Chapter XXV: April 30

MY Lord and Lady have come, with all their train, and we have been up to the great house to pay our visit. Having never seen my Lady Stanton, I was naturally curious about her. My mother told me that she was very beautiful, and gentle, and highly accomplished; but I was as much amazed at her beauty as if I had never heard a word. Truly I never saw anything so lovely. She made me think of nothing so much as of a white musk rose, fairest of flowers to look upon, and shedding sweetness around; but alas, too soon fading and easily shaken to pieces, even in its freshest bloom. She was overjoyed to see my stepmother, and welcomed me with a grace and warmth which made me feel at home with her directly. She would have us stay and spend the day with her, and sent for my father and Harry to come to supper.

Of course she and my mother had a hundred matters to discuss, of which I knew nothing; but I was quite content to listen while they talked over the news of the Court, especially when the matter of the King's divorce came up. It seems quite decided that there is to be a divorce by some means or other, though the Pope throws difficulties in the way. Meantime my dear Mistress is no more treated by the King as his wife, and hardly hath she honor as Queen, while Mistress Anne, forsooth, hath her ladies in waiting, and her levees, with the King dining with her and making hunting and hawking parties with her, and all paying their court, as though she were already Queen. It made my blood boil but to hear of her, and my mother was sterner than ever I saw or heard her, in reprobation of Mistress Anne's treacherous and light conduct.

"Yet they say my Lady Marchioness is well affected toward the new doctrines, and those who hold them!" said my Lady.

"So much the worse for the doctrines," answered my mother. "The truth hath no such enemies as they who hold it in unrighteousness. But what of the new doctrines?"

"They spread wondrously, no one knows how!" answered my Lady. "Copies of Master Tyndale's New Testament make their way in all quarters, even in the Court itself; and all men's minds are in a ferment. The Greek learning is more in favor than ever in some quarters, and more bitterly opposed in others. We heard a furious sermon against it in Salisbury, where we stayed a few days. The preaching friar said that Hebrew was the language of unbelieving Jews, and Greek of idolatrous infidels and schismatics; while Latin was the tongue of the Church and the Pope, and more fit to hold the Holy Scriptures than the vulgar tongue, which was used for all base purposes."

"I suppose Latin must have been the vulgar tongue with the Romans," I ventured to say. "Doubtless the Roman ladies scolded their maids and their children, and gave orders about meat, and wine, and spinning, just as we do in English."

"You are right, cousin," answered my Lady; "and when St. Jerome translated the Scripture into Latin, he put it in the vulgar tongue, as its name signifies."

"But by what means do the Testaments come into this country?" I asked.

"Chiefly by means of the Hamburg and other German merchants. 'Tis said there is an association called the Christian Brothers, composed of the richest and best traders of London, who make it their business to disperse the new Gospels in all directions throughout the land."

"And what says the Cardinal to all this spread of heresy?" asked my mother.

"The Cardinal is full of other matters, and like to be fuller," answered my Lady. "The Lady Anne hates him venomously, because he will pay her no court, and all men predict his speedy downfall. Wolsey himself, men say, grows weary of his life. 'Tis said he told the French embassador, that could he once see this marriage question settled, the peace accomplished, and the laws and customs of the kingdom reformed, he would retire and serve God the rest of his days."

"Alack, poor man!" said my mother. "He would finish his worldly gear first, and then serve God afterward. But surely his downfall must make great changes."

"Yes, and for that reason many are fain to see him fall. His unbounded pride, and display, and his lust of power, make him enemies, especially among the nobles, who can ill brook to see a clerk, the son of a butcher, set over all their heads. Yet there are others, and those far-seeing men, who dread his downfall. He is certainly a check on his Majesty, and has more than once crossed his humor as no other man dare for his life. Then with all his faults, he is neither mean nor cruel, and his own household are devoted to him."

By this time the babe was awake, and we went to the nursery to see him. He is a delicate little fellow, very lovely, and like his mother; but by no means so stout or fat as a babe of his age should be. My mother strongly counselled my Lady to give him no medicine, but to take him out in the air as much as might be. The mother and child together were a most beautiful sight; yet I heard my mother sigh, as she gazed, and my heart echoed the sigh, I hardly knew why.

When we went out to the gardens, as we did on leaving the nursery, we encountered my Lord and Richard. My Lord paid his compliments, with his usual easy grace, to my mother and myself, and then turned eagerly to my Lady, whom it seems he had left sleeping. It was pretty to see his earnestness to know whether she had slept well; was she refreshed, had she eaten, and so on. Even his boy seemed of little consequence beside his wife. Meantime Dick and I exchanged greetings in our old cousinly fashion. I had expected to see, I know not what change, and 'twas a real comfort to me when Dick dropped his beaver in his old clumsy fashion, as he saluted me. Presently, in walking through the maze, we found ourselves chatting as if we had not been parted a day. I felt as though I must needs take Dick to task for getting me into such a scrape by the means of Mistress Bullen, and was considering how best to begin, when himself saved me the trouble. His first words took me all aback.

"Rosamond, why did your Lady Abbess send back the packet of Venetian silks and beads I sent her? I don't think 'twas very gracious in her to reject my little offering."

I believe I stared at him like a fool. "What do you mean?" I asked, simply.

