"Sir _Thomas Arundel_ was with some difficulty condemned, for his
cause was brought to trial about seven of the clock in the
morning, and about noon the jurors went together, and because
they could not agree, they were shut in a house all the residue
of that day and all the night following. The next morning they
found him guilty. Unhappy man! who found the doing of anything or
nothing dangerous alike."
and the little King mechanically notes in his diary,--
"29th Jan., 1551-2. Sir Thomas Arundel was likewise cast of
felony in treason, after long controversie, for the matter was
brought in trial bie seven of the cloke in the morning 28th day;
at none the qwest went together; they sate shut up together in a
house, without meat or drinke, bicause they could not agree, all
that day and all night; this 29th day in the morning they did
cast him."
So the first act of the coming tragedy was completed, and then after
they had made sure of the destruction of their victim, they were
equally assiduous that he should have ample religious consolation, in
order that he "may dye well,"--and so give colour to the assumption
that he was rightly convicted; and seemingly seek to justify the cruel
sentence, awarded under such manifest difficulty, arising from the
slight grounds of the accusation preferred against him.
Therefore the very same day of his condemnation, the 29th of October,
"the Council issued orders to the Lieutenant of the Tower, 'that
Doctour Bill may from tyme to tyme resort to Sir Rauff Fane for
his instruction to dye well; and that Doctour Parker may resort
from tyme to tyme to Sir Thomas Arundell for the lyke
purpose."[45]
Both these spiritual advisers were evidently Protestants, holding
office in the Reformed Church. Dr. William Bill was successively
Master of St. John's and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge, and afterward
Provost of Eton, Dean of Westminster, and Almoner to Queen Elizabeth.
Dr. Matthew Parker was Chaplain to Edward VI., Dean of Lincoln, and
afterward Archbishop of Canterbury. What faith Sir Ralph Vane
professed may not be related here, but from his bold and resolute
character it may be surmised to have been of an easy-going kind, and
the clerical consolers sent to administer to him in his necessity
might have been as acceptable as any other.
Not so to Sir Thomas Arundell; his religious adherence as a staunch
Catholic was doubtless well known, and to him, the intrusion of the
men named, in his hopeless distress, would have been adding still
further cruelty to his sentence, by depriving him of that last
preparation and final rites of the church he belonged to, which one of
her own confessors could alone afford him.
Application was therefore made for this privilege, and so we find
that,--
"on the 11th of February, Mr. Perne was allowed to resort to Sir
Thomas Arundell, to instruct hym to dye well."[45]
[45] BELL'S _Chapel in the Tower_.
To die well,--such was, apparently, the condition most sought for, to
appear penitent, and if possible to ensure this, the strong religious
point was waived, and one,--probably of the ejected religious of the
previous reign,--was "allowed" admittance to the death-sentenced
prisoner. The monk who came was presumably William Peryn, Prior of the
Black-friars, and a distinguished preacher; he probably attended Sir
Thomas in his last moments.
The last scene of this mournful progression was now at hand. On the
22nd February the Lieutenant of the Tower received instructions to
give notice to--
"Sir Thomas Arundell, and Sir Rauf Vane that they should against
Friday next, prepare themselves to dye, according to their
condempnation."
But another and melancholy privilege had now to be sought for, and
that was to change the ignominious method of hanging,--the punishment
accorded for treason-felony,--to the less degrading death by
beheading. Some influence had to be used, but it was granted. The same
method of death was also extended to Sir Michael Stanhope. No
alteration, however, was accorded--if sought for--with regard to the
execution of the "ruffian," Sir Ralph Vane, and Sir Miles Partridge;
they were to perish at the same hour at the gallows, which was
probably set up beside the scaffold on Tower Hill.
Cavendish in his _Metrical Visions_, thus refers to this circumstance
in the last stanza of that one relating to Sir Thomas Arundell,--
"To be hanged though my judgment ware,
Yet to do me honour they changed my sentence,
And to leese my head to ease me of my care:--
But death was the thing of all their pretence
Which they desired;--such was their conscyence
There I make an end, and I without redresse
As here ye may see me, a symple body hedlesse."