On leaving Sir John Leigh, I hastened back to Gresham House, where I
found Sir Thomas. He listened attentively to my account. "The
traitors! the unhappy bigots!" he exclaimed more than once as I
proceeded with it. "Order my horse and four attendants; I will set
forth immediately and visit the Secretary, and inform him of this
matter. Every hour may be of consequence."
On his return, Sir Thomas told me that Sir William Cecil had received
the information with great calmness, fully believing, however, the whole
account.
"He will not forget you, Ernst, depend on that," he said, "should you
prefer any other calling to that in which you are engaged."
It was evident that the object of the other ministers in absenting
themselves from the Queen's Council was, should anything go wrong, to
throw all the blame on Sir William Cecil. The wise way, however, in
which the Queen acted, by affording him her utmost support, showed that
she was well aware of their purpose, and that she was resolved to take
the responsibility on her own shoulders. Thus it was by the wisdom and
firmness of these two illustrious persons that that fearful storm was
weathered, and England saved from Papal tyranny.
Soon after this, news reached us of the illness of Master Richard
Clough, and in another week came the sad intelligence of his death. He
had ever been a faithful servant of Sir Thomas Gresham, and one of
those, who had enabled him to build up his fortunes.
His last will and testament was sent over from Hamburg. It was to the
effect, that having made all his money in the service of Sir Thomas
Gresham, he freely gave to his said master all his moveable goods, his
lands only excepted, that Sir Thomas might do his pleasure therewith,
adding that he would leave it to him whether he would suffer his wife,
children, and friends to enjoy them or any parcel thereof, according to
his previous will and testament. The paper concluded with the following
words:
"Oh! my master, do unto my poor wife and children as you would I
should do unto yours, if you were in the same place, for they have no
one to trust to but to you; and therefore I bid you and my lady
farewell, till it please God to bid us a meeting.
"Your old servant--
"Richard Clough."
I suspect that this letter was written in order that our friend Richard
Clough might show his confidence in his old master. It was not
misplaced, as Sir Thomas renounced the power given to him, when the
earlier will was proved. I should say that Sir Richard Clough, to show
his love of his native town, Denbigh, sought to bestow on its future
inhabitants the blessing of education, by leaving 100 pounds towards the
founding of a free school--a very considerable sum, let it be
understood.
I was now very anxious no longer to delay my marriage with Aveline,
especially as Captain Radford was in England, and purposed shortly
making another voyage to some distant part of the world. The spirit of
adventure had increased on him, and he could with difficulty remain
quietly in England without employment. I expressed my wishes to Sir
Thomas.
"I am sorry to hear this," he said, "because I was about to propose to
you to go to Antwerp on important business. There is no one I would so
willingly employ in it as yourself; and you will be conferring a favour
on me if you will postpone your marriage to Mistress Aveline for another
month or so. We will do our best to entertain Captain Radford in the
meantime, and on your return I will invite that excellent minister,
Master John Foxe, to leave his books and his parish for a time, and come
up and perform the ceremony. Her uncle Overton must also be drawn forth
from his quiet parish for a few days to assist in the ceremony."
I, of course, could not decline so flattering an offer as that now made
to me by my patron, though my dear Aveline, I must own, pouted her lips
and looked about to cry when I told her of it.
"If I had you here, I should not so much mind," she said; "but to let
you go forth into that land where the cruel Duke practises his
barbarities, and may perchance seize you and cast you into prison, I
cannot bear to think of it!" and again she burst into tears.
I tried to console her, believing that her fears were vain, and that,
under the protection of Sir Thomas Gresham and the English Government,
no harm could possibly happen to me.
I travelled down on horseback to Harwich, and from thence crossed in a
frigate, sailing for Ostend. From that city I travelled post, as Sir
Thomas himself had often done, at a rapid rate to Antwerp. Here I took
up my abode in the house of my patron's old servant, Jacob Naas, who had
been left in comfortable circumstances by the liberality of his master.
He had held to his former principles of conforming outwardly to the
Romish faith. I talked with him for some time before he knew who I was.
He then received me most cordially, and gave me the best entertainment
his house could afford. He shook his head when I asked how things went
on at Antwerp. "Oh! Master Verner," he said, "they are bad times. Our
artisans have fled, the commerce of the place is ruined, grass is
growing in many of our streets, springing up from the blood of the
citizens shed on them. And then look at that frowning fortress. While
that remains, how can we ever hope to regain our lost liberties? It is
refreshing to be able to speak to you of these matters, but I dare not
utter them aloud."
I asked after many of my old acquaintances. Again he shook his head
with a sorrowful look. Some were dead--broken-hearted; many had been
executed; others had fled, and the rest were living in poverty. A few
only were flourishing, and they were among those who had abandoned the
Protestant faith.
