brethren themselves, and was now
arrived at Oxford--his former alma mater--ready to embark upon a
similar crusade there. Here he had some friends and confederates,
and he hoped soon to make more. He knew that there were many
amongst the students and masters eager to read the forbidden books,
and to judge for themselves the nature of the controversy raging in
other countries. But the work of distribution was attended with
many and great dangers; and this visit was of a preliminary
character, with a view to ascertaining where and with whom his
stores of books (now secreted in a house in Abingdon) might be
smuggled into the city and hidden there. And in Anthony Dalaber he
found an eager and daring confederate, whose soul, being stirred to
its depths by what he heard, was willing to go all lengths to
assist in the forbidden traffic.

As the weeks flew by Dalaber grew more and more eager in his
task--the more so as he became better acquainted with other red-hot
spirits amongst the graduates and undergraduates, and heard more
and more heated disquisition and controversy. Sometimes a dozen or
more such spirits would assemble in his rooms to hear Garret hold
forth upon the themes so near to their hearts; and they would sit
far into the night listening to his fiery orations, and seeming
each time to gain stronger convictions, and resolve to hold more
resolutely to the code of liberty which they had embraced.

Somewhat apart from these excitable youths, yet in much sympathy
with them, was a little band who met regularly, and had done so all
through the winter months, in Clarke's rooms in Cardinal College,
to listen to his readings and expositions of the holy Scriptures,
and to discuss afterwards such matters as the readings had
suggested. That there was peril even in such gatherings as these
Clarke very well knew; but he earnestly warned all who asked leave
to attend them of that possible peril, and some drew back
faint-hearted. Still he always had as many as his room could well
hold; and Dalaber was one of the most regular and eager of his
pupils, and one most forward to speak in discussion.

The doctrine of transubstantiation was one of those which was
troubling the minds of the seekers after truth.

"How can that wafer of bread and that wine in the cup become actual
flesh and blood?" spoke Anthony once, with eager insistence, when
in one of the readings the story of the Lord's passion had been
read from end to end.

An