"Why, I mean the packet I sent her by Mistress Bullen," answered Dick, looking surprised in his turn. "I saw my Lady Latimer and my Lady Denny at work with these beads and silks, embroidering of stools and covers; and knowing how famous your house is for fine work, I thought the like materials would make an acceptable offering, please the Lady Abbess, and perhaps yourself. So I asked my Lady cousin to buy the things for me, and sent them by the hands of Mistress Bullen, as I said; and much amazed I was to have them returned on my hands by Master Griffith."

I saw it all in a minute; and despite my vexation I could not help laughing to think how dear Mother Superior had cheated herself.

"Mistress Bullen was a Corby messenger," I said, as soon as I could compose my face. "She made a great mystery of the matter, giving me the packet in secret, telling me that you had bidden her give it me privately. Only that dear Mother is so good and right-minded, I should have been in a serious scrape."

Dick looked vexed enough.

"Just what I might have expected!" said he. "Mistress Anne is a born mischief-maker! She said you told her you had nothing to say to any Court popinjay; even if you married, you looked for a higher match than the poor kinsman of a lord, but you would rather be Abbess of a good house than to be any man's house-dame."

"I never said such a word!" I told him. "It would ill become me to be talking of such matters!"

"It did not sound like you, and I did not believe her when she spoke," said Richard. "I could not think you so changed in a short time. But I cannot help laughing, now I know the right of the matter, to think how the good Mother cheated herself. And yet, since she did believe the packet to be yours, 'twas like a high-minded lady not to open it."

"She is a high-minded lady!" I said. "I wish she had opened the parcel, because then I should have been quite cleared in her eyes, and yet I respect her the more for not doing so. When I can write to her I will tell her how it was."

"Aye, and send the packet back at the same time, if you will," said Richard. "I have brought you some things of the same sort."

"Richard!" said I, presently, after we had walked in silence a little way. "I heard my mother and my Lady talking about the spread of the new doctrine, and the new English Testaments. Have you seen any of these books?"

"Aye, have I," said Richard: "they are falling about London and the Court as plenty as lady-birds."

"And what do the bishops and priests say to them?"

"They would like to burn the books and the readers with them, and 'tis a wonder if they don't have their will of some of them!" said Dick. "The preaching friars and the monks are as busy as the devil over Lundy in a gale of wind; but the smoke is out of the chimney and the cat out of the bag, and all the king's horses and all the king's men can't get them in again."

"But why are the priests so much opposed to the spread of these books?" I asked. "Do they say they are not the true gospel?"

"Aye, that is the pretext, of course!" answered Dick. "I heard one of them say that all Tyndale's books were printed, which showed plainly that they were not the true gospel, since the Church had always had the gospel, and every one knew that there were no printed books fifty years ago."

"Oh, Dick," said I, "you should not joke about such matters."

"'Tis no joke, but sober earnest," said Dick. "I heard him myself, and so did many others, who laughed in the preacher's face; for they can't make people swallow their words whole as they used to. What with the abolishment of the benefit of clergy and the new Greek learning, the poor old fellows are getting it on all sides. I myself heard a well learned gentleman say that Erasmus his Greek Testament had done more for the spread of the new doctrines than Tyndale his English book."

"I know Master Ellenwood's Greek Testament is never out of his hand when he has a moment's leisure," I said. "I would I knew Greek. But Richard, you only answered half my question. Have you looked into any of these books?"

"If I tell you I have read one from end to end, you will hold me for little else than a reprobate, I dare say," answered Richard.

"I shall certainly hold the book for something wonderful," I answered. "I don't believe you ever read through any book you were not obliged to, unless it were the 'Morte d' Arthur,' or some Canterbury Tale. But have you indeed read this book through?"

"Indeed I have, dear heart, and more than once. Shall I show it you?" And therewith he drew from his bosom a small, well-worn volume, and put it in my hand. Almost mechanically I opened it, and the first words I read were these, which I had so often heard from my step-dame: "Sufficient unto the time is the evil thereof."

At this moment we were interrupted by a call, and one of the servants came to bid us to supper.

"Richard," said I, "will you lend me this book?"

"No," he answered, taking it from my hands. "I will take no such responsibility; but if you would read it, ask your step-dame to give it you. She is as great a favorer of the new doctrine as my Lady Denny herself. But, Rosamond, if you mean to go back to your convent, I rede you let the book alone."

"And why so?" I asked.

"Because, an you read and believe it, you will never go back there," answered Dick; and that was all I could get out of him.

Dick is changed, but not as Mistress Bullen said. He is far graver, and more manly than he used to be. He has lost most of his old blundering bashfulness, and seems indeed not to think of himself at all. The very expression of his face is changed, yet he has all his old kind ways, and is just as ready to do service to gentle and simple.

It is odd he never so much as noticed the change in my dress.

I am vexed when I think of the coil that was made about poor Dick's simple offering. If dear Mother had only opened it—but she will know when I write to her.

To-morrow is May-day, and is like to be fine. If so we shall go down as usual, and see the dances on the green, and perhaps join in them. My Lord and Lady have promised to grace us with their presence. I fear she will think our country ways but rude and boisterous, as she has lived all her life in town and about the Court; though in her manners she is as modest and simple as any country maid.