Dr.Clementhath beene with us. Sayth he went up as blythe as a Bridegroom to be clothed upon with Immortality.
Rupertstoode it alle out. Perfect Love casteth out Feare. Soe did his.
17th.
My most precious Treasure is this deare Billet, writ with a Coal; the last Thing he sett his Hand to, wherein he sayth, "I never liked your Manner towards me better than when you kissed me last."
19th.
They have let us bury his poor mangled Trunk; but, as sure as there's a Sun in Heaven, I'll have his Head!—before another Sun hath risen, too. If wise Men won't speed me, I'll e'en content me with a Fool.
I doe think Men, for the most Part, be Cowards in theire Hearts ... moral Cowards. Here and there, we find one likeFather, and likeSocrates, and like ... this and that one, I mind not theire Names just now; but in the Main, methinketh they lack the moral Courage of Women. Maybe, I'm unjust to 'em just now, being crost.
July 20th.
Ilay down, but my Heart was waking. Soon after the first Cock crew, I hearde a Pebble cast agaynst my Lattice, knew the Signall, rose, dressed, stole softlie down and let myself out. I knew the Touch of the poor Fool's Fingers; his Teeth were chattering, 'twixt Cold and Fear, yet he laught aneath his Breath as he caught my Arm and dragged me after him, whispering, "Fool and fayr Lady will cheat 'em yet." At the Stairs lay a Wherry with a Couple of Boatmen, and one of 'em stepping up to me, cries, "Alasfor ruth, MistressMeg, what is't ye do? Art mad to go on this Errand?" I sayd, "I shall be mad if I goe not, and succeed too—put me in, and push off."
We went down the River quietlie enow—at length reachLondon BridgeStairs.Patteson, starting up, says, "Bide ye all as ye are," and springs aland and runneth up to the Bridge. Anon, returns, and sayth, "Now, Mistress, alle's readie ... readier than ye wist ... come up quickly, for the Coast's clear."Hobson(for 'twas he) helps me forth, saying, "Godspeed ye, Mistress.... An' I dared, I woulde goe with ye." ... Thought I, there be others in that Case.
Nor lookt I up till aneath the Bridge-gate, when casting upward a fearsome Look, I beheld the dark Outline of the ghastly yet precious Relic; and, fallinginto a Tremour, did wring my Hands and exclaym, "Alas, alas, that Head hath lain full manie a Time in my Lap, wouldeGod, wouldeGodit lay there now!" When, o' suddain, I saw the Pole tremble and sway towards me; and stretching forth my Apron, I did in an Extasy of Gladness, Pity, and Horror, catch its Burthen as it fell.Patteson, shuddering, yet grinning, cries under his Breath, "Managed I not well, Mistress? Let's speed away with our Theft, for Fools and their Treasures are soon parted; but I think not they'll follow hard after us, neither, for there are Well-wishers to us on the Bridge. I'll put ye into the Boat and then say,Godspeed ye, Lady, with your Burthen."
Nor lookt I up till aneath the Bridge-gateNor lookt I up till aneath the Bridge-gate
Nor lookt I up till aneath the Bridge-gate
July 23rd.
Rizpah, Daughter ofAiah, did watch her Dead from the Beginning of Harvest until the latter Rain, and suffered neither the Birds of the Air to light on them by Day, nor the wild Beasts of the Field by Night. And it was told the King, but he intermeddled not with her.
ArgiastolePolynices'Body by Night and buried it, for the which, she with her Life did willingly pay Forfeit.Antigone, for aiding in the pious Theft, was adjudged to be buried alive.Artemisiadid make herself her loved one's Shrine, by drinking his Ashes. Such is the Love of Women; many Waters cannot quench it, neither can the Floods drown it. I'veheardeBonvisitell of a poorItalianGirl, whose Brothers did slay her Lover; and in Spite of them she got his Heart, and buried it in a Pot of Basil, which she watered Day and Night with her Tears, just as I do my Coffer.Willhas promised it shall be buried with me; layd upon my Heart; and since then, I've beene easier.
He thinks he shall writeFather'sLife, when he gets more composed, and we are settled in a new Home. We are to be cleared out o' this in alle Haste; the King grutches at our lingering overFather'sFootsteps, and gazing on the dear familiar Scenes associate with his Image; and yet, when the News of the bloody Deed was taken to him, as he sate playing at Tables with QueenAnne, he started up and scowled at her, saying, "Thou art the Cause of this Man's Death!"Fathermight well say, during our last precious Meeting in the Tower, "'Tis I,Meg, not the King, that love Women. They belie him; he onlie loves himself." Adding, with his own sweet Smile, "YourGafferused to say that Women were a Bag of Snakes, and that the Man who put his Hand therein woulde be lucky if he founde one Eel among them alle; but 'twas onlie in Sport,Meg, and he owned that I had enough Eels to my Share to make a goodly Pie, and called my House the Eel-pie House to the Day of his Death. 'Twas our LordJesusraised up Women, and shewed Kindnesse unto 'em; and they've kept theire Level, in the Main, ever since."
