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"My father and his friends smiled, and one of them said,
'Truly, my dear lad, that is a question which has been asked
by older heads than yours.'"
"I did know, only too well. Only a year before, I had played
the truant to see some great sight, I knew not what, which
had drawn together a crowd of people over there on the
border of the waste. I had slipped between them till I
reached the front rank, and I had never forgotten the sight
which met my eyes—the body of an aged woman
consuming in the flames. The sight and the smell had
haunted my dreams at times ever since."
CHAPTER IV.
Jack had but one consolation, and that indeed was a great
one. He made the shepherd repeat to him all that he could
remember of Holy Scripture. The old man's memory, though
somewhat impaired as to late occurrences, was as vivid as
ever for all those things which had happened in his youth,
and he was able to repeat whole chapters of Wickliffe's
version of the Bible, which, rude and imperfect as it was,
had been as a savor of life unto life to many hungry souls.
"Is that all?" asked Jack in a disappointed one. "I do not see
that it says a word about her being our Lady's mother."
The old man did not answer immediately, and Jack repeated
his question, "Do you think it could have been the true
Gospel after all?"
"I cannot but think he was right," said Jack, with decision,
after a little pause. "I cannot but think the truth must be
worth any danger that can come upon us for its sake. Nor
can I yet understand why reading God's Word should make
men heretics. The priest at the convent says it is because
ignorant men know not how to use it, and that it is like a
poisonous drug which can be safely touched only by a
physician."
"Ay, I have heard that story often enough," said the old
man; "and how that the giving the Scripture to the common
folk is a casting of holy things to the dogs and pearls before
swine. A pretty saying indeed, to call those for whom Christ
died, dogs and swine!"
"Do they then christen little whelps and pigs?" asked Jack,
shrewdly. "Methinks that were as great an abuse of holy
things as reading the Bible to the vulgar people."
The shepherd smiled. "Thou art a shrewd lad. Take care that
thou make thy wit keep thy head instead of losing it."
"I will take care," replied Jack, with all the confidence of
fifteen. "But, uncle, according to all that you tell me, the
holy apostles were but common men like ourselves. St.
Peter and St. John were fishermen and worked for their
bread; and yet our Lord's sayings were spoken to them."
"'My son,' said she, 'remember that you carry with you a
teacher who is able to make you wise, even without the
words of this book, and without whom even the book itself
can teach you nothing. I mean the Holy Spirit of God. Our
Lord promised this Spirit of truth to His disciples, and said:'"
"I believe I know what you would say, my son," said the old
man, as Jack paused. "You would ask if it is not
presumption to suppose that God Himself teaches and
governs us. I cannot think so. It would be so, doubtless, if
He had not given us warrant for it in His Word; but so long
as He says, He is more ready to give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him than earthly parents are to give good gifts to
their children, I think we are bound to believe Him."
"'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?'"
"Jack," added the old man with energy, "I thank God that I
have been led to open my heart to you, for the repeating of
the Scriptures to you has so refreshed my memory of them,
as I could not have believed possible."
Jack started.
"I am wrong," said he. "I promised Anne I would never tell
the tale again. It was something which happened in the
convent."
"It is but little that I have done," said Thomas Sprat. "The
credit of Jack's cure belongs to the fresh air of the hill far
more than to me. But come in, come in, cousin Lucas. You
must be in need of refreshment. You do not often ride so far
from home."
"Why, no, not of late years," replied the baker, bowing his
head to enter the low door of the cottage. "I do grow too
stout for journeying. Ho! Dame Margery, how goes all with
you? Why, you look so young and well-favored, we shall
have you fitted with a gay bridegroom next."
"You are the very best man in the world, father!" said Jack.
"I do believe there never was such another."
"Tut, tut, lad! I trust there are many better in our good
town. I will say for Anne, she was very grateful, and
thanked me prettily enough, poor child. But you and I have
lived to see many changes, Uncle Thomas. 'Tis but a little
while since folks were wondering over hearing the Creed,
the Lord's Prayer, and the Commandments said in English in
the churches. Who knows what may come next? We may
live to hear the whole Bible read, as they say the Lutherans
do."
"Maybe so! Maybe so! I fear me the cat will find her way to
that cream-pot without showing, some of these days," said
the baker. "But anyhow, the gray nuns must troop, bag and
baggage, and there is talk of my Lord Harland buying the
house and lands. They say he brought home much treasure
from the Low Countries, and some pretend to affirm that he
is a favorer of the new doctrine. Anne, poor maid, went off
into a fit of weeping when she heard the story. I suppose it
is but natural she should be grieved at seeing the place go
into secular hands."
"And indeed, I would not have you out after dark," said
Thomas Sprat. "The waste here harbors many vagrants—
gypsies and the like, who bear none too good characters."
"I will go with you a part of the way, father," said Jack. "I
suppose Simon can foot it a mile or so, and I will ride his
beast and walk back."
