e man, traitor to Privy Seal, that I do
meet and betwixt whose eyes this hand doth fall.' The hand quivered in
the air with fury. 'I can raise a thousand 'prentices and a thousand
journeymen to save Privy Seal from any peril; I can raise ten thousand
citizens, and ten thousand to-morrow again from the shires by
pamphlets of my printing; I can raise a mighty army thus to shield him
from Papists and the devil's foul contrivances. An I were a Papist, I
would pray to him, were he dead, as he were a saint.' Throckmorton
moved his face a line or two backwards from the gesticulating ham of a
hand, and blinked his eyes. 'My gold were Privy Seal's an he needed
it; my blood were his and my prayers. Nevertheless,' and his voice
took a more exalted note, 'one letter of the Word of God, God aiding
it, is of more avail than Privy Seal, or I, and all those I can love,
or he. With his laws and his nose for treason he hath smitten the
Amalekites above the belt; but a letter of the Word of God can smite
them hip and thigh, God helping.' He seemed again to choke in his
throat, and said more quietly: 'But ye shall not think a man in land
better loveth this godly flail of the monks.'

'Why, I do think ye would stand up against the King's self,'
Throckmorton said, 'and I am glad to hear it.'

'Against all printers and temporal powers,' the printer answered.
Amongst the apprentices and journeymen a murmur arose of acclamation
or of denial, some being of opinion that the King was divine in origin
and inspiration, but for the most part they supported their master,
and Throckmorton's blue eyes travelled from one to the other.

But the printer heaved a sigh of satisfaction.

'God be thanked,' he said, 'that keepeth the hearts of princes and
guideth with His breath all temporal occurrences.' Throckmorton was
about to touch his cap at the name of Omnipotence, but remembering
that he was among Protestants changed the direction of his hand and
scratched his cheek among the little hairs of his beard; 'the signs
are favourable that our good King's Highness shall still incline to
our cause and Privy Seal's.'

Throckmorton said: 'Anan?'

'Aye,' the printer said heavily, 'good news is come of Cleves.'

'Ye ha' news from Cleves?' Throckmorton asked swiftly.

'From Cleves not,' the printer answered; 'but from the Court by way of
Paris and thence from Cleves.' And to the interested spy he related,
accurately enough, that a make of mouthing, mowing,