I wishWillmay sett down everie Thing ofFather'ssaying he can remember; how precious will his Book then be to us!But I fear me, these Matters adhere not to a Man's Memory ... he'll be telling of his Doings as Speaker and Chancellor, and his saying this and that in Parliament. Those are the Matters Men like to write and to read; he won't write it after my Fashion.
I had a Misgiving ofWill'sWrath, that Night, 'speciallie if I failed; but he called me his braveJudith. Indeed I was a Woman bearing a Head, but one that had oft lain on my Shoulder.
My Thoughts beginne to have Connexion now; but till last Night, I slept not. 'Twas scarce Sunsett.Mercyhad been praying beside me, and I lay outside my Bed, inclining rather to Stupor than Sleep. O' suddain, I have an Impression that some one is leaning over me, though I hear 'em not, nor feel theire Breath. I start up, cry "Mercy!" but she's notthere, nor anie one else. I turn on my Side and become heavie to Sleep; but or ere I drop quite off, agayn I'm sensible or apprehensive of some living Consciousness between my closed Eyelids and the setting Sunlight; agayn start up and stare about, but there's Nothing. Then I feel like ... likeEli, maybe, when the ChildSamuelcame to him twice; and Tears well into mine Eyes, and I close 'em agayn, and say in mine Heart, "If he's at Hand, oh, let me see him next Time ... the third Time's lucky." But 'steade of this, I fall into quiet, balmy, dreamlesse Sleep. Since then, I've had an abiding, assuring Sense of Help, of a Hand upholding me, and smoothing and glibbing the Way before me.
We must yield to the Powers that be. At this Present, we are weak, but they are strong; they are honourable, but weare despised. They have made us a Spectacle unto the World, and, I think, Europe will ring with it; but at this present Hour, they will have us forth of our Home, though we have as yet no certayn Dwelling-Place, and must flee as scared Pigeons from their Dove-cot. No Matter; our Men are willing to labour, and our Women to endure: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it. Onlie I marvell how anie honest Man, coming after us, will be able to eat a Mouthful of Bread with a Relish within these Walls. And, methinketh, a dishonest Man will have sundrie Frights from theLaresandLemures. There'll be Dearth o' black Beans in the Market.
Flow on, bright shiningThames. A good brave Man hath walked aforetime on your Margent, himself as bright, andusefull, and delightsome as be you, sweet River. And like you, he never murmured; like you, he upbore the weary, and gave Drink to the Thirsty, and reflected Heaven in his Face. I'll not swell your full Current with any more fruitless Tears. There's a River, whose Streams make glad the City of ourGod. He now rests beside it. Good Christian Folks, as they hereafter pass this Spot, upborne on thy gentle Tide, will, maybe, point this Way, and say—"There dwelt SirThomas More;" but whether they doe or not,Vox Populiis a very inconsiderable Matter. Who would live on theire Breath? They hailed St.PaulasMercury, and then stoned him, and cast him out of the City, supposing him to be dead. Theire Favourite of to-day may, for what they care, goe hang himself to-morrow in his Surcingle. Thus it must be while the World lasts;and the very Racks and Scrues wherewith they aim to overcome the nobler Spiritt, onlie test and reveal its Power of Exaltation above the heaviest Gloom of Circumstance.
Interfecistis, interfecistis Hominem omnium Anglorum optimum.
FINIS
Printed byBallantyne, Hanson & Co.Edinburgh & London
In the html and e-book versions without illustrations, the caption from theList of Illustrationshas been provided as an alternative.Some words have been represented in the print version as the first three letters of the word followed by the last letter as a superscript and with a dot underneath. The dot has been left out in the html and e-book versions in order to be compatible with most devices and browsers.On p. 59, a presumed printer's error has been corrected:"She seems 'em now!" (as printed in the original) has been changed to"She sees 'em now!" (in this version)On p.201, the date 1543 has been changed to 1534. This can be fairly presumed to be the intended date based on historical occurrences referred to and based on the continuity of entries.Spelling and use of italics is inconsistent throughout the text. These inconsistencies have been retained in this version.
In the html and e-book versions without illustrations, the caption from theList of Illustrationshas been provided as an alternative.
Some words have been represented in the print version as the first three letters of the word followed by the last letter as a superscript and with a dot underneath. The dot has been left out in the html and e-book versions in order to be compatible with most devices and browsers.
On p. 59, a presumed printer's error has been corrected:"She seems 'em now!" (as printed in the original) has been changed to"She sees 'em now!" (in this version)
On p.201, the date 1543 has been changed to 1534. This can be fairly presumed to be the intended date based on historical occurrences referred to and based on the continuity of entries.
Spelling and use of italics is inconsistent throughout the text. These inconsistencies have been retained in this version.