they do plague and torment each other."
Mr. Sherwood answered, "A French gentleman said, a short time since,that it should be a piece of commendable prudence to live with yourfriend as looking that he should one day be your enemy. Now we bewarranted, by Master Tregony's speech, to conclude his friendships tobe enmities in fair disguise; and the practices wherewith friendstorment each other no doubt should apply to this case also; and so hisexceptions need in no wise alter the theme of our argument. I prayyou, sir, begin, and name some notable instance in which, without anyapparent breach of friendship, the appearance of which is in bothinstances supposed, one may best wound his friend, or, as Mr. Tregonyhath it, the disguised object of his hatred."
I noticed that Master Martin glanced maliciously at hisadversary, and then answered, "The highest exercise of such abilityshould be, methinks, to get possession of a secret which your friend,_or disguised enemy_, has been at great pains to conceal, and to lethim know, by such means as shall hold him in perpetual fear, but neverin full assurance of the same, that you have it in your power toaccuse him at any time of that which should procure him to be throwninto prison, or maybe hanged on a gibbet."
A paleness spread over Master Sherwood's face, not caused, I ween, byfear so much as by anger at the meanness of one who, from envy andspite, even in the freedom of social hours, should hint at secrets soweighty as would touch the liberty, yea, the life, of one he calledhis friend; and standing up, he answered, whilst I, now too latediscerning mine own folly in the proposing of a dangerous pastime,trembled in every limb.
"I know," quoth he,--"I know a yet more ingenious instance of theskill of a malicious heart. To hang a sword over a friend's head, andcause him to apprehend its fall, must needs be a well-practiseddevice; but if it be done in so skilful a manner that the weapon shallthreaten not himself alone, but make him, as it were, the instrumentof ruin to others dearer to him than his own life,--if, by theappearance of friendship, the reality of which such a heart knowethnot, he hath been to such confidence as shall be the means of sorrowto those who have befriended him in another manner than this falsefriend, this true foe,--the triumph is then complete. Malice and hatredcan devise naught beyond it."
Martin's eyes glared so fearfully, and his voice sounded so hoarse, ashe hesitated in answering, that, in a sort of desperation, I stood up,and cried, "Long enough have these two gentlemen had the talk tothemselves. Verily, methinks there be no conqueror, but a drawn gamein this instance."
But a murmur rose among the company that Master Sherwood wasvictorious, and Master Tregony should do penance.
"What shall it be?" was asked; and all with one voice did opine MasterSherwood should name it, for he was as much beloved as Master Tregonywas misliked. He (Sherwood), albeit somewhat inwardly moved, I ween,had restrained his indignation, and cried out merrily, "Marry, so willI! Look me in the face, Martin, and give me thy hand. This shall bethy penance."
The other did so; but a fiendly look of resentment was in his eyes;and methinks Thomas Sherwood must needs have remembered the grasp ofhis hand to forgive it, I doubt not, even at the foot of the scaffold.
From that day Martin Tregony conceived an implacable hatred for MasterSherwood, whom he had feigned a great friendship for on his firstarrival in London, because he hoped, by his means and influence withhis aunt, to procure her to pay his debts. But after he had thrown offthe mask, he only waited for an opportunity to denounce him, beingprivy to his having brought a priest to Lady Tregony's house, who hadalso said mass in her chapel. So one day meeting him in the streets,he cried out, "Stop the traitor! stop the traitor!" and so causing himto be apprehended, had him before the next justice of the peace;where, when they were come, he could allege nothing against him, butthat he suspected him to be a Papist. Upon which he was examinedconcerning his religion, and, refusing to admit the queen'schurch-headship, he was cast into a dungeon in the Tower. His lodgingswere plundered, and L25, which he had amassed, as I knew, who hadassisted him to procure it, for the use of his aged and sick father,who had been lately cast into prison in Lancaster, was carried offwith the rest. He was cruelly racked, we heard, for that he would notreveal where he had heard mass; and kept in a dark filthy hole,where he endured very much from hunger, stench, and cold. No one beingallowed to visit him--for the Tower was not like some other prisonswhere Mistress Ward and others could sometimes penetrate--or affordhim any comfort, Mr. Roper had, by means of another prisoner, conveyedto his keeper some money for his use; but the keeper returned it thenext day, because the lieutenant of the Tower would not suffer him tohave the benefit of it. All he could be prevailed upon to do was tolay out one poor sixpence for a little fresh straw for him to lie on.About six months after, he was brought to trial, and condemned to die,for denying the queen's supremacy, and was executed at Tyburn,according to sentence, being cut down whilst he was yet alive,dismembered, bowelled, and quartered.
