nothing had been done.

On one occasion, in 1577-to pass from the ailments of the ministers to those of the Supreme Governess-the Queen suffered so acutely from tooth-ache, that she believed herself to have been bewitched. This conviction grew in force from the fact that some representations or images of Her Majesty, Cecil, and Walsingham, had been recently found (or were said to have been found) concealed in the house of an ancient priest who sojourned at Islington; while Dr. Dee's tuition had made her singularly superstitious. This poor innocent priest was believed to have been practising "malign magic"; for the ordinary royal physicians, instead of relieving their patient, entered into a violent controversy as to what potions ought to be given, and practically did nothing. Perhaps these physicians were also bewitched. Her Majesty's pains and aches by consequence continued, and even grew in violence, so that the Lords of the Council thought it their duty to interfere and take the matter in hand. A foreign doctor, Fenatus by name, had been highly recommended to them by some of the Protestant exiles; but the Queen mistrusted all foreigners, and