Jack begged his father to send him some of his books. This
the old man at first flatly refused to do, saying that if Jack
had his books he would spend his time poring over them
and would soon be as bad as ever again; but upon farther
entreaty, and on Jack's representation that he should have
to be out of doors with the sheep all day, at any rate, and
that he should forget all he had learned, his father so far
gave way as to say he would consult Sir William about the
matter, and if he thought best, the books should be sent;
and with this promise Jack was fain to be content.
"There's a man after your own heart, son Jack," said the
baker. "He reads as he travels along the highway. Good-day
to you, sir!" he added, addressing the traveller as they
came within speaking distance. "Methinks your horse must
be a steady one, since he allows you to study upon his
back."
"You are just in the road," said Jack, "but the knight is not
at home. He went up to London the day before yesterday."
"Jack, Jack, how your tongue runs!" said his father. "I pray
you pardon the lad's forwardness," he added, addressing
the stranger. "The knight hath been kind enough to notice
him, and he is one who thinks much of a small favor."
"A grave and godly man, no doubt," said the baker, as they
parted company. "I wonder if he is really a merchant after
all. He rode a fine horse, and I noticed his gown was of
superfine cloth, and trimmed with costly fur; but these
London merchants, many of them, are as rich as the great
lords, and live in far greater comfort and luxury than our
country knights and squires."
"I wonder what book he was reading," said Jack. "He must
be a learned man to carry a book in his pocket."
"I am not so sure of that," said his father laughing. "A man
may not certainly be a good baker because his coat is
covered with flour."
"But he spoke like a scholar, father," said Jack. "Did you not
think so?"
"There was something uncommon about him, for certain,"
replied Master Lucas. "He had the look of a man who is
always thinking of great and grave subjects. To my mind,
his face had something the look of our Sir William."
"Like enough! Like enough. But, my son, you have gone far
enough seeing that you are to walk back. My blessing on
thee, dearest lad. Take care of thy health, be dutiful and
obedient to Uncle Thomas, and learn all that thou canst
from him. Learning is light to carry about, and no kind ever
comes amiss. Remember thy duty to God and thy father;
say thy prayers every day, and thou wilt never go far
astray."
Jack had begun to feel very manly of late, but all his
manliness did not prevent his shedding a few tears at
parting with his father, nor was Master Lucas free from a
similar weakness, which, however, disguised itself under a
sharp criticism of the style of riding of poor Simon, who, he
averred, sat his mule like one of his own meal-sacks.
Jack had wiped the drops from his eyes, and was walking
briskly on when his foot stumbled on something at the edge
of the footpath. He looked down, and quickly picked up the
object which had arrested him. It was a small but thick
book, bound in parchment and with brazen clasps, and he
had no difficulty in recognizing the book he had seen the
stranger reading.
CHAPTER V.
"My dear boy," said he gravely but kindly, "will you tell me
from whom you have learned so much of Holy Scripture?
Nay, I will not ask, if it is a secret," he added, seeing Jack
hesitate. "I am a stranger, and cannot reasonably ask you
to trust me at sight. Nevertheless, I will trust you, and
answer your questions. This book is a part of Holy
Scripture, that part which contains the life and sayings of
our Lord, and the letters of His Apostles, lately translated,
and done into English, that plain men may read that which
it concerneth their salvation to know. It is to be hoped, in
time, that we shall have the whole Bible in English, but the
New Testament is put forth first as being the most
important to Christian men."
"But, dear lad, you are but young and tender, and the
possession of this book hath its dangers. There be many
who look upon it as the work of the devil and his servants.
Sir Thomas More, himself—albeit in many respects a good
and wise man—would gladly burn both the books and their
authors and readers. Such risks are not for children like
you."
"But, sir, does not this very book say we are not to fear
them which kill the body?" asked Jack. "Did not the man in
the parable you have just spoken sell all he had to buy the
treasure hid in a field?"
"My uncle's father was burned for having in his house and
reading an English Bible," pursued Jack, "and he went to his
death with joy. Oh, sir, I have so longed and prayed to see
an English or Latin Bible!"
"Ay, so! You can read your Latin Bible," said the stranger,
"You are, then, a scholar?"
"And was it your uncle or your father from whom you parted
but now?"
"My father, sir, and, I do think, the best man in all the
world. My uncle lives in a cottage just under the hill
yonder."
"But very little, sir: only the letters and a few rules. My
father is somewhat afraid of it, because one of the monks—
Father Francis, the sacristan, who sometimes comes to see
us—told him that Greek was a heathen language, not fit for
Christians to learn. He said he was cast into a deep sleep
only by trying to make out the forms of the letters, and so
forgot to ring the bell for evensong," added Jack gravely,
but with a certain spark of fun in his eyes. "But Father
Francis is fat, and likes a humming cup of ale, and mayhap
it was something else which put him to sleep."
"Very like, very like," said the stranger smiling. "My counsel
to you is to learn all the Greek you can, and then you may
read the New Testament in the original tongue. But that is a
knowledge to which common men cannot well attain, and
for that reason certain well-learned persons are advised to
put forth this translation which you are now reading." (For
Jack still held the book in his hand). "But if you will raise
your eyes to the clouds, you will see that we are threatened