Poor Lady Tregony's heart did almost break at this his end and herkinsman's part in it; and during those six months--for she would notleave London whilst Thomas Sherwood was yet alive--I did constantlyvisit her, almost every day, and betwixt us there did exist a sort offellowship in our sorrow for this worthy young man's sufferings; forthat she did reproach herself for lack of prudence in not sufficientdistrust of her own nephew, whom now she refused to see, at least, shesaid, until he had repented of his sin, which he, glorying in, hadtold her, the only time they had met, he should serve her in the samemanner, and if he could ever find out she heard mass, should get her alodging in the Tower, and for himself her estate in Norfolk, whithershe was then purposing to retire, and did do so after MasterSherwood's execution. For mine own part, as once before my father'sapprehended danger had diverted my mind from childish folly, so didthe tragical result of an entertainment, wherein I had been carriedaway by thoughtless mirth, somewhat sicken me of company and sports. Iwent abroad not much the next year; only was often at Mr. Wells'shouse, and in Hubert's society, which had become so habitual to methat I was almost persuaded the pleasure I took therein proceeded froma mutual inclination, and I could observe with what jealousy hewatched any whom I did seem to speak with or allow of any civility attheir hands. Even Master Sherwood he would jalouse, if he found meweeping over his fate; and said he was happier in prison, for whomsuch tears did flow, than he at liberty, for whom I showed no likeregard. "Oh," I would answer, "he is happy because, Master Rookwood,his sufferings are for his God and his conscience' sake, and not suchas arise from a poor human love. Envy him his faith, his patience, hishope, which make him cry out, as I know he doth, 'O my Lord Jesu! I amnot worthy that I should suffer these things for thee;' and not thecompassionate tears of a paltry wench that in some sort was the meansto plunge him in these straits."
In the spring of the year which did follow, I heard from my father,who had been ordained at the English College at Rheims, and was on thewatch, he advertised me, for an opportunity to return to England, forto exercise the sacred ministry amongst his poor Catholic brethren.But at which port he should land, or whither direct his steps, if heeffected a safe landing, he dared not for to commit to paper. He saidEdmund Genings had fallen into a most dangerous consumption, partly bythe extraordinary pains he took in his studies, and partly in hisspiritual exercises, insomuch that the physicians had almost despairedof his recovery, and that the president had in consequence resolved tosend him into England, to try change of air. That he had left Rheimswith great regret, and went on his journey, as far as Havre de Grace,and, after a fortnight's stay in that place, having prayed to God veryheartily for the recovery of his health, so that he might return, and,without further delay, continue his studies for the priesthood,he felt himself very much better, almost as well as ever he was in hislife; upon which he returned to his college, and took up again, withexceeding great fervor, his former manner of life; "and," my fatheradded, "his common expression, as often as talk is ministered ofEngland and martyrdom there, is this: _'Vivamus in spe! Vivamus inspe!_'"
This letter
did throw me into an exceeding great apprehension that myfather might fall into the hands of the queen's officers at any timehe should land, and the first news I should hear of him to be that hewas cast into prison. And as I knew no Catholic priest could dwell inEngland with out he did assume a feigned name, and mostly so one ofhis station, and at one time well noted as a gentleman and a recusant,I now never heard of any priest arrested in any part of England but Ifeared it should be him.
Hubert Rookwood was now more than ever at Mr. Lacy's house, and in hislibrary, for they did both affection the same pursuits, albeit withvery different abilities; and I was used to transcribe for them diverspassages from manuscripts and books, taking greater pleasure, so tospend time, than to embroider in Kate's room, the