u villain? How darest thou look me in the face
for shame? Knowest thou not who I am?' with a great and big voice.
Then said Dr Taylor, `Yes, I know who you are. Ye are Dr Stephen
Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor; and yet but a
mortal man, I trow. But if I should be afraid of your lordly looks, why
fear you not God, the Lord of us all? How dare ye for shame look any
Christian man in the face, seeing ye have forsaken the truth, denied our
Saviour Christ and His Word, and done contrary to your own oath and
writing?' with more to the same end."

"My word on't," saith Dr Thorpe, "but yonder is a jolly hearing. I am
right glad my Lord Chancellor got so well swinged!"

"Suffered Dr Taylor much, Austin?" asked Isoult.

"I trow not," answered he. "When he came nigh Hadleigh, the Sheriff
asked him how he did. Quoth he, `Well, God be praised, good Master
Sheriff, never better; for now I know I am almost at home. I lack not
past two stiles to go over, and I am even at my Father's house.' He was
a very tall and great man, with long snow-white beard and head; and he
stood in the fire with his hands folded, and never moved nor spake, till
one struck him on the head with a halberd (I know not whether it were in
malice or in compassion) and he fell down dead into the midst of the
fire."

"Well!" said Dr Thorpe, "I will tell you a thing: I would my gossips had
named me any thing but Stephen."

"There was a Stephen the first martyr," suggested Austin; "comfort you
with that remembrance."

"Verily," answered he; "yet I love not to be called the name which Satan
hath chose for himself on his incarnation."

One thing strange to human, reason is worthy of note, as showing the
good hand of our God upon those who suffered for Him. In the case of
the majority of these martyrs, those who had the fear of physical
suffering had _not_ the suffering. Ridley and Hooper bore themselves
bravely, and knew no terror; and they endured awful anguish at the last.
But Archbishop Cranmer, who at first held back for fear, uttered no cry
in the fire; Latimer, who did not hold back, yet trembled at what he had
to pass through, died to all appearance without pain. Most marvellous
of all was the case of Lawrence Saunders, the gentle Rector of All
Hallows, a man of delicate feeling, who shrank from the bitter cup, yet
drank it off bravely for Christ's sake. And Christ failed him not, but
carried him in His own arms over the d