"Then I suppose that that is a proof that they have acted wisely and
rightly," I observed.
"No, no, Master Verner, you do not think that," he answered: "I know
enough of the truth to know that it is not always those who flourish in
this world who are most favoured by God. Look at me, Master Verner, I
am not happy; and when I pass them, and observe their countenances,
there is little contentment and cheerfulness to be seen in them."
"And Dame Trond," I asked, "is she still alive?"
"Ah, that she is," he answered, "and drives a more flourishing trade
than ever. People of all ranks go and consult her, and believe that she
can work all sorts of miracles, and has numberless familiar spirits at
her command."
"She is a strange woman," I observed; "but I ought to feel grateful to
her for the assistance she afforded us in helping our friends to
escape."
"Ah! but still I am afraid she is a _very_ wicked old woman," said
Jacob. "I cannot tell you how many bad things I believe she has done;
and she will do many more, I suspect. I, for one, would not trust her."
"I have no wish to do so," I said, "and, indeed, doubt how far I should
be right in obtaining her services, now that we know more of her
character."
Finding that there was a considerable amount of ill-feeling towards the
English among the Spaniards and the Flemings who adhered to Alva, I went
very little abroad while at Antwerp, except when I was compelled to call
on the merchants and others with whom I had business. I found, however,
that it was absolutely necessary for me to proceed to Brussels. I was
there going into the lion's den; but yet, as the English Government had
an envoy at the Duke's court, I considered that I had no cause for fear.
I accordingly went with Jacob Naas, who earnestly begged that he might
accompany me.
At this time the Duke of Alva was endeavouring to force upon the
provinces a tax which was known as the Tenth Penny. Expostulations had
been sent to King Philip; but, though the tax was not formally
confirmed, the King did not distinctly disavow his intention of
inflicting it. The citizens in every town throughout the country were
therefore in open revolt against the tax; and, in order that it should
not be levied on every sale of goods, they took the only remedy in their
power, and a very effectual one that was--namely, not to sell any goods
at all. Thus, not only was the wholesale commerce of the provinces
suspended, but even the minute and indispensable traffic of every-day
life was at a standstill.
Every shop was shut. The brewers refused to brew, the bakers to bake,
the tapsters to tap. Thus multitudes were thrown out of employment, and
every city swarmed with beggars. The soldiers were furious for their
pay, which Alva was unable to furnish. The citizens, maddened by
outrage, became more and more obstinate in their resistance; while the
Duke seemed to regard the ruin he had caused with a malignant spirit
scarcely human. In truth, the aspect of Brussels at this time was that
of a city stricken by a plague. Articles of absolute necessity could
not be obtained. It was impossible even to buy bread, meat, or beer.
My stay in Brussels was short, and I was thankful to leave the city,
albeit Antwerp was scarcely in a better condition. I purposed remaining
only two days at that place, intending to return home by the way I had
come.
The day after my return, just as I got to my lodgings, having transacted
some business with one of the few remaining correspondents in the city,
Jacob came to me with a look of alarm.
"I was passing through the Mere, close to the hall where the Blood
Council hold their sittings, when who should I see hobbling away but old
Dame Trond! She cast a suspicious glance at me, which I could not help
feeling meant mischief. I have a relative who is employed as a porter
in the hall. He has no love for his post, but he cannot help himself,
so he says. I bethought myself that I would go and see him, and try to
learn why Dame Trond had paid this visit to the Council. `It is curious
that you have come in,' he whispered; `for I was wishing to come to you.
You have a guest in your house who has come here as an Englishman, but
is, as you should know, a Netherlander born, and a heretic. You are
aware of the penalty of harbouring such; and, as he is supposed to be
wealthy, the person informing against him will obtain a rich reward,
being entitled to a large share of his property. The old witch Barbara
Trond has found this out, I doubt not, by consulting her familiar, and
she just now came here to lay information against him before the Blood
Council. Now, Jacob, if you are a wise man, you will do as I intended
to advise you. Go at once before the Blood Council, and say that you
have just discovered that your guest is a heretic whom you received
ignorantly, and thus obtain the reward yourself.' I did not dare to
tell my relative what I felt when he said this; but, thanking him for
his advice, I concealed my feelings, and hurried back, Master Verner, to
tell you, and to urge you to make your escape without a moment's delay
from the city. The Government are too much in want of funds to allow
you to escape, if they can by any possibility lay their hands upon the
property of which you have charge; and especially, if it is believed
that it belongs to Sir Thomas Gresham, they will be the more ready to
appropriate it, in revenge for the advice he is known to have given the
English Government sometime back with regard to the treasure seized in
the Spanish ships."